in the booth cd liner notes + (bios, lyrics,...
TRANSCRIPT
In The Booth CD Liner Notes + (Bios, Lyrics, Stories)
(Photo by Amy McMillan, 2012)
The purpose of this document is two-fold: 1) to provide
this album's cover art and information to people who
choose to download the tracks, and 2) to provide some
extra information - bios, lyrics, etc. to everyone who has
been gracious enough to listen to my music.
It has taken me 30 years to finally record this album -
not for lack of desire or trying. Life has a tendency to
get in the way of dreams, sometimes almost to the point
of forgetting what those dreams are. The decision to do
this project started in 2009, and was supposed happen in
2010. But a tonsillectomy in early 2010 (necessary, but
about 45 years late!) took my singing voice and created a
number of other issues. I honestly did not think I would
ever be able to sing again, and for over a year I didn't
sing at all.
(Photo by Amy McMillan, 2012)
(Photo by Gaslight Photography, 2012)
I was incredibly fortunate to have a wonderful doctor
who worked with me to find the treatment I needed, and
a speech therapist who understood, unlike many others,
that singing isn't just something I do - it's an integral
part of who I am and always have been. That connection
gave me hope and a strong desire to make the therapy
work. While I've come to realize that my voice will never
be what it once was, I've learned to appreciate and work
with the voice that I have now. And I plan to continue
working with it as long as I can.
My husband Bob has been a tremendous help and support
throughout the long hours that it has taken me to do this
project. His belief in my dream and his assistance in
helping me fulfill it are appreciated more than I can say.
(Photo by Amy McMillan, 2012)
(Photo by Gaslight Photography, 2012)
So, I hope you enjoy the music, the website, the
photos, lyrics, stories - all of it. If all goes according
to plan, I'll be able to keep doing what I love for
many years to come.
Wishing you happy and safe journeys....
Lorrie
"It's my life -
I live it...
I love it...
Criticism be damned!"
BIOS
Born long ago, Vestal, NY
I can't remember a time when I didn't sing.
My mother used to tell people that I sang before I really talked - sitting in a grocery cart, I'd sing the TV jingles
learned from time spent in my playpen in front of the tube. Other people were delighted - my mother, I think, was just
annoyed.
Music was always playing in the house - Sinatra, Nat King Cole, The Mills Brothers, lots of 40s and 50s stars. My
father played piano and string bass; my mother sang. And I sang, too! I sang constantly as a child (which got me in
trouble on more than one occasion). School recitals and neighborhood 'shows'; church junior choir and then being
selected to sing with the adults; and every musical chorus/choir/drama performance I could get into during my school
years.
My father bought me my first guitar when I was nine, a cheap department-store model with a neck too wide for my
hands. But all I needed were six or so chords, and I was on my way to musical stardom. Listening to the folk icons of
the 60s - Peter, Paul, and Mary (my fave), Judy Collins, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan among them. I always knew I was a
singer first, and the guitar was just a means to support the vocalist (and of course, back then, pianos weren't
portable!).
I started writing songs in my early teens, about all the normal teen angst and boys that I was convinced I was madly in
love with. For the record: I was, and still am, a hopeless romantic, and the great majority of my original works reflect
the same theme - the male of the species. (I'm in love...I'm out of love...He's the most wonderful person in the
world...He's a schmuck...I'll never, never, NEVER fall in love again...I'm in love again...)
I did musical theater and sang opera during my high school and college years. My first 'gig' was at my uncle's bar
when I was 15 - I played during the other act's breaks. (Thank you, Uncle Ralph, for that little bit of nepotism!), and
joined my first band, 'Now and Then', when I was 18, performing current pop hits mixed with older jazz standards
(think The Captain and Tennille meets Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole!).
I left college to join the Army and travel the world, and during my career, I sang in military and civilian clubs
everywhere I went, both stateside and abroad. 'The Star-Spangled Banner' became my trademark - a cappella,
anytime, anywhere - and so I performed that and other patriotic songs at hundreds of official military functions,
entertaining senior U.S and foreign military officials and dignitaries.
In the mid-80s, while stationed at Goodfellow Air Force Base (where I currently work, oddly enough!), I won Female
Vocalist of the year for the Air Force and a spot in 'Tops In Blue (TIB)' - the Air Force's 6-month, touring showcase.
Even now - in their 60-year history - I am the only non-Air Force performer to have been selected for the tour. I still
consider it one of the greatest honors in my life to be a 'TIB Prior'. During my second assignment to Germany, I took
first-place as top Female Vocalist in U.S. Army Europe three of the five years I was assigned. (The other two years I
wasn't available to compete.) I was selected for the U.S. Army's 'Army Soldier Show' in the late 80s, and became the
only person to ever be selected for both services’ performing groups.
I also sang with another band while in Germany, a German band with just two Americans - the keyboardist and me.
