COCO CARMEL’S NEW SOLO ALBUM CO-PRODUCED BY DELANEY BRAMLETT IS NOW OUT

CoCo Carmel has just released her new solo album. An intensely personal album, First Fruit is co-produced by Delaney Bramlett, whom she was married to for several years.

CoCo has exclusively run though each number on the cd for us:

1. What am I doin’ in a place like this ( Delaney Bramlett/ Doug Gilmore)
Delaney Bramlett Music BMI

Of course one cannot resist doing a Delaney Bramlett song or two when it is possible. This song was one of my favorites, it felt like I should sing it. This song was all arranged by Delaney. We recorded a lot of songs with a more natural feel, banging on chairs, shakers, djembe drum and the like, more like the early Delaney stuff I had loved. Acoustic guitars were in order on this song, that being Delaney and Hank Barrio. Delaney and Hank worked together very well , and recording always went very smoothly and quick with them, and was always a lot of fun. Chad Watson is on bass . Delaney, me and my sister Kelly, and Hank are singing backround vocals . Delaney had borrowed a guitar/sitar from a friend and he is also playing his national. One of my favorite parts of the song is Delaney’s rhythm guitar, you can really hear it toward the end, it’s a style that is all Delaney and one he was so great at. It’s a thang, it’s a thang, it’s a good thang…. (a real Delaney line at the tail end of the song ).

2. Doin it Right (CoCo Carmel / Delaney Bramlett )
Me You Me You Music / Delaney Bramlett Music BMI

I started this song as a feeling came over me that I was living in the rhythm of Life, things were alright. A good moment in time… me singing about us. “Just like a river that flows, going only where it knows where to go… into the rythym of Life, we’re doin it”. Delaney helped me to finish out this song , he and Hank worked out twin solos most of time and it really works on this beautifully. On occasion Bekka (Bramlett) would be hanging out off the road on a visit and we would ask if she would like to sing , this was a special moment, just like Delaney, she was always so into it and into makin it just right, I even get a little laugh at the end of the song. Delaney and Hank are on acoustic guitars. Delaney added one electric guitar (his strat). Chad Watson is on bass, again making it more acoustic. Mike Faue (percussionist) is playing a briefcase. Delaney had used a briefcase on Never Ending Song of Love, and really liked the flat sound of it, as did I .

3. Love don’t deserve it (to be treated that way)
( CoCo Carmel / Delaney Bramlett )
Me You Me You Music / Delaney Bramlett Music BMI

I had just recently taken on a job at a studio in the valley out of frustration of being told that I didn’t have a proper job and wasn’t really a real engineer, this song came out of that experience. Love didn’t deserve to be treated that way was the theme, and I certainly was feeling that way at the time. Most times something good comes out of a bad situation and I got this song. I was elated to record it. Bob Gross is playing bass on this and Al Lichtenstein is on drums , that’s David Scott on piano. I hear Delaney playing his Pops Staples style guitar on the left, to the right, he is on his Strat, playing his rhythm and wah-wah…. I loved the Staple Singers and the style that we aimed for in the backrounds was that very thing. Our backrounds were superior I think now. Delaney plays a beautiful solo on his strat, and I remember him doing it so well. Just he and I in the studio, no one else around, for hours we would sing, play and record . He would leave me to put it all together, get the sounds and eq’s. In those not so long ago days, it was all analog and everything I did had to be written down , and when we put a song down and cleared the board, I had to get it all back up and into place again. It was a whole lot of work. But I knew I was learning from the best, and it never bothered me. So for the first couple years I learned how to place everything, sounds came naturally to me and Delaney just let me take it over after a while. We are singing the backrounds, they were always the last thing to go on a song.

4. Mother ( CoCo Carmel / Delaney Bramlett )
Me You Me You Music /Delaney Bramlett Music BMI

This song is dedicated to my mother, it is for her. Delaney pitched in to finish this song as well and I was grateful to him for that. Al Lichtenstein is playing drums , Bob Gross on bass , David Scott is on piano and Mike Faue is on congas. My brother in law John Fumo is playing Trumpet, along with Mike Acosta on Saxes. That’s me on the solo on saxophone. Delaney takes the second half of the solo, I remember it like it was yesterday. And of course Delaney and I are singing the backround vocals. This song was not on the original record.

