Mad Ears Productions

05/10/2025

Great to see three of our releases feature in this week's Hit-Tracks Top 100 Music Chart. Mick Simpson is at number 24 with 'Deeper than the Blues', Mockingbird Hill feat. B'ee (aka: Birgit Bee Neukranz) is at number 45 with 'High Wire', and Eva Carboni is a new entry at number 91 with 'Mississippi on Fire'. Thanks to Hit-Tracks Top 100 for the support.

HIT-TRACKS TOP 100 - YEAR 48 - WEEK 41.
Hi everyone. Joe Bonamassa's 'You Don't Own Me' is #1. The 7th top 10 and the 6th #1 smash from the hit album "Breakthrough". 'Secrets' of Miley Cyrus ft. Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood remains number two. 'Feelin' Alright' by Tedeschi Trucks Band & Leon Russell ft. Dave Mason and Anders Osborne is now #3. 'Lockdown' (Miley Cyrus & David Byrne), and 'Carolina Honey' (Marcus King) are both new in the top 10.

The latter comes from Marcus King's latest album "Darling Blue". Following a successful run of critically acclaimed albums with the Marcus King Band, Greenville, South Carolina native Marcus King made his solo debut with the Grammy nominated El Dorado in 2020, followed by Young Blood (2022) and Mood Swings (2024). On "Darling Blue", co-produced by Eddie Spear, King reunited with his longtime live band for the first time since 2018's Carolina Confessions. The album features Jamey Johnson, Noah Cyrus, Billy Strings, Kaitlin Butts, and Jesse Welles, with co-writes from Midland and Lainey Wilson among others. Many of the songs across the album pay homage to King's South Carolina roots and deep appreciation for his home state. ALBUM OF THE WEEK!

'It Takes A Whole Lot Of Money' from Eric Gales ft. Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith is the highest newcomer out of 16. Can be found on Eric Gales's album "A Tribute To LJK". Among the newcomers are also new hits from Levellers, The Black Keys, Robert Finley, James Morrison (ft. Andy Platt), Eva Carboni (ft. Dave Hunt), and The BossHoss (ft. Arnold Schwarzenegger). Jack Shealy Band (with a track from their deep South southern rock EP "1059"), Braison Cyrus (yep, brother of...), the Scottish sisters Tedeschi (no family of....) under the name The Cords, and Raye are in our list for the very first time.

Check also the albums of James Morrison (Fight Another Day), Pavlov's Dog (Wonderlust), Ana Popovic (Dance To The Rhythm), Steve Porcaro (The Very Day), and Jeff Tweedy (Twilight Override). Next week we expect the new albums of Alvaro Soler (El Camino), Robbie Williams (Britpop), Robert Finley (Hallelujah!), and Tanita Tikaram (LIAR - Love Isn't A Right).

Enjoy the music and have a great week!

IMPORTANT
Due to maintenance work on the PICA website, the list can no longer be downloaded from the PICA website. Use from now on this dropbox link:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rbs96f0kutezmawkodra4/2025.41-Hit-Tracks-Top-100.pdf?rlkey=yijfk90hu6jtr2181bte40bj4&st=5nosseez&dl=0

Hit-Tracks Top 100 is sponsored by Music Agency PICA. Contact them if you're looking for a professional in Netherlands / BeNeLux / European booking, digital and/or physical album/tour promotion and management.

05/10/2025

Great to see both Mick Simpson and Eva Carboni feature in the IBBA Top 40 Album Airplay Chart for September. Thanks to the members of the IBBA for their support.

The IBBA album playlist chart for September.

04/10/2025

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6YKC0HJS46Vu47nb4GBOlPApple Music: https://music.apple.com/gb/album/high-wire-feat-bee-single/1834705516Buy CD Single...

03/10/2025

The new single 'Mississippi on Fire' by Eva Carboni is available now to stream and download on all major platforms. The track was written and produced by Andy Littlewood, and features some great blues harp by Dave Hunt. Check out the preview video!

