The Fabulous Sinead O'Connor

Showing posts with label Sinead O'Connor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sinead O'Connor. Show all posts

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Sinead O'Connor '4th and Vine' on 'Later with Jools Holland' Nov. 20, 2012 (video)

In addition to performing "Nothing Compares 2 U", Sinead O'Connor performed "4th and Vine" on her Nov. 20, 2012 appearance on "Later with Jools Holland." The songs is from her 2012 CD "How About I Be Me (And You Be You)?"





 How About I Be Me (And You Be You)? 

Track Listing


  •  4th & Vine
  •  Reason with Me
  •  Old Lady
  •  Take Off Your Shoes
  •  Back Where You Belong
  •  The Wolf Is Getting Married
  •  Queen of Denmark
  •  Very Far from Home
  •  I Had a Baby
  •  V.I.P.


 You can hear a playlist from various YouTube videos featuring songs from the CD, but please...don't let that stop you! Listen to his critically acclaimed CD and buy it!
 

Sinead O'Connor performs 'Nothing Compares 2 U' Live on 'Later With Jools Holland' (Nov. 20, 2012)

Sinead O'Connor appeared on "Later with Jools Holland" on Nov. 20, 2012, and performed two songs live. She sang her classic hit "Nothing Compares 2 U'" to rave reviews and celebratory fan fare.

Check out the video below.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Sinead O’Connor talks ripping up picture of Pope on SNL, Pussy Riot sentence (videos)

Sinead O’Connor is just as well-known for her outspokenness today as she was 25 years ago when she appeared on Saturday Night Live (SNL) and ripped up a picture of Pope John Paul II after singing an a cappella version of Bob Marley’s War. In a new interview, O’Connor discusses the inspiration for the act that many would describe as her career-defining moment. O’Connor also released an open letter to Putin regarding the sentences of three Pussy Riot members who were charged with hooliganism after performing a flash-mob, type performance at Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral. Just as O’Connor spoke out in 1985 for the child, victims of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, O’Connor is speaking out for the two children who face years of separation from their mothers for their act of free speech.

Regarding the inspiration for tearing up the photo of the Pope, O’Connor spoke with Hot Press on September 20, 2012 and said she came up with the idea after seeing Bob Geldof, lead singer for the Irish, rock-punk band “Boomtown Rats,” tear up a photo of Grease stars John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. O’Connor told the publication, “When the Boomtown Rats went to No. 1 in England with Rat Trap, Geldof went on Top of The Pops and ripped up a photo of John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, who had been No. 1 for weeks and weeks before (with ‘Summer Nights’ from the Grease soundtrack, which topped the UK charts for seven weeks in 1978).

“And I thought, ‘Yeah, fuck! What if someone ripped up a picture of the Pope?’ Half of me was just like, ‘Jesus, I’d love to just see what’d happen’.”

What did happen was numerous complaints from shocked and stunned viewers, a lifelong ban from SNL handed down by Lorne Michaels and controversy regarding her music that would last decades. The stunt also helped bring attention to the newly revealed allegations of widespread sexual abuse and cover-ups within the Catholic Church. O’Connor continues to use her public platform to highlight matters close to her heart. This time, it isn’t the Catholic Church or the Pope she’s targeting, but another influential leader: Vladimir Putin.

O’Connor has always been outspoken. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that she is open about her personal life, feelings, and displays her sometimes-raunchy sense of humor on social media networking sites like Twitter. Her fans get her. In fact, they love her and accept her for who she is. Her openness is also what makes her approachable and down-to-earth, while at the same time, a target for insensitive media interested in selling stories. While some might find her actions bizarre, others find them quite understandable. O’Connor has one of the strongest voices in this generation.

Whether singing, writing, or tweeting O’Connor aims to be heard, accepted, and simply is going to be who she is, regardless of what others think.

That’s why no one should be surprised that O’Connor would write an open letter to Putin requesting he think about the future of the two young children who stand to lose their mother’s due to a sentence that many worldwide feels is simply too harsh. O’Connor released her open letter to multiple media organizations, including Examiner.com. You may read her open letter here: Sinead O'Connor sends open letter to Vladimir Putin on PussyRiot sentence

Speaking straight to Putin’s heart as a mother yearning for her own children, O’Connor stated, “Russia is a place so soft in my heart I would be bereft not to be able to go there. So instead of recording the song I thought of writing a gentler one. but there’s too much to say and make it rhyme in 3 minutes. So I’m writing this open letter to you, from a mother, to a mother's son and a father.

"Your mother suffered the loss of two children. That must still be a great grief in your family's and your own heart. Sometimes for men, the only way to live with loss and grief is bury it. And when something brings it up we can run in all manner of ways.

"The more sensitive are the more hardened we make our hearts. One can't be a poppy in a tsunami. One must become a football.

Baby darling, please forgive me addressing you in such fashion, but I see all people as sons and daughters of mothers... and in my middle age I feel like I want to mother people. So I address affectionately where my human weakness doesn't mess it up...

Two small children... Gara and Philya... are now carrying the loss of their mother, which is equal to the agony your parents suffered over the loss of their children if you think about it.

Thank God she had you. And thank God your own beautiful children have you.”
An appeal (constitution reevaluation) hearing is scheduled for October 1, 2012. Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has called for the women’s release.

Though Medvedev stated he was sick over the act, he felt that they had served enough time and at this point, additional prison time would be counterproductive.
Medvedev stated, “I am sick over what they did, of their public appeal and the hysteria that surrounds them. Putin described the girl’s actions as a “witches’ Sabbath,” revealing how upsetting many found the protest.

 Still, many, like O’Connor have called for Putin to show mercy, compassion, and forgiveness.

In the conclusion of her letter, O’Connor urged Putin, “Show the world what a real man is... as you can. No president has ever been brave enough to say the word "love" or "forgive". You never hear any politician say "love". Nor even the Priests half the time.

“Please say it sir. Even just to yourself. Say 'forgive". And let these children have their mums at home on house arrest immediately while the other legal issues are pending.

“Don't let these children suffer what your mother suffered. Loss is loss. Loss of a mother can never be gotten back.

I know you have a heart.
Sinead.”

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Sinead O'Connor sends open letter to Vladimir Putin on Pussy Riot sentence

