SHOES News
Shindig! magazine runs Shoes feature!
U.K. music magazine Shindig! ran an extensive new article on Shoes in their May-June 2010 issue #16 that features a story and interview by Brian Greene. The 6-page article includes several quotes from the band and photos.
Also included is a side-bar article with rememberences of Shoes' early dealings with Greg Shaw and Bomp! Records by Suzy Shaw. Read more here; Shindig! #16
One In Versailles LP vinyl re-issue coming!
Who says people don't buy vinyl LPs anymore!? Q.D.K. Media in Germany and Black Vinyl Records have recently inked a deal to re-issue a 500 copy, limited edition pressing of the 1975 LP, One In Versailles!
This early SHOES recording hasn't appeared in vinyl form since it's original pressing of 300 discs in the spring of 1975. This re-issue is set to include special packaing as well as additional liner notes
and photos from the era. Originally recorded on a 4-track tape machine in the small flat where Jeff and then-drummer Barry Shumaker lived, OIV was recorded in Gary's absence (schooling in France) as an experimental project to
hone their writing, recording and performing skills and to illustrate to Gary the committment that John and Jeff had for the fledgling new band. Despite it's primative production values and rudimentary
songwriting and execution, OIV remains a vital step in the band's evolution that served as a crucial learning tool for the band prior to the production and release of the 1977 Black Vinyl Shoes LP.
Jeff and John play rare acoustic set!
On Dec. 4th, 2009 Milwaukee's Shank Hall played host to a special 15-year reunion of popmeisters, The Blow Pops. Jeff had produced The Blow Pops' 1994 classic CD, "American Beauties" so,
he was asked to play a short acoustic set to help open the show. Never having played a solo acoustic set, Jeff enlisted John to strum along and add backing vocal support.
Despite coming down with a serious cold and finding it almost impossible to speak, Jeff determined that "the show must go on"! Thanks to the helpful bar staff at Shank, Jeff
chugged down several mugs of hot tea and lemon, ate handfuls of throat lozenges and gargled several glasses of hot, salt-water just prior to going on.
The resulting croakfest was well received by the supportive crowd, inspite of Jeff's seriously hampered vocals. The set included; Under The Gun, Every Girl, Love Is Like A Bullet, The Summer Rain, I'm A Tool For You,
You're An Icon and If All I Had Was You. The set was concluded with Mike, Tim, Jack and Nick from The Blow Pops coming up to sing backing vocals on the Beatles' classics, You Can't Do That and I'll Be Back.
SHOE Tube Video Contest winner!
The winning video for the SHOE Tube Video Contest is "Three Times" (demo version) submitted by Durinda Quintin. Taking the song from the Double Exposure CD of demos, she used a series of photos and graphics
of the band, focusing on each band member during the sectiion of the song when they sang the lead vocal. Congrats and job well done!
ENTRIES ARE NOW CLOSED for the SHOE Tube Video Contest!
The deadline to submit your self-produced video clip entry in the SHOE Tube Video Contest has expired and now
it's up to the "viewers" of your clip on YouTube! We wish all of the contestants good luck and we will post the winner and winning video after Nov. 1st 2009.
Many thanks to all that entered!
Japanese Box Set Re-issue is out!
The 4-disc boxset of "Present Tense", "Tongue Twister", "Boomerang" and "Shoes On Ice" has finally arrived! Issued by Air Mail Recordings, each of the full-length CDs includes several bonus tracks (11 total!),
a cool, mini-LP album jacket with printed lyrics (in English) and liner notes (in Japanese).
The "Shoes On Ice" EP disc also includes a separate sticker and the first 100 boxsets include an ORIGINAL "SHOES LIVE at the Zion Ice Arena" button from 1981!
All of the artwork faithfully re-creates the artwork of the original release! While the boxset availability is limited, the individual CDs will also be sold separately.
For more info, visit; Air Mail Recordings 
Enter the new, Shoe Tube Video Contest!
Running from July 4th, 2009 through September 7th, 2009 we will be sponsoring our new "SHOE Tube Video Contest" where you can post your homemade video put to your favorite SHOES song on You Tube,
then email us the link and win! It's a chance to have some fun and be creative! Click here for more details;
New Japanese Box set Re-Issue coming!
Coming in August, Air Mail Recordings in Japan will re-issue the albums "Present Tense", "Tongue Twister" and "Boomerang" on CD with additional Bonus tracks and the "Shoes On Ice" live EP.
This 4-disc set will be available August 5th in a deluxe box set. Air Mail Recordings always does a fantastic job in packaging and presentation, so we're really excited to see these songs
made available in Japan (many for the first time)!
SHOES in JAPAN at Shinjuku Jam;
SHOES perform in Tokyo, Japan for their first ever Japanese tour! Hiroshi and Yumi Kuse from Air Mail Recordings, serve as premier hosts in bringing SHOES to Japan.
