Entertainment

Richie Stephens launches 'Take Me Away

Richie Stevens speaks at the launch of Take Me Away at Wray & Nephew, Spanish Town Road. The Event will be produced by Richie Stephens and friends. - Carlington Wilmot photo

western bureau

IF NOT FOR an insistent radio disc jock, the Richie Stephens ballad Take Me Away, which is currently doing very well on radio and the accompanying video getting repeated showing, would not have seen the light of day.

At least, not in the form that it has, with a piano carrying the music beautifully.

The singer gave some background to the song on Wednesday afternoon at the hospitality room at Wray and Nephew on Spanish Town Road in Kingston, as details of his 'Take Me Away' production were outlined. The show takes place on Sunday, May 29, 2005, at the Jamaica Pegasus Ballroom in New Kingston. With cocktails at 7:00 p.m. before the 8:00 p.m. showtime, the entire production, staged under the patronage of the Embassy of Panama, will run for about three hours.

Billed for performances by Richie Stephens and Friends, the line-up is Ken Boothe, Ernie Smith, Pam Hall, LUST, Brian & Tony Gold, Della Manley, John Williams, Lloyd Parks and Heather Cummings. The MC is Francois St. Juste and Krazy Kris of KOOL FM will provide the music.

It was also Krazy Kris who urged Stephens to present 'Take Me Away' in its current form and not as how it first appeared on the album Standing Ovation.

"He said I should record it in ballad form and I said 'Kris, people no too inna de ballad ting again'. He said 'a joke yu a mek'," Stephens recalled. He duly went back into the studio and the rest is still being written history, of which the 'Take Me Away' production will be a part.

He will be hosting the show and bringing on his friends, Della Manley with the beautiful 'Ashes on the Windowsill' and LUST giving a hint of the quality the night will offer.