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12/02/2010

RA FRIDAY - WHO'S GOT A CRUSH ON HIS VOICE?


Me, that's certain. What is it that brought me to start listening to audiobooks? RA. Never done it before. Honestly, I even considered  it a bit boring. But, since I really like listening to RA’s voice and he did pretty much and well in the audiobook recording field, I started. Mind you, it’s a bit like watching N & S. ... quite risky. Once you’ve started it’s difficult to stop and you want more and more. His voice is so deeply involving, it’s like … caressing velvet and shivering.

Have you also got a crush on someone’s voice?  Have you ever listened to any of Richard's recordings, voice over and audiobooks?
1. All of them?  Great! You are fan n. 1
2. Just some?   Most but not all of them?   That’s Ok!
3. NONE YET???   If your answer is the last one, then, this posting of mine may be  helpful...These are only short excerpts, just to have a start.


Now, I've got a visual help for your listening to THE LORD OF THE NORTH: Richard Uthred by Vivayn.


Does Richard really  like doing this kind of work or does he do it just to ... pay expensive bills , like some malicious voices whispers at his accepting voice overs (ads and documentaries) and audiobooks from time to time, instead of aiming at Hollywood stellar contracts! Read what he himself says:

a. (interview from the audiobook Parent - Hood)
"I was very lucky recording an audiobook for something which I’m working very closely with at the moment because I still had all those characters very clearly in my head, although I didn’t really try and do impressions of the actors that I was working with," he said. "You just have to have an idea of the story that you’re trying to tell and the most clear way you can tell it. It’s very difficult moving between different characters; you have to just pitch very specifically and commit to what you’re doing and know exactly whose voice you’re doing, when you’re doing it, whether they’re male or female, where they come from."

b. (interview in THE SIEGE – Audiobook)
To sit still with just a page in front of you and really create a whole world of pictures and voices and characters and... actually, it’s quite a challenge . And I think it’s a good thing for an actor to do because you only have your voice and nothing else. And so, for a start, it makes you become kind of more literary aware , you know, with regards to what works, what doesn’t work and more discerning when it comes to looking at a script as well. So, you know, I really enjoy doing it. It’s quite exhausting, as well. Probably more so than trying yourself around in a forest... "
(my transcript from the audiobook, hope it is correct)

HERE'S A LIST OF ALL RICHARD ARMITAGE'S WORKS ... FOR VOICE ONLY

1. 2006, Robin Hood audiobooks (series 1)




In October 2006, Richard Armitage read audiobooks of the novelisations of the first four episodes of Robin Hood.







2. 2007, Empire's Children, Channel 4


Richard Armitage was the narrator of Channel 4's six part series about the British Empire, broadcast in July and August 2007.






3. 2007, The Lords of the North audiobook


Richard Armitage reads Bernard Cornwell's The Lords of the North for Chivers Audio Books, released in July (on cassette) and August (on CD) 2007.








4. 2007, The Ted Hughes Letters, BBC Radio 4

This is a video I made some months ago with an excerpt from Richard's compelling reading and some bits from the film Sylvia.



Richard Armitage read from the letters of poet Ted Hughes in an Afternoon Play for BBC Radio 4, broadcast in October 2007.

5. 2007, A War Less Ordinary, BBC Radio 2

I also made a clip - well, a photo album with music - with an excerpt from this recording. Here's my post about it and here is the video






Richard Armitage was one of the readers in a programme of poetry, songs and archive recordings commemorating the work of non-combatants in wartime. It was broadcast in November 2007.

6. 2009, New Homes from Hell 2009, ITV, narrator



Richard Armitage narrates a three part series about the disasters people have had with new homes. It begins on ITV1 (repeated on ITV2) in March 2009.





7.2009, The Great Sperm Race, Channel 4, narrator



In March 2009, Richard Armitage narrated this documentary about human conception.









8. 2009, Robin Hood audiobooks (series 3)
My video made with and excerpt of the audiobook THE WITCHFINDERS and bits of RH 1/3 is HERE. In the box above you can also listen to a fragment from THE SIEGE.




Richard narrated two original audiobooks tied to series 3 of Robin Hood, that were released during the transmission of the third series of the TV show on BBC One.







