January 2008

 
Dear Candice,

Over the years I have posted many concert reviews and fan comments and I have also written to you twice this year, but to date I have never received any response. Whilst I understand you must get through an enormous amount of mail and are very busy, could you just answer one simple question; Paris Moon is brilliant and takes me back to the raw emotion of the fantastic concert in Birmingham, England earlier this year. But why have you added two studio tracks to the end of the CD when surely the brilliant live versions of the Village Lantern and St Theresa would have fitted on to round the live CD off nicely. All the pre-release information also related to the video of VL being on as an extra; did you decide against this.
I hope you can answer my question.

Keep up the great music for another ten years.
Regards, Steve Hanson, Mansfield, England


Hello Steve,
Thank you for your patience...
I'm glad that you are enjoying Paris Moon and the shows that we have done this past year in England. Each one holds special memories for us. While we were proud of the versions of both St Teresa and Village Lanterne that we did in concert, the record company decided that they wanted to re release All Because of You to radio and to also put the studio version of Village Lanterne on the cd since we had just done the video and they were going to use that for promotion.
When we sent the video to them, they then realized that they had no time to add it to the package and decided to just use it to promote via the internet.
It was always our intention to put the video on the Paris Moon package but with the time restriction, it simply was not to be.
Hopefully it will be included on other projects we do in the future, as we did with our other videos on Castles and Dreams.
Love,
Candice

Hi Candice:

So glad you and Ritchie are home safe and sound. It can be a nasty world out there... We're coming to see you in Connecticut; can't wait! Heard (read) a little bit about a new dvd, cd? Always a pleasure! When we're feeling low from life's stresses, we put on our Castles and Dreams dvd, sit back, relax, and appreciate the fact that there's SO MUCH more to life out there! You could say that your music is the catalyst for the balancing of our hearts (and minds!). We've been posted on your site previously; again, your work with the WWF is just another reason to love you. Are the Sumatran tigers so beautiful that they make you want to cry? And you looked just as beautiful posing with them. Again, looking forward to seeing you and Ritchie (and the band!).

Nanette and Stephen Diaute

PS - LOVE the Village Lanterne.
PPS - Didn't he want to see (and pose) with the tigers?

Hello Nannette and Stephen,
What sweet words...thank you! Yes, we love working with the WWF, but also on the last USA tour I personally wrote to so many local animal charities in the towns that we played in. As you know, the larger more recognized charities get most of the contributions for their work, which are all well deserved, but it also leaves the local charities unrecognized and needing support just as much for the work they do on a local level for our animals. They are tireless, see so much pain and suffering and still, every day, they wake up and face the words problems and choose to make a difference no matter how much it hurts them by what they see. They make such a difference in the lives of the animals locally, I am always amazed by them. I am happy to say that this year, we helped many local charities as you probably read on our news page, but also helped to donate to Save the Badgers in England, donated to the bats through WWF in Berlin Germany as well as the Sumatran tigers through WWF for all of our German shows. If it was up to me I'd donate portions of the proceeds for all the shows, but its hard organizing a lot of the local promoters to do that in various regions so we do whatever we can year round.
I am so very lucky to have gotten photos with the bats in Berlin, the Tiger, the Manatees- all of which are on the endangered species list. Ritchie, although he does love animals, doesn't feel the need to get photographed with them. I just love to be around them. I know that animals are so much further advanced than humans are, we deem ourselves the "thinking species" and then do so much harm to our own race, to other races, to our environment...the list goes on. It is so saddening and frustrating. But then I, like you, delve into the world of music and it heals me enough to try to help the world on a small level once again the next day. And each and every day....
Love and light,
Candice
 

Hello Candice,
I really enjoy listening to your music. It is both inspirational and beautiful.
The combination of Richies extrordinary musical talent and your beautiful voice really make the songs you sing come alive.
My question is: Where did the inspiration come from to do OLDE MILL INN. I really like this song
It is full of happiness and cheer and makes everyone want to sing along. Is this a real place? If so
where is it located? Also who is Bill and Jerry that you refer to in the song?
keep sending us your beautiful music and I wish all of Blackmores Night the best in the future.
 
thanks
Laney Flynn
Walls, MS USA

Hello Laney,
Thank you for your kind words. Olde Mill Inn is an actual place that Ritchie and I have been frequenting on occasion for years. It is located at Mattituck on Long Island, New York. It has a wonderful, warm feeling to it. It is right on the water so we sit outside with friends in the summer and watch the shooting stars at night or the boats go by in the afternoon. In winter we sit in the bar beneath the old wooden beams and watch the fire burn in the stone fireplace. Bill is a friend of ours that we met there. We were playing Fires At Midnight, acoustically at our table of friends and Bill was at the bar. Being a history buff he knew all about the author of the traditional melody, King Alfonse from Spain from the 12th century. Its not often you meet people at a bar who know anything about that period of time so we were very impressed and have been friends ever since. Jerry was the owner of the bar and often comes to our shows in full kings garb when we play the northeast. He no longer owns the Inn but we still keep in touch. Judy was his co-owner girlfriend and yes, Kim really was the bartender!
Thanks for your question.
Love,
Candice

Hi Dear Candice

I live in Norway, nearby Trondheim.
We are getting close to winter here now.
The nights are colder.
Misty, chilly mornings.
One night soon the snow will come and stay for a while.
Later, spring and summer will be here again.

I have listened to your husbands music for nearly thirty years. The last ten years with yourself holding a strong role in the band. It is good to see, as we all grow older, so does the music. Allthough I have to admit I also play the old stuff. My favourite track now is 16th Century Greensleves from Past times..
What a version of that good old track!! Your Voice Candice, it is from another planet!

I was watching your videos and documentaries from Castle and Dreams again today.
It is a very good double DVD!

Good for the fans to have a look behind stage.
My questions to you are:
Who is directing your videos?
And How much influence do you and Ritchie have?
At last Who else are contributing?

Thanks for producing excellent music for us. Dont know where I would have been without it. Life is not only easy all the time. But the music stays the same. No matter how bad things look, we always have the music. They can not take that away from us.

Please return to Norway again soon!

Say hello to mum, Ritchie, The Ladies and the rest of the band. Love you all!

From
Svein Tore Berg
Norway

  Hello Svein,
What a beautiful part of the world you live in! The nature of Norway is incredible...no wonder the trolls choose to live there! :)
Thank you for all your nice words...I'm so glad you are enjoying the music and the dvd so much!
Usually what happens when we do a video, is we come up with a story line and run that by a director that is hired by the record company. They then put that storyline into a "treatment" and we get to see it through the eyes of the camera man and the way that it will come across when on film. We usually go back and forth with ideas a few times and fine tune it. Ultimately the final idea of the story on film must be approved by Ritchie and myself. Sometimes to the point where I will sit there with the time code and tell them which scenes to jump to or to cut out specifically so we are always very involved in each process.
We are very lucky to work with a lot of excellent directors and film crews who really have a vision and we all enjoy the time we spend together while on set.
That magic has to happen because if you are uncomfortable it will all show in your video...you can't hide it!
Enjoy!
Love,
Candice