Backstreets of Desire
Encyclopedia
Backstreets of Desire is an album by Willy DeVille
. It was recorded in various Los Angeles
recording studios in 1992. To make the album, DeVille was joined by many prominent musicians, including Dr. John
, David Hidalgo
of Los Lobos
, Zachary Richard
, Jim Gilstrap
, Freebo
, Efrain Toro
, and Jimmy Zavala.
A novel mariachi
version of the Jimi Hendrix
standard "Hey Joe
" was a hit in Europe. "I did a version of 'Hey Joe' in mariachi-style," DeVille told Sheila Rene. "I talk through the lyrics. It was a big hit for me in Europe—number one in Spain
and France
." DeVille brought in Los Camperos de Nati Cano
to play on "Hey Joe."
said about the album, "Backstreets of Desire skillfully draws on DeVille's prior genre explorations to create music that's wholly contemporary while remaining true to the artist's original vision."
Critic Thom Jurek of Allmusic considered it one of DeVille's greatest albums:
Randy Krbechek called Backstreets of Desire a "gem of an album just waiting to be found." He added, "When I first heard this album, I thought 'Wow, John Mellencamp
remembered how to sing.' Gail thinks it sounds like The Boss
. Cheryl thinks it sounds like vintage Bowie
. There are also occasional echoes of Pere Ubu
. It doesn't matter. The result is one great, driving rock and roll record — the kind of disk that ought to scale the charts."
's Forward Records label. The album sold well in Europe, but DeVille complained that Rhino did not do enough to promote the album in the United States: "It's really a dumb-ass label. You have to be dead to sell records on that label—black, crippled and blind. Anyway, 'Hey Joe
' was too violent for them. This is at the time when all those rap records were getting attention and they were really violent. They're just full of bullshit."
Dr. John produced "Voodoo Charm" and "Jump City"; Philippe Rault produced "Hey Joe"; and John Philip Shenale
and Willy DeVille produced the other songs. This was the first time DeVille worked with Shenale, who would later produce several of his albums. DeVille said about Shenale in 2008:
Chapel in New Orleans. DeVille is shown sitting on the floor of the chapel surrounded by marble thank-you tiles, plaster casts of feet, polio braces, eyeballs, spider and cockroach parts, and other votive offerings.
Backstreets of Desire is dedicated to Doc Pomus
, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
songwriter with whom DeVille wrote songs for his Le Chat Bleu
and Sportin' Life
albums. The dedication reads: "Dedicated to the memory and inspiration that Doc Pomus freely gave to me and all music from his heart. His influence will forever be engraved in my soul." Pomus died in 1991, the year before Backstreets of Desire was recorded.
The song "Chemical Warfare" is dedicated to Johnny Thunders
, the New York Dolls
guitarist whom DeVille knew from his days playing Max's Kansas City
in the mid-1970s and who died of a heroin overdose
in New Orleans in 1991 in a hotel near DeVille's apartment in the French Quarter
. DeVille was one of the first to discover the body.
DeVille originally made "I Call Your Name" during recording sessions for his 1987 album Miracle
(the song appeared on a CD single with the song "Miracle"; Polyldor POCD 891). For Backstreets of Desire, he recorded another, more lush, string-arranged version of the song.
The song "Voodoo Charm" is also on DeVille's 1995 album Big Easy Fantasy
. Under the title "Jump Steady Come My Way," the song "Jump City" appears on the 1999 album The Orleans Records Story (Orleans Records OR-2311).
Fourteen-year-old Tamera
and Tia Mowry
, future stars of the TV show Sister, Sister
, sang background vocals on "Chemical Warfare."
Willy DeVille
Willy DeVille was an American singer and songwriter. During his thirty-five year career, first with his band Mink DeVille and later on his own, Deville created original songs rooted in traditional American musical styles. He worked with collaborators from across the spectrum of contemporary...
. It was recorded in various Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
recording studios in 1992. To make the album, DeVille was joined by many prominent musicians, including Dr. John
Dr. John
Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jr. , better known by the stage name Dr. John , is an American singer-songwriter, pianist and guitarist, whose music combines blues, pop, jazz as well as Zydeco, boogie woogie and rock and roll.Active as a session musician since the late 1950s, he came to wider...
