Glen Campbell's Newspage

GLEN'S NEWSPAGE

Glen Campbell - Love Is the Answer: 24 Songs of Hope and Love

Listening to the voice is like hearing from an old, cherished friend; the song choices are characteristically unexpected and inspired; and the message is timeless and profound. While it's certainly not the first time Glen Campbell has applied his seemingly bottomless talent to the Gospel genre, Love Is the Answer: 24 Songs of Hope and Love finds the singer/guitarist at very top of his formidable game. Co-produced by Universal South President Tony Brown along with longtime Campbell associate Bubba Smith, Love Is the Answer draws from the deep, traditional Gospel canon with riveting versions of classic songs like "Just a Closer Walk With Thee," "Amazing Grace," "Rock of Ages," and "What a Friend We Have In Jesus." Turning his impeccable ear to the pop side, the singer transforms songs by Todd Rundgren (the title track), James Taylor ("Shower the People"), and Rodgers & Hammerstein ("You'll Never Walk Alone") into instant Gospel classics. He even reprises his original hit from 1969, "Try a Little Kindness." Like every track on this exceptional 2-CD set, the former pop hit resonates with the spirit in Campbell's skilled hands. With the headlines reminding us every day of a world in turmoil, Glen Campbell is here to musically assure us that, whatever the question, Love Is the Answer. Click on cover image to purchase!

Glen Campbell Recording Selected for Grammy Hall of Fame

Glen Campbell’s 1967 recording of “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” was one of the 33 recordings that has just been selected by The Recording Academy to add to its Grammy Hall of Fame. The Hall Of Fame serves as a celebration and reminder of the triumphs and achievements of the recording arts. Selections are drawn from all major categories of music, acknowledging the diversity of musical expression for which the Academy has become renowned.

“I’m very pleased,” said Glen Campbell. “It’s great to be recognized. I’m very happy for Jimmy Webb, who wrote the song, and everybody that worked on the record. The song will always be very special to me. It ignited my career.”

“By The Time I Get To Phoenix” was recorded by Pat Boone and Johnny Rivers. Glen Campbell claimed that “they didn’t get a hit record because they didn’t pronounce ‘probably’ the right way in the song. Boone and Rivers said probably. They should have said prob’ley.”

There is an interesting story about how Glen found “By The Time I Get To Phoenix.” “I was standing in the old Western Studio 3 in Los Angeles looking at record albums. I saw a Johnny Rivers album with a song whose title intrigued me. I didn’t know if ‘By The Time I Get To Phoenix’ was about the town or about the mythological bird coming out of the ashes. “I listened to the song and it made me cry. I was homesick for Arkansas. I told my producer that I had a follow up release for ‘Gentle On My Mind’

“Some people have said that I can ‘hear’ a hit song, meaning that I can tell the first time a song is played for me if it has potential. I have been able to hear some of the hits that way, but I can also ‘feel’ one. There is a special feeling that falls over a studio and its musicians when a hit is created. I’ve heard actors talk about a familiar feeling during the production of a motion picture. Although most movies are shot in segments and out of sequence, seasoned actors talk about the quiet but actual feeling that saturates a cast and crew when a true work of art is under way. That’s the feeling I got during the recording of ‘Phoenix.’

I had been in Los Angeles for seven years, during which time I had worked as hard as any studio player in town and earned a good living. My ultimate dream to become a successful recording artist, was confirmed with “Phoenix.’”

(Above release by Glen's publicist, Sanford Brokaw)

2004 Grammy® Hall of Fame Inductees