| Track Listing more |
- Trying To Get To You
- Is It So Strange
- Tomorrow Night
- I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine
- Love Me
- I Want You, I Need You, I Love You
- One Night
- Don't
- Loving You
- Too Much
- Any Way You
Want Me
- Peace In The Valley
|
| Media Kit |
In honour of the 30th anniversary of Elvis’ untimely demise, Canadian singer songwriter Reid Jamieson brings you The Presley Sessions.
"Beautifully done...a truly authentic voice." - Molly Johnson
The King is dead, but he’s not forgotten. Certainly not by Reid Jamieson. This Victoria-based singer/songwriter is a life-long Elvis fan, and that deep devotion has now spawned a loving and highly loveable new tribute disc, The Presley Sessions.
This collection of songs originally recorded by Presley in the late ‘50s and now brought to vibrant new life is literally a labour of love. It was conceived without any commercial imperative, and that spontaneous spirit infuses every note here. The Presley Sessions initially took shape as a birthday gift for Reid’s lover/muse/manager, Carolyn V. Mill, this past March. A sure way to the heart of this fellow Elvis fan. Mill, in fact, is affectionately nicknamed ‘the Colonel’ after Presley’s rambunctious and rather opportunistic manager, and the record initially sported the title For The Colonel, with Love.
“I woke up on her birthday and had a little inkling, ‘I should record a song,’” recalls Reid, astutely realizing this was a sure way to the heart of a fellow Elvis fan. “I had trouble deciding on just one, as there are so many I love, so I thought ‘well I’ll just set up my recorder here at home and do a few, with guitar and vocal. Don’t try a second take, just go for it.’ Eight songs came, then I thought, ‘what the heck? I have a bass here, let’s add that, then some backing vocals. I have the djembe and pine needles here, let’s add a little snare.’”The results were so pleasing that Reid added another four songs a week later, intending to come up with an album-length disc he could also give as a gift to family and friends. They responded with instant enthusiasm, and a copy then found its way to the discerning ear of James Greenspan, head of Banbury Park Records, and a keen admirer of Jamieson’s original work. “He jumped all over it, saying ‘I love this, I want to put it out,’” says Reid. The happy outcome of this serendipity is that The Presley Sessions will become commercially available, with Jamieson playing select dates in Toronto and Victoria to support the release.
He refused to touch up the original recordings, so the intimate living-room vibe of the sessions remains intact. “I can listen to it still and hear the enthusiasm and love in my voice. It’s so nice to have and to share that,” he stresses.The disc should be viewed as sincere homage, not attempted mimicry. Jamieson’s oh so sweet and pure voice works in a higher register than that of The King. “You want to use your own voice. It was just a matter of choosing the right key and having fun with it.” he explains.“I hope that anyone who takes the time to listen to it will feel an infectious vibe. “To me, Elvis makes people happy. If someone wants to put me down for trying to move that happiness around, well, I’m not going to worry about it too much!” Presley’s songs are so imprinted in Jamieson’s musical DNA, little genetic research was required to come up with the tunes on The Presley Sessions. In fact, Reid didn’t even need to hear them again before starting work. “Recording them seemed so effortless because they were so inside my head,” he says. Attribute this deep knowledge and love to Jamieson family gatherings. “I don’t remember a time before these songs. He’s always been there for me,” observes Reid. “The biggest Elvis influence on me growing up was the annual family get-togethers at my aunt Carole’s house. She had a giant Elvis songbook, with music for the piano of virtually every song. Most of my family can play piano, so they’d play the chords and we’d all sing along.”It was at just one such gathering that a shy and nervous young Jamieson first sang in front of anybody. “That was a really formative moment. I know my life would be different if that side of the family was not so musical.”Reid has a happy history with many of the songs on The Presley Sessions. He learned the lesser-known “Is It So Strange” at age 13, and sang “One Night With You” at the legendary annual Elvis Karaoke nights at Toronto’s famed Horseshoe Tavern.
Song selection for the record was dictated by the occasion of its genesis. “I chose hopeful love songs, because this was an album for Carolyn and my love for her.” Jamieson astutely included songs that weren’t huge hits for Elvis. “I intentionally wanted to find songs that still had a bit of freshness to them,” he explains. Mission accomplished.
The Presley Sessions establishes Reid Jamieson as a gifted interpreter of songs, but word of his singular talent as a songwriter has been spreading fast. After paying his rock dues in Toronto band Alvy, he launched his solo career with 2001’s debut, Cowlick Bravado. 2003’s acoustic EP The Noise In My Chest was followed by 2004’s alt-country triumph, The Unavoidable Truth, produced by Josh Finlayson (Skydiggers). It notched rave reviews internationally, while regular appearances on CBC’s highly popular Vinyl Café have showcased Reid’s charm as a live performer.A prolific writer, Jamieson is now sifting through the potential gems that will surface on a highly-anticipated new disc of original material in 2008.
That leaves you time for a happy immersion in The Presley Sessions.
Coincidentally, this album begins and concludes with references to valleys, from the “I’ve been traveling over mountains, even through the valleys too” opening of “Trying To Get To You” to the soulful and optimistic closing version of gospel classic “Peace In The Valley.” In between is a record of peaks, the sound of a highly gifted and passionate singer at the top of his game. This is a voice that must be heard. - by Kerry Doole For more information, contact:
Carolyn V. Mill
cvm@kitchenink.com
250-686-6973
http://www.reidjamieson.com
‘‘Achingly beautiful songs...a haunting quality not soon forgotten’’
- Globe & Mail
“Irresistible’’ - Eye Magazine
‘‘In a few short bars Reid stole the show’- Now Magazine
‘‘He blew me away’’- Stuart McLean / CBC’s Vinyl Cafe
‘‘Arresting...dazzling voice’’- Toronto Sun
MORE ABOUT REID:
Reid Jamieson is a classic Canadian heartbreaker with an incredible voice and a magical way with melodies. His latest original disc The Unavoidable Truth, was produced by Josh Finlayson (Gord Downie Band , Skydiggers) and features guest appearances from Sarah Harmer & Bob Egan (Blue Rodeo, Wilco) while showcasing his choirboy ways, therapeutic lyrics and country-flavoured pop hooks. 2007 finds Reid hard at work writing a soulful follow up, and appearing with some regularity on CBC’s Vinyl Cafe. He recently moved from Toronto to beautiful Vancouver Island (Victoria BC) to further explore the fine art of songwriting.
File alongside fellow rootsy singer songwriters: Ron Sexsmith, Damien Rice, Jeff Buckley, Josh Rouse and Neil Finn.
And please stay tuned for more from this tender troubadour...
|
