Charles Bradley Black Velvet (CD)

(Daptone) 10 tracks, digipack


November 5, 2018 would have been Charles Bradley's 70th birthday. To celebrate his extraordinary life, Daptone Imprint Dunham Records is proud to release his fourth and final album, Black Velvet.

Black Velvet is a Charles Bradley celebration lovingly put together by his friends and family at Dunham/Daptone Records. Although the material chronologically covers Charles' entire career, it is not an anthology, the greatest hits or any other superficial treatment of the songs that have already made him famous. Rather, this album is an in-depth exploration of the less travelled corners of the emotional universe that Charles Bradley and his long-time producer, co-author and friend Tommy "TNT" Brenneck have created together in the studio over their decade-long partnership.

It contains new songs recorded during the sessions from each of his three albums, which were heard here for the first time in all their glory: "Can't Fight the Feeling", "Fly Little Girl" and the heartbreaking single "I Feel a Change"; hardcore rarities like his funk bomb duet with LaRose Jackson, "Luv Jones", the psychedelic Groover, "(I Hope You Find) The Good Life" and the always reckless alternative full-band electric version of "Victim of Love"; coveted covers of Nirvana's "Stay Away", Neal Young's "Heart of Gold" and Rodriguez's "Slip Away" as well as the title song "Black Velvet", a rousing Menahan Street Band instrumental on which Charles could never cut a song.

Black Velvet is a celebration of his life and is destined to join Charles' first three albums for eternity next to the cannon of the most important soul records.