'Tanzband Magic' (Danceband Magic) was a band from the beautiful town of Idar-Oberstein, very near the
Baumholder military community. The 'other American' - a talented musician named John Mills - was the head of the
Baumholder Entertainment Office. He heard me not long after I got into country, at the first of my competitions, and
asked me to audition for the band. They hired me, and I worked with them for the next four years. I learned German
oom-pah music for them; they learned music by The Judds and The Bangles for me. And we made beautiful music
and the world was good!
During these years, I was married, had my son, Jeremy; divorced, remarried, and divorced again (there's that 'hopeless
romantic' at work!). Jeremy spent a great deal of time over the years listening to me sing and play (a captive
audience, I guess), and over the years has become my most vocal 'conscience'. It's a heavy burden, since no one likes
the messenger, but Jeremy inherited the job from my father - both my biggest supporter and critic growing up.
After returning stateside for what would turn into my final military assignment, I stopped singing and playing - just
stopped. I think it was withdrawal from coming back from Germany (those who have been there will understand this
completely!), and also from working with the band for so long. There was a sense of family and security with those
guys, and now back in Maryland, I felt very alone. So for almost the next decade, other than military functions (and
the occasional karaoke night), I did very little musically.
Oh, and I got married, and divorced...again. Yeah, I know, I know...!
So a dozen years ago, I finally moved back to San Angelo. My son was in college, and I decided to come back to one
of my favorite places during my military days. I started playing again, slowly getting out and about and meeting
people who love to make music - and for a smaller town, this place has bunches! I reunited with an old musical
friend, Larry Ward, whom I'd met in the 70s while I was a military student here. (My first CD 'In The Booth' is titled
after a song I wrote about him.) I also met Ed Stabler - a wonderful, award-winning, western musician who is fluent
in many genres. And last but never least, I met Kelly Kingston, a bass player extraordinaire and just one of the nicest
people on the planet - and she gives great hugs, too! All these people and many more helped me come back to the
music that I had been missing for too long. And at the end of 2009, I had my plan in motion to record my first CD -
finally, after all these years!
And then in early 2010, I had a tonsillectomy that went very wrong. It took me and my singing voice out of
circulation for over a year; a wonderful speech therapist finally helped me get it back. Through it all, many 'friends'
disappeared, but Ed kept in touch. When I was ready to start the CD, he was first in line to help.
So for those of you who have taken the time to read through the ramble, here's the current state of things:
- I remarried in 2004 - and I'm still married!! Bob Keating (aka 'Bobby K') has been my rock, and for those who
may wonder, yes - I've submitted him for sainthood...!
- Our combined child count is three (plus): Kimberly, a Navy Chief, Korean linguist; Bobby, Special Projects
Manager of Visual Marketing, Macy's Visual Merchandising, NYC; Jeremy, an Army Sergeant, Occupational
Therapist and his wife Sarah, an elementary school teacher.
- I currently work as a Training Development Manager for the U.S. Air Force here in San Angelo.
And now my first CD - 'In The Booth' - has been released! I hope that all my friends, old and new, find their way to
it, take the time to breathe and relax with it, and share it with all their friends, old and new. And I look forward to
making more music - as long as the pipes hold out!
MUSICIANS
Ed Stabler Guitar (Multiple Tracks), Duet Vocals - 'If I Needed You';
Autoharp - 'Feather Quilt'
(Photo by Linda Martin)
P. O. Box 1030, Mertzon, TX 76941-1030
Home: 325-835-5023
Cell: 325-277-0462
Email: [email protected]
More info: http://www.myspace.com/edstabler
Ed Stabler is a singer/guitarist well-known for his rich singing voice and smooth,
fingerpickin' guitar style. A Colorado ranch background and the gift of a guitar
at age ten got him started singing old cowboy songs early on. In the 60s, he sang
in various folk clubs and coffee houses, always including cowboy songs with
what was then "mainstream" folk music.
Ed returned to his folk music roots, performing many great songs he did years
ago, while still including traditional western songs and songs from contemporary
writers of "western roots music". His subject matter is broad and varied, but the
cowboy and the American West are his main focus.
The Academy of Western Artists nominated Ed for eight awards in 1996,
including Entertainer of the Year. The Western Music Association nominated
him for Instrumentalist of the Year in 1997 and 2000.
While Ed is mainly a solo performer, he began working with Lorrie in 2009
when they met at the San Angelo Chicken Farm Art Center 'picking circle'. He
also performs often with bassist Kelly Kingston (formerly Kelly Henson) who
provides a solid musical bottom for his intricate guitar work.
Ed's available recordings include: Ed Stabler with Kelly Henson -- Wind in the
Wire, Partner of the Wind (cassette only), and Long Roads, Legends and
Lies. He's currently working on a CD of railroad songs, Fast Freight, for
release later this year.
