Joe Ely

Joe Ely ( born February 9, 1947 in Amarillo, Texas) is an American country and rock singer and songwriter.

• 2.1 albums
• 2.2 Compilations ( selection)
• 2.3 albums with the Flatlanders

Career

Childhood and youth

Joe Ely spent his childhood in Amarillo, Texas. At the request of his parents, he studied first with classical music and took at the age of eight violins lessons. For three years he played in the school orchestra. But his passion was rock and roll and country music. At age eleven, Ely moved with his parents to Lubbock, home of Buddy Holly. With thirteen Ely finally sold his violin in order to upgrade to the electric guitar. At the age of fifteen, he had with his band The Twilights first appearances in the local rock scene of his homeland. At seventeen Ely broke off from college to devote himself entirely to music. This was followed by turbulent years in which he could keep only struggle to survive. In 1969 he became a member of a New York theater group and accompanied this a year later with a European tour. Briefly, he worked in Munich with the avant-garde Eberhard Schoener together. After returning to the U.S., he hoofed it back as a musician.

Flatlanders

With his former school friends Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock Ely founded 1970 Country lineup Flatlanders, which is considered one of the pioneers of the alt-country movement today. The debut album of the Flatlanders, however, remained unpublished and the three musicians went their separate ways. Ely then worked for a time in 1974 as an animal keeper at the Ringling Brother Circus, where he was severely injured by the Huftritt a horse.

Solo career

In 1975, Joe Ely own band, covering a wide range of music - country, blues, honky -tonk, rock and roll, Cajun and Tex -Mex - dominated. The 1977 produced for the label MCA debut album Joe Ely sold bad, but was met with critics and in the music scene with wide approval. The Melody Maker has named it do for " Country Album of the Year". Ely's second album, Honky Tonk Masquerade, with the accordionist Ponty Bone joined the band, is still considered one of his best. The subsequent, produced by Bob Johnston Down On The Drag was not convincing, however. Nevertheless win Ely and his band growing in popularity. This was mainly due to their frequent live performances. Since Ely also played songs from his former Flatlanders colleagues Hancock and Gilmore and recorded, even those gained in the course of Ely's success in popularity. By 1980 Ely took Joe Strummer and his band as the opening act for The Clash in Europe and Ely was on this side of the Atlantic increasingly popular. Ely developed a more rock style, which is documented on the live album Live Shots and made him now interesting for the rock audience. The sales figures still remained below expectations, and thus lost Ely in 1984 after again disappointing album Hi-Res his record deal with MCA.

Ely put together a new band and signed in 1987 at the Hightone label. After the production of two albums he returned in 1990 with Live At Liberty Lunch and the next studio album Love & Danger to MCA back. His other albums from the 90s, Letter To Laredo and Twistin 'In The Wind largely dispensed with the rock elements of the predecessor and spread with accordion and flamenco guitar again more roots rock and Tex-Mex atmosphere. So on the album "Letter to Laredo " for example, a duet with Bruce Springsteen called " All just to get to you". In addition, Springsteen can be heard on the song " I'm a thousand miles from home". Springsteen had been brought to his 1992/1993 tour Joe Ely as a guest on the stage and touted its then current album "Love and danger". The support went so far that at the concert a Joe Ely song " Settle for love" was sung together. "With Live at Antone 's, a blazing recording of a typical concert Ely, Ely joined the folk label Rounder Records.

In the late 1990s, the Flatlanders were found all the original members together, did some touring and released two new albums. Ely also appeared with the All-Star Project Los Super Seven and made ​​several joint tours with Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt and Guy Clark.

On his 60th birthday in 2007, Ely released his new studio album Happy Songs From Rattlesnake Gulch on the newly formed their own record label, Rack ' Em Records. At the same time he published his first book, Bonfire of Roadmaps. Only a month later, Silver City, an album of songs based on texts from his time in front of the Flatlanders. 2008 Ely released a joint live album with Joel Guzman, with whom he occasionally appeared as a duo for several years. Joe Ely now lives in Austin, Texas.

Discography

Albums

• Joe Ely (MCA 1977)
• Honky Tonk Masquerade (MCA 1978)
• Down On The Drag (MCA 1979)
• Live Shots (MCA 1980)
• Musta Notta Gotta Lotta (MCA 1981)
• Hi-Res (MCA 1984)
• Lord Of The Highway ( Hightone 1987)
• Dig All Night ( Hightone, 1988)
• Love And Danger (MCA 1992)
• Songs From Chippy: Diary Of A West Texas Hooker ( with Butch Hancock and others) ( Hollywood Records 1994)
• Letter To Laredo (MCA 1996)
• Twistin 'In The Wind (MCA 1998)
• Streets Of Sin ( Rounder 2003)

Compilations ( selection)

• Milkshakes & Malts ( Sunstorm 1988)
• Whatever Happened To Maria ( Sunstorm 1988)
• No Bad Talk Or Loud '77 - '81 ( Edsel 1996)
• Time For Travelin ' - The Best Of Joe Ely Vol 2 ( Edsel 1996)
• The Best Of Joe Ely (MCA 2000)
• From Lubbock To Laredo - The Best Of Joe Ely (MCA 2002)
• Settle For Love ( Hightone 2004)

Albums with the Flatlanders

• More A Legend Than A Band ( Rounder 1990)
• Now Again! ( New West 2002)
• Wheels Of Fortune ( New West 2004)
• Hills and Valleys ( Blue Rose [ Soulfood Music ], 2009)

Book Release

• Joe Ely: Bonfire Of Roadmaps ( University Of Texas Press, February 2007)