This is pretty big news: the legendary singer-songwriter Sal Valentino is going to be our in-studio guest on Twirl Radio on Saturday, April 23, 2011, at 4:30 p.m. Pacific! (But catch the whole show–4:00-6:00 p.m. Pacific, www.twirlradio.com, for our usual great mix of music.)
Sal’s early fame came as vocalist for the 1960’s band The Beau Brummels, with such top hits as “Laugh Laugh” and “Just A Little”. It’s been argued that the band defined the San Francisco sound. Certainly, they were out ahead of the pack–a little before the Jefferson Airplane and Grateful Dead.
The 1970’s came, and Sal played in Stoneground, a great amalgam of funk and country rock, perhaps a precursor to the Doobie Brothers. And he’s had quite a respectable solo career. As one of my European listeners said, “Sal Valentino–one of the great voices of all time!”.
His most recent album, Dreamin’ Man, teams him up with long time collaborator John Blakeley. This is one fine album. It starts with the breezy opener “Love Song”, then transitions into determined mid-tempo rocker “Hwy 49”. Sal and John turn in a great Americana performance on rising Sacramento star Jackie Greene’s “Valley of Woe”. While Sal sings with conviction, John’s stellar acoustic picking drives this song forward with abandon. These two bad dudes will kick your rear with this song, and you’ll love it.
But make no mistake–this tends to be a rather romantic album, especially the second half. “Looking For You” is a fun rave up, and Sal is completely devoted to getting through to his woman, no matter what it takes, a la the Fabulous Thunderbirds in “Tuff Enuff”. The last four songs burrow deep into your heart, with their romanticism. “Dreamin’ Man”, the title track, is quite moody and haunting, but always listenable. “Catherine I Do” and “Lovin’ Fallin'” feature classy instrumental hooks and lyrics that grab you, work their way through your mind, and into that place in your soul reserved for love and sentiment. These melodies are sublime and exquisite. The album ends with the confessional “That Way”–what Sal is confessing is eternal love and devotion for his woman.
Wow–guys–we need to learn how to write songs like these, to remind our wives/significant others how much we love and need them. This album would make a great little Valentine’s Day gift. But don’t wait that long–grab a copy now at http://gragroup.com/valentino.html. And we’ll see you on Twirl Radio with Sal Valentino, Saturday, 4:00-6:00 p.m. Pacific, http://www.twirlradio.com. Meanwhile, check out these Beau Brummels videos, and get a taste of the great sounds of San Francisco and Sal Valentino:
Leave a comment
No comments yet.
Twirl Radio 
Leave a Reply