The Bamboos - You Ain't No Good feat. King Merc
(Digital single) Tru Thoughts TRUDD014, 2010-06-21

Tracklisting :
01. You Ain't No Good feat King Merc
02. Up On The Hill (DJ Yoda Edit)
03. Keep Me In Mind (Randomer Remix)
04. Keep Me In Mind (Flevans Remix)
05. Keep Me In Mind (Randomer Remix Instrumental)



Links :
thebamboos.com
myspace.com/thebamboos
djyoda.co.uk
myspace.com/djyodauk
flevans.co.uk
myspace.com/flevansmusic
myspace.com/randomerdnb
tru-thoughts.co.uk
myspace.com/truthoughtsrecords
youtube.com/user/truthoughtsrecords
facebook.com/truthoughts
twitter.com/tru_thoughts

Press Release :
"You Ain't No Good" featuring King Merc is the second single from The Bamboos' fourth album, '4', and it drops on 21st June at the height of the Australian band's long-anticipated UK and European tour (see overleaf for dates). Recently released to widespread acclaim, '4' has launched The Bamboos beyond the boundaries of their deep funk and soul scene and into the consciousness of an appreciative wider audience. "You Ain't No Good", with a killer hook and wigged out Gnarls Barkley-meets-Phil Spector-esque mix of pop, psychedelia and soul, is set to continue the trajectory.

The video for "You Ain't No Good" has already scooped over 10,000 YouTube hits in its first few weeks, and the single is one tasty package of new musical treats; the lead track is backed up by a DJ Yoda re-edit of sitar-led instrumental album track "Up On The Hill", which the superstar DJ cut on his own time upon receipt of his album promo and – it's a story for our times, alright – Tru Thoughts found out about via Twitter. The release also features new and exclusive remixes of another great song from '4', "Keep Me In Mind", which boasts a virtuoso vocal performance from Kylie Auldist; Randomer (Hospital Records) and Tru Thoughts' Flevans each rework this full-bodied soul stormer for the dancefloor in fine style. More bonuses come in the form of instrumental and a cappella versions. And alongside all this musical excitement, the exclusive and elusive vocalist behind the lead track comes with a scintillating story all his own...

King Merc first came to the attention of Bamboos producer Lance Ferguson during the heady Australian summer of 2009; an after-hours bar in the infamous Kings Cross district became the location for a random meeting that was fuelled as much by rum and karaoke as it was by the semi-tropical night air itself. After delivering a particularly idiosyncratic rendition of "Walk On By", Ferguson took his seat to the jeers of the Bamboos members still left standing after the show. The DJ put on a '60s soul tune with a haunting vocal. In fact, a really KILLER vocal. Turning to the decks and the source of that soulful timbre, Ferguson was amazed to see it was in fact emanating from a frail-looking elderly Polynesian man. Closer inspection revealed that this man was much younger than originally thought but one could tell he had clearly lived it 'hard'. The dulcet warm tones that took flight from his vocal chords spoke of years of heartache, anguish and pure raw soul feeling. After being invited to the Bamboos table for the obligatory Cuba Libre, fragments of the true story were revealed:

He called himself 'King Merc'. He was from the Pacific Island of Tonga. He had been falsely imprisoned for 20 years during the first Fijian Coup when it was implicated he was involved with a group of mercenaries or 'soldiers of fortune'. Banished to a remote Pacific prison island stockade, he had spent the majority of his incarceration through the '80s and '90s singing in the prison church but was captivated and seemingly obsessed with the one vinyl record that existed within this prison in paradise: a beaten up and scratched but still playable Al Green album called 'I'm Still In Love With You'. 20 years in isolation with one record. A true desert island disc!

The years alone with this album as a blueprint, and the heartbreak of being separated from his loved ones on trumped-up charges, shaped Merc's vocal cry into something uniquely earthy, resonant, evocative, soulful and yet somehow eerie. His story cannot be fully told and this is his wish. He lives mainly as a recluse now and only agreed to the Bamboos recording session when Ferguson proved to him that he was himself one-quarter Tongan.
If you ever find yourself in Sydney in Summer when the air is thick and the humidity is hanging heavy – you might just be able to find him at that same after hours joint deep in Kings Cross...high up on the hill.

The Bamboos are touring the UK and Europe in June (see the mix they did for Paris DJs for dates). 4 is out now.