Give it Away
Big New Life continues with "Give It Away," by Josh Leo and Harry Stinson.
This latest single is perhaps the band's most Beatle-esque composition since the Vinyl Kings’ first album A Little Trip—a cult classic from 2002. Trip is a testimony from each of these successful career musicians of how it all began for them when they saw the Beatles on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1964.
In a review of A Little Trip published by NoteWorthy Music, Dale McCurry writes: "The genius of the record is that the Vinyl Kings managed to create an album of original tunes echoing the evolving sound and feel of the Beatles—neither impression, nor caricature, but a pure, loving homage."
In "Give It Away," the Kings continue to give away the love and deference by offering yet another song to the universe that one wouldn't be surprised to find on a tape of unreleased Paul McCartney tunes. In fact, Leo suggests that McCartney had a hand in getting the song right.
"The sound came out of a dream I was having," he says." I heard a bluesy guitar lick and started playing it. Then Paul McCartney appeared and said, 'Why don’t you play it more like this?' I said why would I do that? Then it would sound like you! And he said, 'Yes, exactly!' I woke up and made it sound like he suggested.
As if a McCartney co-write of the tune isn't enough to inspire a flashback of the Fab Four, the message is one fellow Beatle fans will readily recognize: "Love is all ya need."
A message so nice you gotta say it thrice. When Stinson was asked for a quote about the song, he did what composers do: He composed a little verse to press home a point so simple much of the world seems to struggle with it:
If you Give Love, You Get Love.
Its' that simple
It's That Simple
IT’S THAT SIMPLE!
It may be a simple concept but it's a concept that motivates this band of top-shelf, songwriters, musicians and citizens of the world to keep celebrating the power of love.
Love can't be love til you give it away
Give it away
You've got to give it away
You can't receive til you give it away
Open your heart and then give it away
"Give It Away"
~Josh Leo and Harry Stinson
Vinyl Kings: Larry Lee (top left), Josh Leo (top right), (bottom l-r) Harry Stinson, Michael Rhodes, Jim Photoglo
Members of the band—Photoglo, Stinson, Lee, Leo, and Rhodes—have individually produced, written songs for, played on recordings by, or toured with such artists as Bob Dylan, Elton John, Neil Young, Carole King, Sting, Shania Twain, Vince Gill, Steve Winwood, Tina Turner, Mark Knopfler, Dan Fogelberg, Glenn Frey, and so many more.
The Vinyl Kings' first album, the 2002 A Little Trip—a nod to The Beatles who inspired each of the VKs to pursue a life in music—received rave reviews and developed somewhat of a cult following. After all, it's a little hard to buy the concept of an album of Beatles-esque music, but Beatles fans who found it loved it. Intensely.
"The genius of the record is that the Kings managed to create an album of original tunes echoing the evolving sound and feel of the Beatles—neither impression, nor caricature, but a pure, loving homage," writes Dale McCurry, from his review of A Little Trip for NoteWorthy Music.
For information and interviews, please contact the Vinyl Kings at pr@vinylkingsband.com.
Big New Life
Credits
PRODUCED by THE VINYL KINGS with STEVE MARCANTONIO
RECORDED and MIXED by STEVE MARCANTONIO at Blackbird Studios and The Music House, assisted by ZANE ANDERSON
ADDITIONAL RECORDING by
JOSH LEO at Blue Cow Studio
LARRY LEE at Studio On Demand
HARRY STINSON at Tres Mariachis
Strings on "SO EASILY FOOLED" arranged by KRISTEN WILKINSON RECORDED at STUDIO 78 by DAEWOO KIM
MASTERED by ANDREW MENDELSON at Georgetown Masters
COVER ARTWORK by RENEE LAROSE
COVER DESIGN by PHOENIX MENDOZA
THE VINYL KINGS
LARRY LEE - Keyboards/Acoustic Guitar/Vocals
JOSH LEO - Keyboards/Acoustic & Electric Guitars/Vocals
HARRY STINSON - Drums/Acoustic Guitar/Piano/Vocals
MICHAEL RHODES - Bass
JIM PHOTOGLO - Acoustic Guitar/Vocals (and Bass on "Smoke Rings For Renee")
The Vinyl Kings would like to thank the following for contributing their amazing talents!
Dave Hoffner - Strings/Horns/Percussion/Accordion
Chris West - Horns on "Give It Away" and "Long Way Down"
John Jorgenson - Clarinet
Pat Buchanan - Slide Guitar on "Big New Life"
Strings on "So Easily Fooled":
Jun Iwasak - Violin
Jung Min Shin - Violin
Beaty Lamb - Violin
Kristin Wilkinson - Viola
Kevin-Bate - Cello