Simple Minds release 'First You Jump’ new single

Another fantastic advance track from Simple Minds' eagerly-awaited new album! Robert Kinsler

SIMPLE MINDS NEW SINGLE  “FIRST YOU JUMP”  OUT NOW

LISTEN HERE \ WATCH HERE

NEW SINGLE FROM FORTHCOMING ALBUM DIRECTION OF THE HEART OUT OCTOBER 21, 2022 ON BMG

BUY HERE

SIMPLE MINDS NEW SINGLE "FIRST YOU JUMP" OUT NOW. THIS IS THE SECOND TRACK TAKEN FROM THE BAND'S EIGHTEENTH STUDIO ALBUM 'DIRECTION OF THE HEART'

‘First You Jump’ is a Kerr-Burchill co-write with Simple Minds’ long-time bassist Ged Grimes. It’s a classic transcendent Simple Minds anthem, one about the anxiety of the times and how we will rise above them. The accompanying video was filmed in July during the soundcheck for Simple Minds concert in the Ancient Theatre Taormina, Sicily. This stunning, historic setting is captured in panoramic and aerial camera shots, intercut with close ups of the band performing the song on a glorious sunny day. ‘First You Jump’ features on Direction Of The Heart, Simple Minds’ first album of new material since 2018’s outstanding UK Top 5 album Walk Between Worlds. Throughout its nine tracks Direction of The Heart finds the band at their most confident, anthemic best on an inspired celebration of life, none more so than on lead track ‘Vision Thing’. The concise nine-track album manages to perfectly encapsulate the essence of past and present Simple Minds, a band whose re-ascent over the past 10 years has seen them, once again, capture the magic and critical praise of their early days. Most of Direction Of The Heart’s tracks were created and demoed in Sicily, where both Kerr and Burchill live. Unable to come to the UK because of quarantine rules, the album was recorded at Hamburg’s Chameleon Studios. Here they produced the album (later enlisting Andy Wright ((Massive Attack, Echo & The Bunnymen)) and Gavin Goldberg ((Simply Red, KT Tunstall)) for additional production). Band members, bassist Ged Grimes (who also co-wrote the album’s ‘Solstice Kiss’), drummer Cherisse Osei and vocalist Sarah Brown joined them on some of the tracks, recording their parts separately in London. Album guests, Sparks’ frontman Russell Mael (‘Human Traffic’) and songwriter and former Grimes music partner from Danny Wilson, Gary Clark (‘Vision Thing’, ‘First You Jump’ and ‘Natural’), recorded their respective parts in home studios. This disparate work is belied by an album which sounds like a cohesive record – one of the most exciting and invigorating of Simple Minds career to date.

Jim Kerr on Direction Of The Heart:  “How to make a feel-good ‘Electro-rock’ record, during the very worst of times? Direction Of The Heart is the result of that challenge. Who would have thought we’d have so much fun creating it?”

DIRECTION OF THE HEART WILL BE RELEASED ON OCT. 21, 2022 AVAILABLE ON CD, DELUXE CD WITH 2 EXTRA TRACKS AND A HARDBACK BOOK, VINYL INCLUDING COLOURED VINYL, AND CASSETTE

TRACK LISTING: Vision Thing First You Jump Human Traffic (featuring Russell Mael of Sparks) Who Killed Truth? Solstice Kiss Act Of Love Natural Planet Zero The Walls Came Down (written and originally recorded by The Call) Bonus tracks on Deluxe editions: Direction Of The Heart (Taormina 2022) Wondertimes

FOLLOWING THEIR RECENTLY SUCCESSFUL RESCHEDULED 2020 TOUR, SIMPLE MINDS WILL BE HEADLINING BBC RADIO 2'S 'LIVE IN LEEDS' CONCERT ON 17 SEPTEMBER     More on Simple Minds: Over the past 10 years Simple Minds have rekindled the magic that made them a vital artistic force in their early days, found themselves referenced by younger artists and playing to tens of thousands of people every year, all over the world. They have been the recipient of the Q Awards Lifetime Achievement and received universal critical acclaim for their recent albums. 2015’s Big Music was described by MOJO magazine as “their best album in 30 years”, and 2018’s Walk Between Worlds was acclaimed across the board and became their most successful album in over two decades, culminating in their largest US tour to date.  Simple Minds are: Jim Kerr (vocals), Charlie Burchill (guitars, keyboards), Gordy Goudie (acoustic guitar), Ged Grimes (bass), Cherisse Osei (drums), Berenice Scott (keyboards) and Sarah Brown (vocals).

