JAMES REYNE TCB
January 10th 2010 03:18
JAMES REYNE TCB sings THE KING
In James Reyne’s own words:
“For years I’ve held a kind of fanciful curiosity about Elvis Presley.
Not just that I’ve long thought he was an extraordinarily under-rated singer, who, as such, had sometimes been over-looked as a bit frivolous and run of the alley; who had instinctively recorded some of the most groundbreaking, influential and exciting music ever, when there was no rule-book, and NOBODY had come before quite like that, and who had wrung a career that was mighty and sad and brilliant and unhinged and transcendent and grandiose and corpulent and forsaken; but I’ve been fascinated by the myth and the peculiarly American culture that had conceived and nurtured the phenomenon that he became, and, in turn, the culture that he helped create, however unwittingly.
I’ve known Charles Fisher a little bit for a long time. We first met, I think, when he was producing the D.D. Smash album “The Optimist” a way back then. Anyway, not long ago I was meeting with Charles and the talk turned to Elvis, and how we both realised what a killer singer he really was, and that whole debate about whether he was still as good after he came out of the army, and that not only had he given some of the greatest popular vocal performances ever, and made some fantastic material even better, that he had certainly elevated some lowly refrains and later, after he seemed not to care too much, or his lifestyle choices got in the way of his judgement, had offered up some pretty somnolent, heavy-lidded renditions of some pretty torpid gear, but infusing them with something so charismatic and engrossing that they were made kind of essential listening anyway.
I wondered whether we could have the AUDACITY, PRESUMPTION and DAMN GALL to try and record an album of my versions of some Elvis songs. We made a LONG list. I researched and rediscovered a lot of the songs that I already knew and a lot that I didn’t. From our LONG list we chose fourteen songs. It was not easy. My main criterion was that the originals had that certain, innate insouciance that grabbed you immediately and, therefore, might translate more easily. We both had some perennials we wanted to include – “Kentucky Rain” for example; a song that runs a fine line between mawkish, soupy, sentimental cornpone straight off the cob, and bloody good song-writing. We wanted to pay respect to the fabulous simplicity of these tunes, where the feel of the song was king, the sentiment was uncluttered and direct and the tongue was often sitting cannily in the cheek. “Viva Las Vegas” is almost a standard in this vein. As are “Such A Night”, “Bossa Nova Baby”, “Girls, Girls, Girls” and “Little Egypt”, while “She’s Not You” and “Good Luck Charm” swing crazy as a loon, man. I was also mindful of the fact that there are several of Elvis’ tunes it would be pure tomfoolery to attempt; songs with a spirit so singular and original as to be virtually impossible to interpret: “That’s Alright, Mama” anyone? “Wooden Heart”? “Jailhouse Rock”.
The main aim was to try and make the songs my own, always aware of the stupidity of trying to imitate Elvis himself and the folly of even pretending to contend the brilliance of the originals, but keeping a sense of humour intact and still remaining true to any crucial rhythms or cadence or musical elements that existed on those first, seminal, exhilarating recordings. It is probably testament to the artful simplicity of these originals that our recording process was painless and, dare I say, easy.
Fortune smiled on us as well when it came time to mix the album. Charles happened to be friends with the charming, Grammy-winning, mix engineer from Los Angeles, Helik Hadar. Helik has worked extensively with acts as diverse as Herbie Hancock (for whom he won the Grammy), Joni Mitchell and Walter Becker, to Rufus Wainwright and Teddy Thompson. Nothing was a problem for Helik. He arrived for a month’s work, delighted us with his skill and taste, and fell in love with the country, it’s carefree attitude, the air, it’s light and, I figure, the girls, girls, girls.
Whatever the case and whatever the cost, I hope I’ve done some justice to these tunes I’ve tagged; a smithereen of the music of an actual legend who, for those who’ve seen the famous shot of him being bussed on either cheek by two girls, is right there with you while he ain’t there at all.
Have you heard the news? There’s good rockin’ tonight!“
James Reyne.
JAMES REYNE TCB – The album. Released through Liberation Music on Friday April 9th, 2010
JAMES REYNE sings THE KING
Tickets on sale Monday 4th January 2010
Friday 21 May Palais Theatre, St Kilda, VIC Ticketmaster 136 100 www.ticketmaster.com.au
Saturday 22 May State Theatre, Sydney, NSW
Ticketmaster 136 100 www.ticketmaster.com.au
For JAMES REYNE TCB updates in coming months please save www.jamesreyneTCB.com to your favourites.
