We have seen their every move on TV and watched them play up to the camera in their video clips, but slip in Bardot’s new album ‘Play It Like That’, turn down the lights, pump up the volume and finally, enter the mind’s and heart’s of Australia’s biggest selling all-girl group.
“I put this album on and I hear us in there, I hear what we’re about and what’s going on in our lives,” says Bardot’s Sally Polihronas. “Because we’ve all put so much into this, into writing the songs and into creating a really great second album, it reveals a lot about who we are. I hear stories about myself, I hear Soph and Tiff and Belinda. So much of us is in there.”
The long-awaited second album from Bardot – which features the top-five hit ‘ASAP’ and the smash hit single ‘I Need Somebody’ – is released on November 12.
The album, featuring tracks co-written by Sally Polihronas, Sophie Monk, Tiffany Wood and Belinda Chapple, was recorded earlier this year in Australia and London.
“The last record was fun, because it was all so new to us, but this time it’s personal,” says Belinda. “The last time it was all a novelty for us and it happened so fast, but this time around we’ve all written songs, so there’s something personal in there for every one of us, and we took the time to make sure it was just right.
My dream is that people really listen to it and realise this is a great album with something for absolutely everyone. If people are expecting just a collection of bubblegum pop they’re going to be really shocked.”
UK production and writing wizard Ray Hedges - who has written chart-toppers for Cher, Bryan Adams and Boyzone – penned the album’s second single ‘I Need Somebody’.
Recorded during the group’s second working visit to London in mid-2001, the sophisticated summery dance anthem with a chart-worthy disco groove set a quality benchmark for songs to be included on the group’s sophomore album.
From there the call went out to some of the hottest, newest and most in-demand names in the Australian and international pop world for tracks which would complement the up-tempo grooves of ‘ASAP’ and ‘I Need Somebody’.
Swedish production team Murlyn - who wrote ‘ASAP’ and who have previously written hits for Britney Spears, UK boy band Five and Samantha Mumba - contributed the beat-driven ‘When the Cat’s Away’.
“ ‘ASAP’ and ‘When The Cat's Away’ are fun up-beat tracks, and from the moment we heard the vocals, which were spot on, we knew we could do great things with the mix,” says Murlyn’s Pelle Lidell. “The Bardot girls have a great sense of style in the way they work together so our experience, writing and producing for them, was extremely enjoyable.”
UK writer Ollie J – a member of UK pop outfit Arkarna and famed songwriter (Peter Andre, Mysteeq) and remixer (Leftfield) - provided the garage-tinged title track ‘Play It Like That’ and the breezy mid-tempo vocal showcase ‘Love Will Find a Way’.
“I really feel that the girls made the tracks come alive, they really put the Bardot trade mark on them and made them their own,” he says. “Each of them had their own individual style which just really works! They were a great inspiration to work with.”
Locally, pop duo Kaylan supplied the funky ‘It’s Alright’ and reworked their own album track ‘Before I Let You Go’ especially for Bardot. Human Nature’s Phil Burton co-produced two tracks with newcomer Michael D’Arcy, while Michael Szumowski (who wrote the group’s first hit ‘Poison’) supplied the edgy pop anthem ‘Dirty Water’ and collaborated on two further tracks.
Collaboration became a key word for everyone involved in the writing, recording and production of the album. Early on the Bardot quartet decided their second album would be a highly personal effort, wherever possible showcasing not only their further honed talents as singers and performers, but also as budding songwriters.
After several months intensively writing and working with some of the biggest names in the Australian pop scene, ‘Play It Like That’ is a testament to the band’s determination, with each member co-writing at least one track which made the album’s final cut.
Tiffany Wood and Belinda Chapple co-wrote with hot newcomer Michael D’Arcy on the funky dance track ‘Girls Of The Night’.
“I met Michael through our manager and we just sort of clicked,” Belinda says. “He’s only 19 years-old, but he’s so talented and we’re totally on the same wavelength. We ended up writing another song too, called ‘Don’t Call Me I’ll Call You’. It’s about the end of a relationship. My inspiration comes from, not only my own experiences, but my girlfriends’ experiences too.”
Sally Polihronas and Sophie Monk re-teamed with Bardot alumni Michael Szumowski and created the feel-good ‘Feel Right’.
“I think it helped to be writing with people that I knew and who I really trusted,” says Sophie. “Sally and I are really good friends so I think we both felt free to put all our ideas down without worrying what anyone else would think. It turned out to be a really fun song and really fun to write.”
Although squeezed for free time while writing and recording in Australia and London, as well as working on clips for ‘ASAP’ and ‘I Need Somebody’, Sally managed to arrange a meeting with new Australian songwriting duo BNA. The result, written and recorded in demo form in one inspired day of work, is the R&B; flavoured scorcher ‘You Got Me Feeling’.
“It’s about yearning for someone’s love, but they can’t see why they should be with you,” Sally explains. “It was an experience that I went through – but I’m not naming names!
“The writing experience opens up so much of yourself. You’re putting all these feelings and personal stories and experiences out there for other people to hear and feel. I’ve just started to realise how scary that is.”
‘Play it Like That’ is the follow-up to Bardot’s multi-platinum selling self-titled debut album which featured the hit singles ‘Poison’, ‘I Should’ve Never Let You Go’ and ‘These Days’.
Bardot – which evolved from the highly successful ‘Popstars’ television series – has topped both singles and album charts in Australia, New Zealand and in various regions throughout Asia, plus made musical history.
“Play it Like That’ is Bardot’s first album without original member Katie Underwood, who departed the group prior to the release of ‘ASAP’.
The album - mixed by engineer Paul Gomersall, whose credits include George Michael’s ‘Faith’ album, and David Hemming (Wendy Mathews, Paul Mac, Deni Hines and Chakra Diva) - highlights each of the girl’s unique vocal abilities.
“As well as knowing that we wanted to write for this album, our only other real direction was that we wanted to make something which was really eclectic,” says Tiffany Wood. “We wanted to take advantage of the fact that it’s not just one person, one vocal and one set of tastes in Bardot. We’re four people with very different vocals and different tastes, and this time around you can tell.
“Our vocals are richer and more unique to each of us as well. I love that although we harmonise and sing with each other, we’re also able to be ourselves and you can hear that we each bring something unique to our sound.”