Kelly Kingston Bass (Multiple Tracks)
Bassist Kelly Kingston, "Kelly the Bass Player", is originally from San Angelo,
TX and is a graduate of Texas A&M University. She's been a musician all her
life, playing in fiddle contests all over Texas as a little girl.
About age eight or nine, she was bitten by the bass fiddle bug, and as a teenager
was invited to join the bass section of the San Angelo Symphony Orchestra, a
position she still holds. She is a regular studio musician for the Angelo Civic
Theater and is the on-call bass player for organizations and events across the
state.
Kelly's musical interests are highly varied: she was a founding member of the
San Angelo-based blues band Barefoot Mark, has toured with the Angelo State
University jazz band, and has served as vice president of the San Angelo Blues
Society since 2007. She is a regular with the National Cowboy Symposium and
recently played the State Fair of Texas with Buck Helton, Devon Dawson, and
the Cowtown Opry Buckaroos.
Her recent recording credits include Wind in the Wire with Ed Stabler and Let
The Beast Run with Barefoot Mark.
Also a regular at the SA Chicken Farm music circles, she is known for her
signature slapping style and her monster five-string upright bass.
Mark Cullimore Guitar (Multiple Tracks)
Kerry Grombacher Songwriter - 'Feather Quilt'; Mandolin - 'Wayfaring
Stranger'
(© 2007 Lori Faith Merritt)
http://www.kgrombacher.com/
Kerry writes contemporary western songs and plays guitar and mandolin.
Born in Kansas, Kerry lives in New Orleans, and has also lived and worked in
Texas, New Mexico, and Oregon. His songs have been recorded by other
western artists, including The Texas Trailhands, Duke Davis, Trails & Rails,
Earl Gleason, Ed Stabler, and Gary Prescott.
Kerry has performed on stages ranging from the Durango Cowboy Poetry
Gathering to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. As a sideman, he’s
played mandolin with a long list of western performers. Kerry is also featured on
The Big Roundup website, www.cowboypoetry.com.
Kerry performed on the syndicated television show, Louisiana Jukebox, and on
River City Folk, a music program broadcast on public radio stations and
Sirius/XM Satellite Radio. His recordings include It Sings in the Hi-Line
(2008), Sands Motel (2001), Riding for the Brand (1999), Dreams of New
Orleans (1998) and Home to the West (1996).
Kerry is a member of the Western Music Association and the North American
Folk Alliance, and he endorses Elixir Guitar and Mandolin Strings and TKL
Guitar and Mandolin Cases.
Jesse Ramirez Mandolin -'One Of The Lonely People'
Jesse Ramirez was born in San Angelo in 1988. His music studies began in high
school as a percussionist in the marching, concert band and orchestra, and a
guitarist in the jazz band.
Jesse earned his Bachelors of Music in Music Performance at Texas Tech
University in May 2011. While at Tech, he studied under guitar virtuoso David
Brandon, and participated in the annual Christopher Parkening Masterclass in
Bozeman, MT, studying with Grammy-winning guitarists Christopher Parkening
and Andrew York. He also participated in the Texas Tech Celtic Ensemble,
where he played guitar and picked up the mandolin.
His concert guitar repertoire includes selections from all genres of music and he
performs throughout Texas. He currently plays professionally and owns and
operates West Texas Guitar, a studio where he teaches private instruction in
guitar, mandolin, and piano. He is also on staff at Angelo State University,
teaching classes in guitar studies and classical guitar for the department of
Extended Studies.
Joe Rose Songwriter - 'I'll Wish For You'; Background Vocals - 'All
The Wasted Time'
Joe Rose is a self styled singer/songwriter from upstate New York whose
thoughtful, straight from the heart style of songwriting earned him recognition
from Billboard Magazine. Four songs from his two studio albums were
recognized by Billboard for his songwriting abilities. Joe has also recorded
songs for a record producer in Nashville, earning him praise for his talent.
His first album, Full Circle, included the songs 'Another Day' (about not letting
life pass you by), 'Holdin' On To a Lie' (a relationship gone bad), and '800 Miles'
(an international favorite about the fall of the Berlin Wall). His follow-up album,
The Journey, included 'If I Can't Have You' (surviving after love), the
inspirational 'Truth' (a spiritual tribute), and his epic 'Trilogy' (about the
exploitation and extinction of African Wildlife).
As a self-taught acoustic guitar player, his influences were vast, but Joe credits
Lorrie Keating as his major influence, saying, "Her heart-felt lyrics and beautiful
melodies were truly inspirational." Joe and Lorrie first met in junior high, where
they created a circle of friends who met on the weekends to sing and play guitar.
Through the years, the songs that were written captured the true meaning of life,
love, and friendship, and some 40 years later, those songs are just as fresh and
meaningful as they were back then.
