Sunday, May 20, 2012

News Feed Comments

Diesel Therapy

Jim Hornsby: Solo Instrumental Album

Jim Hornsby: Track Listing

Mountain Time (Sample)

Late Nights (Sample)

Topeka (Sample)

Glen Country (Sample)

Apache (Sample)

Old Dogs, New Tricks (Sample)

Starting Tonight (Sample)

Nashville West (Sample)

Love Is The Only Way (Sample)

Blue Deja Vu (Sample)

Jim Hornsby: Album Details

My first recording for myself was the result of Dave Brewis (Kane Gang) and Graeme Mathieson (Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, UK) asking if I had material to record an album. The medium at that time was prerecorded cassette tape. I was keen to do it so set about drawing together demos I had around the house. I compiled a set of eight original instrumentals to which we added a bluegrass version of The Shadows hit ‘Apache’ and a version of ‘Nashville West’ by The Byrds. (The original version of Nashville West showed off the b-bender virtuosity of Clarence White of whom I am a big fan.)

The band we used on the album was Paul Smith (drums), Tony Hornsby (bass guitar) and Derrick Spence (fiddle) with guests Dave Brewis (mandolin) and Mickey Watson (keyboards and bass guitar).

We recorded at Lynx Studio in Shieldfield, sadly now demolished. The engineer was Mond Cowie (of Angelic Upstarts fame). I think that Carol Johnson owned the studio at that time.

The sessions went well and we soon had the tracks recorded. I had been used to studios from an early age being fortunate enough to gain employment playing on tracks for folks around the North East. What I didn’t really understand at that time was how to put an album together as I hadn’t needed to do that before then.

With hindsight it was a bad time to release a cassette as compact discs were just becoming popular. The album did receive a good review in a magazine called ‘New Gandy Dancer’. One or two of the tracks sound good to me. ‘Glen Country’ (my homage to Duane Eddy) and ‘Starting Tonight’ (which I still play with Diesel Therapy) are my favourites. The tune ‘Love Is The Only Way’ had lyrics added later by Brian Hume and was featured on the Prelude album ‘Good For You’.

Although the sessions were an enjoyable experience, I doubt that many people have heard ‘Jim Hornsby’. Thanks Dave, Graeme and the musicians who probably didn’t get paid much at all! Next time perhaps!