Longtime Bonamassa collaborator
Kevin Shirley is once again on production duties, alongside engineering from Abbey Road's
Christopher Parker, and assistance from
Marta Di Nozzi. The record also features Bonamassa’s touring band - bassist
Michael Rhodes, drummer
Anton Fig and keyboardist
Reese Wynans. The bluesman’s collaborators on
Royal Tea were also of British rock royalty, with former
Whitesnake guitarist
Bernie Marsden, ex-Cream lyricist
Pete Brown and celebrated pianist
Jools Holland all lending a hand to the writing process.
Royal Tea began via a 2018 conversation with Marsden and Brown when the guitarist was contributing to an
Acoustic Cream album, playing
Sunshine of Your Love to with the late
Cream drummer
Ginger Baker. Before he left, however, Marsden and Brown pitched the
Royal Tea idea to Bonamassa.