With 2011’s The Sound of His Own Voice, JWH returned to Portland to record, this time to record with The King Charles Trio: basically the Decemberists (sans lead singer) but with the addition of Scott McCaughey and Peter Buck. This turned out to be a beautiful collaboration, evidenced by this beautiful recording featuring firm favourites like Starbucks and Uncle Dad.
credits
released October 1, 2020
Produced by Scott McCaughey & John Wesley Harding
The King Charles Trio is:
Peter Buck
Jenny Conlee-Drizos
Chris Funk
Scott McCaughey
John Moen
Nate Query
With Their Beautiful Assistants:
Steve Berlin
Rosanne Cash
Daniel Lamb
Victor Nash
John Roderick
Laura Veirs
Recorded by Adam Selzer at Type Foundry, Portland, OR
Additional recording by Scott McCaughey at the Record Pile, Portland, OR
Mixed by Tucker Martine with Scott McCaughey at Flora, Portland, OR
Mastered by Emily Lazar & Joe LaPorta at The Lodge, NYC
Cover photograph by Jamie Baldridge
Album Design by Sheila Sachs
Sing Your Own Song
Vocals, acoustic guitar: Wes
Backing vocals: Scott, John, Wes & John Roderick
Mellotron: Scott
12-string guitar: Peter
Electric guitar, banjo: Chris
Piano, Hammond organ: Jenny
Bass: Nate
Drums: John
I Should Have Stopped
Vocals, acoustic guitar: Wes
Vocals: Laura
Backing vocals: John & Scott
12-string guitar: Peter
Electric guitar: Chris
Piano: Jenny
Bass: Nate
Drums: John
Captain Courageous (On Disko Island)
Vocals, acoustic guitars, pump organ: Wes
Synthesizer, backing vocals: Scott
12-string guitar: Peter
French horn, trumpet: Victor
Pedal steel: Chris
Fender Rhodes, Hammond organ: Jenny
Bass, cello: Nate
Drums, backing vocals: John
I Might Be Dead
Vocals, acoustic guitars: Wes
Mellotron, backing vocals: Scott
Leslie & 12-string guitars: Peter
Electric guitars: Chris
Hammond organ: Jenny
Bass: Nate
Drums, backing vocals: John
Uncle Dad
Vocal, acoustic guitar: Wes
Backing vocals: Scott & John
Vocal: Tilda Stace
12-string guitar: Peter
Handclaps: John, Wes, Chris, Jenny, Scott
Electric guitar: Chris
Piano: Jenny
Bass: Nate
Drums: John
Tilda Stace recorded by Dan Gutierrez at WXPN, Philadelphia 1/14/11
The Way We Weren’t
Vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar (1st solo): Wes
Mellotron, electric guitar, tambourine, backing vocals: Scott
12-string guitar: Peter
Electric guitar (2nd solo): Chris
Piano, Hammond organ: Jenny
Bass: Nate
Drums, backing vocals: John
There’s a Starbucks (Where the Starbucks Used to Be)
Vocal, acoustic guitar: Wes
Wurlitzer electric piano, tambourine, backing vocals: Scott
Mandolin: Peter
Electric guitar: Chris
Accordion, Hammond organ: Jenny
Bass: Nate
Drums, backing vocals: John
The Colloquy of Mole & Mr. Eye
Mr. Eye, acoustic guitar, harmonica: Wes
Mole: John Roderick
Mandolin: Peter
Saxophone: Steve
Trombone: Daniel
Trumpet: Victor
Banjo: Chris
Accordion, piano: Jenny
Upright bass: Nate
Drums: John
Gentleman Caller
Vocals: Wes
Tambourine, maracas, cowbell, backing vocals: Scott
12-string guitar: Peter
Electric guitars: Chris
Piano, Hammond organ: Jenny
Bass: Nate
Drums, backing vocals: John
Calling Off the Experiment
Vocals: Wes
Synths, Crumar Performer, tambourine, backing vocals: Scott
12-string guitar: Peter
Electric guitar: Chris
Piano, Microkorg & Farfisa organ: Jenny
Bass, cellos: Nate
Drums, backing vocals: John
The Examiners
Vocal: Wes
Backing vocals: Laura
Crumar Performer: Scott
Beatbox: Whippany Rhythm Master
12-string guitar, E-bow: Peter
Baritone sax: Steve
Electric guitars: Chris
Pump organ: Jenny
Upright bass: Nate
Drums, vibraphone: John
Good News (& Bad News)
Vocal, acoustic guitars: Wes
Harmony vocal: Rosanne
Mellotron: Scott
12-string guitar: Peter
Pedal steel: Chris
Fender Rhodes: Jenny
Bass: Nate
Drums: John
Rosanne Cash recorded by Matt Gill at Shelter Island Sound, NYC 12/6/10
The World in Song
Vocals, Microkorg bass, acoustic guitars: Wes
Autoharp, tubular bells, acoustic guitars, percussion, backing vocals: Scott
Mandolin, 12-string guitar: Peter
Baritone sax: Steve
Handclaps: Wes, Scott, Chris, Jenny, John, Rebecca Gates & Joanna Bolme
Electric guitars: Chris
Piano, Hammond organ, Nord synth: Jenny
Bass: Nate
Drums, tympani, acoustic guitars, backing vocals: John
All songs written by John Wesley Harding (TOWNSONGS/ASCAP) except I Should Have Stopped by John Wesley Harding & Rob Seidenberg (TOWNSONGS/Silk Mountain Songs), The Way We Weren’t by John Wesley Harding & Ed Masley (TOWNSONGS/Penns Woods Music, BMI) and The Examiners – a poem by John Whitworth, set to music by John Wesley Harding (TOWNSONGS/ASCAP)
Wesley Stace was born in Hastings in 1965. Since 1988, he has released many albums under the name John Wesley Harding - his
most recent, 2018’s Wesley Stace’s John Wesley Harding, with the Jayhawks as his backing band. Stace has published four novels, including the international bestseller Misfortune, and recently co-wrote Mark Morris’ memoir Out Loud....more