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Carla Olson | |
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| Born | July 3, 1952 Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Genres | Rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter guitarist |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Labels | A&M Records, Virgin Records Sweden, IRS Records, Enigma Records, Fuel2000 Records, Sunset Blvd Music, Demon Records, BFD Records |
Carla Olson (born July 3, 1952) [1] is an American, Los Angeles-based songwriter, performer and record producer. [2]
Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Olson moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1978 where she formed the Textones, whose debut album Midnight Mission entered the Billboard 200. [3] Carla is multilingual. She served as a French translator for Malian legend Ali Farka Toure. She also speaks Italian, Japanese and Swedish.
An early version of the Textones, consisting of Olson, Kathy Valentine, Markus Cuff, and David Provost, played the late 1970s punk/new wave scene in Los Angeles and toured the US and Europe. They also released an EP in the UK and a single in the US. Their debut album for A&M Records, Midnight Mission, consisted of Olson along with George Callins, Joe Read, Tom Jr Morgan, and Phil Seymour. They also toured the US and Europe. The record charted at 76 on the Billboard 200, and both singles, "Standing in the Line" and "Midnight Mission", were featured videos on MTV, and received radio airplay as well. [1] [4] [5] The second Textones album, Cedar Creek, was released in 1987 by Enigma Records.
Olson has received critical acclaim for her work as a solo performer, band leader, and producer. In varying capacities, she has worked with former Rolling Stones' guitarist Mick Taylor, Percy Sledge (Sledge has recorded five songs that Olson has written or co-written), Ry Cooder, Gene Clark, Don Henley, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, John Fogerty, Mikael Rickfors, and many others. [6] Her musical partnerships in the 1980s included former Byrd member Gene Clark (which resulted in a duet album, So Rebellious a Lover) and Mick Taylor. The Carla Olson and Mick Taylor band included George Callins on guitar, Jesse Sublett on bass (Sublett had previously played with Olson and Valentine in Austin in a band called the Violators), Tom Jr Morgan on saxophone, and Rick Hemmert on drums. Their live album Too Hot For Snakes added Ian McLagan (Small Faces, Faces) and Barry Goldberg (the Electric Flag, the Rides) on keyboards. Varying combinations of these musicians also appear on the subsequent Olson studio albums Within An Ace, Reap The Whirlwind, and The Ring Of Truth.
Olson also appeared in Bob Dylan's first video (for the song "Sweetheart Like You"). To return the favor, Dylan gave Olson his previously unreleased song "Clean Cut Kid" which she recorded on Midnight Mission. Ry Cooder played slide guitar on the track. [7] [8] [2] [9]
Since 2001 Olson has concentrated most of her energies on music production, [10] but has continued her songwriting and co-writing activities. She has written music for lyrics (or poems) by Sterling A. Brown, George Callins, Cream lyricist Pete Brown, Allan Clarke, George Green, Rick Hemmert, Brian Jones and Jim Morrison. (The latter collaboration was released in December 2019 on the expanded release of True Voices i.e. Ode To L.A. While Thinking Of Brian Jones, Deceased as performed by Johnny Indovina of Human Drama.) She has also written with Barry Goldberg, Kathy Valentine, Mikael Rickfors, Danny Tate, Danny Wilde and Pete Brown.
In 2013, after not releasing an album of her own since The Ring of Truth in 2001, Olson recorded Have Harmony, Will Travel , which is an album of cover songs with guest vocalists on each track including Rob Waller, John York, Richie Furay, Juice Newton, James Inveldt, Scott Kempner, Peter Case and Gary Myrick. [11]
May 26, 2015, saw the re-release of the Textones albums Midnight Mission and Cedar Creek by Omnivore Recordings. Both albums were expanded editions with additional studio tracks, live recordings, photos and newly written essays.[ needs update ]
In January 2017, Olsons's debut solo album, recorded in Malmo, Sweden, in 1988, was released in the U.S. by Sunset Blvd Records. This U.S. edition is titled Rubies & Diamonds after one of the album's tracks. It featured Olson and George Callins of the Textones, plus Gene Clark on vocals, plus most of the members of the Swedish rock band Wilmer X: Thomas Holst (lead guitar), Stefan Bjork (bass guitar), Sticky Bomb (drums) and Jalle Lorensson (harmonica). The album was produced by Tomas Gabrielsson along with Olson and Callins. [12]
In February 2020, Olson released Have Harmony, Will Travel 2 – the sequel to volume 1. The new album included new duets with Stephen McCarthy (of The Long Ryders), Timothy B. Schmit, Peter Noone, Terry Reid, Jim Muske, Ana Gazzola as well asfour4 archive recordings featuring Percy Sledge, Gene Clark, and I See Hawks In L.A. [13] [14]
In late 2021, BMG Records / Renew released a vinyl album Americana Railroad. It was released on CD in 2022. The album featured nine tracks produced by Olson: "Here Comes That Train Again" and "I Remember The Railroad" by Stephen McCarthy and Carla Olson, "The Conductor Wore Black" and "Midnight Rail" by Robert Rex Waller Jr, "Mystery Train" by Rocky Burnette, "Train Kept A-Rollin'" by Gary Myrick, "Runaway Train" by John York, also "Mystery Train" by James Intveld and "Southwest Chief" by Dave Alvin. Olson also appeared with Brian Ray performing "Whiskey Train" and she mixed John Fogerty's contribution, "City of New Orleans". [15]
Ryland Peter Cooder is an American musician, songwriter, film score composer, record producer, and writer. He is a multi-instrumentalist but is best known for his slide guitar work, his interest in traditional music, and his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries.
