News
Marcella Detroit: UK Dates Support “The Vehicle”
31 Aug 13
Marcella Detroit, aka Marcy Levy, is one of the top popular music vocalists around – an accomplished guitarist and prolific songwriter. Embracing blues, pop, rock, and everything in between, she has performed and written with an impressive A-list roster of music industry greats. Both her work as a solo artist, and as half of the great Shakespear’s Sister, has met with critical and chart success.
Born in Detroit, Marcy Levy’s musical career hit the ground running. She joined Bob Seger’s band in the early 70’s, and went on to tour with Leon Russell before becoming a member of Eric Clapton’s band in the mid-70’s. In addition to touring and recording with Clapton, she wrote several songs with him, including the multi-million selling hit Lay Down Sally. After four years she left to pursue a solo career – although she did rejoin his band in 1984 to record and tour with him for another year. This included performing at Live Aid in 1985. She went on to work with Aretha Franklin, Alice Cooper, Bette Midler, David Foster, and Robin Gibb, and co-wrote songs for Al Jarreau, Belinda Carlisle, and Chaka Khan.
In 1987 Marcella began song-writing with former Bananarama member Siobhan Fahey, and the enormously successful Shakespear’s Sister was launched. The band’s debut album Sacred Heart instantly made the UK top ten, along with the single You’re History. 1992’s follow-up Hormonally Yours was an even bigger success with four chart-topping singles including the worldwide megahit Stay. This track still holds the UK record for the longest-running #1 single by a female artist. The melodramatic ballad featuring Marcella’s soaring lead vocals and its memorable, Brit Award-winning music video secured Shakespear’s Sister’s place in pop history.
Despite their success, the band split up and Marcella moved forward with planned solo releases, also taking time out to record Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing with Elton John for his Duets album. In 1994 her album Jewel was released to great critical acclaim, and included two hit singles, I Believe and I’m No Angel. Marcella then decided to showcase her rock credentials with the edgy album Feeler, which she released on her own label. She later recorded an experimental electronica album aptly titled Dancing Madly Sideways. US music industry trades declared the single Lust for Like her most commercial release yet and All Music gave the ‘brilliant, angry, aggressive, exciting dance/rock album’ four stars. Never one to rest on her laurels, Marcella resolved to return to her roots and set out to make an authentic blues record.She called in her blues connections and pulled together the Marcy Levy Band. The result was 2006’s The Upside of Being Down.
Having already mastered so many musical genres, in 2010 Marcella embarked on an adventure as a contestant and finalist on the UK’s television show Popstar to Operastar. Marcella returned to the studio this year to record her outstanding new album, The Vehicle – completed in an astonishing 16 days. The album is self-produced, and mixed by legendary Reggie Dozier, brother of Motown’s Lamont Dozier of Holland-Dozier-Holland. It features top musicians including drummer James Gadson (Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers, Albert King, BB King) and bassist Reggie McBride (Al Jarreau, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Rod Stewart).
Marcella says, ‘It’s a direct and deliberate return to my soul roots. You can take the girl out of Detroit but you can’t take Detroit out of the girl’.
The album’s title track, “The Vehicle” will be released as a single on 15 September. A video to accompany it is currently in production.
FORTHCOMING LIVE DATES IN THE UK:
Wednesday 18th September – Boisdale, Canary Wharf, London – with Lizzie Deane and Carleen Anderson, backed by Lizzie’s band
Click here to purchase tickets
Thursday 19th September – Pizza Express, Maidstone, Kent – accompanied by Mike Brown on guitar and Robert “Skins” Anderson on percussion
Click here to purchase tickets
Monday 23rd September – The Pheasantry, Kings Road, London – accompanied by Mike Brown on guitar and Robert “Skins” Anderson on percussion
Click here to purchase tickets
OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
http://www.marcella-detroit.com/
MARCELLA DETROIT – THE VEHICLE
Available Now From Right Recordings
UK Distribution: Nova/Universal
Track 1: Love x A Million (3:43)
Track 2: Goddess In Despair (4:09)
Track 3: Good Girl Down (4:16)
Track 4: Practice What I Preach (3:49)
Track 5: The Key (4:37)
Track 6: Be The Change (3:49)
Track 7: Look No Further (3:43)
Track 8: Serious (4:41)
Track 9: The Vehicle (4:16)
Track 10: My Own Backyard (5:00)
Track 11: Wrong Direction (4:31)
Track 12: Find The Good (3:36)
Bonus Track: Stay 2013 (4:29)
Visit amazon.co.uk to purchase the physical edition.
The Vehicle is available digitally in the USA from iTunes and Amazon