John Lee Hooker’s best-selling comeback album 'The Healer' set for reissue Oct. 28

Great to see a bona fide classic from John Lee Hooker set for reissue on both vinyl and audio CD next month...Robert Kinsler

JOHN LEE HOOKER’S BEST-SELLING COMEBACK ALBUM THE HEALER

SET FOR REISSUE ON 180-GRAM VINYL AND CD

OCTOBER 28^th

 

Out of print for more than a decade, the acclaimed 1989 album features guest appearances by Bonnie Raitt, Carlos Santana, George Thorogood, and many others

 

Includes the GRAMMY®-winning hit “I’m in the Mood”

Los Angeles, CA (September 7, 2022)—Craft Recordings is pleased to reissue John Lee Hooker’s widely acclaimed album, The Healer, on vinyl and CD, after more than a decade of being out of print. The 1989 LP earned the then 73-year-old blues icon his first GRAMMY® Award (for the song “I’m in the Mood” with Bonnie Raitt) and features contributions from a star-studded collection of guest artists, which in addition to Raitt, includes Carlos Santana, George Thorogood, Los Lobos, Canned Heat, Charlie Musselwhite, and Robert Cray. Set for release on October 28 and available for pre-order beginning today, The Healer was pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Records Pressing (QRP), with lacquers cut by the award-winning engineer Bernie Grundman. 

 

Few artists have made such an explosive comeback as Hooker did when he released The Healer in 1989. The prolific singer-songwriter—also known as the “King of the Boogie”—rose to fame in 1948 with the chart-topping R&B hit, “Boogie Chillen’.” Over the next four decades, he worked tirelessly—recording dozens of albums, touring the world, and reinventing modern music along the way. As one of history’s greatest bluesmen, Hooker’s influence spread far and wide, inspiring a generation of musicians across multiple genres, including folk, rock, and blues. A handful of these artists are represented as guests on The Healer.

 

Recorded at San Francisco’s Russian Hill Recording Studios, the album was produced by guitarist Roy Rogers, who served as a member of Hooker’s Coast to Coast Band and would go on to helm three more records by the artist, including the GRAMMY®-nominated Mr. Lucky (1991) and the bestselling Chill Out (1995). Together, they invited some of the industry’s greatest talents to perform a selection of new and classic material in both stripped-down and full-band settings.

 

Among the high-profile guests was Bonnie Raitt—a blues star in her own right—who joined her musical hero for the languid “I’m in the Mood.” The single, which Hooker first made a hit in 1951, was reimagined as a sultry and sassy duet. The duo’s interplay was so effective, in fact, that it won them a GRAMMY® for Best Traditional Blues Performance at the following year’s award ceremony. Another disciple of Hooker’s, Carlos Santana, appeared on the airy opening title track. “The Healer,” which became a global hit, paired Santana’s electrifying guitar licks and Latin rhythms with Hooker’s deep, emotive vocals. This creative partnership would continue throughout the ’90s, with Santana appearing on—and producing—several of the elder musician’s biggest albums. 

 

Robert Cray, who represented a new generation of blues stars, would soon become a regular collaborator as well, following his appearance on the funky “Baby Lee.” Cray, who was a decade into his career at the time—having already played alongside the likes of Chuck Berry, Tina Turner, and Eric Clapton—joined Hooker on several subsequent albums, including Boom Boom (1992) and Mr. Lucky. The high-energy “Cuttin’ Out,” meanwhile, reunited Hooker with blues-rockers Canned Heat, with whom he recorded the acclaimed 1971 album, Hooker ’N Heat. 

