Press Release:
Chester Records and the Wise Music Group are thrilled to announce the international release of Everybody Knows I’m Here; a (belated) tribute for the 70th Anniversary of Chicago’s Chess Records.
The album celebrates the iconic African American Blues catalogue, with each of the 10 never-before-heard tracks featuring vocals or production by an Australian artist of colour, and the album’s stunning artwork by award-winning artist Blak Douglas.
The list of performers and collaborators to feature on this album include William Barton, imbi, Nasty Mars, Fatai, Caiti Baker, Downsyde, Harts, Flewnt, Tessa Thames, Yirrmal, The Magpie Swoop, DOBBY, Jackie Brown Jr, Citizen Kay^, Jah Loon^, Papertoy^, and Kuya James (AKA James Mangohig)^.
The record has been mastered by New Jersey-based, Grammy-nominated engineer Kim Rosen (Teresa James And The Rhythm Tramps, Victor Wainwright, Bonnie Raitt and many more) at Knack Mastering.
As the focus track for release day, Western Sydney hip hop artist DOBBY releases his version of the iconic Dale Hawkins track “Susie Q” with Jackie Brown Jr, and says this of the artists who are a part of the compilation:
“Every artist on this album brings a unique story that’s tied into POC, First Nations mob in Australia and Aotearoa. We are bringing something that isn’t new… this is a continuing link in the chain of our Black transnational connections and exchanges with Africa America, Native America, and First Nations communities around the world…
With my perspective as a proud Murrawarri and Filipino musician, this is another link in that chain of how we connect and how we also express solidarity and show that we really, really feel this music on that level.”
Caiti Baker released her take on Little Walter’s “Mellow Down Easy” on the 22nd of April with Papertoy, Kuya James (James Mangohig), and guitarist Ben Edgar. Baker says this on the album and the legacy of Chess Records:
“I really hope that the album and my contribution to it open people’s ears and minds to a snippet of what I believe is the foundation for all popular music today.
Chess Records provided a platform for blues artists of the day and ultimately, was a part of the movement that would pave the way for the music that we all enjoy and listen to today – there’s something beautiful about coming full circle.”
The west Australian hip hop group Downsyde released their version of Howlin’ Wolf’s “Poor Boy” on 25th March, featuring Harts, and renamed the version “Po’Boy”.
Optamus of Downsyde says this about the group’s work on the track as well as the impact on listeners around the world:
“We enjoyed reinterpreting the Blues and Chess Records’ awesome catalogue, and hopefully we’ve done it justice… hopefully it does cross generations, this is a way to bring people [together] who have been big fans of the blues for many eras… hopefully it’s bringing all those cultures and people and fans of different genres and ages together.”
Fatai releases her version of Little Milton’s “More and More” and Etta James’s “I’d Rather Go Blind” with Nasty Mars and both tracks alongside producer jah Loon.
Fatai says this about what she hopes Australians can learn from the tribute album and her contribution to the project:
“I hope that we, as Australia, can listen to this body of work, not just for its sonic beauty, but to understand and learn from the teachers of this genre: the forefathers and foremothers who have laid down the foundations of the music for us to stand on today.
To understand that when you listen to the music, it’s not just the sound; blues is a people: there’s faces, there’s names behind this genre… there’s a great deep pain and also a victory of overcoming – that is the blues. I think that is something to honour, to respect, and to protect, and we get to do that with this body of work.”
Yolngu artist Yirrmal, whose take on Muddy Waters‘ iconic “Hoochie Coochie Man” is where Everybody Knows I’m Here gets its name – says this on what he hopes listeners take away from his contribution and the album as a whole:
“First Nations artists have got a lot to offer to the music industry, and I hope people can look outside the box of the stereotype of Aboriginal music. I want people to understand that just because I am a Yolngu man, it doesn’t automatically mean that all of my music will have yidaki (didgeridoo) and clapsticks (bilma) all of the time…
I’m comfortable with people being uncomfortable and questioning their own unconscious biases to how First Nations artists should look, think and sound.”
Everybody Knows I’m Here, the 10-track Chess Records tribute album is released today, 6th May 2022.
Every track on the record is performed and/or produced by an Australian artist of colour, while Indigenous artist Blak Douglas provides the album’s beautiful cover art.
Everybody Knows I’m Here is released today, 6th May 2022, on all digital services internationally, distributed by MGM*.
Physical copies of the album, including 12” vinyl, will be released later in the year. Pre-orders & pre-saves for the LP, along with all the lyric videos from the album, are available at everybodyknowsimhere.com.
Tracklist
William Barton – Johnny B. Goode
Nasty Mars feat. Fatai – I’d Rather Go Blind
imbi – Mannish Boy
Yirrmal – Hoochie Coochie Man
Downsyde feat. Flewnt and Harts – Po’Boy
Fatai – More and More
Caiti Baker – Mellow Down Easy
Tessa Thames feat. The Magpie Swoop – Diddley Daddy
DOBBY feat. Jackie Brown Jr. – Susie Q
Harts – Poor Boy
^Production Only
*Except for Taiwan, Hong Kong and China where One Music Asia are distributors of the album.
