Hello friends!  How have you been?

Can you believe that we are still feeling the effects of Covid-19 and the havoc it has raised in the world?  I have so been looking forward to this summer because of the hope of re-openings and new possibilities, but life has been happening to me "while I was busy making other plans".  Let me bring you up to speed:

On June 5, after spending two weeks in hospital, my Dad died at St. Joseph's Hospital at 8:50 a.m.  I was blessed to have been in the same room with him when he took his last breath, and held him as he expired his last.  For those of you who know me know the special relationship my Dad and I shared.  My heart is broken, and I am doing my best to learn how to live a life without him on this planet. 

On June 22, my son had open heart surgery to correct an issue he has had since birth.  I want to publicly thank the nurses, doctors and staff at Sick Kids in Toronto for being so good at what they do.  I also wish to thank our cardiology team at McMaster Children's Hospital for how they have guided us through the past 15 years with amazing care.  I am happy to report that he is healing and the surgery was a great success.  For those who have been praying, I thank you.

SO, you can imagine that the hope of finishing Mark II has been delayed slightly due to life events.  I think John Lennon would echo his line from "Beautiful Boy" to comfort me!  I also have a new official title:  The album will officially be called "Deep Blue:  Blue Suburban Skies Mark II" and I am going to say we are looking at a September date for release.  For now, the album will be available for digital download and on compact disc and if there is demand, we might do a limited edition vinyl release. 

Speaking of Blue Suburban Skies, the album celebrated a 19 year birthday this past June and I am hoping to start work this fall on a Deluxe Edition of the record.  It will include a few bonus tracks that were recorded around the time of the record and a full remix (IF I am able to access all tracks...this might become a technical nightmare, having been done on older software and a blue and white G3 Mac!).  As well, if there is interest there could be a 2 LP vinyl version (on blue and orange vinyl, of course!).

Live shows are happening!  This past week (July 3) I played my first solo show since November.  It was at a private party in Ancaster and was such a lovely time.  It reminded me that I am not used to playing live shows over 1 hour so I will be working on my vocal endurance this week!!  My first official show will be restarting my residence at the Thirsty Cacus in Dundas this Sunday July 11 from 1-4 p.m.  If you are in the area please come and join me for a lovely sit on the patio.  Because of current restrictions I recommend coming early to avoid disappointment.  I should be there every Sunday for the months of July and August and then, crossing fingers, will restart my Tuesday night residency again this fall from 8 - 11 p.m. 

Due to my life commitments recently I have not been able to perform online much, but have been trying to do a series called "On Deck" where I perform live in my own backyard.  The birds love to join me, as well as the odd city bus traveling by, and I hope to be back to doing some Friday night online shows soon.  Follow me on my YouTube page www.youtube.com/christopherclause

For those who would love to have me perform in your back yard or deck, message me through the site or email me at live@footrecords.ca and I can give you a quote. 

Have a wonderful summer and I look forward to seeing you on my YouTube page OR in person this summer!

blessings,

Christopher

Hello friends! 

Well, Happy New Year one and all!  Sadly it seems that the New Year is same as the old one that we kicked to the curb.  However, I do have to say that 2020 did allow me the ability to be inspired and to create again.  These have been the saving graces for me during the pandemic:

Being at home and having my immediate family all together (from March to September 2020).

Starting to learn about the world of live streaming and using a fabulous program called Ecamm Live.

Developing and meeting new people through my live stream shows first on Facebook and now on YouTube. 

After 30 years I finally set up my work bench properly, organized all of my tools, ordered some guitar repair tools and began learning how to do more detailed guitar set ups:  fret levelling, recrowning (still learning this!), adjusting nut slots and of course developed my skills in rewiring and neck adjustment, intonation and action set up.  Would love to build a guitar using one of the great kits that are now available, but I will leave that to once I have one album "in the can" lol :)

Started a plan to listen to my entire record collection (skipping my Beatles section for now to save time) from A to Z.  I am still on B, (Bee Gees right now) but enjoying the trip.

