York musician Chris Helme is giving away a free track to fans to thank them for supporting his latest album.
Since the release of The Rookery, last summer, the former lead singer with The Seahorses and The Yards has received glowing reviews throughout the music press.
The free track is a departure for Chris. His material is noted for its wide range of influences, appealing to fans of such diverse bands and musicians as Led Zeppelin, Jeff Buckley, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, and even the melodic end of The Velvet Underground.
This time he has covered a little-known, achingly soulful B-side from the mid-Sixties.
Chris says: “The track is Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand). I first heard this fantastic tune whilst watching Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror. The astoundingly beautiful Jessica Brown Findlay performed a truly heart-melting version which I couldn’t get out of my head.
“I went on a mission to find out who originally wrote it and performed it. It turns out that it was recorded in 1964 by Irma Thomas. It was the B-side of her hit, Time Is On My Side, which was later a hit for The Rolling Stones.
“Irma Thomas’s version was produced by HB Barnum, and it was written by country star Jeannie Seely and a very young Randy Newman.
“I’m not sure if it’s the best idea I’ve ever had, but I thought I’d have a go at doing a version, just for fun… I hope you like it.”
Listen and download it here
Browse Chris Helme music on iTunes
- The track is also on Chris Helme’s Soundcloud pages where you can also hear an interview with him and Sam Forrest, producer of Chris’s excellent album, The Rookery
- More information on Chris’s Facebook page
- And you can listen to samples of every track from The Rookery, and purchase downloads here