Award-winning, platinum-selling and highly-acclaimed singer-songwriter Vanessa Amorosi releases “How Long,” a commanding rendition of the original debut single from English rock band Ace . The track serves as the sophomore offering from her upcoming LP, Memphis Love — due November 17 via Bay Street Records. “How Long” was originally released in 1974 ahead of Ace’s debut album, Five-A-Side, and debuted at No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, being named a “classic single” by Phil Collins in his “All Time Top Ten” feature with Smash Hits in 1981. Amorosi’s dynamic cover is out today.
Arriving with an official music video that parallels the song’s themes of betrayal and infidelity, Vanessa is pictured strong, stoic and musing paired with compelling glimpses into a revenge hungry fantasy. “How Long” provides another taste of what is to be expected from her new partnership with legendary creative, overall icon and Memphis Love co-producer Dave Stewart .
“The moment the opening riff of this iconic song reaches your ears, you’re immediately attuned to its rhythm,” Vanessa shares. “I had to cover this and include it on the record. It’s a powerful thing to have a song make you feel happy and relaxed but lyrically be touching upon sadness and hurt. It’s what makes music magic.”
“How Long” follows the album’s lead offering and unshakeable earworm, “WOLF,” which made for the perfect introduction to what Amorosi aimed to capture sonically with Memphis Love. “I love the groove to this track, it’s all attitude,” says Amorosi. “I co-wrote this with Dave Stewart one afternoon in downtown L.A. I was heated after feeling lied to. Someone showing you the best parts of them, but they’re waiting to bring you down. Playing a role, lucky you escaped cause they’re a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
Marking her eighth studio album and first release on Dave Stewart’s Bay Street Records, Memphis Love finds Amorosi diving deeper than ever before into her passion for soulful, blues-centric music. The 10-track album is packed with high-energy vocals, punchy brass instrumentation and captivating melodies, all punctuated with riveting gospel textures delivered by the Tennessee Mass Choir. “Singing with a choir like The Tennessee Mass Choir has always been a dream of mine,” shares Amorosi.
“I’ve stood on stage next to Vanessa Amorosi on several occasions and I’m always immediately taken aback by the intensity and the power of her vocal delivery,” says Dave Stewart. “In getting to know her as a friend and as a true artist, I’ve found that her vocal capabilities are just the tip of the iceberg. Underneath is an emotional and powerful storm brewing that I think we captured on this album in a way that’s a slight shift from other recordings during her amazing career. This record means so much to me and her, and in writing lots of it together we touched on subjects that were so close to home for Vanessa that I knew something was bound to pour out. And here it is at last.”
While crafting the album, magic was found in the hallowed walls of Willie Mitchell’s Royal Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. The essence of Al Green shined upon the sessions with Vanessa Amorosi singing into the iconic soulful R&B artist’s mic alongside some of Al Green’s original players who performed on multiple tracks across Memphis Love.
Dave Stewart adds: “Working with Boo Mitchell in the first phase of recording, it was amazing, and to witness Vanessa’s enthusiasm to be in that soulful room oozing with history. And then, to record Vanessa in a church with a 50-piece Tennessee gospel choir and to see the command she had over the choir with her vocal prowess, was something I’ll never forget.”
This far into her stellar career, Vanessa Amorosi remains one of the most exciting singers on the planet. Her songwriting and dynamic vocal range have seen the artist sell over two million records worldwide. She has released seven commercially and critically acclaimed studio albums, received sixteen ARIA and APRA nominations, and stopped the world in its tracks with her performance of ‘Heroes Live Forever’ and ‘Absolutely Everybody’ at the Sydney Olympics.
“The journey of recording Memphis Love is one I’ll never forget,” she adds. “A career highlight for me. Collaboratively producing this with Dave Stewart was a dream; inspiring me to explore boundless vocal possibilities, free from any constraints. While laying down these tracks at Memphis Royal Studios with a smile on my face, the unforgettable experience of entering a room filled with the Tennessee Mass Choir left me in sheer awe. From start to finish, I hope you listen and feel the love, energy and soul of the record.”
