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Don’t Look Back
Back of My Hand
Deep Blue Sea
The High Road
Poor Me
Anything is Possible
All She Ever Wanted
You & I
Psycho
My Island
Without You
Digital Album Notes
“Don’t Look Back”
brentbourgeois.com
Digital Album Notes
“Don’t Look Back”
brentbourgeois.com
Don’t Look Back
When the eyes of the world have descended upon you
And you feel like you have to justify every single thing that you do
It may be time to try a different tact
Keep your eyes straight ahead and don’t look back
I’ve got to say you take things way too hard
And you end up feeling all battered and scarred
Before you give yourself a heart attack
Just keep on movin’ and don’t look back
(Keep on movin’ and don’t look back)
You do a lot of preachin’ ‘bout right and wrong
And we all gotta listen to that same ol’ song
Well do yourself a favor while you’re talkin’ smack
Hit the road and don’t look back
(Hit the road and don’t look back)
Two little birdies sittin’ in a tree
One says to the other, “Do you see what I see?”
There’s a cat right down below us and he’s looking for a snack
Let’s take to the skies and don’t look back
(Let’s take to the skies and don’t look back)
Talk is cheap; but you know that
Peacock still be singin’ ‘bout a big man’s hat
Mama always told you ‘fore you hit the sack
Shut your mouth and don’t look back
Shut your mouth and don’t look back
When trouble seems to find you on your left and your right
Hide under my wing and stay out of sight
It’s so easy to get on the wrong track
Keep your eyes on the road and don’t look back
(Eyes on the road and don’t look back)
Let’s take to the skies and don’t look back
Just keep on movin’…and don’t look back
Written & produced by Brent Bourgeois | Brent Bourgeois: lead vocals, keyboards, programming | John Lee Sanders: lead vocals, sax
Aaron Smith: drums | Chris Rodriguez: guitar, bgvs | Rachael Lampa McCarthy: bgvs, Racheyfu | Michelle Tumes: bridge bgvs | Mixed by Ralph
Stover| Drums recorded by Stephen Leiweke at Yackland Studio, Nashville TN.
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Brent Bourgeois & John Lee Sanders
“Don’t Look Back”
“Don’t Look Back” is the title song and leads the record off. It was important to set the tone with something fun and funky. The song
features John Lee Sanders on vocals and alto sax. John and I go back to a band called Uncle Rainbow, who got their start in Dallas
and moved to the San Francisco Bay area in the mid-70s.
The song also features a young lady that I discovered in the mountains of Colorado when she was 14
years-old. Rachael Lampa (McCarthy) remains the best singer I have ever had the pleasure of working
with, and I’ve worked with a few.
Also appearing with Rachael on vocals is Chris Rodriguez–their blend is fantastic. Aaron Smith is
playing drums.
I also want to mention a fantastic cameo vocal tour-de-force by Michelle Tumes (Higgins.) Michelle and I worked a great deal together during our time in Nashville, especially considering she was on “another” label. In fact, one of the many things I got in trouble for during my time as VP of A&R at Word Records was my prolific use of Michelle. Anyway, I had an idea for a vocal layering
arrangement in the instrumental section of this song and immediately thought of her to do it. It’s a short bit, but it is very powerful.
Boy did she deliver! She sent me FORTY-EIGHT tracks! Now that’s a girl after my own heart! See more photos here.
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Back of My Hand
Love hurts like a blister
On the back of my hand keep bumpin’ it
Just a little but just enough
Enough to believe it’s driving me crazy
But that’s what love does…but I’m lazy
But not enough to believe that I’m over my head
I know love like the back of my hand
But not enough to believe that I’m over my head
I know love like the back of my hand
Love aches like a cavity
In the back of my head -it’s always buggin’ me
If I let it get the best of me
It’s always driving me over the edge
But that’s what love does…not gonna let it
Not gonna ever let you know that I’m over my head
I know love like the back of my hand
Not gonna ever let you know that I’m over my head
I know love like the back of my hand
I know love like the back of my hand
I know love like the back of my hand
I know love like the back of my hand
Love hurts but I’ll get over it
Like the blister on the back of my hand
Written & produced by Brent Bourgeois | Brent Bourgeois: lead vocals, bgvs, keyboards, programming | Steve Brewster: drums
Chris Rodriguez: guitars and bgvs | Mixed by Ralph Stover
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Brent Bourgeois & Steve Brewster
“Back of My Hand”
Steve Brewster sat in the drummer’s chair for my last album, “Come Join the Living World,” and did a fantastic job. But I will always
remember one moment in time with him during those sessions. He was in the studio laying down a track, and it was right at the moment of the OJ Simpson slow-motion White Bronco freeway chase in LA.
