Walt Richards

 

The latest from Trails & Rails

From Way Out West

 

Growing up in the silver screen era, Walt Richards and Paula Strong spent many a Saturday at the movies watching Westerns - or sitting near the radio listening to their favorite cowboy shows.

Living in the West, along with this early immersion in the "Cowboy Way", sparked an interest for both of them in all things western. After years of varied musical experiences, they found Western Music and, with their mutual love of history, everything came together.


As interpreters of this music, they feel privileged to have been in contact with some of today's finest Western songwriters. The tradition is alive and well and they feel fortunate to have the opportunity to help carry it on.

Walt and Paula are joined by Bruce Huntington, who adds his song-writing talent as well as harmony and very tasteful bass playing and by excellent instrumentalist Ken Wilcox on guitar and that famous trail instrument - the autoharp - as well as on lead and harmony vocals. Bruce and Ken join Trails & Rails in live performances when they can, as does neuroscientist, Dave Edelman. Everyone loves his spontaneous fiddle surprises.

As you listen you will hear several songs with a southwest flavor. Living right on the border, we have come to appreciate the rich musical contributions of our neighbors to the south.

 

 

From Way Out West

 1) Nighttime Out On The Range

3:36

Campbell / Wagoner

 2) Night Train Down The Yellowstone

3:11

Buffham / Bryant

 3) Tres Bells Of Ol' Gran Boquillas

4:52

Buffham / Fleming

 4) Echoes of the Trail

3:02

Kendrick

 5) Old Dance Tune Medley

2:26

Traditional

 6) The Vaquero Song

4:42

Stamey

 7) Seven Spanish Angles

4:14

Seals / Setzer

 8) If You Would Dance With Me

4:29

Huntington

 9) Arizona Wind

2:51

Buffham / Lay

10) Harvey Girl

3:14

Grombacher

11) Last Steam Engine Train

2:28

Fahey / Kottke

12) Sueño

4:12

Staines

13) The Wire and The Rail

3:44

Fleming

14) Keepin' It Cowboy

3:14

O'Dell

 

Walt Richards: Lead and Harmony vocals
Lead Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin

Paula Strong: Lead and Harmony vocals
Rhythm Guitar / Mandolin Lead on Track 12

Ken Wilcox : Vocals: Lead on Track 7 and Harmony
Guitar and Autoharp: leads and fills

Bruce Huntington: Vocal Harmony
Upright and Electric Bass - Our Heartbeat!

Dave Edelman: Guest Fiddle on Tracks 2, 4, 6 and 14

 

Recorded in live mix at Double Time Studio in El Cajon, CA
Mixed by Jeff Forrest and Trails & Rails - Mastered by Jeff Forrest
Duplicated by Carl McKellips at WingSpan Studio in National City, CA

Special thanks to the fine instrument makers who make playing music such a joy.
Introducing Carr Guitars by John Bartlett,
as well as instruments by Deering, Ome, Taylor
and a brand new Pete D'Aigle autoharp.

Cover design / Insert by Tom Deaton / Paula Strong
Photography by Greg Crowder
http://www.gregcrowderphotography.com/

Songs used by permission from the respective songwriters
or The Harry Fox Agency.

 

Produced by Walt Richards - September 2006 ®

To order the CD From Way Out West, go to CD Baby

http://www.CDBaby.com/cd/trailsrails3

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Order your copy of Walt's Instrumental Expressions
as well as other CD's below.

 

Consciously and unconciously, I have been influenced by many musicians throughout my life. They have helped me enjoy the gifts of harmony and rhythm and to realize that playing music leads one onto a never-ending learning curve.

I was recently listening to a "Best of - " Les Paul and Mary Ford and I noticed musical passages that I play - I thought I made them up! I didn't! I heard those when I was very young, years before I started to play guitar as a teenager. I give thanks to all those wonderful people who inspired me.

Music has been my life: playing; arranging; teaching. Certain melodies capture my attention and I have to learn them. Songs that I couldn't vocalize, I would try to arrange instrumentally - letting the guitar, or mandolin, or banjo(!) do the singing.

I love the tunes chosen for this CD. They provide memories, they inspire, they feed my soul.
I hope that some of them may do the same for you.