Reassessing my personal health and making some changes so I can live better and be a healthier Christopher

*******

I have yet to count the total number of online shows I have done, but I have done some album tributes over the course of the (almost) year of Pandemic:  Let it Be, Revolver, All Things Must Pass, TWO Imagine Peace shows celebrating the music of John Lennon and just recently, a very successful tribute to David Bowie called "loving the alien".  Oh and did I also tell you that I am writing again?  :)

I am pleased to announce that work on MARK II (the long awaited sequel to Blue Suburban Skies) has begun.  I released the first track from the album, due in spring of 2021: a song of George's from All Things Must Pass called "Awaiting On You All" as a music video on YouTube.  It was one of those songs I so wanted to play at a For George show but the musicians and I could never get our acts together on it.   If you haven't subscribed to my YouTube channel then by all means please do!  I am close to 100 subscribers and looking forward to celebrating that milestone!

I am also working on two other recording projects of my own material (in the writing and planning stages) and I finally have what I think are good enough songs for my next worship album (last one was released in 2006!!!).  The other project will be a follow up to the decade old ROUND.

The Abbey Road show has been indefinitely postponed for now, and will hopefully be rescheduled sometime this year.  My apologies to those who were looking forward to it.

Now that we have entered into a second State of Emergency here in Ontario, my work will be focusing on my church community, Graceworks, my live shows (Tuesdays and Fridays), writing, recording and developing a Patreon account for my wonderful and supportive fans.  Thank you to all those who have been supportive of my work this past year and I do hope to be able to "give back" to you very soon, in the form of new music.  I brought the church's drum kit from the Cotton Factory yesterday (the church's latest home) so that I could record them at home for Mark II (keeping in line with the "record it all at home and all the parts yourself" vibe) and am currently making space for them in the vacant storage room beside the studio.  As John Lennon sang, it's "Clean Up Time" and it feels great!

Thank you all for your support and encouragement this past year - it has made the difference and I am so grateful!

Happy January!   See you on the Tube!

Hello friends! 

I am happy to share with you that the RECREATING ABBEY ROAD show has been moved to FRIDAY NOVEMBER 20, 2020.  It seems that many people were not available for the original date, so I am pleased to change the date.  It also gives me more time to work on some of the more complex parts of this iconic album. 

Tickets are available at footrecords.ca/shows

I am also continuing to perform my "free" Friday shows on YouTube every Friday at 8 p.m. ET.  Hope to see you there.

Stay safe, Spin lots of records and Keep Breathing!

c

A quick thank you to everyone who stopped in for my Facebook Live show last night to celebrate the 10th anniversary of ROUND.  To continue the celebration I am having a special 10 Year Anniversary sale for the album.  All copies of ROUND on vinyl will be on sale for $10 CDN until Friday October 2. 

If you live in the Hamilton area and wish to have the album delivered to save on shipping charges, select the LOCAL HAMILTON AREA DELIVERY version of the album and make sure to include your address in the notes of the order. 

The show has been recorded and will be uploaded to my YouTube channel On Demand, for those who might have missed it (or for those wanting to watch it again).

Have an amazing weekend and continue to stay safe and love well!

blessings,

Christopher

Happy start of summer, friends! 

Hoping this note finds you well and that you are soaking in the rays of the almost forgotten sun.  It has been many months since I wrote a little note here, and I will be revamping certain sections of the site to make it even better.  I am very happy with the results so far and look forward to adding some new content over the summer months.  I have been writing again and it is my hope to begin putting some of these ideas down and share them with you via download and physical media.  I don't want to say I am working on my next "album" because if I do I might jinx it.  Juices are flowing again and for that I am happy.  

I would love to do some touring and come visit certain cities that would like me to perform.  If you are outside Hamilton and you would love to hear me play in your home town, send me a message here through the site and I will be in touch.  I really do feel that I have reached a new level in terms of my solo show and would love to play in some new corners of the world.  

In honour of the impending 17 year anniversary of "Blue Suburban Skies", I have released my limited edition EP, FOR GEORGE, as an mp3 digital download on the site.  It is the only place where you can get my version of "Don't Let Me Wait Too Long" which to my ears still sounds pretty good. 

This Friday I will be at Grain and Grit breweries one more time from 7 - 9 p.m. and this Sunday I will be playing at the Thirsty Cactus in Dundas for the Buskerfest weekend.  Both shows are free and are listed on my site.  If you come and see me, please come over and say hello. 

Have a glorious summer and hope to see you at a show! 

Hello friends! 

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that you are enjoying a bit of rest in the midst of the season.  Graceworks had two very significant gatherings (A Time to Remember - bereavement gathering, and a Christmas Eve Celebration) and I will enjoy a few days of rest before ramping up for 2019. 

