Soulsville
Encyclopedia
Soulsville is the ninth studio album from Huey Lewis and the News
and the band's first since Plan B
in 2001. The album was released on October 18, 2010, in the United Kingdom and Europe and November 2, 2010, in the United States. The album, a tribute
to the artists and music of Stax Records
, was the brainchild of the band's manager, Bob Brown. As lead singer Huey Lewis
explained, "the public isn't clamouring for new Huey Lewis & the News material". Brown and the band thought an album of Stax covers could be their "last shot at getting something out there that can get a rise out of anybody", while also bringing new exposure to the deep Stax catalog.
in Memphis, Tennessee, in early 2010. One of the original Stax co-engineers, Jim Gaines, who also engineered the band's best-selling albums, Sports and Fore!
, produced the album with the band.
of Allmusic writes "what makes the album successful is that Huey Lewis & the News don't choose the obvious tunes", citing that their love for the music is infectious and the album "winds up like a bunch of old friends having fun revisiting their favorite tunes." Rick Moore of American Songwriter also praises the selection of "songs that are a little more obscure", calling it "a solid collection of 14 tunes from the Stax/Volt heyday" and a nice homage by the News. J. Matthew Cobb of SoulTracks thinks the song selections are a perfect fit for Lewis's voice and show how rich and vast the Stax catalog is, calling the album "one of the most aesthetically sound cover albums of 2010". Jason Heller of The A.V. Club
completely disagrees by claiming Soulsville doesn't have soul and only a few of the songs rise "above the level of really good karaoke." He rips Lewis' renditions of Solomon Burke
's (who died shortly before the album was released) "Got to Get You Off My Mind
" and "Cry to Me
", describing it as "a pathetic epitaph for the late King of Rock & Soul."
, the country's first black radio station.
Huey Lewis and the News
Huey Lewis and the News is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California. They had a run of hit singles during the 1980s and early 1990s, eventually scoring a total of 19 top-ten singles across the Billboard Hot 100, Adult Contemporary and Mainstream Rock charts...
and the band's first since Plan B
Plan B (album)
Plan B is the eighth album by American rock band Huey Lewis and the News, released in 2001 .This was the last album to feature founding member/guitarist Chris Hayes, who performed on the album but then left after work was completed. Hayes was replaced by Oakland-born guitarist Stef Burns...
in 2001. The album was released on October 18, 2010, in the United Kingdom and Europe and November 2, 2010, in the United States. The album, a tribute
Tribute album
A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
to the artists and music of Stax Records
Stax Records
Stax Records is an American record label, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee.Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the name Stax Records was adopted in 1961. The label was a major factor in the creation of the Southern soul and Memphis soul music styles, also releasing gospel, funk, jazz, and...
, was the brainchild of the band's manager, Bob Brown. As lead singer Huey Lewis
Huey Lewis
Huey Lewis is an American musician, songwriter and occasional actor.Lewis sings lead and plays harmonica for his band Huey Lewis and the News, in addition to writing or co-writing many of the band's songs...
explained, "the public isn't clamouring for new Huey Lewis & the News material". Brown and the band thought an album of Stax covers could be their "last shot at getting something out there that can get a rise out of anybody", while also bringing new exposure to the deep Stax catalog.
Recording
Lewis and the News recorded Soulsville at Ardent StudiosArdent Studios
Ardent Studios is a recording studio located in Memphis, Tennessee. Ardent Records/Ardent Music is the in-house label.- History :Ardent Studios was founded by John Fry and was initially a studio in his family's garage, where he recorded his first Ardent Records 45's. In 1966 the operation moved...
in Memphis, Tennessee, in early 2010. One of the original Stax co-engineers, Jim Gaines, who also engineered the band's best-selling albums, Sports and Fore!
Fore!
Fore! is the fourth album by American rock band Huey Lewis and the News, released in 1986 . The album hit number one on the Billboard 200 album chart and contained five top-ten Billboard Hot 100 singles, including the number-one hits: "Stuck with You" and "Jacob's Ladder."- Album cover :The wall...
, produced the album with the band.