As seen on Examiner.com


On September 18, 2012, Irish singer Sinead O’Connor sent Examiner.com the following open letter to Vladimir Putin regarding the August 17, 2012 sentence handed down to feminist-punk rock group Pussy Riot. The group was arrested on charges of hooliganism for performing a flash-mob like musical protest of the song Punk Prayer- Mother of God Chase Putin Away at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior church on February 12, 2012. The performance was uploaded to YouTube and received global attention. The arrest and sentencing of the group’s members sparked protests and demands for the women’s freedom.
O’Connor’s concern is that two of the three members sentenced, Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, are mothers and their children will suffer from parental separation and alienation. All three group members, Alyokhina, Tolokonnikova, and Yekaterina Samutsevich were sentenced to two years in a penal colony.
An eloquent writer, O’Connor urges Putin to move with compassion and consider the needs of these innocent, suffering children first.
You may read O’Connor’s full open letter to Vladimir Putin below.
Dear Mr. Putin,
My name is Sinead O'Connor. I am an Irish singer of little significance other than having a huge heart full of love for all manner of people... and being somewhat braver than small females are usually. .. which of course may be considered crazy in some quarters! An 'irregular' is what I might be called in old military terms. But I am also a singer who is, when at my best, capable of soothing incendiary situations with my singing voice. And sometimes written.
This comes from my genuine unconditional and non judgmental love of all people, especially strangers... of which to me of course, you are one. So that I am going to approach you with the same loving intent and normal speak... as I would any stranger. I’m sure you're probably sick of being spoken to in 'presidential speak' and would appreciate being treated like a normal human being. I know I do. By the way I did not attend school much and I did not learn punctuation... so please forgive me and furthermore, take it as a compliment I’m trusting you enough to be myself and not insult you with rubbish.
I am someone who had direct experience, as you may have yourself, of what I choose to call The Holy Spirit. And I don't just believe... but I KNOW that all people, from Kings to presidents, to singers, to anyone... are intrinsically good in their souls. Except those who knowingly hurt children.
Not who hurt unintentionally. The scriptures tell us if we didn't KNOW something was wrong, we are not guilty. but once we understand, it is sin to repeat the action or not correct it. Especially if we are what is considered 'sane'.
I believe, though you may think it mad... but artists are, by necessity 'mad'... someone has to do everyone’s madness for them.. that secretly all people love each other... we just aren't yet advanced enough to understand it. but we are growing toward it.
I’m sure you feel yourself; it is often strangers who are the safest people to trust and love. its is those close to us we have to watch.
It can’t be an easy job being president of any country. I feel sorry for presidents. Everyone thinks they have ultimate power but throughout history you have all been very vulnerable people and need to be considered as much as the scriptures call 'the motherless, the widowed, or the needy".
Some people (I believe to be connected to Amnesty International but am not entirely certain) have asked I write a song on top of a 'backing track' of the female band currently in jail in Russia track about you.
I find I’m someone who doesn't like to get involved with politics. I tell my children truthfully... I am a singer because I am not intelligent on anything else. And Politics confuses and bores me.
I deal with spirit and I am an ordained priest and I use music and my heart as my priesthood... not wishing to disrespect the beautiful sacraments. But... some rules need to be disobeyed, because God needs help in this world. And suffering is caused in president and pauper... because poor God is held hostage by rules which keep us and it lonely.
This doesn't mean I’m always a good person. often I’m an awful jerk, to be honest. And I regret it. But I keep trying.
Mostly I try to be very brave and to treat all people as equals.
The songs is aggressive very critical of you and as I don't get involved in politics (even in my own country) and know nothing about you apart from your childhood, I do not want to hurt your heart by approaching you with anything but love.
Nor indeed do I want to be used by any government or organization to push some anti Russian agenda, no more than I would an anti -American agenda or any other country I love, as I love Russia and America and I beg you won’t prevent me from playing in Russia because I am making this plea, as I would cry if I could not play there and that’s the truth. and I believe as a healer artist, I have a lot to offer some Russian people.
Russia is a place so soft in my heart I would be bereft not to be able to go there. So instead of recording the song I thought of writing a gentler one. but there’s too much to say and make it rhyme in 3 minutes. So I’m writing this open letter to you, from a mother, to a mother's son and a father.
Your mother suffered the loss of two children. That must still be a great grief in your family's and your own heart. Sometimes for men, the only way to live with loss and grief is bury it. And when something brings it up we can run in all manner of ways.
The more sensitive are the more hardened we make our hearts. One can't be a poppy in a tsunami. One must become a football.
Baby darling, please forgive me addressing you in such fashion, but I see all people as sons and daughters of mothers... and in my middle age I feel like I want to mother people. So I address affectionately where my human weakness doesn't mess it up...
Two small children... Gara and Philya... are now carrying the loss of their mother, which is equal to the agony your parents suffered over the loss of their children if you think about it.
Thank God she had you. And thank God your own beautiful children have you.
When we were all young, we did things out of anger. The shock in ones early 20s etc, when one discovers not everyone on the news has been telling the truth. The realization the world isn't always a loving place, can be upsetting. and as youngsters we can’t help being angry and impulsive and try to throw off all manner of authority just to establish our own identity.
Particularly young women need to do this Sir, (you may know if you have daughters!) We need to establish a sense of safety in this world. and as St Augustine said... "Anger is the first step toward courage".
When I was young and you may have been the same... oh my god I had a temper. At school (or church for that matter) they never taught us how to communicate strong feelings healthily and one could only copy the example of elders and leaders... where largely war was the answer to everything! Not love. No One ever said love. Not even the spiritual leaders.
These children who have lost their mothers Sir, they don't care about politics, or the band above mentioned Sir, or hurting anyone. They love their mummies. And you need them to grow up loving their country. And they are going to suffer intolerable agony for the rest of their lives of they can’t have their mummies back as soon as possible.
One poor child only saw her mama for the first time in six months yesterday.
Oh Sir, can you imagine as a young father, how awful it would have been for you and your child if a brash impulsive young action on your part, not well thought out and not meant to frighten anyone resulted in your poor child losing you?
While the appeal and the issues concerned are being considered etc., Sir, please could you find it in your heart to allow the mothers of the band be allowed home on house arrest immediately so the poor innocent little children needn't suffer Sir, and carry loss such as your mothers or yours... which may ruin their innocent lives.
Maybe there’s a way out of this for us to learn theres ways artists and politicians and religions which could better learn to communicate and work together for the spiritual and political and general wellbeing of the people of the earth.
All are valid sir, from the highest king to the lowest crying child for his or her mother.
The girls ought not have frightened anyone. I wasn't there. I don't know what happened. But I have said clearly I think it was stupid terrifying people with balaclavas however rainbow colored. when there have been so many frightening shootings etc. and it’s terrible to scare old people or the vulnerable mentioned in scriptures.
I’m sure the girls are very sorry they hadn't thought of that in their youthful impulsiveness and genuine desire to be heard. Artists maybe need to be heard.
A wise man like you must surely see `Russian art has always been your greatest export. I really believe young people don't scream unless they're not being heard any other way.
And we all bashed people up... when we were young.
Verbally in the case of women... and in your own case when you were young you used to beat a few people up or frighten people yourself and your probably don’t feel too great about it or wouldn't want your grandchildren doing it. But we're all only human. And we do messed up stuff when we're hurt, or lonely, or we need to be heard, or feel unvalued.
Anyway sir... please let these mothers home to their children even on house arrest while sorting the case.
It’s the children who matter most, and you were a child once yourself.
I’d be happy to sing this to you Sir and I'd cry... and `I think you would too Sir... because I know you have a heart... and your mother suffered the loss of two children.
Can you imagine your children's suffering had they lost their mother so young and early in their development?
A strong leader is a benign dictator who is brave enough even to be killed for being spiritually right, knowing the true king of earth is God. And bidden or unbidden He is present.
Show the world what a real man is... as you can. No president has ever been brave enough to say the word "love" or "forgive". You never hear any politician say "love". Nor even the Priests half the time.
Please say it sir. Even just to yourself. Say 'forgive". And let these children have their mums at home on house arrest immediately while the other legal issues are pending.
Don't let these children suffer what your mother suffered. Loss is loss. Loss of a mother can never be gotten back.
I know you have a heart.
Sinead.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Video: Sinead O'Connor split from hubby

Yes, I know this is old news, but it's good video of Sinead where she actually speaks! So, here it is.

Video: Sinead O'Connor 'Troy' live at Pinkpop Festival 1988

Amazing live version of Sinead O'Connor singing "Troy" live at the Pinkpop Festival in 1988. I hope someone, somewhere has digitized this version and can keep it in mint condition!

Friday, September 7, 2012

Video: Sinead O'Connor talks bi-polar diagnosis, takes part in World Suicide Prevention Day







On September 10, 2012, Sinead O'Connor will take part in World Suicide Prevention Day, by speaking via Skype. The event will be held in Ireland, and is sponsored by Grassroots Training. September 10 is the annual day of awareness and remembrance for those suffering from mental illness, depression, and those who have committed or attempted suicide.

World Suicide Prevention Day is a global event that seeks to remove the stigma associated with those dealing with depression and mental illness. The World Health Organization, The International Association for Suicide Prevention and The World Federation for Mental Health work in conjunction to sponsor World Suicide Prevention Day.  It is believed that the stigma and social non-acceptance, and even bullying has contributed to higher suicide rates world wide.

Participating with Sinead O'Connor is Kate Bornstein. Bornstein was born a boy and now lives as a woman. She is the author of several books including Hello Cruel World: 101 Alternatives to Suicide for Teens, Freaks and Other Outlaws and A Queer and Pleasant Danger. She is a powerful voice to young LGBT teens dealing with fear, depression, and thoughts of suicide. Bornstein has participated in the "It Gets Better Project" that was launched after more than five teen and children suicides occurred in the United States during September 2010.

The rash of teen suicides occured in children and teens that were LGBT, bullied for being LGBT, or accused of being LGBT. The suicides brought great media attention to the trials and torments that often plague those who are LGBT, and culminated with the suicide of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi. Though Kate Bornstein and Sinead O'Connor will participate in the Grassroots Training event in Ireland, there will be other events taking place worldwide.

Additionally, those who would like to remember those who have lost their lives to suicide are asked to light a candle in their windows at 8 pm.

You may find more information regarding ways to promote suicide awareness here.

Those in the United States contemplating suicide may find help through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You may find the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on Facebook here.














Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Video: Sinead O'Connor Molly Malone

Sinead O'Connor singing Molly Malone---need I say more?

Lyrics


Statue of Molly Malone in Dublin
In Dublin's fair city,
Where the girls are so pretty,
I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone,
As she wheeled her wheel-barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"
"Alive, alive, oh,
Alive, alive, oh",
Crying "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh".
She was a fishmonger,
But sure 'twas no wonder,
For so were her father and mother before,
And they each wheeled their barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"
(chorus)
She died of a fever,
And no one could save her,
And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone.
Now her ghost wheels her barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"
(chorus)

Monday, September 3, 2012

Troy by Sinead O'Connor (video, lyrics and what it means to me)

Ahh, the song "Troy" by Sinead O'Connor. It's a fabulous song and one in which I blame for shaping (or maybe reshaping) the way I listened to music.

I can't recall exactly when I first heard it, but I'm guessing it was about 89-90. In 86, I was 18-years-old and a teen mom. My daughter was almost 2-years-old and I was trying to forge out some sort of career for myself. It didn't exactly work, and when I look back at those years, I tend to remember more about the fun I had, the dates I went on, and the friends and acquaintances I met, rather than my time working or going to hair school. I was in Boston and "alternative" music was in with the kids defying tradition, only that wasn't what we called it back then. It was just very clear that the music you listened to really defined you- could easily make you accepted or rejected by certain cliques- and for me- my taste of music was definitely cutting edge- indie/college favorites that were viewed as "underground" "rebellious" maybe a bit punk- but those that challenged the rules of society.

And there was Sinead.

