The Rock 'n' Roll Philosopher Dion

• 1 I’m Your Gangster Of Love 03:33
• 2 New York Minute 03:52
• 3 Ruby Baby 04:47
• 4 Take It Back 05:34
• 5 New York Is My Home 04:37
• 6 Cryin’ Shame 04:45
• 7 Dancing Girl 04:12
• 8 In A Heartbeat Of Time 04:22
• 9 Serenade / Come To The Cross (Medley) 04:10
• 10 If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll 04:55
• 11 Ride With You 04:14
• 12 Abraham, Martin And John 02:58
• 13 King Of The New York Streets 05:27
• 14 Runaround Sue 04:28
• 15 The Wanderer 03:38
• 16 Mother And Son 04:47
• Total Runtime 01:10:19

Info zu The Rock 'n' Roll Philosopher

Dion releases "The Rock ‘n’ Roll Philosopher", an album companion to his book, co-authored with Adam Jablin. Featuring Eric Clapton, Joe Bonamassa, Mark Knopfler, Van Morrison, Tom Waits.

The new album is a meticulously curated combination of newly written and recorded songs, reimagined versions of several Dion classics as well as a representation of newer material recorded over the last decade. Like the book, The Rock ‘n’ Roll Philosopher album is a reflection of Dion’s life’s journey. In the album notes, he explains, “I pulled together some of the songs I discussed in the book and some of them I changed.” He describes the book as “a wide-ranging memoir in which I talk about music, addiction, recovery, friendships, God, creativity, relationships and all the important things in life from which I’ve learned important lessons."

Among the album’s tracks are collaborations with Sonny Landreth, Joe Bonamassa, Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton, the latter of whom also contributing a 600-word forward to the album in which he calls Dion “one of a kind, unparalleled in his achievement and stature. He is a genius singer, writer, musician and healer.” He also wrote, “He is the perfect example of how you can do what you love to do and still be available to the lives of others.” Clapton, long an admirer of Dion, also contributed the prologue to the book version of The Rock ‘n’ Roll Philosopher and is heard on “If You Wanna Rock and Roll,” a song written by Dion that’s part of the new album.

Among the album’s highlights are “New York Minute,” one of the Dion-Acquilina co-writes that debuted earlier this year as well as a new version of “New York Is My Home,” produced by Jimmy Vivino. It’s one of two selections on the album in which the late Scott Kempner, co-founder of punk rock’s Dictators and Del-Lords, had a hand. Kempner was cowriter of “In A Heartbeat of Time.” There’s an updated live recording on The Rock ‘n’ Roll Philosopher that documents the time in the mid-90s when Dion fronted Little Kings, the hard rocking band that had been put together by Kempner. The version of “King of the New York Streets” was, likewise, originally recorded with Little Kings at that same Mercury Lounge gig in April of 1996 and the subject of recent audio enhancement.

There’s also “Serenade/Come To the Cross, an adaptation of the Tom Waits song “San Diego Serenade,” now melded with one of Dion’s songs of faith. Dion classics, sourced from the 2003 New Masters collection, include “Ruby Baby,” “Runaround Sue” and “The Wanderer,” each a career touchstone for Dion as was the later “Abraham, Martin and John.” The version included in The Rock ‘n’ Roll Philosopher is a new recording about which Dion writes, “I decided to record an intimate version of the song. Over the last fifty-seven years I’ve recorded dozens of versions of that song with everybody from Phil Spector and Cher to Aaron Neville and Bob Dylan. This one is now my favorite.”

The album also includes comprehensive album notes by music historian, journalist and longtime Dion intimate Gene Sculatti that are based on a recent conversation. He told Sculatti that the songs heard on The Rock ’N’ Roll Philosopher are, in essence, “an ideal set list.. the songs that I’d most like to play, all together in the perfect concert."

Dion

Dion DiMucci
Singer Dion DiMucci, better known simply as Dion, epitomized the indigenous music of the Bronx streets where he was raised. Dion was born on July 18, 1939, and was raised in the Little Italy section of the Bronx. He started singing at a young age, and he had a variety of musical influences. As he wrote in his autobiography: "I was picking up influences from all over the place, mixing in early R&B with doo-wop. Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bo Diddley and, of course, Elvis. In other words, like every other teenager in America, I was discovering rock & roll."In 1957, he teamed up with three neighborhood pals – Fred Milano, Angelo D'Aleo and Carlo Mastrangelo – to form a vocal group that earned a reputation as the best street-corner singers for miles. Dion and the Belmonts (named for Belmont Avenue, in the Bronx) perfected four-part harmonies while falling under the spell of rock and roll. Dion, a tenor, became the group's lead vocalist. His father was eager to help Dion break into the big time and arranged a meeting for him with the head of Mohawk Records, a small New York label. Dion auditioned by singing the Five Satins' "Wonderful Girl." He became the second artist signed to the label. However, the Belmonts were not part of the deal.Dion's first single, "The Chosen Few," created a stir in the Boston area, prompting Dion to quit school and pursue his career full time. He then convinced Mohawk – which had changed its name to Laurie Records -- to bring the Belmonts on board, and in 1958, Dion and the Belmonts recorded their first Top 40 hit, "I Wonder Why." They followed that with "No One Knows" and "Don't Pity Me." A year later, they cracked the Top 10 with "A Teenager in Love," written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman. That winter, as the single moved up the charts, Dion and the Belmonts joined the Winter Dance Party, a package tour. Because he balked at paying the $35 it would have cost him, Dion, who was 19, declined an invitation to fly on the chartered plane that went down on February 3, 1959, killing fellow musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J. P. "the Big Bopper" Richardson. Dion and the Belmonts scored their biggest hit, "Where or When," in 1960, but the group found itself being steered in a polished, adult-pop direction, so Dion left to reclaim his rock and roll roots. His first solo hit was "Lonely Teenager," which reached the Top 20. Then, in 1961, he hit upon a loose, swaggering style that he could call his own with the songs "Runaround Sue" and "The Wanderer." At this time, Dion was nearly alone among all the "teen idols" in attempting to equal the sultry charge that Elvis Presley had brought to rock and roll. Other hits in the same swinging, spontaneous vein followed: "Lovers Who Wander," "Little Diane," "Ruby Baby" and "Donna the Prima Donna."Dion's star subsequently dimmed in the wake of the British Invasion and some personal setbacks that included a struggle with drug addiction. However, he re-emerged in 1968 with a more introspective, folk-based style that earned him his 11th Top 10 song, a thoughtful ode to slain martyrs entitled "Abraham, Martin and John." He then released a folkish version of Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze" and recorded an album that included covers of Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan songs. By 1969, he had signed with Warner Bros. Records and released Sit Down, Old Friend, You're Not Alone and Sanctuary.In 1973, Dion reunited with the Belmonts for a concert at Madison Square Garden that resulted in a well-received live album, Reunion. In 1979, Dion became a born-again Christian and began adding Christian music to a stylistic canon that includes folk, doo-wop, rhythm & blues and rock and roll. In 1987, he performed at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, and the show was released as a two-CD live album. The following year, his autobiography, The Wanderer: Dion's Story, was published.In 2002, Dion's "Runaround Sue" was voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and in 2009, Dion performed "The Wanderer" with Paul Simon at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 25th anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden. He has continued to perform and release albums, including Tank Full of Blues, which came out in 2012.

Dieses Album enthält kein Booklet