Jimmy & Me Revisited

Playlist

See individual songs below for lyrics, links and song-related notes…

• All I Know
• Met Him on a Plane
• Simile
• Shattered
• Skywriter
• Wooden Planes
• When Can Brown Begin
• If Ships Were Made To Sail
• Love Hurts
• How Quickly
• Shine It on Me
• Lightning in a Bottle
• Another Lullaby
• Asleep on the Wind

Description

Jimmy & Me was released in 2010. This album, Jimmy & Me Revisited, is a remixed, remastered and expanded version of that album. (The original album is still available via most music channels if you’d like to compare.) The …Revisited album also includes two bonus tracks (see below). Available in digital formats only.

This newly remixed and remastered album features meaningful renditions of 13 favorite Jimmy Webb songs, along with a classic inspired by a Webb recording. Fourteen of the most beautiful songs ever written, or should I say, “song descriptions”… ranging from well-known classics to less-well-known gems, with arrangements that traverse the dynamic and emotional space from soliloquy (just vocal and solo piano) to full orchestra.

Total playing time – 58:24

Basics

2024

Two bonus tracks have been added to the …Revisted album:

”How Quickly” – Remix of a single released in 2021. Vocals, arrangement, piano and instrumental renderings recorded by Doug at Hawksnest • Guitars by Daniel Leonhardt

“Asleep on the Wind” – Lead vocal, arrangement, piano and instrumental renderings recorded by Doug in Spring 2024 at Hawksnest • Guitars by Daniel Leonhardt • Background vocal by David C. Glaser

2010

Produced and arranged by Doug Howell. Words and music by Jimmy Webb, except “Love Hurts,” by Boudleaux Bryant. Lead vocals, keyboards and bass by Doug Howell

(Portions of some arrangements after Jimmy Webb. See Album Notes and Credits for more details.)

Supporting vocals by Ann Doyle and Doug, except “Simile,” by Lonnie Hull Dupont • Drums by Danny Cox • Electric and acoustic guitars by Robert Tye • Soprano and tenor saxophones by Mark Kieme • Flute by Kathleen Janka McClatchey Whiteman

Recorded by Doug at Hawksnest, Manchester MI, March 2009–February 2010 • Drums recorded by Michael King at The Mission Studio, Birmingham MI, August 17, 2009 • Strings recorded by Dave Price at Aire Born Studios, Zionsville IN, September 24, 2009 • Contracted by Wood & Rodin, Inc. • Mixed by Doug using Digital Performer by Mark of the Unicorn • Mastered by J. Willard Spencer • CD design by Doug • Photography by David C. Glaser • Available in digital format only

2024 Notes

When I first received my shipment of Jimmy & Me CDs in 2010, I hand-delivered one of the very first copies to my good Manchester Area Historical Society buddy, Howard Parr. We put it on his system, pressed Play, and sat down around his living room in anticipation. We couldn’t have been more than a minute into the first track when he said, “I can’t hear your voice.” Whereupon he got up and walked over to his vinyl record collection, pulled one out, and put it on his turntable. In a few moments, the unmistakable voice of Kate Smith poured out of the speakers. I took his point. Her voice was anything but too quiet.

Obviously, that was a disappointing experience, and though I could explain some of Howard’s response by way of our big age and music preference differences, I couldn’t dismiss it outright, especially when I started hearing similar things from other listeners afterward—even from some of my collaborators. Well, it was my first attempt at mixing, I told myself. What could I do about it now? At least I felt good about the mastering, as I’d hired our own James Willard Spencer for that part of the process. But there’s only so much that mastering can do to “fix” a less-than-acceptable mix.

And so it happened that not very long after the 2010 release, I found myself thinking about remixing the project. Especially once I started releasing other songs after leaving my day job in 2018 and learning a lot more about the technical side of music production—of necessity, since I was no longer surrounded by producers who footed the bill and sound engineers who knew what they were doing. By 2020, after I’d started to rack up some positive comments on my mixing and mastering from people who should know what they were talking about, I wondered if it might be time to revisit the album.

