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email: info@amanda-ghost.com
myspace.com/amandaghost

so far may 2008....Now fully recovered from her wedding and happily settled into married life, Amanda is at present in New York working with Ian on tracks for Beyonce, Daniel Merriweather and Youtube sensation Esmée Denters.

On the way back to London they're dropping off at the Bahamas to work with another artist they have both admired for ever - Shakira! The other big news is that Amanda and Ian have been nominated for a prestigious Ivor award, in the Best Selling British Category, for "Beautiful Liar" (which was co-written with their favourite - and very non-British - Stargate production team). The other nominees for the award are Mika and Amy Winehouse (for Rehab, which by a quirk of the Ivors rules has the advantage of having been on sale for what seems like an eternity. Talking of Mika, Amanda and Ian met the man himself in NY this week and are planning to work with him on his next album... Back to the Ivors; named after the celebrated Ivor Novello, the leading exponent of "light", i.e. pop, music in the 20s and 30s, the Ivors are the awards most coveted by musicians, because they honour the truly inspirational, and often overlooked, heroes of the music business - the songwriters (unlike the Brits and the Grammys, which are firmly in the commercial arena). Amanda is already a two times Ivor winner, for "You're Beautiful" last year, but this is Ian's first nomination, surprisingly since his song "Unbelievable", written when he was the spring chicken leader of EMF in the 1980s, has become a new wave standard. The winner will be announced at a glitzy ceremony in May at the Grosvenor Hotel in Park Lane, London. Again - watch this space....

april 2008 .... Amanda was fully occupied in the second half of March preparing for her wedding which took place in Seville last weekend and managed to combine a serious and moving ceremony with the sort of bacchanalian party one would expect from a congregation which included Liam and Keith from the Prodigy, Natalie Appleton, Katie Brand, producers Paul O'Duffy and Dave McCracken and, of course, Boy George.

She did however find time to appear on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, when she performed "Blood On The Line" with Ian Dench and also had an entertaining off-air conversation with Radio 4's divorce expert, on the subject of the McCartney/Mills tragi-comedy which had reached its dénouement that day. (you can listen to the show in the 'podcasts' section)

Amanda is going to spend her honeymoon in the recording studio, with among others, Livvi Franc and Johnny Flynn, producers Stargate and the Rural, and in May writing and recording with the legendary Chrissie Hynde.

march 2008 .... Amanda and Ian started the month working in London with Melanie, a great new artist signed to Steve Rifkind's SRC label. They worked on new tracks in the London studio of Future Cut, with whom they have developed a great creative relationship. They are currently in New York at Beyonce's request, working on tracks for her upcoming album. They are working with various track producers, including their favourite collaborators, the Rural, Stargate and (again) Future Cut. Then it's back to London again to work with Candie Payne (the Mark Ronson cohort formerly signed to Deltasonic/SonyBMG and currently in label negotiations for the distribution of her next album), and Hugo, whose album was co-produced by Amanda and Ian. Amanda then takes a well-earned break until after her wedding in April.

february '08 .... Amanda and Ian had a great week in La La Land, although they didn't win the Grammy for Beautiful Liar (pipped by Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, which is at least a cool duo to lose to) and most of the people they went to work with didn't materialise. However they did some great work with a new production/writing team - Makeba and Chuck Prophet and made connections with some true r&b royalty - Chaka Khan, John Legend and Aretha Franklin - which bodes well for some very interesting collaborations in future. They also went to some great parties, which are what the Grammys are really all about - one highlight was Mark Ronson telling Jay-Z that Amanda is the best songwriter he's ever worked with. They were seated at a table with Stevie Wonder at the time - heady stuff (thanks Mark; cheque's in the post). They're back in London now putting finishing touches to the amazing Johnny Flynn tracks they've been working on and, in Amanda's case, getting ready for her wedding in April. PS check out the YOU magazine profile of Amanda - here.

like Frankie, Amanda and Ian have gone to Hollywood - to attend the Grammys Awards Ceremony, where Beautiful Liar, which they co-wrote with Stargate, is nominated for an award.  They'll be taking advantage of the opportunity to work with J R Rotem, who has produced stellar talents like Destiny's Child, Britney and Jennifer Lopez (as well as Paris Hilton) and Salaam Remi, hip hop producer and keyboard player, who has worked with Nas, the Fugees and a Tribe Called Quest, as well as Ms Dynamite and Amy Winehouse.  Finally they'll be working with Will I. Am, member of Black Eyes Peas and producer of Fergie among others. Will recently wrote "Yes We Can" in support of Barack Obama's presidential campaign.  On their return Amanda will be working with Candie Payne whose break-through album "I Wish I Could Have Loved You More" was released on Deltasonic last year.  They will also continue to work on the tracks they started in January with Johnny Flynn (which are sounding fantastic and unlike anything which has gone before). Amanda and Ian are also putting the finishing touches to their Download Collection, further details of which you will find elsewhere on this site.