, David Hidalgo
David Hidalgo
David Hidalgo is an American singer-songwriter, best known for his work with the band Los Lobos. He is also a member of the supergroup Los Super Seven and of the Latin Playboys, a side project band made up of some of the members of Los Lobos...
of Los Lobos
Los Lobos
Los Lobos are a multiple Grammy Award–winning American Chicano rock band from East Los Angeles, California. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional Spanish and Mexican music such as cumbia, boleros and norteños.-History:The...
, Zachary Richard
Zachary Richard
Zachary Richard is a Cajun singer/songwriter and poet. His music is an innovative combination of Cajun and Zydeco musical styles.-Biography:...
, Jim Gilstrap
Jim Gilstrap
Jim Gilstrap is an American singer best known for his work as a session musician and his 1975 solo hit single "Swing Your Daddy", as well as singing co-lead to the theme from the TV series Good Times.-Career:...
, Freebo
Freebo
Freebo is a bass and tuba player, guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer noted primarily for his work with Bonnie Raitt. He is also a respected session musician who has recorded and performed with Ringo Starr, John Mayall, John Hall, Aaron Neville, Dr...
, Efrain Toro
Efrain Toro
Efrain Toro is a Puerto Rican percussionist and music educator. He has written numerous books on rhythm.His main argument is that the Western form of musical notation of rhythm is a misunderstanding of the nature of music; he believes that western music's use of fixed spaces between notes does not...
, and Jimmy Zavala.
A novel mariachi
Mariachi
Mariachi is a genre of music that originated in the State of Jalisco, in Mexico. It is an integration of stringed instruments highly influenced by the cultural impacts of the historical development of Western Mexico. Throughout the history of mariachi, musicians have experimented with brass, wind,...
version of the Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
standard "Hey Joe
Hey Joe
"Hey Joe" is an American popular song from the 1960s that has become a rock standard and as such, has been performed in a multitude of musical styles by hundreds of different artists since it was first written. "Hey Joe" tells the story of a man who is on the run and planning to head to Mexico...
" was a hit in Europe. "I did a version of 'Hey Joe' in mariachi-style," DeVille told Sheila Rene. "I talk through the lyrics. It was a big hit for me in Europe—number one in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
." DeVille brought in Los Camperos de Nati Cano
Mariachi los Camperos
Mariachi los Camperos de Nati Cano is a Grammy Award-winning Los Angeles-based mariachi ensemble under the direction of Natividad "Nati" Cano.The ensemble was one of four mariachis that collaborated on Linda Ronstadt’s 1987 milestone album Canciones de Mi Padre. They also appear on Ms...
to play on "Hey Joe."
Reviews
Trouser PressTrouser Press
Trouser Press was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow Who fan Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" ...
said about the album, "Backstreets of Desire skillfully draws on DeVille's prior genre explorations to create music that's wholly contemporary while remaining true to the artist's original vision."
Critic Thom Jurek of Allmusic considered it one of DeVille's greatest albums:
Backstreets of Desire combined all of DeVille’s prodigious gifts in a deeply focused—though wide-ranging—hour-long program. It’s here in the breathtaking broken-hearted ballad "Empty Heart" (recorded with an orchestra), the street-savvy rock and soul in "All in the Name of Love," the sexual voodoo funk in Willie Mitchell's "Come to Poppa," the skiffle-tinged "Even While I Sleep," the folksy Caribbean-porch-song-meets-Cuban-son in his reading of Billy Roberts' "Hey Joe," or in his own breezy New Orleans-bordello-music-meets-Spanish-folk epic, "Bamboo Road." From the album's cover to its contents, there isn't a weak moment on the disc. It reveals that DeVille, despite the chaos in his life, had become a songwriter and performer in a league of his own. His sell-out performances all over Europe were a signal that this wonderfully complex persona was an "artist" in the popular vernacular and canon.