SHOES arrive in JAPAN Our hosts; Hiroshi and Yumi SHOES soundcheck w/special guest Paul Chastain
Click here for more info and pics of the Japan tour; www.blackvinyl.com/japan.htm
SHOES play tour warm-up gig in Racine, WI at JJ McAuliffe's Pub;
Intro and opening song clip; Burned Out Love.wmv
Amidst one of the biggest snowstorms of the spring season, SHOES treked out to JJ McAuliffe's Pub on March 28, 2009 to play their first show in over a year.
Despite getting over 9 inches of snow dumped on the region that night, SHOES fans gathered from miles around (some traveling from as far as Minneapolis, MN)! Club owner and host, JJ McAuliffe
warmly welcomed the band and gave a heart-felt introduction to start the show. The band opted to forego the customary road crew and do this gig "old school" with minimal gear and no stagehands (in preparation
for the unknown that may lie ahead at the Tokyo venues). Despite the intermittant failure of one of Jeff's Hiwatt guitar amps and his broken guitar string on "I Don't Miss You", the guys played for over 90 minutes
in a set that not only included longtime SHOES' favorites like "Too Late", "Tomorrow Night" and "Feel The Way That I Do", but also included a brand new song called "Rugged Terrain" (a demo of this appears on the "As-Is" CD)
and some rarely played songs like "Get My Message" and "Don't Do This To Me". All-in-all, it was a hot night, despite the cold outside!
JJ McAuliffe SHOES tune before the gig John John Richardson Gary and John Jeff
SHOES rehearse at the secluded "Drum Farm" hideaway;
With the busy schedule of drummer John Richardson to contend with, SHOES were able to sneak in a rare practice with him at his rural Drum Farm Studio in upstate Wisconsin. The beautiful setting offered
a relaxed atmosphere to rehearse and unwind with JR's wife and family hosting.
Stateside SHOES gig;
SHOES will be playing a shakedown gig on Saturday March 28th at McAuliffe's Pub in Racine, WI. Proprietor JJ McAuliffe
(himself a longtime SHOES fan) has agreed to let the band come in and play their warm-up gig before departing on the Japan tour.
Special guest, Crush Proof Box will also be playing. Due to the intimate size of the club (150 capacity) this promises to be
a fun gig with an "upclose and personal" feel. Here's their website; http://www.mcauliffespub.com/photos.html
More from Tokyo;
The fine folks at Air Mail Recordings have been kind enough to supply us with a promo poster
for the Tokyo gigs as well as the cover art for the FREE CD single to be given away at the shows.
Additional merchandise, including t-shirts, buttons and CDs will be available at the venue.
Tokyo Tour Info;
Here is some info about the Japanese tour gigs. Stop on by and rock with SHOES Internationale!
SHOES "STILL PRESENT TENSE" LIVE IN TOKYO
APRIL 4 (Sat)
@ SHINJUKU JAM
OPEN[18:30] START[19:00]
APRIL 5 (Sun)
@ SHINJUKU JAM
OPEN[17:30] START[18:00]
TICKETS: ADVANCE/JPY3,500(w/tax) DOOR/JPY4,000(w/tax)
Come to see the gigs and get a
FREE unreleased 3" CD single of SHOES covering the classic Cheap Trick song, "If You Want My Love You Got It"!
SHINJUKU JAM
Central Bldg. B-1
2-3-23 Kabukicho
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
160-0021 Japan
PH: (+81)3-3232-8168(15:00`24:00j
FAX: (+81)50-5552-2482
http://jam.rinky.info
SHOES To Tour Japan!
SHOES will be headed over the pond the first week in April 2009 to do their first shows ever in Japan! To celebrate their release of "Double Exposure" last March, Air Mail Recordings'
president Hiroshi Kuse has put together a brief tour with shows in Tokyo. Drummer John Richardson will be playing drums for the band (as he has for the last 14 years). John has been
playing drums for the Gin Blossoms recently and will do a gig with them in Phoenix, AZ the night before jumping on a plane to hook up with the rest of SHOES to make the 14-hour flight
to Tokyo. Air Mail Recordings has done numerous releases and re-issues by other classic bands, check them out at; http://www.myspace.com/airmailrecordings
Air Mail Recordings
2-2-34-#103
Kamitakaido, Suginami-ku, Tokyo 168-0074 Japan
PH: (+81)3-5357-3034
FAX:(+81)3-5357-3035
E- Mail : info@airmailrecordings.com
Vinyl Re-issue of original BVS due out Jan. 31st 2009 in Spain!
