Charles Bradley - Black Velvet

Year Released: 2018
Genre: Soul / Funk / Deep Soul

Description:

Black Velvet is a posthumous collection by Charles Bradley, released in 2018 on Dunham / Daptone Records, celebrating what would have been his 70th birthday. Compiled from sessions recorded between 2010 and 2016 with the Menahan Street Band, The Budos Band, and other Daptone family members, the album stands as both a farewell and a tribute to one of modern soul’s most passionate voices.

The record gathers rare tracks, B-sides, and previously unreleased recordings that showcase the full breadth of Bradley’s artistry — from the explosive funk of “Can’t Fight the Feeling” to the tender vulnerability of “Luv Jones.” His inspired covers, including a deeply emotive rendition of Nirvana’s “Stay Away” (retitled “Stay Away – Black Velvet”) and Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold,” reveal his remarkable ability to inhabit any song with unfiltered emotion and gospel-fueled conviction.

The production maintains the signature Daptone warmth — gritty analog tones, live horns, and rhythm sections that pulse with authenticity. Yet, beyond its sonic perfection, Black Velvet resonates as a deeply human document. It captures Bradley in his full emotional range: the pain, the joy, the faith, and the defiance that defined his late-blooming career.

Released a year after his passing, Black Velvet serves not merely as an anthology but as a spiritual coda — the sound of a man who turned struggle into beauty and left an indelible mark on contemporary soul. It is both a celebration and a benediction, confirming Charles Bradley’s place among the most heartfelt voices in modern music.

Track Listing:
Side A:
01. Can’t Fight the Feeling
02. Luv Jones
03. I Feel a Change
04. Slip Away
05. Black Velvet

Side B:
06. Stay Away
07. Heart of Gold
08. (I Hope You Find) The Good Life
09. Fly Little Girl
10. Victim of Love (Electric Version)