I released another Webb cover in 2021, “How Quickly,” and I thought it might be a good idea to include that—and possibly a brand new cover—to mark the occasion and give people an extra reason to listen again. After considering many possibilities—starting with all the songs I had listed as possibles but excluded from the original release—I decided that the second bonus track would be “Asleep on the Wind.” Just like “How Quickly,” it is a gorgeous, poignant song well worthy of Jimmy’s legacy and anyone’s listening ear. Also like “How Quickly,” it has been covered very, very few times. And on a serendipitous and somewhat frivilous note, the new album playing time with the two bonus tracks intact just happens to be the same time it takes me to do my daily 3.3-mile walk from the Paradise Cliffs to Kaloli Point and back!

And that’s how we’ve finally arrived at the release of Jimmy & Me Revisited. As you listen, keep in mind that nothing new has been recorded, except for the two bonus tracks, of course. The others are the original tracks, just remixed and remastered. For the uninitiated, that means the original instrumental and vocal tracks have each undergone some combination of the following processes: they’ve been re-leveled in relation to the other tracks as far as volume is concerned; re-EQ’d in some cases (equalized, with adjustments applied in the high, mid or low frequencies); and in a few places, improved or “fixed” with other tools and plugins. For instance, a wrong note meant that one track had to be completely turned down in one spot in the original mix; but now I was able to fix the note and bring the track back up.

To help bolster my confidence about tackling the project, I recruited a few of my “superfans,” fellow musicians and project collaborators to listen to the new mixes, compare them with the old ones, and let me know if they felt it was worth all the effort. Did they hear anything different? Better, hopefully? The feedback seemed to all be in favor after a few tests. Some reiterated that they loved the album as it was, and hadn’t felt anything was wrong with the first mixes, but most agreed these sounded somehow “better” or more “transparent,” and they noticed things they hadn’t before.

That last bit came from one of my UK Jimmy buddies, Andy Caseley, who had this to say: “You will know where you twiddled the knobs and for a lot of the time I can only guess as to where you have worked your magic. I do feel that the sound overall is clearer. I was going to use the word ‘translucent,‘ but I see the definition of that word is ‘allowing light but not detailed shapes to pass through,’ but that isn’t correct. So, I guess I have to use the ‘transparent’—‘allowing light to pass through so that objects behind can be distinctly seen.’”

Since Andy liked my original album enough to actually take it to a Jimmy Webb concert and hand it to Jimmy personally, I obviously listen when he tells me what he thinks! And since his and others’ feedback pretty much confirmed how I felt about things myself after many, many listens, I decided to proceed.

So now you know the whole story, and I hope you enjoy this “refreshed” collection of what I believe to be 14 of the most beautiful songs ever written. Jimmy’s songs have always seemed to me like gifts from God, gifts that never failed to give expression to my too often inscrutable feelings and open a door to Heaven. Many of those past door-opening moments have come back to me as I’ve worked and listened and fallen in love again with Jimmy’s songs, and I’m very grateful to have this chance to introduce his artful, unforgettable “song descriptions” to a whole new crop of listeners.

Titles & Subtitles

As diehard Jimmy Webb fans know, he wrote and recorded a song called “Elvis and Me” which appeared on his Suspending Disbelief album. Jimmy recounts quite a tale of how he met Elvis—at a time when he was enjoying a reputation as something of a wunderkind himself—and was even invited backstage! I’ve heard him say (in concert and in his books) much the same kinds of things about Frank Sinatra, Richard Harris and others, and how he was always a bit in awe of them. Whenever I’ve heard these stories, I couldn’t help but think how similarly I feel about him: he is one of my musical heroes, after all. The difference is that I’m no wunderkind and he doesn’t know me from Adam. So the two times I’ve seen him in concert, I couldn’t even work up enough courage to meet him in person.

Anyway, that’s why I decided to settle on Jimmy & Me as the title for the original album. As I contemplated revisiting the album, it seemed most natural to me to just add revisited to the original title. Remix wouldn’t fit as well, because there would be bonus tracks added, so Jimmy & Me Revisited it became.

As far as the subtitle goes, in case you didn’t know, it comes from a line in “Simile,” (track 3) a song based on a letter Jimmy wrote to another of his musical heroes, Joni Mitchell, a letter that was inadvertently lost for a long time, but later rediscovered. The line is: “he is singing a description of a song he cannot write / about how hard it is to cry.” In a way, all songs (and poems, too, I guess) are descriptions of things that can’t be expressed adequately through the written word, aren’t they? Attempts at describing the indescribable. So I think of these 14 songs as “song descriptions from a master.”

