2015 Obit: What Became of Tia Blake?

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: maeve
Date: 10 Feb 12 - 12:42 PM

You'll want to log in again via the drop-down menu, John. Otherwise your cookieless condition with no name in the Guest slot could result in the post being removed.

As for finding books by Tia, remember she may well have a different last name, or may be using a pen name.

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Feb 12 - 12:19 PM

Let me first confess, that like a lot of former soldiers, I have not been overly fond of France. However, Benito's generous response makes me question my stereotypes. Feel a bit sheepish. Library is a place to start. See if the county or the state have any books by her. I think I'll go by Barnes and Noble and have them search "Books in Print" and other literary data bases to see if she has ever published any books. But since she doesn't appear in this context in Google, maybe she hasn't been published.

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: maeve
Date: 10 Feb 12 - 11:08 AM

Interesting! Where do you plan to look next?

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: GUEST,JohnSc
Date: 10 Feb 12 - 10:27 AM

Maeve and Dave,
Yesterday I got a kind response from Benito.   He says that unfortunately he lost contact with Tia many years ago. She returned to the States, Nord Caroline as he charmingly puts iit, where she was writing short novels.

Thanks again for your interest and assitance.

John

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: JohnSc
Date: 09 Feb 12 - 07:56 AM

Dave,
I wrote to Benito using the MySpace URL as an email address. I assume that the message went through as it hasn't been bounced back. No response yet.

Thanks again for the bright idea.

John

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: GUEST,JohnSc
Date: 05 Feb 12 - 03:35 PM

Nice catch, DK! I am thinking that since he lived in Paris and was the artistic director and had the chez Benito, that he probably he also speaks French.

Thanks again,

John

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Feb 12 - 07:50 AM

Perhaps Benito might know more?

http://www.myspace.com/benitomerlinoyahoofr

I'm guessing that the myspace profile name is also his email address. Anyone here speak Italian?

DK

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: JohnSc
Date: 03 Feb 12 - 11:05 PM

Hi Maeve,
I saw that some of the web entries say "his group". Can't say whether the images of the album on the web aren't copies of the original. I take it that the "his group" is a mistake. I was thinking that the musicians credited on the album know each other but aren't really a a musical group. I think that Eric Kristy, a guitarist on the album, is a movie producer and also continues to play with country or cajun bands, there's an interview and a 28 minute performance on YouTube. He's the same guy as a link to a 70s album, his picture is on the cover.

Visited Last.fm as they had her music and do similarity searches like Pandora. One of my obscure interests is Folkal Point, which they selected as a stylistic match. Eerie, I'm thinking.

Regards,

John

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: maeve
Date: 03 Feb 12 - 08:41 PM

It's entirely possible the "band" was put together for the one recording session.

Did you notice that some copies of the album say, Tis Blake and Her Folk Group", while others say, "Tia Blake and His Folk Group"?

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: JohnSc
Date: 03 Feb 12 - 07:50 PM

These are the credits from Tia's album, Folksongs and BallaThere are a lot of guitarists her. So did they just do this album and never have a history of live performances?

Eric Kristy, Guitar
Gilbert Caranhac, Dobro guitar
Francios Brigot, guitar
Bernard Vandame, guitar
Tia Blake, guitar and vocals
Michael Sada, guitar
Sydney Aufrere, flute

Benito Merlino, artistic director

SFP = Société Française De Productions Phonographiques

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: JohnSc
Date: 03 Feb 12 - 06:03 PM

I have been Googling the musicians who participated in Tia's album. I had a few hits, but it doesn't look like they have been very active, just a few albums not so long after "Folksongs and Ballads". Maybe they had day jobs?

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: maeve
Date: 03 Feb 12 - 04:04 PM

I hit Return too soon...I also wondered what Mudcatters might be equipped and willing to search for:

*clues to the people mentioned in the album notes, or
*the owner(s) of the rights to Tia's album?

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: maeve
Date: 03 Feb 12 - 04:00 PM

Welcome, John. Let's keep this thread refreshed from time to time...perhaps Tia herself will find us.

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: JohnSc
Date: 03 Feb 12 - 03:27 PM

Thanks Maeve, Martin, and David for your contributions. I find Tia Blake to be very interesting not only because she has a lovely voice and sings two of my favorite songs ever, but she was born in Georgia, as I was. So her you have a women recording a record with her own band in Paris at the age of 19, and after this, nothing. I suppose that artists leave music all the time to become private people, but still I wonder if she is still performing.