Here I am, at 43-years-old, and my choice in music is still "on the edge" I guess you can say. Honestly, I deplore most of what is played on a radio and I really don't like listening to anything considered "contemporary" regardless of the genre--and I guess I can attribute some of that to Sinead.

She was so unique and original, and not just because she was Irish and I was a Bostonian girl trying to figure out who I was- she was genuinely original. It permeated through every song she wrote and unleashed like a tempest on the world. Her uniqueness seeped through every performance. It was rebellious and refreshing. It was a middle finger in your face playing to a background of harmonious melodies that would suddenly turn to growls, then just as quickly return to sugary-sweet smoothness.

It was unlike anything I ever heard before, and honestly, unlike anything I've heard since.

Sure, there have been some that have "arisen from the flames" in some comparison to Sinead. Mostly is Alanis Morissette- and it seems whenever there is a demand for an artist (music or Hollywood) and something knocks that person from their rightful spot, there is always "another" waiting in the wings to take their place.

Don't believe me? Go ask Lindsay Lohan.

So to me, when I listen to "Troy," I am instantly transported back in time- to my youth- to my days of college music and figuring out where I wanted to go with my life- while at the same time embracing this "rebellious" side of me that wanted to give society the middle finger as well.

Sinead O'Connor will always be my favorite artist- and I have more stories to share- many of which may just seem so unbelievable but are a true part of my history.

It's amazing how we mark monumental events in our lives with music, isn't it? For me, I can associate music with different parts of my past- I remember what I listened to when I was a pregnant teen, when I was coming of age and a runaway, when I made it through high school, when I went into the U.S. Army, and when I left at the beginning of the first Iraq war.

For most of it, Sinead has been there. Not in person, but her music has played a significant part in the soundtrack of my life.

Maybe I'll have some Sinead playing during my funeral...how about "Stretched on your grave." That might be a mind-bender and throw things out of whack...lol..

I like it...

Just might do it...


Here is the song that for me, is the epitome of college, underground music in Boston, Massachusetts back when I was young.

"Troy"
Lyrics by Sinead O'Connor

I remember it--

Dublin in a rainstorm, ah.
Sitting in the long grass in the summer,
Keeping warm.

I remember it--
Every restless night.
We were so young then
We thought that everything
That we could possibly do was right.

And we moved,

Stolen from our very eyes.
And I wondered where you went to.
And tell me, when did the light die?

You will rise,
You'll return, ah, ah.
The phoenix from the flame.
You will learn,
You will rise,
You'll return,
Being what you are.
There is no other Troy for you to burn, ah.

I never meant to hurt you,
I swear I didn't mean those things I said.

I never meant to do that to you;
Next time, I'll keep my hands to myself instead.

Oh, does she love you?
What do you want to do?
Does she need you like I do, oh?

Do you love her?
Is she good for you?
Does she hold you like I do, whoah, aah, ooh, oh-oh?

Do you want me?
Should I leave?
I know you're always telling me that you love me,
But just sometimes I wonder if I should believe.

Oh, I love you.
God, I love you.
I'd kill a dragon for you,

I'll die.
But I will rise,
And I will return
The phoenix from the flame.
I have learned,
I will rise.
And you'll see me return,
Being what I am.
There is no other Troy for me to burn, ah.

Well, you should have left the light on,
You should have left the light on,
Then I wouldn't have tried, and you'd never have known.

Well, I wouldn't have pulled you tighter,
No, I wouldn't have pulled you close,
I wouldn't have screamed, "No! I can't let you go"

If the door wasn't closed.
No, I wouldn't have pulled you to me,
No, I wouldn't have kissed your face.
You wouldn't have begged me to hold you
If we hadn't been there in the first place.

Whoa, but I know you wanted me to be there, oh, oh,
Every look that you threw told me so.

Oh, but you should have left the light on.
You should have left the light on.
Ah, oh-ooh, oh,
Ah, oh-ooh, oh,

But the flame burned away, but you're still spitting fire,
Made no difference what you say,

You're still a liar,
You're still a liar,
You're still a liar.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Photos: Sinead O’Connor records song to promote depression awareness (video)

As seen on Examiner.com

Sinead O’Connor has been busy and in addition to running a household and getting her kids back to school, she has confirmed several notable appearances and recordings to create awareness for those struggling with depression. On September 1, 2012, O’Connor confirmed on her official Twitter account that she finished recording two songs for a special holiday album for Aware.

O’Connor tweeted, “Massive fun yesterday at RTE recording 2 songs for John Creedon show Christmas Album for Aware. Massive kudos to RTE for the vibe.. U rock .”

Aware describes itself as a voluntary organization that seeks to create public awareness as well as personal support for those dealing with issues such as depression, bipolar, or anxiety-related disorders. The Irish based organization utilizes a variety of methods for providing help to those dealing with depression and other mood disorders, including using social media networks for online support groups.

O’Connor has made past personal pleas to those struggling with depression and thoughts of suicide to reach out for help. The Grammy award-winning singer has made the offer for those feeling overcome by life’s pressures, weights, and struggles to reach out to her personally. It is clear that O’Connor cares greatly about the well-being of others and uses her voice to help remove the stigma many associate with depression and other mood disorders.

Speaking about the songs she performed, O’Connor explained that she was meant to record one song but performed two. She stated she worked with Danny O’Reilly from the Irish rock, indie band “The Coronas.” The songs recorded include the Christmas carol “Once in Royal David’s City” and “When a Child is Born.” The album will be released in November and the proceeds will go to Aware.

Resources

Aware Ireland Twitter
Aware Ireland Facebook
Aware Ireland YouTube
Sinead O’Connor Twitter
Sinead O’Connor official website
Sinead O’Connor YouTube
New! Follow the Sinead O’Connor Examiner on Facebook.

Video: Sinead O'Connor and Roger Waters of Pink Floyd 'Mother'

Videos: Sinead O'Connor Am I Not Your Girl

Am I Not Your Girl is one of my favorite CDs by Irish singer, Sinead O'Connor. The album is the third studio album for O'Connor and was released following The Lion and the Cobra and I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got. Neither a pop or alternative album, Am I Not Your Girl focuses on Broadway hits and classic love tunes with a big band style, the album was met with mixed reviews. Some who expected O'Connor to follow up her Nothing Compares 2 U success with a similar type of song were disappointed. Others who appreciated the versatility, breathy vocals, and smooth stylings of O'Connor welcomed the album with open arms.

In my opinion, the CD is one of O'Connor's best and only proves the true diva that O'Connor truly is. If there was anyone who could sing you a phone book and make you feel it, O'Connor is that singer. Am I Not Your Girl is an emotionally drenched presentation of some of the most famous songs ever written.

You'll hear a mixture of Marilyn Monore and Barbra Streisand in O'Connors whispery vocals and each song will transport you to a 50s jazz club.

If O'Connor had released the jazz- driven Am I Not Your Girl as her debut CD, there is no doubt she would have won critical acclaim. The only trouble I see with the album, is that it was so far from her previous CDs, her fans didn't know how to handle it. O'Connor's version of Don't Cry for Me Argentina is a far stretch from the punk/alternative vocals beloved by fans on Troy that many simply didn't know how to react to the CD.

For those willing to open their tastes to appreciate all that O'Connor offers, however, the CD does not disappoint and is simply brilliant.


1Why Don't You Do Right?2:30
2Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered6:15
3Secret Love2:57
4Black Coffee3:21
5Success Has Made a Failure of Our Home4:26
6Don't Cry for Me Argentina5:34
7I Want to Be Loved by You2:46
8Gloomy Sunday3:56
9Love Letters3:07
10How Insensitive3:27
11Scarlet Ribbons4:14
12Don't Cry for Me Argentina (instrumental)5:11



Saturday, September 1, 2012

Photos: Sinead O’Connor says audience ‘most important’ after Marlay Park gig


On August 26, 2012, Irish singer Sinead O’Connor shared a post on her official website speaking about her Marlay Park gig. O’Connor had played three songs with “The Don Baker Band,” and performed blues classics such as “Hoochie Coochie Man.” The performance was met with praise from fans, concert attendees, and critics such as Ken Sweeney of the Irish Independent. Following the performance, however, O’Connor wanted to clear up previous misconceptions regarding her participation in the event and wanted to clarify just how important the audience is to her.
“The audience are [sic] the most important people in showbusines [sic]. They shouldn't be misled. Ever,” O’Connor stated in response to misconceptions that she was one of the headlining acts. O’Connor reiterated that she participated in the Marlay Park gig as part of the Don Baker Band and was upset that some fans thought she was a headliner. Previous media reports had mistakenly referred to O’Connor as performing with Van Morrison or Tom Jones. Other reports had questioned whether some concertgoers would need a refund if O’Connor backed out of the performance. O’Connor expressed several times that she played the gig for free and enjoyed herself “immensely.”
“It was always the plan that I would guest for Don as a friend, for fun and for no fee.
“Therefore there was no contract.
“It was always understood by M.C.D that I would be singing 3 songs, for free,” O’Connor stated in her opening address.
O’Connor has recorded nine studio albums and will appear on the Damien Dempsey album Almighty Love, due for release in September 2012.
Speaking of music and the integrity expected of artists and those in the recording industry O’Connor stated on her site, “Music means a lot to people. More than you or I could begin to imagine.
“It aint all about money.
“It’s about truth.
“It’s either in the air or it aint and an audience can smell if it aint.”
Resources