Charlie Peacock, engineer Craig Hansen and I were in the control room and the TV was on overhead showing the “chase.” We were
absolutely transfixed, and Steve finished a track and just sat there waiting for anyone to say anything, but no one did. Finally, he
yelled, “HEY!” which awoke us from our trance, and we just had him come into the studio and watch. We were done for the day.
Steve Brewster is back on this record, playing on “Back of My Hand,” and “Anything is Possible,” and
his drumming is stellar. In this picture, I am explaining to Steve the importance of having a lot of
snare drums…
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Deep Blue Sea
Like the fool that I am I come crawling back
From the bottom of the deep blue sea
It’s a shame but you knew I was drowning there
And you wouldn’t lift a finger to save me
I had thought I was wise to the ways of the world
But nothing had me reeling like this
Now I’m sinking like a stone and I’m all alone
At the bottom of the deep blue sea
At the bottom of the deep blue sea
On the Fourth of July you said bye to me
You declared your state of independence
I was hoping you’d stay for a drink or two
And we could talk about our best intentions
Hey the man in the moon and a cold day in hell
Has just as good a chance as me
I swore it was your fingers around my neck
On the bottom of the deep blue sea
On the bottom of the deep blue sea
No rhyme no reason no sense at all
Faithless lover is out to get me
I tell myself that I’ve had my fill
I keep swimming on back to the one that got me
And now I swear I’ve met my end
At the bottom of the deep blue sea
At the bottom of the deep blue sea
At the bottom of the deep blue sea
At the bottom of the deep blue sea
No rhyme no reason no sense at all
Faithless lover is out to get me
I tell myself that I’ve had my fill
I keep swimming on back to the one that got me
And now I swear I’ve met my end
At the bottom of the deep blue sea
And now I swear I’ve met my end
At the bottom of the deep blue sea
At the bottom of the deep blue sea
At the bottom of the deep blue sea
At the bottom of the deep blue sea
Written & produced by Brent Bourgeois | Brent Bourgeois: lead vocals, keyboards, programming | Chris Rodriguez: guitars, bgvs
Mixed by Ralph Stover
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“Deep Blue Sea”
I consider Chris Rodriguez one of my best friends in the music industry. I got to know him when he sang on Come Join the Living
World, and we’ve been close ever since. Chris was always a first call session singer and guitarist in Nashville in the late 80s and into
the 90s and beyond, but everyone always wondered why he never made his own record. Well I finally tricked him into making one
for me at Word Records, and I produced it as well. Chris’s fingerprints are all over this record–especially the first three songs. On
“Deep Blue Sea,” Chris is singing and playing the guitar parts. Oh, and I had a most memorable experience listening to the master of
the record with him in his car the evening that I got it ;)
In this photo, I’m explaining to Chris that it’s probably not a good idea to put AutoTune on his vocals until after
he sings…See more here.
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The High Road
Look what we’ve done to love again
While we’re just waiting for it all to end
Who’s in the driver’s seat for this foolish ride?
