Stone Foundation: 25th Anniversary Celebration Album features collaborations with Paul Weller, Durand Jones, Graham Parker, Mick Talbot and many more

The 8-piece Midlands-based Soul band Stone Foundation celebrate an incredible 25 years of success with the release of the retrospective anthology ‘Standing In The Light’ on 30 June 2023 through 100 Percent Records. With this collection, the band will be looking to continue their rich vein of success, their last four albums all charted UK Top 40 (Album Chart) and UK Top 10 (Independent Chart & also Vinyl Chart), including of course 2022’s ‘Outside Looking In’. The Mirror described them as “Majestic, optimistic soul. Faultless”.

‘Standing In The Light’ will feature the very best of the band’s output across that quarter century, and ten studio albums. The band will also bring the story right up to date with the inclusion of two brand new tracks – Stone Foundation are happy to celebrate the road travelled, but the foot remains on the accelerator. The album is available on a range of physical formats: 2CD [33 tracks] / 2LP [22 tracks] / 5CD boxset [78 tracks, many archive/unreleased] as well as Digital [replicating 2CD tracklisting].

This announcement was preceded by the release of the single ‘B What U R’ and the album will follow the release of another single with ‘Summer Feeling’ landing on 27 March on Digital and 7” format. The band are big advocates of the 7” format, having had a string of #1 hits on the Vinyl Singles Chart making them one of the most successful artists on that chart in the 2010s.

Known for their collaborative spirit and inclusive approach, the band team up regularly with Paul Weller who sings lead on a number of their songs. He has worked with them frequently across the last decade, on both the Stone Foundation catalogue and his own solo work. ‘Standing In The Light’ boasts an enviable list of collaborators from the best of British (Weller, Mick Talbot, Dr Robert, Graham Parker and more) to the finest American soul voices (Durand Jones, Melba Moore, Bettye LaVette, William Bell, Nolan Porter & more).

‘Standing In The Light’ is yet another big step forward for this constantly evolving band. Along the way they have always ploughed their own furrow and made their own luck. Yet they have enjoyed national airplay from BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio 2, rave reviews from a huge range of publications, played Glastonbury and sold out headline shows at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire and the Electric Ballroom. Stone Foundation have recently opened for Madness, The Specials, Jamiroquai, Mavis Staples and Paul Weller. They have just announced a 25^th Anniversary Tour for October / November 2023, including 2-night residency at Islington Assembly Hall; they never do less than 50 shows per year.

The band are established, but never the establishment, Stone Foundation may be ten studio albums in, and marking 25 years together with this release, but still feel like the underdog. ‘Standing In The Light’ might just provide the spotlight they deserve.

[Vinyl edition is the same but is 2LP therefore the last track is CD2-5.
CD2-6 onwards are exclusive to CD formats]

CD1
1 – The Limit Of A Man [taken from Street Rituals, 2017]
2 – The Light In Us (feat. Laville) [taken from Is Love Enough?, 2020]
3 – Now That You Want Me Back (feat. Melba Moore) [taken from Outside Looking In, 2022]
4 – Deeper Love (feat. Paul Weller) [taken from Is Love Enough?, 2020]
5 – Next Time Around [taken from Everybody, Anyone, 2018]
6 – Beverley [taken from A Life Unlimited, 2015]
7 – Carry The News  [taken from Everybody, Anyone, 2018]
8 – Season of Change (feat. Bettye LaVette)  [taken from Street Rituals, 2017]
9 – Hold On To Love (feat. Durand Jones)  [taken from Is Love Enough?, 2020]
10 – Your Balloon Is Rising (feat. Paul Weller) [taken from Street Rituals, 2017]
11 – Summer Feeling [new song 2023]
12 – Standing On The Top [taken from Everybody, Anyone, 2018]
13 – Echoes of Joy [taken from Outside Looking In, 2022]
14 – Let The Light [taken from Away From The Grain, 2010]
15 – To Find The Spirit [taken from To Find The Spirit, 2012]
16 – The Night Teller (feat. Graham Parker) [taken from A Life Unlimited, 2015]
17 – Strange People (feat. William Bell) [taken from Street Rituals, 2017]

CD2
1 – B What U R (feat. Shirley Jones of the Jones Girls) [new song 2023]
2 – Pushing Your Love [taken from A Life Unlimited, 2015]
3 – Tracing Paper (feat. Nolan Porter) [taken from Away From The Grain, 2010]
4 – Outside Looking In [taken from Outside Looking In, 2022]
5 – Back In The Game (feat. Paul Weller) [taken from Street Rituals, 2017]
6- Changes [taken from Is Love Enough?, 2020]
7 – Only You Can (feat. Hamish Stuart) [taken from Everybody, Anyone, 2018]
8 – Don’t Walk Away (feat. Kathryn Williams) [taken from Everybody, Anyone, 2018]
9 – Hold On [taken from To Find The Spirit, 2012]
10 – A Love Uprising (feat. Dr Robert) [taken from A Life Unlimited, 2015]
11 – When You’re In My World (feat. Carleen Anderson) [taken from To Find The Spirit, 2012]
12 – Heaven Knows Why (feat. Laville & Sheree Dubois) [taken from Outside Looking In, 2022]
13 – Sweet Forgiveness [taken from Everybody, Anyone, 2018]
14 – Bring Back The Happiness [taken from To Find The Spirit, 2012]
15 – Don’t Let The Rain [taken from To Find The Spirit, 2012]
16 – Love’s Outro (feat. Peter Capaldi) [taken from Is Love Enough?, 2020]

Tracklisting for 5CD version here:
https://www.stonefoundation.co.uk/products/standing-in-the-light-5cd-limited-edition-expanded-set