After three consecutive Top 5 albums, 750,000 sales and three sold-out headline tours, The Overtones continue to reboot classic sounds for contemporary audiences. February 9th sees the release of their fourth collection 'Sweet Soul Music' on Warner Music Entertainment.
Recorded at Sarm Studios with producer Julian Hinton (Seal, Rumer, Trevor Horn), 'Sweet Soul Music' is a tribute to doo-wop and soul pioneers such as The Drifters, Al Green, Marvin Gaye and The Temptations, artists that The Overtones grew up listening to and who have influenced them throughout their career. The Overtones transport their audience back to the heady 1960s, when ground-breaking television shows on both sides of the Atlantic like 'Ready Steady Go' and 'The Tami Show' launched such era-defining artists as James Brown, The Temptations, Jerry Lee Lewis and The Supremes.
"They're all classic songs which ruled the airwaves," says Timmy Matley. "It's been a real pleasure to take on these big songs, we've stretched our voices - our vocal abilities, our harmonies, our whole approach and moved into a different gear."
"Apart from making you dance, soul music really does hit you in the heart," adds Lachie Chapman. "There's also often such a beautiful sentiment behind these songs which is why we're still listening to them fifty years later. They're really universal and I think they have something that everyone can relate to."
Opening with the swinging title track 'Sweet Soul Music" which was originally recorded by Arthur Conley and co-written by the legendary Otis Redding, other album highlights include The Temptations' sensational 'Get Ready', Martha & The Vandellas' scorching 'Heat Wave' , Marvin Gaye's classic 'How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You' and The Drifters 'Under The Boardwalk'
The album also features three brand new songs in the shape of 'Something Good', 'Giving Me Soul' and 'Moving On', the latter of which was produced by Duck (The Wanted, Lawson). Capturing the spirit of the classics which sit seamlessly alongside them, these new songs also continue the well-established tradition of self-written Overtones' originals such as 'Gambling Man', 'Loving The Sound' and 'Superstar'.
The 'Sweet Soul Music' tracklisting is as follows:
1. Sweet Soul Music
2. Get Ready
3. Give Me Just a Little More Time
4. Something Good
5. Heatwave
6. Let's Stay Together
7. Moving On
8. How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You
9. River Deep, Mountain High (featuring Sam Bailey)
10. Under The Boardwalk
11. Giving Me Soul
12. Heard It Through The Grapevine
13. Rainy Night in Georgia
June
1st – Cork, Opera House
2nd – Dublin, Olympia Theatre
6th – Southend, Cliffs Pavilion
8th – Leicester, De Montford Hall
9th – Brighton, Dome
10th – Folkestone, Leas Cliff Hall
12th – Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall
13th – Birmingham, Symphony Hall
14th – Bournemouth, Pavilion Theatre
17th – Newcastle, City Hall
18th – Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall
19th – Liverpool. Philharmonic Hall
21st – Llandudno, Venue Cymru Theatre
22nd – Bristol, Colston Hall
23rd – Reading, Hexagon
25th – Ipswich, Regent
27th – Oxford, New Theatre
29th – Manchester, Bridgewater Hall
30th – Harrogate, Royal Hall
July
1st – Sheffield, City Hall
3rd – London, Palladium
7th – Cardiff, St. David's Hall
8th – Northampton, Derngate
9th – Guildford, G Live