Pure Country

[Colt1861Navy]

SKIP EWING

"Skip Ewing is one of the most incredible singers I've ever heard," says Billy Joe Walker, Jr. a man who's produced and recorded with the world's best. His enthusiasm for Ewing's sound is echoed throughout Music Row and among country music's hardest-to-please critics. All agree that Ewing's uncommonly warm, intimate and sincere vocals involve listeners at the deepest emotional levels. This gift is richly evident in Until I Found You, Ewing's debut album for Word Nashville. The project was produced by Walker, a stellar studio and concert guitarist who also co-produces superstar Bryan White.

Ewing began charming country music fans on a broad scale in 1968 with the hit singles "I Don't Have Far To Fall" and "Burnin' A Hole In My Heart." He followed these with such classics as "It's You Again" and "The Gospel According To Luke." In all, he released seven albums--including a greatest hits package and a Christmas collection--before taking time off to concentrate on songwriting. During this initial period of recording activity, Ewing worked with some of the most respected producers in county music, including Jimmy Bowen, Jerry Crutchfield and Randy Scruggs.

The Ewing-Walker team responsible for the new album has been in the making for several years. "Billy's played an almost everything I ever recorded," Ewing explains, "and we developed just a wonderful friendship." From working in the studio together, the two moved on to co-write songs. Subsequently, Ewing played guitar on two of Walker's critically acclaimed jazz albums. After Walker scored his producing successes with Bryan White, he approached Ewing with the idea of producing a record for him as a way of getting the singer back to his first love; performing. "I was thrilled," Ewing admits. Adds Walker, "The more music Skip created through the years, the more I became engulfed in what he did."

"Over a period of time," Ewing continues. "We listened to all the songs from my catalog. Then we listened to all the new things I was writing. We found some songs we really liked. I never wrote anything specifically for myself." In the end, Ewing and his producer settled on 10 songs the artist had co-written: two of them with Donny Kees and one each with Walker, Kent Blazy, Gary Chapman, Dave Gibson, James Dean Hicks, Tim Johnson, Victoria Shaw and Phil Vassar.

While conceding that it's a wonderful problem to have, Ewing notes that his songwriting sometimes overshadows his performing. Other artists have recorded more than 100 of his songs, and many of them have become not only hits but standards. Among these are "Love Me" for Collin Raye, "If I Didn't Have You" for Randy Travis, "Me And You," for Kenny Chesney and "Someone Else's Star," "Rebecca Lynn" and "I'm Not Supposed To Love You Anymore" for Bryan White. (It's worth noting here that Ewing recorded "Rebecca Lynn" on one of his earliest albums, but was never released as a single. Later on, he named his daughter after the song.)

But it was performing that brought Ewing to Nashville--first to work as a singer at the Opryland USA theme park and then as a songwriter for famed Acuff-Rose Music, an affiliation he still maintains. Born in California to a military family, Ewing is fond of saying that he hails from "everywhere." Before he could read, he learned to play guitar, and by the time he was in high school he was irretrievably hooked on performing. "Songwriting, to me, was something to support my singing and being an artist. And it was passionate self-expression for me. I didn't realize at first how closely tied the two things were." Even when he was not recording, Ewing continued to tour. "I love to go out and share my songs first-hand," he says

Until I Found You is a treasury of hits-in-waiting. The title cut is a hushed, reverential tribute from a lover still awed by his own good fortune. By contrast, "Mary Go Round" is breezy, vivid as a photo album and filled with all those deliciously happy feelings of first love. "All That Matters To Me" is a masterpiece of youthfully flirtatious overstatement while "Sliver Of the Moon" has the intense, confiding tone of a lovers' conversation. "The Hole" is a no-nonsense tale about the wisdom of not digging oneself deeper into one--just as the insistent "Make Time" is a rush-hour epiphany about what's really important in life. "I Got A Job To Do" is a joyous evocation of love as a life's work. Set to a dreamy waltz rhythm, "Some Fools" recounts the futility of clinging to a love that's over with. "Half Life Of A Heart" is an inconsolably mournful reaction to a break-up--and is classic country all the way and "Answer To My Prayer" is a tender but stately devotional, destined to become a wedding favorite. Listening to Until I Found You is a lot like listening to confidences from a close friend.

