Joe Walsh Resurrects The James Gang With New Recording Sessions
Joe Walsh is making good on previous threats and is currently holed up in a Cleveland-area recording studio working with his ‘70s James Gang bandmates on new recordings of their well-known classics.
Regular reports are being posted on the Facebook page for Lava Room Recording which is ground zero for the recording sessions featuring Walsh, bassist Dale Peters and drummer Jimmy Fox.
On Tuesday, studio owner Mike Brown posted “We are excited to have Grammy Award winning artist, Joe Walsh (The Eagles, The James Gang) in the studio today. He is accompanied by legendary producer Bill Szymczyk, Dale Peters (Bass) & Jimmy Fox (Drums).”
Today, he issued a progress report with the band entering their third day of recording. So far, they’ve completed initial work on ‘Walk Away’ and ‘’Funk #49’ and now it appears that things will get really interesting.
Longtime Walsh associate, drummer Joe Vitale (Crosby, Stills & Nash, Joe Walsh, The Eagles) is set to add percussion during today’s sessions. Another Walsh compadre, Cleveland favorite Michael Stanley, will be in studio to add background vocals to “a couple other songs.” Stanley recently wrapped up his latest solo album with Szymczyk at the helm.
The sessions sound like they’re already memorable as the report says “the studio is jammed with talent and a fountain of incredible stories pass back and forth through the halls as the guys walk in and out of the rooms.”
While they’re currently dusting off old favorites, it would seem possible (we're speculating and daydreaming here) that the sessions could help to provide a spark for possible new material from the group.
Walsh expressed his desire last year to collaborate with his old mates and said “we [The James Gang] should record at least four things playing the way that we used to”
“If we can do at least four things new and get them on the Internet, I think with that and a cross section of the old stuff, we'd have all we need to go out and try and kick some a--. I hope we get to do that in the first half of 2012. I really hope it works out."
Reunion shows would be welcomed from the group, who have played only a handful of reunion shows together in recent years since Walsh originally parted ways with them in the '70s.
He’ll have a full plate of activity -- his new solo album ‘Analog Man’ has just been confirmed for a June 5 release. The title track for the album was released yesterday - you can read our review and hear it here. The Eagles are also celebrating their 40th anniversary and will play shows together this year to celebrate the milestone.