News: Texas & Spooner Oldham Partner Up For The Muscle Shoals Sessions
3 min read
After an emphatic 2023 that saw a career-spanning The Very Best Of 1989 – 2023 release, as well as one of the standout Pyramid Stage sets at Glastonbury, Texas and legendary American songwriter & pianist Spooner Oldham will release their first joint album The Muscle Shoals Sessions – out March 29th via [PIAS].
Recorded at the renowned ‘Fame Recording Studio’ in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, during the summer of 2022, the album features twelve of Texas’ greatest hits, and two covers (“Would I Lie To You” by Charles and Eddie and “Save The Last Dance” by The Drifters) – reimagined and laid bare. Stripped back to their bare bones, guided by the soulful voice of Sharleen Spiteri, accompanied by the delicate piano lines of Spooner Oldham, the songs simply shine in this format and prove their worth as sheer standalone timeless classics.
Sharleen Spiteri says of the experience; “To have the option to go to Muscle Shoals to record was like being a little kid in a sweet shop. Working with Spooner was inspiring, fun and he’s just a wonderful human being. The fact that Northern Soul music has been such a massive influence for Texas made the fit with Spooner just right. Him writing “Keep On Talking” was essential to us recording it for this album.”
On adapting the tracks for the album, Sharleen continues; “To reimagine the classics and break them down so you hear the clarity in the lyrics – it may give you a different take and a different feeling on these songs. It’s just vocal and a piano with some beautiful backing – all recorded live. I think you’re going to get something quite different from what you will have heard on the original versions.”
Inducted into the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame in 2009, Spooner Oldham has shaped American soul music with his formidable talent. A songwriter, producer and session keyboardist, Oldham has left his mark on classics such as “When a Man Loves a Woman,” “Mustang Sally” and “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)”. Oldham went on to play on a string of Aretha albums and co-write some classics, “I’m Your Puppet” “Cry Like A Baby” and “Sweet Inspirations” with Dan Penn.
After the end of the pioneering era of Southern soul, Oldham put his considerable talents to work for other artists, including Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, and the Everly Brothers, playing piano and organ. He remains a respected figure among music aficionados, not only for his tasteful keyboard playing, but also for his compositions.
34 years since they recorded “I Don’t Want A Lover”, then watched as it reached Number Eight in the charts, Texas, one of the UK’s most loved bands, have gone on to produce ten studio albums, selling over 40 million records worldwide.
In September, the band will embark on a UK arena tour which will see the band play nine dates across the UK, including their newly announced date at Hull Connexin Live, two hometown shows at The Hydro in Glasgow, as well as The O2 in London. Known for their enthralling, high-energy shows, the run will see the band play a set of classic hits. Support across the dates come from KT Tunstall.
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