Quite some time ago, I was contacted by singer-songwriter Nick Cope to ask if we'd like to review one his kids' CDs. Although he now focuses on creating music for children, he has had twenty years of experience in music, including international success as lead singer and songwriter with The Candyskins in the 1990s.
We received the CD entitled What Colour is Your T-Shirt? but there are two others available called My Socks and Why is the Sky Blue? Each CD costs £10 but you can currently buy all three for £25.
I have to admit, I should have written this review months ago but there is a very good reason why it got overlooked - the Madhouse Mini-testers put it in the car to try it out and they loved it so much, it never made it back into my "to be reviewed" box! It was only when I received the Christmas newsletter to announce the release of the newest CD that it gave me a much needed nudge to get my review written !
The CD contains 10 songs which all have lyrics that will appeal to kids but tunes that won't drive their parents to distraction, even when it ends up being put on a loop ! You can tell that Nick Cope has a background in proper grown-up music because this is real music with real instruments, not the irritating headache-inducing bopathons that constitute normal kid-oriented music !
You'd be forgiven for thinking that the track-listing doesn't really look any different to classic kids' CDs :
You'd be forgiven for thinking that the track-listing doesn't really look any different to classic kids' CDs :
01. As I lie here in my bed
02. Here we go
03. 5 little monkeys
04. Gravity
05. What colour is your t-shirt?
06. Move around
07. Best foot forward
08. Little fish
09. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
10. Clap your hands
But I really appreciate the witty stories in the songs and the educational aspects that can be developed - discussing gravity and the different languages in 1,2,3,4,5 for example. The main advantage is definitely the fact that it sounds like real music that grown-ups would listen to without the kids though (just maybe with different lyrics !).
To celebrate the release of the new CD, Nick Cope is offering a free download of Snowman kind of day to the first 100 people who enter their email address here. You can also watch some videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/nickcopesongs or listen to samples on the website http://www.nickcope.co.uk/.
star rating : 4.5/5
RRP : £10
for more information : www.nickcope.co.uk
Disclosure : We received a copy of Nick Cope's What Colour is Your T-Shirt? in order to write an honest review.
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Our children love this too - definitely recommended!
ReplyDeleteMy son would love this and I am looking for something that we can play in the car.
ReplyDeletesounds like a great CD. I love making up child friendly words to adult songs and we often end up singing completely different songs to the original - just because the music is more 'adult friendly' than listening to a lot of the stuff composed specifically for children.
ReplyDeleteWe also love finding songs online that have been adapted for children - one of Daisy's favourites is Elmo from Sesame Street singing his version of LMFAO's 'sexy and I know it' - brilliant and very catchy. I've lost track of the number of times I've caught myself singing along to the original song in a shop but found myself singing 'I'm Elmo and I know it....'