Alanis Morissette talks Sinead O’Connor influence before 'Jagged Little Pill'


On August 25, 2012, Parade published an interview with rocker Alanis Morissette who is promoting her first CD after a four-year hiatus,Havoc and Bright Lights. The Canadian, American singer burst on the scene in 1991 with her CD Alanis. It wasn’t until 1995, however, when she released Jagged Little Pillthat her success would be recognized in the form of multiple awards and nominations. Jagged Little Pill won multiple Grammys including Best Rock Album, Album of the Year, and Morissette was nominated for Best New Artist. In another interview, however, Morissette revealed that she was influenced by the earlier, rage-fueled stylings presented by Sinead O’Connor and Tori Amos.
Speaking to The Hot Seat, Morissette discussed the new CD as well as her influences. Rolling Stone editor Anthony ‘Tony’ DeCurtis asked, “What do you listen to when you want to get angsty?”
Morissette replied, “What influenced me was Tori Amos, who was unapologetic about expressing anger through music, and Sinéad O’Connor. Those two in particular were really moving for me, and very inspiring, before I wrote Jagged Little Pill.”
O’Connor’s influence is apparent on many of Morissette’s recordings, but maybe none as obvious as in You Ought to Know. The song won Morissette two Grammys including Best Rock Song and Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.
O’Connor has been a vocal critic of awards shows, such as the Grammys. O’Connor’s first CD The Lion and the Cobra was nominated in 1987 for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. O’Connor’s second, studio album I do not want what I haven’t Got received multiple Grammy nominations and was the first album to win the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album. She chose to boycott the show, however, citing the show was nothing more than a popularity contest. Click here to watch a 1991 video interview with Sinead O’Connor on the Arsenio Hall Show. The interview was held the day prior to the Grammys.
O’Connor stated, “It’s not just the Grammys that I’ve pulled out of. I also pulled out of the English awards as well. The reason that I wanted to pull out was because I believe very much that the music industry as a whole is mainly concerned with material success.” She addressed the correlation between award shows reinforcing the belief that commercial success is the equivalent of happiness.
She wasn’t the first person, or the last, to boycott the Grammy awards.
In 1989, Russell Simmons, Salt-n-Pepa, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith, and Kid N’ Play protested because at the time, the Hip Hop portion of the awards show was not televised.
O’Connor’s latest release is her ninth studio album How about I be Me (and you be you)? She has appeared on several compilation albums released in 2012 including Trente Hits Incontournables,Alle 30 Goed and All the Best. She will appear on the Damien Dempsey album Almighty Lovescheduled for release in September 2012.

Photos: Sinead O’Connor discusses her favorite CD: Theology


On August 24, 2012, Sinead O’Connor spoke to Examiner.com about her favorite CD:Theology. The Irish singer has recorded nine studio CDs, contributed to a wide array of compilation albums, and has performed with artists such as ‘The Edge’ from U2, The Chieftains, Moby, Van Morrison, and Willie Nelson. However, with her lengthy discography and music associations, her 2007 CD Theologyremains her favorite.
Speaking to this Examiner in an email, O’Connor said, “Theology is my favorite album. I wanted to make it since I was seven. It is all Scriptures from the Old Testament and is the only album I am taking to the grave.” Continuing, O’Connor reiterated, “I have in my will I am to be buried with it in my hands.”
Recorded in 2007, the CD is a reflection on O’Connor’s first love: Jah. It doesn’t take long before one realizes how much O’Connor’s love for Jah means to her. In 1992, O’Connor made headline news when she challenged the Vatican and made a bold declaration calling for those who have been victimized through the Catholic sexual abuse scandal to rise up and “fight the true enemy.” Some walked away from the experiencing misbelieving that O’Connor has a strong disdain for Catholicism, religion, and God. That misconception couldn’t be further from the truth as O’Connor readily states that there are elements of Catholicism she appreciates and think are necessary.
“I think there is a lot about Catholicism which is absolutely beautiful. I think the essence of Catholicism is beautiful."In an interview with Irish Central, O’Connor explained her feelings towards Catholicism and spoke of growing up in the country. She stated, “Ireland was a very religious place; it was a theocracy in fact. I was a lucky person in that I never sponged up anything but the good of Catholicism.
The idea that O’Connor has a strong distaste for God is obliterated when one listens to Theology.
Theology was released in multiple versions including a U.S. and European digital downloads, Japanese version, a worldwide version, an exclusive edition promoted through O’Connor’s Borders bookstore signings, and Best Buy editions. Because of the number of versions, some of the CDs feature extra bonus tracks not contained in other releases.
The following tracks are present on the two-disc CD, worldwide version.
CD Disk 1: Dublin Sessions
1. Something Beautiful (Jeremiah)
2. We People who are Darker than Blue
3. Out of the Depths
4. Dark I am yet lovely
5. If you had a Vineyard
6. Watcher of Men
7. 33
8. The Glory of Jah
9. Whomsoever Dwells
10. Rivers of Babylon
11. Hosanna Filio David
Disc 2: London Sessions
1. Something Beautiful
2. We People who are Darker than Blue
3. Out of the Depths
4. 33
5. Dark I am yet Lovely
6. I Don’t Know how to Love Him
7. If you had a Vineyard
8. The Glory of Jah
9. Watcher of Men
10. Whomsoever Dwells
11. Rivers of Babylon
Theology is Sinead O’Connor’s eighth studio album. Her latest album, How About I be Me (and you be you)?, was released in 2012.
Visit YouTube for a video interview with Sinead O’Connor where she discusses her inspiration forTheology.
Click here to listen to Sinead O'Connor's favorite song from the CD, [Psalm] 33.
Resources:




Photos: Sinead O’Connor talks Pussy Riot, prayer, and boundaries


On August 19, 2012, Irish Central reported that outspoken activist and Catholic critic, Sinead O’Connor had taken bold steps to declare her support for the Russian, punk-rock group “Pussy Riot.” O’Connor took buzzers to her hair and shaved the words “Free Pussy Riot” in an act of solidarity. “Pussy Riot” made headlines in February of this year when they staged a performance of “Punk Prayer” at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour Church in Moscow. The song requested help from the Virign Mary to remove Vladimir Putin from power. It also made a plea for feminism and was deemed by Russian officials as blasphemous.
Three of the all-female member band were arrested then sentenced to two years each on charges of hooliganism fueled by religious hatred. They include Maria Alekhina, 24, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, and Ekaterina Samutsevich, 30. The group has become a symbol of Russia’s fight for free speech. O’Connor’s support of the group shouldn’t come as a surprise, as the singer has continued to vocalize her distaste for oppressive regimes and religion that seeks to serve man rather than God since she burst onto the music scene.
"What I'm struck by is that it seems very strange to me that people would think prayer would be something that you can legislate about. I'm curious about that aspect, rather than the artistic element.Speaking to the Irish-based Sunday Independent, O’Connor expounded upon her support.
"I can identify with these girls in that they are using music as a priesthood. Artists are there to push the boundaries and they've made a very powerful artistic statement.”
Many agree with O’Connor’s sentiments, even though they may not agree with the method “Pussy Riot” used to deliver their message. Unlike the group, however, O’Connor has never resorted to breaking the law to get her point across. Instead, her weapons are lyrics fueled by courage to defy religious traditions, customs, and injustices.
O’Connor’s most recognized act was an October 3, 1992 a cappella performance on Saturday Night Live where she sang Bob Marley’s “War” and at the end of the song, held up a photo of thePope. The performance was in direct response to the sexual abuse scandal that had grown rampant within the Catholic Church yet remained covered up for decades. The nation was shocked when O’Connor tore the picture and uttered the words, “Fight the real enemy.”
To this day, Sinead O’Connor remains the Catholic church’s largest, celebrity critic and has repeatedly called for justice for the children who were victimized through sexual abuse.
Though many are more receptive to O’Connor’s brazen act today and more people are comfortable with holding the Vatican accountable for the depraved acts of pedophile priests then they were 20 years ago, the response in 1992 wasn’t favorable. Contrary to what many believe, however, O’Connor has not stopped performing, recording, or delivering her powerful message against injustice through music and song.
Will “Pussy Riot’s” act of defiance come to a similar conclusion 20 years from now? Will Russia become a democratic nation that embraces true freedom of religion, speech, and artistic expression? If so, will “Pussy Riot” and their “Punk Prayer” prove to be a turning point for the nation, as was O’Connor’s bold defiance of a religious organization that covered up the sexual abuse of thousands of children by merely sending offending priests to other parishes?
What the future holds remains unknown, but one thing is certain. As O’Connor says, “Artists are there to push the boundaries.”
And push boundaries, “Pussy Riot” most certainly did.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Video: Sinead O'Connor 'The Wolf is Getting Married' (lyrics)

'The Wolf is Getting Married' is the first single off of Sinead O'Connor's 2012 album How About I be Me (and you be you)? According to O'Connor, the song was inspired by a taxi-ride she took on a gloomy day. A Muslim cabby uttered the phrase "The Wolf is Getting Married" to describe a break of sunlight peeking through the clouds. O'Connor never forgot the incident nor the saying, and used it as the preface for the song.