Who knows, she may read this and say, I'm a veterinarian in Augusta.

Thanks and regards,

John

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: maeve
Date: 01 Feb 12 - 12:25 PM

Contact information for the (apparently defunct?) SFP:

Société Française de Production (SFP)

Contact information

2 avenue de l'Europe
94366 Bry-sur-Marne
France

Website : www.sfp.fr

Jean-Pierre Barry
Chief Executive Officer
****
Found here: http://en.unifrance.org/directories/company/85321/societe-francaise-de-production-sfp

That website lists the following:
Euro Media France, Headquarters

2 avenue de l'Europe
94 360 Bry-sur-Marne
France

E-mail: contact (at) euromedia-france (dot) com (Altered to avoid giving them sp*m headaches) There are telephone numbers listed at the same link.

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: maeve
Date: 01 Feb 12 - 12:12 PM

The back cover starts something like this very rough translation (apologies to those who speak French!):

"...If one day you met Tia--at Benito's Paris house, from a street in Columbus, Georgia,of all places, where she was born in 1952 -- if you are at all normal you have fallen in love at first sight..."

It's hard to read the image I found, even after manipulation with Picasa software. However, lower down on the cover, the following people are listed:

Artistic Direction- Benito Marline
Sound Engineer-- Daniel Valiancian (?)
Cover(?) photo-- Gigi Carlassare
??-- Jean-Paul Smots (?)

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 01 Feb 12 - 11:22 AM

Interesting singer, alright. She has a nice version of "The Rising of the Moon", also.

Click here

Regards

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: maeve
Date: 01 Feb 12 - 11:12 AM

CD Universe is distributing the old album/new cd release, but have no information as to her whereabouts. The contacts persons at both CD Universe and at Water Music Records (the aforementioned red herring) were quite friendly and willing to help had they been able.

Perhaps a search of the copyright information might lead to a clue. I still haven't found the contact information for the Water Music company that is supposedly the label company for the cd, nor have I found current information for either of the establishments named in the cd notes:
"Ossian Studio in Paris in 1971 and released that same year by the tiny French label SFP (Societe Francaise de Productions Phonographiques)"

Good suggestions, guest David/DK. Thanks for aiding in John's search.

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: GUEST,David
Date: 01 Feb 12 - 09:15 AM

There are liner notes on the back of the old LP sleeve, images of which are on Google (very small). The back cover, I think, mentions Columbus (Georgia) and "Paris chez Benito"...but I don't speak French.

Anyway, she's a great find. Would love to know more.

DK

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: maeve
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 02:57 PM

Thanks, John. No Facebook for me.

I've listened to several of Tia's YouTube recordings and enjoyed them. I'm mostly interesting in helping you find out the answer to your initial question. In the meantime, no telling who will wander across your thread here and perhaps fill in the blanks.

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 02:29 PM

Maeve, I'm on Facebook, so we can start a private correspondence there. You can here all of the recordings on Tia's vinyl album on YouTube or Spotify. She has a lovely voice and the accompanying musicians (all French, it appears) do quite a creditable job. Will become a Mudcat member soon. John

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: maeve
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 01:37 PM

That last link is a red herring (Water Music Records is not the same as Water Music, who is releasing the cd.) I've written to CD Universe instead.

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: maeve
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 06:09 PM

Let us know what you find, John. And if you were to join Mudcat (free) I could send you a private message (PM) when/if I get an answer from the email I have also sent.

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: GUEST,John
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 06:00 PM

Naeve, I'll give it a go. John

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: maeve
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 12:26 PM

Here's a starting point, John:http://www.musiconsult.net/20.html

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: maeve
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 12:22 PM

I wondered if you might contact "Water Music" to request information, John? I looked about for a while, but haven't found contact information for them. The notes for her cd did specify "on CD with Tia Blake's own recollections", so it seems likely it is a release with her cooperation.

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: GUEST,John Scovill
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 12:16 PM

Thanks, Maeve. There are a few different sources for her music but seemingly, no details on her career.

Subject: RE: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: maeve
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 09:27 AM

Have you seen that her album is being released on cd by Water Music on 28 February 2012? "First time available on CD with Tia Blake's own recollections. 11 tracks...) http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=8445038

Here is her version of "Polly Vaughn" on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4fq3-H1v0g

Subject: What Became of Tia Blake?
From: GUEST,John Scovill
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 09:17 AM

Tia Blake recorded a lovely album "Folk Songs and Ballads" in 1971.All of the tracks of the album are available on YouTube and Spotify. Whatever became of this promising artist?