Ray Wylie Hubbard
Album: Co-Starring
Release Date: 2020
The way Ray Wylie Hubbard explains it ‘Co-Starring’ just came together. That’s hard to believe considering the number of stars that collaborate on it, but it’s also a testament to the esteem in which he is held among his fellow musicians. All the songs are composed by Ray Wylie and contain his trademark fusion of country, blues, and good old fashioned rock and roll, but he steps out of the singer-songwriter persona and dons the cloak of a front man. It still sounds like Ray, but it sounds like Ray Wylie and the Heartbreakers.
The story behind ‘Bad Trick’ is often told at a Ray Wylie Hubbard concert. He starts by explaining the motivation behind it – he returns home after a rough gig at a decrepit club and, on top of everything else, the club owner stiffed him on payment. He’s bitching about the experience to his wife and she respond’s with, “everyone turns a bad trick every now and again.” She has co-writing credits for the song.
Not long after this, Hubbard finds himself in Ringo Starr’s orbit and casually jokes that it would be cool if he played drums on the new song. A few days later he gets a call asking if he can be at Ringo’s house next week to record that drum track you were talking about . Ray Wylie travels to the home studio in California and they make the recording. Afterwards, Ringo says, “we should get Don Was to play bass on this.”
Ray replies with, “I don’t know Don Was.”
“That’s OK,” Ringo says, “I’ll ask him.” Then, he adds, “We should get Joe Walsh to play guitar.”
“I don’t know him either,” Ray replies.
“Don’t worry about it,” Ringo says. “He’s my brother-in-law, I’ll ask him.”
“Cool,” Ray says.
They also recruit Chris Robinson and now they’ve got a supergroup. These titans open the album with a punch, and things don’t slow down. The ensuing tracks feature stars including The Cadillac Three, Pam Tillis, Ashley McBryde, and Ronnie Dunn. It’s easy for a collaborative project to feel disjointed and confusing, but Ray’s dynamic presence is the connecting thread that makes this album a cohesive experience. The eclectic group of musicians accentuate the versatility Ray’s songwriting rather than create a distraction.
The album was released forty-five years after Ray Wylie’s ill-fated debut recording and is the first major label release of his career…unfortunately, it was released in the dreadful summer of 2020. There was no big release party paid for by the record company, no special appearances by featured stars, and no tour to promote the album. Instead, Ray Wylie played the show by himself in the Saxon Pub and streamed it on Facebook for his fans to watch at home.
Despite the headwinds, it debuted at number twenty-one on the Billboard charts and is one of Ray Wylie’s best selling albums. More importantly, it’s a brilliant collection of songs brought to life by stars from across the musical spectrum.
The Lime Rickey
There is no description of a Lime Rickey that does not start with the words “tart and refreshing,” which also happens to be how most descriptions of the Ray Wylie Hubbard songbook start. The rickey is the perfect drink for sitting outside on a July evening, such as the one when Ray Wylie hosted his virtual release party. We’re using a virgin recipe, but if you want to turn it into a cocktail adding a shot of gin is a popular option.
If you’ve spent time in Texas you know there is a distinction between topo-chico and sparkling water. There isn’t a proper substitute for topo-chico. The extra carbonation can’t be matched and makes all other sparkling waters taste less sparkly. Use the glass bottled ones, the fizz doesn’t transfer to the plastic containers. As always, use fresh squeezed juice and avoid like the coronavirus anything that comes out of a lime shaped squeeze bottle.
Lime Rickey Recipe
- 1 bottle topo-chico
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 oz simple syrup (optional)
- Garnish with a lime wedge and sprig of fresh rosemary (optional)
Directions
- Stir lime juice, topo, and simple syrup together in a tall glass
- Add ice and garnishes
- Enjoy
