EMI Music/Vector Recordings is set to release the highly anticipated recording Oh Happy Day: An All-Star Music Celebration on March 31. The album features performances by 3 Doors Down, Al Green, Patty Griffin, Heather Headley, Jon Bon Jovi, Jonny Lang, Queen Latifah, Joss Stone with Buick Audra and many more (see below for full track listing). For the project, these world-renowned musicians collaborated with Gospel artists and several of today’s top Gospel Choirs to record renditions of some of the most loved and recognizable inspirational songs. It’s been said you don’t just hear gospel music you feel it. It’s woven through the fabric of the American spirit and history and its influence can be felt and heard around the world today and in the background of many of today’s most talented artists and musicians.
The album’s concept resulted from a close partnership between EMI Gospel and Vector Recordings and was produced by Ken Levitan, Bill Hearn, Jack Rovner, Ken Pennell, Drew & Shannon, Johnny K, Sanchez Harley, Obie O’Brien, Keith Thomas, Tommy Sims, Cedric Thompson, Simon Climie, Michael McDonald, Joss Stone and Buick Audra. Of the project, Bill Hearn, CEO of EMI Christian Music Group comments, “We wanted to create an album that honored the legacy of gospel music—it’s the backbone of the American spirit—but also create unique artist pairings that fans could find no where else.” Vector’s Ken Levitan adds, “Gospel music has always been not only spiritually and musically uplifting but also a great American art form. With this project we’ve taken artists who have been successful in other genres and combined them with this great art form to create new powerful music.”
While recording the record at Ocean Way Studio in Nashville, Jonny Lang notes, “(Gospel music) is really all I’ve been listening to for the last few years…it’s my favorite form of music…at least for now…” Lang goes on to say, “it’s such an honor to record with the legendary Fisk Jubilee Singers, their very first take on the song just blew me away. They’re such pros…quite an honor…” Additionally, Heather Headley comments, “It’s not everyday that you get the opportunity to revisit a classic song like “People Get Ready,” record it with a great producer like Keith Thomas, and sing alongside a legend such as Rev. Al Green. It really was a pleasure, and I had a great time doing it.”
Track Listing:
1. Jonny Lang & the Fisk Jubilee Singers “I Believe”
2. 3 Doors Down & the Soul Children of Chicago “Presence of the Lord”
3. Robert Randolph & The Clark Sisters “Higher Ground”
4. Jon Bon Jovi & the Washington Youth Choir “Keep the Faith”
5. Al Green & Heather Headley “People Get Ready”
6. Mavis Staples & Patty Griffin “Waiting for My Child To Come Home”
7. Michael McDonald & the West Angeles COGIC Mass Choir “Storm Before The Calm”
8. Angelique Kidjo “Redemption Song”
9. Aaron Neville & the Mt. Zion Mass Choir “A Change is Gonna Come”
10. Queen Latifah & Jubilation “Oh Happy Day”
11. Joss Stone & Buick Audra “This Little Light Of Mine”
Digg this Blog
Share on Facebook
WatchMojo on Twitter
WatchMojo on YouTube
Add to Favorites
WatchMojo NewsletterItaly’s greatest musical export, LACUNA COIL, have returned with the massively anticipated, new full-length release, Shallow Life, which is set for an April 21st North American release. The album was recorded with acclaimed producer Don Gilmore (Avril Lavigne, Linkin Park, Pearl Jam) at the famed NRG Studios in Los Angeles. The group recently completed a stunning new video for the Active Rock smash hit “Spellbound” that was shot in their hometown of Milan, Italy.
Shallow Life is now streaming in it’s entirety on MySpace, giving fans their first chance to hear the new album. LACUNA COIL has also posted a new widget on the page, giving fans access to two songs, new photos and the new video. Make sure you post the widget to your page and show your support.
An incredible, specially priced Shallow Life pre-order package is now exclusively available through CMDistro.com and this is a must for all diehard fans. The limited number package includes the Shallow Life CD, an 8×10 glossy band photo, a guitar pick, shallow life cover sticker and a choice between a LACUNA COIL necklace or belt buckle. NOTE: All materials included are exclusive to this pre-order and can’t be found anywhere else. Be sure to click on the link below now as supplies are limited. http://www.cmdistro.com/Artist/Lacuna_Coil/11291
Fans can now also rejoice as LACUNA COIL is performing some new material on this spring’s “Music As A Weapon IV” festival. LACUNA COIL joins such hard rock titans as Disturbed and Killswitch Engage crisscrossing the U.S. before finishing May 16th. The 38-city “Music As A Weapon IV” fest marks the group’s first run of North America in almost two years. Feel free to visit the newly revamped http://www.myspace.com/lacunacoil to view their complete touring itinerary.
LACUNA COIL
Music As A Weapon IV w/ Disturbed, Killswitch Engage & Chimaira
04/11 Amway Arena – Orlando, FL
04/13 Bojangles Coliseum – Charlotte, NC
04/14 1st Mariner Arena – Baltimore, MD
04/15 Tsongas Arena – Lowell, MA
04/17 Bryce Jordan Center – State College, PA
04/18 Cumberland County Civic Center – Portland, ME
04/20 Erie Civic Center – Erie, PA
04/21 Izod Center – East Rutherford, NJ
04/22 Arena at Harbor Yard – Bridgeport, CT
04/24 Crown Coliseum – Fayetteville, NC
04/25 Sovereign Center – Reading, PA
04/27 Glens Falls Civic Center – Glens Falls, NY
04/28 Petersen Center – Pittsburgh, PA
04/30 Kellogg Arena – Battle Creek, MI
05/02 Cobo Arena –Detroit, MI
05/03 The Wolstein Center – Cleveland, OH
05/05 Value City Arena – Columbus, OH
05/06 Peoria Civic Center – Peoria, IL
05/08 Target Center – Minneapolis, MN
05/09 Balloon Classic Field – Des Moines, IA
05/10 Resch Center – Green Bay, WI
05/12 Lacrosse Center – Lacrosse, WI
05/13 Roberts Stadium – Evansville, ID
05/15 Mid America Center – Council Bluffs, IA
05/16 Charter One Pavillion – Chicago, IL
Scofield is proud to release his 36th solo album, Piety Street, which will be available March 31 on Emarcy. It’s a blues inflected album with an adapted gospel repertoire.
