Paul Weller has unveiled his new album, ’66’, featuring Noel Gallagher, Suggs and Bobby Gillespie.
The Modfather is set to mark his milestone birthday (25.05.24) with the retrospective collection and has given fans the first taste with the glam rock lead single, ‘Soul Wandering’, which features Primal Scream frontman Bobby.
Madness frontman Suggs features on the track ‘Ships Of Fools’ and former Oasis rocker Noel contributed to ‘Jumble Queen’.
Weller’s pals Dr Robert, Richard Hawley, Steve Brooks and Max Beesley also make appearances.
There are also string arrangements from Hannah Peel and two collaborations with French producer and artist Christophe Vaillant, plus Brooklyn trio Say She She added vocals to ‘In Full Flight’.
The former Jam frontman delves into topics including, “faith, changing circumstances and the fractured realities of life in this turbulent age.”
However, the overall message is positive.
The album arrives on May 24, the day before Weller’s 66th birthday.
Weller and his band are embarking on a sold-out tour this April.
Meanwhile, the ‘Going Underground’ hitmaker recently blasted the lack of productivity from younger artists.
The musician thinks the key to his long career has been a near-constant cycle of recording new music and touring and admitted he doesn’t “understand” why some musicians can go several years without bringing out a record.
Speaking on ‘Desperately Seeking Paul – The Paul Weller Fan Podcast’, he said: “Isn’t that part of the job description, that you go on tour and you make records? That’s probably an old-school way of looking at it, but that’s all it’s about really.
“I think it still applies. I think there’s something to be said for consistency and keep pushing it and pushing it and pushing it out.
“As opposed to a lot of the younger artists who make an album then don’t make another for five or seven years.
“I don’t understand that. I often think, ‘What do you do in those in-between years?’
“You can’t be on tour for five or seven years touring the same record, surely?”
The prolific star fears for the legacy of such acts.
He added: “Somebody like Amy Winehouse, who was a brilliant artist, she’s only left two records in the world.
“I think that’s why it’s important to put out as much as you can.
“Not just for the sake of it, not [rubbish], obviously.”
’66’ track-listing:
1. ‘Ship of Fools’
2. ‘Flying Fish’
3. ‘Jumble Queen’
4. ‘Nothing’
5. ‘My Best Friend’s Coat’
6. ‘Rise Up Singing’
7. ‘I Woke Up’
8. ‘A Glimpse of You’
9. ‘Sleepy Hollow’
10. ‘In Full Flight’
11. ‘Soul Wandering’
12. ‘Burn Out’