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.
TOO LATE
Mr Hudson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why must I always play the clown?
Why must I always play the clown?
It makes it too easy for them to put you down
It's too late, too late, too late, too late, too late
To wash my face and hands
Am too late to get too high to get, too late
Fall out the bath, fall in the car
Throw up just pull that window down
Let's have the beer, another beer
It's a fine idea my man
It's too late, too late, too late, always
To wash your face and hands
Too late to get too high to get
To wash my face and hands
Shes looking good, am in the mood
Step up and try to make her smile
Try to make her smile
I need a line this time, a chat up kind
To steal the deal in time
Why must I always play the clown?
Why must I always play the clown?
Why must I always play the clown?
It makes it too easy for them to put you down
It's too late, too late, too late, too late, too late
To wash my face and hands
Am too late to get too high to get, too late
To wash my face and hands
I fall up the stairs, fall into bed
Throw up and pull the window down
Pull the window down
Let's have a line another line
Now there's a fine idea my man
It's too late, too late, too late, always
To wash your face and hands
Too late to get too high to get
To wash my face and hands
Why must I always play the clown?
Why must I always play the clown?
Why must I always play the clown?
It makes it too easy for them to put you down
Too late, too late, too late, too late, too late, too late, too late
Too late, too late, too late, too late, too late, too late, too late
Too late, too late, too late, too late, too late, too late, too late, ooh
Too late, too late, too late, too late, too late, too late, too late
Too late, too late, too late, too late, too late, too late, too late
Too late, too late, too late, too late, too late, too late, too late
Why must I always play the clown?
Always play the clown
Why must I always play the clown?
Why must I always play the clown?
See I always play the clown
Why must I always play the clown?
The lyrics in Mr Hudson & The Library's song "Too Late Too Late" depict the singer's frustration with always being the one to entertain others and make them laugh, even at the expense of their own dignity. The repetition of the question "Why must I always play the clown?" emphasizes the singer's exasperation with being expected to act a certain way, and the consequences that follow if they don't. The line "It makes it too easy for them to put you down" suggests that the singer is viewed as a joke or a lesser person because of their comedic role, and that they have become trapped in this identity.
The repeated refrain of "It's too late, too late, too late" implies that the singer has reached a breaking point and is resigned to their fate. They feel as though they have missed their chance to change their circumstances and wash away the facade that they've created. The lines "Too late to get too high to get" suggest that the singer has turned to drugs or alcohol as a way to cope with their situation but even that has now become ineffective.
Overall, the lyrics of "Too Late Too Late" divulge the internal struggles of someone who feels stuck in a role that they did not choose and is unable to break free from it. The singer expresses frustration at their inability to change their circumstances and is resigned to the fact that it may be too late to do so.
Line by Line Meaning
Why must I always play the clown?
I'm tired of constantly being the funny one and not being taken seriously.
It makes it too easy for them to put you down
When you act like a clown, people don't take you seriously and it's easier for them to criticize and belittle you.
It's too late, too late, too late, too late, too late
I've messed up too many times and there's no going back, it's too late to change.
To wash my face and hands
To clean up my act and change my ways.
Am too late to get too high to get, too late
I can't escape my problems by getting high, it's already too late to try.
Fall out the bath, fall in the car
I'm rushing and not taking the time to properly take care of myself.
Throw up just pull that window down
I'm not taking care of myself when I drink and I'm not considerate of others around me.
Let's have the beer, another beer
Drinking is a way to distract myself from my problems.
It's a fine idea my man
Drinking seems like a good idea at the time, but it's not a healthy coping mechanism.
Shes looking good, am in the mood
I'm looking for a distraction from my problems through a woman.
Step up and try to make her smile
I'm using humor and charm to impress and distract her from the real me.
I need a line this time, a chat up kind
I'm relying on pick-up lines and shallow conversations to impress her instead of being genuine.
To steal the deal in time
I'm trying to rush into a relationship as a way to escape my problems, but it won't work.
I fall up the stairs, fall into bed
My self-destructive behavior is catching up with me physically and emotionally.
Let's have a line another line
I'm relying on drugs or alcohol as a way to cope instead of addressing my problems directly.
Now there's a fine idea my man
Using drugs or alcohol may feel appealing at the moment, but it's not a healthy solution.
Too late, too late, too late, too late, too late, too late, too late
Repeatedly making the same mistakes has led me to a point where it's too late to fix them.
Always play the clown
Behaving like a clown has become a pattern for me, it's something I do all the time.
See I always play the clown
I acknowledge that I have a tendency to act like a clown and I want to change that.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BENJAMIN HUDSON-MCILDOWIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alexander Chudesnov
One of my favorite songs of our time.
Ade Meaden
Still love this never gets old
Neo Brown
I adore his demeanor in this video.
LarssonOfficial
Mr. Hudson will be going far.
Tony Wijaya
Mr. Bean's Holiday Soundtrack
debalinn
true
Nardi Alessandro
Hq???