Just over a year ago, our friend George introduced us to Joss Stone, a then sixteen year-old soul singing sensation, who had teamed with Betty Wright and other soul legends, to produce her debut album, The Soul Sessions.

On Tuesday, September 28, thanks to S-Curve Records & Virgin, Stone has once again teamed with Wright to produce a follow-on album entitled Mind Body & Soul.

Those lucky enough to be living in the United Kingdom, home country of the seventeen year-old soul singer, songwriter will see Stone's new album in stores, under the S-Curve / EMI label, starting this Monday, September 27.

In her initial effort, Stone gave us The Soul Sessions which featured hits like "The Chokin' Kind," "Super Duper Love" (aka "Diggin' On You") and "Some Kind of Wonderful."

From the first day we were introduced to Joss Stone, Betty Wright and Little Beaver last fall, Soul Sessions became our first choice for road trip tunes. At least until another young British jazz artist, Jamie Cullum, came into our lives and gave us additional road trip material in the form of his Twentysomething.

Now, the request is always British: Twentysomething or Soul Sessions. All year long, the back seat drivers would say, 'Hit track 2." "Mommy, can we listen to 'Diggin' On You'?" "Mom, press 'Some Kind of Wonderful,' '#6'."

We were early American fans, but apparently not alone.

Worldwide, over two million copies of The Soul Sessions have been sold since its release. In just the U.S., her first album has gone gold with over 675,000 records sold.

The girl from Devon, England is now on the map in many parts of the world. In thirteen countries, Stone's disc has hit the Top Ten.

Stone's tribute to James Brown at Washington DC's Kennedy Center in December '03, Elton John's annual Oscar Party in LA in February, and the VH1 Divas concert in Las Vegas in April gave her even greater visibility, recognition and many, many more fans, including the likes of Tom Cruise.

Radio stations played her record. TV talent touted her tunes. Publishers sang her praises. And now we're ready to do it all over again.

Starting Tuesday, we are curious to know, what will be the hot new request coming from the back seat?

Will it be:

1. Right To Be Wrong?

2. Jet Lag?

3. You Had Me?

4. Spoiled?

5. Don't Cha Wanna Ride?

6. Less Is More?

7. Security?

8. Young At Heart?

9. Snakes And Ladders?

10. Understand?

11. Don't Know How?

12. Torn & Tattered?

13. Killing Time?

14. Sleep Like A Child?

In Soul Sessions there were ten tracks to choose from. In Mind, Body & Soul Stone gives you fifteen good reasons to be diggin' on her. Stone's encore of "Sleep Like A Child," a bonus three-minute song, brings the total number of tracks to fifteen.

Perhaps this year, the requests will not come from the back seat, but rather from the dinner table, at bedtime, or after the lights go out.

Where Soul Sessions had more upbeat tunes, Mind, Body & Soul immediately has you bobbin' your head softly, soulfully, song-after-song-after-song.

Driving music? Perhaps, depending upon where you're going.

Dinner music? Definitely.

And later, after the lights are out? Hmmm....

The sounds are uniquely Joss Stone with the flavor and influence of the "wright" legends backing her up and guiding her every note.

Twelve of the fifteen songs were either written or co-written by Stone.

Produced once again by Steve Greenberg, Mike Mangini and 70s soul legend Betty Wright, Mind, Body & Soul represents what Stone calls "my real debut."

The album was recorded at Mangini's Mojo Studios in New York City, and at the soul mecca Criteria Studios in Miami.

Wright, Joss's co-writer, vocal arranger and co-producer, says, Mind, Body & Soul illustrates Joss Stone's "God-given gift, a voice of uncommon strength, soulfulness, and sensitivity."

Absolutely agreed. It also illustrates the impact of an ensemble who once wrote the book before her, and knows how to do it again.

In this endeavor, Betty Wright co-wrote "Right To Be Wrong" and "Jet Lag" with Stone. Together with Stone and British songwriter Eg White, she also contributed to "You Had Me."

Portishead's Beth Gibbon co-wrote "Killing Time" with Stone.

Other production and song-writing credits include:

Roots' drummer Ahmir "?uestlove" (pronounced "Questlove") Thompson considered a living link between the digital science of modern hip-hop and the flesh-and-blood textures of vintage R&B

Guitarist Nile Rodgers (previously with the 70s group, Chic)

Hip-hop trailblazer Salaam Remi (Kurtis Blow, The Fugees)

Fortunately, guitarist Willie "Little Beaver" Hale is back along with pianist Benny Latimore, vocalist/keyboardist Angie Stone, and organist Timmy Thomas.

Soul Sessions gave Joss an advantage," S-Curve president Steve Greenberg says. The former A&R rep added, "She didn't have to come out of nowhere."

