Drive is the fourteenth and final solo album by English singer-songwriter Robert Palmer, released in May 2003, four months before his death. Critics hailed it as the grittiest and most heartfelt album of Palmer's career.
Background Initially approached by guitarist Carl Carlton to contribute to the 2001 Robert Johnson tribute album Hellhound on My Trail, for which Palmer recorded "Milk Cow's Calf Blues" with Carlton on guitars, Palmer was then invited by Faye Dunaway to provide the soundtrack to her 2001 directorial debut The Yellow Bird, set in Mississippi and New Orleans during the 1940s and 1950s. Palmer took both signs as a good omen, and the impetus for Drive was born. Four months after the album's release Palmer died from a heart attack on 26 September 2003.
After more thoroughly researching this particular genre of music, Palmer assembled a list of fifty possible tracks, and then began the arduous task of whittling that list down to a manageable set of twelve. The selections from Drive can best be described as a loose collection of both standard and contemporary blues compositions (Robert Johnson, Little Willie John, Keb' Mo'), with a smattering of other genres, including folk (Nicolai Dunger) and calypso (Mighty Sparrow), prompting Palmer to call the result "a gut-buckety swamp thing."
Recording and charts The recording and mixing of Drive took place in both Logic Studios (Milan, Italy) and Palmer's home studio (Lugano, Switzerland). Because of the satisfaction and enthusiasm having recorded the initial twelve songs, Palmer decided to cut three more tracks ("29 Ways (To My Baby's Door)", "It Hurts Me Too" and "Stupid Cupid"), this time at the Sphere in London.
The album peaked at No. 10 on the US Blues albums chart.
Track listing
Personnel Robert Palmer – lead and backing vocals, bass (1–6, 8–12) Dr. Gabs – pianos, Hammond organ, synthesizers, bass (7) Carl Carlton – guitars Mauro Spina – drums (1–7, 9–12), percussion (1–7, 9–12) James Palmer – drums (8), percussion (8) Franco Limido – harmonica Mary Ambrose – backing vocals
Production Robert Palmer – producer Pino Pischetola – recording, mixing Michael Frank – photography
References
External links