“I’ve always wanted to record and tour a blues project,” says Scofield. “That’s where I started as a guitarist and I’m feeling that music more than ever of late. I launched a personal search for musical inspiration beyond the standard 12 bar blues and found it in “old time gospel” music - the closest relative to and inspiration for the R&B that we all love. I’ve always treasured Gospel but never really dug deep into it. My search led to countless songs that really move me. It’s really powerful stuff. Of course, it will be Gospel done my way - all the arrangements are mine.”
Joining Scofield on Piety Street are the spectacular musicians, Jon Cleary (piano, keyboards and vocals), George Porter Jr. (bass), Ricky Fataar (drums), John Bouttè (vocals) and Shannon Powell (percussion).
Track highlights include Dorothy Love Coates’ “That’s Enough”, the Thomas A. Dorsey classics, “Never Turn Back” and “Old Ship Of Zion”, Rev. James Cleveland’s “Something’s Got A Hold On Me”, and the traditional “Sometimes I feel Like A Motherless Child.”
Watch LeToya transform into a rising R&B starlet in her new music video “Not Anymore” directed by Bryan Barber (Idlewild). The song, written and produced by Compound Productions (Ne-Yo) is the first single from her sophomore album “Lady Love” scheduled for release this summer.
“Not Anymore” (VIDEO):
www.letoya.net
www.myspace.com/letoya
Rapper Torae & Super-Producer Marco Polo have joined forces to release the New York rap album that fans of raw, hardcore Hip-Hop have been waiting for.
When it comes to beats and rhymes, Canadian producer Marco Polo and Brooklyn MC Torae don’t play, just check the résumé. On his 2007 critically acclaimed album Port Authority, Polo recruited a who’s who of MC’s like Kool G Rap and Kardinal Offishall to ride over his hard-hitting instrumentals. Torae, on the other hand, has certified his rep as one of the game’s illest lyricists in a similar fashion, with remarkable wordplay on his highly touted 2008 street album Daily Conversation. So, in the spirit of great hip-hop duos, the producer and the MC signed with Duck Down Records to release their collaborative album “Double Barrel,” on June 2nd.
“He’s bringing the hardest production that he can bring, I’m bringing the hardest rhymes I can bring; together its like a double barrel blast,” says Torae of the album’s persistent theme. The two first hooked up when Marco tapped the MC to guest on his Mick Boogie-helmed mixtape, The New Port Authority, in 2007. In turn, Marco went on to produce “Casualty” on Tor’s Daily Conversation. “I think we just had a connection in the studio,” says Polo, “We wanted to make an album that we wanted to hear with banging beats and aggressive rhymes.”
Sonically Double Barrel pays homage to New York’s mid-‘90’s rap scene, when artists like Gang Starr and Wu-Tang Clan reigned supreme. The album’s lead track “Party Crashers” is a definite standout, harkening back to that era with its chest thumping percussion and rock solid rhymes. So rather then try to fit in with Hip-Hop’s pop set, Torae & Marco chose the unconventional route. “I think the sound of the album is not the most popular or trendy, but we’re going to crash the party,” says Tor, “We’re coming in with this sound and we’re coming in doing what we want to do.”
Songs like the dramatic “But Wait” and the free associative “Word Play” display Tor’s forward-thinking conceptual abilities, while the rock-infused “Danger” stands as one of Marco’s finest productions to date. Overall the album is chock-full of the street-influenced rap that fans have come to expect from the two Hip-Hop upstarts.
Torae sums up the collaboration perfectly when he spits, “He makes violent beats, I’m from the violent streets/That Double Barrel sound, that’s where violence meets.”
Torae & Marco Polo will also be hitting off the vinyl heads with both a 12″ and LP of the album; the 12″ line up will include “Double Barrel,” “Hold Up” f/ Sean Price & Masta Ace and “Combat Drills” (an exclusive cut not found on the Double Barrel CD).
**The Digital Deluxe-Edition of “Double Barrel,’” will include the complete album, an exclusive bonus track and Marco Polo’s instrumentals from the LP; will be available exclusively through iTunes worldwide for only $9.99
Tracklisting and credits for Torae & Marco Polo’s Double Barrel:
1.) Intro f/DJ Premier
2.) Double Barrel featuring cuts by DJ Revolution
3.) Smoke f/Lil Fame of M.O.P.
4.) Party Crashers
5.) But Wait
6.) Lifetime featuring cuts by DJ Revolution
7.) Rah Rah Sh*t
8.) Danger
9.) Stomp f/Guilty Simpson
10.) World Play
11.) Hold Up f/Masta Ace & Sean Price
12.) Coney Island
13.) Get It
14.) Crashing Down f/Saukrates & S-Roc (***Bonus Track)
***All Tracks Produced By Marco Polo