Wah Wah Records, an independent vinyl re-issue label in Barcelona, Spain will release a limited edition, vinyl version of the 4-track classic, "Black Vinyl Shoes". The run will be
limited to 500 copies and will include the original cover artwork (by John Murphy) as well as a new, iron-on t-shirt transfer and the original insert/poster. Additional liner notes about the recording of BVS
will also be included in this deluxe package. The actual vinyl pressing will be made of the high-quality, 180 gram vinyl weight, making for a superior hi-fi sound! For more info, email; orders@wah-wahsupersonic.com
Wah Wah Records
Riera Baixa 14, baixos
08001 Barcelona (Spain)
www.wah-wahsupersonic.com
Japanese Release of Double Exposure slated for March 26th, 2008!
Air Mail Recordings in Japan and Black Vinyl Records have recently done a deal to begin releasing SHOES CDs in Japan! The first release slated is Double Exposure
and it is due out on March 26th, 2008! Reportedly, the Japanese version will also include lyrics. There has also been talk of a possible tour of Japan at some point in the future.
We're very happy to begin our assocciation with Air Mail Recordings and look forward to a long and exciting future working together!
We will keep you posted on further developments and releases.
SHOES on Chicago's WGN TV!
Prior to SHOES' August 10th, 2007 gig at Chicago's Millennium Park, SHOES appeared on WGN TV's Noon Show that afternoon and roamed the studios.
These historic studios hosted the famed Bozo Show of the 1960s and '70s as well as countless other historic shows. Here're a few snaps from their stop there;
SHOES to play at Chicago's Millennium Park and on ABC and WGN TV!
For the first time in over 4 years SHOES will perform in Chicago! On Friday, August 10th SHOES will play at Millennium Park for Chicago's
"Great Performers of Illinois Festival". It is scheduled to be a 1-hour show on Stage 1 in Wrigley Square at 5:00pm. If you're in town, c'mon by!
As a run-up to the Millennium Park show, SHOES will be appearing on ABC TV's Mid Day show in Chicago at 11am on Aug. 8th and again on WGN TV's Noon Show on Aug. 10th.
SHOES recently completed a NEW recording of a Cheap Trick cover song, "If You Want My Love You Got It" for an upcoming benefit/tribute CD due out on Fastlane Records
in late summer. Proceeds go to The American Cancer Society. This recording marks the first new SHOES recording in over 12 years and the first ever, since the sale of their
commercial studio, Short Order Recorder in April of 2004! Recording at both Gary and Jeff's home studios, it heralds a return to SHOES' roots of home recording and
may prove to be the harbinger of future projects. Stay tuned...
SHOES have also contributed a song to Jeremy Morris of JAM Recordings for their "Sweet Relief", 3-disc set. Jeremy put it together to aid the victims of hurricane Katrina
and we applaud his efforts and this fine compilation of great pop songs of artists from around the world. The SHOES song "A Voice Inside Me" from the "Double Exposure" CD
was contributed as well as an alternate mix of "Never Let You Go" from Jeff Murphy's solo CD, "Cantilever".
New SHOES release is FINALLY here!
The new, 2-disc set by Shoes entitled, "Double Exposure" has finally arrived! This 30-song collection is compiled from the
original, 8-track demos that were instrumental in getting the band signed to Elektra Records and eventually became the foundation for
the "Present Tense" and "Tongue Twister" albums. Recorded in their basement studio from 1978 to 1980, these demos provide a unique glimpse
into the genesis of some of the band's most endearing songs. Place your order now!
New Releases by Jeff Murphy NOW available!
The new solo album by Jeff Murphy, "Cantilever" is finally available! After almost 3 years of work, the new CD officially hit the streets
just after the new year on January 2nd, 2007. Returning to his roots of home-recording and self-production, the 11-song CD is the first solo
release by a Shoe but continues the melodic, power pop tradition of Shoes' earlier works. Inspired by such classic discs as the first McCartney album,
Todd Rundgren's Something/Anything and Emitt Rhodes' LPs, "Cantilever" was self-recorded in his home studio and Jeff plays all the instruments.
You can read more about it (and access lyrics) by going to; Cantilever
The new book!
A new book entitled, "Birth of A Band, The Record Deal and the Making of "Present Tense" written by Jeff Murphy went on sale December 1st, 2006
and quickly sold out of it's first printing! It chronicles the band's origin and experiences in those early years with over 60 full-color photos
and includes a "behind the scenes" peek at how the band signed their major label deal and recorded their debut album, "Present Tense" while in England.
It features personal photos from the studio sessions and exploits as well as anecdotes and personal recollections.
You can order this 70 page, 8-1/2" x 11" book by going to the "Ordering Info" page on this website.
SHOES Videos on VH-1 Classics!
On August 1, 2006 MTV celebrated it's 25th Anniversary by re-playing the videos of the first 24 hours of the original MTV broadcast.
This included 4 Shoes videos from the Present Tense album; "Too Late", "Tomorrow Night", "Cruel You"' and "In My Arms Again"!
