Thanks to Bob Montgomery for letting us do our own thing. His only stipulation was that we record two of his favorites which were "No Such Love" and "The Same Boat". The only two co-writes on the album,...both with Carol Ann Etheridge.
(Thanks Carol Ann)

We also recorded: "Fourth Of July In England" (D. Henry) "Trailer In The Rain" (D. Henry) "Distant Dream" (D. Henry / Billy Simon) "A Tear For The Year" (D.Henry) But these songs didn't make the cut because of the strict controlled composition clause in the recording contract. Maybe this stuff will resurface someday if we can figure out a way to get Sony to re-release the album. (Hold your breath and I'll ask for blue boy.)

The core band on this album was:
Eddie Bayers: Drums
Michael Rhodes: Bass
John Jarvis: Piano
B. James Lowry: Electric Guitar
Me on acoustic guitar and mandolin

I gained a brother during the making of this album. Ray Kennedy and I have an unspoken blood bond between us. We learned a lot together. We spent countless hours making this album. Most of which was spent laughing, writing songs, going to guitar shops, writing his videos. (he is a great artist in his own right with albums and singles released on Atlantic records…we wrote his single "Scars" as well as the treatment for the video)
He taught me about EQ, tube mics, tube compressors, guitar licks how to wear leather, how to cut your hair so you never have to comb it, etc…. And I taught him that most of his favorite records have very little to no reverb. We became the anti-reverb coalition that we still maintain to this day (although I've been known to backslide a little from time to time) We went through a lot of changes in our personal lives at about the same time. It was nice to have a "brother" to understand. If that's all I got out of this album I was well rewarded. Thanks Ray.

Ahh. Now the album cover shoot. I was lying on the living room floor in between reality and dream state. Usually the moment when a good song idea or line will grab ya. That's when I saw it. The Victorian backdrop, the tall, beautiful, pale, brunette woman, the car-salesman midget, complete with fat cigar, World War 1 flying helmet and angel wings (a demented cherub if you will.) And me…thoroughly entranced in wooing the young lady with a song. I'm actually more into the song than I am into her, thus losing her to the very cupid that put us together to begin with. (I think he knew what he was doing all along.) You'll be happy to know that I have since learned how to love people (especially my woman) more than my music. Incredible what maturity an angel woman can bring out of you.

I always intended to be completely involved in the artwork of every album I made. Luckily for me, Bill Johnson, head of the art department at Sony at the time, was thrilled with the idea. Good thing, since he was the one who had to present it to the Sony president Roy Waunch for approval. Thanks Bill.

Senor McGuire shot it. His dog shorty went everywhere with him. When I arrived that morning, Shorty was sitting on the bench with that backdrop behind him. It was beautiful! "Just shoot that and let's go home" I said…which would have been fine for me. We still managed to sneek Shorty in there. It was an honor to work with the great McGuire who is a true artist with the camera. Thanks Senor Jim. Bill Johnson said that we won an "Addie" award for the package. I never saw the actual trophy but too many awards were piling up around the house anyways. (insert laugh here for sarcastic joke).

I'm glad I made this record. It put me on a path I continue down today. It's a VERY rocky road, but I think this is what I was born to do. I always thought I'd be happy as a staff songwriter for publishing companies, hiding in writing rooms crankin' out hits for someone else to sing…and in many ways I still do that happily and proudly today. But the opportunity to make this record helped me to grow not only as a writer but as a person. I found out a lot more about myself than I expected to. Apparently I have a rather large ego that needs to be fed by entertaining people…who'da thunk it! My writing was forced to grow into places that my favorite writers treaded. Could I possibly write something as brilliant as Joni or Randy or Jimmy or Elton and Bernie? Maybe someday on this path…but not the one I was on before I made "Wild In The Backyard". When you have to perform the songs you write, you become highly aware of their entertainment value, especially when it's just you and a guitar. The publishing atmosphere in Nashville changed so drastically in the last decade that I probably would have ended up here anyway. I'm glad I got a little jump on it. Anyway, for better or worse, here I am.

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