Blurred Vision

Blurred Vision Beneath the debut album's image, the "Insanity Cube"
Blurred Vision Promotional photo beneath Tower Bridge, London UK

Blurred Vision is a London–based progressive, psychedelic, pop rock band officially formed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 2010, consisting of Iranian-born brothers Sepp Osley (guitar and vocals), Sohl Osley (bass), and Ben Riley (drums). The group released their debut album "Organized Insanity", produced by Terry Brown, through Cherry Red Records on 6 April 2015 (UK), and 14 April 2015 (US).[1]

History

Blurred Vision gained global acclaim in 2010 when their Roger Waters approved cover of Pink Floyd hit "Another Brick In The Wall Part 2" dubbed "Hey Ayatollah Leave Those Kids Alone" became an anthem for the youth uprisings in Iran that started in the summer of 2009.[2] The video would become one of the first cover videos on YouTube to go viral, receiving nearly 100,000 views in its first 2 weeks on the social media platform. [3]

The Blurred Vision remake was publicly endorsed by Pink Floyd founder Roger Waters and was called an international phenomenon by The Toronto Star, with global media reporting and both nominated into global film festivals including the Soho Shorts in London[4] and displayed in Museums in Cologne, Germany, and Liverpool, England, a part of the Art Of Pop Video exhibit, The 100 Most Influential Pop Videos Of All Time.[5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

The proceeds from the cover went to benefit human rights organisation Amnesty International, and Blurred Vision, Roger Waters, and Amnesty launched a global campaign to release political prisoners in Iran through a petition and social media based initiative calling on fans to declare that the ayatollah "leave those kids alone" through video messages worldwide.[11]

In 2012, Blurred Vision released a single written in dedication to Beatle legend John Lennon called "Dear John", that would see them become official ambassadors of NYC based charity WhyHunger, with proceeds from the single benefiting the initiative to end hunger and poverty. Blurred Vision would join a hand full of artists as global ambassadors including Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, and Carlos Santana.[12]

The following year in 2013, Blurred Vision shot a fan based music video for "Dear John". Fans mailed in videos from 4 continents and students from Hope North, a school in Uganda helping to rehabilitate child soldiers, we're also involved in the making of the music video, holding up a lyric of John Lennon's "Imagine".[13]

In 2014, Blurred Vision would become the only Canadian band to be invited to perform at The Beatles 50th Anniversary Concerts in New York City. The band would perform on the iconic Hudson Theater stage where Elvis Presley once performed for the Steve Allen Show 1 July 1956.[14] Blurred Vision's performance was documented extensively and became a national news story in Canada and picked up by media publications including Metro, CBC and the Canadian Press. [15] [16]

Debut album

Organized Insanity, released in April 2015, was declared "one of the best of 2015" by UK music writer Malcolm Dome (Prog Magazine/Classic Rock Magazine/Team Rock UK), that brought the group critical acclaim in the UK and abroad.[17] [18] [19] The album was recorded in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The beds on the record were recorded at Blue Sound and Music and the remainder of the album and mixing was completed at Vis-à-Vis Recorders in Muskoka, owned by record producer Terry Brown.[20]

2015 UK Tour With Uriah Heep

Upon release of the band's debut album, a UK tour supporting British Rock band Uriah Heep kicked off, that saw the 2 groups embark on a 10 date run across England between 25 April – 10 May 2015. Producer Terry Brown would join the band on the entire stretch of the tour.[21] [22] [23] [24]

Blurred Vision's live performance on the final night of the UK tour at KOKO in London would be documented and reviewed by Prog Magazine Editor in Chief Jerry Ewing, on 10 May 2015.[25]

Discography

  1. Another Brick In The Wall (Hey Ayatollah Leave Those Kids Alone) Cover - Single, 11 February 2010 (Digital Release) [26]
  2. Dear John - Single, 3 April 2013 (Digital Release) [27]
  3. Organized Insanity - LP 6 April 2015 (UK), 7 April 2015 (US/ROW), Digital Release 6 April 2015 [28]

Organized Insanity track listing

  1. "No More War"
  2. "Rollin' On"
  3. "Tonight"
  4. "Long May You Run"
  5. "Promise"
  6. "Dear John"
  7. "Arms Of Our World"
  8. "All I Wanted"
  9. "Wherever You Are"
  10. "The Keeper"
  11. Organized Insanity

References

  1. ↑ "Cherry Red Records - Blurred Vision - Organized Insanity". cherryred.co.uk.
  2. ↑ "Roger Waters". Billboard.
  3. ↑ Matt. "Pink Floyd news :: Brain Damage - Another Brick In The Wall cover to raise awareness of Iran". brain-damage.co.uk.
  4. ↑ "Toronto band turns 'Another Brick in the Wall' into Iranian protest song". thestar.com. 5 August 2010.
  5. ↑ "The Dancing of Politics". fact.co.uk.
  6. ↑ "Waters approves reworked Pink Floyd 'anthem'". Express.co.uk.
  7. ↑ "Pink Floyd backs Iranian protest song". Telegraph.co.uk. 30 July 2010.
  8. ↑ "'Ayatollah, leave those kids alone' – Pink Floyd get an Iranian twist - Middle East - World - The Independent". The Independent.
  9. ↑ Alexandra Topping. "Pink Floyd's Another Brick in the Wall reworked for Iranian protest". the Guardian.
  10. ↑ "Pink Floyd Hit Re-Worked As Iran Protest (VIDEO)". The Huffington Post.
  11. ↑ "Pink Floyd founder Roger Waters and Canadian rockers Blurred Vision launch 'Hey Ayatollah' video campaign". amnesty.org.uk.
  12. ↑ "Blurred Vision". whyhunger.org.
  13. ↑ "Watch Blurred Vision's "Dear John" Video". ARTISTdirect.
  14. ↑ "Elvis Presley : Hudson Theater : New York City : Steve Allen Show : July 1, 1956". elvispresleymusic.com.au.
  15. ↑ "Blurred Vision set to play Beatles show". Metro.
  16. ↑ "CBC News - The Beatles honoured 50 years after North American debut". cbc.ca.
  17. ↑ "Blurred Vision: Organized Insanity". Prog.
  18. ↑ "[Album] BLURRED VISION: Organized Insanity". Music Waves.
  19. ↑ "Blurred Vision: Organised insanity". Music In Belgium.
  20. ↑ "Blue Sound and Music". bluesoundandmusic.com.
  21. ↑ "Blurred Vision invite Terry Brown on tour". Classic Rock.
  22. ↑ MBlade. "Musipedia of Metal". musipediaofmetal.blogspot.ca.
  23. ↑ Steve Goldby. "Uriah Heep/Blurred Vision: The Engine Rooms, Southampton". metaltalk.net.
  24. ↑ "Uriah Heep–Fibbers, 28/05/15". Not Quite Music Journalism.
  25. ↑ "First Look: Blurred Vision". Prog.
  26. ↑ "iTunes - Music - Another Brick in the Wall (Hey Ayatollah Leave Those Kids Alone) - Single by Blurred Vision". iTunes.
  27. ↑ "iTunes - Music - Dear John - Single by Blurred Vision". iTunes.
  28. ↑ "iTunes - Music - Organized Insanity by Blurred Vision". iTunes.
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