As Ewing sees it, country music has to be rooted in emotional honesty if it's going to matter. "You've got to be real brave," he says, "and dig in to find out where you hurt and where you're happy to come up with songs that mean something."


SKIP EWING
until i f o u n d you
(cut by cut)

ALL THAT MATTERS TO ME Kent Blazy & Skip Ewing
This is the first song Kent Blazy and I ever wrote and it immediately became one of my favorite songs to sing. Real happiness is always about relationships and people, not about accomplishments or possessions. Nothing beats love.
MARY GO ROUND Phil Vassar & Skip Ewing
There have been two songs I've written in the last year that my three-year old daughter has completely flipped out over, "Ants On A Log" which is on Randy Travis' latest album, and this one. It's the first and so far the only song, Phil Vassar and I have written together.
SLIVER OF THE MOON Tim Johnson & Skip Ewing
For years my grandmother and I have been very close, and whenever there is a "fingernail moon" we call each other, or at least think of one another. Her relationship with my grandfather was always an inspiration to me, as is her ability to find the best in everything. When Tim Johnson and I wrote this song, I told him quite a bit about her and I think the example she set had an influence on us both, not to mention the song.
THE HOLE James Dean Hicks & Skip Ewing
James Dean Hicks and I both agree that the music business can be pretty crazy at times. Though we wrote this song to describe the struggle we had seen other people go through, I think it made us look at ourselves a little too. Sometimes it's easy to get caught up trying to achieve success or make money, and lose sight of what's really important because of it.
UNTIL I FOUND YOU Dave Gibson & Skip Ewing
Someone said once, "It's better to be the right person than to find the right person." I agree with that, but when somebody really loves you, sometimes it can make all the difference. I think Dave Gibson was definitely the right person to write this song with.
ANSWER TO MY PRAYER Victoria Shaw & Skip Ewing
Victoria Shaw and I haven't written an abundance of songs together, but somehow we do write it seems like we've written for years and it's easy to share with one another. We had a talk one morning about religious and/or spiritual differences and how those differences can affect relationships. The old adage, "God works in mysterious ways" sure holds true, and common spiritual goals can be incredibly powerful.
MAKE TIME Billy Joe Walker, Jr. & Skip Ewing
I for one am guilty of trying to fit too many things into too little time. More often now I'm remembering to appreciate how great it is to be alive and able to do what I'm able to do. It was easy to write this idea with Billy since he's someone else who knows the world will work you to death if you let it.
SOME FOOLS Donny Kees & Skip Ewing
Sometimes nothing beats a solid, 3/4, let the fiddle and steel shine, count it off Wichita, no nonsense, why didn't you say that in the first place, straight ahead, three chord country song. At least that's what Donny Kees and I said before we started writing this. Traditional country music and bluegrass were big influences on me growing up and they continue to influence me today. Truthfully, I think this song would be funny if it wasn't so true.
I GOT A JOB TO DO Gary Chapman & Skip Ewing
I finished a work-out one morning and as I was leaving the club to go write with Gary Chapman, I overheard part of a conversation someone was having with his wife (or perhaps soon-to- be ex-wife). He said "I can't talk to you right now, I got a job to do!" My thought at that moment was, "Yes, and you're not doing it," Falling in love is easy. Staying in love takes dedication.
HALF LIFE OF A HEART Donny Kees & Skip Ewing
After Donny Kees and I wrote "I'm Not Supposed To Love You Anymore," I told him that in some cases I would trade all the success we might achieve (and yes, even the money) not to know some of the feelings and situations we write about. Then again at this point in my life, I'm genuinely thankful for all of the lessons I've learned.


http://www.investorshub.com/boards/board.asp?board_id=1066
http://www.investorshub.com/boards/board.asp?board_id=1124
http://www.investorshub.com/boards/board.asp?board_id=1148
http://www.investorshub.com/boards/board.asp?board_id=1142