Radio Soul
Encyclopedia
Radio Soul is a 2007 album by "Byrdjones", a collaboration by contemporary folk singer-songwriter
s Jonathan Byrd and Diana Jones
. The duo assembled the album in preparation for a series of tours in which they split the bill across parts of Europe
and the United states
.
but with higher tempo and slightly more conventional harmonies). Byrd's flatpicking
solos are featured on a couple of tracks as well (notably on "Poor Boy" and "The Things of This World"). The song, "The Other Side" is delivered a cappella
.
The entire album was recorded in seven hours with only a few days of rehearsal. The recording was engineered by Bruce Chandler at the Nashville Record Barn in Nashville, Tennessee
.
cover near the end.
A few of the songs have appeared elsewhere in the individual artists' catalogs. Jones sings the title track of her 2006 breakthrough, My Remembrance of You
with Byrd adding a natural harmony that was absent in the original. Some of her other songs here, "Maryville" (presumably Maryville, Tennessee
) and "Orphan's Home" might also have fit well on her solo album--they have the same longing for the ancestors and home that she never knew while growing up (Jones was adopted as an infant).
Byrd also revisits some earlier material; "Vemla" was first recorded for his 2000 debut, Wildflowers
. The song gives his account of serial killer Velma Barfield
whose victims included Byrd's own grandfather. An earlier electric version of "Poor Boy" was recorded for, but didn't make the final cut on Byrd's This Is the New That
(it is one of three outtakes hidden in a data track of the CD release).
Both artists dig deeply into their Appalachian roots and pull out a lot of gospel
imagery in their songwriting. Darkness and sorrow are balance by optimism. Near the end of the final track, Jones' "That Better Day", Byrd and Jones take the song on a brief detour into the 1920s pop classic, "Ain't We Got Fun?
" before returning to its main theme and bringing the album to a close.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
s Jonathan Byrd and Diana Jones
Diana Jones (singer-songwriter)
Diana Jones is an American singer-songwriter based in Nashville, Tennessee. Jones's career gained wider critical acclaim in 2006 with the release of her album, My Remembrance of You. The album made a number of critics end-of-the-year "best of" lists...
. The duo assembled the album in preparation for a series of tours in which they split the bill across parts of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the United states
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Recording
Although the liner notes do not include any musician credits, the sound of the album is essentially that of the voices of two distinct songwriters and their guitars (Byrd plays mandolin on a couple of tracks). It could have been done all at once with a single microphone (think of the stripped down sound of Time (The Revelator)Time (The Revelator)
Time is the third full length album by Gillian Welch. All songs were written by Welch together with David Rawlings and were recorded in Nashville, Tennessee...
but with higher tempo and slightly more conventional harmonies). Byrd's flatpicking
Flatpicking
Flatpicking is a technique for playing a guitar using a guitar pick held between two or three fingers to strike the strings...
solos are featured on a couple of tracks as well (notably on "Poor Boy" and "The Things of This World"). The song, "The Other Side" is delivered a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
.
The entire album was recorded in seven hours with only a few days of rehearsal. The recording was engineered by Bruce Chandler at the Nashville Record Barn in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
.
Songs
The album kicks off with the title track--the albums only legitimate co-write. The rest of the album more-or-less alternates between compositions that Byrd and Jones individually contributed with a Carter FamilyCarter Family
The Carter Family was a traditional American folk music group that recorded between 1927 and 1956. Their music had a profound impact on bluegrass, country, Southern Gospel, pop and rock musicians as well as on the U.S. folk revival of the 1960s. They were the first vocal group to become country...
cover near the end.
A few of the songs have appeared elsewhere in the individual artists' catalogs. Jones sings the title track of her 2006 breakthrough, My Remembrance of You
My Remembrance of You
My Remebrance of You is the 2006 breakthrough album by Diana Jones.- Track listing :All songs written by Diana Jones# "Pretty Girl" - 3:10# "My Beloved" - 3:29# "All My Money on You" - 3:09# "Pony" - 4:40# "A Hold on Me" - 4:20...
with Byrd adding a natural harmony that was absent in the original. Some of her other songs here, "Maryville" (presumably Maryville, Tennessee
Maryville, Tennessee
Maryville is the county seat of Blount County, Tennessee, in the Southeastern United States. The city is located south of Knoxville. Maryville's population was 27,258 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Knoxville Metropolitan Area. Maryville has received a number of accolades for its...
