Shelton Naomi And The Gospel Queens

Recorded at the Daptone Records House of Soul, and produced by Grammy Award winning producer Bosco Mann. 
Featuring Fred Thomas; long-time bass player for James Brown. 

Musical Director, Cliff Driver's resume includes work with Baby Washington, Little Willie John, King Curtis, Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, and Solomon Burke. 

In the six years since the release of their last full-length record, Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens have toured extensively, playing main stages at some of the most prestigious festivals in the world, including Bonnaroo, The Monterey Jazz Festival, Montreal Pop, and The Ottawa Blues Festival. 

Though seasoned veterans, these years of touring played a major role in the creation of the twelve songs that we are so delighted to offer to you, our beloved Daptone Family.  Presenting:  Cold World.  With Gabriel (Bosco Mann) Roth at the helm, Naomi and company went into the studio, and cut onto tape what can only be described as bonafide Soul Excitement of the highest order. 

Though the music is most unapologetically gospel, most of the lyrics on the record would fall under what could be called “message songs”.  That is, music containing uplifting spiritual messages, reminiscent of the more inspirational moments of The Staple Singers or Curtis Mayfield.  However, the relationship between gospel and soul music does not need to be discussed again here.  It is as plainly and naturally inherent in these grooves as it is in the singer’s every word and motion.  There is no one alive today that has a voice or spirit more capable of lifting an audience than Naomi Shelton.  

On this record, the grooves are pure Soul. ‘Sinner’ sits atop Side One as a dark welcome into the soulful stomp- ing world of the Queens.  They flow effortlessly from the Sunday stomp of ‘Get Up, Child’ to the country-twinged swagger of ‘One Day’ and ‘I Earned Mine’; from the river’s edge lilt of ‘Everybody Knows’ and ‘I Don’t Know’ to the ener- getic boogie of ‘Thank You Lord’, ‘It’s A Cold, Cold World’, and ‘Bound for the Promised Land’. This album is a menagerie of Soul music at its finest, untied by the strong message-laden lyrics. Trust us, the wait was worth it.