Darren Hayes

M

Maggz

http://www.darrenhayes.com/sch-appeal/

'Positive Kids' helps fund 'Camp Goodtime' which supports HIV positive children and their families from across Australia and helps reduce the social isolation some of these kids experience.

In an effort to raise awareness for this charity Darren Hayes is giving away this special acoustic version of his new single 'Unlovable' as a free download. This song will not be sold in stores. The only way to get it is from the official Darren Hayes Website. For free.  If you're feeling generous you can donate one dollar (or more!) when you download the track.

Darren will donate one dollar for every donation given and all proceeds will go directly to 'Positive Kids'. Download and Donate http://www.darrenhayes.com/sch-appeal/
 
M

Maggz

Yeah it is a pretty cool thing to do. I've been trying to email popjustice so they have the option of it as a news item but the emails are being returned. :(
 
M

MontyGail

Darren Hayes & Columbia Records/Sony Music Part Ways
Sunday, 09 July 2006
After 10 years and 24 million album sales together, Darren Hayes and Columbia Records/Sony BMG have decided to part ways.

The announcement comes after two sold out performances at Australia's Sydney Opera House last week as a part of his 'Big Night In' tour. The tour, which played to 30 thousand Uk fans earlier this year, has received rave reviews.

"The record industry has changed so much since I was first signed, and so have I" Hayes has said. "I'm grateful for the opportunities given to me but am excited about the prospect of a fresh new start."

Hayes will perform one final show in Bangkok next week before heading back into the studio to complete work on a brand new album set for a 2007 release on a new label.

http://www.darrenhayes.com/dh/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=1&Itemid=186

*****



Well...I can't say I'm sorry to see Sony and Darren call it a day. In my honest opinion...I can't see what they've done for him as far as internationally. I've been skeptical as far as the last album and the two recent tours exactly how much was supported by Darren and how much was by Sony.

He's an amazing artist...and whatever the outcome is I'm sure he's the 100% backing of his fans and I see this as a bright future and an amazing new beginning. It's a good day to be a Darren Hayes fan. I hope Darren feels the same.

Jess
 
B

Bootie

After the inexplicably poor sales of The Tension and The Spark I guess this was to be predicted. He won't have any problems getting another deal though will he? He must have enough dosh to do a Mel C and start his own label if necessary.

This 'parting of the ways' is probably a good thing.
 
P

Poptasticuk

I doubt this will make a huge difference as for the past few years he seems to have been pretty much doing his own thing anyway. His fanbase is strong and dedicated and will definitely buy anything he releases, and if he does so on a small scale without trying to promote to people who aren't interested, he should be able to keep going as long as he wants to.

Jessica
 
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popknark

Moderator
I hope this means he’ll take his creativity to an even higher level. Kind of like the effect breaking from a big record label had on Robyn. “The Tension And The Sparkâ€Â￾ was a special album in many ways, and just imagine what he could come up with without any pressure from a label!
 
F

flufff

He's very talented, has a great voice, has produced some interesting and catchy music and knows how to put on a good show. Unfortunately, he wanted to go in a direction that was not as commercial as the record label or radio stations wanted and he suffered in terms of support.

He has a strong enough identity to move on without Sony, probably better without them rubbing their chins and shaking their heads at anything too creative.
 
B

bungle

dancingwithmyself said:
Bar the odd cute melody, I've never understood the appeal of Darren Hayes (or Savage Garden). Please enlighten me as to why Darren Hayes is 'special', 'amazing' and other positive adjectives.
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To be honest, if you don't like any of his singles (including the Savage Garden stuff) then he's clearly not your cup of tea, but on the whole it should be said that his singles have often been rather unfairly representative of his output. I know that this excuse is often wheeled out for various artists, but it's really true in his case. I remember getting The Tension and the Spark and being impressed by its style, but also depressed that it was obvious which songs would be singles (although, to be fair, the dire Dublin Sky was passed over in favour of Darkness - even if the single didn't happen in the UK in the end). There's a lot of interesting stuff on the albums, both solo and as part of SG, but when dirge like I Miss You is released then it's just such a shame. The record company just want ballads, it seems. Even I Knew I Loved You was added to the album as a semi-protest, when the US record company complained that Affirmation didn't have a Truly Madly Deeply - Hayes and Jones seem to have pretty much written it as a 'fuck you!' to the record company, to prove that they could write another US #1 if they wanted (which is where it ended up). Even Popjustice favourite Pop!Ular was completely unrepresentative of Hayes' last album.

