Sweetback

The Arwen Lewis Show

Celebrated singer-songwriter/producer John DeNicola turns sadness into tribute with his new single, “King of His Own World.” Motivated by the loss of a treasured friend and collaborator from back in the day, DeNicola sat at the piano, alone in his studio, to craft the tribute. Then he took it further, assembling a crew of amazing musicians to honor the spirit of a unique individual they all held dearly.

“A supremely talented singer, Tim Lawless was a formidable presence who did things his own way, but with positivity and humor that made everyone around him feel good,” DeNicola says. “I wanted to bring together some of the folks who valued Tim as a person and an artist to create something in his memory.”

The result is upbeat, horn-driven R&B/soul that sounds as fresh now as it might have in the Seventies— when DeNicola initially got blown away by his ninth-grade classmate’s impressive pipes. “The first thing I heard Tim sing was Stevie Wonder’s ‘My Cherie Amour,’ and even at that young age he was incredibly soulful,” DeNicola says. Naturally, the boys started a band, which evolved into a seven-piece combo called Sweetback by their college days. “Different ideas about how to move forward ultimately split us up, but with no hard feelings,” DeNicola says. “We still loved each other.”

By that point, DeNicola decided to back-burner performing to focus on writing. Soon enough, he’d co- written both mega-hits from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack, “Hungry Eyes,” and “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life”—which earned him an Academy Award and a Grammy nomination. DeNicola progressed to pen tunes for likes of John Waite, discover up-and-comers (such as Kara’s Flowers, who later changed their name to Maroon 5) and launch indie label Omad, home to such diverse artists as Peter Lewis of Moby Grape fame and Robert LaRoche, former frontman of power-pop progenitors The Sighs.

It wasn’t until 2019 that DeNicola came full circle with his debut solo album, The Why Because. Two years later, he followed up with She Said, and this summer will see the release of another LP. On all his albums, DeNicola shines as a multi-instrumentalist while tapping the talents of players he’s built relationships with over the decades. While his new album will be no exception, this single is exceptional, since it features artists who knew and loved the “king” who sparked it.

The remarkable roster, in addition to DeNicola singing lead and playing piano, Wurlitzer, bass and congas, features four original Sweetback members

“Tim’s passing after a long illness was a sad surprise as his prognosis was good—we’d even spoken about getting together and working on music again,” DeNicola says. “After I wrote the song, I thought it would be great to have so many of his friends on it, and everyone was excited to do it.” The track also features background vocals by friend Donna Lee Maida and Tim’s sister, Chrissy Lawless. “Chrissy, a gifted vocalist in her own right, told me the sessions she did with her brother were the most fun she ever had singing,” DeNicola says.

The propulsive throwback sounds a bit like what would happen if Shuggie Otis sat in with Steely Dan. And while “King of His Own World” may be “about” a particular man, when DeNicola sings, “You can’t break the spirit of the one that’s running free,” you’ll likely smile and toast the cool, inimitable iconoclasts in your life, wherever they may be.

Omadrecords.com

The Arwen Lewis Show

Host | Arwen Lewis

Executive Producer | Arwen Lewis

Executive Producer | Jeremiah D. Higgins

Producer - Sound Engineer - Arwen Lewis

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