THE EARLY ALBUMS
MJP 1999
There Is A Breeze
PILOT ME (3:09)
(Greg Brown)
Chris Dedrick - flugelhorn & pump organ
Phillip Markowitz - piano
Gordon Johnson - bass
Ted Moore - drums
IN YOUR EYES (2:46)
(Crow Johnson)
Leo Kottke - bottleneck guitar
Chris Dedrick - bass & background vocals
Gary Gauger - drums & percussion
THERE IS A BREEZE (3:35)
(Mark Henley)
George Ricci - cello
Margaret Ross - harp
SEE YOU SOON (2:21)
(Paul Johnson)
Gerry Niewood - saxophone
Chris Dedrick - flugelhorn
Gary Gauger - drums
Phillip Markowitz - piano & organ
Gordon Johnson - bass
Ted Moore - congas and percussion
OLD FOLKS (5:11)
(Jacques Brel, Gerard Jouannest, Jean Cori, Eric Blau & Mort Schuman)
ROOTY TOOT TOOT FOR THE MOON (4:38)
(Greg Brown)
Chris Dedrick - bass and background vocals
Gary Gauger - drums & percussion
MY OPENING FAREWELL (4:34)
(Jackson Browne)
Chris Dedrick - recorder, bass and background vocals
Gary Gauger - drums and percussion
I GOT YOU COVERED (3:35)
(Biff Rose/ Prologue & epilogue by Michael Johnson)
Phillip Markowitz - piano & fender rhodes
Gordon Johnson - bass
Ted Moore - congas and percussion
ON THE ROAD (3:14)
(Carl Franzen)
Ralph Towner - second guitar and 12 string guitar
Russell George - bass
Ron Zito - drums
Airto - percussion
STUDY IN E MINOR (4:30)
(H. Villa Lobos)
Michael Johnson - guitar
HAPPIER DAYS (2:16)
(Michael Johnson)
Gerry Niewood - saxophone
Chris Dedrick - flugelhorn
Gary Gauger - drums and percussion
Phillip Markowitz - piano
Gordon Johnson - bass
Ted Moore - congas
YOU'VE GOT TO BE CAREFULLY TAUGHT (1:12)
(Richard Rogers & Oscar Hammerstein)
Michael Johnson - guitars and vocals
Strings on "Old Folks" and "On The Road" arranged by Chris Dedrick
Vocal choruses on "On The Road" arranged by Peter Yarrow
Produced by Michael Johnson, Chris Dedrick, Phil Ramone & Peter Yarrow
For All You Mad Musicians
TROUBLED FOR YOU (2:26)
(Ted Sherman)
CAIN'S BLOOD (3:05)
(Michael Johnson)
Mark Henley - second guitar
LOVE AND SEX (3:30)
(Tom Rapp)
THE GOOD LIFE (2:14)
(Al Day)
THE GYPSY IN THE PHOTOGRAPH (3:46)
(Crow Johnson)
Tab Laven - banjo
Mark Henley - background vocals
WALK ME ROUND YOUR GARDEN (3:57)
(Dick Pinney)
Herb Philhofer - piano
HELLO (:56)
(Bob Schroeder)
GOODBYE (:51)
(Bob Schroeder /Michael Johnson)
MAY YOU NEVER (3:09)
(John Martyn)
TAKE MY BODY HOME (3:13)
(Paul Johnson)
POOR LITTLE ROBIN (3:33)
(Rick Cunha)
TO FEEL A FRIEND (2:14)
(Michael Johnson)
THE GLORY (4:43)
(Crow Johnson)
Mark Henley - background vocals
HERE COMES THE SUN (2:24)
(George Harrison)
Mark Henley - background vocals
Michael Johnson - guitars and vocals
Engineers: Paul Martinson and Tom Jung
Produced by Michael Johnson
Ain't Dis Da Life
O.B. GLAD (2:20)
(Mark Henley/Michael Johnson)
LUCKY STARS (2:33)
(Raun MacKinnon)
MOVIN IN THE SAME CIRCLES (3:32)
(Rob Galbraith)
TIME SWEET TIME (2:25)
(Al Day)
OUR SNOWFLAKE DREAMS (3:21)
(Ted Anderson)
AIN'T DIS DA LIFE (2:10)
(Michael Smith)
CIRCLE OF FIFTHS (2:52)
(Raun MacKinnon)
CHICKEN ROAD (2:52)
(Joe Greene)
HIGH ON THE BORDER (2:35)
(Mark Henley)
MR. ARTHUR'S PLACE (6:27)
(Thom Burke Bishop)
Michael Johnson - guitars and vocals
Jim Johnson - bass
Bill Peterson - bass on "Lucky Stars"
Dave Williamson - bass on "Circle of Fifths"
Gary Gauger - drums, percussion, vibes, marimba
Jeff Gilkinson - mouth harp on "Chicken Road"
Robert Greenidge - steel drums on "High on the Border"
Ted Sherman - autoharp on "Our Snowflake Dreams"
Jeff Harrington - piano, fender rhodes, background vocals on "Movin In The Same Circles" and "Mr. Arthur's Place"
Mark Henley - guitar and vocal on "O.B. Glad" (thanks O.B.)
Ramuald Teco, Tamas Strasser, Bruce Allard, Anthony Elliot - string quartet on "Mr. Arthur's Place"
Dave Karr - string arrangement on "Mr. Arthur's Place," flute and piccolo on "Circle of Fifths"
Tony Elliot also played cello on "Time Sweet Time"
Recorded and mixed by Steve Wiese at Creation Audio Recording, Bloomington, MN
Produced by Michael Johnson
There is only one first time, only one first phase.
My musical life has been a series of seemingly unrelated events - from Acoustic to Pop, with maybe some Jazz inserted, to Country, and even a little R&B here and there.
The big string sections of the Bluer Than Blue days were replaced by the synthesizers of the 80's, and again by the steel guitars of Country.
Through it all though, if there has been any cohesiveness to it, all I have ever been, or wanted to be, is a singer and a guitarist.
These early albums reflect a part of my life that may be more "me" than any of the others. Lately, I have happily gotten back to that spirit.
Thanks for remembering. --Michael Johnson
Thanks to Cindy McArthur for creating this compilation with me.
Thanks to Paul Keiski for layout and graphics.
Web site: www.mjblue.com
