The Stylistics recruit Shania Twain and The Darkness’ Justin Hawkins for first album in nearly two decades

The Stylistics have announced their first new album in nearly two decades, with Shania Twain and The Darkness’ Justin Hawkins set to feature.

The legendary Philly soul group were a perennial presence in the album and singles charts in the 1970s, with classic hits including ‘You Make Me Feel Brand New’, ‘I’m Stone In Love With You’, ‘Can’t Give You Anything (But My Love)’ and ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’.

Now, 56 years after their original formation and a full 17 years since their last full-length album ‘That Same Way’, they have announced a brand new record, ‘Falling In Love With My Girl’.

Vocalist Airrion Love has spoken about working alongside Twain on the track: “I fell in love with Shania Twain the first time I heard ‘You’re Still the One’ – a great song that I still love. When we heard there might be a chance to do something with her we said, “Hell yeah!”

Shania herself has also commented: “I’m so happy that this song I wrote ‘Yes, I Will’ has found a home on The Stylistics album. That is just so exciting. It’s a special song that came together on one special day at my home where I was hanging out with some friends and musicians. So I think it turned out great and I’m just really excited to share it with the whole world.”

Among the other guests on the star-studded album are Hawkins, who appears on the opening track ‘Falling In Love With My Girl’, as well as The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood, ZZ Top’s Billy F. Gibbons, KISS’ Gene Simmons and Steve Lukather of Toto.

‘Ghostbusters’ singer Ray Parker Jr. also makes an appearance, as do Nigel Olsson and Davey Johnstone of Elton John’s band, and Bill Champlin of Chicago. The horn section Tower Of Power are also present on three tracks.

The ‘Falling In Love With My Girl’ tracklist is:

1. ‘Falling In Love With My Girl’ (ft. Justin Hawkins)
2. ‘Who Am I’ (ft. Ronnie Wood, Jay Graydon) ‘Leave So Soon’
3. ‘Sad Tomorrows’
4. ‘Infatuation’
5. ‘Yes, I Will’ (ft. Shania Twain, Steve Lukather, Ray Parker Jr, Nathan East)
6. ‘Jealousy’
7. ‘Whatever Happened To Our Love’ (ft. Nigel Olsson, Bill Champlin, The Real Thing)
8. ‘You’ll Live Forever’ (ft. Billy F. Gibbons)
9. ‘Endless Days’
10. ‘Take Me Back To Rainbows’
11. ‘Lost And Alone’
12. ‘Don’t Leave Me Here’ (ft. Gene Simmons, Tower Of Power)
13. ‘Holy Water’
14. ‘Rock And A Heartbeat’ (ft. Tower Of Power)
15. ‘I Could Never Leave Her’ (ft. Tower Of Power)
16. ‘Debbie’
17. ‘Sonnet 18’
18. ‘I Get A Feeling’
19. ‘If I Fail’

The group recently completed a UK tour and are set to play a handful of shows in the US in January – see more details here.