Beginning a series looking back at the old Bruce Hornsby newsletters that Melissa Reagan would post out in the 1990s/early 2000. This one is from the spring and summer of 1993, leading up to the release of Harbor Lights. The song “29-5”, mentioned in the “1993 Grammy Awards” section, was later renamed “Barcelona Mona”.
“Harbor Lights”
Scheduled for release on April 6, Bruce’s latest album is “jazzier and edgier” than his previous three albums with the Range. “Harbor Lights” marks several “firsts” for Bruce as this is his first album without the band, the first album recorded in his home studio in Virginia, andigr the first album without a producer..
Recorded throughout 1992, the new album is basically a “piano trio” record (piano, bass, and drums) augmented by the unique musical contributions of the various guest artists. The piano trio consists of drummer John Molo (who has played with Bruce for 17 years), jazz bassist Jimmy Haslip (known for his work with the Yellowjackets), and Bruce.
The musical guests run the gamut of diversity. Branford Marsalis plays sax on several of the album’s cuts, and Pat Metheny plays three guitar solos, rhythm guitar, and electric sitar. Guitarisis John Bignam from Fishbone and Jerry Garcia from the Grateful Dead also participate. Bonnie Raitt offers background vocals on several tunes, as does Phil Collins, who also added some bongos and tambourine. (Bruce calls Phil the
“Human Metronome” because his rhythm is so strong.) In addition, several of the local horn and string players who Bruce met while performing with the Virginia and Richmond Symphonies last April were able to offer their talents.
Following the album’s release, a tour is planned to begin in the Spring/Summer 1993 summer or early fall. At this date, cities and dates are not available. The next newsletter will include tour details.
Video Plans
Two videos for the new album were shot in February and early March.
Spike Lee directed the video for “Talk of the Town“, which was filmed in New York in February. Branford Marsalis, featured in the song about an interracial romance, makes an appearance in the video, along with character actor Frank Vincent (“Raging Bull,” “Good Fellas,” “Do the Right Thing,” “Jungle Fever,” and a BHR band favorite for years).
The video for “Harbor Lights” was shot in early March in Southern California and includes an appearance by Pat Metheny.
1993 Grammy Awards
Bruce and Branford Marsalis received a Grammy nomination in the “Best Pop Instrumental” category for their composition “29-5,” which was written for the 1992 Summer Olympics.
However, after the nominations were published and the ballots sent out, NARAS, the governing body, declared the song ineligible because it was not released commercially! As a consequence, the nomination was withdrawn.
Album Art
Anyone familiar with the work of American artist Edward Hopper (1882-1967) may recognize his work on the cover of Bruce’s “Harbor Lights” CD/cassette packages. Hopper’s painting “Rooms by the Sea” was completed in 1951. In addition, the drawing on the CD inner sleeve is Hopper’s charcoal “Study for Blackwell’s Island.” Bruce, a longstanding admirer of Hopper’s work, is also a distant relative.
The Inauguration
Bruce was invited to perform at several events during the inaugural week celebration for President Bill Clinton in November in Washington, D.C. At the “Faces of Hope” luncheon hosted by the Clintons and the Gores for many of the people they met along the campaign trail, Bruce performed a solo piano/vocal selection of songs, including “Rainbow’s Cadillac” from the new album. Also, Bruce played in the “All-Star Band” at the Arkansas Ball. Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Dave Pack, Joe Puerta, Joe Henderson, Patti Austin, Carole King, Bruce and others played for three hours, and Bruce sang “Across the River,” “The Way It Is,” “Valley Road,” “The Weight” by the Band, and Sam Cooke’s “Let the Good Times Roll.” The 12,000 people attending saw Bill Clinton come by and play sax on Kenny Loggin’s “Your Mama Don’t Dance.”
Elton John’s AIDS Benefit Concert
In October, Bruce was asked by Elton John to play a benefit concert with him at Madison Square Garden on behalf of the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. Elton and Bruce sang a duet on “Lost Soul” from the “Night on the Town” album. As it turns out, “Lost Soul” is one of Elton’s favorite songs, and he plans to perform it on his next concert tour.
Bits and Pieces
Bruce has been the recipient of several awards in recent months. In August, he was named “Virginian of the Year” by the Virginia Press Association. He was also given the “Distinguished Virginian Award” by the Virginia Association of Broadcasters. In November, Bruce returned to his alma mater to receive the University of Miami’s “Alumnus of the Year” award.
A New York management company, Q Prime, is now representing Bruce. Any mail to Bruce should be sent to Bruce Hornsby, P.O. Box 3545, Williamsburg, VA 23187, not to the Santa Monica, CA, address listed on “A Night on the Town.”
Bruce will perform the National Anthem and throw out the first ball at the Seattle Mariners Opening Day game on April 7.
Bruce and the new group will be playing at the FARM AID Benefit Concert in Ames, lowa, on April 24. The concert may be televised on The Nashville Network (TNN).
He may also appear on one of the morning talk shows (“Good Morning America” or “The Today
Show”) during the last week of April.
Bruce is scheduled to perform on “The Tonight Show” on May 3.
QUESTIONS FOR BRUCE:
1. You worked on “Harbor Lights” for a year. Why does it take so long to make a record?
There are a lot of reasons. One reason that I took so long to make this record had to do with hanging around too many people who typically take three or four years to make their records, and some of that mindset rubbed oin me. on Henley, Bruce Springsteen, and Robbie Robertson are some people I spend a good deal of time with, and some of their process influenced me. I wrote half of the songs (five) during the making of the record (as opposed to having them all written prior to recording), and for the first time, we overcut a good deal, meaning we cut 15 or so songs, but kept only 10. Also, scheduling all of the guests who came from out-of-town to work on the record was time consuming. They all have their schedules to be worked around. There were also a lot of diversions, like playing with the Dead, working with the symphonies, the Olympics song, and various BHR gigs, not to mention the birth of my sons. And, because this was the first use of my studio, a lot of time was spent getting sounds and figuring out what worked and what didn’t in a new studio.
2. What was the most enjoyable part of making this record?
The most enjoyable aspect of making this record was working with the various guests who came to town. The work and the hang were always a pleasure and often inspiring.
3. How did you come to play with Jimmy Haslip?
Jimmy’s one of my old best friends from L.A. We used to be season ticket holders for the Lakers and then later the Clippers basketball teams during the years when we both had a lot more time on our hands
(1982-85). We played a lot together on demos and recording sessions in the early 80s, and we always wanted to play together again. This was the perfect opportunity to get back together.
4. Do you have a favorite song from “Harbor Lights”?
Yeah, “Talk of the Town.” I like its simplicity. It’s just a blues, and I like the combination of the narrative quality of the lyrics with the funky groove.
5. Are videos fun to make?
No. We’re hoping to make the process more enjoyable this time around.
6. What is an average day on the road like for you?
Starting from a gig, we play a show and usually finish around 11:00 p.m. After that, we’ll meet people backstage, the “skin-and-grin,” as we call it. Then, we get on a bus around 1:00 a.m. and will drive all night to the next town, usually arriving around 8:00 or 10:00 a.m. After checking into a hotel, l’ll sleep for a few hours, and then I’ll usually do interviews for upcoming shows (newspapers, radio, magazines) on the phone from 2:00 to 4:00. At 4:30 or so, we’ll leave for a sound check at the venue. Once there, ‘ll usually run for a half-hour, sound check, shower, and then eat dinner with the band and crew from 6:30 to 7:00. Then, we play our show and start the whole process again.