To celebrate the launch of BarbaraBixby.com, I called on some of the artists around me to collaborate on the experience. My husband‘s band, Frank Carillo and the Bandoleros, along with a very special guest – Augie Myers from the Sir Douglas Quintet and Bob Dylan’s band – recorded a very unique version of Amazing Grace. This song inspired the beautiful crosses of the same name that are now offer on the Amazing Grace Page.
Both Barbara and I love the song Amazing Grace, so she asked if I’d be up for recording a version for the launch of her cross collection.
I initially recorded piano and Hammond organ with a basic arrangement. Then a few weeks later I called in my band – The Bandoleros. We passed around ideas as to what instruments to use. After adding dobro, lapsteel, acoustic and electric guitars, acoustic bass, drums and percussion, Eddie Seville and I did the vocals. When we were done, we sent the tracks to San Antonio to Augie Meyer, who played some haunting accordion to really finish it off.
For the middle bit I used some lyrics that I wrote for a special version of the old Robert Burns song, Auld Lang Syne. The sentiment and feeling seemed to play well with Amazing Grace.
I wanted a real rootsy sound, but it turned out to have almost a Civil War feeling to it. This was the first time Barbara and I merged my music and her designs, and I’m really happy with the result.
– Frank Carillo
Song Credits:
The Bandoleros are Karl Allweier, Eddie Seville, Norman DelTufo, Andrew Carillo
The engineer/producer on this record was long-time collaborator, Paul Orofino.