CD Review by Maggie Woods | Lauren Rose: Hava Nagila (Baby Let's Dance)

Lauren Rose Hava Nagila/Baby Let’s Dance [single]
I Go To The Beach [single]

“Lauren Rose’s Jewish
folk song does it
for pop music lovers
everywhere...”

A HANUKKAH GIFT FOR HER
GRANDFATHER resulted in a
surprise for pretty teenaged
pop singer Lauren Rose. The recording of her take on the instantly-recognisable hundred-year-old Jewish folk song Hava Nagila started as a present and ended up being tipped for the 2007 Christmas Number 1 slot. William Hill was quoting 66/1 for the petite singer to take the top spot.

Seventeen-year-old Lauren explains: "I found out that the lyrics for the song were written 100 years ago so thought I would record an up-to-date version with English words as a Hanukkah present for my Grandfather. I was really pleased with it and when my record company heard it they went mad about it and said they wanted to release it as a single."

When asked how it felt to be in the running for the Christmas Number
1 and to be up against the might of X Factor, Bromley-based Lauren said: "I can't believe it. I only recorded the song for Grandfather so it is fantastic that everyone is talking about it. I've grown up with my extended family celebrating both Hanukkah and Christmas so if a Jewish song could be top of the Christmas charts it would be a great way of bringing everyone together!" And if the recording had reached the top? A "huge party" by way of a celebration, she says.

Released on 17 December (2007), Havila Nagila (Baby Let's Dance) complements Lauren's usual style of music. It is the perfect party song and follows hot on the heels of the catchy I Go To The Beach that
was released in November (2007).

Lauren's voice is every bit as delightful as the traditional song she sings with such enthusiasm. The heart-felt melody stands the test
of time and, having successfully given the folk song a more modern slant, she has every right to be proud of this surprise recording.

It is a tune you would expect everybody to know and to enjoy listening to, so releasing Hava Nagila (Baby Let's Dance) as a pop song is a masterstroke. Great to dance to and to get you in the festive mood. Play it in the car? You'd have to remind yourself what your right foot's for!

A brilliant retro track from this bubbly teenager.

• Hava Nagila (Baby Let's Dance) was released on 17 December (2007) from Marble Hill Productions.

Check out www.lauren-rose.com, myspace.com/laurenrose
official and to watch the video, go to: www.youtube.com/
laurenrosemusic.

Lauren Rose

“Fresh, feel-good pop
music and a buzz of
excitement: all the right
ingredients for a big hit...”

LAUREN RECENTLY SUPPORTED
X FACTOR'S Ray Quinn on his UK
tour and has been attracting much
well-deserved attention from the
media. Her debut album Here I Am
is a collection of fresh, feel-good
pop music and it is due to be
released in the Spring of 2008.

In mid-December Lauren Rose's father, Mark Goldberg, announced that he was to resign as manager of Bromley Football Club to devote himself to managing his daughter's burgeoning pop career — Bromley FC was just one point off the play-off places and Mark had already led the club to promotion via the Ryman Premier play-offs and to the FA Cup first round last season.

The former chairman of Crystal Palace says proudly: "Lauren's literally just started her pop career and there
is a lot of interest in her and in her Christmas release. When I do a
job I like to do it properly and I haven't been able to commit as much time as I needed to of late to either her or the club; so rather
than spreading myself too thin I want to be able to concentrate on launching Lauren's pop career in the near future. I hope to be returning to football management again very soon and maybe even in a full time capacity."

On Bromley FC's website, chairman Jeremy Dolke says: "I would like
to put on record my thanks for the tremendous job he [Goldberg] did
in such a short time in charge. What we have achieved has been fantastic and his contribution to that success was a massive one."

Praise indeed for the future manager of Lauren Rose. The singer per-formed at her Showcase, a live Christmas Special at The My Place Club in Earl's Court on 18 December (2007) and she was tipped for the top with Hava Nagila by London station Capital Radio when the Jewish folk song was voted joint top (with Leona Lewis and closely followed by youthful X Factor entrant Connie Talbot) in an online poll of favourite Christmas songs by listeners — the week preceding Christmas is the most important week in the year for the singles chart.

Closer to Christmas, Hava Nagila was voted as the rightful Christmas Number One when Capital Radio listeners gave Lauren 21 per cent of the vote — ahead of X Factor winner Leon Jackson at 13 per cent and Leona Lewis and The Pogues at ten per cent. Eight million Londoners can't be wrong!

Also, in twenty-four hours an unprecedented 30,000 people watched the video for the single on YouTube and two thousand miles away the song became the most requested record on Israeli radio.

Lauren's verson of Hava Nagila is being talked about across the globe from Australia to Alaska. Her father said: "People are really connecting with this record and with Lauren. As an up-and-coming singer on an independent record label it is hard to get added to the playlist of major radio stations, but people have been showing what they want to hear by voting for Lauren and by listening to the song online around the world. It is a great feeling to see this amazing reaction to Lauren Rose and this release."

The buzz of excitement mounts around Hava Nagila and this is just the beginning for the sparking young Lauren Rose.

