After playing for some time in the backing band of (admirer) Van Morrison in the early nineties, the English singer and guitarist James Hunter started a solo career. People Gonna Talk is his third album, on which his interpretation of the controlled rhythm & blues style of singers like Sam Cooke and Bobby Bland has come to fruition. Besides a golden throat Hunter has a nice pointed guitar style.
The wind section (tenor and baritone sax) plays a remarkably large role, although a common sound in the fifties, but a phenomenon that is virtually extinct in the 21st century. The fourteen songs were captured by producer Liam Watson, who gained some fame by producing The White Stripes' album Elephant. Even now, Watson stuck to his no-nonsense principles. That means no unnecessary overdubs and effects, but just James Hunter and his band playing and singing with understated passion. People Gonna Talk is a must for the lover of timeless soul. (MS)more