Well call us fools then–we’re fools for love
Your hands are shaking my heart is breaking
‘Cause when we get crazy nobody wins
Baby take the high road, I’ll take the high road with you
Baby take the high road, I’ll take the high road with you
So many things got in the way of loving you
Baby take the high road I’ll take the high road too
Whoever said, “It’s darkest ‘fore the dawn”
Well they weren’t speaking of you and I
It’s likely some poet’s version of a dream
That knows no waking in the modern world
Just when we thought it all was over
Along comes another damn seed we’ve sown
Baby take the high road, I’ll take the high road with you
Baby take the high road, I’ll take the high road with you
So many things got in the way of loving you
So baby take the high road I’ll take the high road too
Baby take the high road I’ll take the high road too
Written & produced by Brent Bourgeois, and co-produced by Ross Hogarth | Brent Bourgeois: lead vocals, keyboards | Julian Lennon: lead vocals
Michael Urbano: drums | Larry Tagg: bass | Mike Roe: electric guitar | Tim Pierce: electric and slide guitars
Drums and bass recorded by Michael Rosen
Adrian Bourgeois: acoustic guitar | Rich Ayres: acoustic guitar
Brent Bourgeois’ vocals and organ recorded by Rich Ayres at River City Recording, Roseville CA
Julian Lennon’s vocals recorded by Ross Hogarth at Nightbird Studio, West Hollywood CA | Mixed by Ross Hogarth
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Brent Bourgeois & Julian Lennon
“The High Road”
“The High Road” has become somewhat of a centerpiece of this album. A duet with Julian Lennon blossomed into a partnership in which people who buy this record will also be donating to
Julian’s White Feather Foundation if they choose. (photo: discussing agricultural subsidies to
Albania with Julian Lennon)
But there is a lot more to be excited about from this song. It features a number of people who
have been important to me over the years. First of all, Michael Urbano is playing the drums, and
Larry Tagg the bass–I defy anyone to find a better rhythm section anywhere. 77s founder Mike
Roe, a friend for thirty years, is holding down one end of the electric guitars, and LA session
guitarist Tim Pierce the other. And my son Adrian is playing the acoustic guitar, along with River City Recording’s Rich Ayres. And
making it all sound wonderful is producer/engineer Ross Hogarth, who co-produced the track and was the engineer on my first solo
record.
Per the post on my site about the June 2, 1967 US release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, “The High Road” clearly shows
my Beatles’ roots and their lasting legacy on my music. And it doesn’t hurt to have Julian Lennon singing on it, either. Read more
about The High Road here.
brentbourgeois.com
Poor Me
Once again I find myself in a place I don’t understand
The Goddess of Fate is showing me the back of her hand
And try I as I may I don’t understand
Of all the people in the world…O why me?
I grow so weary of the chains I have to bear
And I swear it’s killing me
Poor me
Falling again from the same tree
Over my head on the high seas
Drifting from train wreck to tragedy
Over and over again
So I wound up on the wrong side of the tracks
Walk smack dab into trouble–I’ve always had the knack
And fool that I am–I’ve forgotten how to get back
Back to my home–wherever home may be…I don’t know
I’ve travelled halfway ‘round the world–I’ve got another half to go
I’m praying for the winds of change to follow me
O Lord let me be
Poor me
(Poor little me)
Falling again from the same tree
(Poor little me)
Over my head on the high seas
(Poor little me)
Drifting from train wreck to tragedy
(Poor little me)
Over and over again
Of all the people in the world-why me?
I’ve travelled halfway ‘round the world-and it’s killing me
Poor me (poor little me)
Of all the lonely lonely lonely people
Poor me (poor little me)
To have this burden to bear
Poor me (poor little me)
Nothing I can do but to believe the best is yet to come
Written & produced by Brent Bourgeois | Brent Bourgeois: lead vocals, bgvs, keyboards, programming | Todd Rundgren: vocals
Aaron Smith: drums | Kasim Sulton: bass | Jerry McPherson: guitar | John Fields: Electric sitar
Drums recorded by Stephen Leiweke at Yackland Studio, Nashville TN | Mixed by John Fields
brentbourgeois.com
“Poor Me”
I’ve known Todd Rundgren a long time. As has been previously mentioned, he produced Bourgeois Tagg’s Yoyo album. He liked our
band–and why not–it was a killer band. It was just after that record that we played this gig with Todd, something called Condommania.
And then, just as I was leaving Bourgeois Tagg to start my solo career, Todd asked us all to
play on his Nearly Human album, which was recorded live in the studio. Thank God somebody (Ed Vigdor) was there filming it–this is some GREAT footage. In it you can see many
people who played on Don’t Look Back, including Michael Urbano, Larry Tagg, Lyle Workman, and Vicki Randle. And Michael Rosen, who engineered some of the rhythm tracks on
“Don’t Look Back,” is the guy behind the mixing desk.
In “Fidelity,” it is me playing the keyboard figure throughout the song, and you can see me
paying Todd a dollar probably for him having to show me how something went more than
once. Watch here.
In “The Want of A Nail” I moved over to the singer’s booth, where they were having much more fun…watch that video here.
On “Poor Me,” check out Kasim Sulton’s smooth bass part, Jerry McPherson on guitar, and Aaron Smith’s stellar brush work on the
drums. John Fields mixed and added the electric sitar. Listen for Todd’s 1001 vocals: the “la-la’s,” the melody in the chorus, and the
answer line in the 2nd chorus and beyond.
