Johnny Maudlin has been joined in his process (oh wow, man!) by: Gord Kearney, David Erickson (ne Maudlin), Mojo (Chet Kemp), Katrina Vanderbeek, Cornell St. Jean, Sister Mildred Ronson (a living saint), Shamus O'Milligan (a militant defender of all feathered things...) and others he has likely forgotten to mention and therefore inadvertently hurt. Johnny owes a special thank you to Doug (the Duke) Lang, for his inspiration, as well as to Steve Mansfield, perhaps my first musical mentor. And, of course, to Margaret, for her steady emotional and practical support and occasional sexual healing.
I also want to thank Rory Gallagher, of Vancouver's Orchid Highway, for his production, recording and harmony singing on Shades Of Blue. Johnny Maudlin also wishes to acknowledge and fully credit Davy Maudlin, for his major contributions to many of the songs being demonstrated here, both in recording the demos (getting the basic idea digital...) and helping with song and lyric structure. As I move forward I have yet to discover anything quite as satisfying as the time spent playing and singing with Davy, but then Elizabeth Taylor learned to live without Richard Burton, and Lennon apparently was not that fond of Paul McCartney, so we have little choice but to get up, wipe ourselves, and carry on the fine traditions.
Influences
My father and mother, neither of whom played a musical instrument. The Beatles, of course, and all sort of other singers, players, jugglers, and flim flam artists. Doug Lang, Gord Kearney, Mike Nantel, Steve Mansfield, Melissa Mansfield, Chet (Mojo) Kemp, Katrina Vanderbeek, Sister Mildred, Union Rep of Blessed Memory, Dan Fogelberg, Blue Rodeo, Jackson Browne, Michael Jackson, who has inspired me to become the best recovering drug addict I can be, my blood brothers, my blood sister, my blood daughter and nephews and nieces. My cat Oswald. And Pavarotti. Oh yeah, Barry Manilow, and of course, Professor Dumbledore (Nigel Smith).
Sounds Like
George Harrison with a head cold, Paul McCartney on a bad day, John Lennon on a better day.
The Maudlins, John Daly (Johnny Maudlin) and David Erickson (Davy Maudlin) met many years ago in Burnaby. They bumped into each other whilst carrying the heavy heads of their clients down the cramped and smelly hallways of an un named social service agency.
They immediately recognized compatible craving patterns and so they took out their guitars and began to strum. They strummed for awhile and then Davy brought his friend David Guindon (Gooey Maudlin) along for the fun...
The three of them strummed (well...Davy and Johnny strummed and Gooey plucked) and they began to write some songs of their own. They reached the pinnacle of their success when one of those songs was chosen in a now defunct Vancouver Battle of the Bands. Unfortunately the Maudlins were eliminated in the quarter finals of the competition. Much like the Canucks are. Every year.
The bitter disappointment was too much for the Maudlins. Davy decided to get a life. Davy is presently living that life. Johnny, having no say in the matter, followed suit. He is now living his life as well. Gooey moved to the Prairies and got a Prairie life. Now the Maudlins exist only on tapes, most of which gather dust in the basements of Johnny and Davy. Once in a while they look each other up, and when they do, it's very lovely and funny. One of the songs featured here is a recent (meaning within the last five years...) demo of their re-union.
In his re born life, a Wiccan man with a shaved pate once invited Johnny Maudlin onto to the stage at a coffee house, Myles of Beans named, for to sing a song. Thanks Mojo. Johnny Maudlin has not stop singing (at least not for too long) since. His mission is to continue writing and singing his own songs, performing once in a blue moon, and hopefully enjoying some collaboration with other musically inclined folk along the way.
