Rowdy Good Times. Possibly the first Country and Western "Concept Album". (Concept meaning all songs are connected with a common theme. Most CDs contain collections of unrelated songs). But how did it come to pass?
It was summer of 2008. I had begun writing lyrics after a hiatus of 12 years. Once I married Diane I focused my energies pushing the boulder up the corporate hill. But I kept a folder with all my lyrics. One of them made the cut for "Rowdy Good Times". The tune is "Say I Do" which was written for Diane before we were married.
In 2008 I wrote a song called "$1.30 Wine". This was about a bad experience from my youth with rotgut wine. "That cheap and purple kind, drive you outta your mind, $1.30 wine". It was my first new song in 12 years. Showing the lyrics to good friend and blues guitarist Chris Russo he was impressed enough to suggest he introduce me to a close friend who was a composer. This close friend was the legendary guitarist-producer-composer Jamie Glaser.
I submitted "She Loves Her Daddy" to Jamie as our first co-write. I was proud of the lyric and on a dark road between Prescott and Sedona my cellphone rang. It was Jamie Glaser. This was my first conversation with him and after initial salutations we discussed my lyric. That night began my education on the craft of writing songs. Jamie pointed out flaws and made suggestions. He asked me to polish the lyric and re-submit it. I did and within a week our first song and demo was completed. We repeated this process again and again. Over time we have created a sizable body of work. I pitched songs through "Pluggers" and other music industry avenues. The intent was to have a major artist record our songs. Frustration hit the low point with "The Bottle Finished Me." I was told this type of song was not done anymore in country and western music. I decided not to be discouraged and continued writing songs with Jamie.
On Aug. 20, 2010 Jamie called and proposed making me the artist. After discussing this with my wife Diane, I contacted Jamie and let him know that I would do it. We had to work out two major details: first, find a time that fit everyones schedule; second, which songs to select for the project, because we had built a sizable body of work. My belief is "write what you know", all my songs are gleaned from personal experience. The concept of "Rowdy Good Times" came into my mind. The songs were selected and sequenced to tell a story. Beginning with patriotism "America I Love You," disfunctional upbringing "Daddy Drank the Rent," to the sacrifice and trauma of military service "Can't Go Back to Lubbock." The work then touches on Rowdy Living "Texas Honky Tonk Nights" finding true love "Say I Do" and "Love this Day Away." Culminating with the consequences of hard living and poor choices "The Bottle Finished Me" and "Whiskey Row Waltz." The Finale of the Cd is the toe tapping "Rowdy Good Times." Now the concept and story where complete.
On May 12th 2011, the "Rowdy Good Times" vocal sessions were recorded at the Brunson Brothers recording studio in Provo, Utah. Jamie then mastered the recordings at Lucky Recording Studio.
I thank God for the inspiritation for this cd and his directing me to Jamie Glaser. We present to you all "Rowdy Good Times",
It was summer of 2008. I had begun writing lyrics after a hiatus of 12 years. Once I married Diane I focused my energies pushing the boulder up the corporate hill. But I kept a folder with all my lyrics. One of them made the cut for "Rowdy Good Times". The tune is "Say I Do" which was written for Diane before we were married.
In 2008 I wrote a song called "$1.30 Wine". This was about a bad experience from my youth with rotgut wine. "That cheap and purple kind, drive you outta your mind, $1.30 wine". It was my first new song in 12 years. Showing the lyrics to good friend and blues guitarist Chris Russo he was impressed enough to suggest he introduce me to a close friend who was a composer. This close friend was the legendary guitarist-producer-composer Jamie Glaser.
I submitted "She Loves Her Daddy" to Jamie as our first co-write. I was proud of the lyric and on a dark road between Prescott and Sedona my cellphone rang. It was Jamie Glaser. This was my first conversation with him and after initial salutations we discussed my lyric. That night began my education on the craft of writing songs. Jamie pointed out flaws and made suggestions. He asked me to polish the lyric and re-submit it. I did and within a week our first song and demo was completed. We repeated this process again and again. Over time we have created a sizable body of work. I pitched songs through "Pluggers" and other music industry avenues. The intent was to have a major artist record our songs. Frustration hit the low point with "The Bottle Finished Me." I was told this type of song was not done anymore in country and western music. I decided not to be discouraged and continued writing songs with Jamie.
On Aug. 20, 2010 Jamie called and proposed making me the artist. After discussing this with my wife Diane, I contacted Jamie and let him know that I would do it. We had to work out two major details: first, find a time that fit everyones schedule; second, which songs to select for the project, because we had built a sizable body of work. My belief is "write what you know", all my songs are gleaned from personal experience. The concept of "Rowdy Good Times" came into my mind. The songs were selected and sequenced to tell a story. Beginning with patriotism "America I Love You," disfunctional upbringing "Daddy Drank the Rent," to the sacrifice and trauma of military service "Can't Go Back to Lubbock." The work then touches on Rowdy Living "Texas Honky Tonk Nights" finding true love "Say I Do" and "Love this Day Away." Culminating with the consequences of hard living and poor choices "The Bottle Finished Me" and "Whiskey Row Waltz." The Finale of the Cd is the toe tapping "Rowdy Good Times." Now the concept and story where complete.
On May 12th 2011, the "Rowdy Good Times" vocal sessions were recorded at the Brunson Brothers recording studio in Provo, Utah. Jamie then mastered the recordings at Lucky Recording Studio.
I thank God for the inspiritation for this cd and his directing me to Jamie Glaser. We present to you all "Rowdy Good Times",
For more information about the Brunson Brothers Studio or Jamie Glaser, click on the links below:
http://brunsonbrothers.com/
http://www.jamieglaser.com/
