Bill LaBounty keeps creating great albums. It’s proof that his musical mind is constantly active and sharp as ever. With his new release, ‘Into Something Blue’, LaBounty delivers a collection of work that includes original tunes, but he also finds inspiration in songs by The Drifters, Ray Charles and even Bob Dylan. Think of these songs as wet clay in the hands of a master potter. And, with a little help from guitarist Larry Carlton, that’s what Bill LaBounty does with music – he makes it his own with his own touch.
Home From Japan
Bill and the band are back in the US after a fabulous week of performing at The Cotton Club in Tokyo and connecting with great old friends and new friends. Below is the band at rest:
Counter-clockwise: Brian Fullen, Tom Hemby, Rick Chudacoff, Mark Jordan, Bill, Warren Hill
LaBounty song with Waylon Jennings To Be Released
26 years ago Bill wrote a song with Waylon Jennings, and the only version he ever knew existed of it was a work cassette that they recorded together in Bill’s condo living room at the time.
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He didn’t know that Waylon had chosen to record it shortly before he died, and it’s going to be released in September on a Time Life album – “Goin’ Down Rockin’ -The Final Recordings of Waylon Jennings”. Bill’s song with Waylon is titled “Friends in California”
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GOIN’ DOWN ROCKIN’:
The Last Recordings of Waylon Jennings
DUE SEPTEMBER 2012
ON SAGUARO ROAD RECORDS
Nashville, TN (April 16, 2012) — A new album from outlaw country legend Waylon Jennings will be released this September, filled with recordings the icon made during the last few years before his death in 2002. Jennings spent hours in a recording studio with his longtime accompanist, Robby Turner and together they laid down twelve tracks using just Waylon’s guitar and vocals and Turner’s bass. All songs were personally selected by the country star, ones that resonated in a deeply personal way and reflected his state of mind, his passions, and important statements he wanted to make about his life. The duo planned out the future instrumentation that would be added to the tracks, but Jennings was never able to complete them. 10 years after his passing, Turner returned to the recordings, finishing each song to honor Waylon’s vision of what would turn out to be his very last album. Bringing in musicians who had long worked with Waylon, such as Reggie Young, Richie Albright and tour mate Tony Joe White, Turner painstakingly created the album that Waylon set out to make. “Waylon knows he’s surrounded by friends and all that hear this will feel as if they know Waylon in all his authenticity,” explains his widow, country singer Jessi Colter. With his family’s blessing, Goin’ Down Rockin’: The Last Recordings of Waylon Jennings will be available on September 11 (Saguaro Road Records). No one has ever heard these performances before; they are Waylon’s last gift to his fans.
Saguaro Road Records’ Senior Vice President, Retail, Mike Jason explains, “I remember when Waylon was revolutionizing country music and when we heard about these recordings, I knew we had to have them. To me, this is classic Waylon music every bit as good as his ‘70s classics but his singing bears a vulnerable and deeply personal touch. Waylon still has many fans, but with these recordings I’m confident that we’ll introduce him to a new generation in the same way that Johnny Cash’s last recordings found him an entirely new audience.”
Jennings wrote 11 of the 12 songs that appear on the new album, a testament to the personal nature of the recordings, and they reveal an artist in the midst of a final creative peak. In addition to his own songs, the album includes Tony Joe White’s “Goin’ Down Rockin’” (on which White himself is a guest). In all, the album will feature eleven songs that have never been released before.
One of the all time greatest country music vocalists, Jennings was also the founder of the Outlaw movement, received two Grammy Awards, and multiple Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music awards. 11 of his albums hit #1 on the country charts, with 16 #1 singles. In all, 54 of Jennings’ albums have charted and more than 100 singles cracked the country and pop charts. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001.
Goin’ Down Rockin’: The Last Recordings of Waylon Jennings Tracklisting:
1. Goin’ Down Rockin’
2. Belle of The Ball
3. If My Harley Was Runnin’
4. I Do Believe
5. Friends In California
6. The Ways of the World
7. Shakin’ The Blues
8. Never Say Die
9. Wasting Time
10. Sad Songs & Waltzes
11. She Was no Good for Me
12. Wrong Road To Nashville
Interview On French Radio: The Night of Wednesday 1st February 2012 – A special program with Bill Labounty!
Discover or rediscover the programming of the Nocturnes Wednesday 1st February 2012. A program in which you can find the guest of George Lang: Bill Labounty!
Bill Plays “Music City In The Round”
Hi friends - Hope you are all having a great summer! If you are having house guests this summer and looking for something different to do out on the town with them, Bill is doing something fun at the Opry House that might fit the bill! It's called "Music City in the Round", and it's a backstage intimate songwriter's dinner show (think Bluebird Cafe) in one of the legendary television studios behind the Opry stage. Gaylord created it as a little "behind the scenes" look at Music City and the creators of the music. Tickets are $40 per person and include a huge homestyle dinner with salad and dessert. It actually happens every Friday and Saturday night from 5:30 - 6:45, but the specific dates Bill will be playing are: this Friday & Saturday nights - June 24th & 25th and Friday & Saturday - July 15th & 16th We'll let you know as he books future dates for this show, and in the meantime, come out and join us for one of these!
Latest News
ALAN JACKSON RECORDS "DON'T ASK WHY" Alan Jackson's album "Like Red on A Rose" (produced by Allison Krauss) features a song co-written by Bill and Roy Freeland. "Don't Ask Why" was originally released by Michael Johnson in the early 80s. Check out Alan Jackson's & Allison Krauss' rich rendering of this early LaBounty song. CASINO DE PARIS GALLERY (and 3 More Songs) Bill and friends recently returned from a series of glorious engagements in Paris. Check out the pics from the Fan Stuff page. Also 3 NEW TUNES in the "Works In Progress" section of the Music page. CHECK OUT TIN PAN SOUTH PIX IN "LIVE" GALLERY On March 29th, 2010, Bill got together with old friends Robbie DuPree, Michael Johnson, Jim Photoglo, Rick Chudacoff and Arno Lucas to perform at Nashville's 12th & Porter for Nashville's annual Tin Pan South festival. They performed songs that spanned their intertwining careers over the last three decades, including the Steve Goodman/Bill Labounty penned "In Real Life", Bill & Robbie DuPree's "The Right Direction and "Mr. O", Michael Johnson's "This Night Won't Last Forever, Robbie's "Hot Rod Hearts", and Jim Photoglo's "Fool in Love With You". The show was a true reunion, attended by many other friends and associates from Nashville, New York and L.A., among them Eric Kaz, Peter Bunetta, Sam Lorber, Susan Stewart, "Hobie", Tommy Currey, and Randy Hart. It was an evening of warm memories, funny stories & great music. Bill is currently in the studio recording a CD to be released in Europe and Japan, which features some of his favorite Nashville studio players (among whom are Danny Parks, David Hungate, Tommy Wells, & Brian Fuller) Friend and celebrated guitarist Larry Carlton will also be contributing tracks, along with some of Bill's favorite Los Angeles players and friends. The new Steve Dorff-produced Bill Medley album will contain three recently penned Bill LaBounty songs, "Something Blue" (co-written with Sam Lorber), "You Rock" (co-written with Pat McLaughlin) and "Sit Down and Hurt" (co-written with Rick Carnes). An upcoming European tribute/album to David Foster will include a performance by Bill on the song No Explanation (co-written by Bill with David Foster, Beckie Foster, and Linda Thompson). This song was originally recorded by Peter Cetera as the end theme of the movie "Pretty Woman". The album will contain performances by many other artists and friends of David Foster's.
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