The Third Degree | CD review by Maggie Woods

“Crowned the hit song of last year,
Duffy’s timeless pop classic Mercy
has been recorded again, but this
time by The Third Degree and with
the genuine Sixties soul sound the
track deserves...”

A RACY LITTLE NUMBER from way back when, Mercy has been given a fresh and addictive makeover by The Third Degree with heavy doses of authentic retro soul / jazz.

Featuring big heavy horns, a driving funky beat and a crisp and clear soulful vocal, it what Mark Ronson would have wanted to have done and possibly what Duffy should have done. Originally released by iconic East London label Acid Jazz as a strictly limited edition 7-inch single in March (2009), the record hit number two in the Indie charts before being picked up by the Tri-Sound team as their debut release.

Tri-Sound Records is the new label founded to showcase the best in contemporary soul music and this modern take on a classic sound encapsulates the ethos of the label.

Mercy picked up key support from Radio 2, 6Music and BBC London on its initial release and a promotional video is currently in the works for its Tri-Sound release.

It's certainly toe-tapping stuff that echoes in your mind long after the final notes have died away. Superb vocals on a bed of musical verve, The Third Degree also serves up an instrumental version and Greg Wilson's extended mix for dessert. A satisfying end to a flavoursome feast.

The UK campaign kicked off on 26 May (2009) with an exclusive on Spotify. A free download of Mercy was available to Premium subscribers for a two-week period and from 29 June the three-track CD featuring single, extended and instrumental versions became available, with a download version available from 8 June.

• The Third Degree's Mercy is released on CD on 29 June (2009). Tri-Sound is currently lining up further releases this year and more details are to be announced.

Tracklisting

1 Mercy | 2 Mercy Instrumental | 3 Greg Wilson's Extended Mix

"The Third Degree's Mercy… toe-tapping stuff that echoes in your mind long after the final notes have died away" — Maggie Woods, MotorBar

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