Still jamming as hard and heavy as ever over 35 years since his smashes “Frankenstein” and “Free Ride” captured an era in pop history and redefined the possibilities of fusing blues with rock, Edgar Winter (www.edgarwinter.com) continues to defy musical trends by traveling along the Rebel Road.
A fresh, dynamic extension of the multi-talented singer, songwriter, keyboardist and saxophonist’s classic musical vibe, the perfectly titled album—yes, he still calls his projects “albums”—brings his four decade career full circle with the help of Slash, country superstar Clint Black (on vocals and harmonica) and Winter’s equally legendary guitarist brother Johnny Winter. Beyond the all-star contributions, the 11-track collection marks a flourishing of the creative relationship between Winter and Curt Cuomo, who has worked extensively with classic rocker Eddie Money over the past ten years and whose credits include “Pyscho Circus” among numerous songs with Kiss. Cuomo, who first worked with Winter as co-writer of “You Are My Song” on 1999’s Winter Blues, co-produced Rebel Road with Winter and is a co-writer on nine songs; he also contributes percussion, vocals and organ work.
The first stops along Winter’s infinitely winding, heavy grooving Rebel Road this year include dates this summer with Winter’s longtime hero Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, This is Winter’s second go-round with the former Beatle’s summer tour extravaganza; he counts his first tour in 2006, “the thrill of a lifetime and a dream come true.” The 28-date 2008 Ringo tour kicks off June 19-20 in Niagara Falls, Ontario and wraps August 2 at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. Later in August, Winter has dates booked with Johnny at the House of Blues in Dallas (they’re natives of Beaumont, Texas) and another with fellow bluesman Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
While the high-energy, Slash-sparked title track best captures the spirit of Rebel Road and is the probable first single, Winter is hoping that Ringo lets him complement his latest renditions of “Free Ride” and “Frankenstein” with performances of the album’s more heartfelt cuts, the very Beatlesque mid tempo ballad “Peace And Love” (dedicated, of course, to the spirit and legacy of The Fab Four) and the romantic acoustic ballad “The Closer I Get,” which Winter wrote for Monique, his beloved wife of 29 years. On the 2006 tour, he sang “Dying To Live,” an early classic he wrote after he performed at Woodstock. Winter complements these gentler hopeful expressions with the country rock blues vibe of “The Power of Positive Drinkin’” (featuring Black on harmonica) and blistering blues-rock jams like “Eye On You,” “Do It Again” and “Rockin’ The Blues” with Johnny.
“The idea was to make a classic American rock album similar to the kind I used to back in the 70s,” he says. “I believe music is about following your heart as opposed to trends and second guessing what you think the public wants to hear. I wanted to put out an album that felt real to me, regardless of what’s going on in today’s music world. I think artists who play music that comes from the heart and that they believe in will communicate with people. What’s missing in music today is not only real rock and roll, but the Southern style rock that Johnny and I grew up playing in Texas. Country music has come in to fill the vacuum of honesty and sincerity, and I wanted to contribute to this kind of musical integrity in my own way.
“The kind of music I’m playing on Rebel Road has meant so much to me over the years,” he adds, “and it was great working with so many talented musicians on bringing it to life. I think it will resonate with fans familiar with my early music and younger lovers of classic rock. There’s something magical about the time this sound came from, when there was more musical freedom and songs reflected such powerful social changes as civil rights and the peace movement during the Vietnam era. There’s a deep sense of humanity in classic rock that still resonates today.”
Ironically, “Rockin’ The Blues” was the original working title of the project, which was fashioned as the third part of a rock-blues trilogy that began with Winter Blues and continued on Winter’s 2004 date Jazzin’ The Blues, which featured a mix of originals and jazzy arrangements of his classic hits. Then, the singer thought about the popularity he has among the biker community—he’s legendary for his performances at biker shows like the Buffalo Chip Sturgis Rally, on the Easy Rider tour and Jay Leno’s Love Ride, one of the biggest biker related charity events in the world. He thought it might be cool to include some new songs with that kind of vibe. Talking with his longtime manager Jake Hooker (a former rocker who co-penned “I Love Rock and Roll”), Winter thought of “road rebel,” and Hooker suggested he flip those words. The concept of Rebel Road was born and the title track, Winter says, just about wrote itself.
“I relate this little story because people seem to be so interested in how songs come about, and it illustrates how the simple turn of phrase in a seemingly idle conversation can really get something rolling,” he adds. “As for the concept behind the title, I think bikers and musicians have a good deal in common: a certain defiance and disregard for authority, the status quo, and the powers that be. To me, the idea of the open road is a symbol of freedom, and freedom is what music is all about. It’s saying I’m not going to be told who I am, and what I’m supposed to believe. It’s about living life on your own terms, and that’s what rebel road means to me. I like it because it’s not only a biker song, it’s my song and my story as well.”
Fully embracing the liberating joys of independent music making, Winter is also proud of the way he explores his roots in country music. Though he could strum chords and sing country songs from the time he started playing music, it’s an influence that he’s never tapped into on his recordings till Rebel Road. He wrote a set of lyrics for what he thought would become a blues song entitled “On The Horns of A Dilemma,” and Cuomo and guitarist/frequent co-writer James Zota Baker immediately felt it was a country rocker in the making. They laughed when Winter came up with the title of “The Power of Positive Drinkin’,” but felt that one had Nashville style potential as well.
