Ex Pat Files: Donna Dean: A Bit Of Kiwi Country In London

Words of encouragement from a Grammy-winning songwriter catalysed Kiwi singer-songwriter Donna Dean to head for the greener pastures of the European country music scene.

Reading through some of Dean's lyrics while in Auckland at the end of last century, Amazing Rhythm Aces leader Russell Smith told Dean she needed to take her music out into the big wide world. That was all she needed to hear.

Since then she has clocked up numerous European tours, supported the likes of Katy Moffatt and Hank Wangford, followed Willie Nelson in front of 10,000 people at a truckers' festival and released two albums with the Amazing Rhythm Aces - who won the Grammy for best country vocal performance by a duo or group back in 1976 for The End Is Not In Sight (The Cowboy Tune).

Actually Donna Dean had already undertaken a six-week tour of Germany, but Smith's advice back in 1999 was enough to make up her mind to relocate permanently.

"I guess what he said just got me thinking about it more seriously," Dean says. "I'm a person who takes risks, so I guess in the end I decided: 'What the hell, I'll give it a go'."

The contacts made on that previous German excursion prompted Dean to opt for Europe over the United States. She is now based in London and building up strong support in the UK and on the continent.

"I've since talked with other musicians both here and on trips back there (to NZ) who've told me how lucky I am to be touring Europe," she says.

"Luck has little to do with it. It's more about how much you're prepared to sacrifice and how grounded you are. If you wait for someone to knock on your door it'll never happen."

Her latest album 'Money,' released mid-May, was recorded in Nashville and is credited to Donna Dean and the Amazing Rhythm Aces. It is unique in that it is the first album since 1978's 'Burning the Ballroom Down' to include both Aces' singer Russell Smith and original guitarist Barry 'Byrd' Burton.

Legend has it the pair had a falling out in the late 1970s, and when the Aces re-formed in the mid '90s, Burton was not part of the revival.

Bass guitarist Jeff 'Stick' Davis says the way Dean got both of them on the same album was simple, "... she didn't tell each one that the other was going to appear on the CD." Davis also says of the Smith-Burton rift: "Don't believe everything you hear."

The bass player probably had more to do with the two men appearing on the album since he organised the sessions and scheduled the players. It seems the Aces can't do enough for the former Aucklander.
"She writes good songs," Davis says. "I personally like her songs because they sort of paint a picture of a microcosm of life. Easy to relate to."

At the completion of the Nashville sessions Dean was checked in at the airport and ten minutes from boarding her flight when the first plane hit the World Trade Centre on September 11 last year. She says she hasn't let the tragedy keep her from flying.

"It's how I have to get around these days. I'm always at airports. Once you're in the air it's all out of your control, you have to let go."

The Amazing Rhythm Aces, particularly Davis, have played a significant role in Dean's blossoming on the international scene. They first met when the Aces played the Powerstation in Auckland back in 1997.

"I kept in touch with Jeff Davis," Dean says. "And when they were coming back to do Sweetwaters in '99 and knew I was about to go into the studio, he told me to hold on until they got there, that they'd do the thing with me."

Recording took place at Stebbings while Sweetwaters was imploding less than 50km away. Donna Dean and the Aces both played the festival individually.

"During the sessions I got to put a couple of my lyric sheets in front of Russell Smith, and I remember him saying they were good," she says.
"Later, at the airport, as they were preparing to leave, he said something to the effect that I needed to get my songs out there to a wider audience. It stuck in my head."

And if anyone can give advice about what to do with a song it's Smith, having written most of the Aces' catalogue as well as country hits for the likes of Randy Travis, Ricky Van Shelton and even George Jones.

Before that year was out Dean was gone. She started out playing solo gigs in Europe armed with songs off the Aces-Stebbings album 'Between You And Me' and a previous Montage Studio-recorded CD called 'Destination Life'.

"Quite a few of the musicians involved on those sessions played for love or next to nothing," Dean says.