Randy Krbechek called Backstreets of Desire a "gem of an album just waiting to be found." He added, "When I first heard this album, I thought 'Wow, John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock that eschews synthesizers and other artificial sounds...
remembered how to sing.' Gail thinks it sounds like The Boss
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
. Cheryl thinks it sounds like vintage Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
. There are also occasional echoes of Pere Ubu
Pere Ubu (band)
Pere Ubu is an experimental rock music group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. Despite many long-term band members, singer David Thomas is the only constant...
. It doesn't matter. The result is one great, driving rock and roll record — the kind of disk that ought to scale the charts."
Background and Production
The album was initially released in Europe in 1992 on the French Fnac Music label; it was released in the United States in 1994 on RhinoRhino Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company. It is owned by Warner Music Group.-History:Rhino was originally a novelty song and reissue company during the 1970s and 1980s, releasing compilation albums of pop, rock & roll, and rhythm & blues successes...
's Forward Records label. The album sold well in Europe, but DeVille complained that Rhino did not do enough to promote the album in the United States: "It's really a dumb-ass label. You have to be dead to sell records on that label—black, crippled and blind. Anyway, 'Hey Joe
Hey Joe
"Hey Joe" is an American popular song from the 1960s that has become a rock standard and as such, has been performed in a multitude of musical styles by hundreds of different artists since it was first written. "Hey Joe" tells the story of a man who is on the run and planning to head to Mexico...
' was too violent for them. This is at the time when all those rap records were getting attention and they were really violent. They're just full of bullshit."
Dr. John produced "Voodoo Charm" and "Jump City"; Philippe Rault produced "Hey Joe"; and John Philip Shenale
John Philip Shenale
John Philip Shenale is a Canadian composer, arranger, musician and producer based in Los Angeles. He has contributed his talents to over forty Gold and Platinum albums, and over thirty Top 40 singles. His work has also been associated with twenty-one Grammy Award nominations.-Background:Shenale...
and Willy DeVille produced the other songs. This was the first time DeVille worked with Shenale, who would later produce several of his albums. DeVille said about Shenale in 2008:
- What's great about Phil is he always hears the sound I want to create, and knows how to bring out the best in me in the studio. He's not some hard ass or anything like that, yelling at you, but he keeps it together and makes it work... (Shenale) knows what I want to create — he comes up with ideas that help make the sound right.
- There was this one song — it was on Backstreets of Desire I think — where he took a Baby Grand piano, a really good one right, and took the lid off and played on the wires with drum sticks because he knew that was the way to get the sound we needed for the song. He doesn't say, "This is what it has to sound like" or make it into his sound. It's all about finding the sound, or really knowing what I'm hearing inside my head almost, and helping me make it happen.
Other information
The cover photo for Backstreets of Desire was taken in a shrine at St. RochRoch
Saint Roch or Rocco ; lived c.1348 - 15/16 August 1376/79 was a Christian saint, a confessor whose death is commemorated on 16 August; he is specially invoked against the plague...
Chapel in New Orleans. DeVille is shown sitting on the floor of the chapel surrounded by marble thank-you tiles, plaster casts of feet, polio braces, eyeballs, spider and cockroach parts, and other votive offerings.
Backstreets of Desire is dedicated to Doc Pomus
Doc Pomus
Jerome Solon Felder, better known as Doc Pomus , was a twentieth-century American blues singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lyricist of many rock and roll hits. Pomus was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the category of non-performer in 1992. He was also inducted into...
, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
songwriter with whom DeVille wrote songs for his Le Chat Bleu
Le Chat Bleu
Le Chat Bleu, released in 1980, is the third album by the rock band Mink DeVille. The album received critical acclaim and elevated lead singer and composer Willy DeVille to star status. The Rolling Stone Critic’s Poll ranked Le Chat Bleu the fifth best album of 1980, andmusic historian Glenn A...
and Sportin' Life
Sportin' Life (Mink DeVille album)
Sportin’ Life, issued in 1985, is the sixth and final album by the rock band Mink DeVille. Since the band’s third album, 1981’s Le Chat Bleu, when the original members of the band departed, lead singer and composer Willy DeVille had been assembling musicians to record and tour under the name Mink...
albums. The dedication reads: "Dedicated to the memory and inspiration that Doc Pomus freely gave to me and all music from his heart. His influence will forever be engraved in my soul." Pomus died in 1991, the year before Backstreets of Desire was recorded.
