Stones' Vocalist Bernard Fowler Releasing Album of Stones' Interpretations



Bernard Fowler is most widely known by millions of people around the world as the longtime collaborator and backing vocalist for the Rolling Stones, a position he has proudly held for 31 years and counting. His dynamic vocals have appeared on hundreds of albums for artists as diverse as Herbie Hancock, Yoko Ono, Alice Cooper, Bootsy Collins, and many more.

Fowler's newest solo endeavor, Inside Out (released April 19 on Rhyme & Reason Records), is a brilliant re-interpretation of songs from the Rolling Stones catalogue, recasting them in a mode often reminiscent of the pre-hip-hop work of the Last Poets and Gil Scott-Heron. In the process, Fowler forges a new, very personal identity for songs he's performed for decades alongside the "the world's greatest rock n' roll band." The first single from Inside Out is a conga-driven re-make of "Sympathy for the Devil," (listen here) also the album dives into Rolling Stones deep cuts. Darryl Jones, Steve Jordan, Ray Parker, Jr. and many other luminaries join in for some remarkable grooves.

It was an impromptu jam session on the congas during a Stones sound check that set the album in motion. Stones front man Mick Jagger, impressed by the combination of Bernard's beatnik inflection of the lyrics and his funkified percussion, encouraged him to cut a record, saying, "Bernard, I've heard Rolling Stones songs played in many different ways but I've never heard it like this before."

It turned out to be a bit of an adventure. As Fowler says in the liner notes to Inside Out:

"I had an amazing time rediscovering these songs. Even though making this recording wasn't easy to do, I'd gladly do it all over again even if I knew the bumps in the road ahead. Later, I played a taste for Keith, and he looked at me and said, 'Damn, Fowler, you went deep...'

Fowler says Inside Out is for "all the Rolling Stones fans out there; this will help you hear songs you've heard before in a new light. They may take on a new meaning. This album is dedicated to you."

Bernard Fowler will be on the road supporting Inside Out alongside the Bowie Celebration tour and the Rolling Stones' tour in the spring. Additional dates to be announced! For more information, music, and upcoming tour dates, visit http://bernardfowler.com/

[www.broadwayworld.com]

Tracklist:

1 Tie You Up
2 Dancing with Mr. D
3 Undercover of the Night
4 Time Waits for No One
5 Sister Morphine
6 All the Way Down
7 Must Be Hell
8 Sympathy for the Devil
9 Dancing with Mr. D (Bonus Track)

[www.qobuz.com]

This looks good ! I've got Bernard on a Philip Glass album, so know his capabilities outside the Stones orbit.

No thanks.

No thanks, but wondering how it will compare to Chuck's recently recorded Stones covers - surely it will be much better?

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

Chuck did Stones covers?

Yeah ........ Chuck Gets BIG …….oooohhh

Honky Tonk Woman
Tumblin' Dice



ROCKMAN

Thanks as always for posting CR, I have an interview set up.

Mr. Fowler did indeed go deep, can you hear Gil Scott Heron in there ?

Cant wait ta hear Tie You Up …..
…. Dirty lil Stones track it is...….mmmmmmmmmm S.A.G.



ROCKMAN

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Rockman
Cant wait ta hear Tie You Up …..
…. Dirty lil Stones track it is...….mmmmmmmmmm S.A.G.

S.A.G? Screen Actors Guild? They had a show a couple days ago

Rod

Screen Actors Guild……

Well they need whippin'...…
But NO …..sorry Rod ya way off ….



ROCKMAN

He included the Kennedy line in SFTD, that's something.

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roller99
Thanks as always for posting CR, I have an interview set up.

Say hi from the IORR Band. Erwin wound up in his dressing room the other day

Four tracks from Undercover! There's a lot of love on iorr for that 1983 album, me included, always felt it had something unique and was one of their most rhythmic stews. Bernard choosing four UC tracks that make up half on "Inside Out" is intriguing.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-01-30 20:58 by IrelandCalling4.

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MKjan
He included the Kennedy line in SFTD, that's something.

He included the troubadours which is even more startling. It inevitably reminds me of "Wake Up, Niggers" by The Last Poets on the PERFORMANCE soundtrack.

SFTD is mostly spoken which brings the words on the fore-front; nice tribute to Mick's lyrics. Bernard is cool.

Rockandroll,
Mops

The only time I haven't liked Bernard is when I watch concert videos that give him or Lisa too much screen time. Just personal preference, but when I watch a concert video, I want to see the band playing. That said, Bernard is talented and a genuinely nice guy. I look forward to hearing the whole album.

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roller99
Thanks as always for posting CR, I have an interview set up.

My pleasure, roller99! Good luck with your interview, and don't forget to post it here.

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curt
Mr. Fowler did indeed go deep, can you hear Gil Scott Heron in there ?

Indeed. Wonder what the rest of the tracks sound like? Interesting.

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IrelandCalling4
Four tracks from Undercover! There's a lot of love on iorr for that 1983 album, me included, always felt it had something unique and was one of their most rhythmic stews. Bernard choosing four UC tracks that make up half on "Inside Out" is intriguing.

Yes, blown away by this...looking forward to hearing this!

[www.laweekly.com]

Didn't realize this was already out. Hearing it once was more than enough for me as it's kind of tedious and monotonous, but some Stones fans might like it...

Bernard Fowler - Sympathy for the Devil



EDIT: I now see it was linked to in the first post of this thread.

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-02-09 00:50 by Hairball.

4 songs from undercover!

