LEROY RECORDS 2002
- Passion Street
- Baby Don’t Lie
- Leaving Behind
- Gladly Go Blind
- She’s Still In Love
- Lost In The Night
- No Easy Way Down
- Somebody To Love You
- I Can’t Dance
- Change For You Baby
- Lost
- I’ll Be Strong
- I Won’t Sing
- Tired Skin
[ BUY ONLINE ]
DESTINATION JUKESVILLE: SOUTHSIDE’S SOUL CRUSADE
BACKSTREETS MAGAZINE – BY MIKE SAUNDERS – SEPTEMBER 2002
In the late winter and early spring of 2002, one of New Jersey’s homegrown musical heroes recorded a new album with his famous band. It was quickly mixed, mastered and released in the summer to widespread acclaim. It’s a familiar story, but I’m not talking about “The Rising” here. I’m referring instead to “Going to Jukesville,” the brand new album by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.
Reflecting the various Soul styles Southside loved when he was growing up, this 55-minute, back-to-basics collection features an exhilarating blend of Southside’s patented world-weary, whisky-seasoned lead vocals, swirling Hammond organ, a series of memorable hooks, persistent riffs, infectious rhythms and more horns than Manhattan in the rush hour.
“Man the barricades! Batten down the hatches! Call your lawyer or better yet, stuff yer ears with cotton! The new Jukes CD is actually, really, like, totally finished!” joked Southside on his official website. “That low moaning sound you hear is music fans the world over sobbing in relief with the knowledge that their long, lonely wait is finally over. A real honest-to-Betsy JUKES record. With horns on every Goddam song. Horns, horns and more horns. Fresh from slaving over a steaming 24-track Studer recording device, I’m here to tell ya, this new hunk-o-plastic is about as Jukified as it can get without it being confiscated by the authorities.”
Work on “Jukesville” commenced at Jon Bon Jovi’s home studio in New Jersey in late February and was completed at The Loft in Bronxville, NY. Produced by Southside and long-time collaborator Matt Noble, the album was officially launched on June 29 at the band’s concert at Trump Marina in Atlantic City. “Jukesville” features the current band line-up (Bobby Bandiera – guitar; Louie Appel – drums; Muddy Shews – bass; Jeff Kazee – keyboards; La Bamba – trombone; Mark Pender – trumpet; Chris Anderson – trumpet; Joey Stann – tenor sax and Ed Manion – baritone sax) plus guest backing vocalists Lisa Lowell and Soozie Tyrell, who (together with Patti Scialfa) originally sang with the Jukes during the “Love is a Sacrifice” period in 1980/81.
“The finished recording [hearkens back] to the classic Juke sound. Lots of horns. Soul music-driven rock and roll,” said keyboard player Jeff Kazee, adding: “Mr Lyon’s distinctive rasp figures in a bit as well. Johnny, Bobby Bandiera and myself all chipped in a few tunes, rounded out with a couple uncovered covers.” In fact, Southside wrote or co-wrote eight of the album’s fourteen songs, including the bouncy opener “Passion Street,” the driving “Baby Don’t Lie,” the bittersweet “I Won’t Sing” and the humorous “I Can’t Dance,” which namechecks Garry Tallent, the Upstage Club, Archie Bell and the Drells, the Cadillacs, the Vibrations, the Temptations and “all the ‘ations!’”
While probably best known for belting out raucous R&B tunes, Southside is equally at home performing emotional ballads and there are several powerful examples of this on “Jukesville,” from Scottish songwriter Frankie Miller’s “Gladly Go Blind,” Goffin and King’s “No Easy Way Down” and Alejandro Escovedo’s “Tired Skin” to Jeff Kazee’s “Lost” and Southside’s own “I Will Be Strong,” which features one of the finest vocal performances you’ll hear this year.
The Jukes are currently on the road and will remain there for the foreseeable future, performing the new material for audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. Having spent the spring and summer touring Florida, the Midwest and the east coast, the band will travel to Colorado, Arizona and California for a series of concerts in September. A 15-date UK tour is booked for the following month and selected dates on the European mainland are currently being pencilled in for November, including the band’s first appearances in Scandinavia for nine years.
Between Jukes gigs, Southside, Bobby Bandiera and Jeff Kazee have been promoting “Jukesville” with a series of radio interviews and live acoustic sessions. On August 17, they appeared on long-term admirer Vin Scelsa’s “Idiots Delight” show on WFUV-FM. Scelsa, who played nine songs from the album on his July 6 show, described it as: “A very solid collection of songs. A spirited performance by John and the band. There’s a lightness in John’s voice, a smile, a sense of humour twinkling throughout. This album ranks right up there with his best work.”
In this post 9/11 world, we all need a little musical healing. In “The Rising,” Bruce provides it by exploring life in the aftermath of tragedy and passing on a message of hope in an album which raises the spirits and often reveals Gospel influences. On “Jukesville,” Southside has compiled an uplifting collection of songs about love lost and found, rooted in traditional Soul styles, which will simultaneously move your heart and make you want to punch the air in triumph.
Although both albums are fine recordings by artists at the top of their game, they have very different commercial destinies. It’s inevitable that “The Rising” (album and tour) will cast a long shadow over “Jukesville” and Southside’s related activities, so it’s important that the album gets a fair hearing. While Bruce receives maximum publicity from the Sony machine, these days Southside largely relies on the internet and word-of-mouth to promote his music. He’d probably be the first to say that he doesn’t need the hassle, but in a perfect world, “Jukesville” would occupy premium Billboard space from coast to coast and be available in all good record stores.
