Keeping up with the Jones
SINGER ALED JONES TELLS MARION MCMULLEN WHY HE’S COUNTING HIS BLESSINGS THIS CHRISTMAS WITH A NEW ALBUM, BOOK AND TOUR
CHRISTMAS came early for Aled Jones when Dame Judi Dench, Brian Blessed and Susan Boyle agreed to join him on his new album Blessings. “I couldn’t believe it when Judi said yes,” he says. “I’ve known her for years and years and she’s a lovely, lovely person, but you don’t expect a Hollywood A-lister to say yes to going on your album, but she said ‘ Yes, darling, I’d love to do it’. It’s brilliant that she’s a part of this. It’s the icing on the cake for me”.
Aled also harnessed the striking voice of actor Brian Blessed to record the Christmas classic Silent Night with Brian narrating Twas The Night Before Christmas.
“The man with the loudest voice in the world doing Silent Night. It’s good isn’t it?” laughs Aled. “He’s another one I met on my travels and I’ve interviewed him and heard him narrate that poem so many times and it’s so brilliant. I just thought it would be a great idea to have him on because he is Christmas really... when he’s not shouting ‘Gordon’s alive’.”
Aled’s 40th album was recorded remotely in studios around the world and touches on a range of faiths, including Quaker, Christian, Catholic, Muslim and Buddhism, through a range of hymns, texts and scriptures set to music.
He duets with Dame Judi on How Can I Keep From Singing, which represents the Quaker faith, Bless This House with Susan Boyle and If I Can Help Somebody/let There Be Peace On Earth with 94-year-old D-day veteran Harry Billinge.
“I get shivers when I hear Harry’s voice,” admits Aled. “Oh, my gosh it gets me every time and when we were doing the video for that there were hardened grips and lighting men and all those people who have been there, seen it and done it and they were coming up to me saying ‘Oh, my God. Aled, I just cried then. It was so moving’.”
Recording the album itself was a technical challenge. “I was good technically anyway, but I’m even better now,” says Aled.
“The orchestra was in New Zealand so they got to do their bit long before I did because they were out of lockdown before us and, for me, it was a case of learning the songs and practising with a full mix orchestra, which is unheard of.
“I spent three weeks pacing up and down learning these songs, desperate to sing them, but, of course, I couldn’t. Then all of a sudden they relaxed the lockdown and I think the next day we were in the studio, my producer was down the line in New Zealand and 12 hours later the album was done. It was like the quickest recording session I’ve ever done. I think it was a case of all these songs just pouring out of me because I was desperate to do them.”
A book of the same name is also out and Aled says: “I don’t think the book would have been out if it hadn’t been for lockdown because I’m terrible at sitting down and getting things done sometimes as I’m always on the go.
“Basically lockdown gave me the opportunity to compile all these sayings that I’ve picked up on my travels over the years and, the idea is, you go to the book and you start on a day or a moment and take whatever works. Some of them are fun, some of them are inspirational and some are reflective but hopefully just that 20 seconds that it takes you to read it helps.
“I’m guilty as everyone of head down and constantly on the go. Lockdown actually gave me a chance to step back from it all, to slow down and re-evaluate what is important. There are little bits of sentimental stuff and spiritual stuff. I’m really proud of the book.
“I’ve just signed 5,000 inserts to go into the book and am currently signing 5,000 album sleeves. I’m very lucky that this opportunity has come out because lockdown could have meant doing nothing and I’m very, very lucky that I’ve got an album and a book I’m very proud of.”
Aled, who turns 50 on December 29, is forever linked with Christmas because of festive hit Walking In The Air and is hoping to be spending the holidays this year in Canada.
“My family are in Canada at the moment and I’m missing them madly. My daughter is doing some filming out there, so at the beginning of December I’m off to Canada and I’ll spend quite a bit of time out there.
“It’s always quiet at the beginning of the year.”
He laughs: “I always find January an uphill battle The weight I put on at Christmas I’ve already put on during lockdown, so God knows what January is going to be like.
“I’ve never ever had this long without singing in front of an audience. Some people might think ‘well the audience are lucky’ but it’s been really weird. The cathedrals tour I was meant to do this year has been put back to next year and I can’t tell you how much I am going to treasure every moment.
“I never thought that something that feels as natural as breathing could be taken away from you.”
You don’t expect a Hollywood A-lister to say yes to going on your album, but she said ‘I’d love to do it’.
Aled Jones on asking Judi Dench to be on Blessings