Just as a ray of light shining through the clouds on a darkened day, The Wolf is Getting Married is an inspiring song that reminds us that is the simple things that bring joy and happiness in life.

The lyrics "Your smile makes me smile, Your laugh makes me laugh, Your joy gives me joy, and Your hope gives me hope" point to how in the darkest, saddest times in our lives, it is often the love we see in others that reflects back in our own lives.

Sometimes the easiest and only way to overcome the dark days of life is to focus on those whom bring joy to us. It's those relationships that help get us through.

Another aspect of this song that I love is that it is an awesome metaphor for depression. Not only is the darkened sky symbolic of depressed times in our lives, but the "crying wolf" is symbolic of rain and tears. The song really speaks to overcoming depression through the joy found in relationships with those whom we love and who inspire us, simply by their smiles and laughter.

As a mother, I often find the most effective way to overcome depression and get my focus back on track is by looking in the eyes of my children.

As a woman of faith, I find strength in God's joy. I have hope because God IS hope. God turns our mourning into dancing and trades our sorrows for joy.

No matter where we are in life, no matter what we are going through or how dark or bleak we may feel our present circumstances are- the wolf is getting married--joy is on the horizon and the sun is peeping through the clouds...

and he'll never cry again.




“The Wolf Is Getting Married”

Written by Sinéad O'Connor/Marco Pirroni/Chris Constantinou/A. B. O'Neill

I used to have no wolves around me.
I was too free, if that's possible to be.
No safety is what I mean,
No solid foundation to keep me,

But the sun's peeping out of the sky
Where it used to be only grey.
The wolf is getting married,
And he'll never cry again.

Your smile makes me smile,
Your laugh makes me laugh,
Your joy gives me joy,
Your hope gives me hope,

And the sun's peeping out of the sky
Where it used to be only grey.
The wolf is getting married,
And he'll never cry again,
He'll never cry again.

Even when something terrible is happening,
You laugh and that's the thing I love about you.
Even when something terrible is happening,
You laugh and that's the thing I love about you most, yeah.

Your smile  makes me smile,
Your hope, gives me hope,

And the sun's peeping out of the sky
Where it used to be only grey.
The wolf is getting married,
And he'll never cry again.



The Wolf is Getting Married Album Version


The Wolf is Getting Married Live on The Graham Norton Show


The Wolf is Getting Married Live at The Olympia Theater in Dublin, Ireland (my favorite version)

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Video: Sinead O'Connor, The Don Baker Band Marlay Park

I know,

It isn't much- just a two-minute video of Sinead O'Connor singing with The Don Baker Band at last Saturday's gig in Marlay Park, Ireland.

For those of us across across the Atlantic who wanted to see the show, well, we'll take what we can get.

Check out the video, as brief as it may be, of Sinead O'Connor. Also check out Don Baker and his amazing harmonica stylings below.



About Sinead O'Connor Wikipedia entry

I've chosen to include the Sinead O'Connor Wikipedia entry to the blog, although it must be stated that you cannot trust Wikipedia for 100% accuracy. After weighing the pros and cons of adding the entry, I decided I would as a starting place for those interested in learning more about Sinead O'Connor. Also, the Wikipedia entry has a rather thorough discography and lots of links to other articles and resources.

It should also be stated that Sinead O'Connor has taken great issue with a number of the publicized reports about her. She has also repeatedly taken to her official website and Twitter account to offer clarifications regarding issues.

Anyone studying or researching the life, biography, and career of Sinead O'Connor should ensure they triple-check facts as there is simply a lot of information out there that she has contested and repeatedly stated is not factual.

Here are some YouTube videos of interviews with Sinead.




Wikipedia: Sinead O'Connor

The following is the full entry for Sinead O'Connor as found on Wikipedia. It is used in accordance to Wikipedia's Terms of Services and has not been edited or altered.


Sinéad O'Connor

Sinéad O'Connor performing live in 2008
Background information
Birth nameSinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor
Born8 December 1966 (age 45)
OriginGlenagearyCounty Dublin, Ireland
GenresAlternative rockpop rockfolk rock
OccupationsSinger-songwritermusician,priest
InstrumentsVocalsguitarpiano,keyboardspercussionlow whistle
Years active1986–present
LabelsEnsignVanguardChocolate and VanillaOne Little Indian
WebsiteOfficial website
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor (play /ʃɪˈnd ˈkɒnər/;[1] born 8 December 1966) is an Irish singer-songwriter who rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra. O'Connor achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U".
Since then, while maintaining her singing career, she has occasionally encountered controversy, partly due to her statements and gestures such as her ordination as a priest despite being female with a Roman Catholic background, and her expressed strong views on organized religionwomen's rightswar, and child abuse.
In addition to her nine solo albums her work includes many singles, songs for films, collaborations with many other artists, and appearances at charity fundraising concerts.

Contents

  [hide

Early life

Sinéad O'Connor was born in Glenageary in County Dublin and was named after Sinéad de Valera, wife of Irish President Éamon de Valera and mother of the doctor presiding over the delivery, and Saint Bernadette of Lourdes.[2] She is the third of five children, sister to Joseph, Eimear, John, and Eoin. Joseph O'Connor is a novelist.
Her parents are Sean O'Connor, a structural engineer later turned barrister, and Marie O'Connor. The couple married young and had a troubled relationship, separating when Sinéad was eight. The three eldest children went to live with their mother, where O'Connor claims they were subjected to frequent physical abuse. Her song "Fire on Babylon" is about the effects of her own child abuse, and she has consistently advocated on behalf of abused children. Sean O'Connor's efforts to secure custody of his children in a country which routinely denied custody to fathers and prohibited divorce, motivated him to become chairman of the Divorce Action Group and a prominent public spokesman. At one point, he even debated his wife on the subject on a radio show.
In 1979, O'Connor left her mother and went to live with her father and his new wife. However, at the age of 15, her shoplifting and truancy led to her being placed in a Magdalene Asylum,[3] the Grianán Training Centre run by the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity. In some ways, she thrived there, especially in the development of her writing and music, but she also chafed under the imposed conformity. Unruly students there were sometimes sent to sleep in the adjoining nursing home, an experience of which she later commented, "I have never — and probably will never — experience such panic and terror and agony over anything."[4]
One of the volunteers at Grianán was the sister of Paul Byrne, drummer for the band In Tua Nua, who heard O'Connor singing "Evergreen" by Barbra Streisand. She recorded a song with them called "Take My Hand" but they felt that at 15, she was too young to join the band.[5]
In 1983, her father sent her to Newtown School, an exclusive Quaker boarding school in Waterford, an institution with a much more permissive atmosphere than Grianan. With the help and encouragement of her Irish language teacher, Joseph Falvey, she recorded a four-song demo, with two covers and two of her own songs which later appeared on her first album.[citation needed]
Through an ad she placed in Hot Press in mid-1984, she met Columb Farrelly. Together they recruited a few other members and formed a band called Ton Ton Macoute.[2] The band moved to Waterford briefly while O'Connor attended Newtown, but she soon dropped out of school and followed them to Dublin, where their performances received positive reviews. Their sound was inspired by Farrelly's interest in witchcraftmysticism, and world music, though most observers thought O'Connor's singing and stage presence were the band's strongest features.[2][6]
On 10 February 1985, O'Connor's mother was killed in a car accident, which despite their strained relationship devastated her.[citation needed] Soon afterward she left the band, which stayed together despite O'Connor's statements to the contrary in later interviews, and she moved to London.[citation needed]

Musical career

1980s

O'Connor's time as singer for Ton Ton Macoute brought her to the attention of the music industry, and she was eventually signed by Ensign Records. She also acquired an experienced manager, Fachtna O'Ceallaigh, former head of U2's Mother Records. Soon after she was signed, she embarked on her first major assignment, providing the vocals for the song "Heroine", which she co-wrote with U2's guitarist The Edge for the soundtrack to the film Captive. O'Ceallaigh, who had been fired by U2 for complaining about them in an interview, was outspoken with his views on music and politics, and O'Connor adopted the same habits; she defended the actions of the IRA and said U2's music was "bombastic".[7]
Things were contentious in the studio as well. She was paired with veteran producer Mick Glossop, whom she later publicly derided. They had differing visions regarding her debut album and four months'-worth of recordings were scrapped. During this time she became pregnant by her session drummer John Reynolds (who went on to drum with the band Transvision Vamp). Due largely to O'Ceallaigh's efforts of persuasion, the record company allowed O'Connor, 20 years old and by then seven months pregnant, to produce her own album.[citation needed]
Her first album The Lion and the Cobra was "a sensation" when it was released in 1987[8] and it reached gold record status and earned a Best Female Rock Vocal Performance Grammy nomination. The single "Mandinka" was a big college radio hit in the United States, and "I Want Your (Hands on Me)" received both college and urban play in a remixed form that featured rapper MC Lyte. In her first US network television appearance, O'Connor sang "Mandinka" on Late Night with David Letterman in 1988.[9]The single "Troy" was also released as a single in the UK and Ireland. A club mix of "Troy" would become a major US dance hit in 2002.[citation needed]
Artists that influenced her at that time were Bob DylanDavid BowieBob MarleySiouxsie and the Banshees and The Pretenders.[10]

