Rod Stewart to release Soulbook on October 27, 2009

(September 29, 2009 – New York) Grammy Award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Rod Stewart will be releasing SOULBOOK on October 27th (J Records), a collection of classic Sixties/Seventies-era soul favorites, all newly recorded by the quintessential “blue eyed soul” singer of our generation. Rod Stewart possesses one of the most distinctive and interpretive voices in music — his Grammy-Award winning recordings of the Great American Songbook have sold over 19 million albums and is the biggest selling ongoing series of new music recordings in history. With the same passion, Rod approaches some of the greatest soul songs ever written.

Rod recently said in Rolling Stone’s “Greatest Singers of All Time” issue that at the age of 15, he used to listen to soul singers on the radio like Sam Cooke and Otis Redding, and blues singers like Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters, and knew that is how he wanted to sing. Elton John said “Bar none, Rod’s the best singer I’ve heard in rock ‘n’ roll. He’s also the greatest white soul singer” and in 2006, James Brown called Stewart “the best white soul singer.” Comments Rod Stewart:
“This is the album I’ve waited my whole lifetime to record. These are the songs that I’ve danced to, made love to, cried to and yes, even fell on the floor to as a young man in the infancy of my career. These songs and singers were the oxygen that fueled my passion to sing. When I was a skinny, cocky, all-mouth and trousers teenager living in North London without two pennies to rub together, I discovered the artistry of Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, James Brown, The Temptations, The Four Tops and so many more. They were my Gods and my heroes.”

The album features two stunning superstar duets, one with Mary J. Blige joining Rod on the Stylistics’ 70s hit “You Make Me Feel Brand New” and the other with Jennifer Hudson on “Let It Be Me,” inspired by the Jerry Butler/Betty Everett duet. In addition, soul great Smokey Robinson guests on “Tracks of My Tears” which he made famous as a member of the Miracles who recorded that track in 1965, and musical giant Stevie Wonder accompanies Rod on harmonica on his massive 1969 hit “My Cherie Amour.”

Album producers include Stewart’s longtime collaborator Steve Tyrell who worked with Rod on his Grammy award-winning Songbook series, and joining Rod for the first time is Grammy/Emmy award-winning producer Steve Jordan (Keith Richards, John Mayer) who bring legendary musicians into the studio including Motown players Bob Babbitt and George Bohannen, Memphis legends Willy Mitchell, Charles Hodges, Wayne Jackson and Jack Hale. Additional musical heavyweights include Ray Parker, Jr., Dean Parks, Waddy Wachtel, Darryl Jones, Leland Sklar, David Paich, Greg Phillinganes, Michael Bearden, Tom Scott, Chuck Finley, Ricky Lawson, many of whom played on the original recordings of these classic songs.

Recorded this summer and engineered by Al Schmitt, Sam Cooke’s original producer/engineer, along with Niko Bolas (Neil Young, Warren Zevon, Keith Richards) and Bill Schnee (Steely Dan, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight), the album features Rod singing great landmark tracks such as “You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me” (originally performed by The Miracles) , “Wonderful World” (Sam Cooke) “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” (Jimmy Ruffin), “Tracks of My Tears” (The Miracles),” “My Cherie Amour (Stevie Wonder),” “Just My Imagination” (The Temptations), “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” (Jackie Wilson), ”It’s The Same Old Song” (The Four Tops), “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” (Harold Melvin and & Blue Notes), and “Love Train” (O’Jays). Find a complete track listing below.

With an estimated 250 million in album and single sales, Rod Stewart is one of the most successful performers of all time. A Grammy-Award winning Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Rod Stewart’s Great American Songbook series has been a record-breaking success. In 2006, he released Still The Same, Great Rock Classics of Our Time, his first rock album in over eight years, which entered the charts at #1. He has sold out concerts across the globe and his last 5 studio albums have held the top spots on the Billboard charts. Rod spent this summer recording the album and criss-crossing the country on a 20 city North American tour.

Soulbook – Track Listing:

“It’s The Same Old Song”
“My Cherie Amour” (Featuring Stevie Wonder)
“You Make Me Feel Brand New” (Duet with Mary J. Blige”)
“(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher”
“Tracks Of My Tears” (Featuring Smokey Robinson”)
“Let It Be Me” (Duet with Jennifer Hudson”)
“Rainy Night In Georgia”
“What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted”
“Love Train”
“You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me”
“Wonderful World”
“If You Don’t Know Me By Now”
“Just My Imagination”