I spoke with Casey during that transition phase from American Idol contestant to recording artist. It was a time for him to relax, refresh and reconnect with his "old life" before venturing out to begin his new one. I wanted to chronicle his hopes and expectations as he was heading off to the great unknown and so much of the interview focused on what he was hoping for in the coming year. The second part of the interview, then, involves a lot of his musings on his CD.
Here's a little extra for readers of this blog: Since I was the one giving the interview, I did take a little advantage to discuss with Casey my opinions about some of his AI performances. In fairness, he did ask,which impressed me -- he was interested in knowing how his performances were received and I think that's another sign of just how seriously he takes music. So I told him that I thought Power of Love was possibly the worst song ever written and a horrible choice for the show. He disagreed. “I like that song, i love that song. I did like the cadence of that song and the rhythm, I think it’s a powerful song, a lot of people hate it. There you go, you don’t like it."
I also told him I wasn't that into Don't Stop and he thought I was a bit rough on that song as well, but admitted "I was so sick that day…it’s possible that’s what you were seeing. I was literally deathly ill on that one. " As for Blue Skies, he offered that he never would have volunteered to sing without his guitar but mentioned, as he has elsewhere, that he was a huge fan of Harry Connick, Jr. and Frank Sinatra and was happy to sing in that genre. In fact, he was disappointed that American Idol didn't require the contestants to sing more songs of different genres.
I went on to list Mrs. Robinson, I Don't Want to Be, and You'll Think of Me as my picks for his best (and most underrated, by the judges, anyway) performances. He liked those as well, for the record.
One other extra, just for my loyal blog readers: when he mentioned that the air in LA had caused some of his illness, I disagreed and told him that the air in LA is just fine. His voice almost went into falsetto as he came back with, "Are you kidding me???!!!" But then he admitted that upon returning to my fair city, it felt like coming home.
Here's the link to the interview. Enjoy.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5905668/exclusive_interview_with_casey_james.html?cat=2
One of Casey's twitter fans made the following YouTube of the newly discovered pre-Idol song "She" which Casey and his mom Debra apparently performed on a local radio show. Here it is.
THANK YOU VERY GOOD AS ALWAYS.....Gino
ReplyDeleteAlways interested to learn more about Casey and his music. Thank you both, Shari and Casey, for giving us a deeper look into Casey, as a person and as a musician. I so look forward to this cd.
ReplyDeleteOhhh ..... I agree with Casey on "Power of Love" !! And I think he did it perfectly! That's why music is so fun to discuss. It's subjective and hits everyone differently. However, Shari, that's for the intro to REM! Good stuff. Another insightful interview here. Between Billy, Debra, Gino ... and now Casey, we really get to know this man and his family, thanks to you! It's all fun!! And so special!
ReplyDeleteI meant 'thanks' for the intro to REM. oof da. My fingers have a life of their own and let me know it frequently!
ReplyDeletegood interview,hopefully part 3 will be alittle more about Casey and his time in Nashville,not
ReplyDeletetoo personal.Is Billy their also?
Power of Love has become one of my favorites of Casey's!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you finally got your interview! I must have missed part one. I took a much needed social networking break.
ReplyDelete"Here's a little extra for readers of this blog: Since I was the one giving the interview, I did take a little advantage to discuss with Casey my opinions about some of his AI performances. In fairness, he did ask,which impressed me -- he was interested in knowing how his performances were received and I think that's another sign of just how seriously he takes music. So I told him that I thought Power of Love was possibly the worst song ever written and a horrible choice for the show. He disagreed. “I like that song, i love that song. I did like the cadence of that song and the rhythm, I think it’s a powerful song, a lot of people hate it. There you go, you don’t like it."
I also told him I wasn't that into Don't Stop and he thought I was a bit rough on that song as well, but admitted :I was so sick that day…it’s possible that’s what you were seeing. I was literally deathly ill on that one. " As for Blue Skies, he offered that he never would have volunteered to sing without his guitar but mentioned, as he has elsewhere, that he was a huge fan of Harry Connick, Jr. and Frank Sinatra and was happy to sing in that genre."
