Hello from The Questionnaires ....

questionnaire · Joined: 29 May 2003 Posts: 640

Hi, just a note to introduce ourselves. We're new to the streaming sites, so if you fancy listening to some cool Brit-jazz flavoured pop music with some left-field lyrics and one of the best (but understated) voices in the business, give us a try. Here are some snippets from the initial reviews:

"From the first track, you can tell that they are a band with a high pedigree, the musicianship is excellent, the songs in general are well-crafted and well thought through .......... The Questionnaires are a cut above the rest ........." Squib, Besonic scout and reviewer

"Blessed with the songwriting skills and attention to detail of Steely Dan or Prefab Sprout ........ addictive qualities of the melodies ........ Wade has a wondrous vocal range but she never loses track of the song with unnecessary ad-libbing and even when she is in full flight as on the brilliant 'Madmen Do The Business' it adds genuine raw emotion ........ The Questionnaires demonstrate that sometimes there is no substitute for experience." Jonathan Leonard, 'Leonard's Lair'

" ... in "Arctic Circles" they have forged an enjoyable and soulful pop album with hooks aplenty and Jane's terrific

sophisticated voice to the fore." Tim Peacock, Whisperinandhollerin

"The Questionnaires put together some of the most perfectly executed, elegantly produced music I have ever heard. There is nothing about this recording that doesn't stink of pure professionalism... talent to the clouds" GodsofMusic

Steve H

www.mp3.com/thequestionnaires

www.thequestionnaires

rod steel global · Joined: 27 Jun 2002 Posts: 636

Hiya Steve

haven't I seen you on Besonic ?

®od

{SulkSteel's Blog} {Export Music Sweden} {My Jukebox= Lofi | Hifi}

bbchris

Wow with such great recommendations I had to listen! Definitely very professional feel to the Questionnaires. And yes Jane has a good voice, Ghosts in your eye does remind me of Steely Dan.

Now listening to "Madmen do the Business" and have to say I love the deep notes. Very jazzy this track. Oooh I like it!

Not too sure about the intro to "Forty Years of Peace"

So folks if you like listening to jazz-flavoured pop, this is the band!

MIKE BURN

The Questionnaires proove my theory, that the independent MP3 world is good anytime, for real musical surprises

)

MIKE

Yj2

Hey what a cool sound. Sittin' on my terrace listening to "Ghost In Your Eyes". Yeah - that's it!!!

A warm welcome from Frankfurt/Germany to Newcastle.

BTW, reminds me a bit of "The Style Council".

Sebastian

questionnaire · Joined: 29 May 2003 Posts: 640

Wow.....thanks for the great welcome... overwhelming!!At last! A site with a pulse and no trolls - I don't believe it!!

Thanks for the listens and the comments. I'll visit everyone's site as soon as I can. So much interesting and varied music here!! If any of our German friends are interested we got what looks like like a great review from Persona Non Gratis at www.popculture.de but my German's not very good so I can only understand bits of it. Reiner, an old friend of mine from Duisburg who used to work with me over here in Newcastle is going to translate it for me soon.

Newcastle United in the European Champions' League for the second year running. Yahoo!!

Hi Rod. Yes, we've got our stuff up on Besonic. I used to contribute to the board there and I administrated the Artists For Peace site for a short while but there was a serious troll problem (just one guy) so I drifted away. I think you might know Kirk (Zenpool) from Seattle? We are working on an electronic classical collaboration at the moment, so I'll let you know when it's up. We've been working on a way of sending .wav files over the net quickly with no degradation, so if anyone is interested in chatting about it feel free to get in touch.

Thanks again for the welcome everyone, and I'll be in touch soon.

Steve H

bbchris · Posted: Sat May 31, 2003 3:18 am Post subject: Re: Thanks everyone ....

I'm sure one of our German friends would translate that for you. Why don't you copy & paste to a new thread here asking for a translation? I've had wonderful assistance in the past :banana

Newcastle? oh my is that where you are from? I've not been to Newcastle but I rather like the accent. hahahaha

Will check out more of your music Steve! Have a fantastic weekend! :banana

questionnaire · Joined: 29 May 2003 Posts: 640

That's a good idea, Chris! I'll try that. 'Dreaming' is my favourite from your four available songs, good lyrics with a bitter-sweet feel about it. Nice one.... all-woman rock from Hong Kong ... I like it .....

Steve H

MIKE BURN · Posted: Sat May 31, 2003 8:00 pm Post subject: Re: good idea ....

