track 9) Summer Salt A folk beauty with a gently rocking beat...love it... you were the stranger you'd known forever and I was the moon-swept friend and we sung the changes fallin' on feathers and I never saw you again sun goin' down on us, summer salt blew from the waves, 'til the motion stopped the tears in your eyes are all I can find these days but I can't be sorry - Lord it was worth it dancing these souls ablaze seeing your shadow fade in the sunset wishing you'd always stay sun goin' down on us, summer salt blew from the waves, till the motion stopped the tears in your eyes are all I can find these days sun goin' down on me, summer salt well it don't blow no more, 'cause the summer's gone the tears in your eyes will color my skies in gray but you were a stranger you'd known forever I was the moon swept friend and we sung the changes fallin' on feathers I never saw you again (C) (P) 1975, 1998 Sony Music Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved. discography page | jimmie's home page | ret
track 10) In The Misty Woods Quietly stunning ...first notes'll grab in the misty woods, you lay down beneath me our music turned to symphony of light and song it floated like the breeze, but windsongs never last too long the players have fell out of key - the feeling's gone by a windy sea, dolphins laughed as we made love seagulls circled up above; their cry was sad turning to stone like the sky that's caught my soul captured me and won't let go now that the gulls have flown we all dance alone on a tightrope of insanity reality or fantasy; who really knows? but in the misty woods, as I guessed into your emerald eyes I thought I found an answer in your sighs but the gulls had flown (C) (P) 1975, 1998 Sony Music Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved.
track 11) Blown Out Yeah..classic Jimmie black water from the well flows in your veins like the rain from some deep, sweet, forbidden hell I would burn with you, freeze in your fire I would die for you, for you you are the only one deep as the oceans and colder too such a sad and lonely one but I'm gonna stay with you; breathe in the shadow I will die for you; sad and lonely one you draw me into you, like smoke into your lungs and I'm blown out once again deep inside of you, great darkness is sung but suck me in again I love your darkness black water from the well flows in your soul, let it roll and take it's toll from me I see your evil flow; good as God's gold pure as the snow in your heart you draw me into you, like smoke into your lungs and I'm blown out once again deep inside of you, great darkness is sung but suck me in again I love your darkness (C) (P) 1975, 1998 Sony Music Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved. discography page | jimmie's home page | return to track
track 12) Blue Streets Perfect closer, sadly the last we'll ever hear. RIP, Jimmie "For many fans and friends, this LP marks a paradigm shift in Jimmie's work. Produced by the legendary Henry Lewy (who produced lots of great music, including most of Joni Mitchell's classic work), you'll find songs and production values here that might have been recorded today. Through many styles and moods, this album remains light years ahead of its time. The album was finally reissued on CD in 1999 but is no longer available..." streets of scarlet, streets of blue child from the wishing well's bound to you moons of madness, moons in you pull you like the ocean to the blue streets and sunlight thru the lace is throwing shadows on some stranger's face so you get up and pull the shades blind the black eyes of the blue streets dreams of scarlet, dreams of blue fade in the alleyways you walk thru eyes of fire, eyes so sweet beg you, resurrect you on the blue streets and sunlight thru the lace nothing seems to see you in this stranger's face so you get up and pull the shades like lids for the eyes of the blue streets (C) (P) 1975, 1998 Sony Music Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved. discography page | jimmie's home page | return to track list
Jimmie's final LP. Ports Of The Heart 1976 "Dip the brush of genius, stroke the canvas slow..." AllMusic Review by Alex Henderson 4/5 Jimmie Spheeris fans owe a major debt of gratitude to Andy Markley, a graphic artist who was among the singer/songwriter's friends. In 1996, Markley created an Internet website called The Jimmie Spheeris Memorial Gallery, which posed the question "Anybody remember Jimmie?"