 Anyone
who’s seen or heard James Hunter perform is already hip to
his remarkable talents as a singer, guitarist and songwriter. This
includes Van Morrison who asserts, “James is one of the best
voices, and best kept secrets, in British R’n’B and
Soul. Check him out.” Audiences will soon have that opportunity
with Hunter’s debut release on GO Records/Rounder Records,
scheduled for release on March 7, 2006.
People Gonna
Talk features 14 original tracks written and arranged by Hunter,
who partnered with Producer Liam Watson to create a wonderfully
rich, classic soul sound. The album was recorded at Watson’s
Toe Rag Studios in East London where vintage analogue equipment
could capture the warmth of Hunter’s authentic and heartfelt
sensibilities. “There’s a lot of ‘fake perfection’
in music that’s being recorded nowadays that comes from the
hours and hours spent constructing performances in the studio,”
says Watson. “This is a very real performance that reflects
the real James Hunter with his band. I think audiences will appreciate
that quality in his music when they listen to the record.”
There’s
no denying that Hunter’s musical style harkens back to the
days of classic 50’s and early 60’s R&B. What’s
remarkable is that the same timeless quality can exist in music
that is being written, performed and recorded today. Hunter’s
voice is smooth, brilliantly controlled and unapologetic. Through
his infectious vocal and guitar performances, clever songwriting
and tight horn arrangements, Hunter proves to be a man of impeccable
taste who has learned from his influences rather than simply imitating
them.
But don’t
tell Hunter that the album’s a throwback to any era gone by.
“I feel this music is as relevant for people today as it would’ve
been 40 years ago,” he explains. “It has a groove that
makes people feel good—it makes girls want to dance. What’s
retro or old-sounding about that?” So call it what you want.
Retro. Old School. New. Hip. Hunter delivers his impassioned vocals
with such authority and freedom that his observations on romance
take on an aura of timeless authenticity.
Producer Liam
Watson, who shares an appreciation for the R&B sounds of the
50’s and 60’s, opened Toe Rag Studios in 1992 to capture
the lush sounds that many argue can only be captured using vintage
analogue equipment. With many releases to his credit, Watson’s
notoriety skyrocketed with the smash hit success of The White Stripes’
2003 Grammy winning, platinum certified album, Elephant. In working
with Hunter, Watson felt it was important to record the album live.
“When I say live, that includes the lead singing,” explains
Watson. “Everything is basically recorded at the same time
in the same room. It’s a way of recording that isn’t
so common nowadays, but a long time ago, that was the norm. So we’ve
kind of recorded in an old fashioned way, because for the type of
music that James does, it’s the most sympathetic way of making
a record.” To capture Hunter’s vocal performances, Watson
used what he regards as one of the best four or five microphones
ever made, an AKG microphone called the C12. “James has a
wonderful tone and the C12 really suits him. I don’t use that
mike for just anyone,” says Watson. “He’s also
a very good guitar player and can pull off some really weird stuff
while he’s singing.”
Hunter is no stranger to the studio. In 1996, Ace Records released
Hunter’s solo debut, Believe What I Say, featuring guest appearances
by Van Morrison and the late Doris Troy. In 2001, Boz Boorer, Morrissey’s
lead guitarist and Musical Director, stepped in to produce Hunter’s
sophomore solo album, Kick it Around, on the German label Ruf Records.
Hunter initially hooked up with Van Morrison back in the early 90’s
after Morrison, tipped off by an enthusiastic Hunter fan at a newsstand
in London, went to hear Hunter perform at a gig in Wales. Hunter
subsequently toured extensively with Morrison, singing alongside
such luminaries as John Lee Hooker, Junior Wells, Jimmy Witherspoon
and Georgie Fame. He is featured on Morrison’s live album
A Night in San Francisco and the studio recording Days Like This.
Born in Colchester, England, Hunter was drawn to the sounds of R&B
at an early age, perhaps for lack of options. “When I was
nine, my parents moved into this caravan in Thorrington, outside
Colchester. It was this poxy little caravan, old and knackered,
with me and my brother stuck in one half of it and Mum and Dad sleeping
in the living room. We had a radio and there wasn’t much interesting
on that, and my grandmother gave us an old gramophone and a heap
of 78s – all 50’s stuff. I just acquired the taste for
stuff around that age – we had Jackie Wilson’s Reet
Petite and lots of other Rock ’n Roll in its earliest form.
It was a great treat for us to be allowed to listen every now and
then, because there wasn’t a lot of room in that place. It
was in the middle of an onion field.”
James Hunter
has toured extensively on the club and festival circuits in London
and across Europe. His natural ability as singer and guitarist brings
added excitement to his music, evidenced by the frenzy he can stir
up among hardened gig-goers and young hipsters alike. About the
frenzies, Hunter concludes, “It’s simple really—it’s
music you can groove to.”
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