Steve, I gladly would give you an idea what the German review says, but I can't find it on the site.

Is it one of the archives there? And if yes, which one?

Or simply post the review here

MIKE

questionnaire · Joined: 29 May 2003 Posts: 640

Oh, Hi Mike, that's very kind of you indeed. I just posted the following on the 'interconnected' board:

Hi there,

Could anyone translate the rest of this review of our album 'Arctic Circles'? It's from Persona Non Grata at www.popculture.de

In return, if you leave a full postal address I'll send you a free copy straight away!!

Many thanks,

Steve H

THE QUESTIONNAIRES - ARCTIC CIRCLES

(Eigenlabel/-vertrieb: www.thequestionnaires.com)

Lordy, there is ever so much good music around these days... Let's hear it for The Questionnaires, Newcastle's finest in soulish pop. The latter of which might not be met too often upon the battlefield of stylish guitar-based emotions. Pop-ish chord changes, however, that trigger reminiscences of beloved Prefab Sprouts and the like. (Talk about Kitchenware Records here - the upheld lighthouse in aforementioned Newcastle-upon-Tyne, see above). A very dark-ish voice of singer Jane Wade that at last was heard on better Annie Lennox albums. Thus all highlighting a grand record from up north... Wie ihr unschwer erkennen könnt, plane ich eine Karriere beim NME ;-). Aber mal im Ernst: was hier so beiläufig als Promo eines nordenglischen Kleinst-, weil Eigenlabels hereingeflattert kam, mag vielleicht nicht unbedingt die Neuerfindung des Rades sein (das ist sie heute auch nur noch ganz selten, die diatonische Skala in nahezu jeder ihrer hörbaren Kombinationen ist ausgereizt), aber so souverän bekommt man souligen Pop, der seine Einflüsse von gutem R'n'B keineswegs verschweigt, selten serviert. Neben erwähnter Jane Wade agiert bei den "Questionnaires" noch Steve Hall in sehr sicherer Manier an der Gitarre. Dabei stand die Karriere dieses unglaublichen Duos zunächst auf Messers Schneide: bereits 1988 aufgetaucht, versetzten sie die nordenglische Musikszene in Aufruhr, um kurze Zeit später spurlos zu verschwinden. Nach ausgedehnten Theatertouren (Jane) und einem Studium in Sozialwissenschaften (Steve) waren beide bald schon wieder zurück. Mit "Arctic Circles" ist ihnen ein warmes, weiches Album gelungen, das gelegentliche Anklänge an die First Lady des Soul, Miss Sade Adu, nicht zurückhalten möchte. Das braucht es auch nicht. Wir sollten hier nur unser Augemerk auf weitere Veröffentlichungen aus dieser Ecke richten.

questionnaire · Joined: 29 May 2003 Posts: 640

Sebastian, that's a really good song with a nice Celtic lilt to it all the way through. I like the little guitar arpeggios - it's difficult to make them sound distinctive, but you managed to do it! It's now on my Besonic playlist. Nice one, mate.

Steve H

MIKE BURN · Posted: Sat May 31, 2003 9:12 pm Post subject: Re: 'A Hundred Miles Away'

*Ughh* ...that's a hard text to translate! :lol

I'll do my best... give me some time.

Netjams · Joined: 27 Dec 2001 Posts: 2308

Cool Jazz Rocks!... Very nice music and welcome to Blah,Blah,Blah :gl

Featured Song

NutCity.com

MIKE BURN · Posted: Sat May 31, 2003 9:42 pm Post subject: Re: 'A Hundred Miles Away'

Well, I hope you get the picture.

I'm not this perfect.))))

Quote:
Seriously, what arrived here labeled 'independent', may not be the new invention of the wheel (nowadys the diatonic tonescale is known to the extend), but very seldom you are served with soulish pop, making no secret of good R'n'B influences, in this magnificent way.

Besides Jane Wade, Steve Hall acts for the "Questionnaires" with his straight and safe guitar playing.

Surprisingly the carreer of this Duo was uncertain 1988, when they mixed up the northern english music scene, just to leave the scene a short time later.

After long touring with theaters (Jane) and studying social sciences, both returned.

They succeeded with "Arctic Cycles" to create a warm and soft album, which occasionally shows references to the first lady of soul, Miss Sade Adu. We should direct our attention to future releases.

MIKE

questionnaire · Joined: 29 May 2003 Posts: 640

Thanks Mike, that was really helpful. I owe you one.

Steve H