The song "Chemical Warfare" is dedicated to Johnny Thunders
Johnny Thunders
Johnny Thunders, born John Anthony Genzale, Jr. , was an American protopunk guitarist, singer and songwriter.He came to prominence in the early '70s as a member of the New York Dolls...
, the New York Dolls
New York Dolls
The New York Dolls is an American rock band, formed in New York in 1971. The band's protopunk sound prefigured much of what was to come in the punk rock era; their visual style influenced the look of many new wave and 1980s-era glam metal groups, and they began the local New York scene that later...
guitarist whom DeVille knew from his days playing Max's Kansas City
Max's Kansas City
Max's Kansas City was a nightclub and restaurant at 213 Park Avenue South, in New York City, which was a gathering spot for musicians, poets, artists and politicians in the 1960s and 1970s.-Origin of name:...
in the mid-1970s and who died of a heroin overdose
Drug overdose
The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...
in New Orleans in 1991 in a hotel near DeVille's apartment in the French Quarter
French Quarter
The French Quarter, also known as Vieux Carré, is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. When New Orleans was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city was originally centered on the French Quarter, or the Vieux Carré as it was known then...
. DeVille was one of the first to discover the body.
DeVille originally made "I Call Your Name" during recording sessions for his 1987 album Miracle
Miracle (Willy DeVille album)
Miracle is an album by Willy DeVille. Recorded in 1987, it was the first album that Willy DeVille recorded under his own name. Prior to Miracle, DeVille recorded six albums with the band Mink DeVille, the last four of which were really solo albums by Willy DeVille in that no members of the...
(the song appeared on a CD single with the song "Miracle"; Polyldor POCD 891). For Backstreets of Desire, he recorded another, more lush, string-arranged version of the song.
The song "Voodoo Charm" is also on DeVille's 1995 album Big Easy Fantasy
Big Easy Fantasy
Big Easy Fantasy is an album by Willy DeVille and the Mink DeVille Band. It was released in Europe on the French New Rose label in 1995. The album is a mixture of studio tracks and concert recordings made in New York and Paris. The "big easy" of the album's title refers to New Orleans...
. Under the title "Jump Steady Come My Way," the song "Jump City" appears on the 1999 album The Orleans Records Story (Orleans Records OR-2311).
Fourteen-year-old Tamera
Tamera Mowry
Tamera Darvette Mowry-Housley is an American actress. She first gained fame for her teen role as Tamera Campbell on the ABC/WB sitcom Sister, Sister...
and Tia Mowry
Tia Mowry
Tia Dashon Mowry-Hardrict is an American actress. She first gained fame for her teen role as Tia Landry on the ABC/WB sitcom Sister, Sister...
, future stars of the TV show Sister, Sister
Sister, Sister (TV series)
Sister, Sister is an American television sitcom about identical twin girls Tia Landry and Tamera Campbell , who were separated and adopted at birth, when one day they come face-to-face after 14 years apart....
, sang background vocals on "Chemical Warfare."
Track listing
Unless otherwise noted, all songs by Willy DeVille.- "Empty Heart" - 4:36
- Willy DeVilleWilly DeVilleWilly DeVille was an American singer and songwriter. During his thirty-five year career, first with his band Mink DeVille and later on his own, Deville created original songs rooted in traditional American musical styles. He worked with collaborators from across the spectrum of contemporary...
on vocals; John Philip ShenaleJohn Philip ShenaleJohn Philip Shenale is a Canadian composer, arranger, musician and producer based in Los Angeles. He has contributed his talents to over forty Gold and Platinum albums, and over thirty Top 40 singles. His work has also been associated with twenty-one Grammy Award nominations.-Background:Shenale...
on keyboards, sythensizer, percussion; Brian RayBrian RayBrian Thomas Ray is an American session musician, musical director, guitarist and singer–songwriter. He is best known for his work as a guitarist and bassist with Paul McCartney, though he has worked with an extensive list of artists in addition to his own solo career.-Early life:Brian Ray grew up...
