Biography

Dream Baby

The Bobbie Eakes project was one of my all time favorite experiences as a record producer. I don't listen to my work very often but I can enjoy these recordings as if I had nothing to do with it, which isn't easy when you're so close to the process. My recently released work with Larry Carlton is also easy for me to listen to for my own enjoyment without picking it apart. Bobbie is a great talent with a fabulous voice and delivery. My idea of doing a project with a woman paying tribute to songs made famous by men worked out beautifully. Dream Baby seemed like a stretch until we cut the track and were blown away.

It's Only Make Believe

This Conway Twitty classic from the late 50's sounds like it was written for Bobbie. She put her heart and soul into the performance and it shows. Only an artist with a voice this great can pull off working with a few musicans and still sound a big as life. Tony DeSare on piano, John Arbo on upright bass and Vic Stevens on drums were so locked it's hard to believe they haven't been playing together for years.

No More Lonely Nights

I wanted a Paul McCartney song on the CD so I met with my good friend Bill Porricelli at MPL, Inc. McCartney's publishing company. Bill mentioned that Paul always wanted to get No More Lonely Nights recorded by a female artist. At one point Whitney Houston was a candidate but couldn't get to it. Paul liked this version so much that he put the project on the front page of his website for several months. I had the pleasure of meeting Paul in Bill's office where we listened to the final mix together. Great guy. Very gracious.

Moondance

Most of the songs on the CD are slow or mid tempo so we needed an uptempo track to round out the program. This Van Morrison song was the perfect fit. The band kicked it, Bobbie sang it great and Jimmy, John and Bill at Nola Recording in NYC did a magnificent job engineeriing the project.

I Want You, I Need You, I Love You

Bobbie having been born and raised in the south had the sound for any Elvis Presley song. I always wanted to produce a version of I Want You, I Need You, I Love You. I loved the song when I first heard it on the radio in the summer of 1956. I am extremely proud of this production. Glenn Drewes on trumpet is sensational!

Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight

This song, as with Make It With You, is a selection that works today for a woman but probably would have been risky when the songs were first written and released. Bobbie makes you believe every word and Ron Kerber on saxophone brings a lot to the table. Very cool recording.

Make It With You

This David Gates song he recorded with Bread in the early 70's has a simple repetative melody and interesting lyric especially for a female artist to take a shot at. Once again Bobbie made the song her own. Ron Kerber on saxophone plays beautifully as well. Very smooth track. A lot of fun to record.

A Kiss To Build A Dream On

Louis Armstrong was one of several artists who recorded this song decades ago. Bobbie's smooth vocal accompanied by a jazzy arrangement performed beautifully by the band really stands out on the CD.

I Can't Stop Loving you

Bobbie got the opportunity to really belt out this classic song made famous by Ray Charles in the early 60's. I decided to include a hammond organ to the arrangement to bring a gospel component to the overall sound. It worked great. This is another song that was such a pleasure to record. I always loved it.

Love Me

This Leiber and Stoller classic previously recorded by Elvis back in the day is another song on the CD that sounds as if it were written specially for Bobbie. The simple production of just Tony DeSare on piano accompanying Bobbie's incredible vocal was perfect for the last track on the CD.