Strolling Scones’ latest is in sync with the times

Rick Stockton and Helen HighwaterA pink princess phone being dialed with a pencil starts off the newest video by The Strolling Scones. "Sleeping In The Midday Sun" is the flagship song from the release "Like Ripples Across The Pond."

With music and lyrics by Rick Stockton, the song tells the tale about "a guy who has given up on keeping up with what is going on in the world today because he has 'seen it all before.'" Haven't we all?

The video was the collaboration of Helen Highwater and David Jacobson. Rick and Helen are joined in the music video by Harry Knipe on drums and Thea Deley and Mike Maxwell starring as commentators on cable television. David Jacobson plays a cigar-smoking employer giving employee Rick a dollar while keeping all the hundreds for himself.

"Sleeping In The Midday Sun" is a great example of the truthful humor that Stockton often shares in his original compositions. You'll find yourself all inside the lyrics as the snappy tune carries you from one recognizable life situation to another.

"Like Ripples Across The Pond" is the sixth Scones CD. They've integrated banjo, accordion, glockenspiel and djembe to spice up the arrangements.

"Wishing Well" is one of the tunes with banjo, which they joke is something akin to "psychedelic americana." Rick utilizes a claw hammer way of playing the banjo on this rock tune.

"Actually when we put the banjo, sitar and backwards guitar together and it sounded so well we just didn't understand why it hadn't been done before," Helen said straight-faced.

Rick also adeptly picks the banjo on "Bushman," written by friend Tom Ash of Texas. The movie, "The Gods Must Be Crazy," was the inspiration for this song.

Shockingly, the Scones use an accordion on two songs as well, "Crazy 'Bout That Girl" and "Come To Me Baby." The latter tune was written by the late Howard Berkman. "The band loves singing this one," Helen said. John Magnie of the Subdudes plays the accordion.

Christian Teele of Boulder, known for NPR E-Town, handles drums and percussion on the CD.

David Snider handles keyboards and has a long list of impressive credits with such music luminaries as Pat Benatar, Dusty Springfield and Janis Ian among others.
Helen sings lead on a bossa nova tune, "It's A New Me," "Middle Of The Night," a blues tune insomniacs can relate to, and "Sailor's Song." Rick wrote that last song many years ago in the 1980s.

"I always loved that one and thought it would lend itself well to an epic rock production," Helen said. "It speaks of the wonderment of how one's passions can lead them into rough seas."

Rick wrote most of the songs for the CD last year. One cover song, "Fakin' It," the 1967 Simon and Garfunkel hit, emphasizes their two-part harmony. "It's a sixties tune, and a tip of the hat to that decade," Rick said.

The Strolling Scones Musical has been completed. New York playwright Lawrence McCullough wrote the script which captures the thrilling biography of the original Strolling Scones characters — T. Malcolm, Yardley, Chelsea, Stewart, Harry and Rainbow.

"It's fun and campy and soon will be available for production," Helen said.

The Scones have been working in the studio the last couple of months recording demo versions of Rick's songs for the musical. Some are classics and some are new. When the actors sit down for their read-through of the script, they'll have the songs they have to sing as well.

"We did a session last night. We needed a gospel chorus for one song," Helen said. "It came out great." The gospel choir included Eames and Pam Petersen, John Hutchison, Ellen Hutto, Mike Gwinn, Gus Brett and Helen.

All of the Strolling Scones CDs are available at cdbaby.com and downloads are at iTunes and Amazon.com. To view their music videos and keep up with their schedule and their musical, go online to www.strollingscones.com.

And don't forget to join Rick and Helen at Redstone for New Year's Eve and then at the Blue Sage Center for the Arts on New Year's Day for the 13th Annual Black Eyed Pea Jubilee. There will be about 10 to 12 music acts.

"It's a gift to the community from the musicians and the Blue Sage. There's no cover," Helen said. "Start the year off as a community." Bring a favorite dish to share.

• < Prev
• Next >