on guitars; Dennis Fongheiser on drums
- Willy DeVille
- "All in the Name of Love" - 3:35
- Willy DeVille on vocals, John Philip Shenale on keyboards; Brian Ray on guitars; Reggie McBride on bass; Dennis Fongheiser on drums; Billy Valentine, John Valentine, Willy DeVille on background vocals
- "Lonely Hunter" - 4:06
- Willy DeVille on vocals; Freddy Koella on guitar, mandolin, violin; Reggie McBride on bass; Efrain ToroEfrain ToroEfrain Toro is a Puerto Rican percussionist and music educator. He has written numerous books on rhythm.His main argument is that the Western form of musical notation of rhythm is a misunderstanding of the nature of music; he believes that western music's use of fixed spaces between notes does not...
on shaker; Dennis Fongheiser on drums; Billy Valentine, Willy DeVille on background vocals
- Willy DeVille on vocals; Freddy Koella on guitar, mandolin, violin; Reggie McBride on bass; Efrain Toro
- "Even While I Sleep" - 4:30
- Willy DeVille on vocals; David HidalgoDavid HidalgoDavid Hidalgo is an American singer-songwriter, best known for his work with the band Los Lobos. He is also a member of the supergroup Los Super Seven and of the Latin Playboys, a side project band made up of some of the members of Los Lobos...
on accordion; John Philip Shenale on piano, sythensizer, percussion; Brian Ray on guitars; Reggie McBride on bass; Efrain Toro on percussion; Dennis Fongheiser on drums
- Willy DeVille on vocals; David Hidalgo
- "Voodoo Charm" - 4:11
- Willy DeVille on vocals; Dr. JohnDr. JohnMalcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jr. , better known by the stage name Dr. John , is an American singer-songwriter, pianist and guitarist, whose music combines blues, pop, jazz as well as Zydeco, boogie woogie and rock and roll.Active as a session musician since the late 1950s, he came to wider...
on piano, synthesizer; Jeff "Skunk" BaxterJeff BaxterJeff "Skunk" Baxter is an American guitarist, known for his stints in the rock bands Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers during the 1970s...
on guitar; Reggie McBride on bass; Luis Conte on percussion; Fred Staehle on drums, wingertree; Steve Madaio on trumpet; Lon Price on tenor sax; Joel Peskin on baritone saxophone; John "Streamline" EwingStreamline EwingJohn Richard "Streamline" Ewing was an American jazz trombonist.Ewing played with Horace Henderson in 1938, then with Earl Hines live and on record between 1938 and 1942...
on trombone; FreeboFreeboFreebo is a bass and tuba player, guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer noted primarily for his work with Bonnie Raitt. He is also a respected session musician who has recorded and performed with Ringo Starr, John Mayall, John Hall, Aaron Neville, Dr...
on tuba; Bonnie Sheridan on voodoo queen background vocal
- Willy DeVille on vocals; Dr. John
- "Come to Poppa" – (Willie Mitchell, Earl Randall) - 4:33
- Willy DeVille on vocals; John Philip Shenale on piano, percussion; Brian Ray on guitars; Reggie McBride on bass; Dennis Fongheiser on drums; Efrain Toro on congas; Jimmy Z (Jimmy Zavala) on harmonica
- "Chemical Warfare" - 4:18
- Willy DeVille on vocals; John Philip Shenale on synthesizers, percussion; Brian Ray on guitars, Dennis Fongheiser on drums; Efrain Toro on congos; Jimmy Z on harmonica; Quincy McCrary, Elizabeth Moss, Tamera MowryTamera MowryTamera Darvette Mowry-Housley is an American actress. She first gained fame for her teen role as Tamera Campbell on the ABC/WB sitcom Sister, Sister...
