Samuel Purdey’s 1999 album “Musically Adrift” is exactly that. Right record, wrong time; a little known classic overlooked in the main but nevertheless a timeless body of work as good now as it was then, regardless of current trends and other distractions. Even the chronically deaf could not fail to identify the influences; Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers, Michael McDonald, Earth Wind & Fire, early Hall & Oates, early Chicago, Tower Of Power, Airplay, Blood, Sweat & Tears… I could go on but I’m sure you get the picture. And the personnel on the record is not too be sniffed at either, further validating the pedigree of this precious gem which over time is earning the cult status it so deserves. Ten points for spotting performances of any of the following (day jobs in brackets to give you a head start): Frank Floyd (Donald Fagen/Steely Dan), Elliott Randall (Steely Dan/John Lennon), Robbie Gordon (Gil Scott Heron), Stuart Zender (Jamiroquai), Jan Kincaid and Andrew Levy (The Brand New Heavies), Ian Thomas (Tom Jones) and Neil Cowley (The Neil Cowley Trio). And the guys twiddling the knobs weren’t bad: Elliot Scheiner (The Eagles/Steely Dan/Van Morrison) and Bob Power (A Tribe Called Quest/De La Soul). Still not enough? Really? OK, here are some nice things some famous people said about the record to help you make your mind up: Jay Kay (Jamiroquai) Lucky Radio was the best single of 1997. Elliott Randall (Steely Dan/John Lennon) It’s pretty unusual, in this day and age, to find a more dedicated, fun, and inventive bunch of guys than ‘Samuel Purdey’. My hat is off to them, and I can’t wait to make more magic with these folks. Ashley Beadle (X-Press 2) This record has echoes of The Doobie Brothers & Steely Dan, & being a great white soul freak it just struck home right away. The only thing written on the label is Samuel Purdey, & the label it was sent out on went bust before it even got started. It’s mysterious - & i like it like that! Why wasn’t it a massive hit? It’s called Lucky Radio & sounds brilliant on the radio, it should be in the top five today. It’s timeless. I’ll pick this record up in ten years & it will still sound just as fresh as it does today. It’s in its own era - which is no era. Sean Rowley (BBC radio DJ and originator of 'Guilty Pleasures') Musically Adrift is an album of soft-rock glory. Bill Champlin (The Sons Of Champlin/Chicago) Man, your stuff sounds great. Kind of a cross between 3 or 4 great things out there. Steely meets Ambrosia meets The Average White Band and, well, after 3 tunes I just realized you got your own thing and it’s really good. Tom Snow (Grammy and Oscar winning songwriter for Diana Ross, Christina Aguilera, Barbra Streisand, George Benson et al) This music makes me smile, move, and want to play it again and again. Always for me, the first thing any kind of music should do is activate my soul, not my head. My initial reaction to anything new I listen to is fundamentally emotional. And, in the case of Samuel Purdey, it was like getting a shotgun blast to my groove center. Slamming tracks, great vocals all intelligently rendered. Peter Paphides (Broadcaster and journalist. The BBC, Mojo, Q, Melody Maker) Musically Adrift is pushing Steely Dan buttons I didn't even know I had. Richard Page (Pages/Mr. Mister) Nice to hear someone’s keeping the old flame burning. Jan Kincaid (The Brand New Heavies) I have nothing but good memories on being involved in this record (Musically Adrift). The musicians involved, the attention to detail and the love put into it made it a rarity even as it was being made. Great songwriting and a quality control in the production and musicianship which drew from some of the greatest benchmark studio albums of the 1970’s, a testament to how good music could be in an age before Pro Tools and easy editing techniques. Good vibrations ooze from the grooves of this wonderful piece of plastic. Maybe it’s time they left their large country piles and laid down some more love? Tom Saviano (Founding member of Jazz-Funk band HEAT and saxophonist with Earth, Wind & Fire, Chicago, Ray Charles et al) Upon listening to the first three cuts from the Samuel Purdey album "Musically Adrift", I hear jazz influenced chord changes, lush vocal, string and horn arrangements reminiscent of Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers, Michael McDonald and Ambrosia. The rest of the songs on this album follow suit. This is music of substance performed by high quality musicians. What makes Samuel Purdey stand out and separate itself from the pack is the originality of the song writing. As a writer, I can tell you this is no easy task by any means! If you are a lover of excellent music, this album is a must have. I recommend you purchase a copy of "Musically Adrift" before it sells out! Don Breithaupt (Emmy winner/Monkey House founder) Musically Adrift is anything but! Samuel Purdey's focused, nuanced pop is ageless and — hurrah! — made of ingredients you cannot buy in plug-in form. Ed Greene (Drummer for Donald Fagen, Marvin Gaye, Barry White, Hall & Oates et al) Samuel Purdey are a testament to how hard it is to make it in the music business. Having great production and musicianship, very catchy songs and a recording contract