Last, but certainly not least, is a brand-new project that brings together some well-known creative minds and an intriguing mix of musical elements. Burning Daylight is the debut album coming from the R&B/neo-soul band Soultown Revivalists, but as of right now, only two singles have been released from the new body of work. Update: Third single, “Love Has a Way” has now been released.] “Meet Me at the River” was the first single to introduce the project, and what an introduction. The single starts lively and huge in its energy, the sound so full, saturated and smooth, you won’t want it to end. The album is helmed by the longtime creative partnership of noted composer, arranger and recording artist, Sam Cardon, and lyricist Don Stirling. They have also recruited The Voice finalist, Ryan Innes, who offers vocals on the majority of the upcoming album. “I was surprised to walk into this project with the Soultown Revivalists,” said Innes. I thought I was just being hired to sing some R&B/soul songs like I’ve done 100 times. What I actually was walking into was all my musician buddies coming together to have fun making really good music. It was a true pleasure to be introduced for the first time to Don Stirling, and to his and Cardon’s songs.” If the rest of this upcoming album is as good as this debut single, we’re in for a tasty, tasty treat.

I received my CD and I love it! I’ve been listening to it a lot and getting to know all the songs. My favorites so far are: “Meet Me at the River,” “Burning Daylight,” and “Thing About Smokey.” So many of the songs remind me of Tower of Power, Smokey Robinson, and the Chi-Lites…such great memories. I remember when Ryan Innes was on the The Voice…he’s a great singer. And wow, the songwriters on this CD are awesome. Thanks for sharing this gift. I’m really enjoying it.

Don and I met when the National Parks played on one of the LHM Driven to Celebrate televised concerts in December of 2020, during that first Christmas of the pandemic. I wanted to talk hoops but he wanted to talk music. I had known Sam Cardon for some time but had not known that Don was a songwriter/lyricist, and so we talked about collaborating sometime. In 2022, he sent me 2-3 lyrics for the new album he and Sam were working on, including “Memphis Rain.” He said, “Go listen to “Rainy Night in Georgia” by Brook Benton from 1970, and you’ll get the feel.” I came up with a vibey guitar thing and recorded the demo with just me on guitar, singing into my phone, and sent that to Don.

And Don is always sharing. Out of the blue, any hour, he’ll send me a song he’s heard and say, “Listen to this.” He’ll send me songs from 50 years ago and say, “You need to listen to this, and here’s why.” He knows the power that one song can have. It’s been fun for me to have him expand my musical knowledge and dive deeper into songs I normally wouldn’t have listened to. He’s a great cheerleader for our band and has helped us out along the way, always lending an ear to new songs and helping out with the crazy dreams and projects we have.

From the time I heard the songs I was IN! The guys took the task of making an authentic R&B/Soul album very seriously and NAILED it! We were honored to have a part of this timeless work, and eager for the world to hear it. Thanks a ton to Don and Sam for trusting us with this project and their shared passion, and thanks for paying attention to the detail…’cuz “Ball Don’t Lie.”

I was unexpectedly very surprised to walk into this project with the Soultown Revivalists. I thought I was just being hired to sing some R&B songs like I’ve done a hundred times. What I actually walked into was all my musician buddies coming together to jam and just have fun making really good music. Tracking it all live and getting in a handful of vocal takes was a refreshing change from the typical “so many takes edited together” style that most songs go through now.

Playing with the Revivalists was an amazing experience. It had been a long time since I had been able to record live like that with all the other musicians in the same room at the same time. It was super easy to find the pocket and lay down some solid bass with Aaron [Anderson] and Ronnie [Strauss] on drums only a couple of feet away. The bass is very foundational and much more obvious in the R&B/Soul genre. Being an introverted bass dude by nature, I’m never really looking for the spotlight, but it’s so fun when so much depends on the bass.

When I was first starting out as a songwriter and thinking about making records, the parents of my husband, Tim, lived in the same neighborhood as Don and April. They thought it might be helpful for me to spend some time talking to Don about “that music thing.” We had great conversations. He later collaborated with me on “Woman of Samaria” from my first album. And along the way, I helped write and sang on a couple of Don and Sam’s Especially for Youth songs, and later sang on their Northern Voices Redemption Road album. I’ve always appreciated how encouraging and supportive both of them always are. Cheerleaders for a lot of us.

Sam Cardon and I have been friends since the earliest days when we both started out in the music business. We’ve written a lot of songs together and enjoyed some great times making music. Sam introduced me to Don in the late ‘80’s, and then Don came to work for us at Pinnacle Music, managing the day-to-day business. He also soon became our “in-house lyricist” on more than a few projects, though I don’t think that was part of the original job description. In fact, when I was writing “Prayer of the Children,” I got stuck writing the lyric, called Don, and he helped me finish it over a couple of phone calls. I’m excited that Burning Daylight is out and that the boys are still making music.

Don is a modern-day renaissance man. Sports, presidential campaigns, philanthropy and music. We were briefly introduced at BYU in 1981 but it was while I was playing in Boston and he was working at the NBA in New York City that we got to know each other. From the very beginning I could tell he would much rather talk about music than about his day job. I knew it was going to be a long night if we started talking music. I helped out with a few dollars on the first Northern Voices record. Most expensive CD I ever bought! I’m excited he and Sam are still making music.

Don’s been one of my go-to guys for a long time. And we bonded over music. I’ve liked the work he’s done with Cardon, and Nancy Hanson, too. Don’s a talented and thoughtful lyricist, so we’d talk about our favorite artists and songwriters. One of those artists that we both love is Nanci Griffith, who just passed away recently. True story—Nancy was playing a show up at Snowbird, and Don got us tickets to go. He also knew the promoter and arranged for me to meet Nanci after the show, which was such a thrill for me. Later the promoter told Don that when he told Nanci that, “Steve Young was in the audience tonight and wanted to meet her,” she got really excited and said, “Steve Young the songwriter?!!”I loved that!

(Note: The Steve Young that Nanci Griffith was referring to wrote the song, “Seven Bridges Road” which was recorded by the Eagles and was included on their Eagles Live album.)

Just discovered this a day or so ago. Much like you, my musical tastes run a pretty wide gamut. Stevie, Al Green, Smokey and vintage Motown all hold a special place in my heart. Those arrangements were straight-forward, and the production was perfectly done without excess. The lyrics were readily understood and emotional. This release captures the musical essence of that era and combines it with incredibly soulful singing. I can’t stop playing it and sharing it with friends who share my passion. It is impossible to list my favorite songs as one is better than the other. Just a flawless effort from the entire team. I hope this has been a successful endeavor thus far and grows to receive the recognition and appreciation it deserves. Please share these thoughts with all involved as I can’t recall ever reaching out to someone in your position before, with the exception of Stevie and Maurice White. All the best!