Gary Laney Recording Engineer
http://www.palmwoodmusic.com/
Gary was manager and chief engineer at Sound Emporium Recording Studios in
Nashville for 18 years, recording albums for artists Keith Whitley, Trisha
Yearwood, Texas Tornados, REM, Al Kooper, Don Williams, Alan Jackson,
Amazing Rhythm Aces, New Grass Revival, and Jason & The Scorchers, to
name a few. His work has won many major awards, including a Grammy and
several CMAs.
He and his wife Tamara now own Palmwood Music Publishing and Lakeside
Recording in San Angelo, Texas.
SONG NOTES & LYRICS
1. Song Of My Heart © 2010 Lorrie Newman Keating (BMI)
The year is 1970, and a 12-year old Lorrie is in another new school. One day, she meets a cute, blond-
haired, blue-eyed boy named Joe Rose - and a 40-year friendship begins. But first, he was her first
boyfriend, her first kiss, and then there's that little gold ring with the tiny red, dangling heart... It's
amazing that, when I can't remember what I had for breakfast today, I can remember all that! This song
was the first of several that Joe and I would write, one for the other. This was the first track I recorded
for this album, and the entire feel of the song changed when Ed and Kelly began to play it with me. After
40+ years, it became a brand new song!
Why do I feel this way, more than any other day?
This different feeling is much more.
Tell me have you ever heard the beautiful sound of a
singing bird?
The first time that I noticed was when you walked
through my door
Pretty birds keep singing your beautiful song.
Me and my guy will walk slowly on.
Hand in hand, together we'll stand, and I hope we'll
never part.
The song of the birds in the trees will be the song
inside my heart.
The day he asked me to be his girl, well, I thought that
I would die.
But I'm happy, and I know the reason why
My love for his is true, you see...it's just the way I
want it
to be.
So pretty birds, keep singing in that blue sky above.
Pretty birds keep singing your beautiful song.
Me and my guy will walk slowly on.
Hand in hand, together we'll stand, and I hope
we'll never part.
The song of the birds in the trees will be the song
inside my heart.
2. I’m The One © 2010 Lorrie Newman Keating (BMI)
You meet a great guy - he's headed in one direction, you're headed in another (and I don't mean that
figuratively!). It happened often while I was in the Army, but not all of them inspired me to write a song.
I've always felt this was one of my better sets of lyrics...
The candles flicker softly as you kiss me -
I can see your blue eyes shinin' in the glow.
You lay me down, and slowly start to love me
in that special way that makes me want you so.
The wall I hide behind for all the world to see
is just paper in the hands of one who knows.
And as you gently take that wll apart, I start to cry,
'cause soon I know, I'll have to say goodbye.
And I'll go far away, then you'll go farther still.
I'll hold you in my heart, and wonder if you will
come back to me someday to say your search is done,
and that your heart has no more doubt that I'm the
one.
For both of us the past had left us hurting -
It made it hard to trust in love again.
I've heard it said, and now I can believe it -
Two people can be lovers, and be friends.
But still you say you feel that something's missing,
and you thing that you alone can find the key.
And when you tell me that you love me so, I start to cry,
'cause soon I know, you'll have to say goodbye.
And I'll go far away, then you'll go farther still.
I'll hold you in my heart, and wonder if you will
come back to me someday to say your search is
done,
and that your heart has no more doubt that I'm
the one.
I know that I can't hold you, but someday you
will see
that what you're looking for just brings you
back to me.
Then I won't go away, and you'll be closer still.
I'll hold you in my arms, not wondering, 'cause
you will
be back with me that day to say your search is
done,
and that your heart has no more doubt that I'm
the one.
You'll be back with me that day to say your search
is done
and that your heart has no more doubt that I'm
the one.
3. I Can Only Stay © 2010 Lorrie Newman Keating (BMI)
Temporary duty in West Berlin, two months, summer of '80. A sweet guy named Denny swept me off my
feet in spite of the fact I kept reminding him I could 'only stay a little while longer'. Between Denny, lots
of girl-time with my best friend Cathy (Cat), and nights spent playing at the Home Bar, it was one of the
happiest two months of my life...
So you think you want to see me hang around here for
awhile.
I don’t think you know what you’re getting into.
And you say that nothing else can matter as long as
we can stay together.
What am I going to do about you?
I can only stay a little while longer - more than
likely it’s the last of me you’ll see.
Still you smile every day, and tell me you will find
a way to prove that you’re the only one for me.
You seemed so shy and quiet when we first were
introduced.
I thought it was unusual, and I wondered.
But soon I found I was mistaken - a few short days –
my heart was taken,
and I’m so glad it hasn’t been returned.
I can only stay a little while longer - more than
likely it’s the last of me you’ll see.
Still you smile every day, and tell me you will find
a way to prove that you’re the only one for me.
Still, you know........you must understand.....
