Hey ya’ll…here is a little item I thought I’d pass along to ya for your dining and dancing pleasure. I’ve been on a bunch of “compilation CDs” over the years, but this is one I’m particularly excited to toot my horn a bit about. It was assembled by my good friend and European publicist Peter Holmstedt on his Hemifran label. Peter has worked with all the folks on the record (and many many more). Cuts from it have been played all over Europe, and the reviews have been stellar (see review below).
Peter asked me over a year ago to give him an unreleased song that was related to the “home” theme of this compilation which is titled “Music From Home”. The song I sent him was “If This Old House Could Talk”…a 20 year old song that was collecting dust in my vault of unreleased chestnuts. Its one of those with a message that perfectly describes my emotions of family, childhood and that pesky issue of growing older and looking back.
The song is one of a half dozen never released songs I chose to record in Nashville (circa 1996) when I engineered a surprise get together of my three great friends who played in the supergroup Bread. On the tracks, Mike Botts played drums, Larry Knechtal played piano/organ and Jimmy Griffin sang backup. Sadly, all three of those guys lost their lives to cancer in the ten years following that recording session.
Also playing on the session were bass player Michael Rhodes on bass who was one of only 5 bass players in the world considered to replace Bill Wyman in the Rolling Stones and George Marianelli on guitar. He put together Bruce Hornsby’s band The Range and has played with Bonnie Raitt for years. I know what your thinking…couldn’t I have gotten any better musicians for that session? Not on such short notice 🙂
Below is a review of the “Music From Home” CD followed by the recording of my song “If This Old House Could Talk”. As you can imagine from reading the list of artists on the CD, I’m very honored to be in such good company.
With the holidays coming up, I continue to find myself showered with so many blessings of friendship and career. Everything is always perfect! Here’s to a great 2011.
My best to you all.
Ciao, bob
Music From Home
“The music on this this CD, released by a small Swedish company with a boss with a passion for good music, with westcoast and country in focus, has done a solid job, when collecting major artists such as Jackson Browne, Jack Tempchin (who wrote songs for the Eagles), Graham Nash and David Crosby, Joel Rafael, Greg Copeland, Steve Noonan, Robbin Thompson, Keith Miles and others.
But the strongest cut is Bob Cheevers slow waltz ‘If This House Could Talk’, a nostalgic song that is not overly sentimental. With this ‘debut album’, Hemifr宠presents seventeen songs, most of them previously unreleased, which all celebrate the feeling of being at ease in one’s own house or country.” http://www.rootsy.nu/recension.php?id=1526)
“If This Old House Could Talk”
Hemifran Music web url:
http://www.hemifran.com