SHARON JONES & THE DAP
KINGS - Naturally [RELEASE DATE: 5/2/2025]

This item is a pre-order. It will ship or be available for pickup near the street date. Some items do not arrive at our offices until near the release date, so please expect that pre-orders will NOT arrive by release date. For any orders that contain pre-orders, all items will be held until every item from the order is available to ship. 

The splatter 2xLP variant is limited to 300 copies and is exclusive to the Colemine & Plaid Room webstores.

2005’s Naturally was a pivotal moment in the history of soul music. The album has sold over 200,000 copies, with hit singles “How Long Do I Have to Wait” and “This Land is Your Land” streaming in the hundreds of millions—staggering figures for a wholly independent release.  It was also the genesis for the Dap-Kings’ collaboration with Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse, the fruits of which having a lasting, indelible influence on soul, R&B and pop music in general. 

Up to this point, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings had yet to reach an audience outside of dingy, hole-in-the-wall clubs, dive bars, and underground DJ parties, attended by only the most in-the-know. This was the scene where the band began to flourish, developing the sound that would forever alter the musical landscape and set a lofty new bar for what could be considered real-deal soul music. 

Recording for Naturally began in 2004 and holds the distinction of being the first Daptone session at the renowned "House of Soul”—a recording studio handbuilt by Sharon and the rest of the Daptone family in a two story rental in Bushwick, Brooklyn. (Sharon famously tackled much of the electrical wiring herself.) 

One rainy night, just after tracking, drummer Homer Steinweiss gave bassist and producer Gabe Roth (Bosco Mann) a ride home. As they cruised down Troutman Street between Bushwick and Broadway they hit a common hazard in the five boroughs: a rather deep pothole, which triggered the airbag, blowing out the windshield and Gabe’s eyes in the process. Blinded, bleeding from his eyes, nose and mouth, they rushed Roth to the hospital where he spent several weeks, unsure if he’d regain his sight. Sharon and the band rallied behind Roth, visiting often, bringing him home-cooked food, and even making jokes about how it was a shame he couldn’t see how beautiful his doctor was. As he laid in darkness, anxious to get back into the studio to complete the record, he found solace in listening to rough mixes on his walkman. His sight did come back, but permanent damage to his pupils would require him to forever don his iconic shades in any setting brighter than candle light. 

Around this time, the Dap-Kings were really coming into their own as a band. With years of relentless, econoline-style touring under their belt, and the additions of Tommy “TNT” Brenneck (Diamond West Records, Menahan Street Band, Charles Bradley) on guitar, and Dave Guy (The Roots, Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon) on trumpet, the group was not only the flagship group on Daptone Records, but also the very foundation upon which the label would build their empire.

Naturally altered the musical landscape of the era, eclipsing imitators and the soulfully challenged, wholesale. It made Daptone a household name, helped open doors for many musicians and family who have gone on to do remarkable things, and sparked a renaissance that is still vibrating today. A testament to Sharon Jones’ legacy as the undisputed, reigning Queen of heavyweight soul. 

Looking back on the seminal sessions and life-changing event, Gabe Roth reflects on some of the standout tracks on the album.