I will be offering the song, "Christmastime, Again" as a free download AND will extend the "Round" on 180 Gram Vinyl sale (Regular price $25, Sale Price $15) until December 31, 2018 so don't miss out!  The only other way to get "Christmastime, Again" is on the "Love is Everything" CD and it is officially sold out, and Round on vinyl is becoming a very rare disc (only 500 ever made) and close to selling out.  If you love vinyl and have a good turntable, it is worth it to get this pressing. 

I am keeping my fingers crossed that there will be a new record in the works in 2019 and a possible tour as well.  To make it happen I will be looking at some sort of crowd funding initiatives which will be shared here. 

Keep Saturday February 16, 2019 open as we will be holding our last For George show at the Pearl Company (as they are closing in May of this year). 

May 2019 bring incredible blessings, joy and prosperity to you all and I look forward to seeing you at a show!

Hello friends!

Well, the title is not suggesting a NEW version of the Fab Four, I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Advent Season.  Advent begins on the 4th Sunday before Christmas and is a time of preparation of not only the busyness of our seasonal lives, but more importantly for our hearts and souls as we remember the gift of the Christ child to humanity. 

To celebrate the beginning of Advent, I will be performing and leading a performance of my 2004 Christmas album, "A Sign Unto You" along with the Graceworks musical team at the Hamilton Spectator Auditorium starting at 8 p.m. this Sunday (December 2, 2018) which is also my birthday.  I can think of no better way to celebrate my birthday than to make this music with my friends and celebrate together the great things God has done for us.  It is a free event so I hope to see you all there.  It will be an intimate time of music, readings and reflections and I know it will be a meaningful way to spend a Sunday night.  Hope to see you there.

It has been 17 years since George Harrison went home.  His influence not only in every aspect of my music making (people do tell me that I vocally interpret George the best) but also in his passion for making spiritual music that is always an unpopular genre it seems.  He received a lot of flack and yet I believe his music was the strongest when he remained honest and true to himself.  The closest I got to George was asking him a question in the Yahoo Chat he did to coincide with the reissue of "All Things Must Pass" in 2001.  You can do a google search and see the question I asked him.  I miss his guitar playing, his songs and his sense of humour.  On Saturday February 16 we will be hosting another "FOR GEORGE" evening and it will probably be the last one at the Pearl Company as they will be closing operations as of May 2019.  Check here for news and for ticket sales shortly!  God bless George.

In a week from Saturday we will be at the Zoetic in Hamilton (one of my favourite rooms now for live music) doing our first IMAGINE PEACE:  CELEBRATING JOHN LENNON show in four years on Saturday December 8 at 8 p.m..  Tickets are now onsale and can be purchased here:   https://thezoetic.ticketleap.com/imagine-peace/  This event promises to sell out so get your tickets ASAP!   The lineup is fabulous and the band, as always, is first rate. 

Finally, as a special to celebrate the redesign of the web site, I am offering a special sale:  Buy a limited edition copy of ROUND on 180 gram vinyl (500 copies pressed at RTI and mastered by Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray) for $15.00 CDN (regular price $25 CDN) plus shipping from November 8 until December 8. 2018.  I will also have some copies available at the Imagine Peace show but know that once they are gone, they are all gone.  There will be no repressings of this version of Round.  Make a Christmas miracle happen for me and get yourself a copy (or three)! :)   For those in the Hamilton area I can drop the album to you in person if you like (to make sure it arrives safe and sound).  It makes a GREAT Christmas gift!

Keep your eye on the site between now and Christmas for some musical holiday cheer.  Happy Advent!

blessings,

Christopher

Foot Records is BACK!   Welcome one and all to my new and revamped website.  I hope you have a chance to look around, enjoy the music and be a part of a new online experience for me. 

In the coming weeks and months I do hope to expand the site to include more music for sale, as well as posting some rare and unreleased material to the site.  Feel free to share your feedback on the kind of things you would like to see on the site.

To celebrate the new website I am offering a special sale:  Buy a limited edition copy of ROUND on 180 gram vinyl (500 copies pressed at RTI and mastered by Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray) for $15.00 CDN (regular price $25 CDN) plus shipping from November 8 until December 8. 2018. 

May God hold you in the palm of His hand until we meet again!

blessings,
Christopher