 

Chart-busting artist George Thorogood, who rose to prominence in the late ’70s blues-rock scene, guested on “Sally Mae” (originally released in 1948 as the B-side to “Boogie Chillen’”), where he delivered an impassioned performance on the guitar. Also stopping by the studio was legendary harmonica player, Charlie Musselwhite, who accompanied his longtime friend on the track, “That’s Alright.” Rounding out the guest list were East Los Angeles rockers Los Lobos, who had recently scored a No.1 hit with “La Bamba” (a cover of the Richie Valens song, recorded for the blockbuster biopic of the same name). The versatile group backed Hooker on the zydeco-flavored “Think Twice Before You Go.”

 

Hooker also recorded three solo tracks for The Healer, including the stripped-down “Rockin’ Chair,” the wistful ballad, “My Dream,” and the album closer, “No Substitute.” For the latter track, the bluesman delivered startlingly intimate vocals, paired with a lush acoustic guitar and his signature foot tapping, as he declared, “there ain’t no substitute for love.”

 

While Hooker released several albums in the ’80s, The Healer marked a turning point in his career, marrying the classic style of his heyday with a strikingly modern sound. Critics paid attention as well, showering the artist and his guests with praise. Rolling Stonecalled the record “Brilliant, 100-proof blues,” adding “the spirit that animates this album is the ageless voice of John Lee Hooker and his boogie-man blues. He has conjured up a renewed world blues with the canniness of the hoodoo healers and root doctors who first gave birth to the Delta blues.” In addition to earning Hooker his first GRAMMY® win, the album was also a commercial triumph, peaking at No.62 on the Billboard 200 and selling more than a million copies worldwide.

 

The success of The Healer opened up a breadth of new opportunities for John Lee Hooker, including a host of eager collaborators and a string of popular releases. The busy bluesman was also able to bask in his status as a living icon. Just two years after the release of The Healer, Hooker was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, while in 1997, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was celebrated with a GRAMMY® Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000. The Blues Hall of Famer was also a recipient of the highly prestigious National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts—the highest honor that can be bestowed upon those in the folk and traditional arts by the U.S. government. Today, 21 years after his passing, Hooker’s legacy continues to live on through his extensive catalog of recordings, as well as through the many artists whose music he inspired. His work can be heard frequently in films and TV shows, while many of his songs have found a second life through sampling by hip-hop and electronic music’s biggest acts.

 

Click here to pre-order The Healer and visit JohnLeeHooker.com for exclusive merchandise and more. 

 

 

Tracklist (vinyl):

 

Side A

1.   The Healer (with Carlos Santana & The Santana Band)

2.   I’m In The Mood (with Bonnie Raitt)

3.   Baby Lee (with Robert Cray)

4.   Cuttin’ Out (with Canned Heat)

5.   Think Twice Before You Go (with Los Lobos)

 

Side B

1.   Sally Mae (with George Thorogood)

2.   That’s Alright (with Charlie Musselwhite)

3.   Rockin’ Chair

4.   My Dream

5.   No Substitute

 

Tracklist (CD):

 

1.   The Healer (with Carlos Santana & The Santana Band)

2.   I’m In The Mood (with Bonnie Raitt)

3.   Baby Lee (with Robert Cray)

4.   Cuttin’ Out (with Canned Heat)

5.   Think Twice Before You Go (with Los Lobos)

6.   Sally Mae (with George Thorogood)

7.   That’s Alright (with Charlie Musselwhite)

8.   Rockin’ Chair

9.   My Dream

10. No Substitute

 

 

