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Beth Orton

Beth Orton

Birth : 1970-12-14, East Dereham, Norfolk, England

History

Beth Orton (born Elizabeth Caroline Orton, 14 December 1970) is a BRIT Award–winning English singer-songwriter, known for her 'folktronica' sound, which mixes elements of folk and electronica. She was initially recognised for her collaborations with William Orbit and the Chemical Brothers in the mid 1990s. However, these were not Orton's first recordings, she had released a solo album, Superpinkymandy, in 1993. Since the album was only released in Japan, it went largely unnoticed by international audiences. Her second solo album, Trailer Park, garnered much critical acclaim in 1996. Orton developed a devoted audience with the release of the albums Central Reservation (1999) and the 2002 UK top 10 album, Daybreaker. In her 2006 release, Comfort of Strangers, she moved towards a more folk-based sound and away from the electronic sound of her past albums. American films and television programmes such as Felicity, How to Deal, Charmed, Dawson's Creek, Vanilla Sky and Grey's Anatomy have featured her music and provided her with exposure to a more mainstream American audience. Description above from the Wikipedia article Beth Orton, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Profile

Beth Orton

Movies

Moira

A subtly nuanced drama that explores the toll that physical and mental illness can have on a family.

Lennon or McCartney

Lennon or McCartney

Self (voice)

550 artists were interviewed over ten years. At some point during those interviews, they were asked a question and told to answer with one word only. Some stuck to one, some said more, some answered quickly, some thought it through, and some didn't answer at all. That question… Lennon or McCartney?

Do You Love Me Like I Love You (Part 10: The Boatman's Call)

Do You Love Me Like I Love You (Part 10: The Boatman's Call)

Self

A short film to accompany the reissue of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds album The Boatman's Call (originally released in 1997). The result is a determinedly human portrait of the unique body of work produced by the band over the last 25 years, told through those who have lived and loved the music, including close collaborators.

Herself

Inspired by musician and eco-philosopher David Rothenberg's book of the same title, this documentary explores the intriguing, charming, complex and often conflicting theories on why birds sing like they do and why humans are so attracted to the sound. The film features contributions from musicians including Laurie Anderson, Jarvis Cocker and Beth Orton; enlightening and often startling analysis from some of the world's most eminent birdsong scientists; a literary guide to birdsong in poetry; a bizarre birdsong-themed art 'happening'; the creation of a new musical composition from the Afro-Celt Sound System, entirely made up of manipulated birdsongs; and a strange musical duet at New York's Bronx Aviary, featuring humans and birds.

The Old, Weird America: Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music

The Old, Weird America: Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music

The Old, Weird America tracks the history of the Anthology of American Folk Music from its initial compilation of 78 records from rural Americana to its 1952 release on Folkways Records, the urban folk revival of the 1960s, and its continuing influence on contemporary music.

Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man

Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man

Self

Poet, singer / songwriter and ladies man Leonard Cohen is interviewed in his home about his life and times. The interview is interspersed with archive photos and exuberant praise and live perfomances from an eclectic mix of musicians, including: Jarvis Cocker, Rufus & Martha Wainwright, Teddy Thompson, Anohni, The Handsome Family and U2's Bono and The Edge.

John Martyn: Johnny Too Bad

John Martyn: Johnny Too Bad

Herself

This honest and often blackly hilarious film shows Martyn at home in Ireland, during the lead-up to and aftermath of an operation to have one of his legs amputated below the knee. Contributors include sometime collaborator and buddy Phil Collins, the late Robert Palmer, Ralph McTell, Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, fellow hellraiser bassist Danny Thompson, John's ex-wife Beverley Martyn and younger generation fan Beth Orton. We see a man incapable of compromising his creative vision, from his folk club roots in the Sixties, through a career of continuous musical experimentation. Along the way there is a surreal roll-call of accidents and incidents, including a collision with a cow

Emmylou Harris: From a Deeper Well

Emmylou Harris: From a Deeper Well

Profile of veteran country singer Emmylou Harris, witnessing the heady success of her career while also discussing her late flowering of intensely personal and groundbreaking music, dealing with loss and the passing years.

Southlander: Diary of a Desperate Musician

Southlander: Diary of a Desperate Musician

Rocket

Chance, a hapless Los Angeles musician is searching for the coveted Moletron synthesizer through the classified ad paper the "Southlander", and meeting interesting characters along the way.

Following up on her 2000 opus Suspicious River, Lynne Stopkewich directs this documentary about the final Lilith Fair. Launched in 1997 by Sarah McLachlan and a host of other female singer/songwriters, the concert series quickly became one of the most popular, and profitable, tours of the late '90s. Stopkewich, along with her crew, tagged along during the 2000 tour, traveling to 42 shows across the continent. Rising early and crashing late -- often in the bus as it drives to the next destination, Stopkewich's crew quickly gets a taste of the rigors of life on the road. Along the way, they interview fans, crew, tech staff, and the stars. Apart from such documentary footage, Lilith also features performances from McLachlan, Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders, Sheryl Crow, the Dixie Chicks, and sundry other.