RECORDING HISTORY.
Helena's first publishing deal was in Germany in '95 for a song she wrote with one of the producers from Logic Records, Frankfurt, for an act called Hysterie. Not long after that she actually moved from London to live in Germany and thats when Helena first began working in the German pop market. Since then she has sung for and worked with many German acts including Xavier Naidoo, Edo Zanki, Sascha, Soehne Mannheims, Haddaway, Sydney Youngblood, Laith Al Deen, De Phazz, 3P, Sweet Box, Captain Hollywood, Master Boy, as well as Down Low, Jam & Spoon, Costa Cordalis and many more!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Helena was then published by A& K Music Productions in Darmstadt together with Warner Chappell in Hamburg because of a song that they co-wrote for another Logic act called Le Click. The song And We Fly was accepted on the album and was released in 97 State side as well as in Europe. Two years later they also had a small underground club hit in Germany and the UK with 7 Ways To Love (Shooting Star Records/Snipe featuring Helena Paul).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In 2000 Helena recorded her 3rd CD which was only released in Japan. This was a project with Fyaaz Virgu and Ray Carless, two musicians previously from the UK Band, Incognito - amongst their other claims to fame! The music includes great arrangements of diverse pop covers as well as original songs. Signed by Toshiba/EMI, the deal was based on the single a dance floor version of the classic standard Sunny and this became a hit in Japan. Helena had recorded this track two weeks before leaving London to live in Germany in 1995 and four years later the option got taken up. The album, Frayz, Phase One featuring Helena Paul sold more than 6 thousand copies within the first 3 months of release even though Helena was never in Japan to promote it. Also the single was used for several months as a featured theme on a local soap opera on Japanese TV. All the way through the album you can hear great backing vocal arrangements created by Helena which really add spice to the overall performance.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are two more CDs available in Germany: About Me Live in Concert on Merkton Records, Germany/Koch International. This was recorded in 98 with Helenas own jazz trio in Cafe Central, Weinheim Germany. Guest performer, Michael Koschorreck is featured as one of her soloists. Michael (known to his friends as well as his professional colleagues as Kosho) is now part of the German chart topping pop act, Soehne Mannheims. Helena has also recorded vocals for his solo project CD, Tinggal Kosho released June 02 and they subsequently began song writing together. The second soloist on the CD, About Me - Live In Concert, is the wonderful, talented saxophonist, Jimmy Gallagher originally from Scotland. Helena has known and very much enjoyed working together with Jimmy since the early 90s in London. He has also since travelled between London, Germany and Spain with his own projects. The whole of this CD carries a wonderful warm atmosphere with many great highs as well as intimate lows. It has a great live, raw quality like you are sitting in the audience.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The second CD is All That Jazz featuring Helena Paul (Satin Doll Records, Germany). This CD received a fair amount of airplay all over Europe and has been widely sold amongst the jazz scene in Germany and surrounding territories. Again it was recorded live in Albstadt, Southern Germany with some of Germanys top players. Many of the arrangements were done by Klaus Wagenleiter from the SWR Radio Big Band, Stuttgart. A great example of good swingers and standards performed with a fine panache
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TO READ MORE CHECK OUT RECORDING HISTORY BLOG :-)