--Walt

 

 

Instrumental Expressions

Walt Richards

1) Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier Traditional3:29Banjo
2) Tennessee Waltz Pee Wee King and Redd Stewart - 19483:24Mandolin
3) It's "A" Rag Walt Richards - 20012:13Guitar
4) Doug's Tune Douglas Dillard - 19632:00Banjo

5) Georgia Medley:    

3:06Guitar
  • Georgia on My Mind
Stuart Gorell and Hoagy Carmichael - 1930
  • Sweet Georgia Brown
B. Bernie, M. Pinkard and K. Casey - 1925
6) Celtic Medley: 3:36Banjo
  • Scotland, the Brave / Roddy McCorley / McPhearson's Farewell
Traditional
7) Clinch Mt. Backstep TraditionalBanjo
8) Fisher's Hornpipe TraditionalMandolin
9) Grandfather's Clock Henry C. Work2:03Banjo
10) The Entertainer Scott Joplin3:28Guitar
11) The World is Waiting for the Sunrise E. Seitz and E. Lockhart -19191:48Banjo
12) Waterfall Walt Richards - 19753:01Guitar
13) New Camptown Races Frank Wakefield - 19683:39Banjo
14) Bridge Over Troubled Water Paul Simon - 19692:54Guitar
15) Gentleman's Fancy Walt Richards - 19852:26Banjo
16) Dear Old Dixie Earl Scruggs - 19531:34Banjo
17) Spanish Fandango Traditional1:41Banjo
18) Bye, Bye Blues F. Hamm, D. Bennett, B. Lown, and C. Gray - 19301:35Banjo

 

Special thanks to:

  • Paula for a "Strong" backup on guitar and mandolin.
  • Chris Vitas - one of the best violin players I know, and a genius in the studio, for his contributions on Tennessee Waltz, Fisher's Hornpipe, New Camptown Races and Dear Old Dixie.
  • Vickie Cottle and Paula Strong - for being the "angel choir" on Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier.
  • Jeff Forrest at Doubletime Studio, El Cajon for recording, mixing and mastering this CD. His patience and encouragement made this project a joy.
  • Tom Deaton for the perfect cover art.
  • Carl McKellips of WingSpan Studio in National City for duplication as well as support and collaboration on many projects over the years.

Produced by Walt Richards - 2004 ®

To order the CD Instrumental Expressions, go to CD Baby

http://cdbaby.com/cd/waltrichards

or
contact us at
pstrong484@aol.com

 

Here are some other CD's with Walt Richards

 

Trails & Rails

Mountains of the Heart

We love the Eastern side of the Sierras. Something about that rugged beauty, in all it's various and often surprising forms, keeps drawing us back to its slopes.

We also love Dave Stamey's Sierra-inspired songwritting. The album title comes from his wonderful 'Mountains of the Heart' - a gift to all who have lived through those changes in relationships that occur as we move on and offf life's ridges and in and out of its canyons.

A word about the cover. I was so happy when I came across the perfect photograph that my Dad had taken on one of his own trips to the Sierras. Our family enjoyed many meals of trout that he coaxed out of the lakes like this one.

 

We hope you enjoy listening to these songs as much as we enjoy singing and playing them.

--- Paula and Walt ---

 

Mountains of the Heart

1) Coyotes

3:43

Bob McDill

2) Cowboy Buckaroo

3:46

Mason Williams

3) Don't Fence Me In

2:26

Cole Porter

4) Colorado Trail

3:20

James Bliss

5) Sun Flower Dance

2:04

Traditional

6) The Old Double Diamond

2:42

Gary McMahan

7) Back In the Saddle

2:06

Gene Autry and Ray Whitley

8) Home On the Range

4:05

from Dr. Brewster Higley's 1873 poem

9) Mountains of the Heart

4:08

Dave Stamey

10) Red Velvet

1:52

Ian Tyson

11) Golden Slippers

1:19

Tradional

12) Cowboy Rhythm

2:12

Patsy Montana

13) Rose of San Antone

2:38

Bob Wills

14) Cowboy Lullaby

4:28

Danny Wheetman

15) Seek Higher Ground

2:53

Donna Guffey

Total Time 44:42

 

Walt Richards: Lead Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin
Lead and Harmony vocals

Paula Strong: Rhythm Guitar
Lead and Harmony vocals

Photo Credits with many thanks to:
Ray Pearl - cover photo: South Lake Bishop, California
Gary Wigdahl of El Cajon - back tray studio photo
Skip Good of Descanso - photo from Vacquero Days 2004

Special thanks to Jeff Forrest at Doubletime studio in El Cajon for
recording, mixing and mastering this CD and to Carl McKellips of
Westwing Studio in National City for everthing that has to do with the
duplication process. They make this projects happen!