About Craft Recordings 

Craft Recordings is home to one of the largest and most essential collections of master recordings and compositions in the world. Its storied repertoire includes landmark releases from icons such as Joan Baez, John Coltrane, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Celia Cruz, Miles Davis, Isaac Hayes, John Lee Hooker, Little Richard, R.E.M., Joan Sebastian, and Traveling Wilburys. Plus, the catalog recordings of celebrated contemporary acts including A Day to Remember, Evanescence, Alison Krauss, Nine Inch Nails, Taking Back Sunday and Violent Femmes, to name just a few. Renowned imprints with catalogs issued under the Craft banner include Fania, Fantasy, Fearless, Musart, Nitro, Panart, Prestige, Riverside, Rounder, Specialty, Stax, Vanguard, Varèse Sarabande, Vee-Jay and Victory, among many others. Craft creates thoughtfully curated packages, with a meticulous devotion to quality and a commitment to preservation—ensuring that these recordings endure for new generations to discover. Craft is also home to the Billie Holiday and Tammy Wynette estates which preserve and protect their respective names, likeness and music through day-to-day legacy management of these cultural trailblazers. Craft Recordings is the catalog label team for Concord Recorded Music. For more info, visit CraftRecordings.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Apple Music, and Spotify. 

New Music: Van Duren documentary, Kris Kristofferson concert recording, Monica Taylor studio album

A must see music documentary on singer-songwriter great Van Duren as well as a historic recording featuring Kris Kristofferson and new studio album from Oklahoma-based songstress Monica Taylor are available now.

DVD Title: Waiting: The Van Duren Story (MVD Visual)
You might like if you enjoy: Paul McCartney, Big Star, Todd Rundgren, music documentaries 

Tell me more: In a perfect world Van Duren would have released a dozen or more top-selling albums over the past 45 years and would have already earned a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But that justified path sadly eluded the Memphis singer-songwriter/guitarist-keyboardist early in his career despite playing in bands with Jody Stephens and Chris Bell (both of Big Star fame) and assistance from manager-producer Andrew Loog Oldham (who managed The Rolling Stones from 1963 to 1967). Now a newly-released documentary, Waiting: The Van Duren Story, details the compelling story of how two Australians (Greg Carey and Wade Jackson) discovered Van Duren 40 years after hearing some of his first recordings completed in the late 1970s (for the now-legendary Are You Serious? album) and decided to make a documentary film about an artist deservedly touted as "the next Paul McCartney." The wonderful documentary (which was the winner at the Indie Memphis Film Festival in 2018 and an official selection at a number of other film festivals that year) will appeal not only to those who love melodic rock and power pop, but anyone who recognizes that for someone as talented as Van Duren there is no other choice than to follow a dream. Information: waiting-vanduren.com. 

Artist: Kris Kristofferson
Title: Live at Gilley’s - Pasadena, TX: September 15, 1981 (New West Records)

You might like if you enjoy: Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Michael Ubaldini, Johnny Cash 

Tell me more: Recorded at Gilley's in Pasadena, Texas on Sept. 15, 1981, Kris Kristofferson's new release is truly a celebration of the 86-year-old Brownsville, Texas native's enduring and timeless songcraft. From the raucous opener "Me And Bobby McGee," poignant "Casey's Last Ride" and poetic mandolin-adorned "The Pilgrim" to the deeply affecting "For The Good Times" and tender "Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again)," the freewheeling concert event is a delightful trip back to a historic outing captured when Kristofferson was at the height of his powers. Other standouts on the 15-track Live at Gilley’s - Pasadena, TX: September 15, 1981 include the sparse "Here Comes That Rainbow Again" and "Nobody Loves Anybody Anymore," the country nugget "If It's All The Same To You" and bona fide classic "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down." Information: NewWestRecords.com.

Artist: Monica Taylor
Title: Trains, Rivers & Trails (Horton Records)

You might like if you enjoy: Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, The Cherokee Maids & Sycamore Swing 

