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Seal sounds right at home singing the classics
that comprise his tenth studio album and first for
Republic Records, Standards, released in November
2017. At the same time, the London-born and Los
Angeles-based four-time Grammy Award-winning
icon imbues all 14 tracks with his singular sense of
soul. Undeniably, the performances stand out as
show-stopping, stunning, and signature Seal.
Perhaps his unmistakable voice was always meant
to carry these numbers. “This is the album I have
always wanted to make,” he affirms. “I grew up
listening to music from the Rat Pack era, so recording
these timeless tunes was a lifelong dream.”
In 2017, the multiplatinum singer-songwriter
quietly begin working on what would become
Standards alongside producer Nick Patrick on
hallowed ground at the world-renowned Capitol
Records in Los Angeles. Fittingly, this spot served as
the site of recordings by Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby,
Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, and more. To rekindle
that spark, he enlisted the help of an A-list cadre of
musicians notable for their work with these titans,
namely Randy Waldman, piano, Chuck Berghofer,
bass, and Greg Fields, drums.
Seal elaborates, “It was a true honor to collaborate
with the same musicians who performed with
Frank and so many of my favorite artists, in the very
same studios where the magic was first made—
it was one of the greatest days of my recording
career.”
As the project remained extremely close to his
heart, the powerhouse vocalist also carefully
chose a track listing that reflected his longstanding
passion for everyone from Sinatra to Fitzgerald and
Nina Simone, making sure to preserve the integrity
of the originals as he respectfully added his own
panache, power, and presence.
For Seal, Standards continues a tradition of storied
performances that began in 1991 when his voice
drove Adamski’s 1991 club smash Killer followed
by his own Top 10 hit Crazy. On the heels of his
stunning debut album, he went on to win the
prestigious BRIT Award for “Best British Male” in
1992, while hits like Kiss From a Rose, memorably
included on the Batman Forever soundtrack,
earned him multiple GRAMMY® awards and global
esteem. An established superstar, with worldwide
album sales exceeding 30 million, his 2015 studio
offering 7 reunited him with longtime collaborator,
producer Trevor Horn. It yielded the hit Every
Time I’m With You and earned widespread critical
acclaim.
Beyond the stage and studio, his influence
permeates multiple facets of pop culture. Following
three popular stints on The Voice Australia, he
returned as a coach for the 2017 season to much
fan enthusiasm.
In the end, everything comes back to the music.
Standards solidifies Seal’s stature among history’s
biggest, boldest, and best voices as he leaves
his mark on the songs that have defined one
generation after another. It’s a timeless vehicle for
his timeless voice.
SEAL
Vocalist