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Mahalia Barnes & The Soul Mates ft Joe Bonamassa to release ‘Ooh Yea – The Betty Davis Songbook’‏

December 18, 2014

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Betty Davis Comes Alive!

Mahalia Barnes & The Soul Mates featuring Joe Bonamassa Get Nasty On “Ooh Yea! – The Betty Davis Songbook”

 Album features twelve cover songs from ‘70s punk-funk, soul and R&B pioneer Betty Davis

 

Los Angeles, CA, [26 Nov 2014]: Powerhouse singer Mahalia Barnes, one of the most impressive female vocalists to come out of Australia, and her band The Soul Mates have teamed up with American blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa to release an album of Betty Davis covers called Ooh Yea! – The Betty Davis Songbook. Scheduled for release on 23 Feb 2015, it explores tracks from Davis’ sexy, raw funk records of the early ‘70s.
Betty Davis’s unique story is still fairly unknown. She married Miles Davis in the late ‘60s, influencing him with psychedelic rock, and introducing him to Jimi Hendrix. Later, she released three genre-busting albums, 1973’s self-titled debut, 1974’s They Say I’m Different and 1975’s Nasty Gal that have since influenced artists like Outkast, Prince, Erykah Badu, Rick James, The Roots, Ice Cube, Talib Kweli and Ludacris.
Mahalia Barnes, eldest daughter of Australian rock legend Jimmy Barnes and recent contestant on The Voice, has been around music her whole life but has always been most heavily influenced by soul, blues and rock n’ roll. Throughout the years she was exposed to Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, and Ike + Tina and later, became enthralled with artists like Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway and Stevie Wonder as well as grittier singers like Ann Peebles, Betty Lavette and Betty Davis.
Last year, Mahalia was in the studio with her dad and internationally acclaimed super-producer, Kevin Shirley (Joe Bonamassa, Journey, Divinyls), when she played Kevin some Betty Davis tracks as a reference. It was then that the idea to record the album Ooh Yeah – The Betty Davis Song Book was born.

“I have been a fan of Betty Davis for years now,” said Barnes. “I can remember the first time I heard her stuff, I was hooked! She is wild, free, nasty, raw, funky, intense, powerful and sexy. I love the instrumentation, I love the backing vocals. I’ve always wanted to make a record that sounds like what she was doing.”
Ambitious? Undoubtedly. Left of centre? Perhaps. But the result? Nothing short of spectacular. Tackling some of Betty’s all-time greatest tracks, it’s safe to say that Mahalia holds her own… and then some! Kevin Shirley enlisted Bonamassa to lend his skills on the record. Heralded as one of the greatest guitar players of his generation, Bonamassa soars on this album.
In addition to Barnes on vocals and tambourine and Bonamassa on guitar, the album features The Soul Mates players Franco Raggatt (guitar), Clayton Doley (organ, piano), Lachlan Doley (clav, rhodes), Ben Rodgers (bass), David Hibbard (drums), Yanya Boston (congas), and backing vocalists Darren Percival, Jade MacRae, and Juanita Tippins. It was recorded live over three days at Freight Train Studios in Sydney, Australia
“Making this album was a real joy. I love the realness. Recording it the way we did kept it really exciting and raw – no tricks or fix ups, old school and real. A perfect take is one that means something and feels great,” said Barnes.
Standout tracks include the strong, heavy-grooved opener “If I’m In Luck I Might Get Picked Up,” the intense, rocking “Steppin’ In Her I. Miller Shoes” which features a wailing guitar solo by Bonamassa, the snarling vocals of “He Was A Big Freak,” Barnes, MacRae and Tippins harmonizing on “Game Is My Middle Name” and “Walking Up The Road” featuring guest vocals by Jimmy Barnes.

Ooh Yea The Betty Davis Song Book is certainly Mahalia’s most ambitious and prodigious work to date. It’s a record of songs with passion, feeling, power and grit that celebrates one of the most progressive voices of funk and R&B.
Do yourself a favour and listen. You won’t regret it.

Releasedate: 23 Feb 2015

1.     If I’m In Luck I Might Get Picked Up

2.     Steppin’ In Her I. Miller Shoes

3.     In The Meantime

4.     He Was A Big Freak

5.     Your Mama Wants You Back

6.     Game Is My Middle Name

7.     Nasty Gal

8.     Ooh Yea

9.     You Won’t See Me In The Morning

10. Anti-Love Song

11. Walking Up The Road

12.  Shoo-B-Doop And Cop Him

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