Exciting times :)))

"It's Only You Part II" now on iTunes and being released in many parts of Europe...

Full version of "It's Only You" video now available at www.youtube.com/salemtv... it's very psychedelic, and features not one Salem but two ...... (thanks to the previous poster for this info - you've made me so happy tonight!)....

Salem's MySpace has been redesigned once again and its look is based around the "It's Only You Part II" video...

It looks as if Salem is going to be on the Parlophone label in the UK. Although"This Is Who I Am" is being advertised in their online store there, it's via Amazon UK and at an inflated import-style price so I'm not sure if it's ever going to get a proper UK release or not....

A very special day today...

...it's Salem's 27th birthday!

Happy birthday!!!

I feel a celebration coming on: it may involve a visit to www.myspace.com/salem for yet more repeated plays of "It's Only You Part II" and "Twelve Fingers".....

As long as I'm needed I won't give up

Just dropped in to say that I've got "Twelve Fingers" on repeat over at Salem's MySpace tonight (and "It's Only You Part II", it goes without saying), I totally love these songs and I'm counting the days till I'm able to download them.

"Twelve Fingers" completely rocks, it starts off with a similar groove to The Ark's "Prayer For The Weekend" and keeps up the galloping beat all through the song with some distinctive piano lines.

Even though I was totally head over heels in love with the original version of "It's Only You" off "This Is Who I Am", I have to say that I am also...totally head over heels in love with the new version, as it's kept the warmth and sentiment of the original intact.

New songs on Salem's MySpace

Excitement!

I've just been over at Salem's MySpace - it's got a redesign and the four songs from the new EP in full including the brand new "Twelve Fingers" which is brilliant and I just love the lyrics of this song.

I love the new version of "It's Only You" (although I loved the old one too - oh well, I just love everything he does!!)

But, very strangely, his official website www.salemalfakir.se no longer exists and when you click on the link it automatically takes you to www.myspace.com/salem.

Now just get over there and check these songs out!

Volvo, It's Only You, and a mystery solved

This is a commercial for the Volvo XC60 car, and it could provide the link to Salem's international breakthrough at last. The ad features "It's Only You Part II".

After our news that the song will be released in Norway, I've been doing some detective work once again on the internet and discovered some online retailers in Germany and Italy which will be selling the EP from its release date of 31.10.08 (or 03.11.08, depending what you read) which featuring the following tracks:

1. It's Only You (Part II)
2. It's True
3. Twelve Fingers (new song? instrumental? don't know)
4. Dream Girl

It's like a mini-greatest hits isn't it! Depending on the success of this I wonder if "This Is Who I Am" will be repackaged for Europe with the new version of "It's Only You"? I also notice that on the cover of the EP he is being billed as Salem and not Salem Al Fakir, and it states 'featuring music from the Volvo XC60 commercial'. The cover picture is taken from that "It's Only You" video, with Salem out in the forest, strangely obscured by a big ray of sunlight.

Norway, Germany, Italy...where next?

Thank you Volvo. This could be the start of something at last...

"It's Only You (Part II)" out soon?

I'm a bit late bringing this, but have just checked out EMI Norway's site - yes, Norway, not Sweden - which says that "It's Only You (Part II)" will be released digitally on 27.10.08 and the EP of the same name will be out on 03.11.08.

There is no news about this either at Salem's official site (recently updated with info about Berwaldhallen), or at his MySpace, or indeed at EMI Sweden which hasn't even updated their page since "This Is Who I Am" was released.

Am I breaking some news here? Does anyone know anything about this? I'm getting really excited now!!

EDIT: Also the EMI Norway page said (according to a translation site) something about "It's Only You" (and not "Dream Girl" as I previously posted here) being in a Volvo commercial. Maybe that would be a good way to get his music noticed internationally. I wonder if that commercial will only be screened in Norway or will it go international?

The combination of contemporary music with an orchestra can be amazing. It worked for Metallica and the Scorpions in the past. The more I think about the three-concert Berwaldhallen residency, the more wonderful it sounds. Salem backed by the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra: he has the talent, the ability and the vision to make it work. And no, before you ask, I can't get over to Sweden to see it for myself but it will be broadcast on P4 so I'll definitely be listening in.

I think one of the classical concerts would be a great idea for a live DVD - how about it Salem?

I need to figure out how this can be

Very intriguing indeed....

Salem's posted a brief 30-second video-clip on YouTube of "It's Only You (Part II)" which is a little-bit-techno and ,whilst not quite in Basshunter territory, it promises a very interesting re-vamp of one of my favourite songs (originally in acoustic form) from "This Is Who I Am".

The video sees Salem standing beside a tree and then heading off to get on his bike.

Could this be the start of something finally happening??

H3FK on tour

H3Fk are playing a few dates around Sweden at the moment and I've come across a couple of very positive reviews:

Munkkällaren, Visby - http://www.helagotland.se/noje/artikel.aspx?articleid=4322869
Nefertiti, Gothenburg - http://www.gp.se/gp/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?d=220&a=451129

Tomorrow night they play the Konsthall in Malmö.

Our Berwaldhallen scoop!

Just realised today that I'd got a bit of a "scoop" and broken the news about Berwaldhallen before the Swedish internet press got to it, so I'm particularly proud and thrilled about that :))))))

I am really thrilled with the news about Salem's collaboration with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra on the following dates/times:

Thursday 13.11.08 at 7.00 pm (Swedish time)
Friday 14.11.08 at 6.00 pm (Swedish time)
Saturday 15.11.08 at 3.00 pm (Swedish time)

The more I think about this, the more amazing I think it will be....just imagine "Good Song" and "Dream Girl" and "Black Sun Black Moon" with an orchestral backing, just fantastic. And you know the best thing? One of the concerts will be broadcast on Swedish Radio's P4 channel. I don't know at the moment which of the three concerts it will be, but I'll post more information on here nearer the time so that you all know when to listen.

New (classical) concerts announced

No, we haven't gone away, and we certainly haven't forgotten about Salem!! It's only the fact that there has been no news at all since our temporary 'hibernation'. Salem has announced a series of three new concerts at the Berwaldhallen in Stockholm on 13.11.08, 14.11.08 and 15.11.08. Very different and, you could say, back to his classical roots: he will be performing with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, which should be fantastic.