5. I don’t Know Why (Eric Clapton / Delaney Bramlett )
Warner/Chappell Music Ltd PRS Embassy Music BMI

The very song that Eric Clapton sang on his first solo record also produced by Delaney. I have a fondness for this song as well and wanted to record another early Delaney song. A funny little story about this song that will probably haunt me for the rest of my life, and if it wasn’t for the fact that Delaney is directing and is a co-writer…. I would be called a fool. The title is historically known for being “I don’t know why .. I don’t care”. Delaney has me singing “I don’t know why …I still care”. His story being, Eric was sent the track to take into the studio, Delaney was not there, and Eric ended up singing the wrong words, sounded plausible to me. What am I going to do except sing it the way he wants. So that is exactly what I am doing. Delaney is playing lead guitar and rythym on the track and goes into a twin solo with Hank , Bob Gross is on bass , Al Lichtenstein is on drums, David Scott is on the piano. Kelly, Hank, Delaney and I are singing backrounds .

6. Sound of The City ( Delaney Bramlett/ Joe Hicks )
Delaney Bramlett Music BMI

From the Delaney & Bonnie “Together” album , this song was originally recorded with Tina Turner. One of the rockin-est songs there is. Now, Delaney and Bekka and I are singing. I love this song and wanted to do it. The band members changed around during this period and we have now on drums David Raven, Chad Watson on Bass , Delaney on Guitar playing what he played on the original track. There’s John Fumo (Trumpet ) and Mike Acosta (Saxes) on horns. Delaney naturally sang his own part, I took over Tina’s part and Bekka singing Bonnie’s part. We were all excited to do this song, and it is definatly one of my favorites on the cd. Delaney and Bekka and I sounded very good together .

7. Why would I do that? ( CoCo Carmel / Delaney Bramlett )
Me You Me You Music / Delaney Bramlett Music BMI

I have mentioned that since Delaney’s passing December 27 2008, I took this record out to listen to it, there was a period of years where I could not listen to it at all. Somehow, as things go, I am able to hear it again with new ears. Every song has a memory of some sort, this is probably the saddest one. For the entire time that we were together, Delaney’s brother was trying to convince him that I was having an affair. It was the same lie that in the end completely destroyed our marriage in April 2001. How this song came about years before was under the same scenario, and we wrote a song about it. Al Lichenstein is on drums, Bob Gross is on bass, David Scott is on piano, John Fumo and Mike Acosta are on the horns. Delaney and I on the backround vocals. Delaney… “If anything ever tries to come between us…I’ll be standing right here in the way”

8. Go To Him ( CoCo Carmel )
Me You Me You Music BMI

Delaney was on about gospel songs , naturally , it was such a huge part of his life and upbringing . It was hard to be around him all of the time singing all of those Gospel songs without becoming so inspired by them and suddenly find yourself writing about Jesus. This was my first Gospel Song. John Fumo brings the song in on trumpet and right there with him is Delaney on guitar, Al Lichtenstein on drums, Bob Gross on bass. Once again you get to hear that famous Delaney rythym guitar and wah-wah.
I love the backround vocals, that’s Delaney and I, we would sing a part, double it , then double it again. The arrangement is also a true Delaney idea. It’s also us on tambourines on the end, we’d stop recording a couple times to get it right exactly on time together, no messing around ever when recording . Infact , we would get into the small control room, and I would be running the machine, bending sideways to stop and start, switch tracks to record while we were singing, it was a hell of a deal. The solo is another fine example of twin guitar work with Delaney and Hank .

9. Let me Put it Another Way ( CoCo Carmel / Delaney Bramlett )
Me You Me You Music / Delaney Bramlett Music BMI

Would you believe, there is no story about this song whatsoever . We just wrote it one day and recorded it not long after. This is just a happy song .
David Raven is playing drums, Mark Karan is on lead guitar and solo. Bob Gross is on Bass, and David Scott is playing Bobby’s Original “Delaney & Bonnie” Hammond B-3 and Wurlitzer.

10. Imaginary Love (CoCo Carmel )
Me You Me You Music / BMI

I wrote this song about an imaginary Love. David Raven is on drums , Bob Gross on Bass , David Scott on Piano , Delaney on guitar and solo. We are singing beautiful backrounds. Delaney came up with these. Everytime I hear “extraordinary”, I think oh, that is so Delaney .

11. Sweet Miss You ( CoCo Carmel )
Me You Me You Music /BMI

This was the very last song I recorded at the Ranch, around Febuary/March 2001. John Molo is on Drums, Mark Karan guitar, Chad Watson is on Bass. Delaney and Hank and I are playing acoustic guitar. Delaney is playing the lead guitar solo on this. Added last, Bobby Whitlock on Hammond B-3

12. Only A Game (Delaney Bramlett / Michele Waneata Bramlett)
Delaney Bramlett Music /BMI

I love this song, it was first recorded by Bekka Bramlett and Jani Lane (Warrant). It was written by Delaney and his daughter Michele. We decided to do it and I was thrilled. I added this song to the record last. When I heard it I though it sounded so dated. It had originally been recorded analog with drum machine in the 80’s. So I decided to amp it up a bit, put it through my protools, adding newer drum sounds, backround vocals and a wah-wah guitar. It took quite a lot of work, but in the end it paid off and remains one of my favorite tracks on the cd.

