Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens – Cold World

Naomi Shelton, a singer of both Saturday night and Sunday morning music, has released her second album Cold World. This record features a huge mix of sounds including gospel, soul, funk with even hints of rumba and country. It comes as no surprise that the soul revivalists at Daptone Records have welcomed Shelton back to create tunes reminiscent of early 60s R&B.

Shelton is joined once again by her back up singers The Gospel Queens, performing songs written by Daptones’ chief Gabriel Roth, curated by the group’s long time musical director Cliff Driver. The two have ‘helped give this album a groove which is authentic yet not forced’.

Naomi Shelton

Born Naomi Davis Shelton in Midway, Alabama, she began singing in her Baptist church at an early age. After graduating high school in 1958, she moved first to New York, then spent time in Florida, where the greats of the burgeoning soul movement – including Wilson Pickett, Ottis Redding, and Lou Rawls – inspired her to try her hand at singing secular R&B. She soon became a regular winner at a local talent show. In 1963 she settled back in New York and landed a regular gig playing three sets a night at Brooklyn’s Night Cap. There she met pianist Cliff Driver, who would become her musical mentor and co-conspirator, on and off, and eventually some three decades later, the musical director of the Gospel Queens.

Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens

If you’re looking for a strong female vocalist, who isn’t preaching to you but offering advice from lessons she learnt in life, Naomi Shelton and The Gospel Queens’ new record Cold World is definitely worth multiple listens.

To buy a copy of the record click here!