18 Years Later Will T. Massey Re-releases “Slow Study”
Produced by Lloyd Maines
In 1989 Will T. Massey was 20 years old, gaining substantial recognition as a live performer in the Texas music scene and had released two independent collections of original songs. For Massey's third release, the San Angelo native teamed up with musician/producer Lloyd Maines and recorded Slow Study at Caldwell Studios in Lubbock, Texas.
In addition to Lloyd, Jesse “Guitar” Taylor (Joe Ely), Ponty Bone, Tish Hinojosa, Gene Elders (George Strait, Lyle Lovett) and George Ensle were among the musicians contributing their talents. Beautiful melodies range throughout the lyric laden songs, mostly penned by Massey, which take a West Texas trip through honky tonk rock 'n' roll.
“You could tell when you looked at me
Like an old motel with a vacancy
My one room heart was well kept and cheap
You tore it apart you never earned your keep”
Massey writes on “The Last One To Leave.”
“You can't believe the things I do
Can't you see I learned from you
You always look so damned amazed
Shaking the hand of the hell you raised”
Massey writes of his father.
Will T. pressed 150 cassettes, had a tape release party where he jammed on stage with Jesse “Guitar” Taylor as well as Rosie Flores and then was quickly signed to MCA Records. Massey worked for MCA in L.A. With Roy Bittan (Bruce Springsteen), Mike Campbell(Tom Petty) and Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp) making a new pop record which took him across the country and to Europe often as a support act for Steve Earle.
It seemed the fate of “Slow Study” was to be forever in the hands of a few lucky fans, collectors and bootleggers. But as fate would have it Massey and Maines would work together again in 2006 on Will T.'s Letters In The Wind, his seventh offering of original tunes. The Sexton brothers (Will and Charlie) as well as Bukka Allen were also on hand for the '06 sessions. While working on Letters... Lloyd encouraged Will T. to re-release Slow Study. That along with the fact that fans had been asking for Slow Study for years convinced Massey to dust off the tapes and have the recording digitally remastered. The remastered version includes two additional songs and alternate versions of two originally released songs.
Slow Study Credits:
Will T. Massey - lead vocals, acoustic guitar, piano
Lloyd Maines - steel guitar, dobro, lap steel, electric guitar, acoustic guitar,
six string bass, mandolin, backing vocals
Paul Pearcey - drums, percussion
Roland Denney - bass
Jesse Taylor - electic guitar
George Ensle - acoustic guitar
Don Ray - piano
Bonnie Dickinson - piano
Gene Elders - fiddle
Professor Author - cello
Don Caldwell - saxophone
Tommy Anderson - trumpet
Ponty Bone - accordian
Kenny Maines - harmonica, backing vocals
Tish Hinojosa - vocals on “Long Distance Love”
Julie Massey - backing vocals
Produced by Lloyd Maines
All songs written by Will T. Massey, Signal Songs/Truett Publishing (ASCAP),
except “Long Distance Love” by Will T. Massey & Peg Miller,
Signal Songs/Truett Publishing (ASCAP) & Chicago House Publishing (ASCAP)
and “On the Sofa Outside” by George Ensle, Ensle Publishing (BMI).
Executive Producer - Dianne Scott
Will T. Massey is from San Angelo, Texas, where he released his first collection of original songs in high school. After moving to Austin, he released two more records on his own, and then signed with M.C.A. A self-titled debut, recorded at A&M Studios in Los Angeles, included veterans such as Roy Bittan (Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band), Mike Campbell (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) and Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp) . Will toured in America and Europe, receiving critical acclaim for his solo performances. He has opened for a myriad of acts -- Townes Van Zandt to Chris Isaak.
After a break from public performances, Will has returned to the stage with an
extensive collection of new material. In addition to performing, he has also released
two new solo acoustic CDs: Acoustic Session, April 2005; Alone, November 2005. Letters In The Wind, May 2006, was recorded with a full band.
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