Produced by Walt Richards - 2004 ®

 

To order the CD Mountains of the Heart, go to CD Baby

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/trailsrails

 

 

 

Get "On Track" with Trails & Rails

 

The latest collection of train songs from Trails and Rails has pulled into the Depot and is "On Track" to become a run-away hit!

There are many song collections which feature the most well-known train songs. While we enjoy singing those old favorites, on this album we wanted to feature songs that aren't heard all the time. There are a few familiar ones, but we hope you'll enjoy hearing some songs or arrangements that might be new for you. -- 'Walt & Paula'

 

 

 

On Track

  • Milwaukee Blues 2:50
  • One More Ride 2:09
  • Pan American Boogie 2:21
  • The Carriso 3:12
  • The Phantom Train 3:19
  • Starlight on the Rails 2:56
  • Drill Ye Tarriers 2:24
  • Texas 1947 2:24
  • Fast Freight 3:28
  • Railroad Canyon 2:50
  • To Morrow 1:53
  • Travelin' Man 2:12
  • Greenville Trestle 3:07
  • Midnight ChooChoo/
    Waitin' for the Train 2:54
  • The Tonapah & Tidewater 2:24
  • Train Blue 2:50
  • Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe 2:01
  • Lonesome Deadhead Boxcar 3:35
  • City of New Orleans 4:00
  • Rambling on my Mind 2:06
  • Blue Train 1:56

Total Time 57:59

Walt Richards:Lead and Harmony Vocals
Guitar / Banjo / Mandolin Leads and Rhythm
Paula Strong:Lead and Harmony Vocals
Rhythm Guitar
Vickie Cottle:Guest Harmony Vocals on: One More Ride;
The Carriso; Fast Freight
Recorded at: Double Time Productions: El Cajon, California
Jeff Forrest, Engineer
Mixed by: Jeff Forrest and Walt Richards
Mastered by: Jeff Forrest
Cover Design: Tom Deaton; San Diego, California
Duplication:Carl McKellips at Wing Span Studios;
National City, California

Songs used by Permission: From respective songwriters when possible;
The Harry Fox Agency; SOCAN.

Produced by Walt Richards 2003 ®

 

To order the CD On Track, go to CD Baby

http://cdbaby.com/cd/trailsrails2

 

 

 

Bow Willow

Images of the West

 

 

 

'An adventure through our Western heritage featuring vocal harmonies, cowboy poetry and traditional instruments'

Released November, 2002

 

 

 

 

Images of the West

1.

Cowboy Fanfare

10.

Coast of California

2.

Gold! Gold!

11.

Nothing New on the Old Frontier

3.

McGee Creek

12.

Buy Me Not

4.

Streets of Laredo

13.

Roll On Medley

5.

Cowboy True

14.

My Oklahoma

6.

High Sierra

15.

Cow Cow Boogie

7.

Along the Navajo Trail

16.

California Snow

8.

MC Horses

17.

Ragtime Cowboy Joe

9.

Auctioneer

18.

Saddle Up

Total CD time is 62 minutes.

Produced by Walt Richards - 2003 ®

 

 

 

 

To order 'Mountains of the Heart' or 'On Track' go to CDBaby

(see above links)

 

For other CD's

Shipping Instructions:

 

Price per CD $15.00
Shipping & Handling $2.00
Each Additional CD $1.00

Send check or money order with:


Your Name
Your Shipping Address
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and

CD Title(s) & Quantities to:

Walt Richards
5750 Amaya Drive #9
La Mesa, CA 91942

for further information:

sales@waltrichards.com

or
pstrong484@aol.com

 

 


© Copyright 2004-2007 Walt Richards