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.
Hey You
Mr Hudson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't believe hey you, hey you, hey you
Maybe I was sleeping, now I see you
Don't pass me by
Baby now I've seen you, I can see you again
Johnson's always slipping, I get left behind
But now I'm feeling lucky, lucky again
I can't live without it, move without it
What do we say when we finally get to speak
Hey you, hey you, hey you
Hey you, hey you, hey you
Hey you
I don't know you, you don't know me
I don't believe hey you, hey you, hey you
Hey you, hey you, hey you
For me I've been dreaming bout you
Don't ask me why
Somehow now I've seen you, those dreams make sense
Now I've seen you there is no way out
I can't live without it, move without it
What do we say when we finally get to speak
Hey you, hey you, hey you
Hey you, hey you, hey you
Hey you
I don't know you, you don't know me
I don't believe hey you, hey you, hey you
Hey you, hey you, hey you
Hey you, hey you, hey you
Hey you, hey you, hey you
Hey you
I don't know you, you don't know me
I don't believe hey you, hey you, hey you
Hey you, hey you, hey you.
The lyrics of Mr. Hudson's song Hey You are very interesting and thought-provoking. The first two lines of the song set up a theme of unfamiliarity as the singer says "I don't know you, you don't know me." This can be interpreted in a lot of different ways, possibly referring to meeting someone new, being in a relationship with someone who has changed, or the feeling of loneliness and disconnection from others. The repetition of "hey you" throughout the song emphasizes the urgency and need to connect with this person.
The line "Maybe I was sleeping, now I see you" suggests a realization or epiphany that the singer has had about this person, after possibly being oblivious to their existence before. The line "Johnson's always slipping, I get left behind" could suggest a feeling of falling behind or not being able to keep up with others. However, the following lines are more optimistic as the singer says "now I'm feeling lucky, lucky again" after having seen this person. It's clear that this person is important to the singer as they say "now I've seen you there is no way out."
The chorus of the song emphasizes the urgency and need to speak with this person now that they have been noticed, repeating "hey you" several times. Overall, the song seems to be about the feeling of being disconnected from others but finding someone who could change that, creating a sense of hope and possibility.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know you, you don't know me
We are strangers and have not yet had the chance to develop a relationship or mutual understanding.
I don't believe hey you, hey you, hey you
I'm skeptical of anyone who tries to get my attention with repeated calls of 'hey you'.
Maybe I was sleeping, now I see you
I may have been oblivious to your presence before, but now I notice you.
Don't pass me by
Please don't ignore or overlook me.
Baby now I've seen you, I can see you again
Now that I've taken notice of you, I look forward to seeing you more in the future.
Johnson's always slipping, I get left behind
I've experienced neglect or lack of attention before due to someone else's oversight or carelessness.
But now I'm feeling lucky, lucky again
Despite my past experiences, I now feel fortunate to have seen you and have a chance to form a connection with you.
Now I've seen you there is no way out
Once I've become aware of your presence, I cannot ignore or forget about you easily.
I can't live without it, move without it
You have become something that I cannot live without, and I feel compelled to seek out further encounters with you.
What do we say when we finally get to speak
When we eventually have the chance to converse, what topics or ideas will we exchange?
Hey you, hey you, hey you
I'm still not convinced by your repeated attempts to get my attention with just those two words.
For me I've been dreaming bout you
I have been idealizing or fantasizing about you in my dreams.
Don't ask me why
I may not have an explanation or reason for why I've been dreaming of you specifically.
Somehow now I've seen you, those dreams make sense
Now that I've encountered you in reality, my dreams featuring you seem more justified or understandable.
Hey you, hey you, hey you
You continue to grab my attention, but I'm still uncertain about our connection.
Hey you
I'm addressing you directly, with intrigue and curiosity in my tone.
I don't believe hey you, hey you, hey you
Despite your efforts to grab my attention, I still have doubts about our compatibility or connection.
Hey you, hey you, hey you
You persist in trying to capture my interest, but I remain uncertain about our future interactions.
Contributed by Liliana J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.