Mavis Staples will release her first live album ‘Live In London’ in a decade in February.
At age 79, even Mavis is surprised she is still going. “It’s kind of unbelievable to me that I’m still recording,” said the 79-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Kennedy Center Honoree Mavis Staples. “I never thought I would still be singing at my age, and people seem to really want to hear me, they know me, they give me love—I’m just overwhelmed, really. I thank God every night before I go to bed and then again every morning for waking up.”
Mavis has reached a new fanbase in the 21st century. In recent years Nick Cave, Neko Case, and Merrill Garbus (Tune-Yards) have written for her and she has collaborated with Arcade Fire, Gorillaz, and Hozier and recorded multiple albums working with Jeff Tweedy from Wilco.
“I’ve stretched out—I’m singing songs that rock stars have written for me,” says Staples, “but they know me and the kind of songs I want to sing.” She points to the opening song on Live in London, Love and Trust, which was composed by Ben Harper. “I love that song, it’s a beauty,” she says. “I’ve been sending a message of love and trust since the Sixties, and I’m still searching for that.”
Live In London Tracklist:
1. Love and Trust (Written by Ben Harper)
2. Who Told You That (Written by Jeff Tweedy)
3. Slippery People (Written by Talking Heads)
4. What You Gonna Do – Intro
5. What You Gonna Do (Written by Pops Staples)
6. Take Us Back (Written by Benjamin Booker)
7. You Are Not Alone (Written by Jeff Tweedy)
8. No Time For Cryin’ (Written by Jeff Tweedy and Mavis Staples)
9. Can You Get to That (Written by George Clinton and Ernie Harris)
10. Let’s Do It Again (Written by Curtis Mayfield)
11. Dedicated (Written by Justin Vernon and Matthew Ward)
12. We’re Gonna Make It (Written by Gene Barge, Billy Davis, Raynard Minerand Carl William Smith)
13. Encore: Happy Birthday
14. Touch A Hand (Written by Homer Banks, Carl Hampton and Raymond Jackson)
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