Victoria Hart 'Whatever Happened To Romance' album

Victoria Hart a former singing waitress and citizen of the world was born in California, but moved to England at the age of five and France at the age of seven. Having grown up with a fondness and love for jazz, swing and blues music. Victoria pursued her passion in London working as a singing waitress at the famous Naked Turtle restaurant as a jazz-singing waitress where she honed her craft and began recording her debut Whatever Happened To Romance?

The CD is collection of new songs (with the exception of the Kinks’ classic Sunny After noon) set against a backdrop of pop, jazz, swing and blues.

The young and talented Victor ia dazzled celebrities George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Her performance captivated the media and the buzz spread quickly. Shortly after,Victor ia found herself in New York performing on The Today Show.

THE GIRL AND HER MUSIC
Victoria Hart, with her natural nonchalance, her pretty looks, her disarming smile and a voice that moves men to tears, is the perfect person to herald the return of romance. Blonde, ultra-feminine, slightly retro, more than a hint of the starlet about her, Hart moves with the confidence of a woman who knows she’s being looked at.

And she’s just 18-years old.

Charming and funny, she’s the kind of girl a man could fall in love with and a woman could relate to – a girl who, for all her apparent innocence, has undoubtedly got a wild and naughty side …… but that’s her secret.

Hart’s songs, with their nod to a bygone age, contain some clever twists and you’re never sure whether she’s in on the joke. That’s part of her charm. Just as Ella Fitzgerald sang Cole Porter straight, glossing over the obvious irony of many of his lyrics, Hart can make a very saucy line sound like an invitation to supper. Is she naughty? Is she innocent? Or just a big tease?

Victoria Hart has a great sense of timing, with the gift of knowing how to deliver a line. Comedienne, actress, singer, she’s a modern day Peggy Lee, Marilyn Monroe or Doris Day.

THE STORY SO FAR
Victoria Hart was born in California in 1988, moved to England at the age of 5, on to France in 2000 and then back to London in 2005. She is a well-travelled girl with gypsy feet, a multi-cultural background and the ability to sing in 3 languages.

In the summer of 2004 Victoria was living on the French Riviera. She was just 15 years old and about to do her final GCSE year at Mougins International School. She’d always loved singing and entertaining family and friends, so during the school holidays she would sing jazz and blues standards at informal parties.

It was at one of these events, a Jazz Picnic near Cannes, that hit songwriter Geoff Gurd first came across Victoria. He remarked that he had rarely heard such an impressive raw talent.

Two weeks later Victoria put on some headphones and recorded a couple of songs. It was the first time she had ever been in a recording studio but, as Geoff said, it was as though she had been doing it all her life. So was born an unlikely musical relationship between a 15 year old singer and a writer/producer who has been around the block!

Since then, Gurd and Hart have produced a raft of songs and they will be launching Victoria’s debut album on August 28th, 2007.

THE ALBUM, THE SONGS AND THE MUSICIANS
Rather than attempt new versions of the old standards, Victoria has chosen original compositions for her album - with the exception of her interpretation of the Ray Davies/Kinks classic Sunny Afternoon.

All the songs were written for or by Victoria. The lyrics are based on her unfashionably romantic view of the world (see her likes/dislikes below), set against a backdrop of pop, jazz, swing, blues – even salsa!

Victoria’s unique musical style and irresistible personality attracted some great musicians to play on her album.

Neil Drinkwater (piano) was Van Morrison’s musical director (listen out for his tinkling ivories on Have I Told You Lately). Paul Robinson (drums) was the late Nina Simone’s drummer. Geraint Watkins (organ) has played with some of the greats of the industry including Paul McCartney and Mark Knopfler. The Kick Horns recorded the brass during their break from Eric Clapton’s World Tour.

21 different musicians played on the album and they all had a ball recording in a Cotswolds Studio during the summer of 2006. Even Victoria’s vocal coach, the legendary Verona Chard, was invited to the recording sessions to get the most from the vocal performance.

Around the same time, Victoria, who is always game for adventure, was selected to star in a TV commercial for Flirtomatic – a new on-line product. They even used a special ‘club-beat’ version of one of the debut album songs Chocolates And Strawberries for the music of the commercial.

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Victoria Hart - Whatever Happened To Romance