Originally released in October 2014, Frazey Ford’s acclaimed album “Indian Ocean” is set to return this year with a special vinyl reissue, out September 19th. The digital edition also includes three previously unreleased covers, including her take on Otis Redding’s ‘The Happy Song (Dum Dum)’, recorded during the original sessions (and available here), now unearthed for the first time, offering a new window into the deeply personal record and its recording.
“In a lot of ways, “Indian Ocean” defined an era of my life”, says Ford. “It wasn’t until I released this album that I feel I really hit my stride as a solo artist. With some space from it, I look back and it all feels like such a dream that it even happened. It seems to be hitting its stride well beyond past the time we made it, and it’s just one of the most synchronistic and magical points in my career.”
The story of the album first began with filmmaker and writer Robert Gordon, who was working on a documentary on Memphis soul, which focused on Al Green and long-time producer Willie Mitchell’s creative home base, Royal Studios. After Gordon heard Ford’s song, ‘If You Gonna Go,’ on the radio, he invited her to record at Royal Studios in Memphis. That journey sparked a collaboration that would eventually become the album.
After years in the hugely successful The Be Good Tanyas “Indian Ocean” marked an evolution in her sound, blending her folk roots with the unmistakable groove of Memphis soul, something hinted at in her 2010 debut solo record “Obadiah”, but that didn’t become fully formed until working with Al Green’s band, The Hi Rhythm Section. The iconic architects of the famous singer’s instrumental sound helped define the Memphis soul sound at the peak of the Stax era, and also happened to be one of Ford’s favourite bands.
“When I first heard ‘Love and Happiness’ I thought it was the most beautiful song I’d ever heard”, she says, “From that point on, I have always been obsessed with that band, in particular, the organ, the arrangements, I never get tired of it.”
So when the opportunity to work with them came up, Ford flew straight to Memphis despite not having many songs written. Made up of brothers Charles Hodges (organ), Leroy Hodges (bass), and Teenie Hodges (guitar), the trio lent their almighty talents to help Frazey’s songs find their distinctive groove. Accentuating her sensual and opulent vocals with deep-bottomed bass, subtle backbeats, and soaring organ melodies to infuse Frazey’s songwriting with a rich, timeless warmth. The result is considered a modern classic.
“It was so just wild to meet these people and to be in Memphis and to be in that studio. Singing in Ann Peebles’ microphone and collaborating with these incredibly talented heroes of mine. I could feel the history and vibe of that place coming up through the floor,” Ford remembers. “At the start, they ( the musicians) thought they were just going to be guns for hire, they didn’t realise I was looking for real collaboration. So once we played a few songs, they really opened up. The main thing about collaborating with them was that they just responded so intuitively to whatever I delivered emotionally. They reacted so subconsciously as a unit; the way that those brothers worked together was just so magical and phenomenal. They were always pushing the limits, and they were always furthering that sound.”
Charles Hodges speaking in 2017: “Frazey’s way of presenting is unique, I’d never been used to doing this type of music before, but when I did the first song it embraced me and I didn’t want it to come off me, I just wanted to embrace it, it was beautiful. I just had a feeling about the whole project – I knew what we could do, but we didn’t want to do anything, we wanted to do it with Frazey.”
The album incorporated the skills of at least 16 musicians in total, including Be Good Tanyas member Trish Klein playing guitar on two tracks, guitarists Darren Parris, Craig McCaul, pianist Phil Cook, the golden horn arrangements of Jim Spake, Scott Thompson and JP Carter, and the undulating tides of Debra Jean Creelman’s and Caroline Ballhorn’s backing vocals and is out September 19th via Nettwerk.
“Indian Ocean” Track Listing:
1. September Fields
2. Runnin’
3. You’re Not Free
4. Done
5. Three Golden Trees
6. U Got Religion
7. Season After Season
8. Natural Law
9. Weather Pattern
10. Indian Ocean
11. September Fields (Acoustic)
12. Happy Song (Dum-Dum) – DIGITAL ONLY
13. Crazy Love – DIGITAL ONLY
14. Trouble, Heartaches & Sadness – DIGITAL ONLY
Frazey tours Europe later this year, but there is only one UK date which is Saturday, October 25th at the Black Deer Festival in the City, at Tobacco Docks, London. Tickets available here
