FIRST TIME EVER EUROPEAN RELEASE OF DEBUT ALBUM OF NAT TURNER REBELLION
LAUGH TO KEEP FROM CRYING
AVAILABLE ON LP AND CD
50 YEARS IN THE MAKING
FEATURES A TRACK NOT RELEASED ON THE 2019 US VERSION
On 27 February 2021, Philly Groove Records (via Chrysalis) will release Laugh To Keep From Crying, the long-awaited debut album from Philadelphia soul-music group and Philly Groove Records recording artists Nat Turner Rebellion. The group, made up of Joe Jefferson (who sadly passed away in July), Major Harris, Ron Harper, and Bill Spratley, were pioneers of the Philly Soul and protest music movements. For their debut track, ‘Tribute To A Slave’, NTR channelled the revolutionary spirit of the infamous 1831 uprising, after which the group derived their name.
Starting in 1969, NTR wrote and recorded dozens of tracks, but tensions with then-Philly Groove Records label head Stan Watson sidelined the project. The tapes went unheard for decades, until 2012, when Reservoir acquired Philly Groove Records. Reservoir’s Faith Newman discovered several tapes in a Florida storage facility. Even more NTR tapes had ended up in Drexel’s Sigma Sound Studios archive. The following year, Newman tracked down Jefferson on Facebook, and eventually met with the lone-surviving NTR member, getting his blessing to release the unheard works and vowing to see the project through. The 14-track collection, Laugh To Keep From Crying, made its US debut last year (limited vinyl run via a partnership with Drexel University’s Mad Dragon Records along with distributor Vinyl Me), and now, finally, gets a European release.
Of the 2019 US release, Jefferson remarked, “I would like to take a moment to personally thank Faith Newman and the entire Reservoir team.” Adding, “it’s crazy when someone you just met is in your head, almost like they’ve known you all your life. That’s Faith Newman. Working with her, for me, was akin to working with a Linda Creed or Thom Bell or my road manager Sam Jackson. People who I knew were going to give 1000% when I knew only 100% was necessary. That’s Faith and if you know her, you know that about her. I’m not claiming to know everything about Faith, but I do know this: if you’ve got her in your corner, your chance of scoring a knockout increases threefold than without her. So here we are, paying tribute to ‘My Friend Nat’ 50 years later. My only wish is that the other members of the rebellion could be here and witness this firsthand: Bill Spratley (Baritone), Ron Harper (First Tenor), Major Harris (Lead/First Guitar), Sam Jackson (Manager). My sincerest thanks to Reservoir and Drexel/Mad Dragon Records. I am humbled by this experience.”
“While these recordings capture a significant moment in history, they are just as relevant and powerful now as when they were originally recorded,” says Newman. “We were pleased to work with Drexel and Mad Dragon in helping these recordings see the light of day in Joe Jefferson’s lifetime and honored that he entrusted us with preserving the legacy of the project.”
With the sad, recent passing of Joe Jefferson – the last living member of Nat Turner Rebellion – this European release stands as a testament to an overlooked, vital band and album which deserves to be loved and cherished by future generations of soul fans.
The UK release of Laugh To Keep From Crying features a track not available on the 2019 US version, ‘You Are My Sun Sign’ (which replaces ‘Going In Circles’).
Laugh To Keep From Crying [International Version]
Fat Back
Laugh To Keep From Crying
Tribute to A Slave
McBride’s Daughter
Care
Right On We’re Back
Getting Higher together
Love Peace Understanding
Fruit of The Land
Never Too Late
Plastic People
Ruby Lee
Can’t go On Living
You Are My Sun Sign*
*Not available on the US version.
