JAMES HUNTER

WITH LOVE, THE JAMES HUNTER SIX

Daptone Records presents our latest offering, With Love, The James Hunter Six, a heart-shaped collection of candle-lit ballads and love songs. Plucked like so many "he loves you" petals from the vast and sumptuous garden of his Daptone Recordings, these twelve lilting melodies have been selected and sequenced with great care, tenderness, and intention by Daptone staff for the solitary purpose of compiling some of the criminally overlooked treasures in the James Hunter Six's critically acclaimed catalog.

OFFICIAL VIDEO FOR
I CAN CHANGE YOUR MIND

SCoop behind the video

This is my first attempt at an animated video. I storyboarded it in my head, painted the backdrops and drew the action figures, Jessie learned how to operate the camera, helped me with the framing, printed out the various head shots, did the editing and of course played the demanding role of the girlfriend in the story despite her reservations about wardrobe. I used two different types of animation. One is the use of jointed figures moved one frame at a time, much like the television work of Oliver Postgate whose charming stories (Noggin the Nog and Ivor the Engine) kept my entire generation quiet for five minutes at a time during the 60s. The other is separate drawings changing position for each frame. This second method was time consuming as I would have to cut out as many as 60 figures with a scalpel for a sequence lasting five seconds. This entailed a lot of swearing and one visit to A&E (aka emergency room).

At times, in the interests of perspective I combined the two techniques into one movement for instance when a character has to move deeper into the background. It's not hard to spot the transition. To keep the lighting as consistent as possible we could only shoot at night, so we would be up until 4am each morning.

The story was inspired by a real life incident in November when Jessie's twin brother came to visit. The three of us plus a friend of ours went on the ghost train on Palace Pier and it got stuck halfway through the ride, something I've always wanted to experience. Disappointingly, the lights came on immediately and we weren't there ten minutes before a grumbling technician led us to safety by a side door, but the fictional potential of the situation was so stimulating that I was almost reluctant to collect my refund. I've always been drawn to ghost trains and the like and have invariably found them a let-down. The video is partly a depiction of what the experience should be like (give or take the odd violent assault of course). The homages include "Nosferatu", "Son of Kong" and Rod Serling's "Night Gallery" and the pathetic stuffed spider (it was Jessie's idea to have it frighten the gorilla) is my concession to real-life ghost trains.

ABOUT

James Hunter has certainly paid his dues. Over the span of 30 years, he’s worked on the railway, busked in the streets of London, provided backup vocals and guitar for Van Morrison, played clubs and theatres all over the world, written scores of original songs, and recorded some of the most original and honest rhythm & soul albums of the last two decades. At age 16, Hunter left school in Colchester, Essex and began working for the railway, while honing his blues guitar and singing skills. Six years later, he played his first paid gig at the Colchester Labour club (as “Howlin’ Wilf and the Vee-Jays”). In the decades since, James Hunter has gone from singer/songwriter to labourer and back again. His gritty, soulful voice has matured well along with his musicianship and songwriting. With widespread critical acclaim for his recordings plus a Grammy nomination, it's still the live performances that reveal Hunter at his best.

MORE ABOUT JAMES HUNTER

71 ORIGINALS

Since the US debut of People Gonna Talk, which earned him a GRAMMY®-nomination, James Hunter has recorded an impressive self-penned 71 original songs.

With Love, The James Hunter Six
2022

Nick of Time
2020

Minute By Minute
2013

Whatever It Takes
2018

The Hard Way
2008

Hold On!
2016

People Gonna Talk
2006

LISTEN

THE PRAISE

In 2006, James Hunter was recognized with nominations for a GRAMMY® Award for Best Traditional Blues Album (People Gonna Talk/Rounder) and an American Music Award for Best New/Emerging Artist. He and his band then hit the road for extensive touring and kept recording new material on Concord and Daptone Records. By 2016, MOJO magazine had crowned him “The United Kingdom’s Greatest Soul Singer.” He opens regularly for Van Morrison and has also toured with The Stray Cats, Buddy Guy, Los Lobos, Willie Nelson, Chris Isaak, and Sharon Jones & The DapKings.