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Hairball
No thanks, but wondering how it will compare to Chuck's recently recorded Stones covers - surely it will be much better?

Why dismiss it out of hand like that without even hearing it. Have you ever heard any of Fowler's solo material? He has a stellar list of the top studio musicians to work with. Open your mind a bit.

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roller99

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Hairball
No thanks, but wondering how it will compare to Chuck's recently recorded Stones covers - surely it will be much better?

Why dismiss it out of hand like that without even hearing it. Have you ever heard any of Fowler's solo material? He has a stellar list of the top studio musicians to work with. Open your mind a bit.

Yes I've heard him before, and have seen many live clips of him performing outside the Stones, and it's just not my cup of tea.
And if you were to read further down the thread, you will see I did listen to his new version of Sympathy and my expectations were confirmed - no thanks -and to be blunt I think it's horrible.
My mind is always wide open for something new, but sometimes when you're already familiar with something, you can sort of anticipate what the results will be, as was the case here.

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-02-10 07:45 by Hairball.

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Hairball

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roller99

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Hairball
No thanks, but wondering how it will compare to Chuck's recently recorded Stones covers - surely it will be much better?

Why dismiss it out of hand like that without even hearing it. Have you ever heard any of Fowler's solo material? He has a stellar list of the top studio musicians to work with. Open your mind a bit.

Yes I've heard him before, and have seen many live clips of him performing outside the Stones, and it's just not my cup of tea.
And if you were to read further down the thread, you will see I did listen to his new version of Sympathy and my expectations were confirmed - no thanks -and to be blunt I think it's horrible.
My mind is always wide open for something new, but sometimes when you're already familiar with something, you can sort of anticipate what the results will be, as was the case here.

I did see that further down, but before you even heard it, you were dismissive of it. You're now saying that "you suspected" you wouldn't like it. I think you're doing any artist an injustice by having a preconceived notion that their music is going to be bad. Thinking "it's horrible" is fine, everyone can have an opinion, and no single one is right or wrong, but pre-judging something is wrong.

What would you have said if you were around in 1963 when The Stones were covering everyone else's material and you liked the originals better. You're on a web site for a band that started out doing covers, and you love them, yet when someone in the band does a cover of material he's been doing for 31 years, that's no good? Kind of contradictory....

Did you listen to his album "The Bura"? Have you listened to his cover of "Helter Skelter"? It rocks.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-02-10 08:36 by roller99.

Let's simplify it for you roller - Sting is backed by great musicians and I've heard plenty of his solo material in the past. Based on on that, I can anticipate anything else he releases in the future is probably not going to be something I would all of the sudden appreciate. And then you have artists like Celine Dion, clearly her backing musicians are excellent at what they do, but is that reason enough to all of the sudden like her, or what she comes up with next? I don't think so. Based on what I know and have heard from Bernard, I sort of knew what the results would be, and there's also the fact I'm not really a fan of bands covering Stones tunes (in most cases). Bottom line is, I'm not a fan of his outside the Stones. Obviously you are, and more power to you.

EDIT: In response to your "covers" and "contradictory" comments, Bernard's cover versions cannot (and really should not) be equated to what the Stones did back in 1963 with their groundbreaking cover versions imo.
But if you're saying they're in the same league and of equal quality , or that if someone likes the Stones early covers then they better like Bernard's also (or else they're being contradictory), then I don't know what else to say other than glad you enjoy it.

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2019-02-10 09:02 by Hairball.

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Hairball
Let's simplify it for you roller - Sting is backed by great musicians and I've heard plenty of his solo material in the past. Based on on that, I can anticipate anything else he releases in the future is probably not going to be something I would all of the sudden appreciate. And then you have artists like Celine Dion, clearly her backing musicians are excellent at what they do, but is that reason enough to all of the sudden like her, or what she comes up with next? I don't think so. Based on what I know and have heard from Bernard, I sort of knew what the results would be, and there's also the fact I'm not really a fan of bands covering Stones tunes (in most cases). Bottom line is, I'm not a fan of his outside the Stones. Obviously you are, and more power to you.

EDIT: In response to your "covers" and "contradictory" comments, Bernard's cover versions cannot (and really should not) be equated to what the Stones did back in 1963 with their groundbreaking cover versions imo.
But if you're saying they're in the same league and of equal quality , or that if someone likes the Stones early covers then they better like Bernard's also (or else they're being contradictory), then I don't know what else to say other than glad you enjoy it.

I suspect that some are fans of somebody because and as long as they're in the Stones, no matter what they actually deliver but I could be wrong, of course.

What is delivered here? Well, if Sympathy For The Devil is an example for the rest of the album, obviously not much, I'm afraid. The arrangement is too close to the original and does not create a new, creative angle to a well-known track, and the vocal delivery can't hold a candle to Mick. Sorry, Bernard, but who needs this?

listened to sftd
just awful but confirms the reason why he's a back up singer who never got
a cameo. he's very good at what he's hired for. but we sometimes tend
to go too far is my feeling generally, as to stones associated
performers doing stones associated solo stuff...
...basically they are not, with rare exceptional grace notes...that interesting.
it's sort of a novelty. it's copycat noise.
if i don't look at jjf and listen to Bernard; like that clip where
keith is there...well, a whole lot of shit bar bands do a much more
credible jjf. sorta crappy imo.

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Hairball

Bernard Fowler - Sympathy for the Devil

I luv' the comment of the guy on YT "...This is just talking. Sounds like Martin Luther King doing karaoke...><

HMN