While shying away from the idea of doing a full-on country album, Winter knew he wanted some country-blues style harp to enhance these two tracks. He had played sax on Black’s song “Burn One Down” and immediately asked the famed singer to contribute his instrumental talents to Rebel Road. “He said yes and it was another one of those magical musical moments you dream about,” says Winter. “Clint literally blew us all away. It means so much that he would take the time and come in and play on these songs between shows out of friendship and human kindness.”
From this point, a revved up Winter can see that Rebel Road stretching out for miles and many more exciting live shows to come, with Ringo, Johnny, Kenny and anyone else who cares to take another “Free Ride.” “I love making music because it’s the way in which I can express everything I’ve been through in my life, and is also a great emotional and physical release” he says. “Even after all these years, nothing tops the exhilaration of performing for a live audience. It’s always very inspiring for me, and I am never going to quit because I need to be out there playing. So you’ll never hear me saying anything about a farewell tour. I’m in this for life.”
]]>Rock icon Edgar Winter is having a busy summer! He’s been tapped to be a judge, along with record producer/songwriter David Foster, on “StarTomorrow,” NBC’s new interactive music competition that will allow viewers to choose the first Internet superstar band. The competition kicks off with a network special that will air on Monday July 31st.
Marking the first time that the network has offered a full national series online, NBC will introduce “StarTomorrow,” an interactive music competition that will put viewers exclusively in control of choosing the first Internet superstar band, singing group or solo act – and will reward the winners with a recording deal with Foster and his recording company.
Winter is also on tour this summer as a member of Ringo Starr’s All Starr Band where he’s been receiving some rave reviews. According to a FMQB review, ”And perhaps the surprise of the entire evening was Edgar Winter. Looking like the Dorian Gray of rock, Winter acted as a man possessed, whether tearing off an acrobatic keyboard lick, delivering a virtuoso vocal performance or blasting out some funky sax. His outstanding solo performance of his early 70′s solo track, the gospel tinged “Dying To Live” qualified as a real goosebump ‘you had to be there’ moment.”
As Winter would say, “Keep On Rockin’!”
EDGAR WINTER
LEGENDARY MUSICIAN ROCKS ON WITH WEDNESDAY JANUARY 7TH APPEARANCE ON
SYNDICATED RADIO PROGRAM “ROCKLINE” AND THURSDAY,
JANUARY 15TH APPEARANCE ON “JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE”
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WINTER TO PERFORM SUCH CLASSICS AS
“FREE RIDE,” “DYING TO LIVE,” “FRANKENSTEIN” AND “KEEP PLAYING THAT ROCK ‘N’ROLL”
* * *
EDGAR WINTER LIVE AT THE GALAXY
IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON DVD & CD
Rock icon Edgar Winter will kick off 2004 with a January 7th musical appearance on the syndicated radio program Rockline. Winter will be interviewed by show host Bob Coburn, take listener calls and perform such hits “Free Ride,” “Dying To Live,” “Frankenstein” and “Keep Playing That Rock ’N’ Roll.”
On January 15th, Winter will be a guest on ABC-TV’s Jimmy Kimmel Live. He will sit in with musical director Cleto Escobedo & the house band and is expected to perform a number of his classics songs as well as being interviewed by host Kimmel.
Winter’s “Dying To Live” was used in the hit “Runnin (Dying To Live).” The song was produced by Eminem and features vocals from Winter, Tupac and Notorious B.I.G. The tune was a Top 20 hit on several of Billboard’s charts including the Hot 100 and the Hot R&B/ Hip Hop Singles.
Edgar Winter Live At The Galaxy (Classic Pictures Ltd.) is currently available on DVD and CD.
EDGAR WINTER
ROCK ICON THANKS EMINEM FOR “HEARING THE PAIN, THE JOY AND THE HUMANITY” FROM HIS SONG “DYING TO LIVE”
* * *
SONG IS SAMPLED IN “RUNNIN (DYING TO LIVE),” WHICH FEATURES VOCALS FROM WINTER, TUPAC AND NOTORIOUS B.I.G. AND IS PRODUCED BY EMINEM. TUNE IS CURRENTLY #5 ON BILLBOARD’S HOT R&B/HIP HOP SINGLES SALES CHART, #18 ON HOT R&B/HIP HOP SINGLES CHART AND #9 ON
HOT RAP TRACKS CHART.
* * *
EDGAR WINTER LIVE AT THE GALAXY IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE
ON DVD & CD
When Edgar Winter wrote the song “Dying to Live” during the ‘60’s, he had no idea that it would become part of the hit song “Runnin (Dying To Live).” Tune is produced by Eminem and features vocals from Winter, Tupac and Notorious B.I.G.
Says Winter, “I wrote the song ‘Dying To Live’ in the Woodstock era of the peace movement and civil rights. I was a new struggling artist at that time and uncertain of my direction. I thought of ‘Dying To Live’ more as an anti-war song at the time. I would have never connected it with gang violence; it was simply a song about survival. For me, it was a very personal song. Whether you are fighting for your country or just trying to make one more day on the streets, it’s something we all have had to face and can all understand. I just want to thank Eminem for hearing the pain, the joy and the humanity from “Dying To Live” and transforming it in a way that I never would have imagined.”
“Runnin (Dying To Live)” is on numerous Billboard charts: #5 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles Sales chart, #18 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles chart and #9 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart.
Edgar Winter Live At The Galaxy (Classic Pictures Ltd.) is currently available on DVD and CD.
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