SuperHeavy is a supergroup consisting of Mick Jagger, Joss Stone, Dave Stewart, A. R. Rahman, and Damian Marley . Stone and Stewart have collaborated in the past with Jagger.
Jagger said of the band, "We wanted a convergence of different musical styles... We were always overlapping styles, but they were nevertheless separate". Jagger wanted SuperHeavy to showcase different musical styles, with music ranging from reggae to ballads to Indian genre.
The existence of "SuperHeavy" was secret until May 2011. On 20 May 2011, English musician and the lead vocalist of rock band The Rolling Stones Mick Jagger announced its formation. Super Heavy was Dave Stewart's idea. Inspired by the sounds washing into his home in St Ann's Bay, Jamaica, Stewart urged Mick Jagger to fuse their sound with that of Indian orchestras. Stewart and Mick had mutual liking for Indian orchestrations; thus, A. R. Rahman was added to the supergroup. The name of the band, SuperHeavy is said to be inspired by Muhammad Ali.
In early 2009, Mick Jagger, A. R. Rahman, Dave Stewart, Joss Stone and Damian Marley experimented at Jim Henson Studios in Los Angeles, trying to "write songs which had meaning", during which they recorded 29 songs in 10 days.
SuperHeavy is rounded out by Marley's rhythm section of bassist/composer Shiah Coore and drummer Courtney Diedrick along with a longtime Stewart collaborator, rock violinist Ann Marie Calhoun.
The group began recording their self-titled debut album in early 2009 when Jagger, Stewart, Stone, Marley and Rahman experimented at a studio in Los Angeles, trying to "write songs which had meaning". They recorded about 35 hours of music with some songs originally lasting "an hour and 10 minutes" before they were whittled down.
The album was previewed at Jim Henson Studios, Los Angeles, on 30 June 2011. The band played eight of the recorded songs at the event.
Their debut single, "Miracle Worker", released on 6 July received mostly positive reviews. Mick Jagger sings in sanskrit on "Satyameva Jayathe" ("truth alone triumphs"), the second single released on 9 August, 2011. Composed by Rahman, the song also features Dave Stewart, Joss Stone and Damian Marley.
Band members: Mick Jagger - Vocals, Guitar A. R. Rahman - Vocals, Piano, Synthesizer, Guitar, Bass, Percussion, String Arrangement. Joss Stone - Vocals Damian Marley - Vocals Dave Stewart - Guitar, Backing Vocals Ann Marie Calhoun - Violin Shiah Coore - Bass Courtney Diedrick - Drums
