Released 20 September 2010 Length 72:35 | Genre Hard rock, blues rock Producer Kevin Shirley | |
Recorded January–April 2010 at Shangri La Studios, Los Angeles Label Mascot (UK)
J & R Adventures (US) | ||
Black Country Communion is the debut release by the English-American rock supergroup Black Country Communion. The album was released in Europe on 20 September 2010, and in the US one day later.
Contents
Overview
The band was originally conceived during a concert being held for Guitar Center in November 2009. Joe Bonamassa, who was performing, was asked by Guitar Center to invite several friends along, one of which was former Trapeze and Deep Purple singer/bassist Glenn Hughes. Hughes joined Bonamassa for several songs on stage, which was noticed by producer Kevin Shirley, who had worked with Bonamassa before, on several of his solo albums. Shirley approached Hughes and Bonamassa with the concept of making a studio album under a band moniker. Not long afterwards, drummer Jason Bonham was recruited into the band by Shirley. The concept of a power trio didn't satisfy Bonamassa however, so Derek Sherinian, formerly of Dream Theater and Billy Idol's backing band was asked to join. The band was dubbed "Black Country" by Hughes, but were forced to change their name after another band with the same name threatened legal action.
Bonham claims that the band were recording for the album as early as January 2010, stating "I just literally went into the studio last week for two days with one person I'd done an album with before, very quickly, and then the other was a friend of my father's I got to meet later on, Joe Bonamassa and Glenn Hughes, and we're working on a new project with a working title of Black Country." Recording of the album was finished in early April, with the official track listing of the album being released on 10 June 2010 and the album's cover artwork being publicly released on 8 July 2010. The album contains a cover of "Medusa", which was originally recorded by Hughes' band Trapeze in 1970; Hughes also lent Bonamassa the guitar used by the recently deceased Mel Galley on the original track. On 10 August 2010, the band released the single "One Last Soul" for free digital download from their official website.
Hughes has described the album as "a traditional classic rock record with a modern twist".