1990s

Her second album 1990s I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got gained considerable attention and mostly positive reviews : it was rated "second best album of the year" by the NME.[11] She was praised for her voice and her original songs. She was also noted for her appearance: her trademark shaved head, often angry expression, and sometimes shapeless or unusual clothing.
In 1989 O'Connor joined The The frontman Matt Johnson as a guest vocalist on the band's album Mind Bomb, which spawned the duet "Kingdom of Rain."[citation needed]
The album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got featured Marco Pirroni and Kevin Mooney, of Adam and the Ants fame, and contained her international breakthrough hit "Nothing Compares 2 U", a song written by Prince and originally recorded and released by a side project of his, The Family. Aided by a memorable and well received video by John Maybury which consisted almost solely of O'Connor's face as she performed the song, it became a massive international hit, reaching #1 in several countries. In Ireland it hit the top spot in July 1990 and remained there for 11 weeks; it is the eighth most successful single of the decade there. It had similar success in the UK, charting at #1 for 4 weeks, and in Germany (#1 for 11 weeks). In Australia, it reached #1 on the Top 100. It also claimed the #1 spot on the Hot 100 chart in the USA. She also received Grammy nominations including Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. She eventually won the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Performance, but boycotted the award show.[citation needed]

I don't do anything in order to cause trouble. It just so happens that what I do naturally causes trouble. I'm proud to be a troublemaker.
NME, March 1991 [12]
Public Enemy's Hank Shocklee remixed the album's next single, "The Emperor's New Clothes", for a 12-inch that was coupled with the Celtic funk of "I Am Stretched On Your Grave." Pre-dating but included on I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got was also "Jump in the River", which originally appeared on the Married to the Mob soundtrack; the 12-inch version of the single had included a remix featuring performance artist Karen Finley. Also in 1990, O'Connor starred in a small independent Irish movie Hush-a-Bye Babydirected in Derry by Margo Harkin.[citation needed]
In 1990, she joined many other guests for former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters'massive performance of The Wall in Berlin. (In 1996, she would guest on Broken China, a solo album by Richard Wright of Pink Floyd.) In 1991, her take on Elton John's "Sacrifice" was acclaimed as one of the best efforts on the tribute album Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin.
In 1990, she contributed a cover of "You Do Something to Me" to the Cole Porter tribute/AIDS fundraising album Red Hot + Blueproduced by the Red Hot Organization. In 1998, she worked again with the Red Hot Organization to co-produce and perform onRed Hot + RhapsodyRed Hot + Blue was followed by the release of Am I Not Your Girl?, an album of standards and torch songs that she had listened to while growing up. Also in 1992, she contributed backing vocals on the track "Come Talk To Me", and shared vocals on the single "Blood of Eden" from the studio album Us by Peter Gabriel.
Also in 1990, she was criticized after she announced that she would not perform if the United States national anthem was played before one of her concerts. Frank Sinatra threatened to "kick her ass".[7] After receiving 4 Grammy Award nominations she withdrew her name from consideration.[7]
After spending nine years dividing her time between London and Los Angeles, O'Connor returned to her home town of Dublin in late 1992 to live near her sister and focus on raising her son Jake, then six years old.[citation needed] She spent the following months studying Bel Canto singing with teacher Frank Merriman at the Parnell School of Music. In an interview with The Guardianpublished 3 May 1993 she reported that her singing lessons with Merriman were the only therapy she was receiving, describing Merriman as "the most amazing teacher in the universe."[13]
The 1993 soundtrack to the film In the Name of the Father featured "You Made Me the Thief of Your Heart", with significant contributions from U2 frontman Bono.
The more conventional Universal Mother (1994) did not succeed in restoring her mass appeal.[citation needed] She toured withLollapalooza in 1995, but dropped out when she became pregnant. The Gospel Oak EP followed in 1997, and featured songs based in an acoustic setting. It too, did not recapture previous album successes.[citation needed]
In 1994, she appeared in A Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who, also known as Daltrey Sings Townshend. This was a two-night concert at Carnegie Hall produced by Roger Daltrey of The Who in celebration of his 50th birthday. A CD and a VHS video of the concert were issued in 1994, followed by a DVD in 1998.
She appeared in Neil Jordan's The Butcher Boy in 1997, playing the Virgin Mary.[citation needed]

2000s

Sinéad O'Connor in Poznań in 2007
Faith and Courage was released in 2000, including the single "No Man's Woman", and featured contributions from Wyclef Jean of the Fugees and Dave Stewart ofEurythmics. On the eve of its release, O'Connor came out as a lesbian, and then retracted the statement.[citation needed]
Her 2002 album, Sean-Nós Nua, marked a departure in that O'Connor interpreted or, in her own words, "sexed up" traditional Irish folk songs, including several in the Irish language.[14] In Sean-Nós Nua, she covered a well-known Canadian folk song,Peggy Gordon, interpreted as a song of lesbian, rather than heterosexual, love. In her documentary, Song of Hearts Desire, she stated that her inspiration for the song was her friend, a lesbian who sang the song to lament the loss of her partner.
In 2003, she contributed a track to the Dolly Parton tribute album Just Because I'm a Woman, a cover of Parton's "Dagger Through the Heart". That same year, she also featured on three songs of Massive Attack's album 100th Window before releasing her double album, She Who Dwells in the Secret Place of the Most High Shall Abide Under the Shadow of the Almighty. This compilation contained one disc of demos and previously unreleased tracks and one disc of a live concert recording. Directly after the album's release, O'Connor announced her retirement from music.[15]Collaborations, a compilation album of guest appearances, was released in 2005 - featuring tracks recorded with Peter Gabriel, Massive Attack, Jah WobbleTerry HallMobyBomb The BassThe Edge, U2, and The The.
Ultimately, after a brief period of inactivity and a bout with fibromyalgia, her retirement proved to be short-lived - O'Connor stated in an interview with Harp that she only intended to retire from making mainstream pop/rock music, and after dealing with her fibromyalgia, chose to move into other musical styles.[16] The reggae album Throw Down Your Arms appeared in late 2005 and was greeted with positive reviews. It was based on the Rastafarian culture and lifestyle, O'Connor having spent time in Jamaica in 2004. She performed the single "Throw Down Your Arms" on The Late Late Show in November. She also made comments critical of the war in Iraq and the role played in it by Ireland's Shannon Airport.[citation needed]
On 8 November 2006, O'Connor performed seven songs from her upcoming album Theology at The Sugar Club in Dublin. Thirty fans were given the opportunity to win pairs of tickets to attend along with music industry critics.[17] The performance was released in 2008 as Live at the Sugar Club deluxe CD/DVD package sold exclusively on her website.
O'Connor released two songs from her album Theology to download for free from her official website: "If You Had a Vineyard" and "Jeremiah (Something Beautiful)". The album, a collection of covered and original Rastafari spiritual songs, was released in June 2007. The first single from the album, the Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber classic "I Don't Know How to Love Him", was released on 30 April 2007.[18] To promote the album, O'Connor toured extensively in Europe and North America. She also appeared on two tracks of the new Ian Brown album The World Is Yours, including the anti-war single "Illegal Attacks".[19]

2010s

In January 2010, O'Connor performed a duet with R&B singer Mary J. Blige produced by former A Tribe Called Quest memberAli Shaheed Muhammad entitled "This Is To Mother You". The proceeds of the song's sales were donated to the organization GEMS (Girls Educational and Mentoring Services).[20]
O'Connor announced she was working on recording a new album, entitled Home, to be released in the beginning of 2012.[21] On October 10, 2011 O'Connor announced that the release date for the album, now entitled How About I Be Me (And You Be You)?, had been set for February 20, 2012.[22][23], with the first single being "The Wolf is Getting Married".
Having planned an extensive tour in support of How About I Be Me (And You Be You)?, O'Connor announced on her website in April 2012 that she was "very unwell" and had suffered a serious breakdown between December 2011 and March 2012.[24] This resulted in the cancellation of the tour and all other musical activities for the rest of 2012, at least.
The song "Lay Your Head Down", written by Brian Byrne and Glenn Close for the soundtrack of the film Albert Nobbs and performed by O'Connor, was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.

