All in the Journey

Musicians
Gary Fjellgaard: lead vocals, acoustic guitar, mandolin
Linda Kidder: background vocals
David Sinclair: mandolin, nylon string guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, dobro, banjo, jaw harp, tuba sample, background vocals
Rene Worst: bass
Brian Newcombe: bass
Shawn Soucy: drums
Elliot Polsky: drums
Cam Wilson: fiddle, violin
Finn Manniche: cello

Songwriting
‘Falcon And The Cowboy’ written by Gary Fjellgaard
‘All In The Journey’ written by Gary Fjellgaard
‘Back When Billy Robbed Trains’ written by Gary Fjellgaard
‘I Apologize’ written by Gary Fjellgaard
‘Old Western Story’ written by Gary Fjellgaard
‘Horses In Heaven’ written by Gary Fjellgaard and Darrel Delaronde
‘Mexican Heat’ written by Gary Fjellgaard
‘Run Little Guy’ written by Gary Fjellgaard
‘Share The Range’ written by Gary Fjellgaard
‘Have We Been Here Before’ written by Gary Fjellgaard
‘Knowin When To Quit’ written by Gary Fjellgaard
‘One More Pony Ride’ written by Gary Fjellgaard and Stuart Montgomery

Production
Produced by David Sinclair

Technical
Recorded and mixed by Perry Barrett
Recorded at Dark Horse Studios, Vancouver, British Columbia and Raincoast Music
Mastered by Bill Buckingham at The Palace, Vancouver, British Columbia

Artwork
Graphic design by Grasshopper Graphics
Photography by Pat Brewer

Release
Released 2009 by Slim Creek Music
Catalogue number SCR 14
Published by Slim Creek Music, except for co-publishers on ‘Horses In Heaven’ and ‘One More Pony Ride’
Barcode: 6 21365 12903 0

Liner notes
I recorded these songs as a performance with just me and guitar or mandolin without using ear phones. There is a certain amount of emotional energy that’s hard to capture any other way. The other instrumentation was added after the fact but with a high degree of sensitivity and caring. I would like to thank those most excellent musicians including David Sinclair the producer who took my songs to a new level and once again trusted the voice of Linda Kidder to tug away at our heartstrings.

‘Falcon And The Cowboy’
I always wanted an acoustic version of this song and the environmental message is more relevant today than ever. Folks who make a living from the earth, I’m sure understand this.

‘All In The Journey’
This was written the year we toured an incredible number of miles and still managed the long haul to Mexico. Pay your toll or take the free road and utter chaos. Lynne kept saying, “It’s all in the journey”

‘Back When Billy Robbed Trains’
Billy Miner road up from the States to the South Thompson region of British Columbia. He spent over half his life in prison. I got to thinking about Billy’s crimes in comparison to today’s modern leaders of Nations. Hey, Billy wasn’t all that bad.

‘I Apologize’
This apology is dedicated to the First Nations victims and survivors of the cultural genocide which occurred in Canada for over a century. No apology can heal the wounds caused by the far reaching effects of the residential school system. I can only add my voice as a member of the generation who allowed this abuse to take place. This song is still available on my web site as a free download.

‘Old Western Story’
It’s an old familiar theme of wagon trains heading west. Those early settlers faced all that nature could throw at them but the wagons still kept rolling towards that dream. Today we think of the romance of the journey and not the hell it must have been.

‘Horses In Heaven’
Co-written with Darrel Delaronde who came to me with this wonderful melody, and the idea that heaven could not be truly paradise, without horses. As a lover of the western lifestyle it made perfect sense to me.

‘Mexican Heat’
It’s a challenge sometimes for a songwriter to put difficult words into a song. Beauganvillea and eucalyptus came to mind sitting in a courtyard in Mexico. Try and spell that.

‘Run Little Guy’
It was a crushing experience when we lost our beloved little dog Jake. This song is a tribute to our little guy and I suppose my way of dealing with the loss.

‘Share The Range’
This song deals in a lighthearted way with ranchers who have to sell off small parcels of land to get some much needed cash. I say buy your ten acres, build your house but don’t fence it. Let the rancher continue to use the graze. Everybody wins.

‘Have We Been Here Before’
Lynne and I were in the ghost town of Barkerville, B.C. long before any of the restoration, when it was a true ghost town. Looking at all the artifacts hanging on the walls we realized we had used most of them in our many years together. This became our fiftieth anniversary song.

‘Knowin When To Quit’
Lynne has asked many times over the years “When are you going to quit the business?” After a particular rough twenty six thousand kilometer journey that question kept coming up more often but with more of a tone of desperation. That beach in Mexico is starting to look better all the time.

‘One More Pony Ride’
Written in Nashville with Stuart Montgomery, previously recorded, but lyrically fits in with the theme of the CD. During one of the many cattle drives out of Kamloops a wedding took place with the whole entourage on horseback. There wasn’t a dry eye among us as we watched the couple ride off into the sunset and disappear over the crest of a hill.

Track-specific credits
‘Falcon And The Cowboy’: Gary Fjellgaard lead vocal and acoustic guitar; David Sinclair mandolin; Rene Worst bass; Linda Kidder and David Sinclair background vocals
‘All In The Journey’: Gary Fjellgaard lead vocal and acoustic guitar; David Sinclair nylon string guitar; Finn Manniche cello; Linda Kidder background vocal
‘Back When Billy Robbed Trains’: Gary Fjellgaard lead vocal and mandolin; Rene Worst bass; Shawn Soucy drums; Cam Wilson fiddle; David Sinclair acoustic guitar; Linda Kidder and David Sinclair background vocals
‘I Apologize’: Gary Fjellgaard lead vocal and acoustic guitar; Elliot Polsky drums; Brian Newcombe bass; David Sinclair electric guitar; Cam Wilson violin; Linda Kidder background vocal
‘Old Western Story’: Gary Fjellgaard lead vocal and acoustic guitar; Cam Wilson fiddle; David Sinclair electric guitar
‘Horses In Heaven’: Gary Fjellgaard lead vocal and acoustic guitar; David Sinclair nylon string and electric guitars; Linda Kidder and David Sinclair background vocals
‘Mexican Heat’: Gary Fjellgaard lead vocal and mandolin; Shawn Soucy drums; Rene Worst bass; David Sinclair nylon string guitar and mandolin; Linda Kidder and David Sinclair background vocals
‘Run Little Guy’: Gary Fjellgaard lead vocal and acoustic guitar; Cam Wilson violin; Finn Manniche cello; David Sinclair electric guitar; Linda Kidder background vocal
‘Share The Range’: Gary Fjellgaard lead vocal and acoustic guitar; Shawn Soucy drums; Rene Worst bass; David Sinclair nylon and electric guitars
‘Have We Been Here Before’: Gary Fjellgaard lead vocal and acoustic guitar; Cam Wilson violin; Finn Manniche cello
‘Knowin When To Quit’: Shawn Soucy drums; Rene Worst bass; David Sinclair electric guitar, dobro, banjo, jaw harp and tuba sample
‘One More Pony Ride’: Gary Fjellgaard lead vocal and acoustic guitar; Finn Manniche cello; David Sinclair nylon string guitar; Linda Kidder background vocal