CHESTER RECORDS ANNOUNCES 'EVERYBODY KNOWS I’M HERE'

10-track Australian compilation celebrating Chess Records’ 70th anniversary and the iconic music of Chuck Berry, Etta James, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Bo Diddley and more.

Every track performed and/or produced by an Australian artist of colour.

FIRST SINGLE BY IMBI OUT 11TH MARCH 2022
DIGITAL ALBUM OUT 6TH MAY 2022

PRE-SAVE LINKS | HI-RES COVER ARTWORK
ARTIST & PRODUCER BIOS

LISTEN TO FIRST SINGLE IMBI’S “MANNISH BOY”

FULL ALBUM STREAM & EPK AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

Chester Records and the Wise Music Group are thrilled to announce the international release of Everybody Knows I’m Here; a (belated) tribute for the 70th Anniversary of Chicago’s Chess Records.

The album celebrates the iconic African American Blues catalogue, with each of the 10 never-before-heard tracks featuring vocals or production by an Australian artist of colour, and the album’s stunning artwork by award winning artist Blak Douglas.

The list of performers and collaborators to feature on this album include William Barton, imbi, Nasty Mars, Fatai, Caiti Baker, Downsyde, Harts, Flewnt, Tessa Thames, Yirrmal, The Magpie Swoop, DOBBY, Jackie Brown Jr., Citizen Kay^, Jah Loon^, Papertoy^ and James Mangohig^.

The record has been mastered by New Jersey based, Grammy nominated engineer Kim Rosen (Bonnie Raitt, The Milk Carton Kids, The Avett Brothers and many more) at Knack Mastering.

DOBBY, who worked with his bandmates in Jackie Brown Jr. for a new take of the classic “Suzie Q” for the album, said of the artists assembled for this world first release,

“Every artist on this album brings a unique story that’s tied into POC, First Nations mob in Australia and Aotearoa. We are bringing something that isn’t new… this is a continuing link in the chain of our Black transnational connections and exchanges with Africa America, Native America, and First Nations communities around the world…

With my perspective as a proud Murrawarri and Filipino musician, this is another link in that chain of how we connect and how we also express solidarity and show that we really, really feel this music on that level.”

Everybody Knows I’m Here will be released on 6th May 2022, with the first single, Imbi’s Mannish Boy, produced by Citizen Kay, set to be released on 11th March 2022 on all digital services internationally, distributed by MGM*.

Imbi said, “From my track specifically, I hope there can be a little bit of confusion, a little bit of intrigue, and maybe a little bit of broadening of politics and questioning of gender - that’s always a good time!”

Michael Brady, guitarist of Jackie Brown Jr., said of the release, “These are beautiful blues tracks that have had these whole lives that have well extended the people who originally wrote them… it’s real reckoning of people are realising all these songs that they’ve learnt from these white artists have histories that need to be known… of people who didn’t really get the recognition they deserved for the music they put out.”

Imbi continued, “I hope that from the album as a whole, people in so-called Australia can recognize the power of African American music and the unending legacy of Black musicians”

Physical copies of the album, including 12” vinyl, will be released later in the year. Pre-orders & pre-saves for the LP, along with a first tease of the record, is available at everybodyknowsimhere.com.

Track list

1. William Barton – Johnny B. Goode
2. Nasty Mars feat. Fatai – I’d Rather Go Blind
3. imbi – Mannish Boy
4. Yirrmal – Hoochie Coochie Man
5. Downsyde feat. Flewnt and Harts – Po’Boy
6. Fatai – More and More
7. Caiti Baker – Mellow Down Easy
8. Tessa Thames feat. The Magpie Swoop – Diddley Daddy
9. DOBBY feat. Jackie Brown Jr. – Susie Q
10. Harts – Poor Boy

^Production Only

*Except in Taiwan, China and Hong Kong, where it is distributed by One Asia Music.