Wow! you told him "Power of Love was possibly the worst song ever written and a horrible choice for the show." That just blew my mind, Shari! The first thing that came to my mind -- was his mention of the judges who said they hated the Idols songs choices, was like telling someone you hate their shoes!"
Casey is always a kind young man, his wanting someone in management to represent him with the same values was no surprise to me.
Great interview Shari! Thank you!!!
ReplyDeleteHeather aka thankyoublues
Girl4Reba,
ReplyDeleteYeah but the difference between me and the judges (besides 10 million years of evolution) is that I didn't hold his song choice against him and still thought his performance was amazing. In fact, that he could make me listen to that song and not hurl was quite a feat!!
I loved "Power of Love"... one of the KEY things that he did was while singing "... the power of love is a beautiful thing... then" "makes another man SING"... and he gestured to HIMSELF during "makes another man SING"... just loved that... I watch it on my iPOD.... have all the videos - love everyone of them...
ReplyDeletekathyt1, I love that part of that video, too! I have all of his videos from the show on my iphone and the greatest joy in watching them is seeing Casey's emotion in ALL of the songs. You just can't separate the music and the emotion for Casey. Very heartwarming!
ReplyDeleteShari,
ReplyDeleteYou said: "Yeah but the difference between me and the judges (besides 10 million years of evolution) is that I didn't hold his song choice against him and still thought his performance was amazing. In fact, that he could make me listen to that song and not hurl was quite a feat!!"
I hope you told Casey this!!
Thank you so much, Shari. Sweet Casey James...his one yellow note said, "at home chillin out, so there was really nothin to say". He is so humble that he does not know how 16,555 followers are wearing out their little fingers every day just to find a short note from him. We want to know what he has for breakfast, for goodness sake. I personally think that he does not have a clue what he means to all of us. But then, that humility is what we love about him in the first place. Thanks again! Your in-depth probe into his musical soul is priceless.
ReplyDeleteKaren Smith (kdsaa4 on Twitter)
Nice work on Pt. 2 of Casey's interview, Shari!
ReplyDeleteI'm so impressed with Casey's maturity and focus, he's definately an "old soul" in my opinion. His desire to keep it honest and real both musically and in his business dealings sounds so grounded and sincere. I know we're all in for a treat when his CD is released.
Regarding favourite songs from Idol days - let me put it this way - I bought them all except Blue Skies. I think Casey's version of each song was unique and better than the original. Also, I love Power of Love and Huey Lewis!!
Thanks again for the Casey fix - the anticipation of his CD is killing me - but hey - no pressure!!
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteYes, I told Casey that he did a terrific job with the cheesy old song and that the fact that I still listen to his version is a testament to how good he is.
Thank you Shari. I love reading what Casey shares. It continues to affirm what he's been radiating from the very beginning: pure light, passion, integrity and musical genius. Here's a guy who walks his talk and keeps his focus positive. It's no surprise to me that Casey likes "The Power of Love". The lyrics seem to reflect what he is all about. GO CASEY!!! Can't wait for that CD!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Shari!! Very good interview!! I love Casey James, the man, the musician, the singer, the artist!! I'm always overwhelmed with emotion when I read these! I love this family!! I appreciate how you allow us to comment and have an opinion!! MAE777
ReplyDeleteThank you Shari! I'm glad you got to have that talk with Casey. One of the things i love about him is that he is mature enough to care about others opinions and feelings and makes allowance for all of it, while not selling out his own feelings and opinions. Total respect for this young man. BTW i bought..and love every song he did. they are my treasures and i truly am excited to hear what he does next!
ReplyDeleteShari!! Thanks for this AMAZING interview with Casey. I loved reading his thoughts...totally needed this reminder of what an amazing person he is. I can't wait to buy his first album. He is very missed on the Twitter circuit but it is nice to know he's doing well, working hard on his album, and showbiz has not seemed to change him much at his core.
ReplyDeleteAnd on another note, I was in LA and area in September and I have to agree with Casey. It was very smoggy, but Malibu was awesome! ;) You and Casey crack me up.
