I choose this record to write about because this recording session was the most intense of all the recordings with Di-rect so far. All songs in one take with the whole band, including our Special Request horns, and strings. The whole band played and sounded great and I was touched by Marcel’s beautiful singing all day, every single take. I never heard him sing anything I didn’t like, or without intention anyway., Taste, intensity and band energy are three of the most essential elements in music to me. And that’s exactly why I always enjoy to play with Di-Rect.
The funny thing is: we have been knowing each other from the time I was touring the same festivals with Candy, Beef and Soulvation. In this pre-internet pre mobile age of guilders, Di-rect used to be a popular boy band, with all the things a boy band has: Acne, leopard skinned flight cases, groupies and a private limousine, driven by Jamies dad and former of the band Dick Westland.
Many years later, with Dick still being their driver, our Special Request Horns were asked to join Di-rect for a James Brown tribute, and the energy of this collective together was immense and addictive, probably comparable with the feeling I had during the Paul Weller shows. Good energy only. So when Marcel told me about a year later they were looking for a different band sound, I wanted to re-unite forces with that great tribute in mind and I am very thankful we did so, aiming on the actual live-reputation, musical highlights, and ever growing audiences. But most of all: The energy is still good and playing with these cats is still addictive. To be continued…