Rod Stewart

Since scoring his first #1 hit with the enduring classic ‘Maggie May,’ Rod Stewart has gone on to sell some 100 million records worldwide. Now, one of modern music’s greatest and most distinctive voices begins a fresh chapter in his illustrious career with his brilliant new album, HUMAN. From the incontestably infectious ‘I Can’t Deny It’ to the tender grooves of ‘Loveless’ to the Macy Gray-penned ‘Smitten,’ this highly anticipated collection is a powerful and passionate addition to Stewart’s considerable body of work. Dramatic and touching, HUMAN is the first fruit of Stewart’s new relationship with Atlantic Records.

‘It means the world to me to be recording for Atlantic,’ Rod enthuses. ‘I feel a deep connection to the label. It’s right up my strasse, because of all the great Atlantic artists who came before me and who I grew up listening to – people like Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Booker T & the MGs, and so many others. Not to mention working with new people with fresh attitudes and fresh ideas. So to be on Atlantic is a great honor.’

With its sultry R&B vibe and heart full of soul, HUMAN fits perfectly into the Atlantic tradition of which Stewart speaks. As its title suggests, the album stands as one of the singer’s most earnest and emotive works. For Rod, HUMAN represents a facet of his talent and personality that he had yet to fully display on record.

‘The title speaks for itself,’ he says, ‘though I don’t attach too much importance on album titles. Look at some of the titles in the old days, like A NOD IS AS GOOD AS A WINK… TO A BLIND HORSE, AN OLD RAINCOAT WON’T EVER LET YOU DOWN, and BLONDES HAVE MORE FUN. And then there’s ‘ATLANTIC CROSSING’ – it’s a shame we couldn’t use that one this time around.

‘I think there’s a warmth in my voice on this album that hasn’t been recorded before,’ he continues. ‘Maybe it’s the choice of songs, as there’s no real out-and-out rock ’n’ roll. They’re all mid-tempo numbers, so it’s a very warm record. Like a hot water bottle.’

‘HUMAN’ is executive produced by Rob Dickins, who performed similar duties on 1998’s Stewart-produced WHEN WE WERE THE NEW BOYS. Though the two have worked together for more than a decade, this is only their second ‘official’ collaboration.

‘It’s good to have a collaborator you can trust,’ says Stewart. ‘His record with me has been amazing. He’s brought me so many great songs, like Tom Waits’s ‘Downtown Train,’ ‘Motown Song,’ ‘Rhythm Of My Heart,’ to name just three. He’s got great ears, and I’ve got a great nose! Which, you know, is a fabulous combination for making records.’

Dickins brought together a host of today’s hottest producers – including Mark Taylor and Brian Rawling (the team behind Cher’s 1998 worldwide smash, ‘Believe’), Christopher Neil (Celine Dion, Mike + the Mechanics), and Dennis Charles (Eternal, Cleopatra) – to fashion a quintessential Rod Stewart collection of romantic R&B-infused pop.

‘Sometimes it can be tricky working with so many different producers,’ the singer says. ‘Initially, when you walk into the studio, it can be a little distant. But usually, by the time I’ve sung two or three takes, things are great. You just have to break down those barriers.’

‘I Can’t Deny It,’ the album’s irresistibly buoyant first single, was produced and co-written by Rick Nowels (Madonna, the Corrs, Dido) and Gregg Alexander of New Radicals fame. ‘Every time I listen to ‘I Can’t Deny It,’ I love it,’ Stewart enthuses about the song. ‘It’s uplifting. It makes you feel extremely jolly.’

The much-admired DJ/producer/songwriter Karl (K-Gee) Gordon – best known for his work with George Michael and international pop sensations All Saints – led the sessions that spawned the cinematic, flamenco-fueled title track. In the process, Rod was well impressed by Gordon’s passion for excellence and utter absorption in the task at hand.

‘I refer to K-Gee as Mr. Energy,’ says Stewart. ‘He’s very enthusiastic. He had me singing for an extraordinary length of time. Which was good – he just kept me singing ‘Human’ over and over again, trying to get it as right as we could. He was fabulous.’

