With 10 years of wowing crowds around the globe and making their own distinctive brand of Funk and Soul music that makes you feel so good, you can’t quite explain the hows or whys of it all under their belts, the formidable Geordie duo Smoove & Turrell come at us with 16 of their biggest hits handpicked from their 5 albums and 2 brand new tracks on their new album ‘Solid Brass: Ten Years of Northern Funk’. This incredible selection of music is not the only celebration going down either because this release marks the 300th for Jalapeno Records, the label that saw the potential and snapped up the guys all those years ago and what a decision that has turned out to be!
Due to their roots, backgrounds and good spirited nature, Smoove & Turrell have described their sound as Future Rhythm & Blues, North East Ghetto Soul, Working Man Boogie and Coal Funk to name a few. All we know though is that underneath the solid brass exterior lies a solid gold Funk and Soul sound that will only ever bring warmth and happiness to your day and will always pick you up when the chips are down. Smoove & Turrell actually now front what is a six-piece band and when they get together, great things only ever happen and with Smoove producing all of their work and the bloody brilliant and incredibly soulful John Turrell fronting things, they’re a force to be reckoned with right now and for many, many years to come.
With all that has been said, it’s the music that always does the talking and a great way to experience the tremendous and exhilarating noise these guys make is by diving in head first into the 18 masterpieces that can be found on their celebratory album. Stone cold classics of theirs like ‘Could Have Been A Lady’, ‘Beggarman’, ‘You’re Gone (feat. Izo Fitzroy)’, ‘I Can’t Give You Up’ and ‘I Feel Alive’ are a few you’ll hear on the album and sit alongside the two new tracks mentioned.
The first of the new tracks is the first-ever studio recording of Smoove’s rework of The Spencer Davis Group‘s ‘I’m A Man’ and opens the album in the best way possible. It has been a staple in Smoove & Turrell’s live sets for a good while now and Smoove’s version has only been available on vinyl with copies exchanging hands for serious money. As they knew their fans loved the track, they got together and got it recorded so that now everyone can own it and enjoy it forever more. The second of the new tracks is ‘Give It Back’ pretty much encapsulates exactly what Smoove & Turrell are all about. The track is full of soul and the lyrics are heartfelt and clear as to the indication of their meaning. In particular on ‘Give It Back’ it features the line “We love the ones who give it back” which is typically honest and true of a band that prides themselves on community.
‘Solid Brass: Ten Years of Northern Funk’ can be purchased on digital format, CD and a double 12″ gatefold vinyl release for those avid music collectors out there.
If this is your first interaction with the bloody brilliant Smoove & Turrell, consider today to be one of those very good days!
Buy ‘Solid Brass: Ten Years of Northern Funk’ here on Bandcamp.
Links for Smoove & Turrell :
Soundcloud / Facebook / Website / Bandcamp / YouTube / Twitter