  january '08 .... sees Amanda in the studio with a variety of interesting artists and producers. Immediately upon her return from her NY break in Mexico with her family, including her new baby Gia, She and Ian kicked off with Mark Ronson, writing and producing Daniel Merriweather, who had a major hit last year as guest vocalist on Mark's "Stop Me". During the month she is also working with Johnny Flynn, a new signing to Mercury records who she feels is as talented as anyone she has ever worked with (which is really saying something!). She will also be working with Future Cut and Livvi Franc, a talented Barbadian singer, signed to Jive records and Island artist Remi Nicole. Then it's off to the Grammys, where she and Ian are nominated for "Beautiful Liar". They will also take the opportunity to work with LA luminaries, including JR Rotem and Will I. Am.
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blood on the line . the download collection
released: april 14th 2008

a digital only  release

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sequence  01 Sugar :  02 Infernos :   03 Deep Water :  04 I Need You :  05 Nature Boy :  06 Me Without You :  07 Satellites :  08 Blood On The Line

blood on the line . the download collection // download the album

.... As you may be aware, I've been concentrating on songwriting and having a baby, but performing my own songs is my first love and I will always make my own records.  I have a big project in the works for next year, but in the meantime Ian and I are making available for download only some of the songs we have recorded as AMANDA GHOST the band.

On the 14th April, 2008 Amanda Ghost makes available for download only a new collection of songs entitled "Blood On The Line. The Download Collection" on her own Plan A Records label.

This will be Amanda's first release as an artist since her "Time Machine" duet with Boy George in 2006, since when she has been concentrating on songwriting, production and, latterly, having her first baby, Gia.

All the songs included in the Collection were written with her creative soulmate, Ian Dench, except the Nat "King" Cole standard, "Nature Boy" and the title track which is all her own work and was referred to as “one of the best songs ever written” by Joni Mitchell. The tracks were produced by Paul O'Duffy, Dave McCracken, Ian and Amanda. Ian also plays guitar on all the tracks.

The eclectic Collection includes the moving "Deep Water", inspired by the tragic lone sailor Donald Crowhurst; a beautiful new ballad "Me Without You"; live favourites "Sugar" and "Satellites" and the infectious pop track "I Need You", complete with kids choir.

Since co-writing James Blunt’s "You're Beautiful", which has sold in excess of 6m copies to date, Amanda Ghost has co-written with Ian the global no 1 smash "Beautiful Liar" for Beyonce & Shakira, as well as the US top 10 single "Tattoo" for American Idol winner Jordin Sparks.

Amanda Ghost was recently described by The Independent as “The Unsung hero of British Music” and she is releasing the "Blood On The Line" partly to remind the world that despite her songwriting success, she is at heart a singer and performer. According to The Daily Telegraph, Amanda "…sings in the key of heartbreak, with a voice that is a blend of Stevie Nicks and Edith Piaf, sometimes wistful, sometimes angry but always honest".

"Blood On The Line . The Download Collection" can be downloaded now at amanda-ghost.com and will be available from the iTunes Music store from 12th May, 2008.
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Singles

* Idol (2000)
* Glory Girl (2000)
* Filthy Mind (2000) - only released in the USA
* Girls Like You - Digital Release Only (2005)
* Monster - Digital Release Only (2005)
* Blood On The Line EP (2006)
* Time Machine (featuring Boy George) (January 2007)

Albums

* Ghost Stories (2000)
* Singles & Remixes (2004)
* Blood On The Line - The Download Collection (2008)

EPs

* Blood On The Line (2006)

Compilations

* Blood on the Line, 3:01 - Amanda Ghost / Songs for Choice
* Bad Girl, 4:57 - Amanda Ghost / The World's Greatest 80's Tribute To Madonna
* Break My World, 5:22 - Amanda Ghost & Dark Globe / Global Underground Ten: Digital Edition

* Every Grain of Sand, 4:15 - Amanda Ghost / Lady In the Water Soundtrack
* Absolution, 3:52 - Amanda Ghost
hugo
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