-and it turned out that a lot of people did. Markley was pleasantly surprised when thousands of people from different parts of the world visited the site-Spheeris was hardly a superstar, but the people who were hip to his music were incredibly passionate about it. One of the Spheeris fans who checked out the site was Ken Onstad, president of K-Tel Records. Seeing that there was still a demand for Spheeris' recordings, Onstad hoped to see them back in print-and with Sony's permission, Rain/K-Tel reissued all of Spheeris' Epic titles on CD in the late 1990s. One of those reissues was Ports of the Heart, which originally came out in 1976. Produced by David Campbell, Ports was Spheeris' fourth and final album for Epic. Commercially, Spheeris wasn't where he deserved to be in 1976, but creatively, he was on a roll. The L.A. native incorporates a variety of influences on this album, including jazz, folk and country. In fact, jazzmen Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke (both original members of the fusion powerhouse Return to Forever) are among the guests. This time, Spheeris doesn't embrace original material exclusively; though his own songs dominate the album, he pleasantly surprises us by interpreting Tommy Edwards' 1950s hit "It's All in the Game" (whose melody goes back to 1912) and Hank Williams' country favorite "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry." But this is a pop-rock album first and foremost, and its contemplative, poetic leanings are pure Spheeris. ........................ Related archive: See how the cover art was restored. Liner Notes from the (out of print) CD by David Campbell Producer on the original recording sessions"Tonight we're going to take your mind on a ride outside this universe," Jimmie Spheeris' trademark half whisper taunted the throng of 10,000 rowdy Cheech and Chong fans. In the ensuing 10 seconds, he had their attention riveted to his haunting piano intro for "The Nest". Jimmie's hushed, airy tones, banshee wails and snake charmer vocal riffs sent rapturous thrills through many enormous crowds in the early '70s, initially impatient audiences of unruly kids who came to see big name hard rock acts, only first to be surprised and tamed by a true dream weaver. It was my great fortune to be sometimes part of his troupe of time-travelling gypsies; a band consisting of piano, guitar, bass, flute and myself on viola, endeavoring to conjure up a whole orchestra to carpet Jimmie's musical visions. Wherever Jimmie performed, his listeners were drawn into his unusual world. He invoked a similar spell in the studio, always singing his own songs: artfully fashioned gems that could only originate from Jimmie Spheeris. On his fourth album, Ports of the Heart, he added to this delicious mix some classic songs by other writers. The vocal magic continued as if they were songs of his own creation. I still can feel the sensation from one summer evening session, as if my mind were floating in an air-cooled stream, as Jimmie wafted the melody of Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry", backed by Jim Cowger's sonorous sax lines. Another unforgettable session had Jimmie playacting the romantic mood of an earlier classic, "It's All in the Game", composed in 1912 from a poem written near the turn of the century. Most of the album, of course, is filled with songs of colorful vision, fantasy and sensuous life, all written by Jimmie, straight from his unmistakable creative world. When I listen to it now the music brings on the memory of how it felt in the living room of Jimmie's Venice, California beach house, where the room seemed always to glow from the spark of his most recent creations and with the energy and affection he inspired in his many close friends. I'd have thought by now that another singer would have achieved something similar to his unique voice, in the way that artists from prior eras become major influences on younger singers. So far, no one has. TRACK LIST...click on tile for lyrics Child From Nowhere Emerald And The Dream Dance It's You They're Dreaming Of Captain Comes Cold Bayou Eyes It's All In The GameHills In My Head Whirlpool Sweet Separation So Darkly Fall The Shadows Nightingale Come Sail I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry Thanks so much to Andy Markley for restring the artwork for this LP and for all his efforts to brings his friend Jimmie Spheeris' music to us all over the years. Jimmie Spheeris: Ports of the Heart THE PLAYERS JIMMIE SPHEERIS acoustic guitar, piano, voices CHICK COREA electric piano JOHNNY PIERCE bass STANLEY CLARKE bass on "Child From Nowhere" BART HALL, JOHN GUERIN drums JIM COWGER sax, soprano sax, flute, clarinet, piano GEOFF LEVIN guitars DAVID CAMPBELL viola JAY ELLINGTON LEE arp ROBIN WILLIAMSON oud DAN ORBACH mandolin EMILE PANDOLFI piano RICHARD FEVES bowed bass solo on "I'm So Lonesome I could Cry" STRINGS Charles Veal, Robert Dubow, Gordon Marron, Mary Ann Ringgold, Haim Shtrum, Janice Gower, Sheldon Sanov, Lya Stern, Mareia Van Dyke, Pamela Goldsmith, Paul Polivnick, Ronald Strauss, Rollice Dale, Dan Neufeld, Arthur Royval, Ronald Cooper, Dennis Karmazyn, David Spelz, Richard Feves BACKING VOCALS Jackson Browne, Geoff Levin, Johnny Pierce PRODUCTION CREDITS - ORIGINAL LP Produced by David Campbell Engineered by Greg Ladayni Strings arranged and conducted by David Campbell Woodwinds arranged by Jim Cowger Recorded and mixed at The Sound Factory, Los Angeles - June, 1976 Dennis Kirk second engineer Val Garray additional engineering Al Clayton photos Ed Lee, Chris Peterson design for the original Epic LP FOR RAIN RECORDS Executive Producer: Johnny Pierce A&R Coordinator: Wayne Jackson Cedarhouse Productions Digitally remastered by Ellen Fitton Manufactured by Sony Music Additional liner photography by Jerry Simpson - Thresholds.net CD liner and digital imaging by Andy Markley - art101
