End Of The Week. Lawd.

I'm so tired of standing, I can't stand no more.
Said, I'm so tired of this standing, just can't stand no more.
Seem like I'm doing the job of gravity, holding down the floor.

Hey Soul Mates,
It's been a long week. Victories, setbacks, holding patterns. We've had all three.

Victories: The band is feeling good about our presence on YouTube. The response to our tour footage and support of our fans has given us a needed boost. At the end of the day, yesterday, we ranked #28 on YouTube's most viewed music channels. That means a lot of you were watching, hopefully more than once. Be sure to join YouTube, so you can leave comments and rate our videos. That helps raise our profile there. Thanks to all of our fans on MySpace who have left some nice words of encouragement.

Setbacks: Hmm. X-ray says my left hip is going. No surgery now, but further down the road. Just like Prince and Eddie Van Halen. Too much monkey business on stage. Tho' the Doc says I've got great flexibility for such a damaged boy.

Holding Patterns: I'm reminded of a press quote about a now-successful group made of our peers that they "couldn't get arrested in L.A." No, that would be Rush Hour Soul. No pity party necessary. Just means there's nothing they can pin on us... yet! In the meantime, Bryan and I are boycotting haircuts until the right moment strikes. If you see us on the street, do not be alarmed.

It was a typical day in Hollywood for yours truly. Walking back to work after lunch, I got a head nod from Mel Gibson as he road his bicycle past me. Then I got a nice long look from Jessica Simpson while she was leaving the soundstage she was filming in. She saw me first. Ha ha. She's taller than I would have guessed. I could make this stuff up, but if I did, it would be Spike Lee and Meryl Streep. People tell me that I have that "you look like someone they should know" quality. That hoodoo must have worked on Mel and Jess.

I wish all of you a relaxing, safe weekend. I have to thank New Orleans for drafting USC star Reggie Bush. Because of his status here in L.A., my Cleveland Browns will be on television Sunday! And I don't have to leave the house to watch them. I love my Browns. It's their home opener, too. Their home opener hasn't been on tv here since they came back to the league and got the stuffing spanked out by the Steelers in '99. This is what I'm looking forward to most this weekend. That and the cooling trend. Actually put on my corduroy jacket to go out this evening.

Well, my baby dog is requiring my attention.
Love, Power, Peace

The People Just Want Good Music

Hey Soul Mates,
it's with no small amount of pride that I read tonight that Bob Dylan has the number one album on the Billboard Hot 200 chart, besting Puff Daddy's fake "band" Danity Kane and a rapper ominously named "Young Dro." It's Dylan's first #1 in 30 years, since Desire which featured Hurricane about boxer Ruben Carter. You've probably read my preliminary thoughts on Modern Times. It's simply proof that people want good music. Regardless of the genre or the vintage of the singer. If it enlightens, moves or soothes folks'll seek it out.

[As I write, I've got Modern Times spinning. The Levee's Gonna Break.
"Some people on the road carryin' everything they own,
Some people got barely 'nuf skin to cover their bones."]

I'll admit, I've written my share of dance-floor fillers. But in learning more about Dylan, I wound up doing some extra digging: checking out Robert Johnson again and Woody Guthrie for the first time. Powerful writers. One very important thing they all require of the listener is patience. You can casually play them in the background, but to get to the heart of their art - where there are real rewards, I try to listen closely. Plus, those Theme Time shows are chock full of shit that no one's heard for years. I liked Dylan's response to an e-mail ("Why do I play so many old songs? There's more of 'em."). I've come to learn that I owe him alot, so I'm paying him attention.

By no coincidence, I finished another book! Dylan's autobiography Chronicles Vol. 1. I'm on a roll. Still working on Character by Chris Wallace and begun Rolling Stones' Bob Dylan, the Essential Interviews. For those of you new to my M.O., I usually immerse myself in a particular writer, artist, filmmaker for a month at a time. This month, Bob's my uncle. Sometimes songwriters really make me re-evaluate the quality of what I'm doing. In a good way. Makes me step up the game. It's easy to get lazy with songwriting. There's a fine line between simplicity and laziness. We've all crossed it. Come on Barbie, let's go party.

I nearly forgot! To escape the heat, we went to the movies today and saw the Illusionist. Well acted; Phillip Glass' score was incredible. And sitting a row in front of me, Motown's own Lamont Dozier! I didn't say anything to him, he was being low key. But there's another writer that can craft a memorable hit. Oh you know, like: Heatwave, This Old Heart of Mine, Stop! In The Name of Love, It's The Same Old Song. Dang, L.A. can be such an interesting place to be.

Thanks to everyone who's been checking out our documentary clip on YouTube. Over 100 views in the first 12 hours. Sweet. It does our hearts good the get all of the feedback, too. We are also toying with the idea of making the Concert at the Cavern Club (audio) available to our fans. Anyone interested?
Love, Power, Peace

"From L.A. With Love" Rush Hour Soul Tour Documentary

Hey Soul Mates,
our short subject tour documentary "From L.A. With Love" is finally available for viewing on-line. It's been posted to our YouTube channel and it's currently on our myspace page. There are also links to it from our home page (rushhoursoul.com).

The "doco" as we call it is a whirlwind view of our whirlwind tour of the U.K. Directed by William Archer it follows us from Hollywood to Liverpool. You get to see some of our new fans in Britain and glimpses of live performances at the Cavern Club (which can be viewed on YouTube). Then it moves to Wales and Monnow Valley Studio where we rerecorded A Talent For Loving. Finally, you get a sneak peek at the music video itself, which was filmed in London and also helmed by Mr. Archer. In between segments, you'll hear the band members talk about its past, present and future. Pretty cool, we think.

There is one last bit of news for right now. We can officially announce that the music video for "A Talent For Loving" will debut on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2006. That's a week from tomorrow. It too will be on all of our internet outlets. In the meantime, check out "From L.A. With Love" and tell all your friends about it. Heck, you may be in the doco, so look closely!

Love, Power, Peace