UMe
UMeWhile sheltering at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, KISS singer/guitarist Paul Stanley has gotten together virtually with four members of his Soul Station side project for a video performance of Smokey Robinson and The Miracles‘ 1965 hit “Ooh Baby Baby.”
The clip, which you can watch on Stanley’s YouTube channel, features Paul singing lead with accompaniment from Soul Station keyboardist and musical director Alex Alessandroni, as well as backing vocalists Crystal Starr, Laurhan Beato and Gavyn Rhone.
In the middle of the performance, Stanley invites viewers to sing along with him and his Soul Station compatriots.
“Now, no matter whether you’re with other people or you’re home alone, you’re not really alone, ’cause all of us are in this together,” Paul declares. “And music brings us that much closer together. And when we sing, we’re definitely a group. So, don’t be shy. It’s gonna feel really good.”
In a statement about the new video, Stanley says, “While it’s hard to connect physically, some of Soul Station decided to reach out [and] make a virtual and emotional connection on a great Motown and Smokey Robinson classic, ‘Ooh Baby Baby.'”
He also notes, “These are challenging times. Long before I ever heard the great British bands, I grew up listening to Philly Soul, Motown and so much more…That music and its storytelling gave me strength and hope even in some tough days. The great classics of that era are magical medicine for most and I felt myself drawn back to that era for some sorcery I think we could all use.”
Stanley debuted Soul Station back in 2015, playing occasional club shows with a lineup featuring as many as 17 musicians, one of whom was KISS drummer Eric Singer. The outfit currently is working on a recording project.
By Matt Friedlander
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