Percy Tyrone Sledge was an American R&B, soul and gospel singer. He is best known for the song "When a Man Loves a Woman", a No. 1 hit on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B singles charts in 1966. It was awarded a million-selling, Gold-certified disc from the RIAA.
Harold Eugene Clark was an American singer-songwriter and founding member of the folk rock band the Byrds. He was the Byrds' principal songwriter between 1964 and early 1966, writing most of the band's best-known originals from this period, including "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better", "She Don't Care About Time", "Eight Miles High" and "Set You Free This Time". Although he did not achieve commercial success as a solo artist, Clark was in the vanguard of popular music during much of his career, prefiguring developments in such disparate subgenres as psychedelic rock, baroque pop, newgrass, country rock, and alternative country. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 as a member of the Byrds.
Kathryn Valentine is an American musician who is the bassist for the rock band the Go-Go's. She has maintained a career in music through songwriting, recording, performing and touring as well as additional academic and creative pursuits. Valentine was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in October 2021 as a member of The Go-Go's.
The Long Ryders are an American alternative country and Paisley Underground band, principally active between 1982 and 1987, who have periodically regrouped for brief reunions. In 2019 they released a new studio album – their first in 32 years – and played a series of tour dates.
Barry Joseph Goldberg is an American blues and rock keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer. Goldberg has co-produced albums by Percy Sledge, Charlie Musselwhite, James Cotton, and the Textones, plus Bob Dylan's version of Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready".
Tanya Haden Black is an American artist, musician, and singer. She is one of the triplet daughters of jazz bassist Charlie Haden. She is married to actor, comedian, and musician Jack Black.
Harold Allan Clarke is an English rock singer, who was one of the founding members and the original lead singer of the Hollies. He achieved international hit singles with the group and is credited as co-writer on several of their best-known songs, including "On a Carousel", "Carrie Anne", "Jennifer Eccles" and "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress". He retired from performing in 1999, but returned to the music industry in 2019. Clarke was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.
Philip Warren Seymour was an American drummer, singer, guitarist and songwriter, best known for the singles "I'm on Fire", his own solo hit "Precious to Me" and for providing backing vocals on Tom Petty's hits "American Girl" and "Breakdown." His solo work is revered among fans of power pop.
Mikael Rickfors is a Swedish singer and songwriter. From 1968, he was the lead singer and bass guitarist in Swedish band Bamboo. The band released two singles before breaking up in 1970. Rickfors later performed with the British rock group The Hollies for about two years. At this period he displayed a wide vocal range and powerful chest voice. In later decades he took on a deliberate, slightly raspy tone. After his time in The Hollies, he started a somewhat successful solo career. The commercial highlight was the 1988 hit "Vingar" in Sweden.
Duane Jarvis was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter who recorded, wrote songs and toured with many rock and roll and country music performers, including Frank Black, Peter Case, Rosie Flores, John Prine, Amy Rigby, Lucinda Williams, Dwight Yoakam, Tim Carroll, and Gene Clark & Carla Olson.
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Busted Flat Records is Ontario-based independent record label, founded in 2002.
John "Juke" Logan was an American electric blues harmonica player, musician, singer, pianist and songwriter. He is best known for his harmonica playing on the theme music for television programs and films. In addition to playing on many other musicians' work, Logan released four solo albums, and wrote songs for Poco, John Mayall and Gary Primich.
"She Don't Care About Time" is a song by American folk rock band the Byrds. It was released on a non-album single in October 1965, as the B-side to "Turn! Turn! Turn!". The song was written by Gene Clark, the Byrds' main songwriter between 1964 and early 1966. "She Don't Care About Time" was recorded during sessions for the group's second album Turn! Turn! Turn!. The song is on most of the band's hits compilations.
"Gypsy Rider" is a song written by Gene Clark, and performed by Clark and Carla Olson on the album So Rebellious a Lover, released 1987. The song was released as the A-side on a promo single the following year, given away for free with issue #24 of Bucketfull of Brains magazine. The B-side was "Flyaway" performed by The Seers.
Have Harmony, Will Travel is an album by singer and songwriter Carla Olson. It was released by Busted Flat Records on April 30, 2013 and marked Olson's first studio album since her 2001 release The Ring of Truth.
Carla Olson is a Los Angeles-based songwriter, performer and producer. Her discography consists of 10 studio albums, 4 live albums, and 4 compilations. In addition, she has been featured as a performer and producer on many albums by other artists.
Gene Clark was an American singer-songwriter and founding member of the Byrds. His discography consists of 7 studio albums, 3 live albums, 11 compilations, 2 EPs, and 10 singles.
So Rebellious a Lover is a 1987 studio album by American singer-songwriters Gene Clark and Carla Olson. Released in April 1987, the album revived Clark's flagging career. It was well-received and became a modest commercial success, at the time the biggest-selling album of Clark's solo career. Although no promotional singles were released from the album, several tracks are well regarded among fans.
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