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IT'S NOEL GOURDIN'S 'TIME': New artist’s single, 'The River,' drives soulful debut.
Gourdin’s debut disc, “After My Time” is dripping with that old-school soul reminiscent of masters such as Marvin Gaye, Tyrone Davis, and Otis Redding.
And while Gourdin is merely in the very young stage of becoming a great name like his influences, he hopes the disc catapults his career ahead of its time.
“You’ve heard quite a few artist that are considered to be ‘before their time,’” Gourdin said in explaining the title of the new album. “Their expertise and music could come out now and still be relevant and such a hit. My concept and my records are story driven and have a message and are respectful and tasteful. I could see myself coming out with the Motown swing and the soul swing – with the Marvin Gayes and Sam Cookes and the old soul groups. I could see myself coming out in that era, so hence the title ‘After My Time’.”
It seems to be Gourdin’s time no matter if it’s before or after. The lead single, “The River” is getting massive play on urban radio, and has been likened to the sound of his contemporaries D’Angelo and John Legend. Gourdin is quite pleased to be held in such company, and like them, he told EUR’s Lee Bailey, he’d like to be a part of the movement that’s bringing soul back to soul music.
“I’m trying to bring that music back to let even young artists know that you can make music coming from the soul and be received well,” he said. “You don’t have to go out there and just do shake-booty music. You can do music that’s tasteful and get paid for it. I’m just trying to be real and not sacrifice my dignity.”
Noel Gourdin does a live, impromptu version of 'The River':
“The River” is certainly being received well. The track was produced by Kay-Gee of Naughty By Nature fame, who also helped build the repertoires of Jaheim and Next.
“We were the fastest moving single by a male artist in the last five years,” Gourdin said of the hot track. “It’s great when you’re blessed with a record that really transcends. Now we’re in a place that I’m really feeling good about.”
Not only is “The River” an impressive throwback musically, but the lyrics also evoke memories and emotions of yesteryear. Gourdin explained that the inspiration of the song came when he and friends were sitting around sharing childhood stories, talking about family members, and just reflecting on life and paths they’d taken.
“We had signed a deal with Sony on November 15, 2005 and this was around February. We were sitting in the studio saying let’s make something with a lot of content and richness; let’s come up with something that had a real Negro spiritual feel, but at the same time, something that’s really relevant.”
After getting a track from producer Kay-Gee, Gourdin spent five hours in the studio and walked out with “The River.”
“I came out of the booth and said, ‘Yo, we got something special.’ Right away it reminded me of a new-age ‘Midnight Train to Georgia.’ It just had a lot of elements in there that no matter what their background, creed, age – all demographics could relate to in a way. It touches a lot of people,” he said. “It’s a good feeling record, but it has that melancholy feel.”
The song, and some other offerings of what the industry has tagged as “new soul” may be on the verge of bringing back old soul, but Gourdin agreed that it is still a bit difficult to get such lyricism and musicianship out to listeners. He explained that even “The River” had a three year shelf life before seeing the light of day. When he’d originally made the song, he was signed to Epic Records, where executives could not quite fit him in. He was then shifted to the Sony’s urban arm of Columbia Records where he sat for two years.
“Nobody would take a chance because they were just scared,” he surmised. “They were scared about what the record said and how it would be perceived and they just wouldn’t take a chance on it.”
Fortunately famed manager and idol maker Johnny Wright (Janet Jackson, New Kids on the Block, NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears) got wind of the track and called the President of Epic Records at SonyBMG Music Entertainment to ask about Gourdin. According to singer, Wright called “The River” the best record he’d heard in his life.
“We got signed back over to Epic. Now, things are moving forward. It’s just a blessing.”
Growing up just outside of Boston, Gourdin soaked up the music of Teddy Pendergrass, Marvin Gaye, and Otis Redding. He spent his summers with family in Biloxi, Mississippi where he soaked up rhythm & blues roots and culture. Raised both “up north” and “down south”, he humbly credits the combination for his gift.
“I don’t think that I would have been able to get so deep into this record as I did,” he said of recognizing his southern roots. “The conviction was incredible for me. It really was close to home. The record speaks volumes about me as a man so it was easy for me to dig down and give my all in the booth, and it really came across in the record.”
The fans certainly agree, with major momentum built by the chart-climbing “The River,” the disc’s time is none too soon. Still, Gourdin is keeping his cool even with a serious hit on his hands.
“I’m just a regular dude that just happened to be able to sing a little bit.”
“After My Time” hits stores July 22. To hear the track and find out more about Noel Gourdin, check out www.noelgourdin.com. Or you can hit up his MySpace page, which features a fan line phone number, at www.myspace.com/noelgourdin.
-------- ABFF 2008 --------
The 12th annual American Black Film Festival
returns to Los Angeles, August 7-10. Film
submission is now open. Registration
discounts are available through May 15.
For information visit www.abff.com
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