Marc Broussard, ‘I’ve Got To Use My Imagination’
Powerhouse vocalist, Marc Broussard releases his new single and video “I’ve Got To Use My Imagination” (Bobby Blue Bland) from his upcoming album, S.O.S. 4 Blues For Your Soul, out March 3 and produced by Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith.
Marc Broussard grabs “I’ve Got To Use My Imagination” with the power of an old-soul bluesman. Deeply soulful, he wrings emotion from each note and makes this scorcher his own. He’s got the chops, all right. Broussard is poised to be one of the great vocalists of our time. Joe Bonamassa’s riffs add a blast of fire to this winner.
Given Broussard’s seminal roots in Louisiana and a distinctive southern sound mined from funk, blues, rock, and R&B — he easily conveys a similar sensibility while giving his own unique spin on this classic track penned by the legendary Gerry Goffin and Barry Goldberg. With Broussard lending a powerful and dynamic vocal, underscored by Eric Krasno on guitar and a searing solo by none other than Joe Bonamassa, it’s given a pronounced interpretation that takes its cue from Bland’s original while, at the same time, delving deeper into the darker desires inherent in the song’s meaning and messaging.
“He [Bland] was the first blues singer that I really responded to,” Broussard reflects. “That howl that Bland did, that bark that he does in his songs, really got me. His recordings are all up in my heart. I just have to dig into them to try to do them my own way, but I still listen to his music to get true inspiration for what a singer can share.” The song is out today.
“I’ve Got To Use My Imagination”
Listen to the single HERE
“I’ve Got to Use My Imagination” is the second single and one of twelve tracks from Broussard’s upcoming new album S.O.S.4: Blues For Your Soul, a selection of distinctive renditions of blues and soul classics including Johnny “Guitar” Watson’s “Cuttin’ In,” Al Green’s “Driving Wheel,” the first single, a sizzling take of Little Milton’s “That’s What Love Will Make You Do,” featuring Joe Bonamassa, to the sole original, “When Will I Let Her Go, produced by Bonamassa and longtime collaborator Josh Smith. The new album is the fourth installment of Broussard’s S.O.S. (Save our Soul) series of benefit albums, with proceeds going to the Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation to support youth rehabilitation through music. This includes a partnership with the nonprofit organization Guitars Over Guns, which offers students from the most vulnerable communities a powerful combination of music education and mentorship.
S.O.S. 4: Blues For Your Soul is available on March 3 via Bonamassa’s Keeping The Blues Alive Records. Pre-order the album here.
Broussard resumes his national tour this week in Fort Worth, TX, on February 11. Additional cities include Baton Rouge, Memphis, Raleigh, NC, Atlanta, Washington, DC, New York City, and Cincinnati, OH. The list of tour dates is below, with more to be announced. Visit here for tour dates.
‘I’ve Got To Use My Imagination’
Marc Broussard is an artist with a unique gift of channeling the spirits of classic R&B, rock, and soul into contemporary terms. The son of Louisiana Hall of Fame guitarist Ted Broussard of “The Boogie Kings,” he nurtured his musical gifts at an early age in the vibrant Lafayette, Louisiana, music scene. After releasing a highly successful independent EP at age 20, Broussard made his major-label debut with Carencro. The album featured the breakout hit “Home” and catapulted him into the national spotlight. That album and the others that followed revealed Broussard as a southern soul singer with both a rarefied talent and an innate stylistic and emotional authenticity that have made him one of the most indelible artists of his generation. NPR cited, “His music radiates soulful Louisiana blues, but his songs blend those influences with raucous rock ‘n’ roll to create unique and infectious music.” Washington Times noted, “Few modern voices are as powerful as Marc Broussard’s soulful, Bayou-bred baritone.”
Broussard released multiple albums with major labels over the last ten years before returning to his independent roots with several acclaimed original recordings and charitable cover albums via his SOS Foundation (Save our Soul).
Marc Broussard website
This is fantastic! Marc is great and Joe and Josh is the dream team.
I can’t wait to listen to the entire album!
Marc was born to sing the blues. Here’s to hoping these songs get regular rotation on BB Kings Bluesville on SiriusXM