The Wall Street Journal-20080112-WEEKEND JOURNAL- Picks -- Hit List - Seal- The veteran singer-songwriter on the music that influenced his sound
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WEEKEND JOURNAL; Picks -- Hit List / Seal: The veteran singer-songwriter on the music that influenced his sound
Grammy-winning pop star Seal, whose given name is Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel, is famous for his 1990s radio hits like "Kiss From a Rose" and "Crazy." The London-born musician, who is married to model and "Project Runway" star Heidi Klum, says he first performed when prompted by an instructor at a parent-teacher event at age 11. Seal recently released his fifth studio album, "System," his first in more than four years. He says his style -- described by critics as a fusion of pop, R&B and rock -- was influenced by the records he listened to when he was a young adult. Below, some of the music that contributed to his artistic development.
Dionne Warwick, 'Here I Am' (1966)
Seal's mother, a wig maker, often listened to classic R&B artists like Dionne Warwick while she worked. "She was probably my earliest musical influence," says Seal of Ms. Warwick, whose music he describes as "really sophisticated pop music." His favorite track from the album is "Lookin' With My Eyes."
Jimi Hendrix, 'Axis: Bold as Love' (1967)
"It shook my world up," says Seal of The Jimi Hendrix Experience's second album, which was released shortly after their wildly successful first record, "Are You Experienced?" Seal says the track he enjoys the most on this album is "Castles Made of Sand."
Crosby, Stills and Nash, 'Crosby, Stills & Nash' (1969)
The band (which later would occasionally include Neil Young) introduced their folk-rock sound on this debut album. Seal says the standout tracks for him are "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" and "Wooden Ships." The band has "just an incredible sense of harmonies."
Marvin Gaye, 'What's Going On' (1971)
Seal says Marvin Gaye and Frank Sinatra are the "tone kings" of music for their beautiful voices. "They didn't have to sing a lot of notes," he says. Mr. Gaye, a Motown recording artist, "could just hold one note and you could hear his life story."
Stevie Wonder, 'Innervisions' (1973)
This Motown album is one of the greatest of all time, says Seal. When he first heard the record, which includes hits like "Higher Ground," Seal was in his early 20s. "It made me understand what was possible and what you could do" with music, he says.
