Photoglo, an excellent songwriter…
Jim Photoglo has musically spanned four decades as both a songwriter and artist, bringing his unique creative voice to the R&B, Pop and Country arenas. Growing up in Los Angeles, he began playing in bands as a teenager but never considered music as a “career” until he was in his early 20’s. Photoglo reminisces, “I wanted to get out of L.A., so I took to the highway ‘James Taylor’ style with an acoustic guitar, a sleeping bag and a lot of time to think…and all I thought about was music.”
Returning to Los Angeles with music as a career goal, Photoglo began paying the usual dues. He took every kind of gig from playing in a funeral band to putting together a group to back John Belushi’s “Joe Cocker” imitation at a party for Paul McCartney.
His solo career took off when he was signed to the Twentieth Century Fox label in 1979, culminating in a pair of Pop hits: We Were Meant To Be Lovers in 1980 and Fool in Love With You in 1981. Photoglo hit the TV talk show circuit, toured the Orient twice, and opened for the Beach Boys on a national tour. By the time his third album was released, the financially- troubled Fox label was unable to properly launch the project, and once again Photoglo took to the road.
He spent the next 2 years singing back-up for Andy Gibb, and concentrating on songwriting. His influences were diverse: the behind-the-scenes writers of the Brill Building (Mann and Weil, King and Goffin) and Motown, to writer-artists like the Beatles, the Young Rascals and the Rolling Stones.
Photoglo’s eclectic style fostered recordings by a variety of artists, including James Ingram and the Everly Brothers. While enjoying this sabbatical from recording, his songs began to catch fire with the creative “powers-that-be” in post-“Urban Cowboy” Nashville. Before he knew it, he had cuts with Kenny Rogers, Marty Robbins, Gary Morris and Brenda Lee. Further encouraged by good friend Wendy Waldman, a fellow L.A. popster who’d recently relocated and was enjoying a few country hits of her own, Photoglo moved to Music City in 1984 to pursue a full-time career as a songwriter. He took the occasional tour as a bassist for the likes of Vince Gill and Dan Fogelberg, but his main focus was songwriting, successfully quadrupling his creative output over the next few years. His devotion to his craft paid off with recordings by Dusty Springfield, Leroy Parnell, Patty Loveless, Highway 101, The Oak Ridge Boys, Pam Tillis, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt, Neil McCoy, John Anderson and Kathy Mattea. Four of those recordings ended up in the Top Ten of Billboard Magazine’s Country Music Charts, and two went to Number One: the now-classic Fishin’ in the Dark by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and Hometown Honeymoon by Alabama.
By the early 90’s, Photoglo was ready to “settle down” (literally – marrying Lee Ann Pack in June of 1993) and return to making records. After recording two solo albums in 1993, his career took a bizarre turn. He and Russell Smith of The Amazing Rhythm Aces, Bernie Leadon of the Eagles and hit-songwriter Vince Melamed formed the band Run C&W. Taking classic soul songs of the 60’s and 70’s, they rearranged and performed them as bluegrass songs with comedic undertones. Their antics led to recording two albums for MCA Nashville and gained them a worldwide cult following.
Around the same time, he co-founded the band formerly known as The Fabulous Del-Beatles, a group of studio all-stars, which became the toast of the town. They are now recording a CD of new songs and are threatening to perform live after a long hiatus.
Photoglo continues to grow creatively: writing songs, performing and enjoying his status as one of Nashville’s top songwriters. You Give Me Love (recorded by Faith Hill on her Faith CD) was chosen by NBC to close the final episode of Mad About You, starring Helen Hunt and Paul Reiser. The Meaning of Love (co-written and performed by Michael McDonald) is featured in the Mike Nichols’ film What Planet Are You From?, starring Gary Shandling and Annette Benning. Photoglo performs regularly at Nashville’s legendary Bluebird Café and is hard at work launching his new label, Grifftone Records, named after the lastest addition to the Photoglo musical family, Griffin James Photoglo born in October 1999! The possibilities are endless…
Words from the official Jim Photoglo website.
Discography
Halls Of My Heart
Grifftone Records 2014
Tracks: Try Me Tomorrow, Shadow And Light, Halls Of My Heart, Brown-Eyed Boy, Brothers Medley: Rev. Al Green / Johnny Otis /Brothers (tribute), Liliana, My Father´s Son, What Do I Tell My Son, Something Of Me & The Hours.
Musicians on the Halls Of My Heart album: Jim Photoglo and others.
Is It Me?
Grifftone Records 2009
Tracks: Jesus Saves, Is It Me?, Barlights, Connected, Partners, It Used To Take A Little, Kudzu, Here For You Now, That's What I'm Talkin´ About & Daddy's Lullaby.
Musicians on the Is It Me? album: Jim Photoglo and others.
Sparks In The Radio
Grifftone Records 2005
Tracks: Hillbilly Hollywood, This Train Keeps Rollin', Baby Looks Good, That's How Strong Love Is, Fishin' In The Dark, That's Love To Me, Paint The Town Blue, Heatwave In The Delta, Slam That Door & Sparks In The Radio.
Musicians on the Sparks In The Radio album: Jim Photoglo, Larry Michael Lee, Vince Melamed, Josh Leo & George Marinelli Jr.
Photoglo
Celeste Records 2001
Tracks: We Were Meant To Be Lovers, The Best That I Can Be, 20th Century Fool, Steal Away, Big Borrow Or Steal, When Love Is Gone, I Don't Want To Be In This Movie, Faded Blue, Young Girl & Don't Be Afraid To Love Somebody.
