Back to Vintage Soul with Dionne Bromfield

London-born soul singer Dionne Bromfield releases her debut album on October 12 through Lioness Records/Island. “Introducing Dionne Bromfield” is the first album issued by Lioness, the new label created by Amy Winehouse. Amy is also godmother to 13 year-old Dionne and says of her protégée, “She’s so much better than I was at her age.” “Mama Said”, Dionne’s debut single, will be released on November 2nd. Introducing Dionne Bromfield features covers of 12 classic songs that reflect her love of vintage soul music and ‘60s girl groups. Tracks include “Mama Said”, Motown anthem “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, which Dionne has recorded as a duet with fellow Lioness artist Zalon, and “Foolish Little Girl”, originally a hit for The Shirelles in 1963. The full tracklisting is as follows :

1. Tell Him
2. Mama Said
3. Foolish Little Girl
4. My Boy Lollipop
5. Beachwood 45789
6. Two Can Have A Party
7. He’s So Fine
8. With A Child’s Heart
9. Until You Come Back To Me
10. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
11. Am I The Same Girl
12. Oh Henry                    

It was at the age of ten that Dionne started to think seriously about singing, after an aunt recognised her potential and referred her to a professional vocal coach. A year later she sang for Amy for the first time. “I said, ‘You’re an amazing singer’,” Amy recalls. “We also played guitar together, and the way she accompanies herself on guitar is amazing too". Speaking about the songs chosen for the album Dionne explains: “Mostly I listen to Motown – that’s proper music. And these songs I’ve chosen, I just grew up around them. My mum had lots of old Motown LPs, and when you’re brought up listening to something you start singing the way these people are singing. My favourite singer is Marvin Gaye, and Aretha Franklin is amazing as well – she has such a big voice! I also like Ne-Yo very much, I like Beyonce, but I don’t want to go R&B or pop or anything like that. I want to keep it soul.” Amy put Dionne together with Jon Moon, the producer who worked on the deluxe edition of Amy’s ”Back To Black” album and whose credits also include N-Dubz, Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters and Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens). Backed by Amy’s regular touring band, Dionne recorded a wide variety of songs from the 1960s and early ‘70s: early Tamla Motown favourite Beechwood 45789, a hit for The Marvelettes in 1962; “He’s So Fine”, a US number one for The Chiffons in 1964; “Until You Come Back To Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)”, co-written and originally recorded by Stevie Wonder in ’67 and later covered by Aretha Franklin in 1973; and “My Boy Lollipop”, a UK number one for Millie in 1964, and a song first heard by Dionne when she saw the Spice Girls movie Spiceworld. “I thought it was a good song,” she says, “but when I heard Millie’s version I thought, this is the proper one." And Amy said, ‘You’ve got to do it – it’s my favourite tune!” This is a principle that Dionne is applying to her own song-writing, although she is saving her original songs for the future. Says Amy: “Dionne’s writing all the time. I want her to experience life so that she can write songs. But while she’s doing a covers album she’s not singing all her songs, she’s not so consumed by it. Singing songs that are very personal, it’s very deep. But she knows what she’s doing – to be honest, when I say Dionne’s like my sister, a lot of the time she’s like my older sister! I’m just so proud of her. I’m very lucky to have a record label. I’ve got all these people that I love, that are really talented – and Dionne is my number one.” “I’m really happy with my album,” Dionne says, “I love these songs, and I’m really excited about going out and singing them. Once you’re on a stage, it’s like you’re home."