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

    sonya mitchell
    28/01/2015 at 7:53pm
    Anonymous pledger
    28/01/2015 at 7:25pm
    Hilary
    28/01/2015 at 9:26am
    Denise Wilhelmi
    28/01/2015 at 5:43am
    zeb davies
    27/01/2015 at 10:59pm
    D Lloyd
    27/01/2015 at 10:06pm
    David Jeffery
    27/01/2015 at 10:01pm
    Anonymous pledger
    27/01/2015 at 9:55pm
    Wendy Girven
    27/01/2015 at 9:45pm
    Bryce Redgwell
    27/01/2015 at 5:12pm
    Robin Fullmer
    27/01/2015 at 2:59pm

    "All our best thoughts Ralph, love Steve and Robin"

    Willow Totterdell
    27/01/2015 at 1:29pm

    "Your music will live forever Ralph x"

    Averil
    27/01/2015 at 7:59am
    Jill Romain
    27/01/2015 at 7:28am
    Paul Nickless
    27/01/2015 at 7:26am
    Geoff Willetts
    27/01/2015 at 6:26am

    "Good luck with the CD...Nice tribute and hope theres a good amount left in the pot for his daughter"

    Caz Warner
    27/01/2015 at 12:24am
    P & K Hayes
    26/01/2015 at 9:47pm
    Russ Mattsen
    26/01/2015 at 9:18pm
    Steve Mitchell
    26/01/2015 at 7:40pm

    "A wonderful pleasure to share music with you, Ralph. Thank you."

    Luke
    26/01/2015 at 5:47pm

    "I can't imagine not being around to look after and be with my daughters. I hope my small contribution goes some way towards your pledge."

    phil
    26/01/2015 at 4:54pm
    Profisaurus Proffit
    26/01/2015 at 4:54pm
    Brady Lynch
    26/01/2015 at 4:52pm
    Gill Doughty
    26/01/2015 at 4:39pm

    "Love you Ralph. Take care oxo"

    Andrea Waugh
    26/01/2015 at 4:25pm

    "Ralph we spent quite a bit of time years ago singing and laughing you and I have always had the same warped sense of humour! I love you"

    Melanie Bielawski
    26/01/2015 at 4:13pm

    "One for me and one for Natalie (Ralph's mum) "

    Iain escott
    26/01/2015 at 3:47pm
    Kathleena Reid
    26/01/2015 at 3:42pm
    Christine Ramsay
    26/01/2015 at 3:34pm

    "Thank You for the Music Ralph, it touched by soul. "

    Followers 45

    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!).

      sonya mitchell
      28/01/2015 at 7:53pm
      Anonymous pledger
      28/01/2015 at 7:25pm
      Hilary
      28/01/2015 at 9:26am
      Denise Wilhelmi
      28/01/2015 at 5:43am
      zeb davies
      27/01/2015 at 10:59pm
      D Lloyd
      27/01/2015 at 10:06pm
      David Jeffery
      27/01/2015 at 10:01pm
      Anonymous pledger
      27/01/2015 at 9:55pm
      Wendy Girven
      27/01/2015 at 9:45pm
      Bryce Redgwell
      27/01/2015 at 5:12pm
      Robin Fullmer
      27/01/2015 at 2:59pm

      "All our best thoughts Ralph, love Steve and Robin"

      Willow Totterdell
      27/01/2015 at 1:29pm

      "Your music will live forever Ralph x"

      Averil
      27/01/2015 at 7:59am
      Jill Romain
      27/01/2015 at 7:28am
      Paul Nickless
      27/01/2015 at 7:26am
      Geoff Willetts
      27/01/2015 at 6:26am

      "Good luck with the CD...Nice tribute and hope theres a good amount left in the pot for his daughter"

      Caz Warner
      27/01/2015 at 12:24am
      P & K Hayes
      26/01/2015 at 9:47pm
      Russ Mattsen
      26/01/2015 at 9:18pm
      Steve Mitchell
      26/01/2015 at 7:40pm

      "A wonderful pleasure to share music with you, Ralph. Thank you."

      Luke
      26/01/2015 at 5:47pm

      "I can't imagine not being around to look after and be with my daughters. I hope my small contribution goes some way towards your pledge."

      phil
      26/01/2015 at 4:54pm
      Profisaurus Proffit
      26/01/2015 at 4:54pm
      Brady Lynch
      26/01/2015 at 4:52pm
      Gill Doughty
      26/01/2015 at 4:39pm

      "Love you Ralph. Take care oxo"

      Andrea Waugh
      26/01/2015 at 4:25pm

      "Ralph we spent quite a bit of time years ago singing and laughing you and I have always had the same warped sense of humour! I love you"

      Melanie Bielawski
      26/01/2015 at 4:13pm

      "One for me and one for Natalie (Ralph's mum) "

      Iain escott
      26/01/2015 at 3:47pm
      Kathleena Reid
      26/01/2015 at 3:42pm
      Christine Ramsay
      26/01/2015 at 3:34pm

      "Thank You for the Music Ralph, it touched by soul. "

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