Brand new Songwriter Hall of Fame member Chip Taylor is set to release his latest album, A Song I Can Live With, on February 17 via Train Wreck Records.
As a songwriter, Taylor had his first taste of success in 1964 when his Worry went to number 5 on the Adult Contemporary chart by Johnny Tillotson. Two years later, his music went to the top ten in the U.K. with the Hollies’ recording of I Can’t Let Go and in both the U.S. and Britain with the Troggs version of Wild Thing. Other major hits written by Taylor include Angel of the Morning (Marilee Rush, Juice Newton), Sweet Dream Woman (Waylon Jennings), Son of a Rotten Gambler (Anne Murray) and A Strange Song (Harry Belafonte). Chip’s songs have reached the top twenty on the Pop, R&B, Country, Dance and Adult Contemporary charts.
As a recording artist, Taylor started in the late-50’s as Wes Voight and embarked on his solo recording career in 1971, releasing over twenty albums since.
Produced by Chip Taylor and Goran Grini, the new album sessions were recorded at Train Wreck Studios in Mamaroneck, New York, and Grini Studios in Norway. The even-dozen songs feature Taylor backed by a band that includes Goran Grini on an assortment of instruments, as well as John Platania on guitar and special guest Greg Leisz on pedal steel guitar.
Taylor said “I had just finished recording and mixing the Little Brothers album (2016) with my friend and co-producer, the amazingly soulful Goran Grini from Norway. I was in New York. There were no tours ahead of me. All of a sudden I started writing again. The songs felt inspired. I sent them to Goran and asked his opinion. He said he loved them.
“Goran flew in from Norway a few weeks later. We recorded the new songs in the same manner as the Little Prayers Trilogy – just Goran on keyboards & me (guitar and vocals) with great friend Tony Mercadante at the controls at our little Train Wreck Studios. Goran added bass, pedal steel horns and other keyboards in Norway. Then my great friend John Platania added his guitar magic on several, and here we are with our new album, A Song I Can Live With.”
Chip went on to talk about his songwriting. ”As are most of my songs, all the songs in this album are stream-of-consciousness-based. In other words, I didn’t plan on writing about anything particular. In each instance, I picked up my guitar and at some point words and music flowed that gave me some sort of a chill that inspired me to continue – mainly to find out, as a listener, what I was talking about. With many of these songs I didn’t grasp a meaning until late in the writing process. With some, their meaning changes for me from day to day. With the exception of a few, these songs were written during an inspired period several months ago. A Song I Can Live With and Little Angel Wings were written at the last moment.”
The track list:
Crazy Girl
Until It Huts
A New York In Between
Young Brooks Flow
Little Angel Wings
Joan, Joan, Joan
Hey Lou
Senorita Falling Down
A Song I Can Live With
Save Your Blues and Your Money
Los Alamitos Story
Whisper Amen