Reception
Stephen Thomas ErlewineStephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
of Allmusic writes "what makes the album successful is that Huey Lewis & the News don't choose the obvious tunes", citing that their love for the music is infectious and the album "winds up like a bunch of old friends having fun revisiting their favorite tunes." Rick Moore of American Songwriter also praises the selection of "songs that are a little more obscure", calling it "a solid collection of 14 tunes from the Stax/Volt heyday" and a nice homage by the News. J. Matthew Cobb of SoulTracks thinks the song selections are a perfect fit for Lewis's voice and show how rich and vast the Stax catalog is, calling the album "one of the most aesthetically sound cover albums of 2010". Jason Heller of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
completely disagrees by claiming Soulsville doesn't have soul and only a few of the songs rise "above the level of really good karaoke." He rips Lewis' renditions of Solomon Burke
Solomon Burke
Solomon Burke was an American singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, mortician, and an archbishop of the United House of Prayer For All People. Burke was known as "King Solomon", the "King of Rock 'n' Soul", and as the "Bishop of Soul", and described as "the Muhammad Ali of soul", and as "the most...
's (who died shortly before the album was released) "Got to Get You Off My Mind
Got to Get You Off My Mind
"Got to Get You Off My Mind" is a 1965 soul single written and performed by Solomon Burke. The single was produced by Jerry Wexler, and was the most successful of Burke's long career, becoming his highest-charting single on both the R&B and pop singles charts...
" and "Cry to Me
Cry to Me
"Cry to Me" is a song written by Bert Russell a/k/a Bert Berns, first recorded under the production of Bert Berns by Solomon Burke, reaching #5 on the R&B charts in 1962....
", describing it as "a pathetic epitaph for the late King of Rock & Soul."
Track listing
Album cover
The album cover was designed by Memphis folk artist Lamar Sorrento. It presents a caricature of a Memphis street corner, complete with musicians, rib joints, and WDIAWDIA
WDIA is an AM radio station in Memphis, Tennessee, in the United States of America. Its radio frequency is 1070 kHz. In 1962 it became the first U.S. radio station programmed by African-Americans, though its ownership was white.-History:...
, the country's first black radio station.
Chart performance
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
121 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... (Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... ) |
18 |
| US Top Independent Albums (Billboard) | 15 |
Personnel
- Huey LewisHuey LewisHuey Lewis is an American musician, songwriter and occasional actor.Lewis sings lead and plays harmonica for his band Huey Lewis and the News, in addition to writing or co-writing many of the band's songs...
– vocals and harmonica - Johnny CollaJohnny CollaJohnny Colla is one of the founding members of the American rock band, Huey Lewis and the News. He is the guitarist and saxophonist. He has been heavily involved in the San Francisco Bay Area music scene for more than 25 years.-Brief history:The first bands that Colla was involved with were the...
– guitar, tenor saxophone, percussion, vocals - Bill Gibson – drums, percussion, vocals
- Sean Hopper – keyboards, vocals
- John Pierce – bass
- Bill Hinds – guitar on all songs except "Don't Fight It" and "Don't Let the Green Grass Fool You"
- Stef Burns – guitar on "Don't Fight It", "Don't Let the Green Grass Fool You", "I Want To (Do Everything for You)", and "Respect Yourself"
- Marvin McFadden – trumpet
- Rob Sudduth – tenor saxophone
- Johnnie Bamont – baritone saxophone
Additional musicians and vocalists
- Dorothy Morrison – vocal duet on "Respect Yourself"
- Rick Steff – piano on "Don't Fight It", "Don't Let the Green Grass Fool You"
- John Gove – trombone on "Respect Yourself" and "Got to Get You Off My Mind"
- Bertram Brown, Jackie Johnson, and Reba Russell – backing vocals on "Don't Fight It", "Don't Let the Green Grass Fool You", "Got to Get You Off My Mind", "Little Sally Walker", and "Never Like This Before"
- Larry Batiste, Niko Ellison, and Cleytoven Richardson – backing vocals on "Never Found a Girl", "Just the One (I've Been Looking For)", "Cry to Me", and "I Want To (Do Everything for You)"
- Daunielle "Pie" Hill, Jackie Johnson, and Reba Russell - backing vocals on "Free" and "Respect Yourself"
- Bryan Dyer – backing vocals on "Cry to Me", "I Want To (Do Everything for You)"
- Ashling Cole – backing vocals on "Soulsville"