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New to David Gray? Or do you have a burning question about him that you can't figure out? Well, this is the right place to get all (or most) of your questions answered...
WHO IS DAVID GRAY?
David Gray is a singer / songwriter, born in Manchester, England and raised in Wales. To date he has released 4 albums - each on a different record label. He possesses a gentle, masterful voice that carries a weight of emotion with each of his beautiful songs. Initially accompanied only by his accoustic guitar, he has gradually spread out to encompass electric guitars, samplers, drum machines and more to express his music, yet losing none of the soul or meaning that has gained him such a following. He is noted for his electric live performances, thrilling any crowd with his abundance of energy and enthusiasm for every gig. On stage he may be seen wobbling his head in rythm to the music. David Gray has toured extensively in England, Ireland (where he has a massive following), Europe and America. He has built up a steady following - the main problem is getting people to hear him, but when they do, he gains another life-long fan. For more details on David Gray, see his biography.
IS DAVID GRAY WELSH?
David Gray was born in Manchester, England, but moved to Wales and spent most of his life there. He considers himself Welsh rather than English. In interviews he has often commented that it was the Welsh landscape which inspired much of his music and lyrics.
HOW OLD IS DAVID GRAY?
David Gray is 31. He was born sometime in 1969.
WHO IS CLUNE?
Clune is David Gray's drummer and part of the live act which makes a David Gray concert so
electrifying. Known for his Hawaiian shirts and manic drum-playing (often at drum-machine speeds)
he has been David Gray's sidekick since the album Flesh.
For a while he doubled up as David's bass player too, until one was recruited.
Indeed, Clune plays bass on many White Ladder tracks.
David has often said that Clune's arrival has radically altered his musical direction,
and Clune has been included as contributor to many songs on White Ladder.
His sense of humour and likeable character are legendary among fans at David
Gray concerts.
HOW MANY ALBUMS DOES DAVID GRAY HAVE?
He has released 4 albums. A Century Ends was released under Caroline Records in 1992. Next came Flesh in 1995, under a different label, Virgin Records. The next album was released in 1996 under yet another label, EMI, which was Sell Sell Sell. The most recent album to be released is White Ladder, released in 1998 in Ireland and in 1999 in the UK (both under his own label, iht Records), and in America in 2000, under ATO Records, owned by Dave Matthews.
WHAT FILM DID DAVID GRAY APPEAR IN?
Coinciding with the release of his 4th album, White Ladder,
David Gray contributed some songs to the soundtrack of the British film, 'This
Year`s Love'. As well as the title song, which also appears on the album, David
contributed 'Monday Morning'. Footage of the film was interspersed in the music
video for the single, 'This Years Love'. In fact, David Gray and Clune do appear
in the film singing various songs, including 'Sail Away'. They play -
appropriately enough - a pub band, although don't have any speaking roles.
Point of interest:
in the closing credits of the film, the film's lead actress, Kathy Bates sings
her own version of the David Gray classic, 'Shine'. David Gray has recalled this
recording, saying that Kathy had insisted that she sings best when drunk, so
they all went out and got drunk and then recorded the song, only to discover the
next day that it sounded terrible! So, she did sing it sober in the end (some
people may still think she murdered the song...)
WHERE CAN I BUY DAVID GRAY CDS ONLINE?
Here of course! Although David Gray has released 4 albums, they were all through different record companies, and so, as a result, the first three have been cut from production - I.E., no more will be made. Therefore, if you wish to complete your DG collection, sooner is better than later. There is no problem purchasing White Ladder, Flesh or A Century Ends, but Sell Sell Sell has proved extremely difficult to locate in any quantity. We do have a link on the album page to buy it, but cannot guarantee availability. For details, go to each of the albums pages.
WHY IS DAVID GRAY SO POPULAR IN IRELAND?
How did David Gray turn from playing pubs and clubs sized holding around 200 people, to playing the largest indoor concert arena in Ireland, holding 8000 people in just one year, despite hardly any genuine radio-play, and despite an organised marketing campaign?
