Livin´For Love

Words from Westcoast Rendez-Vous

Hey, everybody. this is Bill Champlin. how’s your 2020 going? I read a post about the daylight savings time change that said, “getting an extra hour in 2020 is like getting a “bonus track” on a yoko ono album!!” Ouch. anyway, I think 2021 will see more albums than new babies 9 months after the New York blackout.

Speaking of new albums, I got one coming out in january or maybe february; I’m pushing for january. this is a solo album and not a Wunderground or Sons record. this thing is 14 songs of deep material and solid grooves; I think it may be the best compilation of songs I’ve ever put together. the title is “Livin’ For Love”, named after a song entitled “Livin’ For Love”. that song may be the closest thing to an R&B Blues thing than anything I’ve cut in a long time. Tamara heard it when I wrote it and said, “Bill, It’s time for you to do another solo album“. She’s usually on the money when it comes to this kinda’ stuff.

The guys on the record are some of the best in the business: Tal Morris, a former Sons‘ member, played a solo on it, Carmen Grillo, Sons, engineered a lotta’ stuff and played a great solo, too. Marc Russo, a former Sons guy, played some horns things and one of the wildest solos ever, wow!!! Alan Hertz, Sons, played drums on a lot and mixed all but one song. Vinnie Colaiuta and George Hawkins Jr, played drums and bass on a track that Bruce Gaitsch played keys and guitar on that he found in his stash of what he calls kernals; Tamara and I wrote the melodies and lyrics within 5 minutes of hearing it. I wrote three songs with Greg Mathieson, piano, hammond organ, keys bass, programming etc, I’ve had some success with Greg over the years and we co-produced 3 of those on the record; one of those songs has Abraham Laboriel on bass, Gorden Campbell played drums on a handful of songs, Gary Falcone played a solo and co-wrote a handful with me and Tamara. Andreas Carlsson co-wrote one with me and I put him to work singing on the album and, except for one song, Lenny Castro played percussion on the album and, as usual, killed it. I played a bunch of guitar, bass, keys and fender, hammond organ and we did most of the vocals with Tamara and me but also we sang handful with Gary Falcone and Andreas Carlsson. Oh, Steve Porcaro did some awesome synth programming on one song also; he’s sooooo good at this.

We’re looking at releasing the record digitally in late january, on Imagen Records, but Tamara and I will be selling the cd’s at billchamplin.com/shop. She’s taking pre-orders now, already, and as soon as the new year comes around it’ll all be happenin’. it’s been maybe 13 or 14 years since I did a solo album and I think I was more than ready and up to the task. I hope you guys like it. Hey, usually when I’m finished with hearing songs over and over again I can’t stand to hear ’em again, at least ’til my ears are fresh. I still dig this one top to bottom. I hope you feel the same way. Remember the days when we played our favorite albums and, when the last song on side 2 was done we just turned it over and started again? This one may just one of those. I hope to see you all in person as soon as this virus stuff has run it’s course. I miss playing live but, for some reason, stopping live gigs, for a while, led to this album. Next: live!!! I love you tons!

Be SAFE Be GOOD Be BAAAAAAAAAD, Bill

https://www.billchamplin.com/