William Bell - This Is Where I Live

William Bell returns to Stax label with new collaboration album

"My thing as a singer is truth," says William Bell. "And if I can hear truth in a song, then I keep it." Since his earliest days as an artist, this legendary Stax Records soul man has been delivering the truth with one of the most remarkable voices in popular music. While other R&B titans have made their legacies with vocal gymnastics, screams and shouts, Bell has carved out his niche with a more subtle approach.

His style is all about phrasing and inflection, simmering tension and restraint. It's flowing and graceful, a kind of Tai Chi Soul. And whether he's singing a ballad or an up-tempo tune, Bell always has a direct line to the poetry of the heart.

Now, decades after his last major release, William Bell returns to the relaunched Stax label with his definitive statement as an artist, This Is Where I Live. A 12-song collaboration with Grammy-winning producer John Leventhal, it's a beautiful summary of Bell's journey as a singer and songwriter.

"This is the first major label album I've done in a long time," Bell says, "and to have it be part of Stax is just great. I feel like I've come full circle, and that gives me new energy, like I'm starting all over again."

He co-wrote hits with Booker T. Jones, both for himself (including stone soul classics like "Everyday Will Be A Holiday," "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" and "Private Number") and others ("Born Under A Bad Sign" for Albert King became one of the most-covered blues songs ever written).

His songs were recorded by everyone from fellow soul artists Otis Redding and King Curtis to rock bands like Cream and The Byrds.

 

Side 1

The Three Of Me

The House Always Wins

Poison In The Well

I Will Take Care Of You

Born Under A Bad Sign

All Your Stories

Side 2

Walking On A Tightrope

This Is Where I Live

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