Album Notes

This album was produced by Shawn Nourse

Here is a list of people that appear on this album:

John Carrillo
Shawn Nourse (Dwight Yoakam)
Chris Overall (Wonderlove, Vinegar Joe)
David Koval (Tinseltown, Twenty-Cent Crush, Breakfast With Amy)
David Shelton (UCI Symphony Orchestra)
Suzanne Shelton (UCI Symphony Orchestra)
Stan Sarto (Dogpark)
Lonnie Jordan (WAR)*
Bob Boulding (The Young Dubliners)
John McDuffy (Rita Coolidge)

*Lonnie Jordan/WAR appears courtesy of Avenue Records

"So-Cal singer-songwriter, John Carrillo, has come a long way since his karaoke days. After finding his distinct voice by singing to tracks at an Anaheim club, Carrillo learned to strum the guitar and write his own verses. This led to writer's nights, small club gigs, and a developing career as a solo artist.

His second CD, A Wink To His Career, gives a nod to both '60s Brit-pop and contemporary power pop. Throughout his latest release, Carrillo maintains the quirky sense of humor one would expect from a recovering karaoke singer. Subject matter ranges from silly to sentimental, with musings on socks with toes and a forlorn 'Hathead,' to sensitive love songs such as 'Wendy' and the metaphoric 'All Levels.' Carrillo sings in a pleasing, Matthew Sweet-ish tone, but his ironic wit separates him from the sensitive male singer-songwriter norm. On A Wink To His Career, John Carrillo proves that he's done a fine job developing his talent in a short amount of time, creating a body of work that's fresh and certainly far more innovative than any karaoke cassette."

- Heather Johnson, Performing Songwriter Magazine, June 2002

"...John Carrillo is my hero (that sort of rhymes, wink). I have just listened to his self-produced release, A Wink To His Career three times over. A Wink is singer-songwriter genius a la Elliott Smith and Rufus Wainwright, but with a hip, sunny slant. The cover art is reminiscent of a '60's border ballad LP while the songs are handy all-American folk ditties like 'Brought to You by: Socks With Toes,' and 'Percy's Gone Unconscious.' Each song is delivered with a 20/80 ratio of humor and sentimentality, guaranteeing a hundred percent satisfaction. Beautiful! Relaxing! Intricately arranged! Approved! Approved! Approved! Please visit www.johncarrillo.com for more fabulous information! Alright so I've got the candles lit, the lights dimmed, tea brewing in the pot. Calming tunes are absolutely covered. I'll call you when I wake up in April."

- Diana Nguyen, Mean Street Magazine, March 2002

"John Carrillo's self-titled debut released in 1999 was a pleasing collection of original songs that demonstrated his gift for combining witty lyrics and strong melodies into winning songcraft. The Brea-based singer-songwriter's latest collection, 'A Wink To His Career' is a far more mature and far-reaching work, with emotional ballads ('Wendy') and rockers ('Nowhere To Run') delivered with the same formidable strength as quirky gems such as 'My Sister (You've Grown So Cold).' You might enjoy if you like: Travis, the Beatles' White Album, Big Star "

- Robert Kinsler, The Orange County Register, 10/5/01