LEROY RECORDS 2000
- Gin Soaked Boy
- Livin’ With The Blues
- Rhumba & Coke®
- Sinful
- Messin’ Around With The Blues
- Tell ‘em I’m Broke
- Satan’s Shoes
- Cadillac Jack
- Looks Like Rain
- River’s Invitation
- Come Home Little Girl
- Mother Earth
- Kill My Love
” I wanted to have a mix. When I said it’d be a blues album, I meant it. As far as the track list, that comes later. A lot of the stuff was written when we walked into the studio; I’d request a tempo, make up an arrangement, play, and the first take would be a “feel your way through”. The style started the whole thing… ”
Southside Johnny (USAToday – LiveChat)
CREDITS
Harp & Vocals: Southside Johnny
Guitar: Bobby Bandiera
Drums: Chuckie Burke
Bass: Garry W. Tallent
Keyboards: Jeff Kazee
Tenor Sax: Joey Stann
Trombone: Richard LaBamba Rosenberg
Alto&Bariton Sax: Ed Manion
Trumpets: Chris Anderson and Mark Pender
Second Guitar on “Cadillac Jack”: Kevin Gordon
Background Vocals on “Satan’s Shoes” and “Cadillac Jack”: Britt Savage and Sheila Lawrence
Congas: Rick Schell
De’Baccanalia Sounds on “Tell ‘em I’m Broke”: The Destin-ations
Ba’Groun Vocals on “Mother Earth”: The Slurr Brothers
Accordion: Steve Conn
Washboard: Paul Griffith
Engineered by: Tim Coats
Mastering: Chris Milford at Chelsea Studios
Recorded at: Moondog Studios, Nashville, Tennessee and Bonjovi Studios, New Jersey
Design: Bob Delevante
Photography: Lee Blankenship
Art Coordinatior: Michelle Paponetti
Collage Photos: Bob Delorenzo, Michelle Paponetti and Bob Rosenfeld
Project Coordinator: John Burlaga
Management: Bill Durburrow
Booking: Barry Weisblatt for Renegade Touring
Messin’ With The Blues – Photography: Lee Blankenship
REVIEW
Southside Johnny – Messin’ With The Blues & The Asbury Jukes
Old, new, borrowed and blues… a perfect way to introduce Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes’ brand new CD, “Messin’ With The Blues”.
Comprising thirteen songs and an intermission, the CD features covers from artists like Memphis Slim (“Messing Around With The Blues” and “Mother Earth”), Percy Mayfield (“River’s Invitation”), Tom Waits (“Gin Soaked Boy”) and Kevin Gordon (“Cadillac Jack’s # 1 Son”). There’s also a composition by Garry Tallent and Henry Gross (“Sinful”), a couple of Southside Johnny Lyon original songs that were written some time ago plus the ones he wrote during the recording process.
Describing the overall musical genre of the album Johnny said in a recent interview, “This is a record heavily influenced by my love for blues. But it is not a CD of 13 slow songs. There are some raucous, rocking R&B tracks here as well. We cover a lot of ground as far as musical styles go, but it all is based on the blues.”
This is very definitely a Jukes album and features the undisputed talents of Bobby Bandiera (lead guitar), Jeff Kazee (keys), Joey Stan (saxophone), Chris Anderson (trumpet), Eddie Manion (saxophone), Richie “La Bamba” Rosenberg (trombone) and Mark “The Lung Man” Pender (trumpet). Some new leaves emerging on the Jukes Family Tree include Chucki Burke (drums), Steve Conn (accordion) and Paul Griffith (washboard).
It’s been a long time since the release of “Better Days” so what inspired Johnny to get back into the recording studio? “It’s been 8 years since the last record. I went through some bad times and really wanted never to record again. If you’re not in good mental shape, the studio is a torture chamber, as it was during the making of ‘Trash It Up.’ Happily, after I moved to Nashville, I met some of the best people I have ever known, and I started to come out of my funk. And then there was Garry nagging at me. We had talked for years about making a record together and now seemed the time. He had finished up his last producing project, and had some free time. Of course, as soon as we got really involved, Bruce decided to tour with the E-Streeters! I think he was afraid of the competition. That bum!”
Produced by Garry Tallent and engineered by Tim Coats, “Messin’ With The Blues” was recorded mainly at Garry’s “Moon Dog” studios in Nashville but the horns were added at John Bon Jovi’s home studios in New Jersey. The tracks are listed in a tongue-in-cheek “Side One” and “Side Two” format coupled with a unique, light-hearted approach to the standard unlawful copying statement: “oh, do whatever the hell you want…” sayeth the instructions!
When asked if he had a favourite track on the album Johnny said, “I can’t really say I have a single favorite. The thing I like most about this record is its tone. Garry knew that I wanted to try and capture the mood of all the classic blues I grew up listening to without it sounding like an academic exercise or a note-for-note recapitulation of some old 45. We did this by just letting the band play… no long rehearsals, not a lot of takes (3 at most) and a minimum of overdubbing. Some of the songs were just the germ of an idea, maybe a rhythm pattern or some chord changes, when we walked in the studio. Everyone contributed, and with musicians of this caliber who understand what you’re trying to do, well… good things happen.”
The musical and verbal spontaneity that feature throughout the CD stands testament to that and although there are no formal liner notes, Johnny has provided us with some wonderfully detailed anecdotes that explain his reasons for including each of the cover songs that appear on the album. Find his complete “interview” at SOUTHSIDEJOHNNY.ORG
“Messin’ With The Blues” is available online as well as at Jukes’ shows and hopefully, it will also find its way into some stores – full details will be made known on his Website as soon as they are available.
Speaking about the Internet and its uses Johnny said, “I think the Internet is a godsend for artists like me who don’t want to deal with record companies. It gives us a chance to reach all of the people who are or were fans, and it also is a great conduit to those who haven’t heard what we do. I also like the Napster idea. Who says rock stars have to all be millionaires, anyway? Isn’t it enough to spend a life making music? All the money in the world can’t buy you that feeling you get on stage, whether in a club in Jersey or in Wembley Stadium, when everything is right and the band and the audience are in sync. It’s… indescribable.”
Copyright (c) Maggie Powell 2000