Leland Sklar has agreed to play on your album, now what?!? I've been a bass player since 1978 in South Dakota, how could it be possible that the best bass player on the planet will play on my tunes some 35 years later? O.K. he's given me tracks already for some of my more "normal" tunes, not that they are really normal either... but I digress. He's like a mentor to me, he seems to have a great sense of humor so maybe he will go along with my super "out there song" where I'd love for him to do three bass lines and I could do two more. He would go first and I would try to learn from him on the spot. He will hold down the bottom like proper bass players do, and do super creative ones too... and I will play my melodic higher lines. So yes FIVE bass lines, even upping Spinal Tap's Big Bottom without getting trapped in an onstage inflatable. To throw yet another monkey wrench into the works I thought the song should come to a complete halt a few times as I throw in a cappella vocals. Thanks to Jim Roberts where I drove up to his studio in Colorado and presented the idea to him. Thank God he has an open mind! I recorded some of my vocals at Jim's place, Christopher Smith added cool lead and rhythm guitar at Jim's and Jim recorded a perfect keyboard part. Leland recorded his bass at his home studio, and I did my bass lines and additional vocals at my home studio. Tim Gehrt of Streets recorded his drum tracks at his home studio.
This week it has received airplay from WLFR 91.7 FM in Galloway, NJ and KSYM 90.1 FM in San Antonio, Texas. Hope you like it too:
QUEST FOR YOU:
Get onboard, cross the highest mountain
All above the rest, all the knowledge I'll gain
All in the quest for you, all in the quest for you
Adjust my compass, through the looking glass
There's a better life
Away from all this strife
All in the quest, the quest for you
Where is your mind on this issue
Are you willing to try something new
All in the quest for you, all in the quest for you
It seems like I've taken the hardest way
But my heart would never lead me astray
All in the quest, the quest for you
What do you really want
Who is it you're gonna haunt
All in the quest for you, all in the quest for you
The quest for you is me
Music: Laurie Larson
Lyrics: Laurie Larson
Vocals: Laurie Larson
Bass: Leland Sklar (three lines), Laurie Larson (two lines)
Guitars: Christopher Smith, Laurie Larson
Keys: Jim Roberts
Drums: Tim Gehrt
They say you should never meet your heroes, but being in radio made it easy. I first met Steve Walsh backstage in 1996 when I was the Music Director and later promoted to Program Director at Classic Rock KSLX in Phoenix, market number #13. We we interviewing Steve and Phil Ehart, they were both kinder and more down to earth than I could have imagined. Our station sponsored the concert. Here's my ticket from that night:
In 2004 I decided I wanted to thank all my heroes via email as I was feeling my mortality and thinking my radio career was ending. Of course I didn't have Steve Walsh's email so I sent his record label at the time my thank you email. Much to my surprise the very next morning he comes an email from the man, the legend himself thanking me! I'll never forget that day! My roomate was another person who ran for office like I did, Representative Debora Norris. She said, "Laurie you are glowing - I've never seen you this happy" she had known me for years. It became an "Endless Thank You Loop" as now I had to thank Steve for thanking me, so I made a website for him. I needed photos for it, so I asked him if I could take photos at his next show in Phoenix. I was in luck he said he wouldn't mind and there I was in the front row with a rotating stage, how could I miss:
A photo of mine of Steve Walsh in Phoenix, his fingers were flying on those keys, you can see that in the photo:
Steve said he liked the photos, I was so honored! A few months later in 2005 after I saw his show in London and since he was emailing me I got the courage to ask an outrageous dream come true question...
