Today is John David Southers 76th birthday so it's fitting to give him a re-run. I posted about him briefly before I started the Vinyl Vault blog so it's only right that I expand my first entry and include it on the V V page too.
J.D. Souther is the guy you've never heard of but you know him well. In his early career he teamed with Glenn Frey (Eagles) and performed as a duo - "Longbranch Pennywhistle", releasing their only album in 1970. He went solo for his 1972 eponymous album, then joined with Chris Hillman and Richie Furay as the "Souther-Hillman-Furay Band". Going back to solo work as a singer he is also widely known as a song-writer. Amongst the ones everybody knows he co-wrote ..
Eagles - 'Best of My Love', 'Heartache Tonight', 'New Kid in Town' and more ..
Linda Ronstandt - 'Faithless Love', 'Heart Like a Wheel', 'White Rhythm and Blues' etc
w/ James Taylor - 'Her Town Too'
He famously performed and did the vocal arrangements on the video "Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night", a stunning video and soundtrack showcasing not only Roy Orbison but also a whole raft of incredible musicians.
It's hard to pick a favourite from JD's work - I have 4 albums on vinyl and 3 more digital, but I think this one, 'You're Only Lonely' would have to be my go-to. The title track sets the scene for JD's gentle laid-back style and he follows through with the heart-wrenching 'Last In Love' and his definitive version of the song he gave to Linda Ronstandt - 'White Rhythm and Blues'
"All I need is black roses
White rhythm and blues
And somebody who cares when you lose
Black roses, white rhythm and blues"
That's not to say he's locked into tear-jerkers. He turns to rockabilly and solid C&W, even foot-stomping goodtime music. 'Til the Bars Burn Down' and 'The Moon Turned Blue' offer a change of pace and mood evoking sawdust floors and 'Fifteen Bucks' took a collaboration of 6 people to write !!
The guests who came along for the ride on this album are impressive. Glenn Frey co-wrote a couple of the tracks and played guitar. Don Henley took vocals, Phil Everly did harmony on 'White Rhythm and Blues', Jackson Browne popped up on the title track. John Sebastian (Lovin' Spoonful), Don Felder (The Eagles) and Kenny Edwards, founding member of Linda Ronstands old group The Stone Poneys were all there. The sound was filled out by some of the best session musicians in the business.
When you're in the mood for some country rock, JD is the one to call. If you can't dig out the vinyl you should look for his 2011 CD 'Natural History' - it's new recordings of some of his great songs.
No comments:
Post a Comment