Blue Guitar by Jimi Hocking

Blue Guitar HI006 

Blue Guitar is a DIY album I made at the end of the 1990’s after my (temporary) departure from The Screaming Jets. I was at the end of a divorce and flat broke. I had some modest recording gear and apart from the drums and some harp, I recorded everything in my flat in Elwood Victoria using a borrowed Rhode microphone, playing guitar into a little Goldentone amp situated in the cupboard.

It was challenging do do it like this and the album has many flaws. I pretty much didn’t know a single person who thought making a Blues album was a good idea at the time. The Blues scene was not as established as it is now, and I recall a gentleman who did some bookings for me refer to the idea as ‘professional suicide’. I still cringe at the sound of my voice when I hear myself sing blues, I wish BB Kings voice would emanate from my vocal chords. Instead a skinny white boy from the suburbs comes out.

But I enjoyed this labour of love, and beyond the fact that I had no budget and no high quality production, this is a very real album of rootsy ideas at a time when I couldn't even 'drop in' to fix recording blunders.

However, it opened new doors for me. Both the Blue Guitar and the Blue Mandolin albums were projects I just ‘wanted to do’, and in many ways I like the fact that my personal history is littered with projects of that nature.

My night mare would be to look back on my musical history and see a bunch of fashion driven pop releases that dated a month after they were released (no offence intended to pop artists). My sister often joked… “What about a Blue Bouzouki album, or a Blue Sitar album?” … my response … “hold my beer” ;-)

Tracklist

1.	Brand New Radio	4:11

2.	Bitter Tears	5:30

3.	The Blues is my Boss	2:25

4.	The Golden Rule	4:29

5.	My Way or the Highway	4:30

6.	My First Car	2:53

7.	School Fool	2:17

8.	Nothing To Prove	4:15

9.	My Idea of Fun	3:44

10.	A Little Like me	3:40

11.	The Most Beautifool	2:41

12.	Daydreamin'	3:47

13.	Trouble	2:25

Credits

released January 7, 1999

Many thanks to, Graham Maddicks, Christian Marsh, David Briggs @ Production Workshop. Simon Smith, Rebecca Smith, Neil Harrison @ The Resource Corp, Niche Records, Ben Cunningham, Route 66, Music lab, Trevor Reading, Melvyn T Lewis, Dale Lindrea, Erik Chess, Rexx Thierry, The Depot, The Royal Derby, John Joske & Sunny @ Campus Activity Vic, Greg Hynes @ Melbourne Drum Co, for the snare drum, Lance Vadella, Bill O’Meara @ The Electric Factory.  

More thanks to Frank Grubisa, Gerad Gilet, Jim Dyson, Jim Cargill, Steve Gilchrist, Tim Evans, Guitars Plus, Guitar Crazy, The Acoustic Centre, & Ron Leigh (for years of encouragement).

Even more thanks to my Father for buying me that first guitar

Recorded, mixed, remixed 1998-1999 
Drums and harp recorded at Music Lab Studios by Dean Horler
 Guitars, vocals, mandolin, Hammond (DX-7) recorded by Jimi Hocking on beg & borrowed recording gear. (pre pro tools availability) 
Final mix May 1999.
Mastered by the one and only David Briggs June 1999

All songs written by Jimi Hocking 
Drums played by Graham Maddicks,
Harmonica on tracks 4 & 12 by Christian Marsh 
All guitars, keys, mandolin & vocals by Jimi Hocking  
1999 Original Artwork by Ben Cunningham @ 27 DC 
2006 re-release Artwork by Gordon Clarke 
Bandcamp cover art by Gordon Clarke

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