LT U.S. RELEASE



As everyone knows, Lewis has never had a U.S. release, until now .....

PRESS RELEASE

LEWIS TAYLOR’S MUSIC FINALLY SEES U.S. RELEASE THROUGH HACKTONE RECORDS AND SHOUT! FACTORY

STONED

“You could say I am Lewis Taylor’s biggest fan. Pay attention: Listen to him and discover something truly wonderful” Sir Elton John

U.S. DEBUT CD IN STORES SEPTEMBER 6TH

LOS ANGELES, CA – Adored by artists from Elton John to Aaliyah, Lewis Taylor has been quietly releasing psychedelic progressive soul records in the U.K. to consistently incredible reviews and a rabid cult of fans that includes some of the biggest names in pop, R&B and hip-hop. On September 6th, HackTone Records (a new label marketed and distributed via Shout! Factory) will release Stoned, the first Lewis Taylor album to receive American distribution. An expanded edition of Taylor’s U.K. release Stoned, Pt. 1, the U.S. edition includes five additional tracks and completely new packaging. “The nice boys at HackTone collaborated with us on this expanded edition of Stoned, and we think it runs down pretty good,” said Lewis and his collaborator Sabina Smyth, “and we hope you all like it, too.”

Upon its release at the end of 2002, Stoned, Pt. 1’s reception in the English press was unanimously positive; Mojo (“Nobody does this better… in fact, nobody does this at all”), Q (“wonderfully groovesome”), Uncut (“Singling out tracks would be like snipping a minute from a symphony”), and The Times each handed the album four-star reviews. All Music Guide granted the album four-and-a-half stars, proclaiming “[the album] proves beyond doubt what an astonishingly talented musician Lewis Taylor is” — no overstatement, considering that Taylor sang, played, produced and wrote nearly every note on the album. Sir Elton John went so far as to interrupt a BBC TV interview, pulling a copy of Stoned, Pt. 1 from his pocket and begging viewers to buy it, proclaiming Lewis “an undiscovered genius.” Other artists to publicly identify themselves as fans of Taylor’s music include David Bowie, Paul Weller, Chaka Khan, Esthero, D’Angelo, Timbaland, Aaliyah, Daryl Hall and Don Was.

“This is a great opportunity to get some of my music out to you guys in Americaland,” says Taylor. “It’s an official release as well, so you won’t have to pay crazy import prices anymore.”

Though Taylor’s music was initially associated with the “neo-soul” movement (and still highly regarded in those circles), his music explores darker themes and draws from a far wider range of influences. Deep soul grooves, sunshine harmonies, virtuosic Hendrix-style guitar solos, elements of prog rock, psychedelic soul, krautrock and AM pop all coalesce into a sound that has brought comparisons to Marvin Gaye, Brian Wilson, Syd Barrett and Stevie Wonder.

The songs on Stoned range from the modern pop of “Til The Mornin’ Light” through the syrupy slow-jam of “When Will I Ever Learn” to the brooding “Lewis IV,” which builds to an explosion of vocal harmonies and tortured guitar that hits emotions rarely explored in pop music. “Lovelight” is the perfect showcase of Taylor’s abilities to fuse his disparate influences, creating what Mojo described as a “beautiful J.J. Cale-and-Marvin-Gaye-go-Krautrock groove.” The additional tracks on the U.S. edition of Stoned also speak to the range of Taylor’s influences, with stunning covers of songs by Brian Wilson, the Stylistics and David Sylvian.

TRACK LISTING

1. Stoned Pt. 1
2. Positively Beautiful
3. Lewis IV
4. Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)
5. Send Me An Angel
6. Lovelight
7. ‘Til The Mornin’ Light (pop version)
8. Shame
9. When Will I Ever Learn
10. Back Together
11. Throw Me A Line
12. Lovin’ U More
13. Sheneverdid
14. Melt Away
15. Ghosts (hidden track)