You’ve got a special place within my heart
But the last thing that I want to see is you get hurt
because of me
so please remember, Honey, that I told you from
the start…
I can only stay a little while longer - more than
likely it’s the last of me you’ll see.
Still you smile every day, and tell me you will find
a way to prove that you’re the only one for me.
I can only stay a little while longer...
I can only stay a little while longer...
I can only stay ...
4. If I Needed You (Townes Van Zandt)
Ed Stabler asked me if I knew this tune when we first started playing together - best-known version
(previously) by Don Williams and Emmy Lou Harris. It was a perfect fit for us and we enjoy singing it
immensely. Absolutely had to include it on this disc...
If I needed you, would you come to me?
Would you come to me for to ease my pain?
If you needed me, I would come to you.
I would swim the sea for to ease your pain.
Well the night's forlorn and the morning's born
and the morning's born with the lights of love.
And you'll miss sunrise if you close your eyes,
and that would break my heart in two.
If I needed you, would you come to me?
Would you come to me for to ease my pain?
If you needed me, I would come to you.
I would swim the sea for to ease your pain.
Baby's with me now since I showed her how,
to lay her lily hand in mine.
Who could ill agree, she's a sight to see:
a treasure for the poor to find.
If I needed you, would you come to me?
Would you come to me for to ease my pain?
If you needed me, I would come to you.
I would swim the sea for to ease your pain.
Mmmmmmm Mmmmmmmmm
5. Leavin’ On A Jet Plane (John Denver)
One of my no-kidding, all-time, favorite singer/songwriters, John Denver was a beautiful spirit who gave
us some of the most memorable music of our generation. My first introduction to this song was the Peter,
Paul, and Mary version, and I have been playing it since I got my first guitar. This song was transformed
from my normal rendition as soon as Kelly started playing the bass - she changed the rhythm, which
changed the mood, which completely changed how I approached the vocals. I can't say it enough - the
surprises that came out of the collaborations were the best part of doing this project!
All my bags are packed - I’m ready to go.
I’m standin’ here outside your door.
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye.
But the dawn is breakin’, its early morn.
Taxi’s waitin - he’s blowin’ his horn.
Already I’m so lonesome, I could die.
So kiss me and smile for me, tell me that you’ll wait
for me.
Hold me like you’ll never let me go.
'Cause I’m leavin’ on a jet plane - don’t know when
I’ll be back again.
Oh babe, I hate to go.
There’s so many times I’ve let you down, so many times
I’ve played around.
I tell you now, they don’t mean a thing.
Every place I go, I’ll think of you -
every song I sing, I’ll sing for you -
when I come back, I’ll wear your wedding ring.
So kiss me and smile for me, tell me that you’ll
wait for me.
Hold me like you’ll never let me go.
'Cause I’m leavin’ on a jet plane - don’t know
when I’ll be back again.
Oh babe, I hate to go.
Now the time has come to leave you - one more time,
let me kiss you,
then close your eyes - I’ll be on my way.
Dream about the days to come,
when I won’t have to leave alone -
about the times, I won’t have to say...
So kiss me and smile for me, tell me that you’ll
wait for me.
Hold me like you’ll never let me go.
'Cause I’m leavin’ on a jet plane - don’t know
when I’ll be back again.
Oh babe, I hate to go.
'Cause I’m leavin’ on a jet plane.
Don’t know when I’ll be back again...
Oh babe, I hate to go...
6. I’ll Wish For You (Joe Rose)
In 1980, I was three years into my first enlistment in the Army, almost a year into my first overseas
assignment in Germany. Joe didn't take my decision to enlist very well, and we kept in pretty close
contact through cassette tapes and letters (phone calls were expensive and of course, it was the pre-
computer stone-age!) In the fall, I got a tape from him with this song that he had written for me - I cried
for days. Then I sat down and wrote him a reply (more on that in the notes for the Bonus track - 'All The
Wasted Time'). I have played this song for many years, and Joe graciously allowed me to record it. I
always wish for him, too, and hope that this interpretation of his work will make him smile.
It's been years since you left me to find a new life
and now that you've left me, I can see you were right.
The time had come that you realized how happy you'd be
to pack up all your things and face reality.
And every minute that you're gone, Dear, I think of
you.
On every star that flies by, Dear, I'll wish for you.
Every day that I wake up to my radio,
I hear the songs you used to sing - the songs I knew so
well
I sing them softly to myself, remembering you,
and how you smiled when you sang to me, as only you
could do.
And every minute that you're gone, Dear, I think
of you.
On every star that flies by, Dear, I'll wish for
you.
The letters that I receive, from you to me
keep telling me where you are, or where you will
be.
Oh your life has changed since you left me Dear -
you've found a new life.
I miss you more than ever, but I know that you
were right.
And every minute that you're gone, Dear, I think
of you.
On every star that flies by, Dear, I'll wish for
you.
On every star that flies by, Dear, I'll wish for
you.
