Sheer Bliss...by Request

We've heard her in Groove Armada. We've heard her in Zero 7. We've heard her & we want more. Sophie...Sophie...Sophie!!!

Singer/songwriter Sophie Barker first blipped on the musical radar around the time she left University College, London after two years to become a full-time singer. She teamed up with singer Kate Holmes taking the name Sirenes. They released three singles before splitting up at the end of 1997.

Then Sophie's singing/songwriting skills were heard on the final two tracks of English house band Groove Armada's 1999 sophomore album Vertigo.

Next she co-wrote & sang three songs on the 2001 Zero 7 album Simple Things, including their biggest hit, "Destiny". She also contributed to the follow-up 2004 Zero 7 album When It Falls.

Sophie has also worked with The Egg ("Walking Away"), electronica artists Grooverider ("Time & Space"), & many others. Barker was featured in a 2006 British Airways UK television campaign, singing a cover version of John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane".

Examples of all these collaborations are in the first offering. 

 

Sophie Barker & - Exposing Sophie, NØ Comp., 2023.

Sun Don’t Shine - Sirenes
Your Song - Groove Armada
Inside My Mind (Blue Skies) - Groove Armada
Destiny single - Zero 7
     a. Destiny (radio edit)
     b. Destiny (Photek remix)
In the Waiting Line single - Zero 7
     a. In the Waiting Line (radio edit)
     b. In the Waiting Line (Dorfmeister con Madrid de Los Austrias dub)
     c. In the Waiting Line (Aquanote's naked adaption)
Spinning - Zero 7
Passing By - Zero 7
In Time - Zero 7
Walking Away EP - The Egg
     a. Walking Away (original 7'' edit)
     b. Walking Away (Kiki remix)
Time & Space - Grooverider
Imagination - Grooverider
     a. Part 1
     b. Part 3
Leaving on a Jet Plane - Sophie Baker 

Barker also featured as a guest singer on 2003s Quiet Letters by Bliss. 2009 saw her joining the group as collaborator/songwriter & vocalist for their album entitled No One Built This Moment. 

Bliss - No One Built This Moment, Music for Dreams zzzcd0044, 2009.
any decryption codes needed are in comments

People Among Us
Calling (featuring Sophie Barker)
Trust in Your Love (featuring Ane Brun)
Overture (featuring Sophie Barker & Merethe Sveistrup)
So Still (featuring Sophie Barker)
American Heart (featuring Boy George & Alexandra Hamnede)
Mivahetsek (featuring Lisbeth Scott)
Bascar Azad (featuring Lisbeth Scott)
Stop Me (featuring Sophie Barker)
Light to Your Life (featuring Sophie Barker)
The Hope (featuring Sophie Barker, Lisbeth Scott, & Merethe Sveistrup)

 

 

 

As well as all this, Sophie has released numerous solo releases. Emperor Records released her debut album Earthbound in May 2005. It is a collection of eight songs recorded over the previous few years, some written & produced with Robin Guthrie. With more acoustic songs, it is quite a departure from her previous work with Zero 7. Give it a listen. You'll get why we're spending time with Sophie.

Sophie Barker - Earthbound, Emperor EMPCD001, 2005.

Secret
Stop Me
Dreamlife
Wintertime
On My Way Home
Start Me
Angel
Stumble

 

 

 

 

 

Sophie Barker - Break the Habit, Disco Gecko GKOCD023, 2017.

Break the Habit
Start Me
I Do it to Myself
3 Things
Road 66
Gold Dust Woman
Dont Give It Away
Breathe Me In
Let's Start Again 

Finally we have the second of two remix versions of Break the Habit (the other being 2017s LSA). This one is deep house. 

Sophie Barker - Neon Lines, DeepDownDirty DDDD002SBA, 2019.

Break the Habit (BL.CK remix)
Start Me (Black Chapel remix)
I Do it to Myself (Paul Sawyer & Simon Sinfield remix)
3 Things (Cruster remix)
Road 66 (Lee Ogdon remix)
Gold Dust Woman (Audiofetish edit)
Don't Give it Away (Ali Bakhtiar remix)
Breathe Me In (Doppelstern remix)
Let's Start Again (Demah remix)

Away from her music, Sophie has helped to set up the Rainbow Collection Children’s Foundation; a charity that helps to build schools in Kenya.  A percentage of the profit from Sophie’s Rainbow Collection children’s albums goes to the fund which will then be allocated to different educational projects & causes around the world.

Enjoy,
NØ