Update: Rodney Ho from AccessAtlanta.com posted a short Q&A today that he conducted with Taylor Hicks last Thursday at the Gwinnette Arena before the show in Atlanta.
Sunday Morning Read
The Idols tour will swing into Taylor’s hometown, Birmingham AL, on Tuesday. Taylor’s old band, The Little Memphis Blues Orchestra is scheduled to play a sold-out date at Workplace in ‘Bama on Monday. A “very special guest” (or two or three) may sit in with LiMBO for a few numbers during their set.
Mary Colurso of The Birmingham News recently chatted with Taylor Hicks in anticipation of his upcoming hometown gig. Some interesting tidbits:
Taylor explains to Colurso why he cut 3 songs from his tour set, “I feel like less is more on this tour…This show is not about me; it’s about us. We’re all offering a taste of what we can do. That’s the mentality I have. People are not there to see me; they’re there to have the experience we had on the (TV) show.”
And about that November 14 CD release date? Taylor says flat out, “No. That’s wrong…It’s going to be hard to get it all done, just six weeks after the tour is over with. For me, quality wise, it’s tough to push for an album so soon after this aggressive, 50-city tour.”
Taylor says he’s currently checking out possible tunes for the CD and that “Some of it has been cheesy…I thought I’d get a lot of schlock to begin with, and it was. But there are a couple of gems that we’ve heard.”
There will be some originals on the CD as well as some covers. Taylor elaborates, “I’ve been writing with some people…I’m being set up with writing appointments by that label that will allow me to dig in and write some music. Ultimately, though, it’s not about your song. It’s about THE song.”
Taylor also will work on the CD with a single producer. Idol CDs have traditionally featured several producers working on different cuts. Taylor says, “I’m not into having a lot of fingers in the pie…I’ve self-produced two albums already and could probably be a co-producer on this. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”
Finally, Taylor may be collaborating with Yankees center fielder, Bernie Williams who is also a jazz guitarist and composer, “Bernie Williams is one of my favorite baseball players…I could be sitting in with him soon, possibly.”
So kids, I would erase that November 14 date off your calendar. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Taylor’s debut pushed off into the first quarter of next year, with CDs by fellow Idols like Kellie Pickler and Katharine McPhee released first.
Will there be a huge struggle between Taylor and The Powers That Be over the making of this album? It appears that his label wants to release something sooner rather than later, but Taylor plans to release his first major label effort when HE thinks it’s finished. Let the power struggle begin. Stay tuned.
