New York, NY (Top40 Charts) A spectacular new live collection recorded last year in North
America and
Europe during the legendary rock 'n' roller's first world tour in nearly two decades,
Little Steven and the
Disciples of Soul's SOULFIRE LIVE! is available now via
Little Steven Van Zandt's Wicked Cool Records and UMe. The 3CD collection includes 24-tracks released digitally in April alongside an exclusive third disc highlighted by superstar guest performances recorded throughout the trek, including Bruce Springsteen, Richie Sambora,
Peter Wolf, and Jerry Miller (of Moby Grape). Pre-order SOULFIRE LIVE! now here!
Rolling Stone is premiering the live video of
Little Steven's performance of "Can I Get A Witness," featuring Richie Sambora. Recorded last year at the famed Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, the video captures
Little Steven and his 15-piece band, the Disciple of Soul's, spirited and sweat-soaked shows which will be on full display on the Blu-Ray coming later this year.
Fans can now pre-order ahead of their release later this year, SOULFIRE LIVE! as a unique 7LP vinyl box set and on Blu-Ray video exclusively at
Little Steven's just-launched new webstore. The vinyl box set will incorporate an exclusive bonus LP capturing
Little Steven's extraordinary surprise set at Liverpool's legendary Cavern Club recorded November 2017 during his band's sold out European tour. The intimate lunchtime gig saw
Little Steven and the
Disciples of Soul paying tribute to The
Beatles with rocking renditions of "Magical Mystery Tour," "Good Morning, Good Morning," "Got To Get You Into My Life," and "All You Need Is Love," alongside iconic songs famously performed by the nascent Fab Four, including "Boys" (originally by The Shirelles), "
Slow Down" (by Larry Williams) and "
Soldier Of Love" (first recorded by Arthur Alexander).
"Playing in the same venue where The
Beatles started their careers was a childhood dream of mine come true," says
Little Steven. "This was a band that set me on course for a life of music. For my rock 'n' roll religion, The Cavern is the first sacred site. It was an honor - no, make that an epiphany - to perform there."
The SOULFIRE LIVE! Blu-ray video edition will include
Little Steven and the
Disciples of Soul's complete Cavern Club concert alongside video performances of each song on the 3CD/vinyl set, exclusive interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage. In addition, the Blu-ray edition will feature a special documentary about the Cavern Club performance that sees
Little Steven honored with a brick in the club's hallowed Wall of Fame before leading his band through swift rehearsals of
Beatles songs mere minutes ahead of their performance. The Blu-ray and vinyl box are available to pre-order now on
Little Steven's just-launched new web store: https://UMe.lnk.to/LittleStevenSoulFireLIVE
SOULFIRE LIVE! is an epic and electrifying journey through rock 'n' roll history led by one of its most passionate practitioners, showcasing Stevie Van Zandt's limitless knowledge, talent, and sheer love for the genre in all its many shapes and guises. Among the album's many highlights are original songs from throughout
Little Steven's illustrious career - including classics like "Standing In The Line Of Fire" and "I Don't Want To Go Home" - alongside a number of favorite cover versions like The Electric Flag's "Groovin' Is Easy," Etta James' "Blues Is My Business," and
James Brown's "Down And Out In New York City," the latter two songs also featured on last year's critically acclaimed SOULFIRE. In addition, SOULFIRE LIVE! includes Van Zandt's inimitable introductions, detailing each song's unique history and singular spot in his life and illustrious career.
The exclusive SOULFIRE LIVE! third disc showcases special guest appearances from some of
Little Steven's closest friends, collaborators, and favorite artists. Among the highlights are versions of Moby Grape's "Can't Be So Bad" performed with the legendary San Francisco band's founding member, Jerry Miller; the Motown classic, "Can I Get A Witness," performed with New Jersey's own Richie Sambora; The J. Geils Band's "Freeze Frame" with vocals from the one and only
Peter Wolf; and "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" and
Little Steven's own "I Don't Want To Go Home," both joined by Bruce Springsteen.
As if that weren't enough, Disc 3 also includes the
Disciples of Soul's electrifying takes on a number of
Little Steven's all-time favorite rock 'n' roll songs, including
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' "Even The Losers," AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long," John Lennon's "Working Class Hero," The Allman Brothers Band's "It's Not My Cross To Bear," The Animals' "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place," and The Ramones' "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)."
SOULFIRE LIVE! was produced and arranged by Stevie Van Zandt; the album was mixed by Bob Clearmountain and mastered by Bob Ludwig.
TRACKLISTING
* DISC 3 AUDIO EXCLUSIVE TO 3CD AND VINYL RELEASES
DISC 1:
Mike Stoller Intro
Soulfire
I'm Coming Back
Blues Is My Business Intro
Blues Is My Business
Love On The Wrong Side Of Town
Until The Good Is Gone
Angel Eyes
Some Things Just Don't Change
Saint Valentine's Day Intro
Saint Valentine's Day
Standing In The Line Of Fire Intro
Standing In The Line Of Fire
I Saw The Light
Salvation
The City Weeps
Tonight Intro
The City Weeps Tonight
DISC 2:
Down And Out In New York City
Princess Of
Little Italy Intro
Princess Of
Little Italy
Solidarity
Leonard Peltier
I Am A Patriot
Groovin' Is Easy
Ride The Night Away Intro
Ride The Night Away
Bitter Fruit
Forever
Checkpoint Charlie Intro
Checkpoint Charlie
I Don't Want To Go Home
Out Of The
Darkness Intro
Out Of The Darkness
DISC 3:
Even The Losers
Can't Be So Bad (Feat. Jerry Miller)
You Shook Me All Night Long
Working Class Hero
We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
Can I Get A Witness (Feat. Richie Sambora)
It's Not My Cross To Bear Intro
It's Not My Cross To Bear
Freeze Frame (Feat.
