The Dave Stewart Songbook: The Stories Behind The Songs - Volume One
As a 30-piece orchestra digs into the opening riff of his haunting track Sweet Dreams, Dave Stewart, one of the most respected and accomplished artists in modern music, seems to enjoy a rare moment of looking back on his astonishing legacy. But Stewart is already onto to his next creative idea well before the chorus begins. Bob Dylan describes Stewart as a fearless innovator and it is exactly that approach to his life and his work that has led him to become one of the most sought after writers and music producers crafting numerous tracks for and with artists including Mick Jagger, U2, Gwen Stefani, Sinead O Connor, Jon Bon Jovi, Bryan Ferry, Tom Petty, Bob Geldof and Celine Dion. It has also given Stewart the freedom to extend his talents well beyond the music studio and become a multi-media entrepreneur, leading his company, Weapons of Mass Entertainment, to the forefront of innovation where he can link creative ideas to a host of projects in film, television, books, theater and new media. This is a mere glimpse into the eclectic life of Stewart who at the age of 18 was given a publishing contract at Island Music by legendary impresario Chris Blackwell. Over the past 25 years, Stewart has sold more than 75 million albums worldwide with Eurythmics partner Annie Lennox. Driving 10 releases to multi-platinum sales levels, the duo was behind such inventive rock as Here Comes The Rain Again, Would I Lie To You, and Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This). Dave Stewart is one of those special people who inspire creativity, says Simon Fuller, creator of American Idol. If you are a song writer and you collaborate with Dave, great songs will just flow. If you are an entrepreneur and you spend time with Dave, you will know exactly what your next business idea should be, if you are a philosopher and you get talking to Dave, your mind will suddenly have clarity like never before. There are no boundaries to Stewart s creative endeavors. Stewart has written numerous film scores. Along with long time friend Mick Jagger, Stewart wrote and produced the score and songs for Alfie starring Jude Law, winning a Golden Globe award for Old Habits Die Hard. Stewart was recently hired as a consultant for Nokia, the world s largest mobile phone company, where he was given the unique title of Change Agent, charged with ensuring the artists' point of view is represented in the new world and creating new content business paradigms for the entertainment industry. Innovation requires vision, intuition, courage and ability to see what others don't see. Dave has them all, says Tero Ojanpera Nokia s Executive Vice President, Entertainment & Communities. For all his accomplishments, Stewarts innovations as a change agent in the field of new media may garner him his greatest recognition yet. A recent Washington Post article hailed Stewarts innovation in this arena, calling him a man who vows to drop a neutron bomb on the current entertainment distribution model.