Personnel

• Written by Abbott/Gledhill
• Produced by MiNI dOG
• Performed by The Dap-Kings, David Gledhill, Tracey Wilkinson, Eddie Hick, Matt Abbott
• Mixed by MiNI dOG, except for tracks 3, 5, 8, 9 and 11 which were mixed by Jeremy Wheatley
• Engineered by Ewan Davies and Richard Woodcraft
• Mastered by Tim Young
• Artwork designed by Nathan McGrory

Recording and production

After signing a deal with Mercury Records

Mercury Records

Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...

, the duo were flown out to New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 to begin recording with legendary soul

Soul music

Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...

 session band The Dap-Kings

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings are a funk/soul band. They are signed to Daptone Records, where the Dap-Kings are the house band. They are spearheads of a revivalist movement that aims to capture the essence of funk/soul music as it was at its height in the mid-1960s to mid-1970s...

 at their studio in Brooklyn

Brooklyn

Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...

. Additional work was added at their home studio in Sheffield

Sheffield

Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...

 before sessions were completed at RAK Studios

RAK studios

RAK Studios are located near Regents Park in central London. The Studios were created by Mickie Most in late 1976 and they have been host to the recording of a number of artists for over three decades.- Artists recorded at RAK :All info from artist list....

 in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

.

The album was produced

Record producer

A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...

 by MiNI dOG, which allowed Skint & Demoralised to retain full creative control. As well as the authentic sounds of The Dap-Kings, a full orchestra was recorded for tracks 6 and 12.

On the original full-length promotional copy that was distributed in 2009 - the reason for the album 'leaking' heavily on Illegal file sharing sites - there were spoken word

Spoken word

Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....

 interludes included on the track-listing. These included Abbott's distinctive poems

Poetry

Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...

, although they were removed from the official 2011 release.

Critical reception

The album never received its official release during the promotional cycle

Promotion (marketing)

Promotion is one of the four elements of marketing mix . It is the communication link between sellers and buyers for the purpose of influencing, informing, or persuading a potential buyer's purchasing decision....

 in 2008 and 2009, although the band received high critical praise around this time. A full-page feature in the Sunday Times Culture Magazine

The Sunday Times

The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...

 highlighted their popularity amongst broadsheet journalists. They were tipped for success across the board, including a feature in The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...

at the start of 2009.