, Tia MowryTia MowryTia Dashon Mowry-Hardrict is an American actress. She first gained fame for her teen role as Tia Landry on the ABC/WB sitcom Sister, Sister...
on background vocals
- Willy DeVille on vocals; John Philip Shenale on synthesizers, percussion; Brian Ray on guitars, Dennis Fongheiser on drums; Efrain Toro on congos; Jimmy Z on harmonica; Quincy McCrary, Elizabeth Moss, Tamera Mowry
- "Hey JoeHey Joe"Hey Joe" is an American popular song from the 1960s that has become a rock standard and as such, has been performed in a multitude of musical styles by hundreds of different artists since it was first written. "Hey Joe" tells the story of a man who is on the run and planning to head to Mexico...
" – (Billy RobertsBilly RobertsBilly Roberts is an American songwriter and musician credited with composing the 1960s rock music standard "Hey Joe"...
) - 4:14- Willy DeVille on vocals, Los Camperos de Nati CanoMariachi los CamperosMariachi los Camperos de Nati Cano is a Grammy Award-winning Los Angeles-based mariachi ensemble under the direction of Natividad "Nati" Cano.The ensemble was one of four mariachis that collaborated on Linda Ronstadt’s 1987 milestone album Canciones de Mi Padre. They also appear on Ms...
, Efrain Toro on pecussion
- Willy DeVille on vocals, Los Camperos de Nati Cano
- "I Call Your Name" - 4:33
- Willy DeVille on vocals; John Philip Shenale on piano, strings, percussion; Freddy Koella on guitar; Reggie McBride on bass; Dennis Fongheiser on drums, percussion
- "I Can Only Give You Everything" - 4:56
- Willy DeVille on vocals; John Philip Shenale on keyboards, percussion; Freddy Koella on guitar; Reggie McBride on bass; Dennis Fongheiser on drums; Billy Valentine on background vocals
- "Jump City" - 5:00
- Willy DeVille on vocals; Dr. John on piano, synthesizer; Jeff "Skunk" Baxter on guitar; Reggie McBride on bass; Luis Conte on percussion; Fred Staehle on drums, wingertree; Steve Madaio on trumpet; Lon Price on tenor sax; Joel Peskin on baritone saxophone; John "Streamline" EwingStreamline EwingJohn Richard "Streamline" Ewing was an American jazz trombonist.Ewing played with Horace Henderson in 1938, then with Earl Hines live and on record between 1938 and 1942...
on trombone; Freebo on tuba; Lost Angels of the Vieux Carré on background vocals
- Willy DeVille on vocals; Dr. John on piano, synthesizer; Jeff "Skunk" Baxter on guitar; Reggie McBride on bass; Luis Conte on percussion; Fred Staehle on drums, wingertree; Steve Madaio on trumpet; Lon Price on tenor sax; Joel Peskin on baritone saxophone; John "Streamline" Ewing
- "Bamboo Road" - 5:05
- Willy DeVille on vocals, slide guitar; Zachary RichardZachary RichardZachary Richard is a Cajun singer/songwriter and poet. His music is an innovative combination of Cajun and Zydeco musical styles.-Biography:...
on accordion; Freddy Koella on mandolin; Reggie McBride on acoustic bass; John Philip Shenale on percussion; Dennis Fongheiser on percussion; Willy DeVille, Billy Valentine, John Valentine, Jim GilstrapJim GilstrapJim Gilstrap is an American singer best known for his work as a session musician and his 1975 solo hit single "Swing Your Daddy", as well as singing co-lead to the theme from the TV series Good Times.-Career:...
on background vocals
- Willy DeVille on vocals, slide guitar; Zachary Richard
- "All in the Name of Love (Salvation Army Version)" - 3:39
- Willy DeVille on vocals; John Philip Shenale on percussion and all other instruments; Willy DeVille, Billy Valentine, The Lost Angels Band of Salvation Choir on background vocals
Personnel
- Jeff "Skunk" BaxterJeff BaxterJeff "Skunk" Baxter is an American guitarist, known for his stints in the rock bands Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers during the 1970s...
- guitar ("Jump City," "Voodoo Charm") - Children's Choir ("Chemical Warfare")
- Quincy McCrary
- Elizabeth Moss
- Tamera MowryTamera MowryTamera Darvette Mowry-Housley is an American actress. She first gained fame for her teen role as Tamera Campbell on the ABC/WB sitcom Sister, Sister...
