As the February 11th release of his refreshed ‘Greatest Hits’ album approaches, James Morrison has discovered that looking back has opened new possibilities for his future. While his big hits undeniably sound better than ever, the album’s first brand new track, ‘Who’s Gonna Love Me Now?’, made a huge impact. With major support at Spotify (14 international New Music Fridays) and Apple Music (Breaking Pop, Feeling Good and Everyday Hits), the track also spent four weeks on Radio 2’s B-list as it accumulated 1000 spins at UK radio.
Now James takes another step towards the album’s release as he shares its second brand new song ‘Don’t Mess With Love’.
Putting a contemporary pop edge on James’s time-honoured Motown and R&B influences, ‘Don’t Mess With Love’ is just as much of an immediately infectious earworm as his most renowned songs. His words of the life-changing power of love come from personal experience, while his voice – matured with fifteen years experience, but also in some ways just as pure as when he first arrived on the scene – is innately gifted with the ability to bring those emotions to life. Further enlivened by the warmth and tight grooves of his live band, the song feels instantly at home on the ‘Greatest Hits’ collection.
James says, “‘Don’t Mess With Love’ came out of me writing and recording in lockdown. It reminds me of songs I heard on the radio in the summer when I was a kid – a classic old school element with a freshness in the verse.”
These two new songs show that James Morrison’s strengths as both a songwriter and an artist have only grown with time. The rest of the ‘Greatest Hits’ set then finds him mastering the precarious balance between giving people the classics they love, but also uncovering new elements and layers that give the songs a new lease of life for both artist and fans alike.
Part of that magic comes from the simplicity of James’ approach to the collection. Instead of completely reinventing the songs or meticulously analysing every last detail, he simply took his live band to Metropolis Studios with his long-term producer Mark Taylor and let the songs speak for themselves. Overdubs were minimal, the most notable of which was Jamesdeploying his ever more accomplished voice to create the vocal harmonies that support his topline.
The release of the ‘Greatest Hits’ album also coincides with the 15th anniversary of James winning the BRIT Award for British Male Solo Artist. The album is available to pre-order here.
March will see James Morrison embark upon the extensive UK leg of his ‘Greatest Hits’ tour, which includes a London show at the Palladium, before he then takes the tour to six European countries from late April. The summer will see him play a selection of major outdoor shows in the UK, including co-headlining Kew The Music with Will Young, hitting Wembley Stadium as special guest to Westlife, and performing at Blenheim Palace with David Gray.
His UK ‘Greatest Hits’ shows are listed below. Please see his website for a full list of international dates and accompanying ticket information.
MARCH
10th – Southend, Cliffs Pavilion
11th – Ipswich, Regent Theatre
12th – Cardiff, St David’s Hall
14th – Leicester, De Montfort Hall
15th – Oxford, New Theatre
17th – Bournemouth, Pavillion Theatre
18th – Folkestone, Leas Cliff Hall
19th – Stoke on Trent, Victoria Hall
21st – Manchester, Bridgewater Hall
22nd – Bath, Forum
25th – Stockton, Globe
26th – Liverpool, Philharmonic Hall
28th – Cambridge, Corn Exchange
29th – Birmingham, Symphony Hall
30th – Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall
APRIL
1st – Sheffield, City Hall
2nd – Newcastle, 02 City Hall
4th – Brighton, Dome
5th – Reading, Hexagon
6th – London, Palladium
8th – Edinburgh, Usher Hall
9th – Aberdeen, Music Hall
10th – Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall
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