Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 75 - Emmylou Harris

I've been a big fan of Emmylou Harris for a number of years now. I can't remember the first time I really sat down and listened to her solo stuff but the first time I heard her voice was with Gram Parsons singing In My Hour of Darkeness (bet you thought I was going to say Love Hurts!).

Evangeline was the first album I got of hers. I think I bought it because I was interested in the fact that she had recorded some songs by an interesting bunch of folks: Rodney Crowell, John Fogerty, Robbie Robertson, James Taylor and Gram Parsons. Also I loved the fact that she had gathered around about her a great bunch of musicians to record the album (see the personnel list below).

The single Mr Sandman I didn't particularly like (personally I couldn't care much who sings it!) but the remaining tracks I really have a thing for.

Basically the album was put together of material she had recorded that didn't seem to fit on any of her previous albums. The title track she had recorded as part of The Last Waltz by The Band.

She did go on to make better albums of course (Cimarron, Thirteen, Angel Band, Bluebird, Brand New Dance, At The Ryman*, Wrecking Ball, Red Dirt Girl, Stumble Into Grace, All I Intended To Be, Hard Bargin, Old Yellow Moon and The Travelin Kind*  both with Rodney Crowell) but this one is still a little special to me.

* These are full albums, the rest of the albums that are mentioned just have one song from the album in the link.

Evangeline - Emmylou Harris

Warner Bros.

Produced by Brian Ahern

Released January 1981

US Chart #22

US Country #5

UK Chart #53

Personnel
    Emmylou Harris: Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals
    Brian Ahern: Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Arch-Top Guitar, Gut String Guitar, 6-String Bass, Tambourine
    Hal Blaine: Drums
    Mike Bowden: Bass
    David Briggs: Piano
    Tony Brown: Piano
    James Burton: Electric Guitar
    Rodney Crowell: Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar
    Hank DeVito: Pedal Steel
    Jerry Douglas: Dobro
    Steve Fishell: Dobro
    Amos Garrett: Electric Guitar
    Emory Gordy, Jr.: Bass, Ernie Ball Bass
    Glen D. Hardin: Electric Piano
    Waylon Jennings: Duet Vocals
    Don Johnson: Piano, Backing Vocals
    Lynn Langham: Synthesizer
    Albert Lee: Electric Guitar, Piano
    Dave Lewis: Drums
    Larrie Londin: Drums
    Dolly Parton: Backing Vocals
    Bill Payne: Piano, Electric Piano
    Herb Pedersen: Backing Vocals
    Mickey Raphael: Harmonica
    Mac Rebbenack: Piano
    Frank Reckard: Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar
    Tony Rice: Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals
    Linda Ronstadt: Backing Vocals
    Craig Safan: String Arrangements
    Ricky Skaggs: Acoustic Guitar, Fiddle, Mandolin, Backing Vocals
    Barry Tashian: Backing Vocals
    John Ware: Drums, Percussion
    Cheryl White: Backing Vocals
    Sharon White: Backing Vocals

Bad Moon Rising Live 1981

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!

The August Album Challenge: 19. Album By A Female Artist

An Album by a Female Artist? Do you realise how hard that is to actually pin one particular album down when there are a number of Artists from whom to choose from: Holly Williams, Mindy Smith, Yvonne Lyon (that's the second time this month she's got a mention!), Roseanne Cash, Jennifer Knapp, Crystal Lewis, Maria McKee, Alyson Moyet, Lucinda Williams, Patti Smith...and on and on we could go.

So I ended up choosing Emmylou Harris and her stunningly beautiful album Stumble Into Grace.

The first album I ever heard of Emmylou was Evangeline from 1981. I can remember being struck by the sheer beauty of her voice, I'm sure I had heard her before on the radio somewhere on my travels but to sit and listen to a complete album of a style of music I didn't care too much for (my how times have changed!) was an incredible experience! Over the years I have managed to collect pretty much all the albums she's released including the ones where she has been collaborating with others. Luxury Liner, Blue Kentucky Girl, Evangeline, Bluebird, Cowgirl's Prayer, Wrecking Ball, Red Dirt Girl, All I Intended To Be and her Live at The Ryman with The Nash Ramblers are among some of my favourites.

I was so over the moon when I got to see her live at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow back in 2008 when she was over promoting her All I Intended To Be album. Assuming the show to be Sold Out I ventured a chance to the Royal Concert Hall Booking Office and discovered there were some seats left and managed to get one in the fifth row! I was really hoping that Buddy Miller would be traveling with her on the tour but no such joy. Another chap that I had contact with was playing in her band though, Phil Madeira (another great musician who has been interviewed here on Soundtrack4Life before). A couple of years ago I even managed to track down a bootleg of the show from that night and it still gives me goose pimples listening to parts of the show where Emmylou's voice sounds so haunting. I've included a couple of pictures I took that night, some are just gorgeous and I didn't even have to use a flash or anything.