- Tia MowryTia MowryTia Dashon Mowry-Hardrict is an American actress. She first gained fame for her teen role as Tia Landry on the ABC/WB sitcom Sister, Sister...
- Marta Woodhull (dir)
- Luis ConteLuis ConteLuis Conte is a Cuban percussionist.-Early years:As a child in Cuba, Conte began his musical odyssey playing the guitar. However, he soon switched to percussion, and that has remained his mode since....
- percussion ("Jump City," "Voodoo Charm") - Willy DeVilleWilly DeVilleWilly DeVille was an American singer and songwriter. During his thirty-five year career, first with his band Mink DeVille and later on his own, Deville created original songs rooted in traditional American musical styles. He worked with collaborators from across the spectrum of contemporary...
- vocals, slide guitarSlide guitarSlide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles... - Dr. JohnDr. JohnMalcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jr. , better known by the stage name Dr. John , is an American singer-songwriter, pianist and guitarist, whose music combines blues, pop, jazz as well as Zydeco, boogie woogie and rock and roll.Active as a session musician since the late 1950s, he came to wider...
- synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, piano, horn arrangements ("Jump City," "Voodoo Charm") - John "Streamline" EwingStreamline EwingJohn Richard "Streamline" Ewing was an American jazz trombonist.Ewing played with Horace Henderson in 1938, then with Earl Hines live and on record between 1938 and 1942...
- tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
("Jump City," "Voodoo Charm") - Dennis Fongheiser - percussion, drums
- FreeboFreeboFreebo is a bass and tuba player, guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer noted primarily for his work with Bonnie Raitt. He is also a respected session musician who has recorded and performed with Ringo Starr, John Mayall, John Hall, Aaron Neville, Dr...
- tubaTubaThe tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
("Jump City," "Voodoo Charm") - Jim GilstrapJim GilstrapJim Gilstrap is an American singer best known for his work as a session musician and his 1975 solo hit single "Swing Your Daddy", as well as singing co-lead to the theme from the TV series Good Times.-Career:...
- background vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
("Bamboo Road") - David HidalgoDavid HidalgoDavid Hidalgo is an American singer-songwriter, best known for his work with the band Los Lobos. He is also a member of the supergroup Los Super Seven and of the Latin Playboys, a side project band made up of some of the members of Los Lobos...
- accordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
("Even While I Sleep") - Freddy Koella - guitar, mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, violin - Lost Angels Band of Salvation Choir - background vocals
- The Lost Angels of the Vieux Carre - background vocals
- Steve Madaio - trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
("Jump City") - Los Camperos de Nati CanoMariachi los CamperosMariachi los Camperos de Nati Cano is a Grammy Award-winning Los Angeles-based mariachi ensemble under the direction of Natividad "Nati" Cano.The ensemble was one of four mariachis that collaborated on Linda Ronstadt’s 1987 milestone album Canciones de Mi Padre. They also appear on Ms...
("Hey JoeHey Joe"Hey Joe" is an American popular song from the 1960s that has become a rock standard and as such, has been performed in a multitude of musical styles by hundreds of different artists since it was first written. "Hey Joe" tells the story of a man who is on the run and planning to head to Mexico...
")- Victor Manuel Villa - violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, arranger - Juan Jose Almaguer - violin, gritosGrito MexicanoGrito Mexicano , or simply grito, is a part of Mexican culture. It is similar to the yahoo or yeehaw of the American cowboy during a hoedown, except with added trills and an onomatopoeia closer to "aaah" or "aaayyyeee". The first sound is typically held as long as possible, leaving enough breath...
- Jesús Guzmán - violin, gritos
- Juan Morales - guitar
- Luis Damian - vihuelaVihuelaVihuela is a name given to two different guitar-like string instruments: one from 15th and 16th century Spain, usually with 12 paired strings, and the other, the Mexican vihuela, from 19th century Mexico with five strings and typically played in Mariachi bands.-History:The vihuela, as it was known...