7. In The Booth © 2011 Lorrie Newman Keating (BMI)
This story is a bit longer than most...but it's a good story...
1979: I was at Goodfellow AFB in San Angelo, TX for two training classes, and got a job singing three
night/week at a local restaurant. I flew back to California between classes, and the manager hired a guy
named Larry Ward to cover my nights. When I returned, I found that the manager also decided to give
Larry my Saturday slot. Wasn't happy about that at all - no sir, not one bit! So that next Saturday evening
I was sulking in my room, when my best bud Cat suggested that we do the only thing we could do in this
situation - go to the restaurant...and heckle the guy! I suddenly felt better and off we went.
We were sitting there, drinks in hand, snide comments ready, waiting for Larry to start. And then he
started singing...'Amarillo By Morning'...and all the snide comments just went 'pfft'! Brown hair, blue
eyes, and a beautiful voice, all in one package - Cat looked at me and just shook her head (oh, not, not
again!!).
Larry and I met that night, started singing together during the rest of the time I was in town, and now we
are closing in on 33 years as friends. We stayed in touch during my travels, and met up again when I
returned several years later to teach at the same school. We often met up for lunch at a local pharmacy
lunchroom - always sitting in the same place, always ordering the same thing - two chocolate shakes, two
burgers, and a shared basket of fries. And when Larry would leave me phone messages about our lunches,
he always ended them with 'in the booth, in the back, in the corner, in the dark".
I would be lying if I said that I never had 'other thoughts' about Larry and I over the years, but fate had
other plans for us - when he was married, I was single; when he was single, I was married (there's your
'two passing ships' reference!). Our relationship is still one of my most treasured, and I will always be
happy to meet him 'in the booth'...
In the booth, in the back, in the corner, in the dark -
two chocolate shakes, two burgers, and some fries.
There we’d sit, and talk and laugh – settled deep in
conversation
and try to solve the problems in our lives
Then we’d hug and go our separate ways.
Knowing soon, there’d be another day...
In the booth, in the back, in the corner....in the dark.
Now it seems like yesterday since that night when we
first met.
I heard your voice, and music joined our lives
Back and forth, through all these years, no matter what
our situations
that friendship and the music still survived.
And I knew, on my trips across the sea
when I returned, you’d be waiting there for me…
In the booth, in the back, in the corner....in the dark
30 years have flown on past, and that booth is long
since gone.
With miles and time between us, nothing’s changed.
Now it’s dinner once a month, always at the same
location
and we laugh at how our lives get rearranged
Two passing ships have nothing to compare,
but I will always see us sitting there…
In the booth, in the back, in the corner....in the dark
8. House Of The Rising Sun (Eric Burdon)
I started playing this song in 1978 when I was at the military language school in Monterey, CA - someone
asked for it, and I was happy to oblige. I stopped playing it somewhere along the way until, last summer,
someone asked for it again, and I scrambled to remember it all. I wondered about adding it to this disc,
even after we finished recording it, because I felt that my post-surgery voice didn't allow me to give me that
pitch-perfect rendition that I wanted. Then those brave souls (who regularly help me see around my blind
spots) reminded me that this song didn't need to be that way at all. So, in the words of the late Rod Serling,
"Presented for your consideration..."
There is a house in New Orleans, they call the Rising
Sun,
and it's been the ruin of many a poor girl, and God I
know - I'm one.
My mother was a tailor, she sewed my new blue jeans.
My father was a gambling man, down in New Orleans.
Now the only thing a gambler needs is a suitcase and a
trunk,
and the only time he's ever satisfied is when he's on a
drunk.
Oh mothers - tell your children, not to do what I have
done,
or they'll spend their lives in sin and misery in the
house of the Rising Sun.
Well there is a house in New Orleans they call the
Rising Sun,
and it's been the ruin of many a poor girl, and God I
know - I'm one
...and God ... I know - I'm one
9. Feather Quilt (Kerry Grombacher)
This song came to me via Ed Stabler, who has known writer Kerry Grombacher for many years. This
song falls into the genre of Western music (not to be confused with country and western, which frankly
doesn't exist anymore). Never having done a song like this, I decided it was worth a go. The unusual
instrument that you hear (that might jog a memory of music class, if you're old enough) is an autoharp -
it surprised me when Ed suggested it (and then had his harp refurbished so that he could add the track!)
Since every track on this album is a bit different anyway, we decided to use it. Makes me smile every
time I listen to it!
The Stetson that he wore is still hangin' by the door,
and his dog lies in wait on the porch.
The cold, blustery air moves that old rockin' chair -
makes me think he's there, rockin' back and forth.
It's this time of the year that reminds me - every
summer leaf must fall.
Oh, I look to the hills from this home that we built -
The birds take the air, and the fox seeks his lair,
and I shake out this old feather quilt.
