SHAWN AMOS
''THANK YOU SHIRL-EE MAY (A LOVE STORY)''
SEPTEMBER 13 2005
38:21
1. Thank You Shirlee May /2:26
2. New York City 1964 (A Letter Home) /3:55
3. Bubble Hill /4:38
4. You're Groovy (For Boy Blue) /2:50
5. Make It /3:28
6. The Bottle Always Brings Me Down /3:19
7. Getting Over /3:29
8. (What's) Good Inside /3:23
9. Dear Lord /4:35
0. Bad Timing /3:52
Shawn Amos /Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Harmonica, Narrator
Clint Bennett /Guitar (Acoustic)
Gregg Bissonette /Drums, Tambourine
Chuck Findley /Flugelhorn, Trumpet
David Henry /Cello
Robert Jolly /Drums, Washboard
Tim Landers /Bass (Electric), Bass (Upright)
Anthony Marinelli /Arp 2600, Celeste, Mellotron, Moog Synthesizer, Piano, String Arrangements, Wurlitzer
Patrick Milligan /Banjo, Bass, Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals
Ray Parker Jr. /Guitar (Electric)
Ben Peeler /Guitar, Lap Steel Guitar
Roger Len Smith /Bass
John Thomas /Piano
David E. Williams /Guitar (Electric), Musician
REVIEW
By Mark Deming
Singer and songwriter Shawn Amos got some of his gift for music from his mother, but he didn't get a chance to discover that until shortly after her death. Amos' mother, Shirlee Ellis Amos, committed suicide in 2003 after battling mental illness for many years, but it wasn't until he went through his late mother's effects that he learned she had enjoyed a remarkable life before he was born. Shirlee had a brief but successful career as nightclub singer Shirl-ee May, performing club dates with the likes of Sam Cooke and Sammy Davis, Jr., and recording an album for Mercury Records before her life in music came to an end in 1967, not long after she married future cookie mogul Wally "Famous" Amos. Thank You Shirl-ee May (A Love Story) is a song cycle Amos created as a homage to his late mother, as well as an effort to understand this side of the woman that he never got to know. Amos is upfront with the back-story of this album, and it's hard not to be moved by songs such as "New York City 1964 (A Letter Home)," "You're Groovy (For Boy Blue)," and "Getting Over," knowing their personal resonance for Amos. But the album succeeds on the strength of its craft as well as sentiment; Amos' songs in the voice of Shirl-ee May are effective thumbnail sketches of the highs and lows of a life being lived in fifth gear, and the old-school jazz and R&B accents of the early part of the album give the story an powerful and evocative backdrop, while the most country-accented tunes of the album's third act match the sorrow of this tale's sad end. And Amos put together a superb crew for this album, with Anthony Marinelli's keyboards lending a world of detail to the tunes and Ray Parker, Jr. adding superb guitar lines on "Bubble Hill" and "Make It." Thank You Shirl-ee May (A Love Story) is a powerful and deeply affecting story of personal grief and public affection; it's a touching example of art drawn from adversity, and a creative triumph for Shawn Amos that deserves to be heard.
BIOGRAPHY
by Bradley Torreano
New York native Shawn Amos spent most of his younger years moving around the country before coming back to New York to attend film school. He eventually gave up on film in 1991 and began to write music after a short stint as a screenplay writer. Two small indie albums and a song on the Prophecy soundtrack didn't get him very far outside of the local scene, but Harlem became his first nationally released CD in 2000. A roots rock approach to telling stories of the Harlem Renaissance, the album featured guest appearances from members of the Jayhawks and Crazy Horse guitarist Poncho Sampedro. Two years later, In Between arrived in 2002, an acoustic-heavy collection of new material that showcased his country side a little bit more while otherwise furthering his sound. Amos did time in the white collar section of the industry the following year to oversee the A&R department of Rhino's Shout! Factory, the label that would eventually release his third album, the highly personal Thank You Shirl-ee May (in honor of his late mother, singer Shirlee Ellis Amos (aka Shir-lee May)) in 2005. He continued on as Vice President of Music & Original Content for the label through numerous projects with everyone from William Shatner to Susanna Hoffs, releasing his own material as well, including the 2007 singles "Burned" (featuring Matthew Sweet) and "Long Time Gone."