The art is based on a photograph David took of my Kawai grand in our Hawkswood living room. I kept the original artwork, but reworked the colors—and the title, of course. I’ve also added new cover photos for each song’s video, which include the lyrics.

2010 Notes

When I was growing up, music was my safe haven—among other things—but I took no shelter in the music most of my friends enjoyed. Then, as now, I was drawn to the songs that surprised me, that made me feel as if I was going on a journey. Come to think of it, maybe that’s the flip side of the “safe haven” part. I like a song I can climb up into, nestle among its branches, daydream a little and experience something different every time.

There were three main pop musical influences in my early life: one was mainly a musical influence, one mainly lyrical, and one encompassed both—the whole song. The musical influence was Burt Bacharach, together with Dionne Warwick’s flawless, soulful, melodic execution. There was nothing to take for granted there. Start listening to one of his melodies and you don’t now where you might end up. Dionne escorted me on many a musical journey as I made my way down the tasklist of a kid doing chores on an apple orchard.

The main lyrical influence? I’d have to say it was Joni Mitchell. Her lyrics made me feel that I wasn’t alone in the world. Listening to her tales of woe didn’t deepen my despair, but reassured me that other human beings had been this way before. The music was wonderful, too, of course, but it seemed to me that the lyrics were steering the ship. The music was a perfect setting, but it was the bejeweled, poetic lines that drew my attention.

And now for the song—that mystical marriage of music and lyrics—for that it was Jimmy Webb. No question. His songs turned not just the head, but the heart. The lyrics took away the breath. And the music… I’m not sure I can even get close to describing what hearing his songs was like for me. I can still remember where I was and what I was doing when I heard some of Jimmy’s songs for the first time. I was on the lawnmower when I first heard “Macarthur Park.” What a revelation it was. I felt that a door was opening somewhere. I could feel it, and somehow I was no longer tied to the earth and the wheels and the whirring engine.

It may not come as too much of a surprise, then, that it’s always been a dream of mine to record some of my favorite Webb originals. It’s one of the projects on my “life list.” And as it happens, I find myself at a time of life when it’s not wise to put off doing the things on that list. What made me want to do this project in the first place? I guess for me it is a thank you to Jimmy; a return gift for the many gifts he gave to me and thousands like me; and an offering, in the hope that others may discover his wonderful music and be awakened—and changed—by it like I was. At the very least, there will be a few more low-voice versions available that people can sing along with!

How did I choose from among the many, many favorites? Now that wasn’t easy. First I made a big list, then struck out all the titles I was either too afraid to tackle, or felt I couldn’t do much justice to. (That’s why you won’t find “Macarthur Park” on this playlist. I just couldn’t bring myself to tamper with it.) But after all that, I still ended up with a list long enough for two albums, and then some. So I asked myself: Which ones, if not chosen, would I be the sorriest about never getting the chance to record? Sitting with that question for awhile eventually led me to the current roster: 12 of what I hope listeners will agree are the most beautiful songs ever written. (Of course, one of them Jimmy didn’t write, but more about that later.)

My previous solo albums contain original songs in the contemporary Christian music genre. The songs are songs of faith, but they are also songs of life—life that revolves around faith. These are songs of life, too. And for me, they also revolve around faith. I consider them sacred, not least because of how God has used them in my life.

The movie Finding Forrester stars Sean Connery as a Pulitzer prize-winning recluse writer who by accident becomes friend and mentor to a brilliant, 16-year-old neighborhood boy from a poor family. In one scene, he plops a typewriter down in front of the boy and tells him to “write!” The boy is so intimidated that he’s paralyzed and can only stare at the thing. You get the feeling that an hour (at least) goes by, and still the boy is sitting there, arms folded, staring ahead. Eventually the writer digs out an old manuscript of his own from the file cabinet and hands it to the boy. “Start typing that,” he says. “Sometimes the simple rhythm of typing gets us from page one to page two. And when you begin to feel your own words, start typing them.” In many ways, this project is like that for me. It’s been so long since I’ve recorded an album, I was a little paralyzed by the thought of starting a new solo project. I guess I’m hoping that by starting with some of Jimmy’s masterful words and music, I’ll start feeling my own again.

