Tank has enjoyed a pretty strong career. The R&B singer is a long way from his roots hawking tickets at Union Station in Washington, D.C. 17 years ago. While riding to Tank’s new album, Stronger, you can’t stop bobbing your head and snapping your fingers. This is no church girl music.
During a private luncheon at Maggiano’s in Atlanta’s Buckhead community, Tank spoke with rolling out about his new album, the best concert ever and which producer had quite a bit of influence on this project.
This album is different than many of our previous releases.
Yes it’s different – happier, way more tempo. I felt we were missing those exciting singles [Tank breaks out singing the verse from the Gap Band’s lively hit single “Outstanding”].
And those Maze featuring Frankie Beverly moments, that fun music you play at the barbecues and the family reunions where everyone is there to have a good time –line dancing or forming a Soul Train line.
I am in a happy place in life and it transferred into the music [effortlessly]. When I walked in the studio, I was feeling good. [I wanted to hear] the music that let me know the sun was shining … that music that confirmed everything I pray for is coming true.
Sonically, when you go through my album, you’ll hear Michael Jackson’s “Heartbreak Hotel,” Rick James’ disco moments and James Brown funk moments. If you hear it on the album and it reminds you of something its because I wanted to make the correlation between the music that I was raised on to what I am doing now.
What is the most memorable tour you’ve been a part of?
It was the 1997 Budweiser SuperFest with Mary J. Blige, Ginuwine, Aaliyah, Dru Hill and Bone Thugs & Harmony … the best tour ever.
It was the last great moment for R&B. The fans were different … the energy and the screams. When the artists came onstage, there was pandemonium. It’s when R&B was selling 2-3 million records like it was nothing and selling out arenas. As a background singer and singing a couple leads at times when Ginuwine would shout me out, I remember it was a great time for R&B music. Even my laminate had super powers back then. The girls would scream, “Oh my God, you sing with Ginuwine?”
Which producers did you work with on this album?
Jerry Wonder is the main producer. He set it off. The first song I had was “You’re My Star” and the second song I had was a missile. I wanted to hold that missile; it was “Hope This Makes You Love Me.” I played it for a few people and I had people trying to buy the song … someone tried to give me a Lamborghini. I only had those two songs when I walked in Jerry Wonder’s studio. He played four tracks in a row for me, and today all four of those tracks are on my album.
What is your favorite song on this album?
If I am riding, “Nobody Better” because I am so in love with that Morris Day & The Time, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Prince, Straight Ahead funk. When I was developing as a drummer, it was what I used to play.
