The Storys

TrackAlbum
All InsideLuck
CaliforniaLuck
EvangelinaTown Beyond The Trees
Feeling SomethingTown Beyond The Trees
Heaven Holds You NowTown Beyond The Trees
Is It True What They Say About UsThe Storys
It's All We Really NeedTown Beyond The Trees
Journey's End (Show Me Love)The Storys
Town Beyond The TreesTown Beyond The Trees
Trouble DeepTown Beyond The Trees

 

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Storys playlist

 

 

Contributor: Eva Mulder

On an ordinary Thursday I was listening on YouTube to the song Gethesemane by Ted Neeley from the Jesus Christ Superstar movie. I love that song. Everyone knows how YouTube works – all kinds of stuff comes up on the screen that they think you’ll want to see – and my attention was captured by another version of Gethesemane sung by Steve Balsamo. I looked and listened.

Funnily enough, the video was from a show here in Holland, in the very town where we lived at the time but we’d missed this. I was blown away by his voice and performance, did a little research and found out a bit about his band, The Storys. Their music really appealed to me. It appeared they’d made just the three albums but were, by now, no longer together.

I had to buy those three CDs and I’m glad I did. When I need to feel a bit better I always listen to The Storys. They don’t let me down. Music and feelings are always very closely connected for me; a song has to move me one way or the other. I don’t care that much about the lyrics but most of all I have to like the singer’s voice and how the song makes me feel.

The Storys have that covered for me, with members who can all sing in harmony, and beautifully, plus all of them with great songwriting skills. The Storys were from Swansea. Influenced by the harmony acts of the 70s West Coast sound, they formed in 2003 and played throughout that decade finally calling it a day in 2010. I do find it strange that they were not much better known but on the other hand we know it’s not necessarily about how good you are in the music industry. Well, not any more.

For their final CD, Luck, one of the band members, Dai Smith, was replaced by Rosalie Deighton on guitar/vocals. Maybe the sound changed a little bit but not too much. Rosalie has a musical background and toured and recorded as a child with The Deighton Family, recorded an album with Kate Rusby and Kathryn Roberts in the 90s, and recorded a couple of solo albums, Truth Drug (2001) and 21 Days (2007).

Before forming The Storys, Steve Balsamo played the lead role in Jesus Christ Superstar in the late 90s. He released a solo album, All I Am, in 2002. Andy Collins’ (bass) first album, Closure (2012), was made with ex-Storys band members, Rob Thompson (guitar) and Alan Thomas (keyboards) and recreates their vocal harmony. Andy is currently working on a second album. Rob’s first solo album, Dust, was released two years earlier. It’s excellent. The brothers Thomas, Alan and Brian (drums), recorded a first self-titled album as Eaglesbush (2011 – see website below for further details).

I hope to see at least one or two of The Storys playing live one day. They do help each other out on stage at times so who knows. In fact, Steve Balsamo and Rosalie Deighton are recording and touring together (click on their website below) so maybe Holland will figure on their itinerary!

Of the ten titles I’ve selected for Toppermost, these three, All Inside, Town Beyond The Trees, Trouble Deep, would be constant. Others might change according to mood or whim but those three are firm. My favourite CD has been Town Beyond The Trees from the first listen but I did try to pick out songs where four of the band did the lead vocals. Check them out if you like amazing voices, perfect harmonies and strong lyrics. You won’t be disappointed!

 

The Storys website (suspended)

Steve Balsamo official website

Balsamo Deighton facebook

The Storys biography (Apple Music)

TopperPost #138

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