The genesis of this album began in Nov. 2015, when Michael, Bear, Tompeet and Jim Pugh (a master on the Hammond B-3) recorded Michael’s song “Santa Ana.” It was carefully tracked with all sounds isolated and each instrumental part added one at a time, and while we love the result, time and money would not permit such an approach on the rest of the album, so we decided it would be done entirely live, with everybody playing all at once and all together, with no overdubs.
lyrics
I've got a fine fascination for that uptown life,
For those uptown people and those uptown nights,
But my heart was singing and my blue fade away
All the cats in the neighborhood
meet in my yard
Cry in the night time,
make my sleep come hard
But my heart was singing,
and my blues fade away
Chorus:
Oh, oh, oh, those Santa Ana’s
Blow my troubles away
I’ve got a sweet memory
of the place that was my home
L.A., L.A.,
I used to call you my home
My heart was singing, and those winds blowing my blues away
Chorus:
Bridge:
Cousin of thunder
Sister of God,
Blow through my body
Blow through my body
I’m in the city of sunshine,
waiting for the rain
So many people. Nothing to explain
But my heart keeps singing. And my dreams keep fading away
Recorded and Mixed, June 2016, at Erickson Sound Labs in Buellton, California by Bear Erickson
Produced by Michael On Fire and Bear Erickson
Mastered by Channel Fuse Music, Memphis, Tennessee
The Players: Michael On Fire (guitar and lead vocal), Bill Flores (lap and pedal steel, accordion, baritone saxophone), Jack Joshua (bass), Tompeet Frederiksen (drums), Bear Erickson (lead guitar, background vocal), Jim Pugh (Hammond B3 organ and piano)
Original cover art and liner notes by Ron Colone
Cover Graphics by Cavalier Design
Photos by Ron Colone, Jeremy Ball, John Fitzpatrick, Beth Robinson, Greg Sadler
Thanks to the Artist Advocacy Foundation (artistadvocacy.org) Ron Colone, Carole Ann Colone, John Poitras, David Katz
Real Eyes Productions, PO Box 1672, Santa Ynez, CA 93460, USA (805)688-0383
From his beginnings as a songwriter working out of Detroit’s famed United Sound Studios, to his recordings with the Muscle
Shoals Rhythm Section, to the progressive jazz of Prismatic, to the years in L.A. and Nashville, making records with Stephen Stills, and Joe Vitale, to the nonstop touring, Michael On Fire has been relentless in his commitment to creative expression and musical performance....more
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