Briton records song for tsunami charity

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Briton records song for tsunami charity


Mark (centre) recording the song with his little helpers.

PHUKET: -- The Phuket News sits down with Briton Mark Hopkins to find out more about his song ‘Tsunami Day’, a song he’s releasing to help The Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation.

What inspired you to write the song?

Unfortunately, the inspiration came from my own personal experiences while I was living in Patong back in 2004 when the Tsunami hit.

One of the lyrics in the song mentions my landlady knocking on my door. As it was Boxing Day, the previous night had been a rather excessive outing and I did not get back until 5am. I could not really write in the song what she really said to me or what I replied back.

I remember her crazily knocking on my door shouting, "Mark, you die, big wave.” I pulled the pillow over my head and shouted back a few pleasantries. It took a few minutes to all sink in.

As far as the song itself, I was sat in my bedroom, I picked up the guitar, a tune swirled around my mind and the lyrics blossomed with ease from there. It simply all clicked into place.

I had a small Tascam 4 track recording studio back then, so after around 20 tries to record the song on my guitar, and very sore finger tips, I finally managed to lay the tracks and a vocal down.

Some songs are just like this and some take weeks, months or sometimes even years to write. Any songwriter will understand this. Not saying that I am one. I just try.

What has happened in the interim – why are you now releasing it?

I had been trying to record the 'Tsunami Day' song for a few years now. When I left the UK in late 2011, I carried this demo recording on my memory stick for two or more years around Thailand, China and Malaysia in the hope that some day I would be able to record it.

I believe the production of the song was rather unique, how did it all come together?

Well, in truth I returned to Phuket to work, and as soon as I arrived the job fell through. So I was basically stuck with absolutely no money and no job at the time, so I had no way of achieving my goal.

Saying this, I always believe there’s a way, so what I did was I simply came up with the idea to attract sponsors in return for hopefully good marketing and advertising. This would not cost me anything as one of my many jobs is email marketing.

So I then set up the email, sent out the email request to a few hundred companies on Phuket and crossed my fingers, toes and what ever else I could find.

At that point I still did not have any contact with any charities or musicians, the recording studio and so on. I just knew that without sponsors this simply would not happen. I tested the water so to speak. I also knew it was a long shot but worth a try.

Obviously the recipients of the mail out did not know me, and the email could have basically been from anyone, so I was not expecting many replies or offers, if any.

It ending up with there being just enough sponsors to pay for the four session musicians, the practice studio, the recording studio, the set up of the 'Tsunami Day' website and a few taxis and odds and ends.

In-between the recording I also contacted the British International School Phuket’s Head of Arts Neill Thacker, asking if the school's choir would be interested in doing the backing vocals on the song, and Neill kindly agreed.

I also contacted the Phuket Has Been Good To Us charity, and with the help of Tina Hall we worked out that all donations, be it from the 'Tsunami Day' song download or from cash donations, would go directly towards introducing music and the arts to the orphans at the 'Coconut Club' in Kamala.

After six weeks or so, and five visits to the studio, the song was completed and ready for release on November 15, 2013.

What's the next step. Why are you doing this?

As far as where I go from here, well, I have done what I came here to do.

For more information on ‘Tsunami Day’, visit tsunamiday.com or go to phukethasbeengoodtous.org

Mark Hopkins would like to thank Oriental Living, Phuket Hash House Harriers, Tropical Properties, Mark Bates, and Phuket Wake Park.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/briton-records-song-for-tsunami-charity-43378.php


-- Phuket News 2013-12-12

[cliffly]

Well done Mark for achieving this !!

I am a Brit in Phuket and my Mother and myself still support the Tsunami cause today mainly for people off the island in Ban Nam Kem, Takuapa etc.

My mother organizes a variety concert annually in Hastings with the group Tenors Unlimited the main act.

It is refreshing to know that with all the child like struggles for power going on in Bangkok there are still people on the ground making a real difference.

Only yesterday I was visiting a school in Ban Nam Kem helping out an art therapist at a primary school.

Help is still needed, awareness is difficult.

Not sure if you are in the UK now or Thailand but I would very much somehow like to use your song at the concert in Hastings this weekend, it will help raise money.

The money is going towards and art and music centre that we are building in Takuapa. Gives children somewhere to go to let off steam and with an therapist there, art is a great way to get inside a childs complex mind to see what is going wrong, if anything.

Thanks

Stewart