Texas & Spooner Oldham The Muscle Shoals Session Vinyl LP Green Colour 2024
Tracklist:
1. Halo (The Muscle Shoals Sessions)
2. Mr Haze (The Muscle Shoals Sessions)
3. Summer Son (The Muscle Shoals Sessions)
4. Say What You Want (The Muscle Shoals Sessions)
5. Keep On Talking (The Muscle Shoals Sessions)
6. The Conversation (The Muscle Shoals Sessions)
7. In Demand (The Muscle Shoals Sessions)
8. Would I Lie To You (The Muscle Shoals Sessions)
9. Let’s Work It (The Muscle Shoals Sessions)
10. Black Eyed Boy (The Muscle Shoals Sessions)
11. Everyday Now (The Muscle Shoals Sessions)
12. I Don’t Want A Lover (The Muscle Shoals Sessions)
13. In Our Lifetime (The Muscle Shoals Sessions)
14. Save The Last Dance (The Muscle Shoals Sessions)
Recorded at the renowned 'Fame Recording Studio' in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, during the summer of 2022, the album features twelve of Texas’ greatest hits, and two covers ('Would I Lie To You' by Charles and Eddie and 'Save The Last Dance' by The Drifters) - reimagined and laid bare. Stripped back to their bare bones, guided by the soulful voice of Sharleen Spiteri, accompanied by the delicate piano lines of Spooner Oldham, the songs simply shine in this format and prove their worth as sheer standalone timeless classics.
Sharleen Spiteri says of the experience; “To have the option to go to Muscle Shoals to record was like being a little kid in a sweet shop. Working with Spooner was inspiring, fun and he’s just a wonderful human being. The fact that Northern Soul music has been such a massive influence for Texas made the fit with Spooner just right. Him writing ‘Keep On Talking’ was essential to us recording it for this album.”
On adapting the tracks for the album, Sharleen continues; “To reimagine the classics and break them down so you hear the clarity in the lyrics - it may give you a different take and a different feeling on these songs. It’s just vocal and a piano with some beautiful backing - all recorded live. I think you’re going to get something quite different from what you will have heard on the original versions.”
Inducted into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame in 2009, Spooner Oldham has shaped American soul music with his formidable talent. A songwriter, producer and session keyboardist, Oldham has left his mark on classics such as "When a Man Loves a Woman," "Mustang Sally" and "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)." After leaving Memphis in 1967, Oldham teamed up with singer Dan Penn at Chips Moman's American Studios, and the duo became one of the country's top songwriters. Together, they wrote hits for Aretha Franklin ("Do Right Woman") and Box Tops ("Cry Like a Baby"), among others, and their songs appeared on albums by artists such as Janis Joplin ("A Woman Left Lonely").
After the end of the pioneering era of Southern soul, Oldham put his considerable talents to work for other artists, including Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, and the Everly Brothers, playing piano and organ. He remains a respected figure among music aficionados, not only for his tasteful keyboard playing, but also for his compositions.