01/10/2025

29/09/2025

Check out this nice review of the album 'Changing Times' by Mick Simpson in the September edition of Blues in Britain magazine. You can buy the magazine by following this link https://www.bluesinbritain.org/buy-latest-issue/

Mick Simpson: Changing
Times
Mad Ears Productions
Changing Times squeezes in enough razor-sharp lead guitar prowess to satisfy anyone - and
then adds a bit more. Simpson is an in-demand guitar session man. It’s easy to see why. His style is never less than expressive, always dexterous but never scattergun. As such, it’s no surprise to learn he sometimes gigs with members of the original Gary Moore Band.
On this, Simpson’s fifth solo release, he never misses a chance to demonstrate his guitar skills
- which is understandable, but such intention risks overpowering other ingredients which make
much of this set enjoyable. Indeed, Simpson is so keen to hit the ground running that half of
the tracks become a lead guitar tour de force with less than thirty seconds on the clock.
However, there is as much style as showmanship here. The two tracks co-written with producer Andy Littlewood are the standout originals: both offer an interesting contrast to the slow blues on offer on much of this set, still rootsy but with more chance for the guitars to breathe. The gently stomping title track has a swampy feel, slide guitar heralding more diverse, restrained guitar work. Similarly, ‘Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere’ is built around a dominant plucked guitar phrase, driving the track along before more subtle guitar solo work kicks in. Such underplay also reveals how good a singer Simpson is. Some songs do like to travel but Simpson is canny enough to know that they shouldn’t stray too far from home. His version of ‘Feel Like Going Home’ features controlled emotional guitar totally in keeping with the Charlie Rich original. As such he almost succeeds in making it his own but it wouldn’t have worked at all without the necessary vocal power either side of his skilful and predictably expressive guitar. In fact, with its firm organ underlay, it’s almost wonderful. ‘Louisiana 1927’ is another brave effort but as with most Randy Newman tributes it will always remain Newman’s baby,
piano-led and not really enhanced by lead guitar dominating the background. John Miles’ ‘Now
That The Magic Has Gone’, however, is a top choice, Simpson if anything adding even more
chewy guitar verve than the original whilst opting for a more soulful vocal delivery.
John Bottomley

Read about and buy the latest issue of Blues in Britain magazine or purchase a back issue from the past year.

29/09/2025

Great to see 'Deeper than the Blues' by Mick Simpson at number 15, and 'High Wire' by Mockingbird Hill feat. B'ee (Birgit Bee Neukranz) at number 51 in this week's Hit-Tracks Top 100 Music Chart. Thanks to Hit-Tracks Top 100 for the support

HIT-TRACKS TOP 100 - YEAR 48 - WEEK 40.
Hi everyone. 'Feelin' Alright' by Tedeschi Trucks Band & Leon Russell ft. Dave Mason and Anders Osborne is for a second week our #1. 'Secrets' of Miley Cyrus ft. Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood rises from 51 to #2 in its second week. And there's more success for Miley Cyrus. "Lockdown," her 13.31 minute collaboration with Talking Head David Byrne, is the highest new entry at #21. Joe Bonamassa's 'You Don't Own Me' is #3. Besides 'Secrets' are the Perpetual Change live version of Awaken (Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks) and What Is The Reason For It? (David Byrne & Hayley Williams) new in the top 10 as well.