"Hey Steve, I'm a musician too, not just a radio person, would you play/and or sing on a song with me?"... Debora my close friend said... "Are you crazy? His stuff is hard rock, your stuff is like, I don't know... America, Bread ha ha soft rock. Have you ever written a hard rock song? Have you ever even recorded a song since you've been in Arizona? Your first album was done years ago. What the hell are you going to show him when he says yes???" "Don't worry I'm sure he'll say no, it's such a longshot, hopefully he will just take it as a compliment" I told her. Debora was right as usual, Steve said, "Sure, send it along". Now I'm in full panic mode and Debora in "I told you so" mode. What's the best studio in Arizona, I've got to go there and record a song and write one like overnight. Debora's just shaking her head. Off to Jim Brady Recording Studios I go, luckily he had an immediate opening. Out of sheer panic I record a tune I just wrote in panic mode, Architect of Dreams. Debora was like "This is even softer than your 1st album, no way is he going to play on it!" It's all I have to send though... so off it went. Steve was so gracious in his response, exactly as Debora had predicted, he said, "It's really soft, not that soft is a bad thing". So I called Jim Brady up for another session for a harder rock song I just wrote again in full panic mode: Light of Freedom -
In fact my whole 2nd album Aquila was a blatent attempt to get Steve Walsh to play on one of my songs. Instead he let me cover his songs, and was always kind after I sent each demo. I covered his songs So Many Nights, The River, All the World - that all made it onto the Grammy ballot and now... Wait Until Tomorrow - but this time it's different. I originally did the vocals and tons of super cool harmony parts. But then got his permission to use his vocals, wow... now I can finally sing with Steve! I had to wait a long time for this dream. O.K. I have to go to the best studio in Los Angeles now! But here's the problem... I have a really good ear for music... as much as I want to sing with Steve, he just sounds best just by himself, so I blew out all those cool harmony parts I did and left a whisper of me in the background. It's still an amazing dream come true and I paired him up with my other favorite heroes, Johnny Echols (best guitarist ever!) and Ed Cassidy (best drummer ever and we share a birthday, May 4)... & by God I'm playing the bass! So I finally got to jam with Steve long distance over the ether. I'm glad it's finally Tomorrow! What a Wait!
A photo I took of Steve and David Ragsdale in Las Vegas
A selfie with Stargazer lillies Steve sent me to thank me for the website & cover tunes.
Wait Until Tomorrow
Words and Music by: Steve Walsh
Originally recorded in 1980 by Steve Walsh off the album Schemer Dreamer
Lead vocals: Steve Walsh
Lead Guitar: Johnny Echols
Bass, Backing Vocals: Laurie Larson
Drums: Ed Cassidy
Arrangement: Laurie Larson
I pulled my shades to see the day
After sleeping way past noon
An ache inside my head was burnin'
The sky was gloomy, full of grey
And I knew I'd woke too soon
But far too late to be returning
The night before I lay in bed
And I thought of many things
Oh, how the world was full of sorrow
How people here still mourn their dead
Where the grip of war still clings
How they must wait until tomorrow
The buildings here conflict in style
And the church bells never ring
The statue's face is full of sadness
And no one laughs, no one smiles
And no one says a thing
So nothing lifts the air of madness
Ain’t gonna wait until tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow
Here's a quick sketch I did today of the mysterious bird that I recorded on my phone for my song Just North of Yesterday. My eyesight these days is not the best so I could not see him clearly on top of my Saguaro bellowing out this song. A friend of mine Joy came over and had this app on her phone that can name any bird by a song sample. So she played Just North of Yesterday. Out popped Cactus Wren, she said that doesn't sound like a Cactus Wren. After she left I looked up everything about them, our state bird! It was indeed a male Cactus Wren with a call that "marks his territory" so he wants credit on the song now ha ha...well alright then! Thanks to the Planetary Group for helping promote my album, this was their favorite...
Just North of Yesterday
Bird sounds: That's Mr. Cactus Wren to you!
Words and Music by: Laurie Larson
Lead Guitar: Johnny Echols
Bass, Guitars, Keys, Drums, Vocals: Laurie Larson
Can you come out and play
Meet me just north of yesterday, just north of yesterday
When minutes have been forsaken
It’s time that I awaken
Help me find my way
Just north of yesterday
Send me a love letter in sound
You know where I can be found
It’s where I long to stay
Just north of yesterday
My vignettes seldom agree
But this time they all want to be
Somewhere lovely they say
Just north of yesterday
Random tales become an autobiography
All the things that made me
Are on full display
Just north of yesterday
Somehow I will cope
I’ll hold on
It’s your message of hope
Just make sure there’s no delay
Just north of yesterday