Tag / Steve Balsamo

by trondjs

41. The Sun Will Shine Again

The song “The Sun Will Shine Again” was originally released on Jon Lord’s “Beyond the Notes” album from 2004. On the album, the song was sung by Frida from ABBA. There is a story behind it.

41. The Sun Will Shine Again

From the left: Jon Lord, vocalists Nathalie Lorichs and Steve Balsamo, conductor Torodd Wigum, and backing singers Karina Hanssen and Nina Brovoll.

From the left: Jon Lord, vocalists Nathalie Lorichs and Steve Balsamo, conductor Torodd Wigum, and backing singers Karina Hanssen and Nina Brovoll.

The song “The Sun Will Shine Again” was originally released on Jon Lord’s “Beyond the Notes” album from 2004. A melodic, simple ballad with an uplifting tune. On the album, the song was sung by Frida from ABBA. There is a story behind it.

I’ll tell it through the words of Christer Lorichs, father of vocalist Nathalie Lorichs, who handled the lead vocals for this concert.

“Knut Morten Johansen knew Nathalie was very familiar with the material. Asking Jon about using Nathalie as singer, Jon swiftly replied “Excellent!”. As Nathalie sung backing vocals on Jon’s concert in the Nidaros Cathedral in 2007, Jon was well aware of her voice.
One question Jon had for Nathalie during preparations for the show was regarding “The Sun Will Shine Again”. Would she prefer doing the original Frida-version, or the current version in a key suitable for Kasia Laska? Nathalie said she probably couldn’t sing in a key as low as Fridas. “Well, no one can”, Jon said with a smile. So the higher key it was.

On the first day in Trondheim, Wednesday before the show, there was a meeting with media and the first meeting with the band. Jon immediately took Nathalie aside from the rest, held her arm, looking very serious, saying: “Nathalie, I want to dedicate “The Sun Will Shine Again” to Ronnie. It is a song I wrote for Frida when her husband died. Do you think you can hold it together?”. “I hope so” Nathalie answered. “Perfect” smiled Jon.”
View the song as performed during the concert.

“Ronnie” was of course the legendary rock vocalist Ronnie James Dio, known from Rainbow, Elf, Black Sabbath, and his own band Dio. Ronnie lost his battle with cancer just a week prior to this concert.

Here’s a performance of the song with Jon and Frida from German television.

And it only seems to fitting to add this cut:
Ronnie James Dio singing the beautiful songs “Sitting in a Dream” and “Love is All” from Roger Glover’s “Butterfly’s Ball” with Deep Purple and the London Symphony Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall in 1999, for the 30th anniversary for Jon’s “Concerto for Group and Orchestra”:

 

All Material (except YouTube embeds): © Copyright Trond J. Strøm. All Rights Reserved.

No usage without my written consent. Links to the blog and blogs posts on social media etc are of course OK, but stealing the photos without permission is not.

The book is out – head to the bookstore to order your copy. There is two sizes and two bindings for each size available, from the standard sized book with soft cover, to the lavish coffee table book on high-end photo paper.

by trondjs

40. Another Ballad

"The Sun Will Shine Again"

From the left: Jon Lord, vocalists Nathalie Lorichs and Steve Balsamo, conductor Torodd Wigum, and backing singers Karina Hanssen and Nina Brovoll.

Seen from the left: Jon Lord at the grand piano, vocalists Nathalie Lorichs and Steve Balsamo, conductor Torodd Wigum, as well as backing singers Karina Hanssen and Nina Brovoll. The Lord Chamber Orchestra behind the, with the wonderful arches and the mighty rose window of the Nidaros Cathedral forming a stunning backdrop.

All Material: © Copyright Trond J. Strøm. All Rights Reserved.

No usage without my written consent. Links to the blog and blogs posts on social media etc are of course OK, but stealing the photos without permission is not.

The book is out – head to the bookstore to order your copy. There is two sizes and two bindings for each size available, from the standard sized book with soft cover, to the lavish coffee table book on high-end photo paper.

by trondjs

37. Jon Lord, Nathalie Lorichs, Steve Balsamo

37. Jon Lord, Nathalie Lorichs, Steve Balsamo

Jon Lord signalling to the musicians with his right arm, as Nathalie Lorichs and Steve Balsamo sing the final high notes during the second verse of “Child in Time”

We continue with the large bulk of photos taken during the last run-through of “Child in Time” before the concert. Here we see Jon Lord in a typical pose in the background, playing the Hammond organ and signalling to the band and orchestra, as vocalists Nathalie Lorichs and Steve Balsamo are reaching the higher notes during the second verse of the song.
See the video of the song performed during the concert here. The cover photo for that video is indeed taken at more or less the same moment during the song as this one, but from another angle.

All Material: © Copyright Trond J. Strøm. All Rights Reserved.

No usage without my written consent. Links to the blog and blogs posts on social media etc are of course OK, but stealing the photos without permission is not.

The book is out – head to the bookstore to order your copy. There is two sizes and two bindings for each size available, from the standard sized book with soft cover, to the lavish coffee table book on high-end photo paper.

by trondjs

36. Jon Lord with Steve Balsamo

Vocalist Steve Balsamo watching from the opposite side of the stage as Jon Lord plays the intro to the second verse of “Child in Time”.

36. Jon Lord with Steve Balsamo

Jon Lord by the Hammond organ with Steve Balsamo watching in the background, as the final crescendo in “Child in Time” is approaching.

Vocalist Steve Balsamo watching from the opposite side of the stage as Jon Lord plays the intro to the second verse of “Child in Time”.

