Stone Foundation - A Life Unlimited

  by Dave Goodwin

published: 8 / 9 / 2015

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The guys responsible for this slab of soulfulness are Neil Sheasby and Neil Jones, who at the time they formed Stone Foundation were two men searching for a new challenge and an outlet to further their creative vision. The pair always knew that this project would involve horns and Hammond, and it all started to come together for them firstly with the induction of keyboard player Ian Arnold and drummer Phillip Ford into the group. With these crucial characters on board, they then added Conga player Rob Newton and Gareth John, Gary Rollins and Adam Stevens who became their trademark horn section. Stone Foundation has become hot on the live circuit and formed a formidable reputation and in doing so have found their own ever increasing audience. In 2011 Stone Foundation were spotted in a North London venue by Specials drummer John Bradbury and were invited to open for the ska legends, playing to packed halls of 8,000 plus every night on an arena tour around the UK. Shortly afterwards they released their DIY debut album 'To Find the Spirit', which amazingly broke into the top 75 of the national chart and were then invited to Japan by the British embassy in Tokyo for a 'Visit Britain' campaign. This latest offering, 'A Life Unlimited', is packed full of soul treats, and starts with soul legend Nolan Porter and a track that will be an instant hit in the modern/crossover rooms of any soul night. 'Beverley' has the beat and strings to match and Porter's older but very able vocals are the perfect accompaniment. Downing the tempo slightly, the Four Perfections add another dimension to 'Pushing Your Love', a slower more mellow affair and also on the next track 'Something in the Light' which also has, along with the opener, the dynamic and versatile string group Q Strings playing their own brand of electro acoustic instruments. They also appear on 'The Turnaround', another modern room candidate which features backing from Janet and Samantha Harris, and along with 'Learning the Hard Way' has a Cuban feel which helps to create a sound which is more New York jazz/fusion than contemporary soul. 'The Night Teller' has that blaxploitation groove sound to it along with Graham Parker's smooth vocals. If you are tempted by a slice of disco, look no further than 'A Love Uprising' which admittedly starts with what can only be described as house piano but quickly gets funked up with the added bonus of a rap inside from Blow Monkeys front man Dr Robert. There are some real gems in here that will undoubtedly appeal to vinyl freaks and especially modern soul fans so they can get it into the all nighters quickly. This begs the question really: Is there still room for this kind of music? Hell, yes! Absolutely stunning!

Track Listing:-

1 Beverley
2 Pushing Your Love
3 Something In the Light
4 The Turnaround
5 Speak Your Piece
6 The Night Teller
7 Learning the Hard Way
8 These Life Stories
9 A Love Uprising
10 Old Partners, New Dances

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/stonefoundation
http://www.stonefoundation.co.uk/
https://twitter.com/stonefoundation
https://instagram.com/stonefoundation/

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