Album Notes

If the words "Original Copy" denote just another oxymoron in your mind, you're in for a big surprise. Original they are, providing a fresh project that bursts with upbeat energy and the positive emotions that our world lacks today.

But the only thing "copied" here is the resurgence of two pop stars - turned singer-songwriters in a unique blend of their distinct voices with seasoned writing prowess to form Volume I of what promises to be the first of many. They were born just twenty miles apart in East Texas, but that's only the first fact shared by Larry Henley and Bruce Channel. Both were popular pop stars in their salad days. Channel's major hit was his own Hey Baby, immortalized in the movies Dirty Dancing and The Last Days Of Frankie The Fly. Henley was the falsetto voice that led The Newbeats with the classic Bread And Butter, also heard in two movies: Nine And A Half Weeks and Simon Birch.


After headlining here and in Europe (The Beatles being among the OPENING acts for Channel in England while The Newbeats roamed the globe with Roy Orbison), both grew weary of the traveling circuit and moved to Nashville, where they established themselves as successful songwriters, unknowingly yet fatefully destined to create this powerful album. Little did they know that many years later their own histories would repeat themselves.

The opening tune, You Gotta Go Away Or You Can't Come Back, is appropriately symbolic of the renewed aspirations that characterize this venture. The shift in direction proved productive for Henley, as he went on to win a Grammy for his mega hit Wind Beneath My Wings. He has earned numerous honors for his immense catalogue. He has been nominated for the Songwriters Hall Of Fame and also received the prestigious Songwriter Of The Year Award from NSAI. In 1999 he was recognized with the Five Million Airs Award by BMI for radio plays of Wind Beneath My Wings.

Bruce Channel also grew to be a prolific writer. He gained notoriety for number one hits with Anne Murray's remake of Hey, Baby, T.G. Shepherd's Party Time, John Conlee's As Long As I'm Rockin' With You, Janie Fricke's Don't Worry 'Bout Me Baby and Mel McDaniels' smash record Stand Up. He has had cuts by Jerry Lee Lewis, Alabama, Tom Jones and Kieran Kane, with whom he wrote the country hit You're The Best. For several years Henley and Channel were content with their comfortable lives as past pop figures and current songwriters and producers.

Then along came the enthusiastic Ricky Ray Rector, an Alabama native from Muscle Shoals and a greatly respected writer and performer in his own right. He realized that the voices of Henley and Channel were not only easily recognized but now richer than ever. He persuaded them to embark on this challenging venture, combining his musical expertise with theirs. Original Copy was formed, turning their collective dreams into reality. Rector's personal credits include being nominated for the 2000 W. C. Handy Award for Good Day For The Blues, recorded by Ruth Brown, as well as songs done by The Band, Lonnie Mack, Maria Muldaur, Lacy J. Dalton, and Bobbie Keyes (with Keith Richards in "Cheap Winos"). His song Darlene shot to number one with T. Graham Brown. He is widely acclaimed for his blues guitar style, playing with the Nashville band, "The Nerve," for ten years, followed by stints with Tom T. Hall, Dobie Gray, Lonnie Mack and Tony Joe White. A rare honor was achieved by gifting Nelson Mandela with Streets Of Fire, written with Dobie Gray, who personally presented the song in Africa.
L to R: Ricky Ray Rector, Larry Henley and
Bruce Channel

Bruce, Larry and Ricky Ray have worked hard to deliver the kind of purposeful music that nurtures the soul. but with a playful lift that's easy to adhere to. No two songs are even vaguely alike except in their positive, heartfelt messages geared toward all ages and tastes. Each track stands strong on its own so that listeners are hard pressed to choose a "favorite". Original Copy is truly a fun-filled labor of love.

Original Copy Volume I is dedicated to the late Don Gant, who discovered and produced Jimmy Buffet among others. All three knew him separately in Nashville long before meeting each other, and were among Gant's many protégés. He would surely be proud.