- Jose Arellano - guitarrónGuitarrónSee also: Guitarrón ChilenoThe guitarrón mexicano or Mexican guitarron, is a very large, deep-bodied Mexican 6-string acoustic bass played in mariachi groups...
- Carlos "Gudino" Jimenez - trumpet
- Victor Manuel Villa - violin
- Reggie McBride - bass, fretless bass
- Joel Peskin - baritone saxophoneBaritone saxophoneThe baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax" , is one of the largest and lowest pitched members of the saxophone family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax. The baritone is distinguished from smaller sizes of saxophone by the extra loop near its mouthpiece...
("Jump City," "Voodoo Charm") - Lon Price - saxophone ("Jump City," "Voodoo Charm")
- Brian RayBrian RayBrian Thomas Ray is an American session musician, musical director, guitarist and singer–songwriter. He is best known for his work as a guitarist and bassist with Paul McCartney, though he has worked with an extensive list of artists in addition to his own solo career.-Early life:Brian Ray grew up...
- guitar - Zachary RichardZachary RichardZachary Richard is a Cajun singer/songwriter and poet. His music is an innovative combination of Cajun and Zydeco musical styles.-Biography:...
- accordion ("Bamboo Road") - John Philip Shenale - synthesizer, percussion, piano, strings, keyboards
- Bonnie Sheridan - background vocals ("Voodoo Charm")
- Fred Staehle - drums, wingertree
- Efrain ToroEfrain ToroEfrain Toro is a Puerto Rican percussionist and music educator. He has written numerous books on rhythm.His main argument is that the Western form of musical notation of rhythm is a misunderstanding of the nature of music; he believes that western music's use of fixed spaces between notes does not...
- percussion, congaCongaThe conga, or more properly the tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents. It is thought to be derived from the Makuta drums or similar drums associated with Afro-Cubans of Central African descent. A person who plays conga is called a conguero...
, sound effects, shakerShaker (percussion)The word shaker describes a large number of percussive musical instruments used for creating rhythm in music.They are so called because the method of creating sound involves shaking them—moving them back and forth rather than striking them. Most may also be struck for a greater accent on certain... - The Valentine Brothers - background vocals
- Billy Valentine
- John Valentine
- Jimmy Z (Jimmy Zavala) - harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
("Come to Poppa")
Production
- Ken Allardyce - assistant engineer (Ocean Way)
- John Carter - recording engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- Willy DeVilleWilly DeVilleWilly DeVille was an American singer and songwriter. During his thirty-five year career, first with his band Mink DeVille and later on his own, Deville created original songs rooted in traditional American musical styles. He worked with collaborators from across the spectrum of contemporary...
- producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Dr. JohnDr. JohnMalcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jr. , better known by the stage name Dr. John , is an American singer-songwriter, pianist and guitarist, whose music combines blues, pop, jazz as well as Zydeco, boogie woogie and rock and roll.Active as a session musician since the late 1950s, he came to wider...
- producer ("Voodoo Charm," "Jump City") - Dave Lopez - assistant engineer (One on One)
- John Lowson - assistant engineer (Hot Tin Roof)
- Pete Magdeleno - assistant engineer (Track Record)
- Mark McKenna – mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
("Chemical Warfare") - Elli MedeirosElli MedeirosElli Medeiros is a singer and actress .- The Stinky Toys :Medeiros moved to Paris, France, at the age of 14, dropped out of high school a couple of years later and joined the punk band The Stinky Toys....
– cover design - Philippe Rault - executive producer
- Doug Rider - recording engineer ("Hey Joe", "Jump City," "Voodoo Charm")
- Sean Rowbottom - assistant engineer (Pacifique)
- Doug Saks – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Rocky Schenk – photographerPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
- Al SchmittAl SchmittAl Schmitt is a recording engineer and record producer.-Early career:Schmitt grew up in New York City. After serving in the U.S. Navy he began working at Apex Recording Studios at the age of 19. In the late 1950's Schmitt moved to Los Angeles and became a staff engineer at Radio Recorders on Santa...
– mixing - John Philip Shenale - producer