Al Supersonic & The Teenagers
The Teenagers, as they are known on the soul circuit, play soul music
with a visceral attitude; authentic and credible in a world where image
is more often than not valued higher than music. Their 2008 debut
release, Waiting for the First Bus in the Morning, on 7″, will be followed
shortly by their first LP, recorded in Madrid under the auspices of Carlo
Coupé.
Since their formation in a borstal in Granada (Spain) many years ago, the band have had a clear idea of their influences and the musical spirit they wish to impart, with ´60s and ´70s Afro-American Soul foremost in their minds. Their musical tastes are varied, incorporating Jamaican music and the roots of soul and rhythm and blues, as well as the subsequent development of black American music. Above all they love Northern Soul: the music and the culture. The Teenagers have soul music in their veins; when asked they say that they are not soul, nor do they make soul; rather soul makes them.
They have backed in concert such legendary figures of ´60s soul as Dean
Parrish and P.P Arnold, have supported The Jam, and their first single sold out within weeks of its appearance. Their songs are the product of years of passion, dancing to and pouring over the music they love, choruses and arrangements imbued with the true spirit of soul. Smart and with street attitude, they understand the language of the music. They´re better experienced live, where the forcefulness and presence of Al´s gritty vocal is supplemented by the sumptuous presence of Vanesa Spin´s brilliant Hammond, honest horns and the classy rhythm section of Javi Frias and Gustavo Fernandez.
Al Supersonic and The Teenagers paid their dues in difficult circumstances, buying Stax, Trojan and Kent records as an initiation ritual and combining this with an enduring passion for the best in youth culture. They revive the essence of Motown, Atlantic and rare soul, while bringing to the table the spirit of groups with related histories, such as, amongst many others, The Housemartins and kids like them, who live for the best music in the world.
The Teenagers are ready to take on all-comers.