with a very successful distribution company, does not guaranty the success we dream about. Samuel Purdey did attain a measure of success and I appreciate that. I really dig their music man! Paul Crockford (Manager of Mark Knopfler, Tears For Fears, et al) Swimming out from a sea of shoe gazing miserable Northerners came the cool, cool sounds of Samuel Purdey on a wave of honey sweet harmonies, irresistible tunes, punchy horn arrangements and facial hair. The combined talents of Barney Hurley and Gavin Dodds bring you the unique but achingly familiar sound of their only album. Meticulously recorded and delivered with a swagger that is redolent of Laurel Canyon and the Santa Monica beaches but actually created on the UK’s own London by Sea of Brighton, ‘Musically Adrift’ is a triumph very rarely delivered by English musicians. Standing proud of its musicianship and cocking a snoop at fashion of any kind, including sartorial, Gavin and Barney drift down the airwaves steadfastly ploughing their own furrow and daring to be photographed looking like a pair of Californian beach bums without the sun or sex appeal. Who can look at the shot of them next to and astride the radio and not be impressed? These guys want to have their music played, they want you to like it and if you have intelligent feet they want you to dance to it. Multiple time signatures yet haunting refrains that insinuate themselves and stick around like '60s cop show themes, this is music to be appreciated, applauded and shouted from the highest point on Brighton Racecourse. Buy this record and play it to your friends with that smug awareness that says, ‘I have something that you don’t.’ The feeling of superiority will be worth it. Dean Rudland (A&R at Ace Records) Hmmm, that’s nice…I opened up the post and pulled out the thick cardboard sleeve and the just as substantial vinyl for ‘Musically Adrift’ and it felt that a journey had been completed. The album had been one of my favourites since a Japanese copy was given to me by Keiron or Barney or maybe Gavin sometime in the late 90s. I raved about it to my friends, and told them that they had to get themselves a copy when it came out in the UK later that year. That date never came, and that CD was played and played again, transferred to my iTunes and listened to time and again across continents and at home in South London. Sometimes I would be asked where to buy this gem, but could never help. The music was fantastic, influenced by the kind of AOR soul that is only today being truly lauded, and given its place in the musical canon. In it’s perfectionist tendencies it threw up images of driving a sharp open topped sports car down the pacific highway, the wind tousling your shoulder length hair and beard, the ocean spray flecking your American Optical sunglasses, as you fiddle with the FM dial on the radio, before ‘Valerie’ bursts out through the speakers. It needed to be heard by a wider audience, and ideally had to be on vinyl. ‘Musically Adrift’, audible heaven. Hailing originally from Brighton, on the UK’s Sussex Riviera, Samuel Purdey consists of songwriting partnership, Barney Hurley and Gavin Dodds. Before forming Samuel Purdey Barney had a brief spell touring with Acid Jazz old boys Jamiroquai and Mother Earth, as well as occasional session appearances with amongst others, Robbie Gordon of Gil Scott Heron fame. Gavin also had a life before Samuel Purdey recording and touring with Jamiroquai. Initially, albeit temporarily, the pair worked with Acid Jazz who included their Tower of Power cover of “Clever Girl” on Totally Wired 11. Quickly however they moved on and signed to the Sony backed “Good Sounds” label which would become their home for the recording of their first and to date, only album, “Musically Adrfit”, released in 1999. Prior to the release of “Musically Adrift” 2 offerings were made to the great unwashed in the form of “Goods Sounds Sampler #1” which as well as Samuel Purdey’s “Santa Rosa” and “Whatever I Do” included Tom Scott’s little know classic “Jump Back” from the cult cartoon movie “The Nine Lives Of Fritz the Cat” (1974) plus the painfully rare “The Theme from Black Belt Jones” by Dennis Coffey from the planned but never released Good Sounds soundtrack compilation “Movie Grooves”. Next came the single “Lucky Radio” which charted at number 5 in the Tokio Hot 100 and also appeared on “Acid Jazz Past & Present” (Prophecy USA) and “X-Press 2 – Choice – A Collection of Classics” (Azuli UK). Lucky Radio was also released on the compilation ‘Mellow Groove’ (P-Vine Records, Japan) in July 2009. More recently, Samuel Purdey’s “Whatever I Do” features on P-Vine Records’ follow up compilation ‘Mellow Groove - Sunshine Avenue’ (July 2010). The ‘Remastered’ version of Musically Adrift was released 21st Jan’ 2009 by Grey Dog’s Records in Japan and includes Kiss FM Japan’s No.1 single, Whatever I Do, plus an exclusive bonus track. On the 5th of February 2013 Musically Adrift was released for the first time on 180-gram vinyl LP on the legendary RAK label. The album was also released on CD on August 12, 2013 by Tummy Touch records. On the eve of its release, it reached No.1 on the Amazon Fusion & Jazz Funk album chart. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.