by Mike Errico | Feb 21, 2011 | Uncategorized
(info [at] errico [dot] com, if you have questions you want answered.) Mike, Just a few quick questions that popped in my head after reading the track listing: 1) Newly recorded versions of ‘1000 Miles’ and ‘Someday’? If so, what was the inspiration that led to the decision to re-record them? 2) Is ‘Everybody Knows’ the Leonard Cohen song, or an original composition? Can’t wait to hear the new record and hopefully catch a show or two. All the best, Barry [@longarm04 on Twitter] Barry, First, yes, these are newly-recorded versions of “1000 Miles” and “Someday.” The main reason is simple: I wasn’t finished with them. The first recording of “1000 Miles,” on Pictures of the Big Vacation, is essentially a demo. I’d been sent to Vancouver to work with Ben Mink for a couple days to see if we’d be a good match. We clicked, and thought we could kill two birds by working on a new song. I had the basic musical pieces, he made them work arrangementally, and sent me back to the hotel at the end of the night, saying, “We’ll do vocals tomorrow.” I looked at him, like, “There are no lyrics.” “You’ll have ’em by then,” he responded. I freaked, but got them done that night. If you were to “solo” the vocal tracks, you’d be able to hear me fiddling with the lyric sheet. You’ll also notice it’s the only song on that record that uses programming, via an Akai Roger Linn MPC-3000. The idea was that we’d get a drummer, but of course, that never happened. “1000 Miles” was an orphan in that way, but...
by Mike Errico | Feb 21, 2011 | Uncategorized
(Question? E-mail info [at] errico [dot] com) Yesterday, I released the album artwork, song sequence and credits for "Wander Away." I’ve gotten e-mail back that is so great, I had to share. If you have questions, e-mail them to me, and I’ll do my best. Mike, Having grown up in small-town Illinois…I DON’T recall such a place as "Johnsburg"…! Either set my mind at ease by admitting you made up the name…or tell me EXACTLY where it is located! I knew of Bentown, Holder, Jenkin’s Switch, Sutter’s Siding…and even "Mindale," a probably demolished station on the Illinois Terminal Railroad (an electrc "interurban" railroad of the first half of the last century…!) Steven _____ (old Ill’s boy…!) Steven, Short answer is: You’d have to ask Tom Waits. He wrote it. He plays it on piano, so, on a sleepless night, I decided to arrange it for guitar. It’s a pretty tricky arrangement – pianists get all ten fingers to hit notes, while guitarists get four – and it uses a lot of open strings and harmonics to get the sense of piano rolls up the keys. I’m scared of playing it live because it’s pretty complicated (for me, anyway), and I’m not the same guitarist live as I am when I’m just relaxed at home. Tom has a stand-up bass on the original, and I have Jeff Hill on stand-up bass on mine. Otherwise, the singing is, well, pretty different. But then you got me thinking, so I had to check it out. The lyric states: …She grew up outside McHenry In Johnsburg, Illinois… …sooo, I Google mapped Mc Henry…and lo and behold,...
by Mike Errico | Feb 20, 2011 | Uncategorized
COMING APRIL 12th: 1. Ready or Not 2. Count to Ten 3. Waving Goodbye 4. 1000 Miles 5. Wish You Well 6. Everybody Knows 7. Next Time 8. On the Other Side 9. You Could Be Anywhere 10. Johnsburg, Illinois 11. Wander Away 12. Someday Produced by Ken Rich and Mike Errico Recorded and Mixed by Ken Rich at Grand Street Recording, Brooklyn, NY Assistant Engineer: Tomek Miernowski Mastered by Joe Lambert at JLM Sound Mike Errico: Vocals, guitars, percussion Matt Beck: Guitars, keys, lap steel, harmonium on “Everybody Knows” Ethan Eubanks: Drums, percussion, xylophone on “Everybody Knows” Jeff Hill: Bass Bruce Kaphan: Pedal steel guitar Ken Rich: Bass, “Waving Goodbye,” “Ready or Not” Ari Hest: Backing vocals, “On the Other Side,” “Ready or Not,” “You Could Be Anywhere” Angie Pollock: Backing vocals, “Count To Ten,” “Everybody Knows” Andrew Sherman: String arrangements Ben Mink: String arrangement, “1000 Miles” Strings: Maxim Moston (violin), Hiroko Taguchi (viola), Jessie Reagen Mann (cello) on “Next Time,” “Wish You Well,” “Ready or Not” and “On the Other Side” Rob Moose (violin), Hiroki Taguchi (viola), Garo Yellin (cello) on “Count To Ten,” “1000 Miles” and “Everybody Knows” Cover art by Angela Errico CD design by Jason Connolly More record news, plus personal brain fragmentation at Twitter: http://twitter.com/mikeerrico Join the Mike Errico Mailing List: http://errico.com/mailinglist.html On iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/mike-errico/id3567281 Mike Errico is on: Facebook || Twitter || YouTube || Bandcamp || SoundCloud || MySpace || Last.fm || Pandora || ILike ||...
by Mike Errico | Jan 16, 2011 | Uncategorized
We’re going through some changes at www.errico.com. For up-to-the-minute news, please try the Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mikeerrico Until then: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY3MAoB89xM
by Mike Errico | Apr 5, 2009 | Uncategorized
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