Like a chain stitch goes around, this old quilt has been
passed down,
and I'll give it our daughter in my time.
But tonight the wind whistles songs he used to sing,
and I'll cling to its warmth while it's still mine.
It's this time of the year that reminds me - when
I hear the wild geese call.
And, I look to the hills from this home that we
built -
The birds take the air, and the fox seeks his
lair,
and I shake out this old feather quilt.
A table set for two is the last thing that I do
before I turn out the lamps for the night.
And the prayer on my lips is for the memory of his
kiss,
and a dream of the arms that held me tight.
It's this time of the year that reminds me - every
soaring heart must fall.
And, I look to the hills from this home that we
built -
The birds take the air, and the fox seeks his
lair,
and I shake out this old feather quilt.
Yes, I look to the hills from this home that we
built -
and I shake out this old feather quilt.
10. Wayfaring Stranger (Traditional)
Another song that came through Ed - just sitting around his living room, playing with different tunes.
(The phrase, "Do you know this song?" always seems to lead us in some of the most unexpected
directions!) There are hundreds of versions of this traditional tune - the lyrics are compiled from several
of the best known. Of course, it all sounds pretty normal until Ed decides to take it for a swing near the
end. Kerry Grombacher was in town at just the right time, and graciously laid the mandolin track that
fits perfectly. This is one of my favorite tracks on the album...
I am a poor wayfaring stranger
just traveling through this world of woe.
Yet there's no sickness, toil or danger
in that bright land to which I go.
I'm going there to see my mother -
She said she'd meet me when I come.
I'm only goin' over to Jordan.
I'm only goin' over home.
I know dark clouds will gather 'round me.
I know my way is rough and steep.
But beauteous fields lie just before me
where God's redeemed their vigils keep.
I'm going there to see my loved ones -
Gone on before me one by one.
I'm only goin' over to Jordan.
I'm only goin' over home.
I am a poor wayfaring stranger
just traveling through this world of woe.
Yet there's no sickness, toil or danger
in that bright land to which I go.
I'm going there to see my father.
I'm going there no more to roam.
I'm only goin' over to Jordan.
I'm only goin' over home.
Over home...
11. One Of The Lonely People © 2010 Lorrie Newman Keating (BMI)
This song is from the summer of 1977 - the summer before I went in the Army. I was alone, not
particularly happy with life in general. It was then that I made the decision to drop out of college (full
scholarship for a four-year state university), join the military, leave the valley for a few years and see the
world, and then come back home. Little did I know this decision would completely change my life
forever, in good ways and bad - I never did come back home, except to visit occasionally. But, oh,
the places I got to see! And - I finally learned not to be lonely anymore...
Your smile is so kind, don’t walk away.
Please stay and talk awhile, please stay.
I’ll tell you why, I can’t let you pass me by -
I can’t face this problem one more day
‘Cause I’m one of the lonely people.
Yes, I’m one of the lonely people.
And I don’t want to be lonely anymore.
Well I’m one of the lonely people - I’m one of the
lonely people
And I don’t want to be lonely any more.
I worked so long so many times
Learned all the reasons and the rhymes
But the only thing love has ever given me
is an aching emptiness down deep inside
‘Cause I’m one of the lonely people.
Yes, I’m one of the lonely people.
And I don’t want to be lonely anymore.
Well I’m one of the lonely people - I’m one of
the lonely people
And I don’t want to be lonely any more.
Please take me far from this place.
Help put a smile back on my face.
No one should see what loneliness can be -
Love, you could be my saving grace
‘Cause I’m one of the lonely people.
Yes, I’m one of the lonely people.
And I don’t want to be lonely anymore.
Well I’m one of the lonely people - I’m one of
the lonely people
And I don’t want to be lonely any more.
No I don’t want to be lonely any more
I don’t want to be lonely any more
12. Years (Beth Nielsen Chapman)
This song made me cry when I first heard in it 1991, and it still chokes me up now (try singing like that!)
Beth Nielsen Chapman is a phenomenal writer. As any soldier (sailor, airman, marine) will tell you,
there is something beyond special about being able to return home, especially if it's been awhile. I know
that when I took that exit off the highway, swung up over that bridge, and made that final turn onto my
parents' street, I felt a sense of peace that is difficult to describe. The line about her mother being at the
doorway hits particularly close to home: I'd lay on the horn (if the hour was reasonable) as soon as I hit
the corner, and my mother would be on the front porch when I pulled up to the house. The saying is,
"You can't go home again." and, with my parents gone, that is now all too true. But when I sing this
song, I'm always just turning that last corner, reaching for the horn...
I went home for Christmas to the house that I grew
up in.
Going back was something after all these years.
I drove down Monterey street and felt a little sadness
when I turned left on Laurel and the house appeared.
And I snuck up to that rocking chair
where the winter sunlight slanted on the screened-
in porch.
