Gott Karel: S pomocí přátel - CD

Karel Gott and Friends 2014: new songwriters, new songs, new hits! With the sole exception of a 2012 duet with Olga Lounová, all recordings are fresh from 2014, primarily from Czech songwriters, representing a very interesting intersection of several generations.

A listen clearly shows that everyone really wrote for Karel – no emptying of old drawers here. Ballads, catchy choruses, dance tracks – all are recognisably composed specifically for the singer whose career is unparalleled worldwide.

Proven songwriters of the calibre of Michal David, ORM, Petr Chmela, Boris Urbánek, and Vašo Patejdl delight with perfectly crafted melodies, ranging from a grand ballad (Pátý den, Právě vchází, Láska, to je déšť) and a song for Jiří Štaidl (Kluk s velkou vášní) to a catchy retro track from the late fifties (Chci tě). However, some collaborations seemed rather unlikely at first glance: KG with Michal Malátný, Gipsy.cz, Petr Bende, Martin Chodúr, Viktor Dyk, or Ondřej Brzobohatý?
It worked. The gentlemen, often contributing lyrics and participating in the recording sessions, came up with a sophisticated slow song (Pondělí), a Latin dance track (Tak pojď se mnou), a driving tune embellished with punchy brass (Dál jedu si svou), a sound-packed disco number (Právě vchází), a genuinely American-sounding duet with Monika Bagárová (Místa, která znáš), and a beautiful chanson (Testament). Add to that the fact that, in addition to Gott's traditional studio orchestra, musicians and bands associated with the songwriters often actively joined in, making not only the songs but also their arrangements suitably diverse.