Interviewing The Legends: Ray Shasho

LEGENDARY GUITARIST

STEVE CROPPER

ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM

‘FRIENDLYTOWN’

OFFICIALLY RELEASED

AUGUST 23^RD ON MASCOT LABEL GROUP

FEATURING

BILLY F GIBBONS

BRIAN MAY

TIM MONTANA

FIRST SINGLE

“TOO MUCH STRESS”

featuring BRIAN MAY

ZOOM EXCLUSIVE

ON INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS

Not many people start new bands in their 80s, but legendary guitarist, producer, and songwriter Steve Cropper isn’t slowing down any time soon. The triple-threat musician, recently nominated for his first solo GRAMMY for the debut album from his tight and tuneful rock n’ soul quintet, Steve Cropper & The Midnight Hour, has announced details of his highly anticipated sophomore album, ‘Friendlytown,’ due out August 23^rdon the Mascot Label Group.

Always pushing ahead and never repeating himself, Cropper has brought in the talents of Billy F Gibbons from ZZ Top to play on the record. The album also features guest appearances from Queen guitarist extraordinaire Brian May and country-rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Tim Montana, who has balanced a successful solo career with high-profile collaborations with Gibbons and Kid Rock.

In conjunction with the album announcement, Cropper has released the album's first single, “Too Much Stress feat. Brian May,” giving fans a tantalizing taste of the new music. This groovy mid-tempo number features gospel-style backing vocals and a trifecta of the baddest rock guitar players. Brian May sings the duet vocal together with Roger C. Reale and the backing vocals while May and Gibbons trade back-to-back solos. The Queen’s axeman’s trademark snarling tone and lyrical licks perfectly complement Gibbons’ searing blues-based style, with Cropper holding it all down with some signature slinky rhythm guitar work.

PREORDER

THE NEW ALBUM

STEVE CROPPER

and

The Midnight Hour

entitled

FRIENDLYTOWN

Available August 23rd Via Mascot Label Group

Featuring

Billy F Gibbons, Brian May and Tim Montana

First Single

“Too Much Stress feat. Brian May” Available Now

Pre-order Friendlytown at

https://lnk.to/stevecropper

FOR MORE INFORMATION

ABOUT

STEVE CROPPER

VISIT

https://playitsteve.com/

Official website

https://www.facebook.com/stevecropper

Facebook

https://x.com/OfficialCropper?mx=2

Twitter

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Steve+Cropper

YouTube

https://www.instagram.com/thestevecropper/

Instagram

DISCOGRAPHY

1969: With a Little Help from My Friends

1969: Jammed Together (with Albert King and Pops Staples)

1971: This Is ... Steve Cropper & His Friends (compilation of With a Little Help from My Friends and Jammed Together, released in France only)

1981: Playin' My Thang

1982: Night After Night

1998: The Interview — Play It, Steve!

2008: Nudge It Up A Notch (with Felix Cavaliere)

2010: Midnight Flyer (with Felix Cavaliere)

2011: Dedicated — A Salute to the 5 Royales

2017: Steve Cropper, Lou Marini and the Original Blues Brothers Band — The Last Shade of Blue Before Black

2018: Telemasters (with Arlen Roth)

2021: Fire It Up

Steve Cropper & The Midnight Hour

2024: Friendlytown

Collaborations

With Alabama

Southern Star (RCA Records, 1989)

With Jimmy Barnes

Soul Searchin' (Liberation Music, 2016)

With William Bell

The Soul of a Bell (Stax Records, 1967)
Bound to Happen (Stax Records, 1969)

With Barbi Benton

Something New (Polydor Records, 1976)

With Stephen Bishop

Bish (ABC Records, 1978)

With Frank Black

Honeycomb (Cooking Vinyl, 2005)
Fast Man Raider Man (Cooking Vinyl, 2006)

With Bobby and the Midnites

Where the Beat Meets the Street (Columbia Records, 1984)