• Her follow-up single, 44 Days is due to be released in February.

Check out www.lauren-rose.com, myspace.com/laurenrose
official and to watch the video, go to: www.youtube.com/
laurenrosemusic.

LISTENERS OF LONDON STATION CAPITAL RADIO have voted Lauren Rose's take on Hava Nagila (Baby Let's Dance) joint top in an online poll of favourite Christmas songs, in the most important week for the singles chart in the year.

What is amazing about this song is that it is a traditional Jewish folk song — originally written 100 years ago — yet is instantly recognisable today. When Lauren recorded this song as a Hanukkah present for her Grandfather, she had no idea that bookmakers would soon be offering odds on her beating X Factor to the Christmas Number 1 spot.

William Hill offered odds of 16/1 for the petite singer to take the Christmas top spot with this recording, first released on Tuesday
17th December.

Joint top of the poll with 12 per cent, Lauren shares the lead with Leona Lewis, and is closely followed by Connie Talbot and X Factor Winner.

"I found out that the lyrics for the song were written 100 years ago so thought I would record an up to date version with English words as a Hanukkah present for my Grandfather," explains Lauren. "I was really pleased with it and when my record company heard it they went mad about it and said they wanted to release it as a single."

Already making an impact on the music listeners of London, this is fan-tastic news for the 17-year-old starlet who supported Ray Quinn on a tour earlier this year.

With Hava Nagila (Baby Let's Dance), Lauren Rose has injected a large dose of Fun into the Festive Season.

• Listen to the track and watch the video at: www.youtube.com/
laurenrosemusic.

THE TEENAGER WITH THE SOFT, angelic voice has emerged like a butterfly from her self-imposed work schedule in the studio recording her debut album Here I Am that is to be released early in 2008.

It is difficult to remember that Lauren Rose is just 17 years old as she belts out her songs with a sophistication usually marked by a few more years' experience.

Her single release, I Go To The Beach, has all the right ingredients for a hit with a great beat, a bouncy tune and soft vocals with a lift. Lauren is ready to go public with the sort of uplifting song you find yourself singing over and over again — once heard, never forgotten.

I Go To The Beach perfectly combines the hypnotic melody with her sweet voice and delivery, giving you a gen-erous dose of harmonious enjoyment.

Having started singing and performing at just four years old, by the time she reached her teens she was convinced that her future was in music. Her first recording session was given to her as a fifteenth birthday present and, by sheer luck, she was overheard by producer Ryan Laubscher — who immediately offered her the opportunity of working with him on her debut album. At the time, Ryan was working for music impresario Bryan Morrison (Pink Floyd, Elton John) and when he heard Lauren's voice he was so impressed by her talent that he declared her to be a star in the making.

The publicity machine says that I Go to the Beach mixes the melody and panache of KT Tunstall with the elegance and softness of Enya, creating the sort of feel-good pop that gave The Corrs a number of hits. The single is also the lead track from Lauren's forthcoming debut album Here I Am, that features twelve multi-faceted takes on uplifting pop, which Lauren feels is lacking in much of today's music.

Lauren (clever girl!) co-wrote the track with her producer Ryan Laubscher, who recently relocated to London's infamous Sphere Studios, where Queen, Mariah Carey and Duran Duran have worked from.

Since coming out of the studio, Lauren has spent time practising her trade gigging in clubs and bars across the UK. She was the first artiste to be offered and to accept a residency at popular London bar Tiger Tiger.

It was at one of these gigs that Lauren caught the eye of X-Factor finalist Ray Quinn's agent and she was hand-picked to support him on his 30-date UK tour. Lauren joined Ray on the road at the end of September (2007) and will run through until November, taking her from Aberdeen to Poole via a show at London's prestigious Hammersmith Apollo and three dates in Ray's home town of Liverpool.

The debut album Here I Am showcases the versatile sounds of Lauren Rose and her stirring rhythms. Having heard her single (which will be a favourite) and three other titles, it should follow that the album will be well received. I Don't Know and Lion of the Jungle reminded me of the early 70s sound, updated but still with a sense of retro, and 44 Days is reminiscent of 80s robotics.

Lauren's music brings a fresh new edge to the pop music scene and while on tour with Ray she will be performing her catchy pop songs from her album.

Lauren says: "Ray is a great entertainer and I have heard that he is a lovely guy. When watching him on The X-Factor last year I never thought I would be supporting him on his tour a year down the line. I am really looking forward to meeting him and performing my own music across the country in some of the most well-known music venues. This is a new experience for me and I can't wait to get out on the road!"

• Lauren Rose's single CD by, I Go To The Beach, was released on 5 November (2007) on Marble Hill Productions UK Ltd.

Check out: www.lauren-rose.com, www.myspace.com/
laurenroseofficial and www.youtube.com/laurenrosemusic

Young swing singer Ray Quinn was runner-up to Leona Lewis on last year's hit show X-Factor. Shortly after the finals, he signed his record deal with Sony BMG and recorded his debut album in LA. The album Doing It My Way was released earlier this year and went straight in at number one in the charts and gained gold status in the first week.

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