Click Here for Video Sample! Powerful Soul Singer's Final Album On Vinyl LP!
November 5th, 2018 would have been Charles Bradley's 70th birthday. In celebration of his extraordinary life, Daptone imprint Dunham Records is proud to announce the release of his fourth and final album, Black Velvet.
Black Velvet is a celebration of Charles Bradley, lovingly assembled by his friends and family at Dunham/Daptone Records. Though chronologically the material spans Charles' entire career, this is no anthology, greatest hits or other shallow rehashing of the songs that already made him famous. Rather, this album is a profound exploration through the less-travelled corners of the soulful universe that Charles and his longtime producer, co-writer and friend Tommy "TNT" Brenneck created in the studio together over their decade-long partnership. It features new songs recorded during the sessions from each of his three albums, heard here for the very first time in all their scorching glory: "Can't Fight the Feeling", "Fly Little Girl" and the heart-wrenching single "I Feel a Change"; hard core rarities like his funk-bomb duet with LaRose Jackson, "Luv Jones", the psychedelic groover, "(I Hope You Find) The Good Life" and the ever-elusive alternate full band electric version of "Victim of Love"; sought-after covers of Nirvana's "Stay Away", Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" and Rodriguez's "Slip Away"; and the title track "Black Velvet", a stirring Menahan Street Band instrumental to which Charles was never able to cut a vocal.
Charles was truly a transcendent singer who led a remarkable life, overcoming unimaginable adversity to achieve great success and international acclaim very late in his life. What was really special about him and made him different from everybody else in the world was how he understood his pain as a cry for universal love and humanity. He felt that if he loved enoughif we all loved each other enoughwe could take away the world's pain and sadness. That is why he jumped off the stage and literally tried to hug everybody he could. It's why he took such great care of a mother that had abandoned him. It's why he sang and danced like a lunatic. It's why he screamed like an eagle. And that's why we love him.
Black Velvet is a celebration of his life, and is destined to join Charles' first three albums alongside the cannon of essential soul records for the ages.
"There were few music stories in 2017 more devastating than the passing of soul icon Charles Bradley. A juggernaut of a live performer, whose passion for entertaining and joyously living every moment of his life were clear to anyone who ever watched him set foot on stage, Bradley was an infectious presence. It was impossible to wear a frown while watching him pour out his heart and soul to anyone who would listenthere have been few artists in the history of soul music, or popular music in general, who were so uniquely earnest." - Paste Magazine
Features:
• Vinyl LP
• Final album
• Featuring Menahan Street Band
• Limited time MP3 download card
Selections:
Side One:
1. Can't Fight The Feeling - Unreleased track from the No Time For Dreaming sessions
2. Luv Jones (Featuring LaRose Jackson) - Originally released as a 45rpm single
3. I Feel A Change - Unreleased track from the Victim Of Love sessions
4. Slip Away - Originally released as Rodriguez tribute 45" by Light In The Attic
5. Black Velvet - Unreleased instrumental by Menahan Street Band
Side Two:
1. Stay Away - Originally released as a 45rpm single
2. Heart Of Gold - Originally released as a 45rpm single
3. (I Hope You Find) The Good Life - Originally released on a limited edition EP
4. Fly Little Girl - Unreleased track from the Changes sessions
5. Victim Of Love (Electric Version) (Featuring The Sha La Das) - Originally released on a limited edition EP
