Information/Write-up
Amsterdam,
June 27th, 2000
The record you have in your hands is hot, this is probably some of the best Roots music you will ever hear. It's not pure rockabilly, it's not pure country, it's not pure blues, but it's PURE GENIUS.
This whole record came about through a series of accidents and coincidences: a Ronnie Hayward Trio gig had been booked in the Amsterdam club "Maloe Melo". Ronnie was having difficulties getting his band together for the gig, so a group of local Dutch musicians stepped in to help him out. After a very quick practice the band played and they hit it off instantly.
That weekend, they all decided to get together at a friend's studio to hang out and drink some beer, and I had the pleasure of witnessing that first magical session.
The session was totally spontaneous, the songs were written as they went along, with Ronnie pulling out lyrics and the guys pulling out all their best tricks to make it rock.
The initial occupants of the small studio were: Kees Stigter playing takeoff-guitar and rythm as well as occasionally running to the mixer to get the sound working, Erik Van Beek playing acoustic steel, lap steel, rythm guitar and bongos, Jan Van Leeuwen bashing the skins, Ronnie himself playing bass and vocals, Pa Kamps working the sound board, and yours truly raiding their beer supply.
Someone's idea to include a dobro in the sound meant shouting upstairs to another local musician, Arnold Lasseur. He didn't have a dobro handy but he brought down his mandolin and guitar, he can be heard playing both on this CD.
The results of that day were four tracks. Listening back to them at the end of the day left all present stunned and smiling because they knew that this was it, this was how Ronnie's music was supposed to sound!
"You Hound Ya Lie" includes Arnold on mandolin, Kees on rythm guitar, Erik on a broken down old rythm guitar turned for steel, Jan on the skins, and Ronnie on bass and vocals. The uptempo beat just bops along. I defy anyone to keep their feet still while they play this!
If "Ronnie's Blues #2" is anything to go by, then Ronnie must have seen more life than most of us ever will. This laid back ode to a lost love just makes me weep.
Erik swapped to his normal steel for "Crazy Me". Listening to this track, I think I could convince most people it was recorded back in the early fifties, and that it was written by the great Hank. I'd be lying because this is, like all tracks on this CD, written by Ronnie himself.
If you listen carefully, you will hear both Arnold taking lead on guitar while Kees plays second guitar on "Let The Rain Come Fallin' In". Erik can be heard singing backing vocals. This uptempo song has the saddest lyrics and yet the beat just makes you want to dance and smile.
They decided to get back together to record a complete record. Three sessions later, this is the result. In the one afternoon of that first session, a group of musicians who had, until that weekend, never played as a group or heard any of the songs on this record, developed a bond and a sound that can be safely called PURE GENIUS!
-TEX-
Ronnie Hayward: bass, vocals (all tracks)
Kees Stigter: electric lead guitar (tracks 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14), rhythm guitar (tracks 1, 3, 6, 7, 11, 13, 15)
Erik Van Beek: dobro (tracks 1, 3, 6, 7, 11, 16), steel guitar (tracks 2, 9, 12, 15), bongos (tracks 8, 13), rhythm guitar (tracks 4, 5, 10, 14), backing vocals (track 4)
Arnold Lasseur: mandolin (tracks 1, 3, 7), rhythm guitar (tracks 2, 8), acoustic lead guitar (tracks 13, 15), electric lead guitar (track 4)
Jan Van Leeuwen: snare drum (tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15), bongos (track 16)
All songs written by Ronnie Hayward
Recorded by KC Byrd’s Recording Service at The House Of Sounds (Utrecht, Holland), January & March 1999
Mixed and mastered by Kees Stigter & Wim Kamps (Holland)
Photography by Dan Zubkoff (Vancouver)
Cover design by Saveria Renucci
HayByrd logo by Marco
THERE YOU GO... AN IDEAL ITINERARY THROUGH THE TANGLED SIDEWALKS OF AMERICANA - COUNTRY TO THE RIGHT, BLUES ON THE LEFT, AND RONNIE'S TALENTED VISION TO GUIDE YOU STRAIGHT TO WHERE YOUR HEART AND YOUR ROOTS ARE.
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