Someone asked me about the “center,” or soul, of the record. After thinking about it, I think it’s “Poor Me.” It has all of the elements
in it that make me feel good and happy to be writing music again. See pictures and more here.
brentbourgeois.com
Anything is Possible
Anything is possible
If you put your mind into it
Like stealing candy from a baby it’s so easy
Anything is possible
Trust me there’s nothing to it
Just bring your body and your mind will soon be tripping over me
Extraordinary visions that are forming in my mind
I might as well be going blind
She’s the only woman who has ever chased the devil out of me…yeah
Anything is possible
If you just let go of your senses
Don’t be afraid to make the most of the situation
All things are possible
Don’t be so sentimental
My body’s aching for the moment you uncover the mystery
A moment’s hesitation and I’m falling under your spell
I feel your light wash over me
I’m in love with a woman who has always scared the devil out of me…yeah
Anything is possible
Anything is possible
All things are possible
Explore the possibilities
Anything is possible
Everything is possible
All things are possible
If you let the possibilities
Falling under your spell
I’ve never felt myself so free
She’s the only woman who has ever chased the devil out of me…yeah
Anything is possible
Just check your motivation
Anything is possible
So what’s your hesitation
Anything is possible
If you use your mystic vision
Anything is possible
A promise of a new sensation
All things are possible
Explore the possibilities
Anything is possible
Anything is possible
Anything is possible
Written & produced by Brent Bourgeois | Brent Bourgeois: lead vocals, bgvs, keyboards, programming | Steve Brewster: drums
Jerry McPherson: guitars | Mixed by Ralph Stover
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Brent Bourgeois & Jerry McPherson
“Anything is Possible”
This song is a nod to James Bond movies and also to my late friend Robert Palmer. I know I was thinking of Robert when I wrote
this, and my vocal lapses into almost homage at certain points along the way. It also features Jerry McPherson on “spy” guitar, and
Steve Brewster on drums…
Click to see a photo from 1992 here on a writing trip to Robert’s home in Switzerland
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All She Ever Wanted
When I was just a child of two or three
Life was a simple mystery
And I’d climb way up high on my mother’s knee
She’d hum a little song just to comfort me
Sensual memories of mother’s caresses
The smell of her lotion, the shape of her dresses
I can’t get that melody out of my head
It reminds me of something–something you said to me
You said I crossed way over the line
Looking for something that never was mine
You said you wanted more time to heal
Now I need to hear that song sung softly
All she ever wanted-wanted was a friend
It’s time for the talking-talking to end
Our conversation was light as a feather
Avoid all emotion; talk about the weather
And everything else under sun
One by one it all gets done
Insinuations of ‘it must get better’
I take each invitation to the letter
I spend most of my time chasing my tail
Looking for something so far beyond the veil
And any moment in the blink of an eye
I have this feeling and it’s stronger than I am
You said you love it when a grown man cries
Now I need to hear that song sung softly
All she ever wanted-wanted was a friend
It’s time for the talking-talking to end
All she ever wanted-wanted was a friend
It’s time for the talking-talking to end
Written by Brent Bourgeois | Produced by Charlie Peacock | Brent Bourgeois: lead vocals, additional keyboards
Charlie Peacock: keyboards, programming | Mark Hill: bass | Jerry McPherson: guitar | Cody Fry: keyboards | Sam Ashworth: bgvs
Engineered by Richie Biggs & Charlie Peacock at The Art House Studio, Nashville TN
Mixed by Richie Biggs at The Chapel, Franklin TN
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Brent Bourgeois & Charlie Peacock
“All She Ever Wanted”
How Long have I known Charlie Peacock? That is Charlie and Andi’s daughter Molly as the flower girl at our
wedding. (That is my nephew Daniel as the ring-bearer.) Charlie and I have been through a couple of lives
together. But through it all Charlie has been more than a friend; he has been a mentor, a role model, and a trail
blazer.
