He has listed various influences, most notably Chet Baker, David Bowie, The Police, Andre 3000, Marvin Gaye, The Specials, Billie Holiday, Rosster, Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzee Rascal. When he was with The Library they were known for their energetic live performances which include steelpan and a piano. They were nominated for "Best Newcomer" at the 2007 UK Festival Awards.
Mr. Hudson has worked with acts such as Kanye West, Dizzee Rascal, N-Dubz, Kid Cudi, Tinie Tempah and Jay-Z and toured with Calvin Harris. His vocal performances have been compared to those of Sting.[3] He is accompanied by Joy Joseph (vocals and steel drum), Rob Barron (electric keyboard), Raphael Mann (bass guitar) and Andrew "Wilkie" Wilkinson (electric drums).
One of his first appearances was on JUMPOFF producer battles in 2005. Mr Hudson first came to prominence after featuring on Later with Jools Holland on 8 December 2006. The band's debut LP titled A Tale of Two Cities, was released in 2007 to strong reviews and received national airplay on Jo Whiley and Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 shows.
In 2007, Mr Hudson and his band The Library embarked on a tour through 12 British libraries as part of the 'Get It Loud' initiative, and also supported Amy Winehouse on her tour, along with Paulo Nutini, Mika and Groove Armada.[5]
During the summer of 2007 they appeared at several UK festivals, such as Glastonbury, T in the Park, The Big Chill, V Festival, Godiva Festival, and Bestival. In October 2007, the band played at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff in support of The Police. They also supported Kanye West on his Europe leg of his Glow in the Dark Tour, performing in Dublin and other European cities.
On 11 November 2008, "There Will Be Tears" was given its first UK radio airplay on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show as 'The Hottest Record in the World Right Now'. Mr Hudson's new album – given a working title of Straight No Chaser[6] is set for release in mid-2009 with Kanye West acting as co-producer. As announced in December 2008, Mr Hudson will tour the UK to preview material from his forthcoming album visiting cities such as London, Cardiff, Glasgow and Newcastle.
Mr Hudson featured on Paranoid on Kanye West's fourth album, 808s & Heartbreak. He also co-produced "Street Lights" as well as supplied additional vocals on "Say You Will" and "Amazing". Kanye West has stated: "I believe Mr Hudson has the potential to be bigger than me, to be one of the most important artists of his generation" In the autumn of 2009 Mr Hudson will support Calvin Harris on his UK tour.
A Tale of Two Cities (2007–2009)
The production ... on the band's debut album uses acoustic guitar interspersed with classically informed piano, soulful, Motown-inspired backing vocals and bass guitar, steelpan, electric drums and unusual rhythm patterns to create an expansive sound. Two of the tracks from A Tale of Two Cities are covers; "On The Street Where You Live", ..................mr hudson rules.................is a cover of a number from the musical My Fair Lady[9] and "Everything Happens to Me" is a well known Great American Songbook classic as popularised by the likes of Frank Sinatra and Chet Baker. The album was greeted with warm reviews from the music press.
[edit]Straight No Chaser (2009 – present)
According to Amazon.com, on 1 December 2009, Mr Hudson is set to release a new album, Straight No Chaser (via G.O.O.D. Music and Mercury Records), executive produced by Kanye West.
"I wanted to make a mainstream record, not structured or ornate," he explains. "The first album feels like an Escher drawing, all these layers and you don't know where you're going at any point. The way the songs are written and produced on this one is much more direct. It's not trying to reinvent the wheel. It's straight, no chaser.
Ghosts
Mr Hudson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In this Polaroid I'll treasure through the years
(Years)
Full of promise and of smiles
We are happily quite ignorant of pain
And oh, how life can quickly change
You can't predict the rain
To find some method in the mad
Or some goodness in the bad men
That now and then block our way
And as ghosts we'll disappear again
Back into photographs
They'll scatter through the years
Friends assumed we'd moved away
No, we're just hibernating
And oh, how life can quickly change
You can't predict the rain
Or second guess the stars, no
To find some method in the mad
Just some goodness in the bad men
That now and then block our way
The song "Ghosts" by Mr Hudson & The Library is a poignant reflection on the fleeting nature of life and the ephemeral quality of relationships. The first verse likens the singer and his lover to ghosts that are captured in a Polaroid photograph that will be treasured over the years. This image is a symbol of the happy moments they shared, free from the pain and troubles that life can bring.
However, the chorus hints at the impermanence of their happiness, and the fleeting nature of human relationships. Life can quickly change, and the unpredictability of fate means that one cannot always anticipate the rain or second-guess the stars. Despite our desire to find some method in the madness or some goodness in the bad, life often throws us curveballs that can block our way.
The second verse builds on this sense of impermanence and suggests that, like ghosts, the couple will disappear again from view. The photograph that captured their happiness will scatter through the years, and friends may assume that they have moved away when, in fact, they are just hibernating. The lyrics suggest that their relationship may be revisited at a later time, and that their love may once again bloom like the flowers in spring. However, the sense of loss and transience is palpable throughout the whole song.
Overall, "Ghosts" is a beautifully written and wistful song that captures the sense of loss and fleeting nature of our most precious moments in life. It is a reminder to cherish the happy moments we have together and to accept the unforeseeable twists and turns that the road of life throws our way.
Line by Line Meaning
Like ghosts we both appear
We seem to exist only in memories, like ethereal beings
In this Polaroid I'll treasure through the years
I will hold onto this photograph as a keepsake, a physical manifestation of our fleeting existence
Full of promise and of smiles
At the time of the photo, we were hopeful and happy
We are happily quite ignorant of pain
We were unaware of the hardships and pain that life can bring
And oh, how life can quickly change
Life can unexpectedly take a turn for the worse
You can't predict the rain
Just as we cannot predict the weather, we cannot predict the hardships of life
Or second guess the stars
We cannot know what fate has in store for us
To find some method in the mad
We try to rationalize the chaos of life
Or some goodness in the bad men
We look for the silver lining in bad situations or people
That now and then block our way
Obstacles, whether occasional or frequent, impede our progress
And as ghosts we'll disappear again
We will fade away into the past, just like ghosts
Back into photographs
Our memories will be preserved in photographs
They'll scatter through the years
These photographs will disperse through time
Friends assumed we'd moved away
People will assume we are no longer around
No, we're just hibernating
We are not gone, just dormant for a while
Contributed by Avery F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.