Sonia Dada

Sonia Dada - Sonia Dada - 1992 - Chameleon Records

It is amazing that the Chicago based Sonia Dada have not received more commercial success. They are relatively well known Stateside, and have a substantial Australian following, having sold out 19 concert dates on one tour. This s/t album sold more than 100,000 copies and "You Don't Treat Me No Good" was a successful hit for the band. This is a great album of fusion, blues-rock, R&B, and soul, with a touch of gospel. The group have a main quartet of lead singers, and the musicianship is outstanding. The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Check out the group's "Lay Down and Love It Live" album @ SONDAD/LD&LIL and buy their brilliant 2002 "Barefoot Soul"album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1.We Treat Each Other Cruel - Chris "Hambone" Cameron/Dan Pritzker/David Resnik/Erik Scott
2.You Don't Treat Me No Good - Dan Pritzker
3.Jungle Song - Sam Hogan/Dan Pritzker/Erik Scott
4.As Hard As It Seems - Dan Pritzker/David Resnik/Erik Scott
5.You Ain't Thinking (About Me) - Dan Pritzker
6.The Edge of the World - Dan Pritzker
7.Cut it Up & Cry - Dan Pritzker/David Resnik
8.New York City - Dan Pritzker
9.Never See Me Again - Dan Pritzker/Erik Scott
10.I Live Alone - Dan Pritzker/Erik Scott
11.Deliver Me - Dan Pritzker
12.Deliver Me (Slight Return) - Sonia Dada

N.B: The album is also available with the bonus tracks, "Paradise", and "Mamba Wan Gama"

MUSICIANS

David Resnik, Daniel Laszlo - Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar
Dan Pritzker - Guitar
Erik Scott - Bass
Chris Cameron - Organ, Piano
Billy Beck - Organ
Hank (Henry Dog) Guaglianone - Drums
Leddie Garcia, Kahil El'Zabar - Percussion
Bobbye Hall - Conga, Cheng
Jim Hynes - Trumpet
Michael Scott, Sam Hogan, Yvonne Gage, Paris Delane, Shawn Christopher - Vocals

BIO

Sonia Dada, an eclectic, exciting genre bending rock & roll group, was born in the spring of 1990. Like their labelmates the Freddy Jones Band, they are based in Chicago. The members take their songwriting inspiration from their experiences in that city as well as on the road. One day in 1990, songwriter-guitarist Dan Pritzker got off a subway train and heard the three-part harmonies of Michael Scott, Paris Delane and Sam Hogan. Pritzker had already been working with a group that consisted of his long time friends, guitarist Dave Resnik, drummer Hank Guaglianone and bassist Erik Scott. The three singers joined the quartet, and Sonia Dada had a new lineup: Paris Delane, vocals, Sam Hogan, vocals, Michael Scott, vocals plus the original four. Shortly after they began rehearsing in earnest, they added keyboardist Chris "Hambone" Cameron. The band has released two albums for Capricorn, Sonia Dada, (1995), their self-titled debut (originally released on Chameleon/Elektra Records) exceeded 100,000 in sales and spurred a minor radio hit, "You Don't Treat Me No Good.'' A Day At The Beach, their follow-up, released in March, 1995. The group's intoxicating blend of blues-rock, rhythm and blues and soul music won them fans in faraway places like Australia, and led to the international touring schedule they now maintain. When the group toured Australia, they sold out all 19 concert dates, and in 1994, they opened 40 shows for Traffic while headlining some large clubs and theaters around the U.S. Songs like "Deliver Me" and "We Treat Each Other Cruel'' are soul-gospel-rock celebrations that feature creative arranging and the messages that appeal to the audience for adult rock radio. The songs on Day At The Beach continue the band's genre-fusing traditions, with tracks like "Lay My Body Down'' recalling the gospel-rock mix of their debut record, and the single from the album, "Screaming John,'' which showcases a memorable melody, good harmonies and crafty lyrics. On their second album, the band continues the grooves laid down on its first record, adding funkier rhythms and melodies. My Secret Life followed in 1998, and a year later Sonia Dada returned with Lay Down and Love It Live. The richly layered soul album Barefoot Soul appeared in 2002. In 2004 they released the ambitious Test Pattern, a richly atmospheric collection of material that included a bonus DVD of multimedia centered around two short films by director and cinematographer Jeth Weinrich. © Richard Skelly, All Music Guide