Paul Weller has released the first single from his upcoming album ‘Find El Dorado’, ‘Lawdy Rolla’.
The former Jam frontman has teased the release of his new record, consisting solely of covers, with two new songs, ‘Lawdy Rolla’, originally recorded as a moody R&B number by The Guerrillas, and ‘Pinball’, a soft rock ballad originally recorded by The Albion bands’ Robert Protheroe.
It’s not hard to track Weller’s inspiration for ‘Lawdy Rolla’, as the original record has been a regular spin for DJs on the mod scene for a long while; a scene that Weller has been involved in since the formation of The Jam in the early ‘70s.
The first two songs off the album are available on all streaming platforms now.
Featuring renditions of songs by The Kinks, The Bee Gees and the late P.P. Arnold, ‘Find El Dorado’ also features collaborations with the likes of Robert Plant, Hannah Peel and Noel Gallagher. Weller, alongside his collaborators, came together to create a body of work consisting of “songs I’ve carried with me for years,” and also commented that “They’ve taken on new shapes over time. And now felt like the moment to share them.” (NME)
Full Tracklist:
1. ‘Handouts In The Rain’ (Richie Havens)
2. ‘Small Town Talk’ (Bobby Charles)
3. ‘El Dorado’ (Eamon Friel)
4. ‘White Line Fever’ (The Flying Burrito Brothers)
5. ‘One Last Cold Kiss’ (Christy Moore)
6. ‘When You Are A King’ (White Plains)
7. ‘Pinball’ (Brian Protheroe)
8. ‘Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire’ (Willie Griffin)
9. ‘I Started A Joke’ (Bee Gees)
10. ‘Never the Same (Lal and Mike Waterson)
11. ‘Lawdy Rolla’ (The Guerrillas)
12. ‘Nobody’s Fool’ (The Kinks)
13. ‘Journey’ (Duncan Browne)
14. ‘Daltry Street’ (Jake Fletcher/PP Arnold)
15. ‘Clive’s Song’ (Hamish Imlach)
‘Find El Dorado’ marks the 66 year-old’s return to Parlophone Records, where he released albums between 2015 and 2018. Parlophone have marked the occasion with the release of a 7” single of ‘Lawdy Rolla’ and ‘Pinball’, available for pre-order now.
Weller has also appeared in the public eye recently, as one of the many artists to sign the open letter from Heavenly Recordings, defending Irish band Kneecap’s “freedom of expression”, which has been heavily scrutinised recently in the British media, following comments made by the band showing support for Palestinian groups.
‘Find El Dorado’ is to be released on the 25th July and the Double Gatefold LP is now available for pre-order.