I start it off with a a’capella “Only a Game” and the wah-wah. Spooner Oldham is on the piano, Tommy Miles is on Bass and created the orginal drum track , I put a couple of new drum loops on to update the sound . I also added a string section. I am so happy to have this song on the record.

13. Rest in Peace (Tribute to Delaney) (CoCo Carmel Whitlock )
Me You Me You Music BMI

I wrote this song for Delaney. This is the last song on the cd.

What I feel is Delaney’s heartbeat in the drum , the slide guitar is his Soul going up …up… up to the Heaven’s. We sing “Sweet , Sweet Rest” swaying back and forth, holding up in our our hands, a drink to Delaney, a toast to you, we will miss you, Rest in Peace. I hope you like the Cd, and that I was a good student and learned something. This last song embodies much of what I learned from you. And because I never got to tell you then, because we never got to close the door, because you were so ill and believed the lies you were being told, I am telling you now that none of those things they said were true, how else could I write this song for you.

CoCo : guitar, bass, strings, and singing Lead backround vocals.
Bobby Whitlock: slide guitar and piano on it.

Equipment used:

vocal mics: E.V. RE 20 / AKG 414

Drum mics: E.V. RE 20 ( kick drum) / toms: sm 58′s / overheads : Sennheiser MD441U

The snare was an interesting thing, it was Delaney who taught me, and since we had a shortage of microphones to place one mic underneath, my choice ( Sennheiser 421 II) sort of in between the snare and the hi hat. This was tricky because depending on who was playing one or the other could be too loud, or not loud enough. It really depended on the drummer. To round out the sound, one was placed over the hi-hat as well.

Guitar amp : E.V. RE 20 ( Delaney’s Fender Champ, we put it in the car when we recorded with the band, made a great sound booth and I would hang the mic over the seat. )

Hammond B-3 : E.V. RE 20 for the fan (bottom) / Sennheiser 441U for the horn or MD 421 II

The Guitars: Delaney’s Fender stratocaster / National / Guitar Sitar ( this was not one of Delaney’s guitars)

Very often, I played Delaney’s guitars to write with and even record with. Most memorable was the George Harrison “Let it Be” Rosewood Tele, I actually recorded it on several of my songs but do not remember which ones. Delaney didn’t like to play it live because it was so heavy, and it was. Fender Custom shop made him exact replicas of the Fender Stratocaster and the Rosewood Telecaster. We loaded them up and took them there to be examined, they gave Delaney new cases, and measured them out. It was an ordeal, and took many hours. So he has these replica’s floating around somewhere. His guitars were always available to me and so naturally I played them.

Depending on what was going on, we would either record the whole band or at times play to a click track with just Delaney and Hank laying down a rythym track then add the bass, organ, piano, vocal and solos then the backgrounds.

In the beginning we worked off my Tascam 38 ( 8 track) reel to reel , We progressed to a Tascam 88 and 38. We mixed through those funky little Auratone Super Sound Cube speakers. One time the whole band was going at it and one of the speakers blew up and caught fire. Delaney had a couple of original UREI Compressor /limiters we used all the time.

Most of our equipment was very antiquated and I laugh when I think about it now, but we were using Delaney’s equipment from the days when he began with Tom Dowd and I would not surprised at all if, in fact, Tom Dowd had not been using some of this very equipment. I loved all that stuff. Funny to think how short a span from the two track recordings to digital. I got the best of both worlds. We would work on a very limited amount of equipment, it is still that way with me.

If it was the band I would set up, record the drums, bass, piano, guitar all at once. Delaney or I would be singing in the control booth. Then later we would add lead or twin guitars, lead vocal and background vocals, actually the background vocals were done with just Delaney and I when no-one else was around.

I recorded and engineered all the tracks, eq’d everything ..placed things , then very last thing would be Delaney coming into the studio, sitting and listening to everything. Occasionally, he might switch something around because even though he liked things placed in a certain way, sometimes it just didn’t fit when you listened.

Then I would make a copy of the track and we would get in the car and listen. The motor running, we would crank it up,sit back and enjoy. Sometimes we didn’t get past the first bar and say nope, thats not it. Back into the studio and we would remix. He and I both at the board moving tracks up and down, we were our own automation team. To this day, that is what I do. I have to get in the car to hear it properly.

Produced by : Delaney Bramlett and CoCo Carmel

Recorded and Engineered by : CoCo Carmel

We are lucky to have heard this cd here at YWTM and can report that this is a gorgeous album, full of soulful grooves and excellent musicianship. Do yourselves a favour and buy it now at:

CDBaby.com-CoCoCarmelWhitlock

Coco Carmel and Bobby Whitlock Website

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