Stumble Into Grace - Emmylou Harris

Nonesuch Records

Produced by Malcom Burn

Released 23rd September 2003

US Chart #58

US Country #6

UK Chart #52

(Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow 2008 DMW)

All tracks composed by Emmylou Harris; except where indicated

1. "Here I Am" – 3:47
2. "I Will Dream" (Harris, Kate McGarrigle, Anna McGarrigle) – 5:00
3. "Little Bird" (Harris, Kate McGarrigle, Anna McGarrigle) – 3:14
4. "Time in Babylon" (Harris, Jill Cunniff) – 4:37
5. "Can You Hear Me Now" (Harris, Malcolm Burn) – 5:37
6. "Strong Hand" – 3:16
7. "Jupiter Rising" (Harris, Paul Kennerley) – 3:03
8. "O Evangeline" – 5:41
9. "Plaisir d'Amour" (Traditional) – 2:22
10. "Lost Unto This World" (Harris, Daniel Lanois) – 4:34
11. "Cup of Kindness" – 3:55

(Royal Concert Hall Glasgow 2008 DMW)

Personnel
    Emmylou Harris - vocals, acoustic guitar, 6-string bass guitar
    Tony Hall - bass, guitar, backing vocals
    Brady Blade - drums, backing vocals
    Ethan Johns - drums, electric guitar
    Julie Miller - backing vocals
    Jane Siberry - backing vocals
    Malcolm Burn - bass, electric guitar, piano, whistling, churanga, percussion, harmonica, Fender Rhodes, B2 organ, backing vocals
    Buddy Miller - acoustic guitar, electric guitar
    Kate McGarrigle - accordion, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
    Anna McGarrigle - accordion, backing vocals
    Daryl Johnson - percussion, bass, backing vocals
    Daniel Lanois - pedal steel guitar, electronic orchestra, backing vocals
    Bernie Leadon - electric guitar
    Linda Ronstadt - backing vocals
    Kevin Salem - electric guitar
    Colin Linden - electric guitar
    Gillian Welch - backing vocals
    Jill Cunniff - backing vocals.

Emmylou Harris - Wrecking Ball Deluxe Edition Reissue (April 2014)

It's the birthday today of the Queen of Country - Emmylou Harris. She's 67 today!

Emmylou Harris' 1995 album 'Wrecking Ball' is up for the Remastering and Deluxe Reissue treatment on April 8th 2014. Click on the links to enjoy the music and read more about the album.

There's a great quote at Saving Country Music in an article outlining the influence of the album:

 "And maybe most important to note about Wrecking Ball beyond its influence is that after eighteen albums and at the age of 48, one can argue that this was the album that Emmylou’s voice truly came into full bloom. The way her tone strains and breaks so eloquently, the intelligent way the chords are picked to compliment this phenomenon and put Emmylou uncomfortably between her regular tone and falsetto to squeeze the greatest degree of pain out of each composition is award winning in itself, and along with all of the album’s other notable achievements, is one of the reasons it won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Recording in 1996.

Wrecking Ball was the result of Emmylou Harris following her heart, searching for a voice she never knew she had, and a vein of country music nobody knew existed before. And even here nearly 20 years after its release, its influence, its beauty, and its place as one of the most important markers on the country music timeline, remains untarnished."

The original album will be remastered and a new disc of demos and outtakes is included as well as a DVD highlighting the making of the album.  

From The Detroit News 01/04/14:

Making of 'Wrecking Ball'

Harris explains how it came about: “I was kind of at a crossroads. I’d done what I thought was a really good record that could be played on country radio; my record company was excited about getting me on country radio and nothing happened.

“They said ‘We’ve done everything. We know it’s not you; we’re behind you. Who would you like to work with next?’ At that point, Daniel Lanois’ solo album and the record he produced with Dylan were my two favorite records,” Harris says. “So I said, ‘I love what Daniel Lanois does.’ Someone made a call and he wasn’t doing anything.”

The album they came up with had Harris singing an eclectic group of songs by Neil Young (the title song), Bob Dylan, Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Anna McGarrigle and even Jimi Hendrix (“May This Be Love”). It drew rapturous reviews and is considered a career highlight, although Harris remembers it wasn’t immediately embraced.

“Oddly enough, if you want to just look at charts and stuff, it really took a while for it to find its audience,” she says.

“The record company didn’t know what to do with it. It didn’t seem to find a particular category, but the album just sort of got legs on its own. It was an album that touched people. One person after another would turn another person onto it, one fan to another fan.”

Her favorite song from the set? The bleak, beautiful “Orphan Girl” by Gillian Welch.

“It just gets my juices going,” Harris says. “I love the whole album as a piece. There wasn’t a lot of extra stuff, but I’m excited for people to see the DVD that was done simultaneously. Daniel brought his brother Bob down, and he was rolling this little camera.”