9. 2009, Sylvester audiobook



In July 2009, Naxos Audiobooks released Richard Armitage's recording of Georgette Heyer's Regency romance novel. My personal review of this audiobook is HERE.








10. 2010, Santander television advertisement



Richard Armitage provided the voiceover for a UK television advert for the Spanish bank Santander. It first ran on 11th January. It can be seen HERE.



11. 2010, Venetia audiobook




In April 2010, Naxos Audiobooks release Richard Armitage's recording of Georgette Heyer's novel. You can pre-order it here .







12. February 2010 BBC Winter Olympics trailers




Watch and listen to one of the trailers HERE and another one HERE









Thanks to http://www.richardarmitageonline.com/ and http://www.richardarmitage.net/ for their incredible archives!

BRAND NEW!!!





RICHARD'S VOICE  AND AN  ITALIAN CAR!!!

THANKS TO MRS KAREN BLIXEN!

10 comments:

  1. The question should be who doesn't? I must confess I don't like to listen to people reading to me, I could never concentrate since I was a child. But things may change! Perhaps I cannot concentrate to some people reading to me... I've only listened to some of RA's works and never entirely, but I DO pay attention! I think someone should ask him to record N&S, I would definitely buy that audiobook! And the most impressive thing is how he makes all the voices and all! It's so nice! It's so sad here in Brazil Santander's comercials are not with RA's voice! It is most unfair! And I don't think he does it only for the money... I have another major voice crush: Matthew Macfadyen's voice! Don't ask me to choose my favourite!

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  2. Great post but I only have the Robin Hood audio books maybe one of these days I will be inclined to hear his other work. I like your picture of RA in armor...

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  3. Who has a crush?? maybe the question should be: who doesn't?? LOL!
    I have everything he has recored and never get tired of listening to him

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  4. I am completely addicted to audio books now and I owe it all to RA. It started in earnest with Lords of the North. I have all of his work and Venetia on preorder.

    What a wonderful collection you have displayed here. I defy anyone to listen to Code Poem, O'Lady or LOTN and not be completely smitten.

    Lynn

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  5. Thank you MG! Since I'm elsewhere known as "Mr Chocolatey voice's addict", I can't but agree with you on the subject of RA's wonderful audio work. I've got everything he's recorded - including radio ads! - on my MP3 player, and can't stop listening to him. My favourite is the excerpt he reads from N&S... it's a pity the audiobook has been recently released with someone else's voice.
    I have another voice crush: Alan Rickman, whose velvety voice is absolutely fabulous.

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  6. Here's a brand new tv ad to celebrate your voiceover post, MG!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngKBp2IHMJE
    To think that I've just refused my aunt's offer of an Alfa Romeo, used but in v.g. condition!

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  7. Oh my goodness, your description of his voice is SO right. He's amazing!! I'm a Richard audio tape virgin! *gasp* Now I have something else I need to do. I wonder if my husband would be jealous with my mouth hanging open so much. ;)

    He seriously has the best job known to man. I always wanted to read books out loud for a living but my voice is screeching rubber compared to his. Last night I wanted to read the entire Olive Garden menu out loud and my husband quickly shushed me. Tah! Destroying my dream!!

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  8. I love his voice. *Sigh* I could listen to it all day, in fact. So far I've only been lucky enough to find Sylvester here in the States - the others are a bit more difficult to track down, though I'm trying. (Thanks for the listing, by the way!) As for voice crushes, the only other I have is Gregory Peck.

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  9. I'm a big fan of audio books because it ups my book consumption considerably and actually have come to prefer some books aloud more than otherwise.

    RA's voice is superb--his reading of Ted Hughes's letter to Sylvia Plath's mother is truly amazing.

    My other main voice crush has always been Sean Connery.

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  10. Oh, I completely missed this post! My bad! Thanks for the run-down of the different projects. His voice is... it's just... one that you can't listen to without at least getting at least a little weak at the knees. I mean... there's a clip from "Between the Sheets" where he says "Lie down" with a sort of half-smile. You really can't hear that without melting into a little happy puddle! :)

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