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Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey

April 30, 2012 by shelli.carlisle in Music with 0 Comments

Peter Holsapple & Chris Stamey

Left: Peter Holsapple
February 19, 1956
Greenwich, Connecticut

Right: Chris Stamey
December 6, 1954
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

“Our plans about what this would all sound like changed as we went along, and we both believe we made a better album for it.”
~Peter Holsapple

“A record should aspire to timelessness…and magic.”
~Chris Stamey

hERE aND nOW
Michael Holloway

On June 9, 2009, Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey, who grew up together as friends in North Carolina, released Here And Now, their first new collaboration since Mavericks in 1991.

Having first worked together in the iconic 80’s band, The dB’s, Holsapple and Stamey have also worked with bands like the Golden Palominos, Sneakers, Hootie and the Blowfish, Diesel, REM, Alex Chilton, and many more.

Their fans believe they are phenomenal musicians in their own right and when they play and record together, they are truly sublime.

The Current Tour

Holsapple, Stamey and their band are touring throughout 2009. Check here for a schedule of their tour dates. A more detailed list can also be found on their new MySpace page.

The Scoop on Here And Now

The Holsapple quote comes from the liner notes of their collaboration on Mavericks. I believe the incredible talents of these two gentlemen and the timeless quality of their music ensure that the same sentiment will ring true for their newest album, Here and Now, in years to come.

Holsapple and Stamey are proficient with most, if not all, string and keyboard instruments. They wryly chagrin their talents do not lend themselves quite that well to woodwind instruments.

They play with legendary saxophonist Branford Marsalis, alternating drummers Jon Wurster, Will Rigby and Logan Matheny, Greg Readling on pedal steel, bassist Gene Holder, and percussionist Gary Greene.

Though, the album has only just been released, early reviews have been favourable so far. All but two of the songs are new, one is a cover, and the other is a reprise from an earlier album.

Holsapple recycles his own title track Here And Now from his 1997 solo album Out of My Way, with fresh new zest. The cover song, My Friend the Sun, was originally recorded by British art-rock group Family. This new version is infused with Beach Boys style harmonies as is Stamey’s Santa Monica (something akin to a lush new wave Neil Young song).

Holsapple contributed Early In The Morning, which evokes Bruce Springsteen with a sardonic look at domesticity, and the universal need for sleep. Stamey’s Widescreen World resembles an Elvis Costello style rocker and let us not forget his ode to retro, Broken Record. Begin Again is a song that Holsapple dedicated to his adopted home of many years, New Orleans.

Other Songs Include

Bird On the Wing, in which Stamey likens the four seasons to a leaving lover; Holsapple’s love of country relected in Some Of The Parts; Stamey’s paean to a music legend in Song For Johnny Cash; Long Time Coming, an affectionate acknowledgement to how much the fans have wanted a new collaboration; Stamey’s crooning To Be Loved, and a song about the recording process with Tape Op Blues. There is also an instrumental appropriately entitled Ukulele.

The Mavericks

Mavericks, released in 1991, went largely unnoticed by critics. In recent years, the album has become somewhat of a must-have collector’s item for fans. It appears Geometry is the fan favourite song (it certainly is my favourite) and one review in particular describes the album’s strengths, and perhaps the weaknesses which hampered it’s success back in the day.

A Review By Dave Connolly

“Lots of acoustic guitar, some cello, nice harmonies, prickly like tart lemonade and dreamy like a summer’s day swathed in cicada’s crescendo.

The disc is actually the result of two distinct sessions: four relatively quiet, reflective tracks from mid-June 1990 and eight livelier entries from mid-November. More than half a dozen guests provide support, so at no point does Mavericks feel like an underdone album…
Geometry” protracted over half an album would have been bliss.”

Catching Up with Holsapple

Between 1991 and 2009, both Holsapple and Stamey have kept themselves incredibly busy. Holsapple worked with many bands including Continental Drifters and released a solo album in 1997 entitled Out of My Way.

Earlier this year, Holsapple joined former band members, Continental Drifters, for a post-Katrina relief effort/reunion show in New Orleans. Joining him were ex-wife Susan Cowsill, Vicki Peterson (The Bangles), Mark Walton, Carlo Nuccio, Robert Mache, and Russ Broussard.

It was the first time they had all played together since making Better Day, their third and last album together in 2001.

When they recorded Better Day, Holsapple and Cowsill’s marriage was a disaster, and some critics felt this, and the growing disenchantment within the rest of the ranks had leaked into the music.

Brian Baker from Gallery Of Sound

“It’s hard not to read a little fracture into the Drifters’ democratic system, with the break-up of Peter Holsapple and Susan Cowsill in the middle of this album. Songs like Too Little, Too Late and Down By The Great Mistake seem to detail it. Thankfully, the Drifters have always been a group of individuals, and their love of the music has transcended the turmoil of the end of Holsapple and Cowsill’s marriage. This would be a career album for the Continental Drifters on its own, but considering the emotional upheaval that attended it, Better Day has all the earmarks of one of the year’s best.”

Kevin Forest Moreau of Billboard

“At first listen, the Continental Drifters’ third release bears a striking lyrical resemblance to Rumours, Fleetwood Mac’s seminal breakup-set-to-music. Given the recent divorce of bandmates Peter Holsapple and Susan Cowsill, the album starts off on an unsettling note, charting a character’s progress from “somebody’s little girl to someone else’s wife/(and) what happened in between is the dying of a dream.”

