The birth of this album began on a cold rainy day in Oxford, (not Mississippi but England). Nashville producer and guitarist Fred James had contacted me with a view to releasing a new album from Charles Walker. I had seen Charles perform some years earlier at The King Biscuit Blues Festival on the bank of the levee in Helena Arkansas, and was taken by the fact that I was watching a true soul survivor. Until that day he was little known to me, so when I learnt that Charles was touring England I arranged to meet him the morning after his Oxford gig. "How do you feel about making a deep soul album Charles, you know, songs with passion and fire with a feel of the classic era when the sounds of Memphis and Muscle Shoals ruled?" I asked. "I like that idea, let's do it " he replied. This certainly would not be new territory for Charles as in 1964 he had formed 'Little Charles and The Sidewinders', a soul band that had created a stir on the New York club circuit. Why not then, return to his roots with an album that would firmly show the same soul and emotion I had witnessed several years ago in Arkansas.

Charles Walker started his musical journey in Nashville more than forty years ago, with his first recording 'Slave To Love' released in 1959 on the Nashville 'Champion' label. Through the sixties and seventies, after relocating to New York he cut records for several independent labels including, 'Fury', 'Chess', and even the major Decca. Some were regional successes but none were hits. A short stint as a songwriter for Motown followed, before he decided to relocate to Europe, where some of his earlier recordings had been reissued creating a demand for 'live appearances '. Returning to Nashville in 1993, Charles kept busy and in 2000 his album 'Leavin' This Old Town' was released in the USA.

'Number By Heart' was recorded and mixed in little over a week. The songs were selected from a clutch of new demos, along with three additional cover cuts, by a varied ensemble of talented writers.
With Producer/Guitarist Fred James at the helm, and the solid contributions of all the studio players, and not least the total commitment of Charles to this project, I feel we have accomplished what we set out to do.
It has been said that 'soul music' as it was performed in it's heyday is on it's way back; For Charles Walker it never went away, just had to be rediscovered ... hope you enjoy!
Peter Thompson/zane founder

Number By Heart from Charles Walker
ZANE RECORDS, ZNCD 1019
For further Info contact: Peter or Diana at Zane Records

Tel 0118 957 4567 Fax 0118 956 1261 charlesinfo@zanerecords.com