The Blackbird Diaries - Live featuring Martina McBride

More recently than the tracks in the other posts so far, Dave has made his first country/western album, The Blackbird Diaries. The story of its production is, after booking studio time in Nashville, Dave more or less forgot about it until a few days before he was due in, and it occurred to him he'd best start writing an album. The result was an organic, soulful, and sincere sounding album - a marked change from his lush, hook and counterpoint dominated production style in the 80's. Listen to the lyrics in "All Messed Up" here; there are a couple of lyrical Eurythmics references...

Dave Stewart & Friends - Hollywood & Vine Jam Session

It frustrates me that celebriho's get all the radio play these days, but talented women like Candy Dulfer, Orianthi and Ann Marie Calhoun are only known in certain circles. Kudos to Dave for pulling them together for this lovely improv. (Of course, they might go multi-platinum if Dave would lose the hat...)

Eurythmics - Beethoven

Eurythmics were at their best when there was tension between Dave and Annie. By 1988's Savage album, cracks were beginning to show in their pavement. It's easy to read a frustrated message from Annie to Dave in the lyrics of "Beethoven." Dave's jarring, thorny production might say the feeling was mutual. If you think I'm taking it too literally, listen to Annie's comments and the end of the Making Of video further down this page.

Daryl Hall - Dreamtime

It was the Big 80's, and Dave was the hottest producer in the land. He produced Dreamtime with Daryl Hall and it was a smash pop tune. I've always liked it for the clever hook, lifted unabashedly from Pachelbel (scroll down for Canon and Gigue in D Major).

Nightmare & the Cat - 'Sarah Beth'

Fast forward to a different kind of Dave Stewart production: his sons, Django and Sam. They're obviously talented and practiced, and are admirably getting their feet wet through their band Nightmare & the Cat without riding on their father's coattails or otherwise being too slick or smarmy about it. I look forward to hearing a lot from these guys in the future. (One suggestion for success, Django: Be extremely frugal in your use of hats.)

The Catch - Borderline (When Dave Met Annie)

In 1977, Dave and Annie's first band, The Catch, released "Borderline" to stunning ambivalence. Even though, as the photo indicates, Dave had become an instant master of style upon meeting Annie, The Catch never caught on. (I think it was Annie's hat.) Outside of Eurythmiphiles, "Borderline" is a forgotten tune. Ironically, it sounds an awful lot like many of the tracks on Eurythmics' 1989 We Two Are One, an album and time that both Dave and Annie act is if they'd rather forget.

Longdancer - Hold Up The World

Years before Dave met Annie Lennox (or hair shears), his band, Longdancer, was the first act Elton John signed to his Rocket Records label. That's Dave on the left. This 1973 track shows promise, but alas, Longdancer never took off. I think it was the hat.

Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Live, 1999 Britt Awards)

Naturally, I have to start the blog with this song. I chose this version because of Dave's bayou blues guitar counterpoint: