the Texas group returns with its greatest titles in piano-voice version

It’s still one of the most adored British groups in France: the Scots from Texas return with a new album on Friday.

In the new Texas album The Muscle Shoals Sessionswhich comes out Friday 29 March, singer Sharleen Spiteri revisits the group’s greatest hits in a piano-vocal version, accompanied by legendary American pianist Spooner Oldham. A disk in which the word drunk takes all its place.

In this acoustic format, Sharleen Spiteri’s voice is, even more, immediately recognizable. She flutters with ease and purity throughout the disc, recorded in special conditions. In terms of location, on the one hand, since The Muscle Shoals Sessions was designed at Fame Recording Studio located in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, United States. And in terms of artistic collaboration on the other hand, because the album was recorded with the pianist Spooner Oldham, composer or musician for Aretha Franklin, Neil Young and Bob Dylan.

“It took us years to find the right person.”

Sharleen Spiteri, singer of the group Texas

at franceinfo

Spooner Oldham is a big name in the Northern Soul so dear to the Scottish group. “We didn’t say to ourselves that we just had to revisit our songs with a pianist. No, it’s important to leave something that we could be proud of and not say that we did it simply because the label boss asked us to, assures Sharleen Spiteri. I loved that he said for certain titles ‘No, I won’t play it, I don’t feel it. I don’t understand the song.’ It shows that it’s not just a job or a whim on our part to want to record with Spooner. He does as he feels. And that made things even better for us.”

“A thank you to the fans”

In the middle of the titles, we find the hits of Texas obviously, all validated by Spooner Oldham, laid bare like never before. The idea of ​​recording in Muscle Shoals gave the soul of the album, and a host of anecdotes. For example, daily stops at 1 p.m. to accommodate guided tours in this legendary place.

For Texas, in the midst of preparing the next album, the idea was simple: “We really wanted to release this as a thank you to the fans. We thought it was a great gift. We recorded it two years ago and we wanted to say thank you for the support, thank you for being been there for years and buying our records, coming to our shows. We knew it was special, but to be honest, we didn’t think the audience would enjoy it so much.”

This enchanted recreation deserves a few dates for a special tour, which is not planned for the moment. In France, only one date is scheduled this summer for Texas, in full group mode : next July 18 in Arles, in Bouches-du-Rhône, as part of the Les Escales du Cargo festival.