Raymond Coats is a legend of the Northern California music scene. For more than four decades the singer and his band West Coast Groove have been entertaining fans from Sacramento to San Francisco with a classic mix of r&b, jazz, blues and soul music. A veteran of the music industry far beyond his hometown’s city limits, Coats has shared the stage and studio with legends. He collaborated with the late great Bill Withers and even appeared in a Michael Jackson video.
Regular Readers of The Static Dive will remember Raymond Coats from some of his more recent singles. Those tracks introduced us to a singer, songwriter and producer with a long and celebrated musical history. In addition to countless thousands of gigs, Raymond has always maintained an active recording career. After a string of recent singles, the singer is now releasing his first full album in years.
At it Again is the brand new album from Raymond Coats, dropping worldwide to all major streaming services on Friday July 22, 2022. The record is a soulful tour through the timeless grooves of the Motown era. From the fun and funky homegirl shoutout of “Carmichael Girls” to the classic soul groove of “You’ve Got What I Need,” the West Coast Groove is in full effect.
The record digs deep into some Hammond organ fueled blues as Raymond Coats tells his tale of heartbreak on “The Blues Are Real.” He turns back the clock on “Take Me Back to The Old School” and looks for love and healing on the romantic James Ingram classic “Just Once.” Throughout the album, whether laying down a hard funk or chilling out on a downtempo slow jam, Raymond and the band deliver world class, virtuosic performances
Check out “The Blues Are Real” below, or listen on your favorite streaming service. You can also hear that song on the Deep Indie Songwriters playlist “Just Once” on the Deep Indie Beat. Follow the links below to connect with the artist. Get on his profiles and dig into a deep and rich musical history of the voice of the NorCal soul. And get ready for Raymond Coats (At it Again