Tell me more: Trains, Rivers & Trails is the third solo album from country music songstress Monica Taylor. A breezy and beautiful set of 11 songs, the title boasts a mix of mostly Taylor-penned originals and several smart covers that fit snugly into the stellar set. Standouts include the lively opener "The Sound of a Train," tenderhearted reading of the 1967 Glen Campbell hit "Gentle On My Mind," uptempo Cajun-tinged take on the Jim McBride & Keith Stegall co-write "Down in Louisiana" (bolstered by some fantastic fiddle work from Luke Bulla), the stylish "Minor Key" duet where Jared Tyler's vocals are also featured on the enthralling track (credited to Woody Guthrie / Billy Bragg & Wilco), gorgeous "Just Came in to Say Goodbye (a song co-written by Taylor and Patrick Williams), and uptempo bluegrass frolic "Train Take Me Away." The stirring "Salty Tears" was written about Taylor's own great great grandmother who — only 13 — was driven along with other family members of the Cherokee People to Indian territory in present day Oklahoma on the infamous Trail of Tears ("Her parents and sisters died along the cold trail. This is her story," Taylor notes in press notes for the album). Information: MonicaTaylorMusic.com.

Robert Kinsler

'TheNews' episode: Arcade Fire, The Zombies, Marcus King, Gorillaz, KISS, a-ha, more!

The Zombies are the focus of a forthcoming 
documentary.

Check out the latest episode of 'TheNews' where TJR and Robert Kinsler discuss the latest music headlines! Among the news makers discussed on the episode are Arcade Fire, The Zombies, Gorillaz, Marcus King, KISS and a-ha. Watch the episode HERE. 

Marcus King's latest album 'Young Blood' is reviewed
on the latest episode of 'TheNews'.

Concert review: Tab Benoit and JD Simo showcase guitar histrionics at The Coach House

Who: Tab Benoit, JD Simo

Where: The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, CA

When: Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022

Next: Benoit and Simo perform at Great American Music Hall in San Francisco on Sept. 4; they perform together at Felton Music Hall in Felton, CA on Sept. 5; and at The Sofia in Sacramento, CA on Sept. 6

Information: tabbenoit.com and https://simo.fm

Review by Robert Kinsler

Photography by Bob Steshetz

Tab Benoit performing at The Coach House.

Based on how early the capacity crowd filled The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Thursday night (Sept. 1, 2022), the world still loves a great guitar hero. The good news for concertgoers who came to the legendary venue last night was they got to see two guitar masters on the same bill.

Tab Benoit, on left, performing at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, CA.

Grammy-nominated headliner Tab Benoit and opener JD Simo each brought a wealth of talent to the stage, with the Houma, Louisiana-born Benoit and Nashville-based Simo both having the benefit of being armed with winning lead voices along with their respective roles as guitar greats (they also each happened to be backed by a tight two-man rhythm section).

Tab Benoit at The Coach House.

Benoit's 100-minute set flew by thanks to his arresting personality and a slew of great swamp and Southern-flavored electric blues played with unbridled power. Opening with the infectious and driving "Why Are People Like That?" from his 2006 album Brother To The Blues. Benoit's fiery and sharp guitar work elevated the uptempo blues rocker.

Among this writer's favorite offerings were his cover of Buddy Miller's "Shelter Me," a fully reworked Delta take on the Buffalo Springfield classic "For What It's Worth," Cajun rocker "We Make A Good Gumbo" and the playful "My Bucket's Got A Hole In It," the latter showcasing Benoit's soulful lead vocals.

Tab Benoit, far left, brought guitarist JD Simo to the stage for his encore.

Benoit and his band played the roaring "Night Train" as an encore, with Simo joining the trio on stage and unleashing some stylish slide guitar work early in the 10-minute cut. Benoit unleashed his lead guitar work as well, helping propel the Southern rocker to a dramatic close.

JD Simo, on the far left, performing with his band at The Coach House.

Simo brought a more experimental approach to the night, with his far-flung work bridging several styles of blues and rock to a 30-minute set.

JD Simo at The Coach House on Sept. 1, 2022.

His selections ranged from the beautiful "One Of These Days" — with Simo's falsetto vocals recalling the late Curtis Mayfield — to the decidedly experimental "That's When You Know When You're Down" influenced by Captain Beefheart, and the set-ending heavy rocker "Know It All" (the latter from his latest album Mind Control) serving as a platform for Simo's incredible lead guitar dynamics.

