the story of selma avenue - troubadour...

TheStoryofSELMAAVENUE

“SelmaAvenue”kicksoffthe“Troubadour77”collectionanditismeanttosetthetoneandprovidesomeimportantmusicalreferencesaboutthe70ssinger/songwriterera,atimeinmusicthatwasthemaininspirationforstartingourband,Troubadour77.Ourmissionistocarrythetorchofthatstyleofmusic.Manyofthereferencesthatarewrittenintothissonggivespecificandimportanthistoricalcontext,soIamwritingthisopenlettertolistenerstoencouragethemtoreadaboutthesongsotheycanbetterunderstandwhatisbeingreferencedandwhyeverylineissoimportanttome.Mywishisthatitbecomesimportanttoyou.In1977Iwasfiveyearsold,singingintomyhairbrushalongwithLindaRonstadtinmybedroominPennsylvania,wishingIcouldbeapartofthescenethatswirledaroundTheTroubadourinLosAngeles.TheTroubadourwasandstillisaclubwherethelikesofJacksonBrown,JamesTaylor,GlennFrey,DonHenley,J.D.Souther,CaroleKingandahostofothergreatsinger/songwritersgottheirstart.AfteryearsasasongwriterandrecordingartistbasedinNashville,TN,IamfinallywritingandrecordingthemusicIhavealwayswanted.Itfeelsdifferentthaniteverhas.Almostlikeacalling.Likeithaspurpose,morethaniteverdidbefore.Soinresponse,Iformedanewband,at44yearsold,withmyhusbandMontyPowell(55yearsold),calledTroubadour77.It’snevertoolateandyou’renevertoooldtopursueyourpassion.Ourband’smissionistowritesongsthatembodythesoniclandscapeandlyricalpowerofwhatthegreatartistsoftheCaliforniaCountryandSinger/Songwritermovementdidbackinthe70s.Wecallit“newmusicwithaclassicsound.”Webelievethereisanaudienceouttherewhomightliketoknowthatthereismusicbeingmadeforthemthatisreminiscentofwhattheygrewupon,compliments,andcanlivealongsidealloftheirfavoritebutwornoutplaylists.WhenGlennFreypassedlastyear,itwasalossweallstillfeel.In2016,Itoolostafewclosepersonalfriendsinthebusinesswhohavebeenwithmefromthestart.Oneofthemwasmybelovedpublisher,BoGoldsen(CriterionMusicGroup,LosAngeles,CA).Hisfather,MickeyGoldsenstartedCriterionbackintheearly60sandhewasthefirstguytosignJacksonBrownetoapublishingdeal,perBo’srecommendation.CriterionMusicownsafewofJackson’searlygemslike,MyOpeningFarewell,DoctorMyEyes,SongforAdam,JamaicasayYouWillandmanyothers.Mickeywasprettyforwardthinkingatthetimeandwasoneofthefewpublisherswhoalsohadasmallstudioattachedtohisofficewherewriterscoulddemoandworkouttheearlynotionsoftheirsongs.Thestudio/publishingofficeswerelocatedonSELMAAVENUEjustoffofHollywoodBlvd.Hereisapictureofit:

ThereisactuallyacollectionofJackson’searlydemos(19songs)nowavailablecalledTheCriterionDemosthatwererecordedatthislittlepublishinghousestudio.Theyareallguitar/vocalsofthoseearlysongsinhiscareerbeforehewaseversignedtoarecorddealwithDavidGeffen.WhenIspoketoBobeforehepassedinOctober,2016ItoldhimIwaswritingasongabouthisstudioandthepeoplewhopassedthroughitsdoors.Hetoldmesomegreatstories.HesaidJacksonspentalotoftimethereintheearlydays.Ican’thelpbutwonderifDonHenley,GlennFrey,LindaRonstadt,JDSoutherandothers,whowereallsoclose,alsoeverpassedthrough.Ibelievetheylikelydid.Regardless,themusictheywereallmakingtogetheratthattime,andthefriendshipstheyhad,arereferencedinthissong.SomearebasedonthestoriesBorelayedtomeaboutwhatheknewandheardfromthattimeperiodandsomefromtheEaglesdocumentary.IaskedBoifheknewGlennFreyandhesaidyes.Hesaidhewenttohisfuneralservice.Iaskedhimwhatsongsweresungandhesaid,"Justone.Asongcalled“MyOldPals”andthatDonHenley,JacksonBrowneandJackTempchinsangittogether,alongwiththesong’swriter,RichardStekolfromtheFunkyKings".ApparentlyKimCarnesrecordeditin1979.It’shardtosayifIhaveeveryfactcorrect,butbetweenmyconversationswithBo,andothersources,Ihavecobbledtogetherasongaboutthatveryspecialstudiothatwasthehomeofsomeofthoseearlysongsthatarepartofthesoundtracktomanyofourlives.Fastforwardtwenty-fiveyearslaterinthemid-nineties,IfoundmywaytothedoorsofthatSelmaAvenuerecordingstudioandwassignedtoCriterion.InthesongItalkaboutthatandthelegacythatBoleftbehindthroughhislife’sworkofshepherdingthesongsofgreatsongwritersandartists.Thissongismyheart.It’sspecialtome,butwhatIthinkismostimportantisthespiritofthissong.