With Booker T. & the M.G.'s

Green Onions (Stax Records, 1962)
Soul Dressing (Stax Records, 1965)
And Now! (Stax Records, 1966)
In the Christmas Spirit (Stax Records, 1966)
Hip Hug-Her (Stax Records, 1967)
Doin' Our Thing (Stax Records, 1968)
Soul Limbo (Stax Records, 1968)
UpTight (Stax Records, 1969)
The Booker T. Set (Stax Records, 1969)
McLemore Avenue (Stax Records, 1970)
Melting Pot (Stax Records, 1971)
Universal Language (Asylum Records, 1977)
That's the Way It Should Be (Columbia Records, 1994)

With Ronnie Baker Brooks

Times Have Changed (Provogue Records, 2017)

With Billy Burnette

Try Me (Curb, 1985)

With Jimmy Buffett

Hot Water (MCA Records, 1988)

With Brian Cadd

White On White (Capitol Records, 1976)

With Cate Brothers

Cate Bros. (Asylum Records, 1975)
In One Eye and Out the Order (Asylum Records, 1976)

With Chicago

Chicago XXXIII: O Christmas Three (Chicago Records, 2011)

With David Clayton-Thomas

David Clayton-Thomas (Columbia Records, 1972)

With A. J. Croce

Just Like Medicine (Compass Records, 2017)

With Patti Dahlstrom

Your Place or Mine (20th Century Records, 1975)

With Delaney & Bonnie

Home (Stax Records, 1969)
D&B Together (Columbia Records, 1972)

With Ned Doheny

Hard Candy (Columbia Records, 1976)
Prone (CBS Records, 1979)

With Yvonne Elliman

Rising Sun (RSO Records, 1975)
Night Flight (RSO Records, 1978)
Yvonne (RSO Records, 1979)

With José Feliciano

Compartments (RCA Victor, 1973)
For My Love... Mother Music (RCA Victor, 1974)

With Eddie Floyd

Knock on Wood (Stax Records, 1967)
Down to Earth (Stax Records, 1971)

With Peter Frampton

Where I Should Be (A&M Records, 1979)

With Richie Furay

I've Got a Reason (Asylum Records, 1976)

With Art Garfunkel

Breakaway (Columbia Records, 1975)

With Cyndi Grecco

Making Our Dreams Come True (Private Stock Records, 1976)

With Richie Havens

The End of the Beginning (A&M Records, 1976)

With Levon Helm

Levon Helm & the RCO All-Stars (ABC Records, 1977)
Levon Helm (ABC Records, 1978)

With Chris Hillman

Slippin' Away (Asylum Records, 1976)

With Rebecca Lynn Howard

Rebecca Lynn Howard (Universal Music, 2000)

With Etta James

Seven Year Itch (Island Records, 1988)
The Right Time (Elektra Records, 1992)

With Wynonna Judd

Tell Me Why (Curb Records, 1993)

With Albert King

Born Under a Bad Sign (Stax Records, 1967)
Years Gone By (Stax Records, 1969)

With B.B. King

King of the Blues: 1989 (MCA Records, 1988)

With Al Kooper

White Chocolate (Sony Records, 2008)

With John Lennon

Rock 'n' Roll (Apple Records, 1975)

With Ann-Margret

Born to Be Wild (Cleopatra Records, 2023)

With Craig Morgan

Craig Morgan (Atlantic Records, 2000)

With Aaron Neville

The Tattoeed Heart (A&M Records, 1995)

With Wayne Newton

Tomorrow (Chelsea Records, 1976)

With Harry Nilsson

Flash Harry (Mercury Records, 1980)

With John Oates

1000 Miles of Life (Phunk Shui Records, 2008)

With Nigel Olsson

Nigel Olsson (The Rocket Record Company, 1975)

With Roy Orbison

Mystery Girl (Virgin Records, 1989)

With Dolly Parton

Heartbreak Express (RCA Records, 1982)

With Wilson Pickett

In the Midnight Hour (Atlantic Records, 1965)
The Exciting Wilson Pickett (Atlantic Records, 1966)

With Michel Polnareff

Michel Polnareff (Atlantic Records, 1975)

With John Prine

Common Sense (Atlantic Records, 1975)

With Otis Redding

Pain in My Heart (Atco Records, 1964)
The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads (Atco Records, 1965)
Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul (Stax Records, 1965)
The Soul Album (Stax Records, 1966)
Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul (Stax Records, 1966)
King & Queen (Stax Records, 1967)
The Dock of the Bay (Stax Records, 1968)