Controversy

Saturday Night Live performance

O'Connor rips a picture of the Pope.
On 3 October 1992, O'Connor appeared on Saturday Night Live as a musical guest. She sang an a cappella version of Bob Marley's "War", which she intended as a protest over the sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church, by changing the lyric "racism" to "child abuse."[25] She then presented a photo of Pope John Paul II to the camera while singing the word "evil", after which she tore the photo into pieces, said "Fight the real enemy", and threw the pieces towards the camera.[26]
Saturday Night Live had no foreknowledge of O'Connor's plan; during the dress rehearsal she held up a photo of a refugee child. NBC Vice President of Late Night Rick Ludwin recalled that when he saw O'Connor's action he "literally jumped out of [his] chair." SNL writer Paula Pell recalled personnel in the control booth discussing the cameras cutting away from the singer.[27] The audience was completely silent, with no booing or applause;[28] executive producer Lorne Michaels recalled that "the air went out the studio". Michaels, who ordered that the applause sign not be used, described the incident as "on a certain level, a betrayal", but also "a serious expression of belief."[27]
A nationwide audience saw O'Connor's live performance, which the New York Daily News's cover called a "HOLY TERROR".[27]NBC received more than 500 calls on Sunday[29] and 400 more on Monday, with all but seven criticizing O'Connor;[28] the network received 4,400 calls in total.[30][dead link] Contrary to rumor, NBC was not fined by the Federal Communications Commission for O'Connor's act; the FCC has no regulatory power over such behavior.[30][dead link] NBC did not edit the performance out of the West coast tape-delayed broadcast that night,[31] but reruns of the episode use footage from the dress rehearsal.[30][dead link] On 24 April 2010, MSNBC aired the live version during an interview with O'Connor on The Rachel Maddow Show. In a 1993 issue ofThe Irish Times O'Connor wrote a public letter where she asked people to "stop hurting" her.
As part of SNL's apology to the audience, during his opening monologue the following week, host Joe Pesci held up the photo, explaining that he had taped it back together. He then tore up another photo - of O'Connor herself - to huge applause. Pesci also said that if it had been his show, "I would have gave her such a smack."[32]
In a 2002 interview with Salon, when asked if she would change anything about the SNL appearance, O'Connor replied, "Hell, no!"[33] In 2010, TV Guide Network listed the incident at No. 24 on their list of 25 Biggest TV Blunders.[34]

Madonna's reaction

On Madonna's next appearance on SNL (on an episode hosted by Harvey Keitel), after singing "Bad Girl", she held up a photo ofJoey Buttafuoco[35] and, saying "fight the real enemy", tore it up. Madonna also roundly attacked O'Connor in the press for the incident, telling the Irish Times: "I think there is a better way to present her ideas rather than ripping up an image that means a lot to other people." She added, "If she is against the Roman Catholic Church and she has a problem with them, I think she should talk about it."[36] The New York Times called it "professional jealousy" and wrote that: "After Madonna had herself gowned, harnessed, strapped down and fully stripped to promote her album Erotica and her book Sex, O'Connor stole the spotlight with one photograph of a fully clothed man. But the other vilification that descended on O'Connor showed she had struck a nerve."[37]Bob Guccione, Jr. in a 1993 SPIN editorial was adamant in his defense of O'Connor, writing, "...Madonna savaged her in the press, obviously to fuel publicity for Sex and sales of her new album, Erotica .... But when the Sinead controversy threatened to siphon some of the attention from the impending release of Sex, Madonna conveniently found religion again..."[36] In November 1991, a year prior to the incident, O'Connor had told Spin Magazine: "Madonna is probably the hugest role model for women in America. There's a woman who people look up to as being a woman who campaigns for women's rights. A woman who in an abusive way towards me, said that I look like I had a run in with a lawnmower and that I was about as sexy as a Venetian blind. Now there's the woman that America looks up to as being a campaigner for women, slagging off another woman for not being sexy".[38]

Bob Dylan tribute performance

Two weeks after the Saturday Night Live appearance, she was set to perform "I Believe in You" at the Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary tribute concert in Madison Square Garden.[39] She was greeted by a thundering mixture of cheers and jeers. During the booing, Kris Kristofferson told her not to "let the bastards get you down", to which she replied, "I'm not down."[40][41] The noise eventually became so loud that O'Connor saw no point in starting the scheduled song. She called for the keyboard player to stop and the microphone to be turned up, and then screamed over the audience with an improvised, shouted rendition of "War".[42] This time, she sang the song, stopping just after the part in which the lyrics talk about child abuse, emphasizing the point of her previous action. She then looked straight to the audience for a second and left the stage. Kristofferson then comforted her, as she cried.[43][44]

Garden State Arts Center performance

On 24 August 1990, O'Connor was scheduled to perform at the Garden State Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey. The practice of the venue was to play a recording of the American national anthem before the show began. O'Connor, who said she was unaware of this practice until shortly before the show was to begin, refused to go on if the anthem was played. Venue officials acquiesced to her demand and omitted the anthem, and so O'Connor performed, but would never appear there again.
O'Connor said that she had a policy of not having the national anthem of any country played before her concerts, explaining that these were often written and composed during wars and amounted to nationalist tirades. She pointed out that she meant "no disrespect", but added that she "will not go on stage after the national anthem of a country which imposes censorship on artists. It's hypocritical and racist."
The incident made tabloid headlines, and O'Connor drew tabloid-derived criticism. Her songs were banned from some radio stations.

After Dark appearance

Sinéad O'Connor on After Dark on 21 January 1995
In January 1995 O'Connor "was so interested in a (television) discussion about abuse and the Catholic church that she rang in to ask if she could appear. They sent a taxi to her home".[45] The Evening Standard wrote that After Dark "made a brief reappearance last Saturday night when, true to its unpredictable form, Sinéad O'Connor walked on to the set 10 minutes before closedown".[46] Host Helena Kennedy described the event:
On that occasion, former taoiseachGarret FitzGerald, was sharing the sofas with a Dominican monk and a representative of the Catholic church. “While we were on the air, Sinéad O’Connor called in,” says Kennedy.“Then I got a message in my earpiece to say she had just turned up at the studio. Sinéad came on and argued that abuse in families was coded in by the church because it refused to accept the accounts of women and children,” says Kennedy.[47]

Personal life

While her shaved head was initially an assertion against traditional views of women, years later, O'Connor said she had begun to grow her hair back, but that after being asked if she was Enya, O'Connor shaved it off again. "I don't feel like me unless I have my hair shaved. So even when I'm an old lady, I'm going to have it."[48]

Romantic and family life

She has been married four times. Her first marriage was to music producer John Reynolds, who co-produced several of her albums, including Universal Mother. They have one child together. They split up on good terms and Reynolds continues to work as her producer and drummer.
Her second marriage was to journalist Nicholas Sommerlad in 2002. For a period during 2006 and early 2007, she had a relationship with Frank Bonadio, the father of her fourth child. O'Connor acknowledged to the Irish Daily Mirror that the two had separated as of the weekend of 17 February 2007, citing difficulties between Bonadio and his former wife, singer Mary Coughlan.
O'Connor married long-time friend and collaborator Steve Cooney on 22 July 2010[49][50] and divorced him in April 2011.[51]
Her fourth marriage was to Irish therapist Barry Herridge, whom she met through the internet.[52] They wed on 9 December 2011 in Las Vegas, but 17 days later she announced on her website that their marriage had ended, noting that they "lived together for 7 days only".[53] The following week, on 3 January 2012, O'Connor issued a further string of internet announcements to the effect that the couple had re-united.[54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61]

Sexuality

In a 2000 interview in Curve, O'Connor commented, "I'm a dyke ... although I haven't been very open about that and throughout most of my life I've gone out with blokes because I haven't necessarily been terribly comfortable about being a big lesbian mule. But I actually am a dyke."[62] However, soon after in an interview in The Independent, she stated, "I believe it was overcompensating of me to declare myself a lesbian. It was not a publicity stunt. I was trying to make someone else feel better. And have subsequently caused pain for myself. I am not in a box of any description." In a magazine article and in a programme onRTÉ (Ryan Confidential, broadcast on RTÉ on 29 May 2003), she stated that while most of her sexual relationships had been with men, she has had three relationships with women. In a May 2005 issue of Entertainment Weekly, she stated, "I'm three-quarters heterosexual, a quarter gay. I lean a bit more towards the hairy blokes".[63]

Health

On a 4 October 2007 broadcast of The Oprah Winfrey Show, O'Connor disclosed that she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder four years earlier, and had attempted suicide on her 33rd birthday on 8 December 1999.[64]

Religion

In the late 1990s, Bishop Michael Cox of the Irish Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church (an Independent Catholic group not in communion with the Roman Catholic Churchordained O'Connor as a priest. The Roman Catholic Church considers ordination of women to be either invalid, impossible, or both and asserts that a person attempting the sacrament of ordination upon a woman incurs excommunication.[65] The bishop had contacted her to offer ordination following her appearance on the RTÉ's Late Late Show, during which she told the presenter, Gay Byrne, that had she not been a singer, she would have wished to have been a Catholic priest. After her ordination, she indicated that she wished to be called Mother Bernadette Mary.[65]
In a July 2007 interview with Christianity Today, O'Connor stated that she considers herself a Christian and that she believes in core Christian concepts about the Trinity and Jesus Christ. She said, "I think God saves everybody whether they want to be saved or not. So when we die, we're all going home... I don't think God judges anybody. He loves everybody equally". She also expressed a belief in pantheism, viewing the physical universe as a body with divine "energy".[66] In an October 2002 interview with Salon.com, she credited her Christian faith in giving her the strength to live through, and then overcome the effects of, her child abuse.[25]
On 26 March 2010, O'Connor appeared on Anderson Cooper 360° to speak out about the Catholic sexual abuse scandal in Ireland.[67] On 28 March 2010, she had an opinion piece published in the Sunday Edition of the Washington Post where she wrote about the Catholic sex abuse scandal and her time in a Magdalene laundry as a teenager.[3] She wrote an article for theSunday Independent newspaper of 17 July 2011 in response to the sexual abuse scandal in Cloyne diocese in which she described the Vatican as "a nest of devils". She wrote that an alternative church might have to be established because "Christ is being murdered by liars" in the Vatican.[68]

