Ralph Bennett-Eades new CD

By Phil Davison

PledgeMe.Project

Music,



NZ $5,152 pledged


126 people pledged


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NZ $270 minimum target


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This campaign was successful and closed on 28/02/2015 at 11:51 AM.

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About

Ralph Bennett-Eades New CD

Project 2015-01-24 13:19:10 +1300

My good friend Ralph Bennett-Eades is seriously ill in hospital. In fact, he's not going to make it, and he's facing his death with courage and humour. 

Ralph spent his life making music as one of NZ's legendary blues men, playing from Kaitaia to Bluff, and has friends up and down the country. His new CD is on his laptop, nearly completed, and he's asked me to put those last finishing touches to it  and to make it available, with the profit going to his 13 year old daughter, Gracey.

Ralph and Gracie

I've done a lot of work with Ralph over the years, so I've got a pretty good idea of how he likes things.

This CD will be a chance for Ralph's music to live on, and for his friends to have another disc to remember him by, with the profit going to a worthy cause.

 See also - 

http://ralphbennetteades.com

http://ralphblues.com

https://www.facebook.com/ralph.bennetteades

Photo by Petra Paignton

 

Comments

Updates 13

Sent!

05/04/2015 at 2:31 PM

Hi Everyone,

I finally managed to get through addressing all the packages and sent out the Sleeping Gypsy CDs yesterday. Because of the holidays, CDs going within NZ will probably arrive on Wednesday (or Thursday for RD). International ones will take a little longer.

Discs to be posted soon

30/03/2015 at 3:26 PM

As most of you will know, Ralph passed away on Friday afternoon. I'm sad to know he's gone, but I think it was a release form the illness he's been suffering in this last month. I can only wish him well on the next leg of his cosmic journey.

The discs have now arrived from Amstore, and I'll begin posting them out later this week, although it might take me a while to adress them all! 

Meanwhile, I've made a memoial video with some still images of Ralph over the years and the title song of the CD - here is it...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mvMbmR9HVo

Ralph is listening to Sleeping Gypsy

24/03/2015 at 11:43 PM

The proof copy arrived from Amstore the other day. I checked it out, and it was fine, so I couriered it up to Ralph. Latest word I have is that he's close to the end, but he's not in pain. He's heavily medicated, so he's not very alert, but he's listening to Sleeping Gypsy with a smile. He has a few friends beside him (thankyou Petra, Penni, Ivan, Natalie!).

When you get your copy of the CD you'll understand why it is a good disc to go out with. It's calm and beautiful. I don't think I'll ever be able to hear the first track without seeing him asleep in a hospital bed, hearing imaginary oceans, drifting away in dreams.

This is what he's listening to now, late on Monday night (with some very nice guitar by Billy TK Snr.). 

Watch the Sunset
Watch the moon rise
Lift out of the ocean
Island at its side
The wind had dropped the sea was calm
I waded in, and then I swam
Bathing in a paintbox
Of oranges unseen
Moon above the island
Sleeping Gypsy
Sleeping Gypsy

Listen to the ocean
Drift away in dreams
Solitary and singular
Salt upon the skin
To savour and to nurture 
To quench the soul within.

He was a lifeloing gypsy, now he's drifting away in dreams, falling to sleep.

CD coming soon

19/03/2015 at 10:02 AM

Hi all, 

Just letting y'all know that sleeping Gypsy is with the manufacturers, and I should be getting a proof copy soon.

Ralph's comment on the CD

03/03/2015 at 6:24 PM

First of all, thanks so much to everyone who pledged. It will really make a difference.

Ralph has been in a bad way recently, but over the last few days he's found more peace, and a more personal relationship with God. I was talking to him on the phone today, and he asked me to talk him through the tracks. As I named each track he thought about it for a moment and then said "Yep."

When I got to the end, he said "Those are all good. Any more would just be my ego getting in the road. I’m happy with this CD. In fact it’s the CD I’m most proud of. There’s nothing dark or bitter in there." What he was meaning was that he was pleased that this disc is more optimistic and postive, and if he has to leave us, he'd like to leave us with a positive message.

Ralph's verdict on Elisha's contribution

01/03/2015 at 9:20 PM

I played Ralph the mix of the tunes recorded by Elisha and Steve - his verdict - "Wonderful, better than I thought possible!"

This PledgeMe project has been wonderfully succesful, with more than $5,000 raised (Thank you all so much!) but remeber the project is almost over, so if you were waiting until the last minute to pledge, now's the time.

Ralph discs at the Gypsy Fair (Nelson this weekend)

19/02/2015 at 11:39 AM

Ralph has asked me to organise a package of discs to be sent to the Gypsy Fair which is in Nelson this weekend - so visitors to the fair can pick up a copy of two of Ralphs best selling discs - Fun's Trouble and/or Southern Journey. Profits from sales of these discs also go to Gracey's trust account. The fair is in Nelso this weekend, and then heads south during Autumn.