One more word of explanation. For each song, I’ve written some “music and meaning” notes, and have also noted my favorite rendition. My own versions often borrow elements from my favorites and, in some cases, put together elements I like from several different versions. On some songs, I have quoted a piano or string part—elements I didn’t dare “tamper with.” I’ll point out these passages as we go.

Credits

Produced and arranged by Doug Howell
For my wonderful, incomparable Davey. I love you, and that’s all I know.
Words and music by Jimmy Webb, except “Love Hurts,” by Boudleaux Bryant
Arrangements, keyboards, bass and lead vocals by Doug Howell
(Portions of some arrangements after Jimmy Webb. See song notes for details.)

Supporting vocals by Ann Doyle and Doug, except “Simile,” by Lonnie Hull DuPont
Drums by Danny Cox • Electric and acoustic guitars by Robert Tye, except “How Quickly” and “Asleep on the Wind,” by Daniel Leonhardt
Soprano and tenor saxophones by Mark Kieme • Flute by Kathleen Janka McClatchey Whiteman
Violin by Davis Brooks (Concertmaster), Mary Kothman, Debbie Rodin, Lisa Brooks/Emily Glover, Pam Close, Kara Day-Spurlock, Linda Yu-Picard, Chin Mi Kim, Alfred Abel • Viola by Colette Abel, Susan Chan, Amy Brandfonbrener
Cello by Nancy Smith, Biljana Bozinovska-Bojovic • Double Bass by Joe Everett

Recorded by Doug at Hawksnest, Manchester MI; March 2009–February 2010; Bonus tracks recorded at Hawksnest West, Kea‘au, HI; March 2021–June 2024
Drums recorded by Michael King at The Mission Studio, Birmingham MI, August 17, 2009 (except bonus tracks, by Doug)
Strings recorded by Dave Price at Aire Born Studios, Zionsville IN, September 24, 2009 •
Contracted by Wood & Rodin, Inc. (except bonus tracks, by Doug)
Mixed by Doug using Digital Performer by Mark of the Unicorn
Original recording mastered by J. Willard Spencer; Revisited mastered by Doug • CD design by Doug • Photography by David C. Glaser

With thanks to the Lord of all broken hearts; Davey, for understanding all the hours it took; my grandparents Regis (through Teddy and Mom), for making the string sessions possible—hope some of this music is heavenly enough to make its way to you, Grandma and Grandpa; Mom and Dad, for making music possible in the first place; Aunt Leota, for teaching me piano in the second place; Mike Kuzma, for “discovering” me in the third place; an unrivaled collection of family and friends both present and departed, for their love and support; Miss Ann, Lonnie, Danny, Bob, Mark, Kathleen, and all the marvelous string players, for singing and playing their hearts out; Michael and Dave for their invaluable technical input, Danny and Willard for their insightful mix notes; Nancy Feldkamp, for her wonderful painting of Hawkswood (center stage on the CD’s front cover); Chris and Bill Barton, for putting me up and making me forget to get nervous for the string sessions; Rob Martens at Solid Sound, for giving me a break on mic rental; Sue Gillis at World Class, for the classy packaging; and all you friends, fans and supporters out there who still haven’t forgotten me and find me at the rate of one or two a week and remind me that it’s all worthwhile.

For more information and notes, see below
Recording, packaging and content ℗ © 2010 Creative Measures LLC; Revisited ℗ © 2024 Creative Measures LLC
To contact Doug Howell, write or visit:
Creative Measures LLC • PO Box 2080 • Pāhoa HI • www.creativemeasures.com

Reviews

Manchester Enterprise and Ann Arbor Current featured articles about the album and Doug’s February 2011 release concert with Ann Doyle. Here are some of the personal and various other reviews:

I realise it is too early to be thinking this way, but I am already thinking about a possible Jimmy and Me 2! —Andy C.

Doug has chosen some of Webb’s most beautiful songs… ‘Skywriter’ and ‘Wooden Planes’ have always been two of my very favorite songs… ‘All I Know’ and ‘Another Lullaby’ are just gorgeous here… —Marilyn C. P.

