Best of The Vow (Greatest Misses) is released today on Spotify, Amazon and Apple. You can hear the complete album on Youtube or just click on the album under the “Music” tab on this site. I had originally intended restricting this to 12 tracks, but there were 3 songs which I couldn’t leave off for various reasons. It’s impossible to satisfy everyone, so if any of your favourites are missing please don’t be too harsh on me – a whole load of mine are missing too. When there are 52 songs to choose from and they’re all your babies, it becomes an almost impossible task. I called time at 15 as a quintruple “Best of” album would have been a bit much even for me to bear! I think one hour’s worth of music is probably more than enough for anyone.
My selections have been influenced by numerous factors – the best selling songs as per stats provided by my aggregator Kobalt, the most popular Youtube videos, the most hits on the likes of Spotify, my own personal preferences and what I know to be some of the preferences of other members of the band. This had to be tempered by the need to compile a varied and engaging album with technically good recordings / productions. The songs were recorded in numerous locations over a great many years, so the disparities in their tonal qualities have played a part as to where in the album the various tracks sit. I need to thank Pete Maher for his masterful mastering job. I know that this has been no easy task for him.
All that remains for me to say is a big “Thank you” to all of you who have contacted me over the years to tell me how much you love The Vow’s music. I have to admit that I would have seen all of the songs through to completion regardless, but knowing that they and our band are so appreciated does make all the hard work even more worthwhile. Despite the fact we have no record company, no publisher, no publicist, no manager, no agent, no promoter, no plugger and only my very limited budget, our music has been streamed and / or downloaded many millions of times for free via in store radio sites like Jamendo, Audiosparx, Tribe of Noise, Music Revolution, Emerge , Soundreef and others. I’ve never written songs for commercial gain (although that would have been quite nice!); my only concerns have been that the songs are good and that they get heard. Thanks to the internet they ARE heard literally the world over. For me The Vow has always been and continues to be an enormous success.
Keep rocking, the lot of you. It has been a real pleasure and a privilege for me to have been able to provide you with a little enjoyment.
If you want to make your own compilation, here are the 52 songs you have to choose from:
4) And I know
9) Caroline for all we know / Caroline (Strings)
11) Coal fire (burn the changes)
12) Colamericana
14) Falling stars
15) Far too lonely
16) For a dreamer
17) Free the world
18) Ghost writer
19) God help me
22) Holy roller
23) I am immortal
24) I can’t be what you want me to be
25) I want you
28) Julia
29) Madrid
30) Maybe I need you
31) My swan song
32) No sensation
33) No sound now
34) Out of my time
36) Peace in our time (ensemble)
38) Small thoughts
40) Someone to talk to (A cappella)
41) Spacedust
46) The Vow
48) Venus Girl
50) Wintertime
51) You are
These are my bootlegged songs (some are better than others!):
2) December 12
4) Evergreen
7) Reflections on Saturday (duet)
10) When I cry