A collection of top studio musicians – including guitarists Jesse Johnson (Janet Jackson, the Time) and Robbie MacIntosh (Paul McCartney, Pretenders, Kirsty MacColl); keyboardist Steve Pigott (Celine Dion, Mike + the Mechanics); backing vocalist Sue-Anne Carwell (Christina Aguilera, Elvis Costello, Monica); and bassist Pino Palladino (Richard Ashcroft, Eric Clapton, Elton John) – was assembled for the ‘HUMAN’ sessions. Several striking new talents were also on hand, including internationally acclaimed Scottish singer/songwriter Helicopter Girl, who makes her U.S. debut duetting with Rod on the Motown-flavored ‘Don’t Come Around Here.’ The album is further highlighted by electric contributions from ace guitarists Slash (on ‘Human’) and Mark Knopfler (on ‘If I Had You’).

A true trans-Atlantic production, the sessions for HUMAN took place in London, Los Angeles, and New York – sometimes simultaneously. ‘Most of the recording was done in London,’ says Rod, ‘and of course I live in Hollywood. But I was actually in Europe when Slash did his work here in California, and I was here when Mark did his work in London. But I’m sure I’ll run into them sometime, as life’s rich tapestry unfolds before us.’

For Stewart, the HUMAN sessions offered him the chance to focus all his substantial artistic energies on his celebrated voice. He charged Dickins with keeping musical matters humming, so he was able to devote himself entirely to his vocal performances.

‘I think producing WHEN WE WERE THE NEW BOYS aged me about ten years,’ Rod says, laughing. ‘Because it really is an effort, putting everyone together, and you’ve got to make all the right choices. So it was nice, and something I’ve always wanted to do, to just take a step back and let someone take over. I enjoyed being phoned up, ‘The tracks are ready for you. Just go down and sing it.’ It made me feel like Frank Sinatra. And what’s wrong with that?’

HUMAN features a number of new songs that will surely take their place on the ever-growing list of great Rod Stewart performances, including Raul Malo and James House’s ‘To Be With You’ (originally performed by Malo’s much- admired contemporary country group, the Mavericks) and the lushly romantic ‘Soul On Soul,’ penned by Marc Jordan and John Capek, who wrote Stewart’s 1991 smash single, ‘Rhythm of My Heart.’

‘In choosing songs, usually you go on your first instinct,’ the singer says. ‘There’s no magic wand waving. You either like a song or you don’t. Lyrical content has always been extremely important with me, and of course a strong melody. The songs have got to have some sort of soul, something I can get my teeth into.’

Among the album’s many highlights is a touchingly powerful rendition of ‘It Was Love That We Needed,’ a song written and originally performed by the late, great Curtis Mayfield. ‘I’ve always been a great fan of his, and of the Impressions,’ Stewart says. ‘I recorded ‘People Get Ready’ with Jeff Beck about 15 years ago, which was a great record – even though I sang it myself. Curtis sang this one when he was laying on his back in a hospital after his terrible accident. That’s probably my favorite song on the album.’

HUMAN also features a songwriting contribution from new soul sensation Macy Gray, who co-composed the sparkling slow jam, ‘Smitten.’ ‘My manager, Arnold Stiefel, heard Macy in Europe, where she was a big success before she hit in the States,’ Rod explains. ‘He told me he thought she had the most extraordinary voice and sounded like the lovechild of me and Billie Holiday – which conjured up all sorts of wild thoughts. In any case, Arnold got in touch with Macy, and she said she would love to come up with a song for me. And boy, did she ever. It’s a great song, and I hope I’ve done it proud.’

Timeless in its emotional punch, while utterly up-to-date in its sound and attitude, HUMAN is certain to enter the remarkable pantheon of Rod Stewart classics.

‘I’m very pleased with this record,’ Stewart says, ‘because all the songs gel so well together. They create a very moving, very romantic atmosphere. This is a very soulful album, probably one of the more soulful albums I’ve done, because it does lean towards R&B – though in a very modern way. I’m very proud of it, and I hope my fans will enjoy it as much as I do.’