Check out a sneak peek on my blog for music samples and photos.
brentbourgeois.com
You & I
Hey baby–look what’s happenin’
We’re the toast of the town believe it
We made it–we’re survivors
Into the wind we go now
You and I
We’re gonna fly to the top of the sky
And nothin’s gonna keep us from the moon now
You and I
I swear we can touch the sky…and paint the stars
And more than this
You and I
Here’s to the dreamers–keep dreamin’
Don’t stop ‘til you hit the ceiling
We made it–through the ceiling
We never gave in to it
You and I
And that’s how we fell in love
And Lord knows it’s happenin’ all over again
‘Cause we’re gonna touch the sky…and paint the stars
And hang the moon
That’s who we are
Two lovers flying toward the sun…so much in love
But more than this
You and I
You and I
I swear we can touch the sky
You and I
I swear we can touch the sky
You and I
I swear we can touch the sky
You and I
I swear we can touch the sky
Written & produced by Brent Bourgeois | Brent Bourgeois: lead vocals, keyboards, programming
George Lawrence: drums | Chris Rodriguez: guitars | Paige Lewis: vocals | Paige Lewis’s vocal recorded by Adrian Bourgeois
Drums engineered by Christopher Speich at the Drum Room, Nashville TN
Mixed by Ralph Stover
brentbourgeois.com
“You & I”
Credit: H. Armstrong Roberts
I signed two 15 year-old females in 1998 in my capacity as VP of A&R at Word Records. One of them,
Rachael Lampa, got most of the ink. The other, Paige Lewis, has almost become part of our family. Both
of them appear on this record. Paige is currently in a band called See How They Run with my son Adrian.
Adrian is also on the record, and he engineered Paige’s vocal on You & I. It’s neat to see the kids grow up…
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Psycho
My life is not too bright
Somebody turn on the light
Come take a picture of me
So I can post it and you will see
That I’m psycho
Ready or not-here I go
Well I’m psycho
All captured on cellphone
We’ve got a pretty good deal
We have exceptional genes
And yet we fight like kids
Even though we don’t know what it means
We’re all psycho
Down the drain here we go
We’re all psycho
And it’s all on Instagram
We’re all psycho
Take a clue from the Romans
We’re all psycho
It’s the American moment
To go psycho
Posting a psuicide pselfie
It’s all psycho
And it’s all on my iPhone
Psycho/psycho/psycho/psycho/psycho
Psycho/psycho/psycho/psycho/psycho
Psycho/psycho/psycho/psycho/psycho
Psycho/psycho/psycho/psycho/psycho
Written & produced by Brent Bourgeois | Brent Bourgeois: lead vocals, bgvs, keyboards, programming
Michael Urbano: drums, percussion | Larry Tagg: bass | Lyle Workman: guitars
Drums and bass recorded by Michael Rosen | Brent Bourgeois’ vocals recorded by Rich Ayres at River City Recording, Roseville CA
Mixed by David J. Holman
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Michael Urbano, Brent Bourgeois & Larry Tagg
“Psycho”
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My Island
I’m gonna build me a boat
And sail far away
Maybe to Barcelona
And then to Half Moon Bay
And when I’m done with that
I’m gonna live off the land
On my very own island
With a plow in my hand
And with Wendell Berry
Always by my side
Though he don’t know it
He’s gonna be my guide
He’s gonna tell me what to reap
He’s gonna tell me what to sow
He’s gonna tell me everything
That I need to grow on my island
Ooohh…the wind begins to blow
Ooohh…and the water starts to flow
Ooohh…then things begin to grow
Ooohh…it’s where I wanna go
And was it Huey Long said
“Every man’s a king!”
Well, on my island
I can do anything
Yeah I may be alone
All by myself
But on my island
I don’t need nobody else
Ooohh…the wind begins to blow
Ooohh…and the water starts to flow
Ooohh…then things begin to grow
Ooohh…it’s where I wanna go
Ooohh…it’s where I wanna go
Ooohh…Brother Wendell tells me so
Ooohh…it’s where I wanna go
Ooohh…Brother Wendell tells me so
Ooohh…Maybe Henry David Thoreau
Ooohh…it’s where I wanna go
Ooohh…it’s where I wanna go
Written & produced by Brent Bourgeois | Brent Bourgeois: lead vocals, keyboards, programming
Molly Felder: vocals | Vicki Randle: percussion | Mixed by Ralph Stover
My Island artwork courtesy of Greg Newbold. All rights reserved. www.gregnewbold.com
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Vicki Randle
“My Island”
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Without You
Early in the morning
Just before the sunrise
I open wide the mirror to taste the early dawn
Something’s caused my sleeplessness
Arrested my devotion
Looking in the mirror what do I see?
