Brace yourself for In the World, the electrifying new album from the powerhouse duo WHAT!!!!, featuring legendary keyboardist George Whitty and soulful singer Ellis Hall. The album, set to drop on January 17, 2025, brings together their decades of musical mastery, blending searing soul ballads, thought-provoking social commentary, deep spirituality, and infectious funk. With every track, In the World celebrates their musical bond and the serendipity that brought them together as the Whitty Hall Artistic Team.
One of the album’s standout moments is their bold, brass-heavy reimagining of Isaac Hayes’ iconic “I Thank You” — a classic first made famous by Sam & Dave in 1968. Hall’s fiery vocals and the duo’s tight grooves inject new life into the track, elevating it to exhilarating new heights. It’s a heartfelt expression of gratitude for the incredible journeys each artist has taken, and the cosmic forces that led them to this moment of collaboration.
Ellis Hall sums it up with his signature humor: “George and I haven’t decided yet which one of us is Sam and which is Dave,” he quips. “But we really flicked the switch. We’ve both worked with so many amazing people, but from the moment we started working together, it felt like we were two peas in a pod. True brothers from another mother! I keep telling George to get outta my head, sucka! Seriously, we’re like mad scientists who somehow know how to carve out a song. If it’s funk, we want it to get deep into your soul. If it’s a ballad, we want it to heal your soul.”
Whitty, a multi-Grammy winner, adds: “For us, it’s all about spreading as much joy as possible. We’ve both worked with icons in the industry, but none of those projects had the raw energy and positive momentum we experienced right from the start with this one. Every time Ellis sent me tracks, it felt like Christmas Day! We couldn’t wait to dig deeper into each song.”
That spirit of enthusiasm is infectious, and it didn’t go unnoticed. The album’s lead single, the thought-provoking Die Living, quickly became a major radio success, landing in the top five for its promoter and earning over 10,000 spins across terrestrial and internet radio nationwide. A simmering blues-soul anthem, Die Living came to Whitty in a flash of inspiration and turned into a gospel-tinged track with a raw, front-porch vibe. Hall’s vocals and organ, along with his guitar work, drive the track, delivering a powerful message: wring every drop of meaning from life before it’s too late.
The song’s lyrics, “Cause I want to die living / Help me sail into the sun / And I want to die believing / Life has just begun,” reflect the duo’s philosophy on living fully. Whitty recalls, “Ellis added his lyrical touch to my original idea, which was all about how everyone—from wise elders to joyful young kids—can teach us about living. He has an amazing knack for complementing my words with just the right ones.”
Following Die Living, the album’s second single, Some Days Were Meant for Rain, offers a soulful, reflective mood. Originally recorded by Hall on Tower of Power’s 1987 album Power, this dreamy track was a fan favorite during his tenure as the band’s frontman from 1984 to 1988.
The creation of WHAT!!!! has been decades in the making. Whitty remembers the first time he heard Hall perform in 1988 at The Bottom Line in New York City: “Ellis kicked my ass so hard that night, but I didn’t have the nerve to approach him. Fast forward a decade and a half, and Alec Berfield, Ellis’s manager, kept pushing us to connect. When I finally sent him the tracks for Hug Me, everything just clicked—it was divine timing.”
Hug Me, the first song recorded for the project, is an expansive, anthemic power ballad that pays tribute to the courage of the Ukrainian people amid the ongoing war with Russia. The track is a reworking of the Ukrainian hit Obiymy by Slava Vakarchuk and features the ethereal vocals of Ukrainian singer Maryana Golovko. The song was quickly released on the fundraising platform United 24, accompanied by a poignant video that combines performance footage with images of war-torn Ukraine, underscoring the song’s message of resilience.
In the World also features live recordings from January 2024 at Inner Sanctum Studios in Coos Bay, Oregon, with bassist Armand Sabal-Lecco (Paul Simon), drummer Aaron Haggerty (Kool & The Gang), and guitarist David Ford, who co-produced the album. Among the live tracks is Why Should I Care, a socially conscious song written by Hall years ago after learning of the Jonestown tragedy and a previous Israel-Palestine conflict. Hall performed it at African American summits in South Africa and Zimbabwe, where it became one of Nelson Mandela’s favorite songs.
A Legacy of Musical Mastery
The personal and professional histories of George Whitty and Ellis Hall are as storied as they come. Whitty’s career as a producer and session musician spans work with artists like Santana, Celine Dion, Herbie Hancock, and Chaka Khan, with four Grammy wins for his work on albums by Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, and the Brecker Brothers. He’s played with legends like The Brecker Brothers, David Sanborn, and Chaka Khan, and his contributions as a keyboardist on major albums like Santana’s Supernatural and Michael Brecker’s Tales from the Hudson are iconic.
Ellis Hall, who has been sightless since age 18, rose to fame as the frontman of Tower of Power and has written over 4,000 songs across genres. He’s performed with Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, George Benson, and Maurice White, and his work has appeared in films like The Lion King 2, Shrek 2, and Bruce Almighty. His deep, soulful voice has graced countless stages, making him a revered figure in the world of soul, gospel, and blues.
In the World is not just an album; it’s the culmination of years of friendship, collaboration, and musical evolution. George Whitty and Ellis Hall are living proof that true artistry only deepens with time, and this album is a powerful testament to their enduring creative bond.
In the World will be released January 17, 2025, in collaboration with Mike Dion and ITI Records.
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