Tony Christie has announced his first album in 12 years, ‘We Still Shine’.
The 80-year-old singer feared he’d have to stop working when he was diagnosed with dementia in 2021, however, he’s proved himself wrong, as he unveils his new country-inspired album.
Set for release on February 16, 2024, the album – a follow-up to 2011’s ‘Now’s the Time!’ – was produced by long-time collaborator and close friend Graeme Pleeth and recorded in Nashville with his wife Sue and son Sean there every step of the way.
The ‘Amarillo’ hitmaker said: ”I loved every minute of making this record. It’s the first time my wife Sue had joined me on a recording trip to Nashville. My son rented a house that was literally a two-minute walk across the road to Blackbird recording studios where we spent three weeks making what I believe to be the best album I’ve ever made, and I really mean it. I’ve just come back from Abbey Road Studios where the album has been mastered and it’s the first time I got to hear the album in its entirety and in sequence. I was so blown away by the sound, It brought me to tears. This album is very special to me and has been in the planning for a good few years.”
The new single ‘Home Home Home’ is out now on streaming platforms.
As well as Graeme, Tony worked on the record with renowned musicians Jerry McPherson and Beth Nielsen Chapman.
He continued: “Together with my son Sean and my producer Graeme Pleeth we have been backwards and forward to Nashville collating songs and demoing them until we were finally happy we had it just right.
“We worked with the cream of Nashville’s studio musicians and engineers in what is arguably the best recording studio in the world and what I love most about this album is we recorded the band in one room. We would listen to the take and if everyone was happy with their performance we would then add little overdubs, just like we used to do in the old days. You can feel the musicians playing live like a band rather than everyone being recorded separately and then time corrected and tuned bit by bit. I absolutely love this record and If this were to be the last record I ever make then I would be pleased to leave this as my legacy.”
Tony is an ambassador for the Music for Dementia campaign in 2023, and he released the charity single, ‘Thank You For Being A Friend’, with music legends Sting and Nile Rodgers, to raise money for the Power of Music Fund.
Tony is touring the UK in 2023 and 2024. Head to www.tonychristie.com for the full tour dates and tickets.
‘We Still Shine’ tracklisting:
‘Home Home Home’
‘Early Morning Memphis’
‘Just Like Yesterday’
‘Angel Eyes’
‘Hangin’ Around’
‘Shine’
‘In The Times Of My Weakness’
‘It’s Been A While Since I Missed You’
‘Sail Away’
‘Once Upon A Time’
‘That’s What Friends Are For’