ThefirstverseisaboutJacksonBrowneandreferenceshissong“MyOpeningFarewell.”ItacknowledgeshowIasasongwriteramstandingontheshouldersofallthegreatswhopassedthroughthedoorsofthatstudio.Italludestothepassageoftime,howthemusicbusinesshaschangedsomuchandcontemplatesthenotionthatperhapsIshouldhavetakenJackson’sadviceandstoppedbeforeIevenstarted.ThesecondverseisaboutLongbranchPennywhistle,J.D.SoutherandGlennFrey’sfirstduothatwassignedtoAmosRecords,butneverreallytookoff.ItalsomentionsShiloh,whichwasDonHenley’sbandfromTexasbeforehewasintheEagles.Shiloh’ssoulisareferencetoDonHenley.Thephoenixthatroseisofcourse,theEagles.ThethirdverseisabouthowImademyjourneyouttoLAandCriterion.Thebridgereferences“themachinescame”.ThatisabouthowBohadtosellthesacredgroundwherethestudiosatandhouraftertherealestatedealwasmade,thebulldozerscameinandleveledtheoldpublishinghouseandstudio.Itisnowcondos.“Themachines"isalsoametaphorfortherecordbusinessmachineandhowithasawayofstealingthesoulsofartists.However,redemptionisacknowledgedthatthroughalltheloss,thesongsstillremain.Belowisthelyricandaroadmaptomuchofwhatmayseemcrypticwithoutproperexplanation.Iencourageeveryonetocheckitout.It’srarethatasongwriterrevealsalltheinsidereferences,butIbelieveknowingthebackstorywillmakethesongthatmuchmoremeaningfulforlisteners.Also,pleasegowatchTheEaglesdocumentary.Itexplainssomuch!IamgoingtocontinuedoingwhatIamdoingwithmynewbandandseewhereittakesme.OftentimesIwishIcouldhavebeentwenty-somethinginthe1970s.Itwasagreateraformusic.Ithadsomuchmeaning.ItyieldedwhatIbelievetobethebestmusic,thatstillhasstayingpowerandrelevancealltheseyearslater.“Thankyou”isn’tnearlyenough,andasapoetandsongwriterIamoddlyatalossfortherightwordstobeabletofullyexpressmygratitudeforthecontributionsofsuchagreatmovementinmusicalhistory.ButitisallIhave.SowithamostgenuineheartIdosay,“THANKYOU”withthissongtothegreatsongwriters,artistsandMickeyandBoGoldsenfortheiramazingcontributions.Withheartfeltsincerity,AnnaWilson(Troubadour77)

SELMAAVENUEWords&MusicbyAnnaWilson

PRELUDE:Allthosetroubadourswalkedthroughyourdoors ThesongwritersDesperadosofthetruth Referencing“Desperado”Sotakeiteasybaby,youhavesavedme Referencing“TakeitEasy”/Savedbythefactthatit

allexistedonce,evenifitdoesn’tnow.SelmaAvenue Thestreetwheretherecordingstudiowas.VERSE#1:I'mstandingonyourshouldersatthedoor Jackson’sshoulders/hisearlylegacyatCriterion.Butnooneseemstoansweranymore Studioisclosed/Lossofthemusicindustryaswe

knewit…peoplestealingmusic,lossofthatera,etc.Youopenedwithgoodbye Next3lines:Referencing“MyOpeningFarewell”Andtriedtosparemefromthefight Thefightofthemusicbusinesstobeheard,to

succeed.Asiftobekind Alinefrom“MyOpeningFarewell”VERSE#2:WhenthePennywhistleblewitbrokesomehearts GlennFrey&JDSouther’sduo/alsoGlenn’sdeathItwasjustthedreamoftwothatsetthespark Causeinitsashaphoenixrose Phoenixis“TheEagles”Andwithit,ittookShiloh'ssoul Shiloh’ssoulisDonHenley.“Shiloh”washisband

beforehewasintheEagles.Sothestorygoes Accordingto“TheEaglesdocumentary(onNetflix)Yousawitallunfold Thestudiosawitall.