It's not just luck - David Gray's association with Ireland goes back to his first album, and one of the singles of it, Shine. It was played on an Irish TV music show, No Disco, by DJ Donal Dineen, and thereafter he was inundated with requests to play this unheard of artist some more. Sensing a popular singer, Donal invited David to Dublin to play in Whelans, a popular music venue for up and coming Irish musicians. The first gig (David was treated to an Irish roar on stage, courtesy of poet Pat Ingoldsby) led to a second, and a tour and quickly, he built up a steady, reliable, fanatical following in all parts of Ireland. Two more albums followed, which included tours in America and Europe, but even though the UK was slow to respond to him, he was always guaranteed sell-out shows and rapturous welcomes in Ireland. When he recorded White Ladder, he played it to packed houses across Ireland for months before it became the success it is now. In the space of one year in 1999, he graduated to filling the Point Depot in Dublin, and then playing a free Millennium gig in Dublin city in December 31st. His album sales have been most successful in Ireland - White Ladder stayed in the Irish album charts for a whole year, peaking at Number One.
In 1999 David Gray picked up the 'Guest of the Nation' award from Irish music mag, Hot Press, in recognition of his popularity and success in Ireland. David has always remained grateful and loyal to his Irish fans, often commenting on the intensity of an Irish gig. While the UK and America may now be slowly starting to become attracted to David, Ireland will always be a second home for him.
DID DAVID GRAY REALLY TOUR WITH RADIOHEAD?
Perhaps it might seem a surprising touring partnership, but yes, back in 1995, David Gray supported Radiohead in a tour of the USA, to promote his Flesh album. It was on this tour that David built up much of his US fans, who subsequently had to be content with following his progress in the UK and Ireland (until now of course).
The rumour that he set fire to Radiohead's dressing room at one point is unconfirmed (although it does make a great story, were it true!).
WHO WROTE 'SAY HELLO WAVE GOODBYE'?
No, David Gray did not pen this song, one of the favourites from White Ladder. It was actually written in the early 1980s by Marc Almond, from the irritating 'new romantic' band, Soft Cell. The original song was typically enough, a synth-led tune, sung monotone, with no gentle guitar to help it along. What is amazing is how David not only picked it to play, but transformed it into such a beautiful song. Before it appeared on White Ladder, David had played it at many gigs, making it into a fan favourite. The ending of the song is a nod to Van Morrison's song Into The Mystic, from one of the David's all-time favourite albums (see archives for an article explaining this).
HOW DO YOU FIND THE SECRET TRACK ON WHITE LADDER?
Can't get enough of White Ladder? Then how about another song? Can't Get Through, is a secret track, added onto the end of White Ladder. Unfortunately, it is only available on the Irish/UK release (on iht Records), so you folks with the US version miss out (although you do have concert footage...). To listen to the secret track:
Play track 1 of your White Ladder CD, and just as the song is starting, press the backwards, or rewind button [<<] of your CD player or remote control.
Now rewind the CD until approximately -2:00 minutes before the first track.
Let go of the rewind button and listen!
WHY ARE THERE NO DAVID GRAY MP3s?
Because so far, David Gray himself has declined to release any music on MP3 format. While it has become usual for fan web sites to provide illegal MP3s songs of their favourite artist, no DG web site does so, out of courtesy to the artist himself. One site did have an amount of b-sides and rare recordings as MP3s, but at the request of David Gray, these were removed from the site. One reason may be that those songs could appear on a future album, while bootleg versions of songs appearing as MP3s will merely deplete record sales.
IS DAVID GRAY MARRIED?
Yes he is. To Olivia; they married around the time of the writing of Flesh, and such is the nature of the songs that his state of being really shines through on many tracks. He has described her as a complete opposite to him, although clearly she is the muse for many songs.
WHICH IS DAVID GRAY'S BEST ALBUM?
Obviously, that's a personal question. Each album is very different, with A Century Ends having many stand-out tracks, compared to say, Sell Sell Sell, which, while being a great album, has a different feel to it. For many fans, Flesh is the best, truest David Gray album, although surprisingly, David has expressed less-than glowing opinions about it himself. Indeed, aside from The Light and Coming Down, he rarely plays any of this album live.