Peter Wolf)
The Time Of Your Life
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out (Feat. Bruce Springsteen)
I Don't Want To Go Home (Feat. Bruce Springsteen)
Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)
Just back from a European tour,
Little Steven and the
Disciples of Soul blew away audiences with their scorching concerts that included headline shows and stage-stealing festival performances across the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Ireland, and Norway. "There are some shows that reach up to another level altogether, and this was one of them. If you were at this gig, and didn't come out punch-drunk with enjoyment, and your face tired from smiling, then what the hell do you want from life?," exclaimed Blues Enthused about one of the much-talked about shows. "Playing a two and a half hour set of scintillating soul classics, deep cuts from his back catalogue and hot new songs from his most recent Soulfire album, he supplied maximum enjoyment to his dedicated fans," raved London's Express, adding, "If music is where everybody can find a common ground to share and enjoy their listening tastes, then tonight
Little Steven produced a joyous connection to humanity with his Soulfire show." Hot Press enthused, "With a full brass section, Youngblood's Lowell 'Banana' Levinger on keys, Andy Burton doing his wizardly multi-instrumental thing and three of the funkiest soul sister singers to ever step outside of New York City, it really is a feast for the ears," before declaring it "a shoo-in for Club Gig of the Year."
Little Steven and the
Disciples of Soul will rev up again this fall to celebrate SOULFIRE LIVE! with the final leg of their Teacher Appreciation Tour, set to get underway this October. The tour will once again benefit TeachRock, Van Zandt's Rock and Roll Forever Foundation's national initiative to bring music curriculum into middle and high schools across the country. At each stop of the tour, teachers will get in free to the concert and TeachRock will host workshops before the show to educate teachers on how to implement music education into their classrooms. For complete details and ticket availability, please visit littlesteven.com. For more information about TeachRock and the Rock and Roll Forever Foundation, please visit rockandrollforever.org
LITTLE STEVEN AND THE DISCIPLES OF SOUL: SOULFIRE TOUR 2018:
OCTOBER
18 - Wilkes-Barre, PA - Kirby Center
20 - Rochester, NY - Kodak Theater
23 - Atlantic City, NJ - Hard Rock
24 - Munhall, PA -Carnegie of Homestead
Music Hall
29 - Wabash, IN - Honeywell Center
31 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
NOVEMBER
2 - Burnsville, MN - Ames Center
5- Chicago, IL - Copernicus Center
7 - Tulsa, OK - Club Brady
9 - Detroit, MI @
Detroit Music Hall
10 - Peoria, IL - Monarch
12 - Louisville, KY - Mercury Ballroom
14 - Columbus, OH - Newport
Music Hall
16 - Cleveland, OH - Hard Rock
17 - Morgantown, WV - Metropolitan Theatre
SOULFIRE LIVE! follows last year's acclaimed release of
Little Steven's sensational SOULFIRE, available now via Wicked Cool/Big Machine/UMe. The album is available as CD, digital download, and 180-gram black vinyl, the latter presented as a double LP housed in a gatefold sleeve with the music on Sides 1-3 and a unique etching of
Little Steven on Side 4.
Stevie Van Zandt's first solo album in close to two decades, SOULFIRE is without question his purest and most uniquely personal artistic statement thus far. The album sees the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer revisiting songs that span the length of his career as artist, performer, producer, arranger, and songwriter, focusing directly on the hugely influential "soul horns-meet-rock 'n' roll guitars" approach he first pioneered on Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes' classic first three albums.
SOULFIRE quickly drew rapturous applause from fans and critics alike, with Rolling Stone declaring, "Rock's ultimate sideman reclaims the Jersey Shore sound he helped invent." "Cynicism, irony and cultivated hip detachment have taken their toll on rock 'n' roll," raved USA Today. "With SOULFIRE, Van Zandt aims to blow all that out and lead listeners back to its more passionate essence." "It's hard to imagine a more joyous and revelatory contemporary blue-eyed soul recording," enthused American Songwriter. "The appropriately titled SOULFIRE is a tough, tight and clearly inspired project as well as a most welcome return from the musical shadows for Steven Van Zandt. "SOULFIRE" hearkens back to Van Zandt's classic first solo album of gritty, greasy, horn-accented '60s-style rock and soul," noted Billboard, while Paste proclaimed, "Rockier than Motown or the Sound of Philadelphia, this a joyous invitation to live and love."
SOULFIRE was arranged and produced by Van Zandt at his own Renegade Studios in New York City, co-produced and recorded by GRAMMY® Award-winner Geoff Sanoff (Fountains of Wayne, Stephen Colbert) and co-produced and music directed by guitarist Marc Ribler. The album was mixed and mastered by Van Zandt's career-long collaborators and friends Bob Clearmountain (Rolling Stones,
David Bowie, The Who, Bryan Adams), and Bob Ludwig (Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, The Band, Sly and the Family Stone).
Little Steven Van Zandt is of course known around the world for his utterly personal songwriting and an ambitious adventurousness that has fueled much of his creative output these past two decades. In addition to his ongoing role as a touring and recording member of The E Street Band, he has also expanded his artistic parameters to include landmark work as an actor on The Sopranosand Lilyhammer as well as host, historian, and rock 'n' roll advocate on
Sirius XM's one-and-only "Little Steven's Underground Garage" (not to mention creator of
Sirius XM's long-running "Outlaw Country" format). Van Zandt has also expanding his musical boundaries to include composing the score for all three seasons of Lilyhammer and additional work as producer and songwriter, lending his distinctive craft to records from an array of international garage rockers.
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