OUR KING FREDDIE

A splendid tribute to Freddie King by 7 young Frenchs Cats !

Romain Roussouliere (guitar) and Max Darmon (bass) somewhat fans of Freddie King decide to look more into the works of one of the greatest blues men. So in 2018, they decide to get together with some fellow musicians all doted with funk and blues influences. A sweet n funky mix, which they discover in Freddie’s 1974 album ‘Burglar.’ Along with the two accomplices, Vincent Vella tightly holds the band on vocals, Steve Belmonte on drums, Julien Brunetaud on keyboard, Loïc Gayot on saxophone and Jerome Cornelis on guitar/saxophone.

Freddie King is an absolute must in the history of the blues. Together with BB King and Albert King they were often referred to as the Three Kings. Although Freddie was maybe the least well known of the three, the sensitivity in his voice and guitar playing became a major influence on artists such as Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Peter Green.

In 1974 Freddie King released the album ‘Burglar,’ in which point we noticed a fusion of blues and funk. It is that same album that inspired Same Player Shoot Again to record ‘Our King Freddie’ with the same common idea trying to rekindle the sounds of an era. Bringing back the singular fusion of a certain groove mixed with vocal improvisation.

Apart from several covers of ‘Burglar’ album, ‘Our King Freddie’ also contains different songs that took him to the top throughout his career. Such as ‘Hideaway’ or ‘I’d Rather Be Blind.’ This was also a great opportunity for the Band to revive songs that Freddie King had never recorded but he always performed on stage such as ‘Ain’t no Sunshine’ or ‘Ghetto Woman.’

The band’s name – ‘Same Player shoot again’ – is a reference to the pinball world of the seventies. The Original artwork for the album cover is by the well-known and talented Frank Margerin (creator of the successful character ‘Lucien’) representing the band members in a Pinball machine in front of their King Freddie.

Tracklist
1 – The Same Old Blues 3:26 (John Cale)
2 – She’s a Burglar 3:57 (Jerry Ragovoy)
3 – Let the Good Time Roll 3:33 (Jordan Fleecie Moore, Sam Theard)
4 – Going Down 4:14 (Don Nix)
5 – Only Getting Second Best 4:19 (Sammy Hayward)
6 – I’d Rather Be Blind 3:53 (Leon Russel)
7 – Hide Away 3:06 (Freddie King, Sonny Thompson)
8 – Pack it Up 4:01 (Edward George Chandler, Gonzalez)
9 – Ain’t no Sunshine 3:25 (Bill Withers)
10 – Ghetto Woman 5:29 (Riley B. King, Clark Dave)
11 – I’m Tore Down 4:35 (Sonny Thompson)
12 – Texas Flyer 3:27 (Davis, Ferrone, DeLisle, Tench, Vernon, D.E King)
13 – Sky is Crying 4:17 (Elmore James, Clarence Lewis, Morgan C Robinson)
14 – Palace of the King 4:12 (Freddie King

Crédits
Vincent Vella (vocal)
Romain Roussoulière (guitar)
Julien Brunetaud (keyboard)
Loïc Gayot (saxophone)
Jérome Cornelis (guitar/saxophone)
Steve Belmonte (drums)
Max Darmon (bass)