Re-arranged June 2006 Available at the show

June 2006 saw the release of the latest Little River Band recording, Re-arranged. Fans that attend the live shows know how LRB love to play around with the arrangements on many of the songs that form the basis of their live set…from subtle changes to some passages, through extended endings and blistering solos, to complete changes such as the now blues-based The Other Guy.

That drive to remain fresh and immediate is at the heart of this latest Little River Band recording, Re-arranged. It reflects the changes to the live arrangements of the songs that have occurred over the years, and have evolved even further with the addition of Billy Thomas and Chris Marion in 2005 and right up to date with Rich Herring in 2006.

The result is a studio CD, but with much more of a “live feel” to it – more raw guitar and vocal sounds with less studio gimmickry to emulate the energy and vibe of the live show. LRB News caught up with Wayne Nelson and Stephen Housden to find out some more about the CD.

Wayne told us “these performances capture a strong vocal blend, with some interesting moments where one of the new voices pops out! Instead of trying to homogenize those moments, they were left alone so the character of the new guys could be heard.”

Stephen thought it was great to hear the live vocal sound in this way. He said "I hear the band every night while I’m playing but it's not the same as sitting in the audience. After sitting back and hearing the final mixes I was first knocked out by how good the harmony blend is on this CD. The band sounds as good as I expected but the vocals are just magic. Hats off to the lads for that."

Wayne added “It’s also the same great guitar work, but with the addition of a couple of solos played by Greg and Rich (see if you can pick which ones – Ed.) It was great fun cutting these tracks with such a solid rhythm section; the session went for 15 hours straight through, but we cut all the tracks in one night.”

The track listing reflects the content of recent live shows, and includes LRB classics as well as some more recent tracks. Wayne commented on the tracks like this:

It’s A Long Way There – the full, long arrangement with a funkier solo break.

Man On Your Mind – same classic song with a tougher bass and guitar arrangement.

This Place - more mysterious than the original on Where We Started From; we had just met Greg in 2000, so this one has developed “over the years”.

Take It Easy On Me - a couple more miles on Grandpa’s voice since the original in '81...it needed it.

New CD Re-arranged

Happy Anniversary - a modulation and a big solo break for Chris on his synth.

Forever Blue - I wanted to sing this song from the day it arrived in '86; it was a hit in Holland in '96, so we added it to the set for the Arrow Festival last year...it stuck. Two reviewers with advance copies think it should be a single here in the US??

The Other Guy - the blues; Greg wails on it; bass and keys trade a few licks. A live favourite and much different from the 2-stepping original.

Reminiscing - the extended solo at the end is all Housden!

Should I Go - piano intro and tougher second verse.

We Two / Down On The Border Medley - two songs we rubbed together and rocked up.

Help Is On Its Way - a little slower than the '77 version.

The Night Owls - those miles on Grandpa’s voice are even more suited to Night Owls!

Cool Change - beautiful piano intro from Chris; extended dual guitar solo with Greg and Stephen trading 4's.

Lonesome Loser – the extended ending turned into the extended beginning as well; great piano solo at the end...Chris bled for that one.

Lady - beefed up with rockier guitars and a bluesier approach.

To the ears of this listener, the outstanding feature of this recording is the strength, depth and quality of the vocals and harmonies (“as good as ever” according to Stephen Housden) backed up by the same flawless playing and attention to detail that mark every LRB performance. Exceptional drumming (and a great drum sound) underpins every song, and the keyboards - especially some wonderfully crisp electric piano - are given more prominence than on any outing since the Hirschfelder days, lending real depth to the arrangements.

These are classic songs, brilliantly performed, and captured with a real sense of the live feel that was the inspiration for the album. It should find a place in the collection of every LRB fan.

Re-arranged is available now at most LRB live shows and will shortly be added to the online store at this site.

Sample clips of all the tracks are also available on this player.

LRB News July 2006 Martin Starkie

Who's that guy...?

