Ralph Bennett-Eades new CD

By Phil Davison

PledgeMe.Project

Music,



NZ $5,152 pledged


126 people pledged


Closed


NZ $270 minimum target


100 100% Complete

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

Make a Pledge

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

    Anna
    02/02/2015 at 11:07pm
    gort
    02/02/2015 at 10:54pm

    "a very dear friend and inspiration Ralph has permeated thru my soul with his tunes and given me much inspiration. its a pleasure to pledge"

    russell self
    02/02/2015 at 9:20pm

    "XXXX"

    Robyn Hogg
    02/02/2015 at 5:43pm
    Chrissy
    02/02/2015 at 5:40pm
    Dave Smith
    02/02/2015 at 5:19pm
    puddi
    02/02/2015 at 12:43pm
    leonie
    02/02/2015 at 12:40pm
    HeatherBennett-Eades
    02/02/2015 at 11:02am

    " Thankyou for being in my life and bringing music that rocks and touches our hearts."

    Kath Tait
    02/02/2015 at 1:09am
    Danica Kostic
    02/02/2015 at 12:07am

    "Love and light x"

    Chris Gaumer
    01/02/2015 at 9:12pm
    Keith Newman
    01/02/2015 at 8:01pm
    Neville Lynch
    01/02/2015 at 7:37pm
    Robyn Langridge
    01/02/2015 at 4:11pm
    Rod Thomson
    01/02/2015 at 12:43pm
    Sue Chesterman
    01/02/2015 at 10:45am
    Aly Cook
    01/02/2015 at 10:05am
    Anonymous pledger
    01/02/2015 at 9:24am
    Anonymous pledger
    01/02/2015 at 9:06am

    "Remembering the music that Ralph made with us at Paretai Folk Festival. xxx"

    Sarah O'Brien
    01/02/2015 at 12:08am

    "Thanks for doing this.. GREAT IDEA... Give Ralph a hug for us if you are able to see him XXXX"

    Meghann Humphries
    31/01/2015 at 9:22pm

    "See you sometime in the future Ralph x"

    Silvia Gassebner
    31/01/2015 at 9:10pm
    Cathryn Knox
    31/01/2015 at 8:41pm
    Jill Forster-King
    30/01/2015 at 7:10pm
    Paul John Campbell
    29/01/2015 at 6:52pm

    "cant wait to hear the new CD ralph"

    CHERIE A COCHRANE
    29/01/2015 at 3:47pm
    Julia Upton
    29/01/2015 at 10:01am
    Anonymous pledger
    29/01/2015 at 12:10am

    "Hey Ralph. I bought the fat n sassy album from you at the Hamilton gypsy fair nearly 30 years ago. Great album, still love it. Thank you."

    Sarita
    28/01/2015 at 8:20pm

    "Cant really imagine the journey you are on my friend, but I send you laughter, courage, deep peace and extraordinary heartfelt warmfuzzies"

    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!).

      Anna
      02/02/2015 at 11:07pm
      gort
      02/02/2015 at 10:54pm

      "a very dear friend and inspiration Ralph has permeated thru my soul with his tunes and given me much inspiration. its a pleasure to pledge"

      russell self
      02/02/2015 at 9:20pm

      "XXXX"

      Robyn Hogg
      02/02/2015 at 5:43pm
      Chrissy
      02/02/2015 at 5:40pm
      Dave Smith
      02/02/2015 at 5:19pm
      puddi
      02/02/2015 at 12:43pm
      leonie
      02/02/2015 at 12:40pm
      HeatherBennett-Eades
      02/02/2015 at 11:02am

      " Thankyou for being in my life and bringing music that rocks and touches our hearts."

      Kath Tait
      02/02/2015 at 1:09am
      Danica Kostic
      02/02/2015 at 12:07am

      "Love and light x"

      Chris Gaumer
      01/02/2015 at 9:12pm
      Keith Newman
      01/02/2015 at 8:01pm
      Neville Lynch
      01/02/2015 at 7:37pm
      Robyn Langridge
      01/02/2015 at 4:11pm
      Rod Thomson
      01/02/2015 at 12:43pm
      Sue Chesterman
      01/02/2015 at 10:45am
      Aly Cook
      01/02/2015 at 10:05am
      Anonymous pledger
      01/02/2015 at 9:24am
      Anonymous pledger
      01/02/2015 at 9:06am

      "Remembering the music that Ralph made with us at Paretai Folk Festival. xxx"

      Sarah O'Brien
      01/02/2015 at 12:08am

      "Thanks for doing this.. GREAT IDEA... Give Ralph a hug for us if you are able to see him XXXX"

      Meghann Humphries
      31/01/2015 at 9:22pm

      "See you sometime in the future Ralph x"

      Silvia Gassebner
      31/01/2015 at 9:10pm
      Cathryn Knox
      31/01/2015 at 8:41pm
      Jill Forster-King
      30/01/2015 at 7:10pm
      Paul John Campbell
      29/01/2015 at 6:52pm

      "cant wait to hear the new CD ralph"

      CHERIE A COCHRANE
      29/01/2015 at 3:47pm
      Julia Upton
      29/01/2015 at 10:01am
      Anonymous pledger
      29/01/2015 at 12:10am

      "Hey Ralph. I bought the fat n sassy album from you at the Hamilton gypsy fair nearly 30 years ago. Great album, still love it. Thank you."

      Sarita
      28/01/2015 at 8:20pm

      "Cant really imagine the journey you are on my friend, but I send you laughter, courage, deep peace and extraordinary heartfelt warmfuzzies"

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