And I stared out past the shade tree
that my laughing daddy planted on the day that I was
born.
And I let time go by so slow.
And I made every moment last.
And I thought about years - how they take so long -
and they go so fast
Across the street the Randol's oldest daughter must
have come home.
Her two boys built a snowman by the backyard
swings.
I thought of old man Randol and his Christmas
decorations
and how he used to leave them up 'til early spring.
And I thought of all the summers
that I paced that porch and swore I'd die of boredom
there.
And I thought of what I'd give to feel another
summer linger where a day feels like a year
And I let time go by so slow.
And I made every moment last.
And I thought about years -
how they take so long - and they go so fast
Then the door flew open, and my mother's voice was
laughing
as she called back to my daddy, "Come and look
who's here"
And I thought about years....
Bonus Track- All The Wasted Time © 2010 Lorrie Newman Keating (BMI)
On Track 6, you heard the song that my friend Joe wrote for me in 1980 - this is my reply, written that
same year. I've always thought that this was one of my best lyrics. The recording is not from my current
session. Instead, I used a version I recorded back in 1990. Here's why...
I went home on leave for Christmas, 1990. While I was there, Joe told me that he had some tape left at the
studio he was recording at, and asked me if I wanted to record some of my songs. We spent the afternoon
at the studio, and by day's end, I had gotten all my best originals done, plus a few covers and all the
harmonies I wanted to do. He and Bob Damiano, the studio owner, worked on the tracks and Joe sent me
a copy when they finished. This was the last track on the tape, and I was surprised to hear Bob's
keyboards (done after my session). But my big thrill was hearing that Joe had also gone in and added
harmony vocals - and had matched me perfectly, just as he did when we were so much younger.
I wanted to do this song for the album, and looked for someone who could not just sing Joe's part, but do
it as well that original recording. But I didn't find anyone to fit the bill, so I figured I had to scratch the
song from the list. Then my husband suggested that I just use the 1990 recording - he said it was unique,
because the song was for Joe and he was singing on it. My concern was that my voice of 21 years ago
sounds noticeably different than my voice does today, and that would impact the consistency of the album.
But eventually I made the decision to use it as the final track. Hubby was right - I would never get a
better version.
Making it a bonus track was my son's idea. After listening to what I thought was the final track sequence
just before Christmas, Jeremy suggested we move this to a bonus track (previously recorded/unreleased)
and record one additional song. But what song? Another original, preferably - to get rehearsed and
recorded ASAP. Jeremy solved that problem too - he pulled up the files from the 1990 session on the
computer, and immediately found the one he was looking for - "Do this one." 'This one' is Track 3 - "I
Can Only Stay". Smart kid!
Yeah, I can sing this song by myself, and I still do. But it's much more fun singing with someone else -
someone who has known you forever (and loves you anyway!) Joe and I stay in touch, but we don't get to
see each other as often as we would like. Oh - I almost forgot - I didn't tell him I was including this song
on the album...Surprise!!
Well, you’ve done it again -
another song that made me think, then made me cry.
But now there’s something you should see about so-
called reality
that might explain the way that I’ve been thinking
recently.
You know that I’ve been gone -
I’ve traveled half-way ‘round the world and back again.
And what I first set out to find - someone to love, some
peace of mind -
is hardly closer now than when I left you years ago.
And I miss you as much as you miss me.
Right now, I can’t think of anywhere that I would
rather be
than back together with you, pickin’ songs and
sippin’ wine.
Forgettin’ all the wasted love - and all the wasted
time.
You say that I was right
to pack up all my things and go to fight the war.
All kinds of battles have been fought, and through them
all, I have
been taught
that like a stream against a rock, it all can wear you
down.
But I really can’t complain,
‘Cause the people and the places have been good to me.
But always loneliness is there, through broken hearts
and love affairs -
could it be that what I seek is in my own backyard?
And I miss you as much as you miss me.
Right now, I can’t think of anywhere that I would
rather be
than back together with you, pickin’ songs and
sippin’ wine.
Forgettin’ all the wasted love - and all the wasted
time.
And the circle is strong -
the friendship and the love that’s here will never die.
We’ve gone through happy times and pain, smiled at
the sun, laughed
at the rain.
All these years we’ve run the course, and still we’re
goin’ strong
And maybe you and I are meant to be apart so when
we meet again,
we’ll come to see the love we feel is something warm
and something real.
It could be we’ve been looking for each other all
along.
And I miss you as much as you miss me.
Right now, I can’t think of anywhere that I would
rather be
than back together with you, pickin’ songs and
sippin’ wine.
Forgettin’ all the wasted love - and all the wasted
time.
And I miss you as much as you miss me.
Right now, I can’t think of anywhere that I would
rather be
than back together with you, pickin’ songs and
sippin’ wine.
Forgettin’ all the wasted love - and all the wasted
time.