Now you can hear Dan Penn's demos for Bobby Purify's Better To Have It album

Here's the scoop...

The Inside Track on Bobby Purify traces the journey of one of Dan Penn's recording projects from its original conception to final commercial release, offering listeners a unique behind-the-scenes look at the entire process of songwriting and production from Dan's side of the desk.  The CD package, released by The Last Music Company, includes a sixteen-page booklet with photos and interviews with Dan about the recording process.

Inspired by Solomon Burke's profound rendition of Don't Give Up On Me in 2002, Dan Penn reunited with his co-writers of the Grammy-winning song for a new project.  He instinctively knew the team had more great songs in the same vein just waiting to be unearthed, but to dig them up, they needed to take some time to go south and write ... and eat just as well.  

The demos he recorded during these songwriting sessions with collaborators Carson Whitsett and Bucky Lindsey are a joy to behold, showcasing Dan's voice at its absolute, soulful best.  Normally these private tapes would not be released, but when heard alongside the final versions he produced with Bobby Purify, Dan Penn's vision as a producer becomes clear.  Dan had identified Bobby as the ideal singer for this next production after getting to know him again after a break of some twenty years.  

At home in his Nashville studio in 2004, Penn recorded ten new tracks based on the demos, which Jerry Wexler described as "Bobby Purify's glorious, God-given voice".  Dan called on other Southern soul session stars like Carson Whitsett, Spooner Oldham, Reggie Young, Jimmie Johnson, David Hood and Wayne Jackson to create the perfect foundation for Bobby Purify's 2005 album Better To Have It.  

Bobby had gone completely blind in Nashville a few years before these recordings and unfortunately didn't have the confidence to tour with this great studio band as planned. As a result, the album was deleted and unavailable until this re-release.  The twenty tracks on this release consist of the ten original demo versions of the songs sung by Dan Penn, followed by the same ten that appeared on Bobby Purify's original album. 

Get a copy of Dan Penn's The Inside Track On Bobby Purify via Bear Family right here.  Listen to a few tracks below.