Her first London-recorded album, 'A Little Faith', was a solo affair. Tracks were recorded between tours and on any free days over a three month period in 2000. As far as sales at gigs go, this has been the best received so far. In fact, it won demo of the month in the UK's Making Music magazine last November.

European audiences started lapping Dean up and it has become common to be met post-gig with a long queue waiting to buy CDs and obtain autographs and photos. Dean said that was a big difference from playing in NZ.

One of her most memorable gigs was an impromptu concert at the Polish border.

"I'd just finished a tour in Berlin, and being only an hour away from Poland I got on a train and headed out there. I didn't have a visa, so the Polish customs police took me to their headquarters and into this rundown building.

"They took me into a recreation room full of soldiers who were watching reruns of Thunderbirds on TV. Besides the obvious, they spoke German but not a word of English. My German is limited, but I understood enough to know they wanted to see what was in my Baby Taylor (guitar) case. Because of its size they'd assumed it was a violin.

"The chief customs officer motioned to me to play, so play I did. After the first song he started clapping and shouting 'Bravo,' encouraging the others to show their appreciation likewise. I spent the next hour playing to these soldiers, who by the end of it were queuing for autographs, CDs and signed photos."

It's a far cry from Dean's solo debut, between rock band Whiskey and Lace and thrash-metal band DVS, at the Gluepot in 1989. Prior to that she had been in a nameless covers trio that played weddings and private parties.

Her original songs began to filter into her 1990's band Rio Grande that was performing the new country sounds of the likes of Garth Brooks.
"We mostly did covers, but they were very supportive of my originals," Dean says.

It was while the band was playing in the Bay Of Islands that Dean met the German promoter who put together a six-week solo tour in Germany and Hungary.

Joining the Auckland branch of the Nashville Songwriters Association International, she came into contact with a bunch of local songwriters including Arthur Baysting, Lena Days and Al Hunter. Although hindered by the tyranny of distance, the association was a good vehicle for having songs critiqued and obtaining feedback from real Nashville songwriting professionals.

The need to perform more original material saw Dean play solo at the Temple on Auckland's Queen Street for a while.
"Karen Philpott at The Temple has long been supportive of original music. She was another great supporter of my music," Dean says. In fact, The Temple is mentioned in Write A Good Line on 'A Little Faith'.

She toured NZ with Barry Saunders and Jeff Lang and opened for the incredible double bill of Jimmy Webb with Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham here before travelling to London.

Dean's mother was a major musical influence and a talented musician.
"Music was our common ground. We talked about musicians and music a lot. There were times she spent entire weekends jamming with other musicians in her kitchen. I'd turn up for a visit and we'd end up hardly saying a word to each other."

Dean has written songs for as long as she can remember. "I wrote songs in my head before I could even write my name. My mother taught me three chords on the ukulele and later on guitar. The songs I wrote then, using the same three chords, all sounded the same.

"I wrote about family politics in my teens. Whatever was happening for me I'd verbalise in song rather than talk things out with somebody.

"Just simple everyday things inspire me to write. I wrote a song called Denny Says (on 'Between You and Me' and 'A Little Faith') when I noticed my son first started showing signs of falling for a girl. I've lost count of the times people have commented on that song. There's just something about it. It's my most requested song and the one most remembered by people."

Dean has recently started playing with partner Jeremy Dart, a former Auckland guitarist who recorded with, well, me, and the duo launched 'Money' live to the Internet at the 12 Bar Club in Soho on May 14. The couple co-wrote the title track and the Dean-Russell Smith duet He Deserves Somebody off the new release.

Later this year Dean is booked to open for former Emmylou Harris Hot Band guitarist Albert Lee in Germany and is teeing up festival work through Europe as well as building up her profile in London.

Donna Dean and the Amazing Rhythm Aces' 'Money' is available at www.southboundrecords.com. Her web site is www.donnadean.com.

Glen Moffatt is an Auckland singer/songwriter who is relocating to Australia after three locally released albums.