Customer Reviews

...Believe What I Say

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

James Hunter has a voice with real soul in it, and thereby he proves that even white people can sometimes sing the blues. Especially the slower pieces of this album will cling to your mind after you have heard them once or twice. My absolute favourite is "Walk away". Buy this one ! You will not regret it !

I was turned on to James Hunter by a friend. What a great find he turned out to be for me. Having started my true music appreciation with the motown sound and soul music of the '60's and '70's, James is a great modern day find. The sax in his music is quite appealing. I highly recommend anyone curious about James's music go to his web site and sample his sound. Gauranteed to please.

I had never seen James Hunter until I saw him on Leno. I kept hearing a soul thread floating through this song. At times I thought I could hear a mild James Brown influence. (J.B. Fan)
I don't usually hear one song and go to Amazon to buy, but I did and was very satisfied. I bought 2 CD's. Quite pleased on both, Believe What I Say & People Gonna Talk.

B.Harrington

Finally, a solo album from THAT GUY from Howlin' Wilf and the Veejays! I've had this album for some years now... better late than never in regards to this review, I suppose.
Anyway, I just recently picked up his new release (People Gonna Talk)... and I must say, although I love that and Kick It Around to pieces, Believe What I Say remains my favorite.
James oozes Sam Cooke... but his voice is very heavy on the Ray Charles. In fact, he does an excellent cover of "Hallelujah I Love Her So". There isn't one track I dislike on here... each one is composed brilliantly and the vocals... well, absolutely amazing is an understatement. If you like the other artists I mentioned above, Clyde McPhatter, Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, and others... then this album you will love. I sometimes forget that I'm listening to a modern artist!

My only mistake when buying this CD from Amazon was not paying to have it shipped overnight. It's as good as I thought. James Hunter manages to capture a sense of that idyllic time of yester-year but with his own sense of style and flair. Do yourself a favor this summer and get this CD. Then take your wife, husband or partner out on the deck, turn off all the lights and let James work his magic with his melancholy vocals, heart pounding bass and soulful saxophone. I guarantee time will stand still for just a moment. Enjoy!!!

Not to say this guy isn't good, he is and very smooth too. If you have "People Gonna Talk" though, this new offering is like the cuts that missed the first recording.

think of sam cooke's smooth voice with a sweet blues guitar sprinkled lightly with funk. this is the real deal. james hunter is a throwback in his style and genre, but he brings it with a modern flair. james is also a tremendous guitar player and shows that on the blues and rockabilly riffs that explode off his guitar. great disc for any kind of listening - road trips to enjoying a cool beverage with a special person! the addition of van morrison on the last song is classic.

I saw James in Phoenix last night. He and his group are just fantastic. Every review above is right on. I actually liked his set better than the mainliner - Boz Scaggs. Hunter's energy, showmanship and voice are just outstanding!
Being a Bari Sax player, I was BLOWN AWAY by his Tenor and Bari Sax players.
All that great music from James on guitar and vocals, a tenor sax, a baritone sax, an upright string bass player, keyboards and drums is unbelievable.

Bill Cave Creek, AZ

I first heard James Hunter a few years ago in a Starbucks, where his People Gonna Talk CD was being played as background music.

At that time I'd never heard of James Hunter and at first I thought it was a Sam Cooke release I'd never heard; the vocal certainly sounded a lot like Sam Cooke and the music behind the vocal could have passed for Sam Cooke's back up band.

I asked the baristas what CD they were playing and they showed me the James Hunter CD cover. I'd never heard of James Hunter at that point but I went out and bought People Gonna Talk right away.

I wasn't disappointed. People Gonna Talk is a really good R&B album. James Hunter is a Brit who probably wasn't even alive in the early 1960s but his music and vocals could pass for a top notch early 1960s R&B act.

I first mistook his vocal for Sam Cooke. Anybody whose vocals can pass for Sam Cooke has some talent as a singer. Hunter also has some major talent as a composer and guitar player.

I bought this album because I liked Hunter's People Gonna Talk CD. I wasn't disappointed. This is as good as People Gonna Talk.

If you like early 1960s R&B artists like Sam Cooke, you'll like this guy. He's definitely worth checking out. Highly recommended.

Van Morrison fans might want to check out this album for Hunter's duet with Van Morrison, who has touted Hunter as one of the the UK's best R&B performers.

I really like James Hunter's music. The album "People Gonna Talk" was done later and is more refined (my favorite of his), but "Believe What I Say" is a great album.