Faithless staring back at me
Nothing really matters
‘Cause without you
My whole life’s in tatters
(without you )
I can’t face the future
(without you)
I’m hanging on to a slim line
(without you)
But I’ll keep holding on
I know it’s not that easy
Hanging on to nothin’
Looking for deliverance upon the restless seas
And now my vessel’s empty
But that won’t really matter
‘Cause without you
My whole life’s in tatters
(without you)
I can’t face the future
(without you)
I’m hanging on to a slim line
(without you)
A life without emotion
(without you)
There really is no reason
(without you)
To keep hoping for the best things
(without you)
But I’ll keep holding on
Written & produced by Brent Bourgeois | Brent Bourgeois: lead vocals, bgvs, keyboards, programming
Wayne Kirkpatrick: acoustic guitar, vocals | Aaron Smith: drums, tambourine | Vicki Randle: percussion
Drums recorded by Stephen Leiweke at Yackland Studio, Nashville TN.
Additional engineering by Todd Robbins at The Maple Room, Franklin TN | Mixed by Ralph Stover
brentbourgeois.com
Brent Bourgeois & Wayne Kirkpatrick
“Without You”
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Album was Mastered by Richie Biggs at The Chapel, Franklin, TN
Special Thanks!
This record literally would not have been made without the generous contributions made by my friends and peers in the
music community. I will forever be in debt to you all, in alphabetical order: Rich Ayres, Richie Biggs, Michael Blanton,
Adrian Bourgeois, Steve Brewster, Don Donahue, Donahue Entertainment, Molly Felder, John Fields, Mark Hill, Ross
Hogarth, David Holman, Dave Jaworski, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Rachael Lampa McCarthy, George Lawrence, Julian Lennon,
Paige Lewis, Jerry McPherson, Charlie Peacock, John Price, Vicki Randle, Todd Robbins, Henry Robinett,
Chris Rodriguez, Michael Rosen, Todd Rundgren, John Lee Sanders, Aaron Smith, Ralph Stover, Larry Tagg, Michelle
Tumes, Michael Urbano, & Lyle Workman
To my wife, Mary Ann, my children Adrian, Delaney, Corey, and Natalie, thank you for your patience and understanding.
To my brother Brian and sister Coral, thank you for helping me with the video. It was great fun!
brentbourgeois.com
The Rip Van Winkle of Music
I made my last CD of original music in 1994. Yes, it was a CD. Vinyl was long gone,
cassettes were still around, but losing ground fast, and there was no such thing as
downloadable music for sale. The CD was king.
In 1994, Bill Clinton was beginning the second year of his initial term as president.
The People’s Republic of China got its first Internet connection. Apple unleashed its
first PowerPC Microprocessor. Version 1.0 of the web browser Netscape Navigator was
released. Green Day debuted their album Dookie, which went on to sell 20 million
copies worldwide. 1994 was also the year of O.J. Simpson (I was in the studio recording while the white Bronco freeway chase was happening,) Nelson Mandela’s election
as the first black president of South Africa, and Schindler’s List won seven Oscars at
the Academy Awards.
The record business was still in its heyday in 1994. The sale of recorded music was
continuing to rise, and would peak in 1999, with an income of around $14.5 billion.
The record I made in 1994, Come Join the Living World, was considered a sales disappointment in the Christian market
because it only ended up selling around 60,000 units, a figure that most artists not named Beyoncé or Katy Perry would
kill for today. But then again, budgets for albums were astronomical by today’s standards. That same record cost over
$100,000 to make, and that was easily the cheapest of the five records I was associated with as an artist, either with Bourgeois Tagg, or solo. (The video for my first single on my debut solo release on Virgin/Charisma, Dare to Fall in Love, cost
$250,000!)
In 1994 we still recorded to tape, although we were well on our way using computers to create music. And we all mixed
down to digital audio tape, or DAT, which was considered a Godsend because you could make perfect copies of the master for reproduction. Little did we surmise that we were staring right in the face of the silent killer of the music business.
If we could make perfect copies, it was only a matter of time before you could do the same thing. The Internet in 1994 was
this slow, cumbersome, geeky novelty that seemed at the time to have its greatest potential in research and as a database.
You could see even then that the encyclopedia business was in trouble. The idea of “e-mail” was pretty cool, though.
After the sales disappointment of Come Join the Living World, I felt like my real future in music was in producing others rather than making my own records. I did this for next several years, adding VP of A&R at Word Records in Nashville
into the mix. It was at Word that the signs of Digital Impending Doom were clearly there for those with eyes to see and
ears to hear, but few in the industry were prescient enough take the threat seriously, and most fell back on established
business norms, thinking this, too, shall pass.
