Biography

Airplay Direct's digital delivery service is free to approved radio programmers/broadcasters. Anyone can listen straight away but only radio stations can download these high resolution broadcast quality songs.


All John Harley Weston songs registered with APRA (ASCAP in USA) and PPCA.


Current single - Waltzing Matilda. Channel 7 Television added 'Waltzing Matilda' (and one of John's original songs 'Believe In Yourself') to their Beijing Olympics playlist. Five million Australians watched the broadcast. Respected reviewer Freddy Celis of Rootstime (Europe) says of, 'Weston's intimate version (of Waltzing Matilda) must be added to the gallery of the greatest.'


You can listen to BBC Radio presenter Ian Anderson playing the song and discussing it's use during the Olympics as well as the song's Scottish connection by cutting and pasting this url in to your browser

www.johnharleyweston.com/bbcradioscotlandairplaywaltzingmatilda.html


An Australian movie producer recently contacted John to ask if he can use his version of the song in the movie 'Shadows Of The Past' featuring Australian country music royalty Tania Kernaghan amongst others. Unfortunately the US publishing company that own the North American rights to 'Waltzing Matilda' want $10,000. Yes, the Australian classic is owned by a US company. In Australia there's no copyright issue as the song is 'in the public domain' or 'out of copyright' but the USA have different publishing laws. John says, 'I love America but that's like them owning The Sydney Opera House'.


Please let us know if you add John's music to your playlist so we can add your radio station to our growing list (over 30 stations including the BBC) at http://www.johnharleyweston.com/critics.htm


People are saying great things about John Harley Weston's music (see quotes below from people like Powderfinger manager and Crosby, Stills and Nash guitarist/drummer) but it all comes down to getting heard. We hope your radio station like what you hear.


All songs featured on this site appear on John's new album 'Welcome Back To Reality' 2008. It's proving to be a great follow up to his first album 'Hope Harbour' from 2004 - songs from that album won him the Australian National Songwriting Contest and accolades from Billboard and Unisong etc.


You can hear part of a recent session on ABC Coast FM (Gold Coast, Australia - presenter Briony Petch) featuring an acoustic version of 'Welcome Back To Reality' and the story behind the song by cutting and pasting this url in to your browser http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/gold_coast_evenings/index.html


This hard working artist also just secured airplay with Satellite Music Australia who supply music to Foxtel & Austar Pay TV digital radio channels as well as huge retail stores across the southern hemisphere. He's also had confirmation from Mood Media, an even bigger digital/satellite music company supplying to huge well known brands around the world, that they too will also be adding him to their playlists.


John's also signed a deal with Blue Pie Records Australia - a record label that have secured licensing deals with over 300 major companies including 20th Century Fox, ABC Network Australia, Columbia Tristar, Dreamworks, Coca Cola, Toyota etc. It’s a non-exclusive deal so John is still free to sign to other labels. Win win!


John's music has been added to the databases of 3 major film and television music production houses (New York, Los Angeles and Australia) that provide music to major film and tv shows.


In 2008 John was nominated for a prestigious Gold Coast Honours Award (Entertainment) by readers of the Gold Coast Bulletin newspaper. (There are half a million people on the Gold Coast of Australia). The awards recognise people who inspire the city with creative spirit, courage, sense of community and passion in their chosen field of business. John says, 'For me it’s not about winning, it’s about spreading the word to other musicians that hard work along with support for organisations like Cancer Council or Amnesty International can physically help people and inspire others to do more and be better. Realists just live in the world but idealists create the better parts of the world we live in’.


The consistency of great songwriting across his new album is apparent; 2 songs (Believe In Yourself and Let Your Life Begin received highest level and honourable mentions respectively from Billboard World Songwriting Contest (2007). Both songs share the same lyrics but different arrangements showing Weston’s talent and diversity. Three songs 'Whatever Makes You Happy, Welcome Back To Reality' and What Do You Want From Me' made it through to the in the Semi Finals of the UK Songwriting Contest (200 and nine songs made it through to the 2nd round of the Australian National Songwriting Contest (200. More soon…


Some great testimonials from respected people in the music industry...........


TONY BEARD (drummer/guitarist for Crosby, Stills & Nash, Peter Frampton, Paul McCartney, Johnny Winter, Daryl Hall, Jeff Beck, Johnny Winter, Madonna) says new song ''Whatever Makes You Happy' is a hit and a great metaphor'.