I luv Casey and love reading all things Casey!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat part two Shari! On finding a manager, Narvel Blackstock w/Starstruck entertainment would be great for Casey! Ready for part 3 Mrs. Geller....
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mediafire.com/?fljhd5py3p2w8to
ReplyDeleteFigured out how to make the link active Shari:
ReplyDeleteCasey James' "She"
Part 1
http://www.mediafire.com/?fljhd5py3p2w8to
Part 2
http://www.mediafire.com/?2oh44xt5hnqaj58
It's Beautiful ! ENJOY !
Thanks Polina! Ahhhhh, his voice!!!! It's so rich and warm and beautiful. Could listen forever.
ReplyDeleteHey Shari,
ReplyDeletehaven't been to your blog for a while ... but sooooo glad to COME BACK to this AMAZING interview :) As always, you never let us down with all your efforts to get us closer to the James Family.
God bless them all, and you too :))
Hi Shar,
ReplyDeleteAre you the one that hates hates country music. That will make you interviews real interesting when Casey gets his new album out as to how it is done. Some of his likes for country are really back in the old old country which my parents loved but give me from the 90s on in country
oh i so agree,the newer country music is much better.i think i'm the only person that doesnt care much for Reba or george they are just too old country for me.carrie is my new fav.use to be Faith.Casey will be my new fav in guys as soon as i get to hear him on the radio.She could do really well if he would record it in a studio.his voice is just the best.....
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, 10/19/10 @2:52PM
ReplyDeleteYep, I am not a country fan. Though, as I've written elsewhere on this blog, when I was younger I did like Glen Campbell when he sang the Jimmie Webb songs -- don't know if that qualifies as country -- and I also loved Tony Joe White. So, I'm not completely against the genre, it's just that in my vast collection of CDs there are zero from a country artist. So I will be a good test case to see if Casey does in fact bring something different to the genre that can welcome outsiders like me into the fold.
"She " is really beautiful. I wonder whether a link can be posted on Mjs and other blogs so it will get more audience.
ReplyDeleteI love the song "SHE". Hope it gets on the first album. Casey and Debra harmonize so beautifully.
ReplyDeleteGee...I hope Casey doesn't think you speak for the rest of the Cougars, because I LOVED his song choices, and I would never feel comfortable chastising him about his choices. Music has such a personal connection, that we can never understand what one song might mean to someone else! I actually loved the songs you hated, and I believe the words are extremely thought provoking-especially "Don't Stop!" I think that song is so significant to Casey's struggle and his love of music. Don't get me wrong...it's quite a coup for you to get a personal interview with Casey. I just disagree with your assessment of his song choices! He should never feel the need to have to apologize or explain his performances; either you're a fan or not! Call me idealistic, but that's just the way I feel!
ReplyDeleteWantthesebooks,
ReplyDeleteI am a fan but I am also a writer with her own opinions and I do not represent anyone but myself. It's impossible to agree with other people all the time especially about something subjective as music.
just a word on the wording.. there is a difference between expressing an honest opinion, which was asked for by a loved friend, and chastising . sometimes friends can agree to disagree..and still love each other. Almost every time i heard what Casey was going to play in the beginning, i was nervous. there were a few songs that i never could stand, but Casey made them into something i could love to listen to. i would not have chosen those songs, but i absolutely am NOT Casey James, or Burn This. They are both very talented and honest folks. and all the love we have for Casey James just grows and grows. the more we get to know about him. personally i appreciate being able to read everyones feelings and input and love the way we love Casey. Lets not be mean to each otehr. Casey wouldn't like that . and we want Casey to be as proud of us as we are of him:)
ReplyDeleteMost artists sincerely want honest opinions. It helps them grow. Honest means fair criticism along with praise. not everyone is going to like everything. It's human nature. I am more apt to read bloggers with a spectrum of informed opinions rather than nonstop flattery. Shari -- stay a writer with opinions, your interviews are better for it. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteyou are so right Aimz,i actually get tired of all the gushing over everything Casey does.he's
ReplyDeletenot perfect but who is?i do like his music most
of it anyway.he's a good musician/singer which
is about all we know about him,and really that's all we need to know about him.i'm not best friends with him or his family,so i will be content to listen to his music.