Ralph Bennett-Eades new CD

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.

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

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.

Hi all, 

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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. 

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