When the best of late ’60s music is discussed, it’s hard not to name Fame Recording Studios and Muscle Shoal Sound Studio and its collective soul artists and session musicians that created a longstanding sound and revered groove that still permeates today.
Gainesville, Fla., 9-piece Southern soul outfit The Savants of Soul rekindle that spirit with their own take on ’70s soul with righteous rhythms, gritty horns swampy grooves, and gospel-tinged soulful vocals.
The Savants of Soul are releasing a series of singles leading up to a July tour, starting with “Love and Affection” that Glide is premiering below.
The song kicks off with a spirited horn section and Mandy Ferwerda’s sultry vocals, singing about how being in a romantic relationship is hard work and shouldn’t be taken for granted. It’s a love song that demands reciprocation, as its pulsing percussion and walking bass lines converge with transcendent backing vocals and massive horns that cradle Ferwerda’s “take me or leave me” final chorus.
“Love and Affection is very near and dear to my heart; it’s my love letter to the artists of FAME studios. From penning the first few lyrics to the final stages of mastering, I wanted to capture that transparent yet gritty and honest sound of late 60s southern soul. The song was put on the chopping block a few times, but we were diligent about rewriting it. When we finally brought it to a live audience, I could hear the crowd singing along with the chorus refrain. At that point, I knew we had finally figured it out.”
“I was listening to a lot of Bobby Womack while writing ‘Love and Affection,’” says keyboard player Zachary Emerson. “His song ‘Love Ain’t Something that You Get for Free,’ is incredible, but I was drawn to this idea that you’ve got to earn affection. It shouldn’t just be a given. It was all in the bass, and then I found that centering hook line, ‘send your love and affection my direction and I’ll send it back to you,’ which of course became the heart of the song.”
These singles will follow the release of their pre-pandemic self-titled album, recorded over 10 days at legendary FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Ala. SoS have been making a name for themselves as live performers on the festival circuit, including Suwannee Rising, Okeechobee Music & Arts, Gasparilla, and Red Gorilla at SXSW. They’ve shared bills with Benjamin Booker, St. Paul and The Broken Bones, Maggie Rose, The Original Wailers, George Porter Jr. of The Meters, and the late Charles Bradley.
One Response
Wonderful. Great track . Perfect production.