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News Update February 2009

We apologise for the long break in updating the news page. This was due to a short break in an arm commonly used to assist in operating the keyboard of the computer serving this website. Happily, normal service is being resumed and regular updates will be forthcoming during 2009. This year Middle of the Road has had considerable TV exposure throughout Europe appearing on major networks in 4 different countries in one form or another.

Time for a change

2008 started with a change to the personnel in the group. After 4 years as bass player Stewart McEwan left Middle of the Road to concentrate on performing with his own band in Scotland. He was an enthusiastic member and we were sad to lose him but the pressure of increasing work-loads in both groups forced him to make the break. We wish him well with his career and we will carry fond memories of his time with us.

Stewart is replaced by Jacek Jan Komiago. The only member of the band not originating from Scotland, Jacek is a Polish resident in Germany.

He runs his own IT Business and has solid musical credentials, writing and recording his own style of music in his studio in Hanover. A colleague of "Shug" Devlin, also resident in Hanover, he has brought a fresh approach to the bass arrangements in the band and his vocal harmonies have enhanced the chorus work in Middle of the Road's live shows. His participation in all the band's 2008 live and TV performances has lived up to and exceeded expectations and we look forward to the 2009 season and beyond with Jacek.

Fickle Forum

You will be aware of another departure. That of the forum pages on the website. It was becoming impossible to block all the links to questionable web addresses. Until such times as we can eliminate these intrusions the forum will remain offline. The forum on the Fan Club site is still operating at www.middleoftheroad.oldiemusic.de

"Acceleration" Re-Mastered

For years now, we have been receiving emails requesting that BMG (now SonyBMG) release CDs of MOTR's original albums rather than the endless compilations of hits churned out since digital technology tempted us to update our scratchy vinyl for the luxury of studio quality sound. Well, we are pleased to announce that "Acceleration", Middle of the Road's second album, has been released in remastered 24 bit High Definition sound. Based in France, the retail arm of MAM Productions known as Magic Records has taken the plunge and licensed the album plus some bonus tracks, including Soley Soley, Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep, Tweedle Dee Tweedle Dum, I can't tell the bottom from the top and Yellow River making it available for purchase on their website, which specialises in retro music. You will find a link to their site here and on the links page.
www.magic-records.com

DVD Delayed... Again!

From direct experience, it would seem that SonyBMG are more keen to encourage licensing of the MOTR Product rather than releasing it themselves. The much talked of Middle of the Road DVD was to be released by them in 2008 but after two years of promises, they decided not to take it on. In spite of this, the design and production of the DVD is now complete with the documentary subtitled in French, Spanish, German and Italian. The menus and music items have been authored and inserted providing 2 hours of MOTR entertainment. The laborious task of negotiating distribution, country by country, has begun and we will keep you up to date with developments.

Belgian Bonanza

During 2008, the band was favoured with TV appearances in Germany and Belgium, where the five appeared at a major music festival in Hasselt. The "Rimpelrock Festival" attracted a crowd of 50,000 (apparently a record for the event) on the Saturday when MOTR appeared with such luminaries as Paul Anka and the Three Degrees together with well established Belgian Artistes like Frans Bauer, Laura Lynn and Rocco Granata . During several TV and radio interviews at the show, the term "Rimpelrock" was translated for Sally's and Ken's benefit. "Wrinkle-Rock" gave the two pop veterans something to think about.True to say that a little more time was spent in make-up than in the past but the audience, full of wrinklies themselves, soon proved that you're only wrinkly on the surface. They burst into life with choruses of Chirpy, Tweedle Dee, Soley and Samson and Delilah et al.