IN Music

Marcia Hines has paid tribute to a favourite musician by recording the songs from the classic album Tapestry.

When Marcia Hines bought her first copy of Carole King’s Tapestry it was on vinyl. It was 1971 and she sat next to the record player and followed along with the large included lyric sheet.

“It was like she was just singing to me,” says Marcia, one of Australia’s most-loved singers.

The album went on to be one of the most influential in the singer’s collection and when Marcia was offered the chance to record the songs off Tapestry she jumped at the idea. The result is Marcia Sings Tapestry And the songs of Carole King, as they’ve added three more King songs at the end.

Tapestry – an undeniable pop classic – was released in 1971 by American singer-songwriter Carole King and features such classics as I Feel The Earth Move, You’ve Got A Friend, So Far Away and its marquee track (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman. It remains the longest charting album by a female solo artist and has sold more than 25 million copies.

“When Carole wrote this album, she was a young woman and she spoke for all of us,” says the Member of the Order of Australia and former Australian Idol judge. “She had a lot to say and was living her life and it was the first time I had heard stories about women being on the road. She touched certain parts of our lives that people never spoke about. Something like Will You Love Me Tomorrow was a huge admission.”

When Marcia was first approached with the idea she thought “cool, that could be interesting”.

“I also thought it would be a challenge,” says 57-year-old Marcia, who this year also celebrates 40 years as an entertainer. “Tapestry is one of those albums steeped in tradition so you really have to harness lightning and decide what you are going to do with it.

“The album was released in 1971and there have been immense changes in music since then, so we wanted to introduce it to this century but keep it real.”

The singer says the warmth on the album has much to do with the fact that both she and the musicians were in the studio together. The results are a better sounding album than she could ever have hoped for.

“It’s funny to hear something a zillion times and never think that you are going to record it. I looked at it from a fan and an audience’s perspective. So I put the album on non-stop for a month just to feel it again and I realised how cool it was going to be to re-do. My family were very patient!

“There’s no one who sounds like Carole but I know putting my voice to it will change it, plus the instrumentation we chose will do that too. That’s the stamp we put on it.

“Keeping it real was what I wanted. This album is very conversational, not about how clever you can be with your voice.”

Marcia Hines Sings Tapestry is out now. See Marcia Hines and Leo Sayer perform at Perth Zoo on February 12, 2011.

WIN, WIN, WIN!

Thanks to Universal Music Australia we have five copies of Marcia Sings Tapestry to give away…
To go in the draw, simply become a fan of Realmark on Facebook at
facebook.com/realmarkre.

IN Modern Art

By Ara Jansen

From Picasso to Pollock and Magritte to Mondrian, Perth is being treated to an international collection of modern art.

One of the modern art world’s most fascinating characters also had an enviable collection, which Perth art lovers can indulge in over the summer months.

Blessed with a keen eye and excellent taste, Peggy Guggenheim was the niece of Solomon R. Guggenheim, after whom New York’s famed art gallery and foundation is named. Peggy’s father died in the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, leaving the 21-year-old New Yorker a $2.5 million inheritance.

In her early 20’s Peggy moved to Paris, became enamoured with the bohemian set and became friends with artists who would go on to become big names in art’s future.

She started selling, collecting and exhibiting art as well as promoting her friends and eventually moved to Venice. Her collection became one of Europe’s most significant examples of modern American art and remains so today.

On display now and for the next four months at the Art Gallery of Western Australia are 35 pieces from the Peggy Guggenheim Museum in Venice.

Titled Peggy Guggenheim: A Collection in Venice, the works show off the late Peggy’s strong affinity for surrealism and abstraction, two of last century’s key art movements.

The collection of European and American artists who transformed modern art includes work by Pablo Picasso, Max Ernst, René Magritte, Piet Mondrian, Vasily Kandinsky, Giorgio de Chirico, Constantin Brancusi, Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock.

To offer a further insight into the woman herself, personal ephemera from the colourful collector and patron, including her famous sunglasses and pictures of her much-loved dogs, will also be on display.

This is the first exhibition in the Art Gallery’s annual series called Great Collections of the World.

Art Gallery of Western Australia director Dr Stefano Carboni says the Peggy Guggenheim exhibition and others in the series, which are exclusive to Perth and not travelling elsewhere in Australia, will share some of art’s most interesting treasures with West Australians.

“I think there’s an appetite for this kind of exhibition in Perth,” says Dr Carboni. “We’ve created something very unique here, because it’s not part of another show. These are masterpieces and I want to give the public a great experience that is both visual and educational.”

The exhibition also comes with a full schedule of activities for all ages which range from talks and after-hours master classes to student art workshops.

Peggy Guggenheim: A Collection in Venice is at the Art Gallery of Western Australia until January 31, 2011. Check out greatcollections.com.au for full activity list.

*Realmark is an active and enthusiastic supporter of the arts and has a close association with the Art Gallery of Western Australia. Our award-winning company was a sponsor of Starry Starry Night, a glittering fundraiser held in the lead-up to Peggy Guggenheim: A Collection in Venice.*

Realmark scoops REIWA awards

This month, I am proud to announce to IN readers that Realmark won four categories at the recent 2010 Real Estate Institute of Western Australia Excellence Awards.

We received the following awards:

• Best Large Residential Agency of the Year- for the second consecutive year
• Best Commercial Agency of the Year - for the first time
• The Communication Award - for the fourth time
• The Innovation Award - for the third time

My fellow director and wife Anita, and myself, plus some senior staff members were at the event to accept the awards and it was an incredible feeling to be recognised by our peers across so many categories.

However, these awards are not mine, they belong to the entire Realmark team because without their hard work and commitment to the Realmark approach, this never would have happened.

What is also encouraging is that these awards are a sign that we are delivering on our promises to our clients and ultimately, that is why we all get out of bed everyday.

So I’d like to thank the entire Realmark team for all their work that has culminated in these awards, but I’d also like to use this opportunity to thank Realmark’s clients. Thank you for choosing and supporting our progressive approach to real estate, we wouldn’t be here today if you didn’t believe in us.