CHORUS#1:OnSelmaAvenueTherewereachosenfew Jackson,TheEagles,Linda,JD,Jack,etc.Whocarvedtheirmarkinyou Carvedisareferenceto“Recording”Beforemytime BeforeIcameofageinthemusicbusiness/Backin

thelate60s/early70swhenIwasjustakidinmyroom

Andwhentheirdreamscametrue Whentheyallstartedgettingdiscovered.IdiscoveredBlueBayou Next3lines:ReferencingLindaRonstadt’srecording

ofBlueBayouandacouplelinesfromthesong.SoIsavedmynickelsAndIsavedmydimesYeahIwasdreamin’ofthedayI'dcatcharide Meat5yearsoldwantingtosingandwritesongs.ToSelmaAvenueVERSE#3:Whenthethrillwasstillaround,howsweetthesound Referencing“AfterTheThrillISGone”/The

Eaglessweetharmonies.ButthenCaliforniawavedtothoseoldpals WhentheerawasgoneandTheEagles

brokeup/ReferencingtheKimCarnesrecordedsong“MyOldPals”whichwassungatGlenn’sfuneral.

Andsomeofthatamazinggrace Referencing“AmazingGrace”/Theinspired

songsfromthattimeperiodThatshinedthroughinthoseearlydays Theearly70sStillremained Feelslikethosesongwritersleftsomemagic

inthebuildingforotherstoclaimyearslater…LyleLovett,RodneyCrowell,maybeevenme,etc.

Anditcalledmyname

CHORUS#2:FromSelmaAvenueYourredlightshinedfortruth TherecordinglightAndledmestraighttoyouInmyowntime 25yearslater/mid1990swhenIwasold

enoughtopursuemydream.Andwhenmydreamscametrue WhenIwassignedtoCriterionIwassingin’mysongforyou ReferencingLeonRussell’s“SongforYou”–

andhowwhenmytimeisover…remember

howweweretogether…andIwassinging

mysongs…undertheCriterionmoniker.Inthetracksofmyyears Referencingsideways“TracksofMyTears”Inbetweeneachline EachlineofeverysongIwroteforCriterionIneverdreamedthatI’deversaygoodbye Neverthoughtthatsacredspotwhere

incrediblemusicwasmadewouldhavetobesoldandbroughttorubble.

ToSelmaAvenueBRIDGE:Thenlikeathiefinthenight BiblicalreferenceThemachinescame Thebulldozers/AlsotherecordmachineAssoonaspenhitpaper Thesaleofthebldg.…1hourafterthe

contractwassignedthebulldozerscame/Alsotheactualphysicalwritingofthesongsonpaperbackintheday.

Yoursouliswhatremained Thespiritofwhathappenedthere/The

SONGSaretheSOUL.Thesongsremain.Whenalltherestwaswashedaway Buildingwasrubble/Bodied(Oct,2016)Yoursongplayed ThelegacyofCriterionandallthe

songwriters.

Anditgotcarriedonthewind Whereitwillsingononceagain…andagain….andagain…andagain Thesongslastforever

regardlessofhowthingschangeandpeoplepass.

FromSelmaAvenueCHORUS#3:YeahdownonSelmaAvenueTherewereachosenfew Allthetroubadourswhogottowriteand

recordthere…spanning50years.WhocarvedtheirmarkinyouForalltime Meaningthesongslastforever.Youmadeourdreamscometrue Mickey&BoGoldsenwhosignedallthe

songwritersandgavethemashotattheirdream.

Nowwe’resingin’oursongsforyou Theartistsandwriterswhoarestill

performingthesongsandkeepingtheflamealiveforCriterion,Mickey,Boandthefans.

EverynightWewerealljustdreamersWhosomehowcaughtarideToSelmaAvenue PRELUDEREPRISE:AllthosetroubadourswalkedthroughyourdoorsDesperadosofthetruthCopyright2016JazzBirdieMusic(SESAC)[administeredbySelmaAvenueMusic(SESAC)]