Among the newcomers there are a number of veterans. To celebrate the reissue of "Black And Blue" from 1976, The Rolling Stones are treating fans to something brand new. The band hit the studio and recorded a cover of Shirley & Company’s “Shame Shame Shame. In addition to this cover song, there are rumors that The Stones are working on a new original album. Pavlov's Dog is coming in with 'Jet Black Cadillac'. Nearly fifty-one years after the release of their iconic debut, Pampered Menial and its unforgettable single “Julia,” Pavlov’s Dog return with Wonderlust, their brand-new studio album set for release on October 3, 2025 via Ruf Records. Unheilig, originally from Aachen, appeared in our chart eight times between 2010 and 2012. 'Geboren Um Zu Leben' was a #1 hit. 'So Wie Du Warst' and 'Lichter Der Stadt' peaked at #2 and #10, respectively. With 'Wunderschön', Der Graf is back. And German punk rockers Donuts are back too. Their last appearance was in 2015. On their new version of 'Stop The Clocks' Campino (Die Toten Hosen) and Matt Hensley (Flogging Molly) join in. 'You Want Alchemy?’ from Kate Bush was never in our list before. It was meant to be one of the tracks on The Red Shoes album (1994), but because there was already so much material, it ended up as a B Side. The Other Sides was a collection of all the B-sides and other songs that didn't exist on any album. It was part of the Remastered Box Set that was released in 2018. It's now re-released under the title "Best Of The Other Sides". 'December Will Be Magic Again', the song we were hoping for isn't here again. A unique Christmas song that was charted in 1980, 81, 82, 83 and 84. It spent a total of 29 weeks on our list, including 9 weeks at number 1. What a pity! Dirty Honey and Pavlov's Dog are in our list for the very first time.

ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Robert Plant's Saving Grace, his first album with a new band of distinguished players, is what he calls “a song book of the lost and found." Its genesis was during lockdown in “The Shire,” when Plant’s customary wandering was all but forbidden. It was in the English countryside that he connected closely to this diverse group of musicians—vocalist Suzi Dian, drummer Oli Jefferson, guitarist Tony Kelsey, banjo and string player Matt Worley, cellist Barney Morse-Brown—who had a shared lean towards his corners of evocative song. Produced by Plant and the band and recorded over six years in the Cotswolds and on the Welsh Borders, Saving Grace breathes fresh life into a treasury of songs by Memphis Minnie, Bob Mosley (Moby Grape), Blind Willie Johnson, The Low Anthem, Martha Scanlan, Sarah Siskind, and Low. (Text from Robert Plant website).

We can also recommend the albums of Christone "Kingfish" Ingram (Hard Road), Marcus King (Darling Blue), Mud Morganfield, the eldest son of Muddy Waters (Deep Mud), and Patrick Watson (Uh Oh). Next week we expect the new albums of King King (Light Up The Sky), James Morrison (Fight Another Day), Luna Marble (Luna Marble), Pavlov's Dog (Wanderlust), Richard Ashcroft (Lovin' You), She She She (Cut & Rewind), Steve Porcaro (The Very Day), Taylor Swift (The Life Of A Showgirl), and Vernon Reid (Hoodoo Telemetry).

Enjoy the music and have a great week!

IMPORTANT
Due to maintenance work on the PICA website, the list can no longer be downloaded from the PICA website. Use from now on this dropbox link:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ardecjvoii8gaz6eklfca/2025.40-Hit-Tracks-Top-100.pdf?rlkey=9m4rbli8b8w88uucrfm5f5lru&st=jl5vbkob&dl=0

Hit-Tracks Top 100 is sponsored by Music Agency PICA. Contact them if you're looking for a professional in Netherlands / BeNeLux / European booking, digital and/or physical album/tour promotion and management.

27/09/2025

The new single 'High Wire' by Mockingbird Hill feat. B'ee (Birgit Bee Neukranz) is featured as The Next Big Thing on The Late Wave, Sunday 29th September on Eirewave (www.eirewave.com).

A big thanks to Ian Shipley for featuring our new single as The Next Big Thing on THE LATE WAVE Sunday 29th Sept on Eirewave (DAB or app at www.eirewave.com )

27/09/2025

Great review of 'The Blues Archives' by Eva Carboni in Il Blues Magazine.

Eva Carboni- The Blues Archives - un ritratto a tutto tondo di una cantante capace di scavare a fondo nelle radici del blues

21/09/2025

A nice review of 'The Blues Archives' by Eva Carboni in the latest edition of Blues Blast Magazine. Check it out!

Eva Carboni - The Blues Archives Mad Ears Productions https://evacarboni.com/ 11 tracks/42 minutes Eva Carboni is a Sardinian born blues singer who began her career in L.A. and now works out of the U.K. with Andy Littlewood and Mad Ears Productions. This is her 6th album and features unreleased song...