PAUL PITICCO (manager of one of Australia's biggest band's Powderfinger and Bernard Fanning) says 'Congrats mate. DIY has worked great for you .....you should write a "how to" book. It has been great to watch it grow. Here's to your continued success'.


MARK HOLDEN - (Australian Idol judge, music producer and songwriter) says 'Hi John.....really good site you have for listening - excellent material - good onya...'


KHALIQ GLOVER (Los Angeles based Grammy award winning recording/mixing engineer for John Mayer, Santana, Sting, Prince, Christina Aguilera, Stevie Wonder, Marcus Miller) says 'Wow, you sound great. Great songs and craftmanship and your singing is spot on..'


ABOUT THE NEW ALBUM 'WELCOME BACK TO REALITY':
Welcome back to the essence of great songwriting; strong melodies, a variety of teasing hooks and coherent lyrics that inspire and uplift. It's all wrapped in hook driven, laid back, acoustic guitar-based rock, seasoned with the best of folk.


Weston's writing is reminiscent of the message songs of Ben Harper and Bernard Fanning. Sounds like vintage Neil Diamond swallowed John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen's bands, Paul Rodgers soul and Gordon Lightfoot's subtleties.


That common thread is evident from the uplifting cajun-flavoured 'Whatever Makes You Happy' (first single released May 200 to the Sheryl Crowesque 'Believe In Yourself' on to the epic self-discovery song 'Welcome Back To Reality'. It continues with 'Let Your Life Begin', revealing shades of Paul Rodgers, through to the bluesy 'Wouldnt Miss A Day' and on to the Johnny Cash styled 'Righteous Son' about Australian, Van Nguyen, who was hanged in Singapore for carrying drugs. In addition to 9 original songs there is also the aforementioned intimate cover of 'Waltzing Matilda'.


Weston's first album 'Hope Harbour' (2004/5) picked up serious international awards. In Australia where the Scotsman is now based he won the prestigious Australian National Songwriting Contest 2005 (rock category) with 'Last Days Of Summer'. He also received highest level Honourable Mention from Billboard World Songwriting Contest (2006) for his humanitarian lament, 'Brothers and Sisters' and made top 20 at the notoriously difficult Unisong International judged by songwriting legends...a comp that's given birth to songwriters Bonnie Raitt , Jimmy Buffet, Mick Fleetwood, Indigo Girls, Lisa Loeb, Burt Bacharach.


Weston was voted in the top 5 best singers in the world by a heavy-weight U.S. music publisher Dale Kawashima (previously Creative Director at Sony Music Publishing in Los Angeles and head of Michael Jackson's ATV) who has represented the song catalogs of Springsteen, Dylan, Beatles and Motown.


John Harley Weston is endorsed by Takamine Guitars, D'Addario strings and Neumann Microphones.


In 1999 he wrote 'Road to Victory' for the mighty Brisbane Lions Aussie Rules Football team. (Festival/Mushroom Records)


His musical apprenticeship was served in the 90's as lead singer songwriter with the Scottish band Frontier signed to Phonogram Records alongside Robert Plant, Dire Straits and Texas.


He's worked with some of the cream of the industry including Gary Katz (legendary Steeley Dan producer), Ian Kewley (Paul Young's M.D.) Sandy Jones (Wet Wet Wet), Ian Kewley (Paul Young), Dave Bascombe (Tears For Fears), Kenny McDonald (Texas), Steve Jackson (Bryan Adams), Tony Philips (Seal) and session players such as Wix (Paul McCartney), Tony Beard (Jeff Beck, Hall and Oates, Wycliff Jean, Madonna). And recorded at Peter Gabriel's 'Real World' in England, 'Rockfield Studios' in Wales, (Bohemian Rhapsody) Jimmy Page's 'The Old Mill' and George Martin's 'Air Studios', London.


John is currently performing in South east Queensland. (Past gigs include performances for the Queensland Premier, Gold Coast Mayor, supports to Wet Wet Wet, Duran Duran, Swanee, Indigo Girls, Lighthouse Family and more.


John Harley Weston's music is available from his main website, his myspace site, facebook, iTunes, Blue Pie, cdbaby and dozens of others.


Gig info at http://www.johnharleyweston.com/gigs.htm


MAIN WESBITE http://www.johnharleyweston.com
MYSPACE http://www.myspace.com/johnharleyweston
FACEBOOK http://www.facebook.com/people/John_Harley_Weston/564638607
WIKIPEDIA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Harley_Weston

EMAIL: If you prefer us to send you a copy of the album please email us at info@johnharleyweston.com