barrence-whitfield-letsgotomars-premiere

Photo: Scott Beseler (Bloodshot Records)

Barrence Whitfield and the Savages Bring Soul and Passion to Their First Video (premiere)

Soul band extraordinaire Barrence Whitfield and the Savages produce their first ever music video for the heavy blues rock number "Let's Go to Mars".

Barrence Whitfield and the Savages return with their third album for Bloodshot Records. Soul Flowers of Titan releases 2 March and features the ensemble’s trademark blend of boot-stomping R&B and bluesy rock. Whitfield has a voice as big as Texas, a true soul shouter who convinces with every word, and he’s a thrilling frontman for this crack band that can just burn down a stage with their playing. That kinetic energy and force are miraculously captured on wax and digital bytes on the group’s albums and Soul Flowers of Titan is no different. The difference you will notice is that the group has a somewhat heavier sound now that Brian Olive has joined with his B3 and Rheem organ playing. No great soul band should be without an organ player, and the addition is sublime.

By way of preview, give a listen to “Let’s Go to Mars”, a heavy blues number that marks Barrence Whitfield and the Savages’ first ever music video. Guitarist Peter Greenberg tells PopMatters that “‘Let’s Go to Mars’ was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico in Feb 2017 when our bassist Phil Lenker visited me to write songs for the new LP Soul Flowers of Titan. We happened to be watching the Sun Ra documentary A Joyful Noise one evening, and it led us down a certain path regarding the songs for the new LP.

“To step back, back in 1984, the original Barrence Whitfield and the Savages opened a sold-out show for Sun Ra at Irving Plaza in NYC. It was a great honor meeting Sun Ra and his orchestra and watching our longtime road manager James McNamara (who this LP is dedicated to along with Billy Miller of Norton Records) at the caboose of Sun Ra’s conga line. The show was reprised later that year at Irving Plaza.

“The ‘Let’s Go to Mars’ video came about because Barrence Whitfield and the Savages have NEVER made a video in nearly 40 years, and we determined now was the time, or never! Lucky we had a creative partner, Eric Baconstrip who drums for King Salami and the Cumberland 3, offering his assistance to direct the film. Eric, who lives in London, assigned the band green screen duties in Boston, Albuquerque, and Cincinnati, and we powered up our phones to provide the necessary footage for Barrence Whitfield and the Savages to take a trip to Mars.”

TOUR DATES

3/16/2018 – New Haven, CT – Cafe Nine

3/17/2018 – Washington, DC – Hill Country Live

3/18/2018 – State College, PA – Websters

3/19/2018 – Pottsville, PA – Hucklebucks

3/20/2018 – Rochester, NY – Abilene Bar

3/23/2018 – Cambridge, MA – Middle East

3/24/2018 – Brooklyn, NY – Union Pool

4/28/2018 – Groningen, NL – RnB Night

5/2/2018 – Dublin, IE – Grand Social

5/3/2018 – Belfast, UK – CAQF

5/5/2018 – Ballydehob, IE – Ballydehob Jazz Festival

5/9/2018 – Edinburgh, UK – Voodoo Rooms

5/10/2018 – Newcastle, UK – The Cluny

5/11/2018 – Middlesbrough, UK – Westgarth Social Club

5/12/2018 – Manchester, UK – Soup Kitchen

5/13/2018 – Leeds, UK – Brudenell Social Club

5/15/2018 – Birmingham, UK – Academy 3

5/16/2018 – Oxford, UK – Academy 3

5/18/2018 – Southend, UK – Railway

5/19/2018 – London, UK – The Garage

5/21/2018 – Raalte, NL – Ribs ‘n’ Blues

5/23/2018 – Marseille, FR – Le Molotov

5/24/2018 – Barcelona, ES – Upload Club

5/25/2018 – Alicante, ES – TBC

5/26/2018 – Vitoria, ES – Mendialdea Music Festival

5/27/2018 – Madrid, ES – El Sol

5/28/2018 – Granada, ES – Planta Baja

5/29/2018 – Seville, ES – Sala X

5/31/2018 – San Sebastian, ES – Kutxa Kultur Kluba

6/2/2018 – Oud-Turnhout, BE – Goezot in’t Hofke

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