Forth 1 Breakfast team hope to top the charts with single ‘Break Your Heart’

-Boogie, Arlene, Marty and Arlene’s son Robbie have joined forces to become BAMR – recruiting East Lothian singer Caitlyn Vanbeck to provide vocals-

Forth 1’s Boogie might wake listeners up by playing the biggest hits, but the Boogie In The Morning presenter has now gone one step further.

Following a rash announcement in January when Boogie asked how hard can it really be to make a hit single, presenters Boogie and Arlene and producer Marty were challenged to do just that and see if they could create a chart-topper.

What followed were months of preparation and plenty of listener involvement – with listeners asked to suggest a classic hit that could be produced into a dance track. After sifting through dozens of suggestions, the breakfast team opted for 80s hit ‘Kayleigh’ by Marillion thanks to its local connection with lead singer ‘Fish’ living in East Lothian.

Once the song had been selected, the breakfast team needed to find a producer to turn the rock ballad into a dance anthem. They recruited Arlene’s son, Robbie Hutchison, a music production student at Edinburgh’s Napier University to work his magic on the track and the band BAMR (Boogie, Arlene, Marty and Robbie) was born.

Arlene said: “We worked with Robbie to come up with a sound that we liked, making sure it was something that would fit in well with the songs we play on the station. We wanted it to be upbeat and modern so a fair bit of work went into the track.

“It was brilliant working with my son and seeing him in action – some of the best music collaborations have come out of family partnerships just look at The Jackson 5 and Oasis – all family feuds aside of course!”

With the track produced, Forth 1 listeners helped to recruit a vocalist, with singers calling in to audition live over the phone on the breakfast show. Nine potentials were then brought face to face with Boogie, Arlene and Marty in true X Factor style with 2016 X Factor judges’ houses contestant Caitlyn Vanbeck from Tranent, selected to perform the vocals on the track.

Caitlyn said: “I was over the moon to be picked as the vocalist for the re-make of ‘Kayleigh’ now ‘Break Your Heart’. As soon as I heard the track I loved it and I could really see what Boogie, Arlene and Marty were trying to achieve. I’m so happy with what we’ve created and how we’ve turned an 80s song into something relevant and relatable for today’s audience. I’m looking forward to hearing listeners’ reactions as it’s been a team effort with them every step of the way.”

With fellow Scot, Calvin Harris and Sam Smith currently topping the chart with their hit single ‘Promises’, there’s tough competition for BAMR.

Boogie said: “What a journey this has been. Who knew a comment in January could lead to all this? This is what I love about our listeners – the fact that together, we can create something totally unique.

“The original song ‘Kayleigh’ never made it to number one, it peaked at number two, so we are really hoping that we can go one better and land the top spot with ‘Break Your Heart’, that really would be a dream come true. So come on people of Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife, we need your support to make history, and together we can do it!”

The single ‘Break Your Heart’ is officially released today (Friday 28 September) and is available on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, Deezer and YouTube.

Links to stream or download the track: 

iTunes/Apple Music – https://apple.co/2OlrqBF

Amazon – https://amzn.to/2N52QAt

Spotify – https://spoti.fi/2NKMq5x

YouTube Music – http://bit.ly/2IlxDrX

Boogie In The Morning runs every weekday morning from 6am to 10am on Forth 1 across Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife.

Keep up with all the latest competitions, gossip, music and news on Forth 1 online, via our app, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat: 

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Is homophobia alive and well at The Fringe?

Flyering Fringe performer encounters homophobic abuse on the streets

Fringe performer Nick Cassenbaum has encountered some extreme reactions on the Edinburgh streets when promoting his show. 

Nick’s show is about his childhood hero, a TV personality loved by millions and once the highest paid man on British television. His name: Michael Barrymore.

Barrymore fell from grace 17 years ago, enduring tabloid fury after a tragic incident at his home left a young man dead and the star came out about his bisexuality.

The show, My Kind of Michael, chronicles Cassenbaum’s childhood infatuation with the Strike it Lucky presenter and how he was inspired by Barrymore to take to the stage himself.

But flyering the show around Edinburgh has proved eventful.

“After all this time I thought people may be prepared to accept him as a brilliant “working class boy made good” entertainer, but it’s become apparent that not only do some people hold strong views about him but that they are prepared to use blatantly homophobic language to make their point”, said Nick.

‘He’s as bent as a ten-bob note. He killed a man. He raped a man. He’s a pervert’
‘He raped a man and drowned him’
‘He’s alwight in the back hole’
‘Get that murdering pervert away from me’ (referring to a cardboard cutout of Barrymore)

Others have accused Barrymore of being known for preying on young boys.

“I have been flyering for this show for two weeks now and this type of language has shocked and surprised me. Especially at a ‘liberal’ arts festival that is known for controversial and cutting edge productions’ said Cassenbaum.

“Barrymore has had to put up with this for nearly 20 years now. I want to make it clear that he was never charged for anything, yet people treat him as if he is a perverted murderer and child molester, tarring him with the same brush as those convicted following Operation Yewtree. It seems that old fashioned homophobia and trial by tabloid is alive and well at the Edinburgh Fringe.”

But not everyone shares these views. Recent audience members have included comedian Mark Thomas (above) and TV actor and musical theatre star Claire Sweeney.

Leaving the show Thomas described Barrymore as a ‘comedic hero in fact the last great working class hero to strut the boards.’

Sweeney said: ‘I Loved the show, it was so lovely about Michael and I’m glad about that as he was brilliant and such a nice man, I really enjoyed it.’

You can judge for the show yourself. My Kind of Michael runs at Summerhall to 26th August at 7.30pm (no show 20th).

 

 

 

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