“And if that wasn't funny, there were lots of things that weren't even funnier.”
- Catch-22
Here's something I just learned. It was a “How about that” thing for me. A little background. Bear with me.
Back in 2004, there was a hot young band in Memphis getting some strong regional attention. Ingram Hill, three local Houston High School grads, were making a splash with the release of their first record, June's Picture Show. It was an album full of chimey, infectious, straight-ahead, roll-down-the-windows rock songs that was receiving a fair bit of radio airplay.
If I dug up old mix-tapes of mine from that era, they'd for sure have some songs from June's Picture Show on them. They're good, solid, sing-along tunes with stellar production. I don't know the story behind what kept the band from going to the "next level" but that record I will always love.
Okay, if the name Rick Beato means anything to you, then you're a music person. Beato is a long-time successful musician, music engineer and producer. Most people wouldn't know him for those things, however. But, in 2015 he launched his Youtube channel, Rick Beato, which now has 5 million subscribes. He's become an institution, really. He covers in depth a wide range of music related topics and conducts interviews with notable musicians and producers. One hugely popular segment is called "What Makes This Song Great?" In it he deconstructs iconic songs to celebrate the musicianship and magic that brought them into being. If you're a music nerd, they're must viewing.
Well, this past week a random bit of information came my way. Way back twenty-two years ago, a never-heard-of-at-the-time record producer named Rick Beato teamed up with some kids out of Memphis, TN calling themselves Ingram Hill to make their first album, Junes Picture Show. I know that's probably a “So what" for most everyone but me, but I couldn't help but smile. No doubt, Rick's touch had something to do with why that record sounded so doggone good.