Darkness:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRPO3_SwD-Q
 
E

elmsyrup

The Tension And The Spark was phenomenal. Very dark, sexy electro-pop, but not exactly dance. More cerebral than that. Even Pop!ular was in its way quite forward thinking, though very much the obvious single from that album. Now if you have a look at Darren's Popworld interviews (here) he's exactly the sort of funny, articulate pop star we need. I don't want him to go indie! I hope he has the self-awareness not to do a Toby From Catch and stop washing his hair or smiling.
 
S

Scoodle

The Tension & The Spark was an absolute creative triumph. However, so was Impossible Princess by Kylie and look how many that sold...

It's possible for great music to be entirely niche. It was never going to sell many copies, whatever they released from it.

As long as Darren remains focused on the melody then he can continue along the path without a major record label behind him. If he takes the creative freedom too far, then it'll be a real shame. Some artists get too carried away with being challenging and forget that, at the core, you need good songs.

I'm not sure if Sony were quite the evil influence we all believe they were to be honest... they probably pulled the album back stylistically to where it needed to be for his fans.
 
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P-Bal

It's a shame, but Sony aren't all that good - they've botched many a career.

Hope he goes on to bigger and better things!
 
K

Karen

It's a shame, but Sony aren't all that good - they've botched many a career.
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Agree with this.
I think Darren has a beautiful voice and have liked most of the stuff he's done, both with Savage Garden and since. Wish him well whatever he does in the future.
 
M

MontyGail

Scoodle said:
I'm not sure if Sony were quite the evil influence we all believe they were to be honest... they probably pulled the album back stylistically to where it needed to be for his fans.
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I don't know. I kinda doubt that. I think it they would have had the say they wanted (if they did) it would not have even been as excentric as it is and Darren would have fallen further into the pit of blandness that he was sadly heading for at that time.  Besides...he's said that the album was finished before Sony even got a listen to it. The man funded the thing and recorded in a bedroom closet. I doubt one would go to that extent and then backtread....Hayes has always had a good commercial ear and ability to kinda float around that line.

As mentioned, Sony has run a few careers into the ground the last few years and it's been my experiance that a good portion of the time when you see fans complaning about someone's record company...it almost seems to be the Sony monster rearing it's ugly head....I know it's business..but Sony is too business sometimes and they back someone with big bucks...run them into the ground and then don't look back afterward.

The seperation comes at a prime time. They got their Savage Garden Greatest Hits (Which now I ponder as possibly part of the deal?)...The last 10 years is being wrapped up...and the future awaits. I don't think I want to see him go totally indie..but he needs a smaller record label...even if that means giving up international deals at the moment. He's got the face value and credibility to pull it off.
 
D

Dazzle

Bungle said:
dancingwithmyself said:
Bar the odd cute melody, I've never understood the appeal of Darren Hayes (or Savage Garden). Please enlighten me as to why Darren Hayes is 'special', 'amazing' and other positive adjectives.
Click to expand...
Even I Knew I Loved You was added to the album as a semi-protest, when the US record company complained that Affirmation didn't have a Truly Madly Deeply - Hayes and Jones seem to have pretty much written it as a 'fuck you!' to the record company, to prove that they could write another US #1 if they wanted (which is where it ended up). Even Popjustice favourite Pop!Ular was completely unrepresentative of Hayes' last album.
Click to expand...
Never knew that. I've always thought Darren didn't like IKILY as he never sings it as it should be. Like that weird electronic way he sang it on the last tour, even though it fucked up on the London date so he did it acapella.

Pop!ular never fit in on TTATS - I always assumed the record label were like "Fantastic, a concept album. Now write us a hit or we won't release it"
 
S

Scoodle

I Knew I Loved You is still my least favourite Savage Garden single. I think that track is soley responsible for the lame perception that so many people have of SA / Darren. It was truly insipid.
 
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