1 week to go!!

Easter brings global news coverage!

This Easter weekend has been a whirlwind of press coverage at home and abroad for the 25 Anniversary release of 19. Everything from BBC News, to ABC News and NME to BBC 6 Music. It’s great to see that the message if finally cutting through and people are starting to take notice. We’ve also been having a great response from troops serving abroad and those who have fought for their country. Ultimately, these are the people that count. All of this coverage means nothing if the brave people that Paul is trying to highlight in ’19’ don’t get the recognition they deserve. It’s been a tough road trying to get TV and Radio to play something that doesn’t shy away from the reality of what is going on in Iraq and Afghanistan. The BBC One Show, who have done a great piece on 19 which was to be aired tonight (6th April) have postponed this, due to not wanting to show something that is related to the war now the election has been announced. Lets all just put the war to the back of our mind shall we, whilst our Prime Minister relates the recovery of our economy to Wayne Rooney foot. Radio is also being a little shy to the record. This is why the support of everyone online talking about this release is so important. The more pressure that is put on broadcasters, and the more people want to hear it, they will have to give in soon!

Aside from these small things, everything has been going great! Don’t forget you’ve still got time to enter our competition to win a signed promo CD of 19. This is very rare, so get your entries in before midnight on Thursday 8th April (GMT) http://bit.ly/991AJX

Here are few links for you to check out from some the top coverage this weekend.

BBC News – http://bit.ly/phbbcnews
NME – http://bit.ly/nmenews
ABC News – http://bit.ly/abcphnews
6 Music – http://bit.ly/news6music
Clash magazine – http://bit.ly/ckL56o
Yahoo News – http://bit.ly/phyahoo

Also, don’t forget about the Apple Store masterclass Paul is giving on the 20th April at 7pm, in London. This is open to everyone and seats are based on first come first served so get there early if you don’t fancy standing for an hour!
Find out more on the Apple Regents Street webs site here. Just flick through the calendar to get more info on the event.

Boys To War: Paul Hardcastle’s Shock War Video Released Online

PRESS RELEASE!

Paul Hardcastle announced the release of his video for the 25th Anniversary version of 19. The video received an emotional response at the screening held in SOHO, London.

(PRWEB) March 23, 2010 — Speaking in London today Paul Hardcastle announced the release of his video for the 25th Anniversary version of 19. The video received an emotional response at the screening held in SOHO, London.

19: Boys to War
Paul explained, “I have got to the point now where I just felt I had to do something. History keeps repeating itself and we are still sending Boys to War. After talking with the families of many of the victims of this conflict, I felt both encouraged and outraged about what is happening.” History keeps repeating itself . The video highlights the terrible trauma of war, and shows explicitly the impact on families and loved ones.
Paul Hardcastle went on to say, “This is not your usual Pop video, and neither is it supposed to be. I am fed up with the politicians carrying on as if none of this matters, it does.”

The video brings together footage from Vietnam with footage of the current conflict in Afghanistan and shows clearly how the victims of war are going through the same thing all over again. Within the first 4 hours of the screening and its release the video was receiving 1000s of hits from across the world, with the heaviest demand coming from America, and Germany.

“When I first put this video and track together I found it really haunting. History really is repeating itself.”

Background:
There are two versions of 19 being released on 19th April 2010, 25 years on from the original. 19:Boys to War and a slow version called 19:The Vision. Both highlight the impact of war on soldiers both during and importantly after the conflict.

The music is being released digitally through all major digital outlets worldwide.

The video is available for view at http://www.hardcastlemusic.com.

Richard Murray, the Ministry of Sound DJ has remixed a new club version of 19.

Stop press! Paul Hardcastle on the front page!

If you live around the Epping Forest area you may have seen Paul featured on the Front Cover of ‘Epping Forest Guardian’, with the full page title, HARDCASTLE RE-RELEASE HIS BIGGEST HIT FOR GEROGIE. Here is the article which we posted a few days a go, so if you haven’t seen it you can view it here.

So if your in the Epping forest area go get yourself a copy!

The Story of 19 – The Final Chapter

25 Years ago, I recorded the song “19”. The idea came about whilst watching a documentary which highlighted the plight of young men and women who fought in Vietnam.

“In World War 2 the average age of the combat soldier was 26, in Vietnam he was 19” these words really made me stop and think.

When I first approached Chrysalis Records with the Demo of “19” most people there didn’t believe it would get any attention as there would be no interest from the media, and I quote “the public don’t want to hear a song about war”.

Two people thought otherwise, the promotions guy Ken Grunbaum, and Simon Fuller who was working for the Company at the time. I gave the record company an ultimatum, either release “19” as my first record or I would not sign with them.

As luck would have it they agreed, and within three weeks “19” was at the top of the charts in 13 different countries and Simon became my Manager, he later went on to name his company after the song.

At the time it all seemed a long way from home as Vietnam was an American war, but now it seems “history is repeating itself”.

It’s now the 25th anniversary since the release of “19”, only this time the documentary I am watching is about the British soldiers who would be serving in Afghanistan. I hear the words “I looked at my Men, The average age was 19, my god I’m taking boys to war”, It was unbelievable, almost the same words that gave me the original idea to record “19”, this was all sounding too familiar.

I had it in my mind to do a remix for the 25th anniversary of the original track but after hearing that, I felt it would almost be an insult not to mention the British and others, who have lost their lives in recent years whilst doing their duty so I rewrote the song completely.

This time the song is written from the perspective of how I would see things if I was in the position of a young Soldier being sent off to war.

What’s interesting is the fact that a few years earlier I was approached by the BBC to remake 19 to be included in their TV programme “Power to the People” which highlighted the fact that there were no British hospitals for soldiers returning from duty.

At the time I declined, but having listened to the Soldiers and even high ranking army officials from several TV documentaries, it appears that there are many who are unsure that the way we are going about things is the right way,

Some even believe this can easily become another Vietnam scenario which would be a catastrophe for all involved, I’m not here to preach or impose my opinion on anyone and like with the original record I leave you to make up your own minds.

I am no anti government crusader, but take a look at the video trailer , the similarities between Vietnam and Afghanistan are quite alarming to say the least.

Luckily for me, In America I have been fortunate to have sold more records over the last decade than when 19 was at it’s peak so this is something that I don’t need to do, But on the other hand It’s something I feel I should do.

This is the last time I will ever revisit this song so I hope you like and understand what really are THE FINAL ever versions of “19”.

Paul Hardcastle – Feb 2010

A voice in my head is saying welcome to hell,
Will I get to survive I‘ve got no way to tell,
I’m in a situation where one of us dies
I get a stone cold stare from my enemies eyes,

A voice in my head is saying kill or be killed
But my mind is numb and my blood is chilled,
There’s bodies all around they lie on the ground
And all I hear is silence, and it’s a deafening sound

A voice in my head is saying this ain’t a game
If I survive this Hell I will never be the same,
Should I be here? I can’t say for sure,
If I don’t understand what I’m fighting for