Here's a letter to fans recently posted on Sheryl Crow's official website concerning her upcoming release, '100 Miles From Memphis' due out in stores July 20th (A&M Records).
'Hi everybody,
I want to take a moment to update you on my new project and express my gratitude for coming with me on this long and wonderful journey of the past 17 years. I'm looking forward to many more years to come.
A little while back we re released a commemorative set of my first
record 'Tuesday Night Music Club'.
It got me to thinking that I was ready to try something a little
different but still familiar and true to myself artistically.
Many of my heroes have created additional
Artistic lanes for themselves without steering into radically
different waters.
The last thing any of us wants to do as we mature is to find
themselves recreating their past. So, for the past several months
I've been making a funky soul-based record.
Not like the the great contemporary R+b artists like my friend Mary J Blige,
But hearkening back to my influences of the 60s and early 70s. I feel artistically revitalized and the music feels fresh and at
the same time very familiar to what I do. Many of my past songs such as run baby run, my favorite mistake now that your gone and others
Are already steeped in this style.
100 miles from Memphis will be the name of my new record and it makes reference to both my home town of Kennett, Mo, and its
proximity to one of music cultures historic hotbeds, Memphis, Tennessee.
Originally the birthplace of Sun records, which brought us original
blues and rock n roll such as Howlin Wolf, Carl Perkin and of course
Elvis, Memphis along with Muscle Shoals, Alabama evolved into the most artistically fruitful and foundational sights for the southern soul and hard edged r+b styles
that permeated the mid sixties and early 70's.
Growing up in Kennett [Missouri], in addition to hearing the country and pop sounds of the era, my radio waves were within earshot of the irresistible soul sounds
coming out of Memphis.
The legendary Stax and Atlantic records labels, many of which were
recorded at Ardent sound in Memphis gave us the power house music of
Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam and Dave, Booker T and the Mgs,
Aretha Franklin and many others.
Soul Songs like 'Sittin on the dock of the bay', 'Respect', 'Green
onions', 'Knock on wood' and 'chain fools' were all over the airwaves and
an unmistakable influence on much of the great rock of the
seventies like the Stones, Allmans and Clapton whom I truly cut my
teeth on.
Coming of age in the seventies and beyond, these classic soul
influences filtered into the cover bands I played in alongside my
rock favorites of the era. Classic Soul evolved into the early 70's
and the music of artists like Al Green, Curtis Mayfield, Marvin
Gaye, Sly Stone and Aretha has always stayed close to my heart.
They sang about the hopes and dreams of the future of America and played upon themes throughout the turbulent civil rights era. As you might be aware I've always
felt it an important platform for artists with a public voice to
speak their feelings and inform on the misjudgments of any current
system.
I grew up in a household in the south during where my father
was an attorney protecting the civil rights of the minority black
families in our town. Songs like 'Choice of colors' ,'People get ready'
and 'What's going on' resonant of this time and still have so much
validity today.
And then there was Michael Jackson. I spent 2 amazing years singing
backup and dueting with one of the true musical geniuses of our
time. Michael was the consummate amalgamation of the styles of r+b,
soul, funk, blues, rock and pop. My interaction and musical
education during that time was priceless beyond words! Michael will
be forever missed and truly in my heart.
My producers and collaborators this time are Doyle Bramhall and
Justin Stanley. Doyle is a favorite artist of mine and a longtime
friend. You might have seen him jam with us from time to time or
for the last 6 years onstage alongside Clapton.
We've had a blast creating this music and have recorded a bunch of
original songs and a handful of cool covers as well.
Stay tuned in the coming weeks [sherylcrow.com] for more info and we'll be featuring
lots of behind the scenes footage and sneak previews shot during the
making of the record, as well as a few other surprises.
See you soon
Sheryl'
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