BIRDSONG

British pop-soul group The Blow Monkeys 13th studio album ‘Birdsong The album’s release will be the first since the group signed to Creation Youth, the British independent record label launched by Alan McGee - the Creation Records founder who famously signed artists like Oasis, Primal Scream and My Bloody Valentine – and producer and Killing Joke bassist Martin ‘Youth’ Glover. Recorded at Paul Weller’s Black Barn Studios in Surrey and produced by Dr Robert, The Blow Monkeys’ lead singer Robert Howard (aka Dr Robert) is backed throughout Birdsong’s ten-tracks by fellow founding members Neville Henry (sax), Mick Anker (bass), with Crispin Taylor on drums and additional musicians such as Mick Talbot , Gina Foster and Steve Sidelnyk. Dr Robert said, “Youth is one of our closest neighbours up in the mountains near Granada, close to where I live, and I often pop in for a cup of tea. One time I was up there and I bumped into Alan McGee. I was sitting strumming an acoustic guitar and he asked if I could play Buick McKane, the old T Rex number. I did, which I think sealed the deal! He asked me to write and record a “brilliant Blow Monkey record”. I knew what he meant. The songs just poured out, almost without effort, which is always a good sign. It’s a very ‘up’ album, and deliberately so.” McGee added, “The album they’ve just recorded for Creation Youth at Paul Weller’s studio is as good as anything Dr Robert did back in the day. It’s the original line-up bar the drummer, so it’s has that unique sound that’s unmistakably The Blow Monkeys. I love this band!” After making their debut over 40 years ago, The Blow Monkeys became household names when classic singles ‘Digging Your Scene’ and ‘It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way’ became worldwide hits and their cover of Leslie Gore’s 1963 song ‘You Don’t Own Me’ featured on the biggest selling soundtrack of all time, ‘Dirty Dancing’. But there was always so much more going on with these soulful troubadours, with them possessing a relentless desire to move forward, collaborate, to be socially engaged and to have something to contribute. Back in the ‘80s they worked with people as varied as Curtis Mayfield, Paul Weller, Cheb Khaled and even Jamaican Toaster EEK-a-Mouse. Dr Robert even took time out to release one of the UK’s first home grown House records with ‘Wait’, his top 5 duet with Chicago soul diva Kym Maselle