For those who have been under a rock, and are not familiar with Joss Stone, imagine something with a voice reminiscent of Aretha Franklin which resides in the body of a seventeen year-old blonde from Britain.

As a child, Aretha Franklin's Greatest Hits was Stone's first album. She was so inspired by the music that she decided she wanted to be just like Aretha.

Stone's first CD, a number of old, mostly forgotten soul classics, served to introduce the blonde Brit to the music industry before the release of Mind Body & Soul, an album she started writing way back when she was fourteen.

"I wrote a couple of songs after Soul Sessions, but we had to re-record everything because my voice was changing so much (as I got older)," Stone said.

Mind Body & Soul takes inspiration from the genres of pop, soul, reggae, R&B and jazz.

Reggae influences permeate through Less Is More.

On "Spoiled," legendary Motown singer/songwriter/producer Lamont Dozier and his brother, Beau, collaborated with Stone.

Stone says working with the Dozier brothers on "Spoiled" was a special recording. "That was so great. That's my favorite song on the whole album. They're the best."

Adult R&B stations have already started playing "Spoiled."

The third song on her new album, however, called "You Had Me" may be the track most requested this new year as this single is already building airplay across the country. Last week, it was the most-played video on VH1.

On August 14, 2003, "You Had Me" was recorded in New York City with Nile Rodgers on guitar, Jack Daley on bass and Cindy Blackman on drums. It was the same night as the Great Eastern Blackout of 2003. Two seconds after completing the recording and hitting the save button on the computer, the lights went out in the studio. Betty Wright said, "You guys funked so hard, you blew the lights out!"

While "You Had Me" is considered "one for the girls," only a few of Stone's lyrics from her next dozen plus songs, can be called inspiring. Fortunately, the words have been turned into songs, and each one is a masterpiece.

"Security" is a bit of a plea to her man to live in the present. The sound has a more than a tinge of gospel in it.

Here is a taste:

On any clock upon the wall The time is always now So baby kiss the past goodbye Don't let the future blow your mind Just sit back and chill Take things as they come You can't be afraid To live for today I will be with you each step of the way

In "Understand" she sings:

I keep our song on repeat On my ipod, even when I sleep And in my dream I'm holding you Alone on an island just us two

"Sleep Like A Child" may become every new mother or father's lullaby.

The tenderness of the piano in the background coupled with Stone's soulful voice is one of my personal favorites.

So fall into sleep
Peaceful and deep
And may this journey help you fly
When you can't hold out much longer
Don't you cry
When the darkness is getting stronger
Sleep like a child
Peaceful and deep
And when you lay you down
I pray your soul to keep
Sleep like a child
Peaceful and deep
And I when you lay you down
I pray your soul to keep

You won't be alone
For I will not be denied
Under the darkest of skies
I'm gunna be by your side

Mind, Body & Soul's lyrics are powerful, personal and full of emotion.

If this new CD is half as good as Soul Sessions, you can consider a large part of your Christmas shopping already complete. Order one copy now, bookmark this page, and then come back and buy twenty, as I did last holiday season. You'll be a star among your family and friends...guaranteed.

On The Road

If you're looking to get a live taste of Stone, you'll have to go abroad. Internationally, Stone will promote her new album in Europe through year's end.

She will tour Japan and Australia starting in January.

U.S. tour plans have not yet taken shape. However, on September 28th, she will appear on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. On September 30th, set your TiVo to CBS' The Late Late Show.

On October 1st, Joss will appear on ABC's Good Morning America. At 7pm this Friday night, she will be at Borders in New York where she will perform and sign copies of her new CD.

On October 2nd, you can see her on CBS' Saturday Morning show. And on October 7th, she will appear on Ellen, The Ellen Degeneres Show.

A Concert DVD

In November, S-Curve Records will release a concert DVD of her New York appearance recorded earlier this year at Irving Plaza.

For Stone, "Mind Body & Soul" has been a labor of love down to the title of the album.

"We were trying to think of titles, and Steve and I could not agree on anything," she says. "We had so many ideas but none of them worked ... Steve e-mailed me the title 'Mind Body & Soul.'

"When I thought about it, it was the natural follow-up to 'Soul Sessions,"' Stone adds. "With that album, I was just giving you part of me, because those weren't my songs. That was just half of me. Someone's mind, body and soul is all of them, and this is all of me."

Her "all of me" gift offers you a range of sounds, moods, beats and rhythms that will give you soul, if you hadn't yet discovered you had it.

Joss & Company, you are already rock solid.

We look forward to getting a taste of "all of you." Getting part of you has been a privilege and pure pleasure.

Congratulations on your real debut!

To healthy, adventuresome, and Mind, Body & Soulful living.

~ Jennifer King , co-publisher, Rugged Elegant Living