Kris Kristofferson releases "Live At Gilley's" tomorrow - Taste of Country premieres album in its entirety today (9/1/2022)

Check out this eagerly-awaited recording featuring Kris Kristofferson today...Robert Kinsler

KRIS KRISTOFFERSON TO RELEASE LIVE AT GILLEY’S - PASADENA, TX: SEPTEMBER 15, 1981, TOMORROW VIA NEW WEST RECORDS 

 

FEATURING LINER NOTES WRITTEN BY MICKEY GILLEY, GEORGE STRAIT, AND BILLY SWAN

 

TASTE OF COUNTRY PREMIERES ALBUM IN ITS ENTIRETY TODAY 

Kris Kristofferson will release Live at Gilley’s - Pasadena, TX: September 15, 1981 tomorrow via New West Records. The previously unreleased 15-song set was the final date of Kristofferson’s 1981 tour and was recorded at the legendary Pasadena, TX honky tonk most well known for its role in the 1980 film Urban Cowboy. Kristofferson is backed by an incredible live band featuring Stephen Bruton, Billy Swan, Donnie Fritts, Tommy McClure, Glen Clark, and Sammy Creason. The album also features exclusive liner notes written by the country music legend & Gilley’s co-owner Mickey Gilley, as well as additional pieces written by the legendary George Strait, and Billy Swan. 

 

Today, Taste of Country premiered the album in full, a day ahead of its release, exclaiming, "Too many albums are labeled as 'essential' in the 21st century, but this project truly transports country fans to an essential era in the genre's history. The Live at Gilley's album is raw, rowdy, and inspired." Hear Kris Kristofferson’s Live at Gilley’s - Pasadena, TX: September 15, 1981 in its entirety HERE. 

 

From his liner notes written three months before his passing in May, Mickey Gilley offered, “Gilley’s could hold several thousand people, but the club was very intimate. You were right there on the stage with people all around you. You could bend down and shake hands with people.” He continued, “Right next to the club was the recording studio, and we recorded everything that was done onstage. We could record onto the 24-track machine that we had in the studio, then we would do the mixing…We booked a lot of shows around that time, including some people I didn’t think would want to play the club. We got some acts that made me think, ‘Are you kidding me?’...Kris Kristofferson was one of those artists that I didn’t think would want to play Gilley’s, because he was such a big name and a tremendous talent.” 

 

George Strait exclaimed, “What a great album this is! Classic Kristofferson songs throughout, and live!! Kris was in his prime and his vocals were outstanding and very soulful as always. I got to play Gilley's a few times back in those days and this record takes me right back there. You can tell the crowd is loving him and he’s loving them right back. That’s what it’s all about. It was an exciting time to say the least. So close your eyes and listen to this record. Imagine you’re right there standing in front of the stage with the man himself looking right at you. I think you’ll get a really good idea of what Gilley's was like back then when Kris played there. What a treat that must’ve been.” 

 

Kris Kristofferson's Live at Gilley’s - Pasadena, TX: September 15, 1981 will be available across digital platforms, on compact disc, and standard black vinyl. A very limited to 300 White Vinyl Edition will be available exclusively at Texas Retailers while a limited, foil stamped and numbered to 750, Opaque Metallic Silver Vinyl Edition will be available via Vinyl Me, Please. A limited Opaque Red with White Marble Vinyl Edition will be available at Independent Retailers and is available NOW via NEW WEST RECORDS. 

 

Kris Kristofferson Live at Gilley’s - Pasadena, TX: September 15, 1981 Track Listing:

 

1. Me And Bobby McGee
2. Here Comes That Rainbow Again
3. Casey’s Last Ride
4. You Show Me Yours (And I’ll Show You Mine) / Stranger
5. Nobody Loves Anybody Anymore
6. Darby’s Castle
7. If It’s All The Same To You
8. The Pilgrim
9. For The Good Times
10. Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down
11. The Silver Tongued Devil And I
12. Smile At Me Again
13. Same Old Song
14. Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again)
15. Why Me

 

KrisKristofferson.com
NewWestRecords.com