Eric Gales – “Don’t Wanna Go Home” feat. Joe Bonamassa 2025 Review | A Tribute to LJK Album Preview

Eric Gales has dropped a sizzling new single, “Don’t Wanna Go Home,” featuring the legendary Joe Bonamassa, released today, July 30, 2025. This electrifying track serves as the latest offering from his powerful and moving album A Tribute to LJK, a homage to his late brother Manuel Gales (aka Little Jimmy King), set for digital release on August 29, 2025, and physical release on October 24, 2025, via Provogue. Featuring an all-star lineup including Buddy Guy, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Roosevelt Collier, and Josh Smith, this album is poised to be a blues-rock milestone.

A Slinky Groove with Firepower

“Don’t Wanna Go Home” bursts with an infectious, slinky groove, its disco-infused beat rocking the chorus and a thunderous solo showcasing Gales’ and Bonamassa’s fretboard mastery. Inspired by Little Jimmy King’s 1997 track from Soldier For The Blues, this rendition is a swaggering anthem about living it up with a paycheck. Bonamassa steps out of the control room for a stinging middle solo, while Gales takes the ride-out, both wielding rare Les Pauls. Gales notes, “That may be the most rocking song on the album. Me and Joe looked at each other and I told him, ‘Man, I think this is the one you should be on.’ And he said, ‘Hey man, let’s do it.’” Watch the lyric video here and the official video here.

This single follows the album’s first release, “Somebody,” featuring Buddy Guy and Roosevelt Collier. Gales, who joined Guy on his farewell tour in June, credits his wife LaDonna for the collaboration idea: “She said, ‘I think you should see if Buddy is available. We don’t know how much time any of us has.’ He knew my brother, and they played together, so it was easy for him to agree.”

A Tribute to LJK: Roots and Reverence

A Tribute to LJK is a thrillingly modern record that nods to Gales’ Memphis roots and his brother’s legacy. Co-produced by Bonamassa and Josh Smith, the album features ten explosive covers of Manuel’s originals, opened by a poignant spoken-word intro from Manuel’s twin, Danuel Gales. Recorded in 2023 at Metronome Studios in Nottingham with engineer Alistair Harris and drum assistance from Jak Perkins (Evil Scarecrow), the tracks were remastered by the band’s in-house producer Noah, infusing new life.

Gales reflects, “I wanted it to be the ultimate tribute to my late brother… to keep his memory alive and make sure people remember who he was and still is. All of these songs, except one, are his originals. I wanted to deliver his tunes to the world through my eyes. And I wanted it to be badass—and that’s exactly how it turned out.” The album bridges past and present, with Manuel’s spirit alive in every note.

A Family Legacy in Blues

Growing up in a musical Memphis household as the youngest of five, Gales idolized Manuel, ten years his senior, who toured with Albert King and led Little Jimmy King & the Memphis Soul Survivors. While Manuel blazed his trail, Eric and sibling Eugene signed to Elektra Records at 15, releasing The Eric Gales Band in 1991. This album marks Gales’ proudest moment, honoring Manuel, who passed in 2002, with an all-star cast tied to the blues ecosystem.

Don’t miss this soul-stirring journey—stream “Don’t Wanna Go Home” today and prepare for A Tribute to LJK this August.

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