Elisha Hobbs records last tracks

18/02/2015 at 7:07 PM

When Ralph became too ill to record, there were still a couple of tracks that he had not had time to put down, so he asked Elisha Hobbs to record them for him. Ralph made a rough recording singing into his iPhone for me to send to Elisha so she would know how the songs were supposed to go. Elisha and Steve Mitchell recorded the songs on Monday, and sent me the tracks to mix together yesterday. And they sound great!

Lastly, let me tell you the title of the last song of Ralphs to be recorded "Thankyou for Loving Me"

That title just about says it all.

Amstore comes to the party!

10/02/2015 at 9:41 AM

I've just heard from the CD manufacturing company Amstore. Ralph was one of their first customers, and they remember him well - they were very sad when I told them that Ralph is leaving us. But they've really come to the party by offering to produce the CDs at minimal cost, so that this project will generate more profit, and every disc sold will make a bigger contibution to Gracie! THANKS AMSTORE!

http://www.amstore.co.nz

Progress report

08/02/2015 at 12:50 PM

I've just been up in New Plymouth, spending the last couple of days with Ralph - really good to be with him, even thogh it's hard to say a final goodbye.

We went over the mixes, made some decisions about vocal takes, and set the order of the tracks, and I shot some video of him talking about his life. Great to have his input, so I can produce this disc exactly how he would want it.

Great also to see the ammount pledged rising all the time!

New video clip

31/01/2015 at 4:58 PM

I've just updated the video clip on Pledge Me with a new version that has some rough mixes of the music from the album.

Progress report

28/01/2015 at 4:36 PM

I've been looking over the files on Ralphs computers (thanks Heather!) and everything seems straight forward - Ralph was correct when he told me it was almost complete. I'll have a rough draft of the front cover ready this evening, and I'll post it to Ralph's facebook page then. 

International posting available

28/01/2015 at 4:32 PM

Due to popular demand we've now got an international shipping option (sorry the shipping is so much!).

    Pledgers 126

    Roger Giles
    28/02/2015 at 11:51am

    "Best wishes from all at the Bunker. "

    Liam Ryan
    27/02/2015 at 12:48pm
    Deb Kinsella
    26/02/2015 at 1:07pm
    Rene Andre
    26/02/2015 at 11:28am
    JiL Sergent
    26/02/2015 at 9:53am

    "How extraordinary the everyday moments with friends , family and self are. Buy a Ralph CD & keep his inspiration alive...xxx"

    Katie Brown
    23/02/2015 at 8:19am
    Shane Scott
    19/02/2015 at 11:51am
    Matthew Hyde
    18/02/2015 at 9:57am
    Declan Finn
    17/02/2015 at 8:37pm
    Kris Kolff
    16/02/2015 at 9:33am
    maxann
    15/02/2015 at 2:24pm
    Simon Owens
    13/02/2015 at 5:35pm

    "Always in my heart my dear friend. Be at peace."

    SallyAnne
    13/02/2015 at 9:19am
    Tim Robinson
    12/02/2015 at 9:24am
    luke wilson
    11/02/2015 at 10:43pm

    "So much love to Gracey, Heather, Jake, Sam and Coke. Thinking of you all very much. Peace be with you Ralph cheers for the insights "

    Diana Currier
    11/02/2015 at 9:18am
    Carol McGinty
    10/02/2015 at 10:42pm
    Mikaela Fisher
    10/02/2015 at 10:03pm

    "Really enjoyed playing with you and listening to you."

    Steve Kelsen
    10/02/2015 at 9:32pm
    Tony Bish
    10/02/2015 at 7:22pm

    "Ralph thanks for all the great music, your a kiwi legend! Your Fat n Sassy album inspired my wine, Tony Bish Fat n Sassy Chardonnay!"

    Joanne Robertson
    10/02/2015 at 5:50pm
    Anonymous pledger
    10/02/2015 at 4:57pm
    Darryl Smith
    10/02/2015 at 11:23am
    Lomah Sarney
    10/02/2015 at 10:44am
    Adrian Brown
    09/02/2015 at 7:30pm
    Plucky Piwakawaka
    09/02/2015 at 6:51pm
    sue Pattinson
    09/02/2015 at 5:17pm
    Annelies Goemaere
    09/02/2015 at 4:15pm
    backyard music
    09/02/2015 at 3:38pm
    'Heidi' McAlpine
    09/02/2015 at 3:37pm

    "Hey Ralph, many years ago when I lived with your brother Craig I enjoyed your music and videos of gypsy fairs. Respect. Heidi."

