Danny and The Champions of the World

'Stay True' is the fourth album from Danny and The Champions Of The World. It's also Danny George Wilson's eleventh album which includes six long players from the much loved Grand Drive plus a solo outing (as Danny George Wilson) entitled 'Famous Mad Mile'. Danny has been touring the world and making critically acclaimed records for nearly 20 years now, the first Grand Drive release was on Loose back in 1997. 'Stay True' was recorded this year over five days at North London's Reservoir Studios with Champs bass player Chris Clarke (ex Rockingbirds) and Danny at the helm. Danny describes the scene: "catching sleep on the control room sofa, recording deep into the night, friends and musicians dropping by, inspired by the great soul, country and rock n roll of Stax, Muscle Shoals, The Band, Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham, Dion DiMucci, Van Morrison…Ronnie Lane meets Ronnie Spector!"

Danny and The Champions Of The World has always been a pretty loose collection of great musicians, songwriters, stowaways and adventurers. The current line up is the most steady so far - it's not a collective of folks now, it's a band, a great band: Danny George Wilson (acoustic guitar, lead vocals), Chris Clarke (bass, vocals), Paul Lush (guitar, vocals), Steve Brookes (drums, vocals) and Geoff Widdowson (saxophone, organ, vocals).

For the recording of 'Stay True' some of the musicians from previous Champs line-ups came down to the studio and joined in (Rosalie Deighton, Robin and Joe Bennett of The Dreaming Spires and Trevor Moss and Hannah Lou). There are also collaborations on the record with London bluegrass outfit 'Foghorn Leghorn'.The album opens in typically autobiographical style with '(Never Stop Building) That Old Space Rocket', the true story of Danny and his dad hitchhiking to a Fabulous Thunderbirds show. It was always the natural opener for an album steeped in good times, bad times, family, friends and powered by a great jukebox. It's without a doubt, the work of a champ. Stay True.