The Soldiers launch new album... and it's free with the MoS in support of Help for Heroes
digg]By CHRISTINE CHALLAND
Last updated at 10:01 PM on 30th January 2010
Not since the darkest days of the Second World War have the Armed Forces been quite so much at the forefront of our national life. So, perhaps, it is not entirely surprising that a group of serving troops should become one of the singing sensations of the year.
Following the double-platinum success of their debut album Coming Home, The Soldiers - Sergeant Major Gary Chilton, Sergeant Richie Maddocks and Lance Corporal Ryan Idzi - are now preparing for their first 23-date UK tour, which begins on March 16.
But their Army duties and band rehearsals have not prevented them going into the studio to record a special Valentine's Day CD of romantic songs which you will find free with this paper.
Hit parade: The Soldiers, from left, Ryan Idzi, Gary Chilton and Richie Maddocks, are in the front line of fame with a double-platinum disc
To coincide with the release, 5p of the purchase price of today's edition will be donated to Help for Heroes, which supports members of the Armed Forces wounded in conflict.
It's a project that excites The Soldiers. 'Getting back into a recording studio has given us the chance to say a special thank you to everyone who has supported us since we released the debut album last October,' says 41-year-old Gary, a Gulf War veteran who joined the Royal Armoured Corps after leaving school at 16.
'None of us ever imagined that The Soldiers would be so successful. And it's great to know the CD is making a difference to a charity like Help for Heroes.'
Possibly the best-known of the trio is the youngest member, Ryan, 24, who appeared on The X Factor in 2007 singing Lean On Me.
Ryan joined the 20th Armoured Brigade after leaving school at 18 and has served in Iraq and Afghanistan as a reconnaissance soldier. Ironically, it was an attack of stage fright that lost him a place in the programme's semi-finals, something that, thankfully, he's never had to deal with since.
'Being a part of The Soldiers is far more me,' he says. 'I was a bit too young and nervous on The X Factor, to be honest. But being with these guys felt right from the moment we all met up.
'Our day jobs are part of what we are and, hopefully, what we mean to people. The way we sing together and how we get a feel for the songs is pretty special.'
Ryan admits he's the one who is more inclined to let off steam if he's not happy with something.
'I can kick off big time,' he says. 'I'll start shouting the odds if something isn't going well or I'm tired and I've just had enough of going over the same song again and again.
'I'm learning to take a leaf of out Gaz and Richie's book. They're far more laid-back and mature about things but then they are A LOT older than me!
'The lads in my unit have been brilliant. We've all had our leg pulled a bit. When I went back to Germany last week, my sergeant major saw me and yelled out, "Hey, pop star, get that thermal top off, you big nancy!"'
Ryan, who grew up in Caerphilly, South Wales, was sent out to Iraq for six months just two weeks after arriving at his new regiment in Osnabruck in 2005.
During his second tour of Iraq in 2006, again as a reconnaissance soldier patrolling on foot and in military vehicles, Ryan was part of a troop seconded to Baghdad as a driver for high-ranking military personnel.
Free: The CD of romantic songs, released in time for Valentine's Day, comes with today's MoS newspaper
He and two other colleagues escaped injury when they were involved in a mine explosion, but two other soldiers died in the blast.
His final tour of Afghanistan last year, driving the Army's new Mastiff vehicle, ended when he was injured playing rugby. Ryan is now working in a recruitment post in Brecon.
Gulf veteran Richie, 37, who joined the Corps of Army Music as a 16-year-old trumpeter, is now a training supervisor at the Royal Military School of Music based at Kneller Hall in Twickenham.
'I come from a musical family,' he says. 'My father, who died six years ago, was a fine musician who played piano, guitar and was a great singer - he was a big fan of Tom Jones. My four brothers all play music professionally and my two sisters, Lisa and Shirley, are always singing along to something.'
Richie, who grew up in Failsworth near Oldham, started playing the cornet and trumpet at the age of 11. 'Later, I met someone who was a member of an Army band and I thought this sounds like it's for me and signed up,' he says. 'After that it was just a case of auditioning to prove that I had the ability to play at that level.
'As soon as I started playing for the Band of the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment I absolutely loved it and knew I'd made the right choice.'
Richie was based with the band in Fallingbostel, Germany, for five years after an initial four-year posting at Catterick Barracks with his regiment. Since 1996, he has been a member of the Minden Band of the Queen's Division, which has involved a number of overseas tours with the Army band.
During a tour of the Gulf in 1991, he worked as a medic as well as entertaining combat troops on the front line with his band. In 2004, during a tour of Iraq with the Army pop group Mind 'n Soul, again entertaining troops, he was a reconnaissance soldier taking part in patrols on foot and in convoy.
'I feel proud nearly every day I'm in the Army,' he says. 'The comradeship and close friendships you form, being part of something which is so worthwhile, is a wonderful feeling.
'One of the best things about my job is that I get to have a giggle every day. I'll always try to find a positive in the situation, being a born optimist, but I'm very lucky to be surrounded by colleagues who take their job so professionally and whose first thought is always about other people.
'Life has never been dull since I joined up, and alongside the feelings of pride there is sometimes sadness. I can remember that when I was in the Gulf and was only 18, a little girl came up to me while I was on foot patrol and gave me a Kuwaiti flag - it's something I've never forgotten.'
The Army is proud of them, too. So much so that even General Sir David Richards, the British Army's new Chief of General Staff, has personally written to each of the boys offering his congratulations on their success.
'He said it was good to see the Army getting some positive feedback,' says Gary. 'Our units have been very good at allowing us the time to record. Our jobs as soldiers will always come first but I think we're all enjoying this chance to sing together.'
Their unique selling point is that not only have they all risked their lives serving on the front line for their country but they are all utterly grounded and devoted to their families and Army careers.
Even though they are still getting over the excitement of being recognised wherever they go, the boys admit they simply feel lucky to have struck such a chord with fans who appreciate the unique, heartfelt blend of their voices. And privileged at the way they have been able to share songs that celebrate the courage and commitment of their comrades who are serving, and the families of those who have been lost fighting.
'It's a tough time for all military personnel and their families,' says Richie. 'We're so proud to be doing our bit to help put the British Army on the map.
'We're still pinching ourselves, knowing there are more than 40,000 followers just on our Facebook page.'
And even though the boys are likely to be rehearsing on February 14, Gary and Richie have already vowed to make Valentine's Day extra special for their wives.
But Ryan, jokingly referred to by Gary as the group's eye-candy, says he's still looking for the perfect woman and keeps himself as fit as possible. 'I'm ready for love,' he declares.
Richie says: 'I'm always doing romantic things for my gorgeous wife Nicci, like buying her flowers and running her big, steamy baths and pouring her a nice glass of wine.'
Gary's idea of romancing his wife Christine, whom he's been married to for 11 years, involves choosing a favourite restaurant and having a good chat over a meal and a bottle of wine.
Having two young children, Aaron, ten, and seven-year-old Megan, who are both over the moon about their dad's new-found fame, Gary says life always seems hectic and so a night out with Christine is a rare treat they always look forward to.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1247374/The-Soldiers-launch-new-album--free-MoS-support-Help-Heroes.html#ixzz0eOTSvS31
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