Hazel O'Connor

November 2005 will see Hazel O’Connor back in her adopted homeland for a full Irish tour in support of her stunning album Hidden Heart. With a Joplin-esque voice "big and black and white", Hidden Heart bears witness to the voice of a legend up close and personal.

Hidden Heart is Hazel’s tenth album. It boasts 12 diverse songs from the haunting ‘I’ll See You Again’ to ‘Who Will Care’, written about a friend who suffered an overdose. The album features many standout tracks including three duets, one with Moya Brennan (the voice of Clannad), another with Tony Dangerfield of The Subterraneans as well as ‘Tell Me Why’, which is sung with label mate Rob Reynolds.

Hazel’s inspiration for Hidden Heart came from reading Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s book ‘The Little Prince’. Here, the fox tells the Little Prince a secret ‘We can only see what is true with our hearts’. So, it is true with Hazel, who has taken us through and beyond the broken glass.

Hazel has teamed up once again with celebrated harpist Cormac De Barra, in a unique musical marriage. They immediately formed a strong bond after their first project ‘Beyond Breaking Glass’. This autobiographical show was dubbed the highlight of the Edinburgh Festival and started Hazel and Cormac on an incredible journey to the corners of the globe ever since. Ruairí de Barra who plays guitar, whistles and percussion joins them on tour which last year saw them taking to the stage throughout Europe including a stand-out (and soggy) performance at Glastonbury (in the obligatory Wellingtons!).

Producer Martin Rushent (Human League, Stranglers, Buzzcocks) lent his considerable prowess to the album and has helped to reveal this exceptional culmination of work. Hidden Heart confirms and exceeds the quality of songs and musical skill that one would expect of this brilliant performer.

A few facts about Hazel O’ Connor ~

Breaking Glass went GOLD after reaching no.5 and stayed in the charts for 28 weeks. It still continues to sell today.

BREAKING GLASS was Dodi Fayed’s first movie as a producer and he gambled one and a half million pounds on it. His next was Chariots of Fire.

Eighth Day reached no. 5 and stayed in the charts for 11 weeks.

D-Days reached no. 10 stayed in the charts for 9 weeks went SILVER.

HAZEL O’CONNOR shocked England when she stripped off her mac to become the first woman to perform on Top of The Pops wearing only a bra (plus a mini skirt) – not repeated until Madonna followed suit some years later.

Will You reached No. 8 and stayed in the charts for 10 weeks.

BREAKING GLASS is well on the way to having a DVD release and a cleaned-up sound track.

She was the first woman to write, act and perform all the songs for a film.

Hazel won the Variety Club of Great Britain’s 1980 Film Actress Of The Year award.

Hazel’s BREAKING GLASS soundtrack was nominated for BAFTA Best Film Soundtrack.

She was nominated at the BAFTA’s for Best Newcomer of the Year.

She gave David Bowie a hair cut the first time she met him in a recording studio as he had heard from Tony Visconti that she was wicked with a pair of scissors as well as a great singer.

Hazel was bombed by the Israeli Air Force while as a cabaret dancer in Beirut.

She learned to drive in Lebanon, which explains her terrifying driving!

Legendary producer Tony Visconti produced the Breaking Glass soundtrack and the charting single from her second album – D-DAYS.

Legendary producer Martin Rushent produced her brand new 2005 album ‘Hidden Heart’ and co-produced Hazel’s Smile album alongside Neil O’Connor back in the 80s

Hazel has sustained a quarter-century career making unique music for a loyal worldwide audience whose age range stretches from teenagers to a rather mature age.

Hazel has met young people who were conceived to Will You!

Hazel’s first record deal was for the princely sum of £1.

"The show was the highlight of The Edinburgh Festival." The Scotsman

WHAT THE CRITICS SAY
‘Beyond Breaking Glass establishes Hazel O’Connor as much more than an 80’s icon. If you ever get the chance to see her, don’t think twice…just go!’ - Edinburgh Central Telegraph
‘Her voice is a female amalgam of Rod Stewart, Leonard Cohen and Tam White – with a touch of Eartha Kitt – but it remains her own, unique and unforgettable’. - The Scotsman
‘I felt I had seen a true artist perform, which is something you can’t say very often in these days of Steps and Spice’. - East Anglian Times
‘O’Connor’s superb singing voice and musicianship goes far beyond the punk style with which she made her name’. The Stage
‘She had the audience wrapped up in her pocket, as they enthusiastically demanded an encore’. –
The Backroom
‘In my wildest dreams I could never have imagined hearing Calls The Tune and Eighth Day accompanied by a harp – but it worked. …sell-out audience on their feet for three standing ovations… ‘ Jersey Evening Post
‘O’Connor is obviously going back to the folk origins of her balladry to remake herself as a singer,
after the terrible disappointments of stardom. It is certainly working.’ Irish Times
‘…die wenigen Zuhörer in den Sog des Auftritt hineingerissen.’ (voice resembles a vortex that pulls the audience into her songs) Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Photography by Tim Jarvis