Tracklist *

Disc 1 - Wrecking Ball (Remastered)
1. “Where Will I Be?” (Daniel Lanois)
2. “Goodbye” (Steve Earle)
3. “All My Tears” (Julie Miller)
4. “Wrecking Ball” (Neil Young)
5. “Goin’ Back to Harlan” (Anna McGarrigle)
6. “Deeper Well” (David Olney, Lanois, Emmylou Harris)
7. “Every Grain of Sand” (Bob Dylan)
8. “Sweet Old World” (Lucinda Williams)
9. “May This Be Love” (Jimi Hendrix)
10. “Orphan Girl” (Gillian Welch)
11. “Blackhawk” (Daniel Lanois)
12. “Waltz Across Texas Tonight” (Rodney Crowell, Emmylou Harris)

*Links are not for the remastered audio but are live performances of the songs.

Disc 2 – Deeper Well: The Wrecking Ball Outtakes
1. Still Water 3:55
2. Where Will I Be (alternate version) 4:14
3. All My Tears 3:21
4. How Will I Ever Be Simple Again 3:36
5. Deeper Well 2:18
6. The Stranger Song 5:21
7. Sweet Old World (alternate version) 5:56
8. Gold 3:16
9. Blackhawk (alternate version) 4:40
10. May This Be Love (acoustic) 2:15
11. Goin’ Back to Harlan 2:35
12. Where Will I Be (alternate version) 2:13
13. Deeper Well 3:06

Emmylou Harris Wrecking Ball Tour Dates:
April 3 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
April 5 San Francisco, CA The Warfield
April 7 Royal Oak, MI The Royal Oak
April 8 Chicago, IL The Vic
April 11 Washington, DC The Lincoln Theatre
April 12 Brooklyn, NY TBA
April 13 Boston, MA The House of Blues
(additional tour dates to be announced)

(photo by Doug - 04/08/06 Royal Concert Hall Glasgow)

The reissue follows a very successful year for Harris, whose new collaborative album with longtime friend and colleague Rodney Crowell, Old Yellow Moon, recently won the Grammy Award for Best Americana Album. Harris and Crowell were also honored with two awards at the 2013 Americana Music Association Honors and Awards Show: Album of the Year and Duo/Group of the Year. A 13-time Grammy winner and Billboard Century Award recipient, Harris’s career as a singer and songwriter spans 40 years. She has recorded more than 25 albums and has lent her talents to countless fellow artists’ recordings. In recognition of her remarkable career, Harris was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008.

Bonus Links

Emmylou Harris and The Hot Band - Live at Royal Albert Hall, London.

Emmylou Harris and The Hot Band - Live in Germany 1978.

Emmylou Harris - Magnoliafest 19/10/12.

Emmylou Harris Live On Stage 1993.
 
 

Happy Birthday Emmylou Harris

(Photo taken at The Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow 04/08/06)

Born in 1947 in Birmingham, Alabama. Her musical career began in 1969 when she moved to Greenwich Village, worked as a waitress and performed folk music in coffee houses. Her first album release that same year ('Gilding Bird') didn't really achieve much as the label folded shortly after it's release. Harris has pretty much disowned the album and it has been said that she favours her 1975 release, 'Pieces of the Sky' as her debut!

There was good reason for the passing of time with regard to her album releases as in 1971 she had just returned to performing after a divorce and a resettling at her parents home in Washington DC. Former Byrds guitarist and member of The Flying Burrito Brothers, Chris Hillman, spotted Emmylou one night performing as part of a trio and considered asking her to join the band but instead he recommended her to Gram Parsons who was looking for a female vocalist to work on his first solo outing ('GP'). Alongside the recording she toured with Parsons' Fallen Angels Band and worked on 'Grievous Angel' - Parsons second album that ended up being released in 1974 after his death (19th September 1973).

Her output since 1975 is pretty impressive, a further 25 Studio albums, 3 Live albums, 70 singles, and a host of collaboration releases including with Mark Knopfler ('All the Road Running'), Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt ('Trio' and 'Trio II') and Rodney Crowell (her latest album 'Old Yellow Moon').

She has continued to play music that breaks down the barriers of genres and for a lady of her age you'd think that she would be ready to hang up her guitar but she's plodding on releasing great music. I cannot recommend enough her albums 'Cowgirl's Prayer' (1993), 'Wrecking Ball' (1995), 'Red Dirt Girl' (2000), 'Stumble Into Grace' (2003), 'All I Intended To Be' (2008) and the brilliant 'Hard Bargin' (2011).

The latest work (as I mentioned above) with Rodney Crowell sees her teaming back up with Crowell who was a former member of her Hot Band. The album is well worth a listen.

Read an interview that Emmylou and Rodney did for NPR at the end of March.

Dreaming My Dreams - On Letterman.

Chase the Feeling - WSJ Cafe.

Old Yellow Moon - Live.