We really enjoyed Stone Foundation’s last album and we’re pleased there’s another on the way at the end of March. You can read our review of the last one here:
https://www.vanguard-online.co.uk/stone-foundation-a-life-unlimited/
‘Street Rituals’ is the new studio album from Midlands band Stone Foundation – set for release on March 31st 2017 via 100% Records. ‘Street Rituals’ features ten new songs with a major contribution from Paul Weller as well as vocal contributions from both William Bell and Bettye Lavette.
The bands 4th studio album was produced by Paul Weller, who also features on all the tracks (piano, guitar & vocal including lead vocal on ‘Your Balloon Is Rising’). Having been hugely impressed by Stone Foundation’s previous endeavours, Paul personally contacted the band to propose the idea of working together, initially on one specific track, but having enjoyed the process so much, the resulting ten compositions on ‘Street Rituals’ now all have musical input from Paul. Two songs – ‘The Limit of a Man’ & ‘Colour Of’ – are co-writes with a Jones/Sheasby/Weller credit.
Stone Foundation’s Neil Jones commented: “Paul contacted us at the start of 2016 after hearing our last record. He wanted to know if we’d like to get involved with a demo he’d been working on and we obviously grasped the opportunity with both hands. ‘The Limit of a Man’ was born out of those early exchanges and from that point onwards we never looked back”.
Neil Sheasby added “Paul pretty much joined the band for the recording sessions, playing guitar, piano and adding vocals to several songs as well as overseeing the production of the record.”
Elsewhere on the album there are stunning contributions from legendary soul singers William Bell, who lends his voice to ‘Strange People’, and the unmistakable tones of Bettye Lavette, providing the lead on ‘Season of Change’. The collaboration between Stone Foundation and these internationally celebrated artists cements the bands incredible reputation as one of the finest British soul bands in existence.
Paul Weller on the band and record: “These are dark, dark times so I was glad to hear a positive voice and vibrations in the words and a joy in the music…what a pleasure and a privilege it was to work with these fellas”. “It’s their best songwriting to date, and I just hope people get to hear it because there are some great tunes and I like the message on the record. I like the social comment, because you have so little of that these days.”