Chris Jagger releases single Merry Go Around

On Friday 21st May, Chris Jagger will announce his brand new studio album ‘Mixing Up The Medicine’, set for release via BMG on 10th September 2021, and will also share first single ‘Merry Go Round’. Joining the musical announcement will be news of Chris’ long-in-the-works autobiography ‘Talking To Myself’, which will also arrive on 10th September this year.

Recorded in a studio near Jagger’s long-standing collaborator and pianist Charlie Hart’s Lewisham home, at Jagger’s farmhouse, and down the line to each other when lockdown restrictions were in force, Mixing up the Medicine is a loose, lively 10-track collection of Jagger/Hart originals that features a hit-list of top players.

These include old friend Olly Blanchflower on double bass; Atcha band alumnus Dylan Howe on drums; veteran producer John Porter, who’s worked with artists including The Smiths, Roxy Music, Buddy Guy, BB King and Elvis Costello; guitarist Neil Hubbard (Bryan Ferry, Joe Cocker); as well as brother, Mick, whose vocals appear on ‘Anyone Seen My Heart?’, the first song on the album.

Chris used poems by early 19th century writer and physician Thomas Beddoes for three songs: the irresistible Madness-like ska-pop knees-up of the opening ‘Anyone Seen My Heart?’, the sea shanty-ish ‘Loves’ Horn’ and the voodoo soul of ‘Wee Wee Tailor’. Into Hart’s ‘jazzer’ category we can fit ‘Talking to Myself’, the New Orleans sass of lead track ‘Merry Go Round’ and the in-the-wee-small-hours croon and groove of ‘A Love Like This’. Honourable mention, too, to the comforting bluesy lament of ‘Hey Brother’, a lovely ode to lifelong fraternal bonds.

Mixing Up The Medicine is a joyful, life-enhancing album by a man well versed in a whole range of musical styles, distilled into 10 tight tracks and released as a standard CD, a signed D2C exclusive CD, a standard black vinyl as well as digitally.

Check out the single HERE.