track 1) Child From Nowhere Brilliant opener you have arrived and your arms are open wide welcome home child from nowhere to the sun you sit and laugh and can't recall your own past child from nowhere now your traveling is done they branded you with pain and said you'd never be the same but here you are laughing at the twinkling of the stars you were alone in the darkness you were thrown falling through forever like a stone breaking like glass as each minute passed shattered in the stillness you had sown they buried you in greed just like a planter does a seed but here you are older than the twinkling of the stars (C) (P) 1976, 1999 Sony Music Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved. discography page | jimmie's home page | return to track list
track 2) Emerald & The Dream Dance A favorite track visions of emerald beneath the moon visions behind the stars dream dancing darkly, sweeping with you across the purple dunes of Mars well, who are you child, the daughter of darkness? or like water that spills to the drought? well, I don't know just yet as I stand here but I'm more than willing to find out visions of emerald diving for jewels empty-handed in the mirror eyes like emeralds, deep drowning pools they'll wash you clean inside their tears and who am I child, behind the illusion? just another soul losing to doubt? well, I don't know just yet as I stand here but I'm more than willing to find out (C) (P) 1976, 1999 Sony Music Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved
track 3) It's You They're Dreaming Of Great arrangement ...dreamy tune everyone's looking for the perfect love caught in the dance, it's you they're dreaming of hoping for chance to grace their lives just once with the only one they seldom come me, I'm a dreamer and I've always been not so unlike you all, my weary friends love comes and goes with me, it's gonna come again it's like being born again it'll never end you say when I find you this emptiness will fill up with your tenderness you know it will you sit and hope so still everyone's looking for the perfect wealth looking to others, never to themselves in savage innocence the search goes on for the only one we seldom come (C) (P) 1976, 1999 Sony Music Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved.
track 4) Captain Comes Gold Another nice one...in that perfect Spheeris vibe captain comes cold to the ports of the heart anchors the soul, smiles as it's sinking he unfurls his sails, drifts and departs you'll drown in the love you were drinking so you're out on this reef, drunk, alone, and half asleep and nothing will mend you back together again seagulls drift by and you wish you could fly away with the tide and the wind... sail away captain comes cold to the ports of the heart watches the bar crowd leaving dropping his line, he smiles and reels in his catch shining for now and still breathing... (C) (P) 1976, 1999 Sony Music Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved.
track 5) Bayou Eyes Mmmmm. Very nice. bayou eyes shine in your windows cajun black and creole blue and city gentlemen with perfect teeth come to pay your fee and spend the night with you wake me up, wake me, come down Toulouse we'll go running from the night and out of darkness I will lay you down and I will drown you in my light come down, come down tonight leave your silks and silver, come away with me your love cuts like a knife twisted in the heart of my sanity bayou eyes shine in your windows cajun black and creole blue from trestled terraces you wove your spell and this swamp boy fell in love with you so throw your bag over the rusty rail I'll be waiting at the docks we'll catch a steamboat to the gulf and sail where the trade winds wail and the free sea rocks come down, come down tonight leave your silks and silver, come away with me your love cuts like a knife twisted in the heart of my sanity ...wake me up, wake me down... (C) (P) 1976, 1999 Sony Music Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved.
track 7) Hills In My Head Great song title...and song there's hills in my head, they're shining and green ocean beds that roll so come take your chances climbing the summits inside this soul come now, somehow, madness and wonder wait from the past and the future, together we will escape, you and I running over hills in my head there's dreams in your eyes, they're burning and begging to shine tonight so come take your chances turning the dark into shimmering light come now, somehow, madness and wonder wait from the past and the future, together we will escape, you and I sailing through the light in your eyes there's hills in my head, they're shining and green ocean beds that roll so come take your chances climbing the summits inside this soul (C) (P) 1976, 1999 Sony Music Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved.
