As summer winds to a close Sheryl Crow follows up "Summer Day" with a new beautiful performance-based video for to her new single "Sign Your Name," one of the covers on her latest seventh album "100 Miles From Memphis," out now on A&M. This one was unexpected as it an ode to the Terence Trent D'Arby's 1987 classic, and features the Memphis-born and raised Justin Timberlake on background vocals. It's one of my favorites of the era, and one of those songs that sounds just as great today as the year it came out. The groove is lethargic, and the soulful, sexy vibe that Terence exudes in the original is gone.That's the newsy part of the post over and done with. This great chill-out track is going to divide opinion. On one hand, "Sign Your Name" is reminiscent of her Tuesday Night Music Club sound - a group of talented musicians making really high quality music, fronted by Crow's easy, laid-back vocal. On the other hand, the vibe's so laid back, it's almost horizontal. "Sign Your Name" was being recast in the style of Al Green, right down to the distinctive thud of the Hi Records drums. "He's hysterical and super-smart, and he knows a lot about a lot of different kinds of music," The Memphis native says. "I'm totally impressed in every way."
The beautifully-shot performance video for the single is the second video from Crow's soul-inspired album, and was directed by frequent collaborator Wayne Isham and helps capture the soulful, vintage essence of the song. It performance all the way, with Crow crooning her way through the track surrounded by a moody-looking band. Crow looks seductive and glamorous.
For Crow, the title of her seventh album isn't just a location; it's a state of mind. "I grew up in a small town 100 miles from Memphis, and that informed not only my musical taste, but how I look at life," she says. "The drive to Memphis is all farmland, and everyone is community-oriented, God-fearing people, connected to the earth. The music that came out of that part of the world is a part of who I am, and it's the biggest inspiration for what I do and why I do it." On album "100 Miles from Memphis," Crow puts aside her country and pop-rock past in favor of a vintage Memphis-styled, soul-inspired record. So for the Kennett, Missouri native, calling the disc "100 Miles From Memphis" is a statement of purpose, both musical and emotional. It took a lot of years, but with this set of songs, she finally made it back home. It also marks a long-awaited return by the nine-time Grammy winner to the sounds that first drew her to making music.
0 comments