Working inside the business at a record company had left a really bad taste in my mouth, so I jumped off the music biz
ship as it was sinking in 2002, turning my back on the only profession I had known for almost thirty years and moving
my family back to Northern California. I worked at two different churches, wrote three books, including two historical
novels, coached my daughter’s soccer teams, worked with their musical theatre companies, and produced a local children’s worship CD. I had almost nothing to do with the pop music world for over ten years.
In 2013, Rip Van Winkle woke up. I was offered the chance to produce and mentor a young singer/songwriter in LA, and
I jumped at the chance. This would involve co-writing (which also included a small publishing deal,) and pre-production
programming and recording on my own at home, something I hadn’t done in many years. Even when I was producing records in the late ‘90s, I was doing it almost exclusively with live musicians and orchestras, and I hired other people to do
the programming. So I had a pretty steep learning curve ahead of me, and had to do it fast. I dusted off my copy of Logic,
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and dove in. On one hand, I was behind. On the other, I was fresh. The first thing to come tumbling out was an album’s
worth of instrumental music. The idea of making a new record was still far from my mind. Then I began writing songs for
my new publisher, but he didn’t like them–they weren’t “sellable” or commercial enough. In reality, they were too “me,”
and they became the genesis for this album. I guess time will tell if he was right.
So here I am, in 2014, making a new “album?” “Record?” “Downloadable Collection of Songs?” So, so much has changed
since I made my last one, we don’t even know what to call it. CDs are on their way out, and vinyl is making a comeback
(although did you know that 60% of all vinyl sold today is not opened?) I’m not even releasing a hard copy of this one. At
the end of the recording process in 1994, we turned the recording over to the marketing and promotion department to
make the cover and package, pick the single for radio, and develop some sort of promotional tour. They in turn, handed
the finished product over to the distribution arm of the company, who then delivered it to the thousands of record stores
across the country and the world (and took almost 50% of the revenue for doing so.) Now, there is no “marketing and
promotion department–“ that’s me. The “cover?” A selfie. A “single?!?” What is this “radio” that you speak of? “Promotional tour?” Trying to get some pimple-faced blogger to say a few kind words on Twitter from their bedroom. The “distribution arm?” That would be me and my digital team (all three of them), getting my master to our own eCommerce
store, and then eventually to iTunes and Amazon.com. Heck, I’M the company, the Chief Cook and Bottle Washer. Of the
few record companies left, none of them would touch me with a ten-foot pole. And I will make a LOT more money without them.
There is mixed news about being a recording artist in 2014. The bad news is, anybody with a computer can make a record,
and it seems like half the world is doing just that. Everybody’s making records, and almost nobody is buying them. Very,
very few people in the music business are actually making money at their profession. If you are in the business of making
records, everything is being done at about 10¢ on the dollar to 15 years ago. There is a tremendous amount of clutter and
chaff out there, and it is a real challenge to have your voice heard above the din. There was something to be said about
the old system of “record company” as a sort of gatekeeper or first line of defense as versus the overwhelming amount of
recorded music, most of it underwhelming, being foisted upon the public now.
But there is much to like, too. In 2014, technology has gotten cheap enough so that almost anyone can make a record.
Thanks to constantly improving and less expensive technology, I made a large portion of this record sitting on my living
room floor. Thanks to the same technology, I was able to capture many of my friends’ parts at their own homes, bypassing
thousands of dollars in studio and engineering costs. (Thanks to the incredibly generous contributions of my friends and
musical peers, I was able to make this record for an insanely low amount of money!) This technology has allowed many
talented people who would have slipped through the record company cracks the opportunity to offer their musical gifts to
the world. Now, the bond between artist and consumer is immediate and close; there is no behemoth middle-man standing in between. Sure, record companies were able to generate more sales, but the artist never saw any of that money (except as a songwriter.) I had an artist at the company I worked at sell over one million records over the course her career,
and she never saw a penny of record royalties.
One thing that hasn’t changed in twenty years, or fifty, is that a good song is still a good song. Music will always have the
capacity to move us. A great beat or a well-placed set of chord changes still has the power to change our mood. To this
day, I get goosebumps or can tear up at a certain melody or emotional point in a song. I have rediscovered my love of
songwriting and passion for making music during the process of creating this “collection of songs.” Hopefully, it won’t
take another twenty years to make another one.
Brent Bourgeois, April, 2014.
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