Ben Vaughn Glasgow Time

"Glasgow Time"

1. Still Alive
2. Ferris wheel (mp3 clip)
3. Houseboat
4. When Free Love Reigned
5. She Fell Out The Window
6. Old Grandad (mp3 clip)
7. I Get Vibrations (mp3 clip)
8. My Mind Ain’t Right (mp3 clip)
9. Time Will Catch Us
10. (You’re Gonna) Hurt Yourself
11. When Losers Rule The World
12. Darlene (mp3 clip)

(Click to buy for £9.99)

Weirdly charming vignettes - Vaughn's lines are as sharp as his tunes
The Guardian

THIRD ROCKER FROM THE SUN' COMPOSER'S ODD COUNTRY
Vaughn's endearingly odd worldview continues to fascinate via these eccentric vignettes swathed in authentic roots stylings that evoke evenings on the bayou. "When losers rule the world", Vaughn ponders dryly at one point, "I'll be a prince among men". Meanwhile, I Get Vibrations sounds like Steve Martin performing bubblegum pop. Strange indeed.
Martin O'Gorman, Q magazine

The story of this album begins with a phone call out of the blue. In April of 1999, Ben Vaughn was working as a TV and film composer in Hollywood. His TV credits included such shows as 3rd Rock From the Sun and That '70s Show. In film, he had just completed the score for the cult horror homage Psycho Beach Party and was in the process of composing the score for The Independent, a comedy starring Jerry Stiller and Janeane Garofalo.

But in an earlier incarnation, Ben was a touring singer-songwriter, his world consisting of dressing rooms, smoky clubs, and turnpike food. Those days were far behind him, or so he thought. The call came in from the Horseshoe Pub in Glasgow. On the line was one Francis Macdonald, who introduced himself as the president of Shoeshine Records. He asked Ben if he was interested in touring Scotland.Touring? Scotland? Ben had performed extensively in Europe but not in the UK except for a 1989 solo show in London. Ben told Francis he'd definitely think about it.

Glasgow airport, June 1999. Ben went directly from the terminal to meet Francis and the musicians who would be backing him, including Stevie Jackson of Belle and Sebastian and a revolving assortment - depending on availability - of fiddlers, accordionists, and pedal steel players. Francis, who happened to be a member of Teenage Fanclub, would play the drums. The new band-to-be ran through the Ben Vaughn repertoire in a dank rehearsal space. For Ben, it was like old times. It didn't take long for the group to find its groove. The first show was at the East Kilbride Arts Centre. It was a smash, setting the tone for the rest of the tour. At the Horseshoe Pub after the tour's final performance, Francis proposed
an idea to Ben, who had one free day before flying out. Why not use that day to record the band while it was hot? Ben said he'd definitely think about it.

Daybreak. The musicians straggled into Riverside Studios, equipment in tow. After a quick level check by engineer Duncan Cameron, the band was ready to commit music to tape. Folk and country proved to be the direction of choice. Ben reached into his proverbial bag of songs and came up with six that seemed appropriate. Still Alive had been written in 1995 for the noir film Scorpion Spring. Ferris Wheel, inspired by nights on the Santa Monica Pier, was of more recent vintage. The exquisite and dream-like Houseboat
was written years ago, but somehow had never dropped anchor in a recording studio until now. The wistful When Free Love Reigned and the darkly haunting She Fell Out the Window had been gestating in the Vaughn imagination for some time. The sly country-rocker Old Grandad was written with Tom Littlefield during one of Ben's co-writing expeditions to Nashville. All six songs were recorded "the old-fashioned way" - live in the studio with a few minor overdubs. This gave the final product an immediacy seldom
heard on record these days. It also allowed the band to make last call at the Horseshoe.

The next day Ben hopped on a plane for home, tape in hand. By all accounts, a good time was had by all.
January 2000. Ben was back in Glasgow to perform at the Celtic Connections Festival. After an all-night jam session at the Central Hotel, Francis proposed another round of recording. And yes, Ben said he'd definitely think about it.

Birds were chirping as the sun rose over Riverside Studios. This time a rock and pop direction seemed to make sense. Once again, Ben reached into his bag of songs. I Get Vibrations was written in 1989. At that time, it almost ended up on the album Dressed in Black. For the Scottish session, Ben penned a new set of cosmic lyrics. My Mind Ain't Right was written on the plane from L.A. to Glasgow while Time Will Catch Us came out of a writing session with Dave Alvin in the early nineties. You're Gonna Hurt Yourself is a gem of musically encapsulated wisdom that's lost none of its sparkle though it was written early in Ben's career. When Losers Rule the World was co-written with Rodney Crowell in Nashville. A rollicking
rendition of Vaughn's classic Darlene brought the proceedings to a rocking close just as it had the night before at the Celtic Connections performance.

At the Horseshoe Pub after the session, Francis proposed releasing the Glasgow recordings as an album on Shoeshine Records. Ben said he'd definitely think about it.

Enjoy the album. Cheers
-Al Figaro

Ben Vaughn "Glasgow Time" (SHOECD012)