VIA PRESS RELEASE | Available June 28th via Standard Black Vinyl 45, a Daptone Logo Die-Cut Picture Disc, and digital single.
Daptone Records has just announced the release of its 100th 45–an unprecedented collaboration of talent from its legendary roster of artists–available June 28. The A side, “Hey Brother,” is a song written by The Frightnrs and originally performed on their acclaimed LP, Nothing More to Say. In the wake of the tragic loss of singer Dan Klein to ALS just before the album’s release, Daptone felt it would be a fitting tribute to re-imagine the tune as a soulful collaboration between the dynamic vocalists on the label. The song features Charles Bradley, Sharon Jones, Naomi Shelton, Amayo (Antibalas), Saun & Starr, and more! What started as a thank you to the label’s beloved fans has now also become a loving tribute to their lost Brothers and Sister: Charles Bradley, Dan Klein, Cliff Driver, and our eternal Queen, Miss Sharon Jones.
On the flip is “Soul Fugue” by The 100 Knights Orchestra, a massive ensemble composed of every horn player the label has ever worked with (really!). Recorded on the rarest of days, February 29th, 2016, they all crammed into the studio simultaneously to perform the epic composition composed and arranged obsessively by Bosco Mann, based on the Fibonacci series and the number 100. Anyone who was lucky enough to catch Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings’ final performance at Prospect Park Summerstage was lucky enough to see/hear this stunning piece of music in real time.
“Soul Fugue” is an epic battle between two massive orchestral armies. From the left speaker, a battalion made up of all of Daptone’s many brass players is lead by the great Dave Guy on first trumpet to the beat of Dap-King legend Homer Steinweiss on drum set. From the right, all of their woodwind players charge into battle behind Ian Hendrickson-Smith on lead alto saxophone with Dap-Kings stage drummer Brian Wolfe pounding the kit. The 100 Knights Orchestra features current and past members of The Dap-Kings, Antibalas, The Budos Band, Menahan Street Band, The Extraordinaires, The Soul Providers, and the Daktaris who all absolutely devoured this gargantuan instrumental in the studio.
The 100th 45 will be available as a Standard Black Vinyl 45, and as a limited edition die-cut picture disc of their classic globe logo (available at the Daptone Web-Shop ONLY). Fans can also hear the previous singles via Daptone Records Single Collection: Volume One (dapt.one/singlesv1), Volume Two (dapt.one/singlesv2) and Volume Three (dapt.one/singlesv3). Daptone hopes that this disc forever lives as a token of their gratitude to their dedicated fans, and as a keepsake of their departed loved ones.
Daptone Records was founded in 2001 when musicians Gabriel Roth (AKA Bosco Mann) and Neal Sugarman sought to build a new home for their bands’ respective releases, after the dismantling of Desco Records. They then built their now iconic “House of Soul” in an unassuming, two family 19th Century brownstone in the heart of Bushwick, Brooklyn that would house the Daptone label and studio. Since then, the independent label has built a world-wide reputation for its discerning taste and uncompromising standards of quality – releasing only exceptionally soulful records, hand-crafted by a close family of particular musicians and music lovers who share a common musical philosophy, vocabulary and integrity.
With more than fifty full-length album releases as well as twice that many on collectable 45 rpm format, Daptone has sold over a million records to-date from artists including Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, The Sugarman 3, Naomi Shelton, The Budos Band, Antibalas, Menahan Street Band, and Charles Bradley. Though never quite achieving pop mainstream status, their music has influenced countless artists and labels around the world, from young kids just discovering soul music to pop icons like Amy Winehouse, Mark Ronson, and Jay-Z, who have quietly tapped the label’s sound for some of their biggest hits.