Musicians on the Photoglo album: Jim Photoglo, Dennis Belfield, Bill Cuomo, Bill Meyers, Brian Whitcomb, James Calire, Brian Neary, Dirk Dalton, George Marinelli Jr., Joe Kelly, Johny Stacato, Fred Tackett, Willy Ornelias, Ed Green, Willy Ornelias, Gayle Levant, Tony Dancy, Jack Carrone, Maxayne Lewis & Lisa Soble.
Fool In Love With You
Celeste Records 2001
Tracks: Fool In Love with You, Tonight Will Last Forever, More To Love, Won't Let You Do It To Me, Ruled By My Heart, Angelina, I Can't Let Go Of You, Run To Me, Try It Again & There´s Always A Chance Left For Love.
Musicians on the Fool In Love With You album: Jim Photoglo, George Marinelli, Fred Tackett, George Doering, Dennis Belfield, Bill Cuomo, Dirk Dalton, Bill Champlin, Carlos Vega, Dirk Dalton, Thom Mason, Brian Francis Neary & Catle Hubbard.
Fly Straight Home
Grifftone Records 2000
Tracks: Fly Straight Home, Cry To Me, Spending Every Minute In Love, Maybe In A Dream, The Place Your Love Calls Home, Back To You Again, Silence Is King, Road To Jackson County, Job Well Done & You Give Me Love.
Musicians on the Fly Straight Home album: Jim Photoglo, Dennis Belfield, Mark T. Jordan, Vince Melamed, George Marinelli Jr., George Marinelli Jr., Tammy Rogers, Greg Morrow, Jeff King, Michael Spriggs, Robbie Turner, Gary Burr & Liana Manis.
Best Collection Of Jim Photoglo
Dyna Music 1998
Tracks: Will Of The Wild, The Best That I Can Be (She Loves Me), Pure Love, Another Seasons Without Rain, Fine Fine Very Fine Love, We Were Meant To Be Lovers, Run To Me, There´s Always Another Chance Left For Love, More To Love, The Trouble With Me Is You, Faded Blue, Silence Is King, Shadows, What Else Can A Good Man Do, A Matter Of Tears, Tonight Will Last Forever, Try It Again & Don´t Say Goodnight.
Musicians on the Best Collection Of Jim Photoglo album: Jim Photoglo and others.
Pure
Polystar Records 1993
Tracks: Silence Is King, Pure Love, A Matter Of Tears, Another Season Without Rain, Shadows, What Else Can A Good Man Do, Pure Love (reprise), Fine Fine Very Fine Love, Hands Of Mercy, Love Reminders, I´m Holding On To Love & Will Of The Wind.
Musicians on the Pure Love album: Jim Photoglo, Mike Boots, Ralph Lofton, George Marinelli Jr., Vince Melamed, Michael Rhodes, Tom Roady, Matt Rollings, Biff Watson, Gary Burr, Shaun Murphy Mariani and others.
Passage
Polystar Records 1993
Tracks: Fool In Love With You, We Were Meant To Be Lovers, More To Love, The Trouble With Me Is You, The Best That I Can Be (She Loves Me), tonight Will Last Forever, Faded Blue, Run To Me, Try It Again & There´s Always another Change Left For Love.
Musicians on the Passage album: Jim Photoglo, Kirby Shelstad, Vince Melamed, George Marinelli Jr., Michael Rhodes, Sam Levine, Nan Britt & Jonell Mosser.
The Thin Man
Casablanca Records 1983
Tracks: Keep Away, I Think We´re Alone Now, I Know Love, If It´s Love, Love Refugee, Don´t Say Goodnight, The Trouble With Me Is You, The Thin Man, When You Think About Love & You Need A Man.
Musicians on the The Thin Man album: Jim Photoglo, Dennis Belfield, David White, Bill Cuomo, George Marinelli Jr, Carlos Vega, Ralph Humphrey, Richard Elliot, Vince Gill, Tom Grantham, Tim Stone, Thom Mason, Ed Coupee, Brian Neary & Lisa Soble.
Fool In Love With You
20th Century-Fox Records 1981
Tracks: Fool In Love with You, Tonight Will Last Forever, More To Love, Won't Let You Do It To Me, Ruled By My Heart, Angelina, I Can't Let Go Of You, Run To Me & Try It Again.
Musicians on the Fool In Love With You album: Jim Photoglo, George Marinelli, Fred Tackett, George Doering, Dennis Belfield, Bill Cuomo, Dirk Dalton, Bill Champlin, Carlos Vega, Dirk Dalton, Thom Mason, Brian Francis Neary & Catle Hubbard.
Photoglo
20th Century-Fox Records 1980
Tracks: We Were Meant To Be Lovers, The Best That I Can Be, 20th Century Fool, Steal Away, Big Borrow Or Steal, When Love Is Gone, I Don't Want To Be In This Movie, Faded Blue, Young Girl & Don't Be Afraid To Love Somebody.
Musicians on the Photoglo album: Jim Photoglo, Dennis Belfield, Bill Cuomo, Bill Meyers, Brian Whitcomb, James Calire, Brian Neary, Dirk Dalton, George Marinelli Jr., Joe Kelly, Johny Stacato, Fred Tackett, Willy Ornelias, Ed Green, Willy Ornelias, Gayle Levant, Tony Dancy, Jack Carrone, Maxayne Lewis & Lisa Soble.