    Ralph Bennett-Eades New CD

    Project 2015-01-24 13:19:10 +1300

    My good friend Ralph Bennett-Eades is seriously ill in hospital. In fact, he's not going to make it, and he's facing his death with courage and humour. 

    Ralph spent his life making music as one of NZ's legendary blues men, playing from Kaitaia to Bluff, and has friends up and down the country. His new CD is on his laptop, nearly completed, and he's asked me to put those last finishing touches to it  and to make it available, with the profit going to his 13 year old daughter, Gracey.

    Ralph and Gracie

    I've done a lot of work with Ralph over the years, so I've got a pretty good idea of how he likes things.

    This CD will be a chance for Ralph's music to live on, and for his friends to have another disc to remember him by, with the profit going to a worthy cause.

     See also - 

    http://ralphbennetteades.com

    http://ralphblues.com

    https://www.facebook.com/ralph.bennetteades

    Photo by Petra Paignton

     

    Comments

    Sent!

    05/04/2015 at 2:31 PM

    Hi Everyone,

    I finally managed to get through addressing all the packages and sent out the Sleeping Gypsy CDs yesterday. Because of the holidays, CDs going within NZ will probably arrive on Wednesday (or Thursday for RD). International ones will take a little longer.

    Discs to be posted soon

    30/03/2015 at 3:26 PM

    As most of you will know, Ralph passed away on Friday afternoon. I'm sad to know he's gone, but I think it was a release form the illness he's been suffering in this last month. I can only wish him well on the next leg of his cosmic journey.

    The discs have now arrived from Amstore, and I'll begin posting them out later this week, although it might take me a while to adress them all! 

    Meanwhile, I've made a memoial video with some still images of Ralph over the years and the title song of the CD - here is it...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mvMbmR9HVo

    Ralph is listening to Sleeping Gypsy

    24/03/2015 at 11:43 PM

    The proof copy arrived from Amstore the other day. I checked it out, and it was fine, so I couriered it up to Ralph. Latest word I have is that he's close to the end, but he's not in pain. He's heavily medicated, so he's not very alert, but he's listening to Sleeping Gypsy with a smile. He has a few friends beside him (thankyou Petra, Penni, Ivan, Natalie!).

    When you get your copy of the CD you'll understand why it is a good disc to go out with. It's calm and beautiful. I don't think I'll ever be able to hear the first track without seeing him asleep in a hospital bed, hearing imaginary oceans, drifting away in dreams.

    This is what he's listening to now, late on Monday night (with some very nice guitar by Billy TK Snr.). 

    Watch the Sunset
    Watch the moon rise
    Lift out of the ocean
    Island at its side
    The wind had dropped the sea was calm
    I waded in, and then I swam
    Bathing in a paintbox
    Of oranges unseen
    Moon above the island
    Sleeping Gypsy
    Sleeping Gypsy

    Listen to the ocean
    Drift away in dreams
    Solitary and singular
    Salt upon the skin
    To savour and to nurture 
    To quench the soul within.

    He was a lifeloing gypsy, now he's drifting away in dreams, falling to sleep.

    CD coming soon

    19/03/2015 at 10:02 AM

    Hi all, 

    Just letting y'all know that sleeping Gypsy is with the manufacturers, and I should be getting a proof copy soon.

    Ralph's comment on the CD

    03/03/2015 at 6:24 PM

    First of all, thanks so much to everyone who pledged. It will really make a difference.

    Ralph has been in a bad way recently, but over the last few days he's found more peace, and a more personal relationship with God. I was talking to him on the phone today, and he asked me to talk him through the tracks. As I named each track he thought about it for a moment and then said "Yep."

    When I got to the end, he said "Those are all good. Any more would just be my ego getting in the road. I’m happy with this CD. In fact it’s the CD I’m most proud of. There’s nothing dark or bitter in there." What he was meaning was that he was pleased that this disc is more optimistic and postive, and if he has to leave us, he'd like to leave us with a positive message.

    Ralph's verdict on Elisha's contribution

    01/03/2015 at 9:20 PM

    I played Ralph the mix of the tunes recorded by Elisha and Steve - his verdict - "Wonderful, better than I thought possible!"

    This PledgeMe project has been wonderfully succesful, with more than $5,000 raised (Thank you all so much!) but remeber the project is almost over, so if you were waiting until the last minute to pledge, now's the time.

    Ralph discs at the Gypsy Fair (Nelson this weekend)

    19/02/2015 at 11:39 AM

    Ralph has asked me to organise a package of discs to be sent to the Gypsy Fair which is in Nelson this weekend - so visitors to the fair can pick up a copy of two of Ralphs best selling discs - Fun's Trouble and/or Southern Journey. Profits from sales of these discs also go to Gracey's trust account. The fair is in Nelso this weekend, and then heads south during Autumn.

