The Solution (formerly and briefly known as Soulmover) is the new band for Scott Morgan and Nicke Royale of the Hellacopters. An unabashed trip back to the soul groups of the '60s, it's a recording project that also become a live unit.
The single "I Have the Quit You" b/w "I'll Be Around" is out now on Wild Kingdom Records as well as the "Communicate!" album and both are available in our shop. View the film clip for "I Have to Quit You" here.
Here's Scott's diary of his recent trip to Sweden to cut tracks with Nicke for the long-player:
Maureen drops me off at Metro Airport and I spend some time in the bar, talking to the Jamaican bartender about reggae after telling him I'm making a soul album. Left Detroit Wednesday afternoon and flew to Chicago and then Stockholm. Arrived 8 am already looking the part of a soul singer in my sports jacket, Big Apple hat, and Raybans.
Then I got lost in the airport and ended up looking like a tourist when I met Nicke, Carl von Schewen from Wild Kingdom Records, and Charlie, who is filming the whole thing for a documentary.
After giving the new Powertrane CD to Carl, Nicke and I say goodbye and head for his house in the Swedish countryside (with a pit stop at the supermarket for food and beer). He lives about a mile from the nearest road in a nice old Swedish farmhouse. We listen to soul music and I try and play him a tape of my songs but there's only vocals and no guitar. (The tape I had express mailed ended up at the Luger office 10 days after I mailed it).
I play the songs on my Tele and work on my jet lag. I finally wear a miner's light to the guest bedroom after midnight, Stockholm time, and dream about Allah and the Ten Commandments.
The Duke of Honk.
James J Hennighan (bass) and The Duke of Honk (keys) arrive the next day. I had met James when he was filming a Hellacopters documentary in Philadelphia and New York at the end of their last U.S. tour (we had just finished the Powertrane northeast tour). I met The Duke at the Barbarella Festival in Upsalla, Sweden, where the Hydromatics played with his band, the Diamond Dogs.
We jam in the kitchen for awhile before going out to the guest house to play with Nicke's set of drums. We work on Widow Wemberly by Tony Joe White, I'll Be Around by Johnny Copeland, Good Old Funky Music by Parliament and Take Me For a Little While by Jackie Ross. We also try my four new originals, Top of the Stairs, End of the Day, SNAFU and Goin' Back to Soulville, and Nicke's originals, My Mojo Ain't Working No More, Change Your Mind, Phoenix, No Words and I Have to Quit Ya. The boys forgot to bring the beer but they have brought gasoline for the chainsaw, which we don't use.
I wake up at 7am, of course. It's Saturday and we drop Monkey Boy and the Jackie Ross and George Clinton songs, and add Must be Love Coming Down by Major Lance (written by Curtis Mayfield). Nicke and I work up a new song of his called She Messed Up My Mind. Charlie is filming the whole thing.
That night, Nicke and I finish the words for his song No Words and rearrange End of the Day - it's more like Mavis Staples' version of Security.
Bassist James J.It's Sunday and we head for the city. We meet Dave Champion, who is staying at Nicke's apartment, and head for the Diamond Dogs' rehearsal space.
More rehearsing Monday with Charlie, as ever, filming away. Tuesday we have lunch with Carl. Later, we do an interview for the camera and go see the Diamond Dogs play the O Bar. Strings and Boba are playing with them while the 'Copters are on hiatus until November (their 10th anniversary).
On Wednesday, we meet Dregen for tea, and Nicke is DJ at the Club Mondo. I meet their ex-guitarist, Mattias Hellberg and talk with him in the lounge downstairs. Thursday is more of the same, but Dave Champion leaves to tour-manage with The Maggots on the Continent.
Nicke goes to work.
Finally. it's Friday and we're through rehearsing and ready to record at Atlantis Studio. a really nice, big, first-rate operation. Four songs the first day, including our version of The Solution. I lay down vocals at the end of each session.
Saturday is more of the same. On Sunday, we finish the basic tracks and vocals. We have 14 altogether.
On Monday, we wrap up the overdubs and on Tuesday add the horns. They're Goran on trumpet, Gustav on tenor and Victor on trombone. They add a lot to the Major Lance song, as well as She Messed Up My Mind, The Solution, Soulville and I'll Be Around. That evening, we do a rough mix and celebrate way too much.
The next day: Ouch!
Later we go to Robert's ('Copters drummer) for drinks, and then to see Gluecifer. We have a great time hanging out with them backstage and the night ends back at the O Bar where Boba is DJ.
The next day we do Rockklassica Radio with Bo Ramone. Live radio is always a challenge and I'm not certain we met it. My amp has no tubes but that's the least of our problems. The keyboard stops working on the third song and we all forget the arrangements. Oh well, it's time for dinner and drinks after saying goodbye to Carl and the Wild Kingdom staff. Other than having to get up at 6am to head to the airport, all I can say is I'm finally getting over my jetlag and think we made a good recording.
Glad to be home for awhile. - Scott Morgan