With Bruce Roberts

Bruce Roberts (Elektra Records, 1977)

With Leon Russell

Will O' the Wisp (Shelter Records, 1975)

With Sanford & Townsend

Duo-Glide (Warner Bros. Records, 1977)

With Leo Sayer

Here (Chrysalis Records, 1979)

With Guy Sebastian

The Memphis Album (Sony BMG, 2007)

With Neil Sedaka

The Hungry Years (The Rocket Record Company, 1975)
Steppin' Out (Polydor Records, 1976)

With Paul Shaffer

Coast to Coast (Capitol Records, 1989)

With Paul Simon

Songs from The Capeman (Warner Bros. Records, 1997)

With Broderick Smith

Suitcase (Mushroom Records, 1992)

With The Soul Children

Soul Children (Stax Records, 1968)

With Mavis Staples

Mavis Staples (Volt Records, 1969)
Only for the Lonely (Volt Records, 1970)

With Ringo Starr

Ringo (Apple Records, 1973)
Goodnight Vienna (Apple Records, 1974)
Vertical Man (Mercury Records, 1998)

With Rod Stewart

Atlantic Crossing (Warner Bros. Records, 1975)
A Night on the Town (Warner Bros. Records, 1976)
Foot Loose & Fancy Free (Warner Bros. Records, 1977)
Every Beat of My Heart (Warner Bros. Records, 1986)

With Livingston Taylor

Man's Best Friend (Epic Records, 1980)

With Carla Thomas

Memphis Queen (Stax Records, 1969)

With Mickey Thomas

As Long as You Love Me (MCA Records, 1977)

With The Manhattan Transfer

Pastiche (Atlantic Records, 1978)

With Wendy Waldman

The Main Refrain (Warner Bros. Records, 1976)

With Dale Watson

Jukebox Fury (Cleopatra Records, 2022)

With Jerry Lynn Williams

Gone (Warner Bros. Records, 1979)

STEVE CROPPER

APPEARS

AUGUST 7TH 2024

ON INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS

WITH RAY SHASHO

THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES

BOOK TRAILER

BOOK REVIEW

-By Literary Titan (5) STARS

The Rock Star Chronicles by Ray Shasho, is a splendid book written by a music enthusiast who has poured their heart and soul into it. It’s a story of a boy who loved rock music, and his obsessive passion of it earned himself the name Rock Raymond. He went to school but instead was schooled in all matters of music while his peers were buried chin-deep in coursework. He then became a radio DJ and has now compiled a book on all interviews he held with Rock gods who raided the airwaves back in the 70s and 80s. It’s a compilation of interviews with outstanding vocalists, legendary guitarists and crazy drummers in the rock music scene. Each interview gives a reader an in-depth view into their personal lives and the philosophies that guide their lives which all serve to humanize these great icons. For readers who are old enough to call themselves baby boomers this book will bring old memories back to life. Millennials, on the other hand, may think of this book as a literal work of the Carpool Karaoke show.

The Rock Star Chronicles is a book I didn’t know I was waiting for. To come across a book that will talk me into trying something new. One brave enough to incite me to venture into new frontiers. This book made me a believer- I am now a bona fide Rock and Roll music fan.

Ray Shasho masterfully gets the interviewees talking. He smartly coaxes answers from them with crafty questions designed to get a story rolling out of them. The artists talk about diverse issues ranging from music, politics, and their social engagements. Having been on the music seen all his life, Ray Shasho knows the buttons to press, how to get them comfortable about talking about their lives.

The book’s cover is befitting of its subject matter with the leather look offering a royal background to the golden letter print. It speaks to how high a level rock music holds in the pecking order- arguably, modern music as we know it has originated from blues and rock music. The second noteworthy thing is the use of high-definition pictures to reference the musician being interviewed in every sub-chapter. This ensures that the book is for both original rock and roll lovers and aspiring new ones. Together is makes for a refreshing and consistently enjoyable read.

I recommend this book to rock music enthusiasts, aspiring musicians wondering what it takes and all readers curious to learn new things by going back in time.

https://literarytitan.com/2020/05/03/literary-titan-book-awards-may-2020/

Gold Award Winner