It’s too early to say where “Jukesville” will eventually fit in the big picture. It’s arguably the most confident and consistent album that Southside has made without the production and songwriting assistance of Little Steven. Given the highly positive reaction it has received so far, it looks certain to occupy a prominent position in a future all-time Jukes Top Five. “Jukesville” has an irresistible freshness and vitality, a spontaneous feel (complete with false starts and outbursts of laughter), a sense of humour (how many songs do you know that include the word “prestidigitation”?) and many fine performances, both collective and individual, that demand and deserve your attention.
And did I mention those horns?
Copyright (c) 2002, Mike Saunders – all rights reserved
THE CO-WRITERS
If someone asks about the co-writers of the original songs on the new album, here’s what we know about them:
Obviously, we’ll leave out anything written by Lyon, Bandiera and/or Kazee, because we all know who THEY are.
The other co-writers are:
Matt Noble, Gary Nicholson, Keith Reid (who wrote most of Procul Harum’s material with lead singer Gary Brooker), Dennis Locorriere (a founder member of Dr Hook & the Medicine Show), Leroy Preston (a founder member of Asleep At The Wheel)
None of these guys have any direct Jukes connection as such. They’re all Nashville- based songwriters and musicians who Southside has collaborated with over the past 10 years or so, during his time visiting, or living in, the city.
Some of these Nashville names first cropped up on “Better Days” way back in 1991 – Leroy Preston and Dennis Locorriere co-wrote “The Right To Walk Away”. Locorriere later recorded it himself for his 2000 album “Out Of The Dark,” which coincidentally also includes his version of “Passion Street,” now featured on the new Jukes album.
More of these guys appeared on “Ruff Stuff” in 1995 and both “More Ruff Stuff” and “Messin’ With The Blues” in 2000. Garry Nicholson co-wrote “Time Is Running Wild” with Southside and Garry Tallent, while Matt Noble co-wrote “I Talk To The Night,” “Blue Radio,” “King Of The Night,” “Christmas Is For Everyone” and “Living With The Blues” with Southside. In conjunction with Keith Reid and Southside, he also wrote “99 Degrees.”
Then there are the covers: “Gladly Go Blind,” a song by Scottish rock/soul/R&B singer (and occasional actor) Frankie Miller, which was included on his 1986 album “Dancing In The Rain”. The Jukes included it in their live shows occasionally in 1995.
“Somebody To Love You” is a Delbert McClinton song, which he co-wrote with Gary Nicholson. McClinton himself hadn’t released it when SJ first recorded his demo, but he eventually put it out on his CD “One Of The Fortunate Few” in 1997. Southside explained in one of his Jives that he held off recording or releasing it himself at the time for this reason.
“No Easy Way Down” is a cover of a song by the legendary team of Gerry Goffin and Carole King. It’s been covered by (among others) Scott Walker, Barbra Streisand, Mark Eitzel (ex American Music Club) and Dusty Springfield (on her famous 1969 album “Dusty In Memphis”).
Finally, “Tired Skin” is written by Alejandro Escovedo and originally appeared on his 1996 CD “With These Hands”. The Jukes have been performing it on and off for the past three years or so.
I think that pretty much covers it. All that remains to be seen is exactly when the album’s original songs were written. It’s possible that anything co-written with the Nashville writers may date back to the mid-90s, as everything on both “Ruff Stuff” CDs does. Then again, it could all be recent. Watch this space.
Copyright (c) 2002, Mike Saunders – all rights reserved
CREDITS
Da JUKES is:
Southside Johnny – Vocals & Harp
Bobby Bandiera – Acoustic &
Electric Guitars
Jeff Kazee – Keyboards
Louie Appel – Drums
Muddy Shews – Bass
Ed Manion – Baritone Sax
Joey Stan – Tenor Sax
Richie “La Bamba” Rosenberg – Trombone
Mark Pender – Trumpet
Chris Anderson – Trumpet
Basic Tracks Recorded at
SANCTUARY II. by Mike Rew
Assistant Engineer: Ken Bengoa
Facilitator: Tim Holland
(Thanks, John)
Except “I Can’t Dance” and
“Lost In The Night” – Recorded at STUDIO 900 by Joe Johnson,
Assistant Engineer: Paul Clemens
Additional Recording and Mix
at THE LOFT by Matt Noble
Thanks to Al, Carl & Evan, Andrea, Veronica, Rousseau
“Tired Skin” Trumpet solo:
Chris Anderson
Chick Singers:
Lisa Lowell and Soozie Tyrell
Background Vocals:
Random Jukes
Percussion:
Geoffrey Mattumbo DeLyon
Horn Arrangements:
Chris Anderson
Executive Assistant Co-Producer / Engineer and Pro Tools Honcho: Roy Matthews
Produced by Southside
and Matt Noble
Album Design and Artwork:
Michelle Paponetti
Management: Bill Durburrow bill@southsidejohnny.org
Booking Agent: Barry Weisblatt barry@southsidejohnny.org
Southside would like to thank the couches of Jill, Phil and Vassileia
and Sophia.