Ok so today on the Record Collectors Facebook Group a member asked people to dig into their collection and post an album that is unknown and/or obscure. Well, I have many vinyl albums that fit that description! And many more CDs that do also! However the album I decided to listen to and write about is the debut album from singer-songwriter Jimmie Spheeris Isle of View. (Say it three or more times fast). Anyway the album has been one of my favorite quiet night albums since I bought in in the early 70s! However, I think Jimmie’s music has largely been forgotten because his career was cut short by a tragic accident. From Wikipedia…
Spheeris died at the age of 34 in Santa Monica, California, when his motorcycle collided with a van at 2 a.m. on the morning of July 4, 1984. The driver of the van, Bruce Burnside, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and felony vehicular manslaughter.
Again from Wikipedia….
Jimmie Spheeris (November 5, 1949 – July 4, 1984) was an American singer-songwriter who released four albums in the 1970s on the Columbia Records and Epic Records labels.
Spheeris primarily composed on the guitar and piano. His musical genre was generally in the folk music and singer-songwriter traditions, although later work explored jazz, rock music, jazz-rock fusion and new wave music.
With few exceptions, Spheeris’ guitar compositions employed the use of open tunings, also referred to as alternate tunings. Johnny Pierce (November 30, 1953 – December 12, 2005), worked with Spheeris as a recording session and touring artist from 1973 to 1980, and wrote extensive guitar tablature regarding the tunings Spheeris used throughout his career.[6]
Spheeris’ vocal range was primarily baritone and tenor, with occasional falsetto flourishes. His voice is most often described by music critics and fans as “soulful,” “sultry,” or “smoky.” (Read More)
Links for the Further Exploration of the Music of Jimmie Spheeris
Artist Website
Discogs
Wikipedia
AllMusic
For me his music is the kind of music you just put on the turntable and drift away! Jimmie’s music was popular on both underground radio stations and campus radio stations in the 70s, Here is one of his most popular songs ” I an the Mercury”
