Strongheaded Woman by Billie Ray Martin
As a prelude to the album The Soul Tapes (to be released on 13 May 2016), Billie Ray Martin releases Strongheaded Woman as the lead single - an epic tale of a Las Vegas slot machine addict seemingly meeting her Rhinestone Cowboy, only to discover that he’s just another cheap hit and run sleazebag.
The single includes the Mooli remix of the album track The Glittering Gutter – a song about the downfall of Billie's place of upbringing, the red light district of Hamburg. The Mooli remix adds the kind of darkness that typifies some of Billie's output over recent years. Mooli have taken an already epic track and given it the Portishead treatment, complete with soundtrack style strings.
Billie has never been easy to categorise. Clearly a soul singer, her career however has seen her mostly as a pioneer of house and electronic music, most notably her groundbreaking work with Electribe 101 and her seminal hit Your Loving Arms. Her explorations have led her further into the worlds of ambient music and drum & bass among other areas of electronica.
Her new album The Soul Tapes is a ‘first’ for Billie: no electronic music this time. Billie realised her long-held dream of recording an album that is equally influenced by Hi-Records (Al Green, Ann Peebles, Willie Mitchell) as it is by ’60s garage records. It is also not devoid of a certain country twang, and even Bo Diddley peeks through the door on one song.
Billie Ray Martin and producer/writer Jon Tiven were introduced in New York in the mid ’90s and had started drafting the odd song, together with Sally Tiven. Further writing sessions followed, until it was decided that there was an album of songs worth recording.
Booked into New York’s 900 Broadway Studio, Jon and Billie were thrilled to find themselves working where Keith Richards had recorded his first solo album. Under this omen Jon Tiven brought the musicians in, not least world famous drummer Simon Kirke. Jon’s credits include albums produced for Wilson Pickett, Bobby Womack and Willie Nelson as well as numerous awards and Grammy nominations.
It was not until 2014 that the opportunity arose to mix the album, re-record many of the vocals, add production and instruments and determine exactly the final sound of the album. The results are convincing and powerful and show once again Billie’s refusal to conform to trends, preferring as she does, to create them.
Tracklist
| 1. | Strongheaded woman (Radio edit) | 3:42 |
| 2. | Strongheaded Woman | 5:58 |
| 3. | The Glittering Gutter (Mooli Remix) | 4:22 |
Credits
all songs written by billie ray martin and jon and sally tiven
The Soul Tapes’ was produced by Jon Tiven and Billie Ray Martin. Recorded at Studio 900 Broadway, NYC. Engineered by Joe Johnson.
Additional vocals and instruments recorded at Hackney Road Studios, London. Engineered by Steve Honest. Mixed by Billie Ray Martin and Steve Honest at Hackney Road Studios, London.
Guitar by Jon Tiven. Bass by Sally Tiven. Drums by Simon Kirke except ‘One Way Street’ by Francesco Lucidi. Piano by Mark Berman except ‘One Way Street’ by Jon Tiven. Organ by Felix Huber except ‘Strongheaded Woman’ by Mark Berman. Harmonica on ‘Skin On The Wheel Of Time’ by Mason Casey.
All songs written by Billie Ray Martin, Jon Tiven and Sally Tiven except ‘Your Ghost Is Right Behind Me’ written by Billie Ray Martin and Melvin Duffy, ‘That’s How Strong My Love Is’ written by Roosevelt Jamison, ‘One Way Street’ written by Ann Peebles and Don Bryant.
Billie Ray Martin published by Billie Ray Martin (PRS, GEMA, BMI). Jon Tiven published by Uncontrolled Compositions (BMI). Sally Tiven published by Full Rate Music (ASCAP). Melvin Duffy published by Copyright Control. Roosevelt Jamison published by Three Wise Boys Music/Rise Music. Ann Peebles published by Irving Music/Warner Chappell. Don Bryant published by Irving Music/Warner Chappell.
Special thanks to Paul Brewer at Sweet Feet Music, Sophie Nicole Ellision, Caesar Gergess, Steve Honest, Antonio Lerario, Philip Marshall, Mark Moore, Mark Robertson, Bradford Shellhammer and everyone else who’s been so kind, helping and supporting me each day. I’m humbled and grateful.
Photography by Joern Hartmann. Designed in January 2016 by Philip Marshall.
License
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"Billie Ray Martin is one of the living legends in modern music history and one of the best voices on planet earth."
DJ Hell
"Billie Ray Martin is an absolute revelation."
K.Hollings, The Wire
Billie Ray Martin: "I'm a kid from Hamburg’s red-light district, who wanted to be a soul singer, but ended up playing repetitive machine music, while still trying to be a soul singer"