track 8) Whirlpool Love it, yes. I'm wrapped up in you I'm like a bird wrapped up in the wind I'm gliding on these currents, up and I'm always falling down again and you've been on my mind with those eyes staring our their spell well, into them here I go again I fell... and I can't pull out, I'm in deeper than I knew I'm sinking in your soul, like a leaf in a whirlpool spinning 'round 'though I'm sitting here so very still what you touched inside of me I guess nobody else ever will and you're always on my mind you're like a demon there to haunt my day pretty demon makes me want to run you make me want to stay and I can't pull out, I'm in deeper than I knew I'm sinking in your soul, like a leaf in a whirlpool (C) (P) 1976, 1999 Sony Music Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved.
track 9) Sweet Separation A toe tapper...loved it instantly...just love Jimmie's vocals here. I wanna feel that wind go whistlin' on the highway lord, I think I'm free again and let that warm wind blow do you ever feel like you could run and take off flyin'? well, I do tonight, so baby move over and let me go sweet separation moving like a bird from the storm's eye sweet separation moving like a spirit from the sky I wanna feel that rain come pouring on the highway I wanna get wet and lay all over you do you ever feel like you could bust inside a feelin'? well, I do tonight, don't hold me back, I'm bustin' through sweet separation moving like a bird from the storm's eye sweet separation moving like a spirit from the sky well, I know I shouldn't feel so happy that it's over tears are in order here, but let that good sun shine there is a sweet young thing and she's standing on the corner and I got a feeling that tonight she will be mine sweet separation moving like a bird from the storm's eye sweet separation moving like a spirit from the sky (C) (P) 1976, 1999 Sony Music Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved.
track 10) So Darkly The Shadows The title along drew me in...didn't let down you play it in silence your manner so strange your watchful eye catches the detail others will miss as they hurry by paint the light that falls and stall the sun a while critics in your head laugh and your love stands trial you go walking in silence where the green river rolls you're so removed deep and so restless the renegade soul still stands unmoved but dip the brush of genius stroke the canvas slow it's here your only lover stands in still life so cold embrace it you can't erase it and you watch the lovers that lay in the park and you walk on home colorless feelings emerge in the dark where you lay alone gelded are the gifted is what you're thinking here stare into the shadows you have sown so darkly fall the shadows of the soul (C) (P) 1976, 1999 Sony Music Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved.
track 11) Nightingale Come Sail Great pop tune old black keys, come on, serenade me sweep me up and let me go nightingale once sailed by my window now where she's gone I just don't know her sweet song is gone with the winter and it chills me to the bone nightingale come sail to my sorrow come home come sail me home summer wind come on back and soothe me I feel like I'm getting old they tell me that the dream is all over where it's gone I sure don't know still, somehow, amid all our suffering a light shines where you have flown nightingale come sail to our sorrow come home come sail us home (C) (P) 1976, 1999 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
track 12) I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (Hank Williams) A fantastic cover and closing track hear the lonesome whippoorwill he sounds to blue to fly the midnight train is winding low and I'm so lonesome I could cry did you ever hear a robin weep as leaves begin to die? that means he's lost his will to live and I'm so lonesome I could cry the silence of a falling star lights up the purple sky and as I wonder where you are I'm so lonesome I could cry I'm so lonesome I could cry Written by Hank Williams in 1949. Hiriam Music (BMI) - Acuff-Rose Music, Inc. (BMI) All rights reserved. discography page | jimmie's home page | return to track list
Sadly that was the last album Jimmie would record-- tragically he was killed by a drunk motorist on his way home from the recording studio...he had just finished recording Ports Of The Heart. ...fortunately we still have a wonderful Live album to cover...in a few days. Have a safe and peaceful holiday.
Me too...love "Moon On The Water" so much. Thanks for the heads up on Jimmie's sister. I've seen her pic at various Spheeris sites but never made the connection.
For those just getting into Jimmie, every album is a gem...not a weak on in the bunch. His Live In Denver is pretty stunning too! Have a listen! I would dearly loved to have seen and heard Jimmie live on stage!
