Videos

Calvin Harris 'Ready For The Weekend'

• 29th Jul 2009

Calvin Harris has confirmed the highly anticipated successor to gold selling debut album ‘I Created Disco’. Having successfully returned with two #1 singles ‘Dance Wiv Me’ (with Dizzee Rascal) and ‘I’m Not Alone, Calvin will release new album ‘Ready For The Weekend’ through Columbia Records on 17th August.

“What I’m into at the moment”, says Calvin Harris, “is the idea of stadium dance. Playing football stadiums with massive riffs, big hands-in-the-air moments.” A bold ambition, but such boldness is justified, coming from a man who ascended from the bedroom to the big time.

Calvin has come a long way since his trademark sound took over the charts in 2007. Now a sought after producer, international DJ and bonafide star, Calvin has picked up awards, collaborated with everyone from Kylie Minogue to Example, clocked up record sales well in excess of a million copies and sold out tours across the UK. Now he brings us the soundtrack to the summer 2009.

The first taster of the updated Calvin Harris sound “I’m Not Alone” went straight into the charts at #1 and is shaping up to be one of the biggest singles of the year. Harris calls it “a big stadium dance tune, somewhere between Snow Patrol, Faithless and Grandaddy”.

A more straightforwardly upbeat track, and next single on the new album, is “Ready For The Weekend”, featuring the formidable lungs of Mary Pearce (prolific backing singer for the likes of Beverly Knight, Lionel Richie and Chaka Khan), handbag house piano riffs, and the girl-friendly chorus “I put on my shoes and I’m ready for the weekend”. ‘Ready For The Weekend’ is an electro pop master class that has all the hallmarks of another huge record and looks set to give Calvin his third number one in a row. Remixes on the single are courtesy of Fake Blood & Dave Spoon, with the amazing High Contrast completing the package in fine style.

Says Calvin: “Ready For The Weekend’ is a good example of pop song meets piano house record, it’s my favourite thing I’ve done so far.”

Other key moments on the album include “Relax” (an acoustic guitar based track which has a similarly mixed mood to “I‘m Not Alone“), and “Worst Day”, (something of a N.E.R.D./Outkast sound, Calvin’s vocals sharing time with rapper Izza Kizza from Timbaland’s Mosley Music stable). All of which is guaranteed to mess with many people’s expectations of a Calvin Harris record. Following the rapturous response to his recent live dates, Calvin heads out on the road throughout the summer, including appearances at the summer festivals, with diverse slots from iTunes & T4 on the beach to Ibiza rocks & headlining the dance tent at Glastonbury. Calvin has also announced a 20 date headline tour in October cementing his 2009 takeover.

Live Dates as follows:

Sunday 28th June – Glastonbury Festival

Tuesday 7th July – Ibiza Rocks
Friday 10th July – Wakestock, Abersoch, Wales.
Saturday 11th July – T In The Park, Scotland
Sunday 12th July – 09 Oxygen Festival, Ireland
Saturday 18th July iTunes Festival, The Roundhouse
Sunday 19th July – T4 On The Beach
Friday 31st July – Tiesto in Victoria Park

Sunday 2nd August – FatBoy Slim , Marley Park , Dublin
Firday 7th August – Boardmasters Festival, Newquay
Saturday 22nd August – V Festival Chelmsford
Sunday 23rd August – V Festival, Staffordshire
Saturday 29th August – Rock En Seine, Paris
Sunday 30th August – Creamfields, Cheshire

Sunday 6th September – Bingley Festival

Thursday 15th October – Norwich – UEA
Friday 16th October – Bournemouth 02 Academy
Saturday 17th October – Oxford O2 Academy
Monday 19th October – Bristol O2 Academy
Tuesday 20th October – Preston 53 Degrees
Wednesday 21st October – Leeds O2 Academy
Friday 23rd October – Newcastle O2 Academy
Saturday 24th October – Manchester Academy
Sunday 25th October – Nottingham Rock City
Tuesday 27th October – Brighton Corn Exchange
Thursday 29th – Birmingham O2 Academy
Friday 30th October – Sheffield O2 Academy
Sunday 1st November – Aberdeen Forum
Monday 2nd November – Inverness Ironworks
Tuesday 3rd November – Dundee Fat Sams
Wednesday 4th November – Glasgow O2 Academy