) and "Orphan's Home" might also have fit well on her solo album--they have the same longing for the ancestors and home that she never knew while growing up (Jones was adopted as an infant).
Byrd also revisits some earlier material; "Vemla" was first recorded for his 2000 debut, Wildflowers
Wildflowers (Jonathan Byrd album)
Wildflowers is the 2001 debut album by Jonathan Byrd. The songs are mostly original songs with a few traditional tunes. Here he mixes contemporary singer-songwriter storytelling with Appalachian folk roots. There is even a murder ballad; "Velma" is a song about serial killer Velma Barfield whose...
. The song gives his account of serial killer Velma Barfield
Velma Barfield
Margie Velma Barfield was a serial killer, convicted of six murders. She was the first woman in the United States to be executed after the 1976 resumption of capital punishment and the first since 1962...
whose victims included Byrd's own grandfather. An earlier electric version of "Poor Boy" was recorded for, but didn't make the final cut on Byrd's This Is the New That
This Is the New That
This Is the New That is the fourth album by American singer-songwriter Jonathan Byrd. It was officially released March 21, 2007, although online availability began in late December 2006. While Byrd's earlier recordings have been in more of a traditional folk vein ranging at times from bluegrass...
(it is one of three outtakes hidden in a data track of the CD release).
Both artists dig deeply into their Appalachian roots and pull out a lot of gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
imagery in their songwriting. Darkness and sorrow are balance by optimism. Near the end of the final track, Jones' "That Better Day", Byrd and Jones take the song on a brief detour into the 1920s pop classic, "Ain't We Got Fun?
Ain't We Got Fun?
"Ain't We Got Fun?" is a popular foxtrot published in 1921 with music by Richard A. Whiting, lyrics by Raymond B. Egan and Gus Kahn.It was first performed in 1920 in the revue Satires of 1920, then moved into vaudeville and recordings...
" before returning to its main theme and bringing the album to a close.
Track listing
- "Radio Soul" (Byrd, JonesDiana Jones (singer-songwriter)Diana Jones is an American singer-songwriter based in Nashville, Tennessee. Jones's career gained wider critical acclaim in 2006 with the release of her album, My Remembrance of You. The album made a number of critics end-of-the-year "best of" lists...
) - 3:46 - "Poor Boy" (Byrd) - 2:51
- "Maryville" (Jones) - 2:24
- "The Things of this World" (Byrd) - 3:26
- "Reckon I Did" (Byrd) - 3:46
- "My Remembrance of You" (Jones) - 3:42
- "The Other Side" (Jones) - 1:52
- "Orphan's Home" (Jones) - 3:14
- "Velma" (Byrd) - 3:27
- "Blue Eyes" (A.P. Carter) - 3:59
- "That Better Day" (Jones) - 2:49
Credits
- 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...
- Diana JonesDiana Jones (singer-songwriter)Diana Jones is an American singer-songwriter based in Nashville, Tennessee. Jones's career gained wider critical acclaim in 2006 with the release of her album, My Remembrance of You. The album made a number of critics end-of-the-year "best of" lists... - Assistant producer - Pamela Cole
- Recording engineer - Bruce Chandler
- Recorded at the Nashville Record Barn, Nashville, TennesseeNashville, TennesseeNashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
- Recorded at the Nashville Record Barn, Nashville, Tennessee
- 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...
- Bob Klotz- Mastered at Klotz Audio, Port Matilda, PennsylvaniaPort Matilda, PennsylvaniaPort Matilda is a borough in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area...
- Mastered at Klotz Audio, Port Matilda, Pennsylvania
- Design - Hale Dixon
External links
- Jonathan Byrd, official web site
- Diana Jones Music, official web site
- "Two of a Kind" (Byrdjones page at FolkWax) (requires a free subscription)