Political beliefs

O'Connor is a pacifist and, as such, she supports Ireland's tradition of neutrality in foreign wars.[25]

Discography

References

  1. ^ See inogolo: pronunciation of Sinéad O'Connor.
  2. a b c Dermott HayesSinéad O'Connor: So DifferentOmnibus Press, 1991
  3. a b "To Sinead O'Connor, the pope's apology for sex abuse in Ireland seems hollow"The Washington Post. 28 March 2010.
  4. ^ Rolling Stone, April 1988
  5. ^ NME, 29 October 1988
  6. ^ Jimmy GutermanSinead: Her Life and MusicWarner Books, 1991
  7. a b c Allmusic bio
  8. ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "The Lion and the Cobra". Allmusic. Retrieved 18-3-2012.
  9. ^ Sinéad O'Connor Mandinka. YouTube.
  10. ^ Gaisne Julien. "Sinead O'Connor interview". Rolling Stone (french version) (n°42, April 2012). "Q: Qui étaient tes artistes préférés quand tu as commencé? A:Bob Dylan, il l'est probablement toujours. Il y avait aussi David Bowie, Bob Marley, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Pretenders. (Translation) Q:Who were your favourite singers when you started? A:Bob Dylan, he probably still is. There were also David Bowie, Bob Marley, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Pretenders."
  11. ^ "album of the year". NME. Retrieved 18-3-2012.
  12. ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 482. CN 5585.
  13. ^ O'Kane, Maggie (3 May 1993). "'I fit in here,' Sinéad O'Connor says of her return to Dublin". The Guardian.
  14. ^ Simpson, Dave (11 November 2002). "Sinéad O'Connor (review)"Arts (London: Guardian Unlimited). Retrieved 24 October 2006.
  15. ^ Kaufman, Gil (25 April 2003). "Sinéad O'Connor To Retire ... Again. Controversial singer says this time is the last.". MTV.com. Retrieved 24 October 2006.
  16. ^ harpmagazine.com
  17. ^ Rubyworks Sinéad O'Connor Live At The Sugar Club DVD. Retrieved on 2 September 2011.
  18. ^ "O'Connor plans cover release of the classic 'I Don't Know How To Love Him'". Sputnikmusic.com. 21 April 2007. Retrieved 22 April 2007.
  19. ^ Ian Brown reveals fifth album details - muse
  20. ^ Sinead O’Connor Returns With Mary J Blige: This Is To Mother You. Planet Ill (8 January 2010). Retrieved on 19 October 2010.
  21. ^ Home Truths. The Irish Times(26 August 2011). Retrieved on 2 September 2011.
  22. ^ News page O'Connor web site
  23. ^ "Sinéad's feelin' good just like Aretha" October 29, 2011, Independent
  24. ^ http://www.nme.com/news/sinead-oconnor/63418
  25. a b c Tapper, Jake (12 October 2002). "Sinéad was right".Arts & Entertainment (Salon.com). Retrieved 24 October 2006.
  26. ^ "Simulating Sinéad O'Connor— Sinéad O'Connor Rips It Up"Vol. 33 (NOT BORED!): pp. ISSN 1084-7340. 2001-10. Retrieved 24 October 2006.
  27. a b c "Saturday Night Live Backstage". 2011-02-20. NBC.
  28. a b "Sinead calls still coming in". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. 6 October 1992. pp. A2. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
  29. ^ "Singer rips pope, shocks audience". The Spokesman-Review. 5 October 1992. pp. A4. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
  30. a b c Hinckley, David (14 March 2005). "SENTIMENTS OF THE MOMENT. THE WORLD ACCORDING TO SINEAD O'CONNOR, 1992". New York Daily News. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
  31. ^ "O'Connor draws criticism, pity". Associated Press. 6 October 1992. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
  32. ^ Brozan, Nadine (12 October 1992). "nytimes.com". New York Times. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  33. ^ Tapper, Jake. "Salon.com". Dir.salon.com. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  34. ^ "Breaking News - TV Guide Network's "25 Biggest TV Blunders" Special Delivers 3.3 Million Viewers". thefutoncritic.com. 2 March 2010. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
  35. ^ Hewitt, Bill (26 April 1993). "Courting Trouble - Crime & Courts, Amy Fisher, Joey Buttafuoco". People.com. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  36. a b Pareles, Jon (1 November 1992). "POP VIEW; Why Sinead O'Connor Hit a Nerve"The New York Times.
  37. ^ SPIN - Google Books. Books.google.com. Retrieved on 19 October 2010.
  38. ^ SPIN - Google Books. Books.google.com. Retrieved on 19 October 2010.
  39. ^ Ian Inglis. Performance and Popular Music: History Place and Time. ch. 15: The Booing of Sinéad O'Connor: Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Concert, Madison Square Garden, New York, 16 October 1992 by Emma Mayhew
  40. ^ Mapes, Jillian; Jason Lipshutz (26 March 2011). "20 Memorable Musician Meltdowns"BillboardPrometheus Global Media. p. 5. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
  41. ^ Kris Kristofferson, Sinéad O'Connor, Miriam O'Callaghan (12 August 2010). Kris Kristofferson on his special relationship with Sinéad O'ConnorRTÉ. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
  42. ^ Quid Nunc (March 28, 2010). "Sinead: '18 years ago I tore up a picture of the Pope on "Saturday Night Live" maybe Americans can understand why now'"UnfreeMedia. Citizen Media Law Project. Retrieved June 09, 2012.
  43. ^ "Sinead O'Connor's 5 Most Memorable Moments (Video)".The Hollywood ReporterYahoo! TV. 11 August 2011. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
  44. ^ Sinead O'Connor - Bob Dylan Tribute (1992)YouTube. 16 October 1992. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
  45. ^ 'All night long', Radio Times, 15 March 2003
  46. ^ The Evening Standard, 25 January 1995
  47. ^ 'Baroness goes back to the twilight zone', The Sunday Times, 23 February 2003 [1]
  48. ^ Barkham, Patrick (20 February 2007). "The Bald Truth"The Guardian (London). Retrieved 22 March 2010.
  49. ^ "Sinéad O'Connor marries for third time"RTÉ ten (RTÉ). 23 July 2010. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
  50. ^ "It's third time unlucky for Sinead as she ends marriage".Irish Independent. 11 April 2011. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
  51. ^ "Sinead O’Connor’s third marriage breaks up". 14 April 2011. Retrieved 7-12-2011.
  52. ^ Eriksen, Alanah (9 December 2011). "Fourth time lucky? A girly Sinead O'Connor marries online boyfriend of three months in quickie Vegas wedding Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2071177/Sinead-OConnor-wedding-Singer-marries-online-boyfriend-Barry-Herridge-Las-Vegas.html#ixzz1hjy1HVr7"Daily Mail(London). Retrieved 27 December 2011.
  53. ^ "Sinéad O'Connor official website". 26 December 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  54. ^ Nothing compares to you after all: Sinead O’Connor reunites with 4th husband of 16 days Irish Independent, 2012-01-04.
  55. ^ Spent beautiful evening of love making with nine other than husband! Who turned up angelically we decided to be boyfriend and girlfriend Twitter.com, 2012-01-03.
  56. ^ guess whohad a mad love making affair with her own husband last night? Twitter.com, 2012-01-03.
  57. ^ Yay!!! we decided to be boyfriend and girlfriend again an stay married but we did rush so we gonna return to b friend g friend Twitter.com, 2012-01-03.
  58. ^ an be sickenly happy an go counsellin an move in in like a yr like regular people.. but stay married an we all in love an fuck every other Twitter.com, 2012-01-03.
  59. ^ motherufcker who dont like it.. so me all happy!! me love me hubby.. he love me... fuck who no like it.. God is good!Twitter.com, 2012-01-03.
  60. ^ so sinead got laid!!! Twitter.com, 2012-01-03.
  61. ^ yay!!! me husband is a big hairy cave man an came to claim me with his club : ) and now im in cave-land. yay!! we both go panto! Twitter.com, 2012-01-03.
  62. ^ "Sinéad O'Connor Comes Out in an Exclusive Interview With Curve, the Nation's Best-Selling Lesbian Magazine.". PR Newswire. 8 June 2000. Retrieved 26 February 2008.
  63. ^ "No Title". Ew.com. Retrieved 28 September 2011.[dead link]
  64. ^ Rayner, Ben. "The gospel according to Sinead"Toronto Star. 21 Oct 2007
  65. a b "O'Connor becomes a 'priest'"Entertainment, (BBC News,). 4 May 1999. Retrieved 24 October 2006.
  66. ^ Jesus Is 'Like an Energy' | Music. Christianity Today (7 September 2007). Retrieved on 19 October 2010.
  67. ^ "CNN.com Video"CNN.
  68. ^ We must destroy nest of devils in the Vatican, for Christ's sake Sunday Independent, 17 July 2011.

Further reading

External links