''THANK YOU SHIRL-EE MAY (A LOVE STORY)''
SEPTEMBER 13 2005
38:21
1. Thank You Shirlee May /2:26
2. New York City 1964 (A Letter Home) /3:55
3. Bubble Hill /4:38
4. You're Groovy (For Boy Blue) /2:50
5. Make It /3:28
6. The Bottle Always Brings Me Down /3:19
7. Getting Over /3:29
8. (What's) Good Inside /3:23
9. Dear Lord /4:35
0. Bad Timing /3:52
Shawn Amos /Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Harmonica, Narrator
Clint Bennett /Guitar (Acoustic)
Gregg Bissonette /Drums, Tambourine
Chuck Findley /Flugelhorn, Trumpet
David Henry /Cello
Robert Jolly /Drums, Washboard
Tim Landers /Bass (Electric), Bass (Upright)
Anthony Marinelli /Arp 2600, Celeste, Mellotron, Moog Synthesizer, Piano, String Arrangements, Wurlitzer
Patrick Milligan /Banjo, Bass, Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals
Ray Parker Jr. /Guitar (Electric)
Ben Peeler /Guitar, Lap Steel Guitar
Roger Len Smith /Bass
John Thomas /Piano
David E. Williams /Guitar (Electric), Musician
REVIEW
By Mark Deming
Singer and songwriter Shawn Amos got some of his gift for music from his mother, but he didn't get a chance to discover that until shortly after her death. Amos' mother, Shirlee Ellis Amos, committed suicide in 2003 after battling mental illness for many years, but it wasn't until he went through his late mother's effects that he learned she had enjoyed a remarkable life before he was born. Shirlee had a brief but successful career as nightclub singer Shirl-ee May, performing club dates with the likes of Sam Cooke and Sammy Davis, Jr., and recording an album for Mercury Records before her life in music came to an end in 1967, not long after she married future cookie mogul Wally "Famous" Amos. Thank You Shirl-ee May (A Love Story) is a song cycle Amos created as a homage to his late mother, as well as an effort to understand this side of the woman that he never got to know. Amos is upfront with the back-story of this album, and it's hard not to be moved by songs such as "New York City 1964 (A Letter Home)," "You're Groovy (For Boy Blue)," and "Getting Over," knowing their personal resonance for Amos. But the album succeeds on the strength of its craft as well as sentiment; Amos' songs in the voice of Shirl-ee May are effective thumbnail sketches of the highs and lows of a life being lived in fifth gear, and the old-school jazz and R&B accents of the early part of the album give the story an powerful and evocative backdrop, while the most country-accented tunes of the album's third act match the sorrow of this tale's sad end. And Amos put together a superb crew for this album, with Anthony Marinelli's keyboards lending a world of detail to the tunes and Ray Parker, Jr. adding superb guitar lines on "Bubble Hill" and "Make It." Thank You Shirl-ee May (A Love Story) is a powerful and deeply affecting story of personal grief and public affection; it's a touching example of art drawn from adversity, and a creative triumph for Shawn Amos that deserves to be heard.
BIOGRAPHY
by Bradley Torreano
New York native Shawn Amos spent most of his younger years moving around the country before coming back to New York to attend film school. He eventually gave up on film in 1991 and began to write music after a short stint as a screenplay writer. Two small indie albums and a song on the Prophecy soundtrack didn't get him very far outside of the local scene, but Harlem became his first nationally released CD in 2000. A roots rock approach to telling stories of the Harlem Renaissance, the album featured guest appearances from members of the Jayhawks and Crazy Horse guitarist Poncho Sampedro. Two years later, In Between arrived in 2002, an acoustic-heavy collection of new material that showcased his country side a little bit more while otherwise furthering his sound. Amos did time in the white collar section of the industry the following year to oversee the A&R department of Rhino's Shout! Factory, the label that would eventually release his third album, the highly personal Thank You Shirl-ee May (in honor of his late mother, singer Shirlee Ellis Amos (aka Shir-lee May)) in 2005. He continued on as Vice President of Music & Original Content for the label through numerous projects with everyone from William Shatner to Susanna Hoffs, releasing his own material as well, including the 2007 singles "Burned" (featuring Matthew Sweet) and "Long Time Gone."