The videos ran twice each in that 24-hour period and the best news is that VH-1 Classics has continued to play the videos in their
normal rotation since the August 1st broadcast. So contact VH-1 and tell them to, "Put some Shoes on!"
Now you can hear sound samples of SHOES songs on-line!
Black Vinyl Records, in conjunction with CD Baby, has made available 2 minute sound samples of almost every SHOES song.
Additionally, SHOES' catalog is NOW available for digital downloads! This means that sites like
iTunes, Rhapsody, Napster, Sony Music On-line, etc. NOW have SHOES music as downloadable MP3 files. Check your favorite music server!
For more info go to:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/shoes5 for Propeller
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/shoes6 for Fret Buzz
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/shoes4 for Stolen Wishes
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/shoes3 for Silhouette
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/shoes2 for Boomerang
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/shoes1 for Black Vinyl Shoes
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/shoes7 for Present Tense/Tongue Twister
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/shoes8 for Shoes Best
In other news;
Jeff recently filmed an interview with notable author Greg Herriges and film maker Tom Knoff for an upcoming rock documentary entitled, "Player: A Rock and Roll Dream".
In addition to the recent interview snippets with Jeff, footage from the original "Tomorrow Night" video is featured. It also includes interviews with notable
Chicago-area musicians and radio and press personalities including The Red Walls, Shadows of Knight, Cryan Shames, Bob Stroud, Clark Weber,
Greg Kot, Moira McCormick, and others. It was premiered at the Apple store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago on Feb. 9th, 2006 and is slated for a full press release in May.
We'll give you more details as they become available.
On December 3th of 2005 all 3 members of Shoes showed up at a benefit in a small club in Racine, WI to support research on Von Willebrand's disease. Jeff did 3 songs backed
by Phil Angotti and The Idea; "Two Of Us", "I'll Be Back" and "You Can't Do That". Jeff's wife Lorinda (on the left) and their friend, Carol Pilger (on the right) supplied backing vocals.
John joined in on "You Can't Do That" playing a bucket in lieu of the required (yet unavailable) cowbell. Gary egged them on from the sidelines as he witnessed the proceedings.
As it was also Jeff's birthday, the girls presented him with a small cake and sang
"Happy Birthday, Mr. President" during it's presentation, after their short set.
To see more pictures from the show visit; http://garethglynn.smugmug.com/gallery/1018173/8/47236237
Jeff was also contacted by pop guru, Jeremy Morris of JAM Records http://www.jamrecordings.com
about the possibility of including a song from Cantilever on "Sweet Relief", a double-CD
compilation and DVD of great pop music to benefit the victims of hurricane Katrina due out later in 2006.
Jordan Oakes (of Yellow Pills fanzine fame) in conjunction with Tom Lust and Ken Shipley has put together a "power-pop"
CD compilation called "Yellow Pills Prefill" and it includes the little known 1978 SHOES recording of "Like I Told You".
This is a 2-disc set of rarely heard and hard to find songs from the power pop movement and features songs and singles released
between 1978-1982. It includes extensive notes from Jordan and they spared no expense in the elaborate packaging.
It's available on The Numero Group website. Contact them at; www.numerogroup.com
Varese Sarabande Records has also put together a pop CD compilation called,
"20 Greats From the Golden Decade of Power Pop" which was released on July 19th, 2005.
It includes "Too Late" by SHOES as well as these other artists;
Cheap Trick, Big Star, Badfinger, Nick Lowe, The Records, 20/20, Todd Rundgren,
The Spongetones and many others! Liner notes by Jordan Oakes. What a GREAT compilation! Check it out...
Work continues on the SHOES DVD which looks to include all 7 "official" SHOES videos; "Too Late", "Tomorrow Night",
"In My Arms Again", "Cruel You", "In Her Shadow", "When Push Comes To Shove" and "Feel The Way That I Do", interviews
and even some concert footage! No release date is available, yet.
In August of 2005 John and Jeff played a 1-off, acoustic gig made up of some of their favorite Beatle songs as well as tunes by
The Everly Brothers, Tom Petty
and even a couple of Shoes tunes. Friend and guitarist extraordinaire, Tom Rutledge sat in on lead guitar to round things out.
Gary came by to lend support and a splendid time was had by all!
Perhaps this will lead to more live gigs?!
Kelley Ryan (Astropuppies) who first appeared on the Yuletunes Christmas compilation, recently collaborated with Jeff
by contributing a lead vocal to an alternate mix of the new song entitled, Some Day Soon. "The song is a wistful,
lullabye that I always envisioned with a female vocal. Kelley was in Ireland preparing for the release
of her new Astropuppies CD, "Sugar Beat". We emailed each other and she recorded her vocal there and then sent the track back to me
where I mixed it at my home studio...I just love technology!"
Read more about Kelley at; www.astropuppees.com
We will keep you posted on the progress of this and any other upcoming releases.