It is hard to imagine where the past 30 years has gone. I vividly remember Jimmy Barnes ‘Soul Deep’ being released 1991. We were all over it at radio.
‘Soul Deep’ became Jimmy Barnes’ biggest selling album, clocking up over 700,000 sales and earning Jimmy a rare Diamond for 10 times Platinum in Australia. ‘Soul Deep’ is the seventh highest selling album of all-time.
That in itself was incredible considering Soul music was rarely mainstream in Australia prior to Jimmy’s album and it took a rock artist to make it so.
The Soul Deep 30 tour marks a special time in Australian music. For the Barnes family it is filled with both joy and sadness. Our dear friend Warren Costello championed the Soul Deep project 30 years ago. Warren’s passing on 30 May 2022 was a great loss to the Australian music industry. With Warren the soul in Soul Deep, the Soul Deep 30 shows double as an honour to him.
Jimmy revisited the Soul Deep format again in 2000 with a sequel ‘Soul Deeper’. He explored further into America’s music heritage with ‘The Rhythm and the Blues’ in 2009, a fourth time with ‘Soul Searchin’ in 2016 and now an upgrade to the original album with the just released ‘Soul Deep 30’ expanded edition.
The 2022 Soul Deeper setlist covered the entire Jimmy Barnes Soul and Rhythm & Blues era. The songs were chosen for what Jimmy repeated many times last night, were his favourites.
Not only did Jimmy perform his favourite songs but did it with some of his favourite people. Jimmy’s daughter Mahalia, who sings in his band, has one of the most powerful, soulful voices in Australia. Mahalia performed her own set earlier in the show with The Soul Mates and backed Jimmy for the main show, coming out to showcase for ‘A Fool In Love’.
Josh Teskey of The Teskey Brothers joined Jimmy to recreate ‘Do You Love Me’ from the ‘Soul Deep 30’ album. The Teskey Brothers played prior to Jimmy performing ‘Man of the Universe’, ‘Carry You’, ‘Say You’ll Do’, ‘I Get Up’, ‘Rain’, ‘So Caught Up’, ‘Paint My Heart’ and ‘Louisa’. The Teskey Brothers are without a doubt the finest Memphis band to have never come from Memphis.
Jimmy highlighted guitarist Michael Paynter (Icehouse) for ‘Soothe Me’, c-sung by the original singer Sam Moore of Sam & Dave on the ‘Soul Deep 30’ album. Opening act soul singer Karen Lee Andrews duetted with Jimmy on ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ and Jade Macrae did the Farnham vocals from the original ‘Soul Deep’ albums ‘When Something Is Wrong With My Baby’.
There was a special treat for the fans towards the end. Ross Wilson and Jane Barnes got up for ‘Shake Rattle & Roll’. Jimmy told the audience about how he used to carry Daddy Cool’s equipment around when he was a kid just to get into their shows. Jimmy is now 66, Ross 74.
The ‘Soul Deep 30’ show is a two hour 28 song time travel trip.
Hold On I’m Coming (from Soul Deeper, 2000)
Money (from Soul Deeper, 2000)
(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher (from Soul Deep, 1991)
Do You Love Me (with Josh Teskey) (from Soul Deep 30, 2022)
I Found A Love (from Soul Deep, 1991)
Soothe Me (with Michael Paynter) (from Soul Deep 30, 2022)
What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted (from Soul Deeper, 2000)
Mustang Sally (from Soul Searching, 2016)
When Something Is Wrong (with Jade Macrae) (from Soul Deep, 1991)
I Gotcha (from Soul Deep, 1991)
All The Young Dudes (from Soul Deeper, 2000)
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough (Karen Lee Andrews) (from Soul Deep, 1991)
In The Midnight Hour (from Soul Deep 30, 2022)
My Baby Just Cares For Me (from The Rhythm and the Blues, 2009)
I Put A Spell On You (from Soul Deeper, 2000)
That’s Right (from The Rhythm and the Blues, 2009)
A Fool In Love (with Mahalia Barnes) (from The Rhythm and the Blues, 2009)
Many Rivers To Cross (from Soul Deep, 1991)
634-5789 (from Soul Deeper, 2000)
Show Me (from Soul Deep, 1991)
Land Of 1000 Dances (from Soul Deeper, 2000)
Hound Dog (from Soul Deeper, 2000)
River Deep Mountain High (from Soul Deep, 1991)
Stagger Lee (from Soul Deep 30, 2022)
Chain Of Fools (from Soul Deeper, 2000)
Shake Rattle & Roll (with Ross Wilson and Jane Barnes) (from The Rhythm and the Blues, 2009)
To Love Somebody (from Soul Deeper, 2000)
Red Hot (from The Rhythm and the Blues, 2009)
Jimmy Barnes Soul Deep 30 dates:
24 and 25 June, Sydney, ICC
2 July, Brisbane, Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Grab the remaining tickets here https://www.frontiertouring.com/jimmybarnes
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