    Elisha Hobbs records last tracks

    18/02/2015 at 7:07 PM

    When Ralph became too ill to record, there were still a couple of tracks that he had not had time to put down, so he asked Elisha Hobbs to record them for him. Ralph made a rough recording singing into his iPhone for me to send to Elisha so she would know how the songs were supposed to go. Elisha and Steve Mitchell recorded the songs on Monday, and sent me the tracks to mix together yesterday. And they sound great!

    Lastly, let me tell you the title of the last song of Ralphs to be recorded "Thankyou for Loving Me"

    That title just about says it all.

    Amstore comes to the party!

    10/02/2015 at 9:41 AM

    I've just heard from the CD manufacturing company Amstore. Ralph was one of their first customers, and they remember him well - they were very sad when I told them that Ralph is leaving us. But they've really come to the party by offering to produce the CDs at minimal cost, so that this project will generate more profit, and every disc sold will make a bigger contibution to Gracie! THANKS AMSTORE!

    http://www.amstore.co.nz

    Progress report

    08/02/2015 at 12:50 PM

    I've just been up in New Plymouth, spending the last couple of days with Ralph - really good to be with him, even thogh it's hard to say a final goodbye.

    We went over the mixes, made some decisions about vocal takes, and set the order of the tracks, and I shot some video of him talking about his life. Great to have his input, so I can produce this disc exactly how he would want it.

    Great also to see the ammount pledged rising all the time!

    New video clip

    31/01/2015 at 4:58 PM

    I've just updated the video clip on Pledge Me with a new version that has some rough mixes of the music from the album.

    Progress report

    28/01/2015 at 4:36 PM

    I've been looking over the files on Ralphs computers (thanks Heather!) and everything seems straight forward - Ralph was correct when he told me it was almost complete. I'll have a rough draft of the front cover ready this evening, and I'll post it to Ralph's facebook page then. 

    International posting available

    28/01/2015 at 4:32 PM

    Due to popular demand we've now got an international shipping option (sorry the shipping is so much!).

      Roger Giles
      28/02/2015 at 11:51am

      "Best wishes from all at the Bunker. "

      Liam Ryan
      27/02/2015 at 12:48pm
      Deb Kinsella
      26/02/2015 at 1:07pm
      Rene Andre
      26/02/2015 at 11:28am
      JiL Sergent
      26/02/2015 at 9:53am

      "How extraordinary the everyday moments with friends , family and self are. Buy a Ralph CD & keep his inspiration alive...xxx"

      Katie Brown
      23/02/2015 at 8:19am
      Shane Scott
      19/02/2015 at 11:51am
      Matthew Hyde
      18/02/2015 at 9:57am
      Declan Finn
      17/02/2015 at 8:37pm
      Kris Kolff
      16/02/2015 at 9:33am
      maxann
      15/02/2015 at 2:24pm
      Simon Owens
      13/02/2015 at 5:35pm

      "Always in my heart my dear friend. Be at peace."

      SallyAnne
      13/02/2015 at 9:19am
      Tim Robinson
      12/02/2015 at 9:24am
      luke wilson
      11/02/2015 at 10:43pm

      "So much love to Gracey, Heather, Jake, Sam and Coke. Thinking of you all very much. Peace be with you Ralph cheers for the insights "

      Diana Currier
      11/02/2015 at 9:18am
      Carol McGinty
      10/02/2015 at 10:42pm
      Mikaela Fisher
      10/02/2015 at 10:03pm

      "Really enjoyed playing with you and listening to you."

      Steve Kelsen
      10/02/2015 at 9:32pm
      Tony Bish
      10/02/2015 at 7:22pm

      "Ralph thanks for all the great music, your a kiwi legend! Your Fat n Sassy album inspired my wine, Tony Bish Fat n Sassy Chardonnay!"

      Joanne Robertson
      10/02/2015 at 5:50pm
      Anonymous pledger
      10/02/2015 at 4:57pm
      Darryl Smith
      10/02/2015 at 11:23am
      Lomah Sarney
      10/02/2015 at 10:44am
      Adrian Brown
      09/02/2015 at 7:30pm
      Plucky Piwakawaka
      09/02/2015 at 6:51pm
      sue Pattinson
      09/02/2015 at 5:17pm
      Annelies Goemaere
      09/02/2015 at 4:15pm
      backyard music
      09/02/2015 at 3:38pm
      'Heidi' McAlpine
      09/02/2015 at 3:37pm

      "Hey Ralph, many years ago when I lived with your brother Craig I enjoyed your music and videos of gypsy fairs. Respect. Heidi."

      This campaign was successful and got its funding on 28/02/2015 at 11:51 AM.