Awards received for this CD:
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JPF Independet Music Awards Winner!
"(Pretty Baby) You're Mine Tonight" awarded #1 best Rockabilly Song of 2006!
"The Sun Also Rises, Vol. 1" voted top 3 in Best Rockabilly Album category!
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This CD was recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis, TN, the very same studio that Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Charlie Rich, and Jerry Lee Lewis made famous. The studio has been more recently been used by such artists as U2 and Paul McCartney.
It was recorded "live in the studio", which is the same way songs were recorded back then, with everyone in the studio playing together at once, not to playback, or with any studio tricks. This produces a sound that has a warmer, livelier, and frankly much better feel and sound than modern music, since everyone is "feeding off the vibe they're all putting out", as Jamie likes to say. This is where the term "live in the studio" comes from, as the musicians were there together, not doing their parts separately as is generally done today.
While recording in the studio that housed the birth of Rockabilly, the musicians used for the album were none other than The Dempseys, in our opinion the world's best rockabilly group going today. They provided the sound and edge that fits the album concept perfectly, and Jamie has said that there is no other group he would have had for the album concept. Also on the album is Jamie's good friend Mark Shaffer, who played accoustic rhythm guitar on some of the songs.
Being an avid Elvis fan, Jamie gathered information about artists that Elvis listened to and used material from, and found other songs they had done. In some cases, these songs are ones Elvis himself is rumored to have done back when he was starting at Sun Records back in 1954-1955! Other songs are from Elvis' then contemporaries that Jamie felt would be good with a different arrangement, and three are songs of that flavor that are more modern: one a song by the Mavericks, and two brand new songs written for the album by Jamie himself.
To avoid all confusion, it should be noted that while this is rockabilly music and does pay respect to Elvis Presley, it is NOT an "impersonation record".. as was the case with his first album, "Unfinished Business", this CD showcases Jamie singing in his own, natural voice, as this is the next step in his solo career. Any vocal similarities you may hear to Elvis' voice are not forced in any way, simply the signs of Elvis' influence on Jamie over the years as a proud Elvis fan.
In closing, this is an album that puts out a fun vibe that's very contagious, as you can tell the guys had fun while they were making this - a stark contrast to most music today. And they hope you get as much of a kick out of listening to it as they all did recording it.
Enjoy!
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