Ouch. If former dB Holsapple is indeed playing Lindsey Buckingham to Cowsill’s Stevie Nicks, they’re older and wiser. They’re also smart enough not to hang their dirty laundry in public, instead channeling their pathos into their craft. Such is the case with Holsapple’s hopeful Live On Love, propelled by a buoyant, radio-ready horn arrangement, in which he finds the will to love another day.”

Eric Fidler of Associated Press

“The members of Continental Drifters have been around the block a few times, professionally and personally, and their subject matter reflects that. But the songs are ultimately uplifting, expressions of hope and faith in the face of disillusionment and heartache. The music is rootsy, but full of the type of pop hooks that keep the tunes resonating hours after the album is over.”

Past Grievances Forgiven

During the reunion, Holsapple learned that great music is not only timeless, it also has the unique power of healing old wounds and dissolving past grievances.

Holsapple said, “Even if the Continental Drifters never play another note together on again, we showed that we COULD do it this time after eight years of disquiet and sadness and bitter feelings finally gave way to love and peace and friendship again. It’s hard to hold grudges and dislike for so long, especially with such great music at stake, and it felt like a giant albatross had finally been set free. I’m glad we did these shows, I’m proud of what we accomplished both onstage and in our respective hearts.”

Music Transcends

Given how popular the Continental Drifters are (together and separately), it’s heartwarming to know that the band have shown that inspirational, timeless music can transcend even the darkest times, and bring about a new era of harmony, both musically and soulfully. It is also wonderful to see the return of the band’s original characteristic camaraderie, affectionate banter, and easy nature, even in the face of the inevitable on-stage goof-up.

“I managed to forget the words to Highway Of The Saints, the Pat McLaughlin song we covered on our first album,” Holsapple laughs, “it’s been a staple in Drifters sets since before this lineup came to be. Robert stopped the song and made me start over. It was worth it. When Susan had a memory stall later on, she pointed at me and cried out, “HE got a do-over, I get one too,” and I said that I backed her up on that one.”

Holsapple Remembers

Holsapple relates an even more poignant story during the same tour in which he and fellow band member Robert Mache gave fellow Drifter Mark Walton a wonderful surprise. Walton lost much due to Hurricane Katrina.

“Robert [came to me and] said “Peter, I have to show you something.” He pulled out a Fender Precision bass and asked me if I recognized it. It DID look familiar, but I wasn’t sure why. Its finish was, for want of a better word, rotten; the headstock’s varnish had pocked into a weird kind of hoary skin, very different from what it had looked like before Katrina” said Holsapple.

“He said he’d rescued the bass in pieces from Mark’s house, put it back together, cleaned it up and got it working again, and he planned to present it to Mark when we did the Drifters’ gig at Carrollton Station. I was very moved by this act of love on his part, and I couldn’t wait to see how it would happen.”

“Well, it happened like this. Robert, at the Station, showed Susan the restored bass and asked her when she thought he should present it to Mark. Susan, wiping away tears, said he should wait until after the show. But Robert decided the time to do it was right before we played.”

“Consequently, you had a stage full of Drifters, all knowing the story of the bass and its return to its owner, all choking back emotion knowing we had a set to play. In the center of it all was Mark, reunited with his old Fender, completely beside himself with joy and crying, and he told the assembled onlookers the story of the bass’ resurrection. I think everyone at Carrollton Station who learned the story of the bass was similarly overwhelmed,” Holsapple recounted.

Catching Up with Stamey

Stamey has released many popular solo albums, most notably Travels in the South (2004) and A Question of Temperature (2005), both were received favourably by fans and critics. Stamey has become an accomplished and much sought after producer.

He’s worked with: Anton Fier, Ryan Adams, Michael Stipe, Whiskeytown, Tift Merritt, Chatham County Line, Roman Candle, Tres Chicas, Matthew Sweet, Yo La Tengo, Caitlin Cary, Arto Lindsay, Mitch Easter, Tyson Rogers, Don Dixon, Marshall Crenshaw, Richard Lloyd, Scott Litt, Freedy Johnston, Terry Adams, Peter Blegvad, Andy Partridge, and Pylon.

Producer’s Hat Philosophy

Stamey said, “The central philosophy behind my production and mixing these days is that the best records combine the recording of transcendent musical moments with the structuring of the carefully considered arrangement details that frame those moments. And the point of recording is to add new entries to that select list of best records. A producer or mixer is, first and foremost, a trusted listener. It’s important that the final CD sound competitively up-to-date. But it’s equally important to avoid the plague of splashy sonic bandwagons and transient trends.”

Alejandro Escovedo from Tape Op

“Stamey’s eye for clarity ensures that even the most musician-cluttered arrangements feel open, suiting the song’s moods. A great album, where the powerful songwriting shines through.”

Along with his many other accomplishments, Stamey is incredibly generous with his time in helping up-and-coming musicians with everything they may need to know to make it in the music business.

On his website, Stamey gives detailed advice to novice musicians, especially in the all-important area of mixing. He explains his motivation for offering fans this incredibly insightful advice.

Stamey’s Mentoring Words to Musicians

“This article is based on problems I’ve encountered over and over again when mixing home-recorded tracks. It may seem full of some super obvious stuff to some of us, but these things come up over and over again and could have easily been headed off at the pass, even by a first-time recordist. If you are a musician starting a record and you are recording it yourself, maybe for the first time, here are some things to keep in mind that will make it easier to mix your record into a great listening experience later on.”

Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey Together

They’re here. They’re now. They are ready to rock and hope their fans come along for the ride as the title song from the new album Here And Now enthuses:

“And if someone leaves this place tonight
And on the way home sings a song
When they were here
They sang along with us
They sang along…”

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