Phil Lee & Other Old Time Favorites

Did You Ever Miss Someone?
Phil Lee – Grim Reminder Music BMI / John Sieger – Strum and Drang BMI

The newest and most traditional of the old time favorites, short, bittersweet and to the point. John Sieger, the songwriter’s songwriter sent a verse and chorus, leaving me the hard job of punctuating and adding verses. At 1:57 it still comes in under the wire… p.s. – this was how the entire record was meant to sound but we got carried away…

Phil Lee – lead vocal, rhythm guitar
David West – dobro, mandolin, string bass, harmony vocal

When’s The Lovin’ Comin’ Back?
Phil Lee – Grim Reminder Music BMI / Perry Lamek – Lamek Publishing

Co-writing can be an excruciating thing but if your co-writer goes to heaven before it’s finished, it can be a piece of a cake. On this stroll along the blvds of Bakersfield, David decides drums wouldn’t hurt this one too much…

Phil Lee – lead vocal, rhythm guitar, drums
David West – electric guitars, electric bass, harmony vocal

I Like Women
Phil Lee – Grim Reminder Music BMI / Garth Beckington – Go Mad Music BMI

Publisher: “It took two people to write this song?” Me: “3 if you want to include Chuck Berry…” When you hear this version you may want to add Bob Wills to the writer’s list. In any case, however good or bad this little number might be, everybody seems to like it plenty and never fights the urge to jump in on the choruses.

Phil Lee – lead vocal, rhythm guitar, drums
David West – electric guitar, lap steel, string bass, background vocals

Might As Well Be
Phil Lee – Grim Reminder Music BMI

I’ve been on the road for 50 years and it seems there’s always some pesky gig needs to be done. So I do em. No questions asked. As for the song, It’s an honest (possibly too honest) reflection of a night in the life of a working musician on the road. Could be me, could be anybody. Could be tonight or 32 years ago.

Phil Lee – lead vocal, rhythm guitars, drums
David West – lap steel, piano, string bass, background vocals

The Devil and the Farmer’s Wife
Public Domain arr. Phil Lee – Grim Reminder Music BMI

Our musical rendering of the ancient classic The Farmer’s Curst Wife. Child Ballad #278 if anyone’s counting… I got it off an acappella field recording by Hamper McBee. He was pretty drunk by the time he got to this one but it didn’t affect his amazing performance. We were sober the whole time which didn’t hurt our performance either.

Phil Lee – lead vocal, rhythm guitar
David West – banjo, mandolin, string bass, harmony vocal

Forever After All
Phil Lee – Grim Reminder Music BMI

You realize, as you sit regarding the dimming sunset, against all the odds, you’ve made it to the last act together…

Phil Lee – lead vocal, rhythm guitar
David West – dobro, mandolin, string bass

Daddy’s Jail
Phil Lee – Round Hill Works/Sony/ATV BMI

My dad ran the Durham County Jail in NC and I was constantly being seen in the company of bad companions. This song demanded to be written. Dad would’ve liked this version. He never much went for the take on that Bloodshot Records compilation CD. It did not groove him.

Phil Lee – lead vocal, harmonica, rhythm guitar, drums
David West – electric guitar, electric bass, organ, harmony vocal

Where Is The Family Today?
Phil Lee, James Brown – Grim Reminder Music BMI

I’m not known for my sentimentality and I will stretch the truth for artistic effect but none of this is made up. This song works really well too because David West is some kind of musical
genius.

Phil Lee – lead vocal, rhythm guitar
David West – mandolin, dobro, string bass, harmony vocal

Wake Up Crying
Phil Lee – Grim Reminder Music BMI

I recorded this a couple of years ago with Crazy Horse and it makes for a darn fine Rock-n-Roll song but this is how I wrote it. It would be my pick for a single. Definitely would love to do a video on it.

Phil Lee – lead vocal, rhythm guitar, really important guitar lick in 2nd solo section, drums
David West – lead guitar, mandolin, banjo, electric bass, harmony vocal

Just A Closer Walk With Thee
Public Domain arr. Phil Lee – Grim Reminder Music BMI

I’ve wanted to do this since I saw Harry Dean Stanton sing it in Cool Hand Luke. David was more familiar with the Elvis version. Voila!

Phil Lee – lead vocal, rhythm guitar
David West – mandolin, background vocals

Notes on making “Phil Lee and Other Old Time Favorites”
12/19/2021

I think everyone should have a project to work on whenever there is a global pandemic-health-crisis. It helps to pass the time. In the Covid Year of 2021, my project was helping Phil Lee make his new record “Phil Lee and Other Old Time Favorites.” I met Phil a couple of years ago working on his Crazy Horse record. Since then I thought it would be interesting to hear his unique voice and songwriting skills turned loose in the fertile musical fields of regional North America, the music we’ve both always loved and grew up playing. It clicked from the first song. The album goes from Bakersfield to Bluegrass, Tennessee to Texas, with just a hint of San Francisco, and a little old time gospel to be on the safe side. Phil is a true road-tested professional who blazed in the studio with rock solid performances on every track. The project was so fun and went so fast that it’s now finished and we still have plenty of global pandemic-health-crisis to spare! And when you see the front cover photo of Phil, you’ll know why they say… don’t drink and dress.

David West
President-For-Life
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