All Material: © Copyright Trond J. Strøm. All Rights Reserved.

No usage without my written consent. Links to the blog and blogs posts on social media etc are of course OK, but stealing the photos without permission is not.

The book is out – head to the bookstore to order your copy. There is two sizes and two bindings for each size available, from the standard sized book with soft cover, to the lavish coffee table book on high-end photo paper.

by trondjs

31. Steve Balsamo Singing “Child in Time”

Vocalist Steve Balsamo singing the Deep Purple classic “Child in Time”.

Steve Balsamo

Steve Balsamo singing “Child in Time”

Vocalist Steve Balsamo singing the Deep Purple classic “Child in Time” during rehearsals in the Nidaros Cathedral.

Steve Balsamo collaborated with Jon Lord during the last years of Jon’s life, singing on many of Jon’s live shows. The only studio recording they got to finish together, was the studio version of “Concerto for Group and Orchestra”, which was released after Jon’s passing in 2012. They were also working on an album of songs, of which only one has been released – the song “All Those Years Ago”, which was released as part of the lavish photo book about Jon Lord, where it also provided the title.

Steve has a formidable vocal range, perfectly able of tackling a challenging song like “Child in Time”.

The concert version of the song, complete with a lenghty Hammond organ solo from Jon and a children’s choir, can be seen and heard here.

All Material: © Copyright Trond J. Strøm. All Rights Reserved.

No usage without my written consent. Links to the blog and blogs posts on social media etc are of course OK, but stealing the photos without permission is not.

by trondjs

28. Nathalie Lorichs, Steve Balsamo and Torodd Wigum During “Child in Time”

Nathalie Lorichs, Steve Balsamo and Torodd Wigum During “Child in Time”

Nathalie Lorichs, Steve Balsamo, Torodd Wigum

Nathalie Lorichs, Steve Balsamo and Torodd Wigum During “Child in Time”

Vocalists Nathalie Lorichs and Steve Balsamo, with conductor Torodd Wigum during “Child in Time“.

All Material: © Copyright Trond J. Strøm. All Rights Reserved.

No usage without my written consent. Links to the blog and blogs posts on social media etc are of course OK, but stealing the photos without permission is not.

by trondjs

21. Nathalie Lorichs and Steve Balsamo Singing “Pictured Within”

Vocalists Nathalie Lorichs and Steve Balsamo singing “Pictured Within”.

Nathalie Lorichs and Steve Balsamo

Nathalie Lorichs and Steve Balsamo singing “Pictured WIthin”

Nathalie Lorichs singing backing vocals and Steve Balsamo handling the lead vocals for “Pictured Within”.

Vocalist Steve Balsamo practically came “out of nowhere” when he impressed Andrew Lloyd Webber so much that he landed the title part in “Jesus Christ Superstar” in the production at the Lyceum Theatre in London from 1996 to 1997. His TV performance of “Gethsemane” reputedly sold tickets for the show for GBP 160,000 within half an hour, and saw the world famous composer calling him “one of the most exciting talents it’s ever been my privilege to discover”. Steve had only played the part at college prior to this.

In 1997 he also sang the part at Værnes Church during the Hell Blues Festival in Norway – where Knut Morten Johansen was one of the organizers. Knowing Knut Morten’s part in organizing Jon Lord’s orchestral concert in the Nidaros Cathedral in 2003 – the concert that in large part gave Jon the confidence to continue with his orchestral music – I wouldn’t have been surprised if Knut Morten was the one suggesting Steve as a fitting singer for Jon. But indeed – the man himself assures me that this was not the case, and that Jon and Steve starting to collaborate had nothing to do with him.

Steve Balsamo reputedly has a massive three and a half octave vocal range, thus nearly matching the vocal range of the young Ian Gillan – who sang the title part on the original studio version of “Jesus Christ Superstar“ in 1970. Steve matches Ian in vocal range, but has a distinctly different voice – what I would call a “cleaner” sound, where the young Ian Gillan could add a rawer, more powerful sound. Apples and oranges – both are / were great. Steve clearly states Ian’s version was a huge influence.

(A colour version of this photo has previously been published.)

All Material: © Copyright Trond J. Strøm. All Rights Reserved.

No usage without my written consent. Links to the blog and blogs posts on social media etc are of course OK, but stealing the photos without permission is not.

by trondjs

20. Jon Lord, Nathalie Lorichs, Steve Balsamo

Jon Lord, and singers Nathalie Lorichs and Steve Balsamo, about to play “Pictured Within”.

Jon Lord, Nathalie Lorichs, Steve Balsamo

From the left: Jon Lord, and singers Nathalie Lorichs and Steve Balsamo, about to play “Pictured Within”

As they’re launching into “Pictured Within”, the vocalists start to appear on stage.

The song was orginally recorded with Jon’s friend Miller Anderson singing. For this concert, Welsh vocalist Steve Balsamo was the main male vocalist. Steve had worked a lot with Jon the last years prior to this concert. They were working on an album of songs at the time, this sadly was never to be completed.
Swedish vocalist Nathalie Lorichs is the daughter of Christer Lorichs, a long time friend of Jon, so I think it’s safe to say she’s been raised on Jon’s music. She is also Martin Axenrot’s partner.

We’ll be seeing more of both of them in the coming posts.

All Material: © Copyright Trond J. Strøm. All Rights Reserved.

No usage without my written consent. Links to the blog and blogs posts on social media etc are of course OK, but stealing the photos without permission is not.