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Album
Flaata, Paal
Wait By The Fire: Songs of Chip Taylor
(Rootsy.nu)

Price: 100 SEK

The amazing Norwegian vocalist Paal Flaata (ex Midnight Choir) sings Chip Taylor.

»I met Paal Flaata at the Down On The Farm Festival in Halden, Norway during the troubled times of the killings in Oslo and Utoya on July 22, 2011. When the festival was cancelled, the musicians gathered together and agreed to do a free concert for the families and friends of the victims. A few hours before the show, I wrote a song for the victims, THIS DARKEST DAY. Paal showed up late in the rehearsal. I asked him if he would try to sing it with me. Although he said he would, It seemed an impossible task.

But when we performed the song to end the concert, Paal was amazing! When his voice met mine in thoughts of the children, I got such chills. It’s a rare voice can make earth shattering changes to the psyche of the human spirit. Paal’s voice does that - like no other I’ve ever heard.

Paal and his brilliant keyboardist/ arranger, Goran Grini - along with guitarist John Platania (Van Morrison, Moondance, Domino) and I - recently returned from a small tour of the U.S. At the Norwegian Seaman’s Church of New York, at the Americana Music Festival in Nashville and at Mountain Stage in Minnesota (the most important live radio show in the U.S.) With massive silence mixed in with sparse, but magical tinklings of the piano and minimal, but vibey, John Platania guitar sounds .. Paal’s voice rang through those hollowed place and brought the house down every time.

When Paal sang ANGEL OF THE MORNING at Mountain Stage, it sounded like he was floating high off the walls in St. Patrick’s Cathedral. It was a prayer.. certainly as beautiful as music as music can possibly be. When he finished, the 1,000 in attendance simultaneously jumped out of their seats and cheered without stopping for what seemed like 10 minutes. It was the most amazing reaction I’ve ever seen.

I am so, so proud Paul, Goran and friends got together to dig far into my catalog and find songs that moved them. I could not think of another artist that I’d rather have do a retrospective of my work. How blessed I am!!

Here’s a brief history of the songs they’ve chosen

WAIT BY THE FIRE .. Al Gorgoni & I had a group called JUST US in the 60s. This is from our album at that time. Frank Sinatra supposedly recorded a version of this. But his tapes from that session mysteriously disappeared.

HE SITS AT MY TABLE – my first hit .. sung by Willie Nelson in 1960. This song was what secured a place for me in the music business.

ANGEL OF THE MORNING .. There have been many great versions of this song .. none better than this one.

I CAN MAKE IT WITH YOU – I wrote this for Jackie DeShannon .. she & the Pozo Seco singers both had hits with it.

IF I STOP LOVING YOU AGAIN - This is from my UNGLORIOUS HALLELUJAH album - my first solo album after my series of recordings with the great Carrie Rodriguez.

SLEEPY EYES – from my second Warners Brothers album in 1976, THIS SIDE OF THE BIG RIVER. I wrote this for my wife, Joan.

GRACELAND SOUVENIRS - Goran told me how involved Paal was with Elvis and his history and Elvis “stuff” – Goran & I teamed up to write this one.

WEAKER MOMENTS – a passionate memory from my recent album FUCK ALL THE PERFECT PEOPLE.

YOU DIDN’T GET HERE LAST NIGHT .. from my first solo album, GASOLINE, in 1971.

THIS DARKEST DAY – written for the Oslo and Utoya victims and their families and friends.«

- Chip Taylor, NY Oct 2012

1. Wait by the Fire
2. He Sits at my Table
3. Angel of the Morning
4. I Can Make It With You
5. If I Stop Loving You
6. Sleepy Eyes
7. Graceland Souvenirs
8. Weaker Moments
9. You Didn't Get Here Last Night
10. This Darkest Day