Rich Herring August 2006 Lead Guitar

Keen students of the guestbook will have noticed that these days there’s another guitarist in LRB. Lots of people have sat or stood in audiences around the US this year, wondering if the guy at stage-right was new, or perhaps just Stephen sporting a wig. The truth is that the mystery man is Mr. Rich Herring, the latest addition to the list of great players that have graced the ranks of Little River Band, and replacing Stephen on tour this year. Ever-attentive to the curiosity of our readers, LRB News caught up with the new guy between shows to find out some more about him for our files (there’s a song there somewhere…)

According to Rich, he was born and raised in Lake Park, GA on a farm with two brothers. At the ripe old age of 3 years, after breaking five strings on his first toy guitar, he started playing “Old McDonald” on the remaining string. By the time he was 9 years old and his older brother lost interest in his music lessons, Rich picked up the guitar and started playing by ear. His formal training lasted no more than 18 months. The rest of his musical knowledge came from hours on end spent listening to Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed on his old record player (he must be really old – Ed.)

At 17, Rich was in a weekend band with three of his high school teachers. Thus began phase two of his musical education. Playing country clubs, weddings, society events and nightclubs would sustain him for the next ten years. He bought some old recording equipment and began producing jingles, demos, and his own original material. In 1993, Rich moved to Nashville for the second time and signed a publishing deal with Curb Records, ironically a former home to LRB. In 1994 he got his first road gig playing guitar for a country quartet called “FourRunner”. Thus began phase three of his education. Playing every venue from coliseums to private parties, Rich traveled all over the U.S. and learned all about the “glamour of the road”, something that would prepare him well for life on the LRB bus…

Rich has worked with many artists in different capacities including: bandleader and producer for Alecia Elliott, bandleader for Billy Gilman, bandleader for Steve Holy, guitar player for Carolyn Dawn Johnson, and many others. His playing has put him on “The Tonight Show”, “The Today Show”, CMT videos and specials, CNN specials, and taken him all over the country. He now lives in Nashville where he continues to write, owns a recording studio, and regularly plays recording sessions on acoustic and electric guitar. Then of course LRB came calling. We asked him about the process

• How did the gig come about?
 
“I heard through the grapevine that LRB may be looking for a guitar player. I called a good friend of mine, who happens to be a good friend of Wayne's, and a couple of days later I got a call from Mr. Nelson himself. I went to the audition, had a pretty good day, and got another call from Wayne that night. Now here I am.”
 
• What were your thoughts about joining LRB?
 
“I've always been a fan of this music. Obviously, what really appealed to me was the thought of going out and playing all those great songs that I was listening to on the radio over 20 years ago. I've been on the road with several different acts over the years and I had vowed I would never do it again, but I couldn't pass this up. So far, it's been everything I expected and more.”
 
• Did you know much about the band and the players before you joined, and what was your impression when you first met and played with the guys?
 
“Billy, Chris and I have all been in Nashville for a long time - probably playing sessions within a stone's throw of each other, but we had never met. I knew very little LRB history, just that I loved the music. I felt right at home with the guys from the first minute of the audition. They're all great musicians as well as great human beings. This is a real grown-up, check your attitude at the door, professional organization and I'm proud to be a small part of it.”
 
• Any favourite material in the set so far?
 
“Of course I'm a little partial to the songs where I get to stretch a little. "Night Owls", "Help Is On It's Way" and "Long Way There" all have a lot of guitar and are fun to play. My favorite LRB song has always been "Cool Change", and the live arrangement has made it even more so.”
 
• You sing backing vocals and harmony in addition to your playing - was the prospect of singing in a band known for vocal harmony an extra incentive?
 
“I've always been a harmony singer. I don't really have a "frontman's" voice. Therefore I actually prefer to be part of a group. Between, Wayne, Greg, Chris and Billy, most of the parts are being well covered, but I do get to contribute on a few songs, which I really enjoy.”
 
• The job of LRB lead guitarist doesn't come up very often; how did you feel about stepping into Stephen's shoes?
 
“You’re right – about once in 25 years! A daunting task if there ever was one. Stephen is a great musician with a style all his own. As I was listening to the live recordings to learn the arrangements, I knew I had some work to do. For a lot of the material, I went back to the original recordings, started there and just made it mine. But I will readily admit to stealing a few of Stephen's licks. Hope he doesn't mind. Nobody's throwing tomatoes so far, so hopefully I'm living up to the Housden standard.”

Thanks to Rich for giving us an insight into his life and times. Reports that come back from the shows certainly show that he’s slotted right in and that the audiences really like his playing.

Rich sums things up well when he says “My Dad used to tell me I’d better get a job where I could sleep late and play guitar all day. Well, one out of two ain’t bad!”

LRB News August 2006 Martin Starkie

 

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