Howell has achieved the same thing Clapton did on his cover album… Me and Mr. Johnson—the songs aren’t new, but the feeling, arrangement and interpretations are worth hearing. —MuzikReviews.com

Listening to these songs is like coming home. Doug Howell…delivers a masterful CD….Don’t miss this one! —Sara S.

now this release from…songwriter and pianist Doug Howell joins [Webb’s latest album] on my Top 5 Albums of the Year list —Jeff C.

High in the Andes with you and Jimmy – I downloaded your new album before I left for a mission trip… recently. I listened to it on a clear night with a full moon high in the Andes, laying outside my hut. Thank you for more wonderful music. Shattered was the masterpiece, for me… It gave words and music to a hurt I rarely express. —David P.

many, many thanks for an album of Jimmy Webb cover versions that could not be bettered —Andy C.

I absolutely love the CD; I’ve been playing it often—for friends, too, and everyone seems to like it a lot. I’ve heard more than once of its ‘quiet elegance.’ —Robert T.

he’s almost flawless throughout the album. It does Webb’s vocals justice without stealing the show and you can tell that the lyrics mean something to Howell —MuzikReviews.com

It is exquisite. Just wonderful… Your choice of material…the loving arrangements…the actual playing. Exquisite. —David B.

I listened to Jimmy & Me this morning. It brought tears to my eyes and a lump in my throat…The songs make me realize how grateful I am for the life I’ve been blessed with… —Kathyrn W.

It’s the kind of album where you lose yourself in it and find yourself all at the same time—the places only music, especially great music, can take us. —Kathleen M.

The disc is incredibly lush and heart-wrenchingly beautiful. My first impression was really strong…that God was speaking… —Edie H.

Howell’s interpretations, often based on piano, are set in scenes with much feeling in a unified soundscape, and he has achieved it. —Robert P. (translated from German)

every songwriter should be this lucky to have an interpreter such as Howell. —San S.

The album…combines Howell at his crooning best and Webb at his poetic peak. —Manchester Enterprise

Howell considers these songs some of the most beautiful ever written, and hopes to help some new listeners discover that for themselves. —Manchester Enterprise

I’d go so far as to say that some songs are the best recorded versions —Tim L.

‘Lightning in a Bottle’ is a revelation…I adore that song! —Sara S.

Congratulations on a masterful CD…It’s really lovely. You may have been a few years between recordings, but it was worth the wait! —Sara S.

Howell in his sleeve notes…says [Jennifer Warnes’] is his favourite recorded version, but I maintain that his own version is better. —Tim L.

Nice CD…Nice to hear many of these not so well known J.W. songs ‘a new way’ —Erik C.

‘I don’t like it. I love it’. I think this album is an absolute sensation. The choice of songs is spot-on, Doug’s voice is great and the lush arrangements…I found the first listen very moving indeed. —Tim L.

I love your Jimmy Webb covers on the songs ‘Skywriter’ and ‘When Can Brown Begin.’ Your arrangements are fantastic, soaring violins coupled with your singing and piano playing —Paul Z.

You may be thinking, ‘Who does Doug Howell think he is?’ particularly if you know Webb’s work, but you won’t be thinking it for long. —MuzikReviews.com

My father has been a fan of Jimmy Webb’s since 1967 and collected all his stuff and he says this album is one of the best Jimmy Webb collections EVER! —John C.

I downloaded a few songs to get the emotional feel of your vocals and arrangements. Your versions…are spectacular. A fresh new surprise. —Paul Z.

Just bought Jimmy & Me… It’s brilliant! Thanks for making it available to this long-time listener of both Webb and Howell. The combination is unbeatable in my view. —Jeff C.

I am floored. This album is fantastic. Your voice is gorgeous and sensitive. Your taste is impeccable in the arrangements. You are loyal to the songs… —Brian G.

LOVE IT – Yet, so hard to get past the first track. The CD is lovely and simple and tender and well recorded and executed. But the first track slays me. —Brian B.

The album overall surpassed my expectations….One can sense that Howell finds a deep connection with the lyrics, which makes the album worth hearing. —Bryan Farrish Radio Promotion

Jimmy’s wonderful and unique songs paired with Doug Howell’s heartfelt renditions makes for a truly remarkable album. It took me several times to make it through the first song… —David G.

Classic Doug. An old friend at his best. [‘All I Know’ is a] brilliant song, rendered like you wrote it yourself. Bravo! —Brian B.