In James Reyne’s own words:
“For years I’ve held a kind of fanciful curiosity about Elvis Presley.
Not just that I’ve long thought he was an extraordinarily under-rated singer, who, as such, had sometimes been over-looked as a bit frivolous and run of the alley; who had instinctively recorded some of the most groundbreaking, influential and exciting music ever, when there was no rule-book, and NOBODY had come before quite like that, and who had wrung a career that was mighty and sad and brilliant and unhinged and transcendent and grandiose and corpulent and forsaken; but I’ve been fascinated by the myth and the peculiarly American culture that had conceived and nurtured the phenomenon that he became, and, in turn, the culture that he helped create, however unwittingly.
I’ve known Charles Fisher a little bit for a long time. We first met, I think, when he was producing the D.D. Smash album “The Optimist” a way back then. Anyway, not long ago I was meeting with Charles and the talk turned to Elvis, and how we both realised what a killer singer he really was, and that whole debate about whether he was still as good after he came out of the army, and that not only had he given some of the greatest popular vocal performances ever, and made some fantastic material even better, that he had certainly elevated some lowly refrains and later, after he seemed not to care too much, or his lifestyle choices got in the way of his judgement, had offered up some pretty somnolent, heavy-lidded renditions of some pretty torpid gear, but infusing them with something so charismatic and engrossing that they were made kind of essential listening anyway.
I wondered whether we could have the AUDACITY, PRESUMPTION and DAMN GALL to try and record an album of my versions of some Elvis songs. We made a LONG list. I researched and rediscovered a lot of the songs that I already knew and a lot that I didn’t. From our LONG list we chose fourteen songs. It was not easy. My main criterion was that the originals had that certain, innate insouciance that grabbed you immediately and, therefore, might translate more easily. We both had some perennials we wanted to include – “Kentucky Rain” for example; a song that runs a fine line between mawkish, soupy, sentimental cornpone straight off the cob, and bloody good song-writing. We wanted to pay respect to the fabulous simplicity of these tunes, where the feel of the song was king, the sentiment was uncluttered and direct and the tongue was often sitting cannily in the cheek. “Viva Las Vegas” is almost a standard in this vein. As are “Such A Night”, “Bossa Nova Baby”, “Girls, Girls, Girls” and “Little Egypt”, while “She’s Not You” and “Good Luck Charm” swing crazy as a loon, man. I was also mindful of the fact that there are several of Elvis’ tunes it would be pure tomfoolery to attempt; songs with a spirit so singular and original as to be virtually impossible to interpret: “That’s Alright, Mama” anyone? “Wooden Heart”? “Jailhouse Rock”.
The main aim was to try and make the songs my own, always aware of the stupidity of trying to imitate Elvis himself and the folly of even pretending to contend the brilliance of the originals, but keeping a sense of humour intact and still remaining true to any crucial rhythms or cadence or musical elements that existed on those first, seminal, exhilarating recordings. It is probably testament to the artful simplicity of these originals that our recording process was painless and, dare I say, easy.
Fortune smiled on us as well when it came time to mix the album. Charles happened to be friends with the charming, Grammy-winning, mix engineer from Los Angeles, Helik Hadar. Helik has worked extensively with acts as diverse as Herbie Hancock (for whom he won the Grammy), Joni Mitchell and Walter Becker, to Rufus Wainwright and Teddy Thompson. Nothing was a problem for Helik. He arrived for a month’s work, delighted us with his skill and taste, and fell in love with the country, it’s carefree attitude, the air, it’s light and, I figure, the girls, girls, girls.
Whatever the case and whatever the cost, I hope I’ve done some justice to these tunes I’ve tagged; a smithereen of the music of an actual legend who, for those who’ve seen the famous shot of him being bussed on either cheek by two girls, is right there with you while he ain’t there at all.
Have you heard the news? There’s good rockin’ tonight!“
James Reyne.
JAMES REYNE TCB – The album. Released through Liberation Music on Friday April 9th, 2010
JAMES REYNE sings THE KING
Tickets on sale Monday 4th January 2010
Friday 21 May Palais Theatre, St Kilda, VIC Ticketmaster 136 100 www.ticketmaster.com.au
Saturday 22 May State Theatre, Sydney, NSW
Ticketmaster 136 100 www.ticketmaster.com.au
For JAMES REYNE TCB updates in coming months please save www.jamesreyneTCB.com to your favourites.
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