OUT OF THE CHUTE - James Williams

Welcome to the first round of OUT OF THE CHUTE for 2018... and our new post header.

This picture is from www.pixabay.com and uploaded courtesy of CC0 Creative Commons

This week we welcome back a dear friend, James Williams

I've known James Williams for over thirty- seven years. When I got an email from him a couple weeks ago about a new CD he has out, I thought it was time we played catch-up and got some background on 'Summer of Love', which I will be posting a review for tomorrow. So, here we go!

Summer of Love has that very retro, psychedelic tone – different than what you’ve done in the past. Why this album? Why now?

My roots are in rock & roll as well as country.  I was just thinking back to younger days and started writing what I was feeling.  Channeling some of the groups back then and it sort of evolved.

Is your brother, Michael on this album as well?

Michael is on 2 songs that I included because they fit. “When I Think Of You” and “Son’s Of The 60’s”.

Michael (L) James (R) 

during their 1985 tour

Photo courtesy of Nancee Thomas Louis

The artwork on the cover is beautiful (reveal tomorrow during review). Many may not know that the artist, Don Faires was your drummer for a number of years. What was your thought behind bringing Don in on this project? And does he do any of the instrumentals?

Don is on 5 of the songs as the drummer.  He’s painting some great things and I used one of his paintings for the cover because it fit.

Don Faires - drummer

Circa 1985

You wrote all of the tracks on this album. How many of them are new and how many have been on hold in the binder waiting their time?

5 of them are brand new written in 2017 and 3 are in the past 5 years with 1 from the 80’s and 1 from the 70’s.

A couple of these tunes are just made for crankin’ up the volume. Pretty Woman’s Daughter is one of those. Where did this song come from?

I was just trying for a feel of Roy on this one.  Creating a story from nothing

One thing I noticed about this album is that your voice hasn’t changed in all the years I’ve known you. I could have heard any track and known I was hearing the same man who sang Somewhere Down the Line in 1985. I know you’ve not toured, but have done a couple of Playboys of Edinburg reunions. How have you kept your voice in tone all this time?

Thank you.  I really haven’t done anything special.  I sing songs with my kids and when I write one I sing it to get it down.  When the Playboys did shows ,1 in 2012 , 1 in 2014 and 1 in 2016 we practiced a lot to get our chops up for singing 3 sets.  Sometimes I will sing at a writers night here in Nashville.  So I have kept pretty active for an old voice.

You probably know I wasn’t going to let you go without asking this next question. Is there more of a country type album down the line?

I have enough songs already recorded for a country CD, but I’ll have to see. I’m still writing all the time.

As an artist management/ promoter, can you share a bit of your marketing strategy for this 

album?

I really did this for me.  But then I thought about all of our friends from where I grew up you know high school and all.  I thought they would like to remember back then too.  So I put it on face book and friends have shared the info, but nothing extensive yet.

While I don't have any clips of the new CD, I thought I'd share a YouTube upload from 'the winner'. Somewhere Down the Line was the inspiration for my first published novella.

Tomorrow, I'll share my review of Summer of Love then follow up on Wednesday with a look-back