Testify! is the eighth studio album by the New Zealand singer-songwriter Jon Stevens. The album was released on 11 November 2011 and is a collection of soul covers and originals.
Background and content Stevens was raised in a small town in New Zealand, the youngest of 11 children of a music loving family. He said one of his earliest musical memories "was his mother Millie playing Mahalia Jackson, Staple Singers and other gospel 78s on the family stereo". Stevens said he grew up listening to Blues music, artists that influenced him include: Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, James Brown, Etta James, Little Richard, Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Rod Stewart, Tom Jones, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and The Kinks. He sees Testify! as "a culmination of the many and varied musical influences that have been with him since his childhood".
Reviews Ian Cutherbertson of The Australian gave the album 3 1/2 out of 5 praising Stevens' natural talent, but thought the album wouldn't be a 'hit'. He thought the best of the original songs was "Be Like Me""
Jamie Horne from The Border Mail believed Stevens' voice suited this style and said Sam Cooke’s aching "A Change Is Gonna Come" "is a true album highlight." In a word, Horne said the album was "authentic".
Track listing CD/download "(I Wanna) Testify" (George Clinton, Deron Taylor) - 3:23 "Private Number" (William Bell, Booker T. Jones) (featuring Vanessa Amorosi) - 3:02 "A Change is Gonna Come" (Sam Cooke) - 3:09 "All Or Nothing" (Jon Stevens) - 2:57 "That's How Strong My Love Is" (O. V. Wright) - 2:58 "Fire" (Etta James) - 2:25 "I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down" (Homer Banks, Allen Jones) - 2:53 "Freedom" (Jimi Hendrix) - 3:05 "Open to Ideas" (Faces) - 3:11 "You Can’t Do Anything To Hurt Me" (Jon Stevens/Vanessa Amorosi/John Fields) - 4:05 "Be Like Me" (Jon Stevens/Vanessa Amorosi/John Fields) -3:19
Charts Chart (2011) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA Charts) N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart. 115
Release history Region Date Format Label Catalogue Australia 11 November 2011 Universal Music Australia 2787035
References