It's OFFICIAL, Japanese label, Grey Dog's Records has released Al Campos CD, "Old School Lovin'" TODAY! Available all over Japan.
Congratulations to my partners and band, Daniel Fridell, Thomas Risell, Michael Finding & Martin Finding.
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Al Campos & Andrae Crouch showed up to Skt. Annæ Gymnasium together in the tour bus. It was a total surprise that Al would be invited to be guest Choir director for the final closing songs.

On stage was Andrae Crouch, Bill Maxwell, John Pena, Per Erik Hallen, and about 50 other musicians and choir singers.

Thank you to Andrae Crouch once again for the opportunity to perform LIVE with him on stage. It was a huge honor and loads of fun!

Al Campos is a very proud man. Especially after being a featured guest vocalist on two tracks off the brand new Bobby Ricketts album entitled, "Skin 2 Skin."

Bobby Ricketts is literally a house hold name in Denmark. Millions of people in the country see and hear him play every week on their TV screens as he leads his house band on one of the most popular shows in the country.

But of course, Bobby is not just a TV act. No! he is a very accomplised saxophonist, performer, writer & producer.

http://www.myspace.com/bobbyricketts

Alright now, someone wanted to hear the whole 9 - Must be referring to all those life changing experiences I wrote about in my first Blog entry.

Well then, take a seat, get some coffee, break out the kleenex.

February 9th - 13th, 2006.
Memphis, Tennessee.

I arrived on the 9th. As soon as I got off the plane, collected my bags, stepped out to get a cab, it started to snow. I mean a freaking snow storm. I laughed so hard cause it was the first snow storm in Memphis in over a decade. I'm sure I brought that Copenhagen weather with me.

Day 1 was slow, cold and not much happened. Picked up by my driver and taken into the city. Walked around and found a bar. Called the Royal Recording Studios to let them know I was in the city.

Night time: driven to the address on Willie Mitchell Blvd. Damn, the dude I was about to meet had the street named after him. Pulled up to the address and saw the Royal Recording Studio building for the first time. It was absolutely beautiful and had tons of history all around it. Boo Mitchell was standing at the door to welcome me.
Right away it was like meeting my brother. We hugged and instantly began laughing hard, we were so happy to meet each other.

Flash Back: This whole relationship started while I was back in Copenhagen. My band and I had finished recording the new album. It was awesome and I knew that I had to get someone in America to mix it. Give it that old school soul sound. That is how I got the idea of contacting Al Green's long time partner and producer, Mr. Willie Mitchell. I sent Willie's son, Boo Mitchell a few Mp3's. He called me the next day and said, "My dad heard your music and loves it. He understands why you want him to mix it. He has agreed that he will accept your project for mixing all 11 songs. My dad & I will mix your album."

Flash Forward: So here I was, in Memphis to hear those mixes.

I met Willie Mitchell. What an incredible meeting that was. He just sat down at his desk and talked to me about lots of stuff. He too had that incredible and wonderful laugh that I just heard from his son, Boo while we were outside.
Then Willie began to explain to me that this project brought him back in the studio. He told me that he basically can't stand much music being made today but that my music was something he loved so much that he would stay in the studio mixing sometimes til 4am. He has not done this kind of passionate work for quilte a long time. I was floored and honored.

Then came the studio tour. We walked down the stairs, turned right through a door and BAMM! I walked right into freaking Soul History.
I walked past the grand piano, past the Hammond B3, then Boo guided me into the vocal booth room. "Look here Al, this is the mic that Al Green has used in all those hits he sang. Microphone ..9! He still uses it."
I walked up to the mic, stroked it, embraced it and imagined how this microphone had recorded one of the best soul vocalists of our time, Rev. Al Green. That is when the mic. suddenly communicated with me. Sounds crazy? Whatever... I'm not and this is a true story. "You're next. You'll soon be singing too on mic. ..9." I walked out of the vocal booth and I was nearly in a coma by then.

I walked around some more. Looked at the walls, they were filthy brown. Looked at the ceiling, it was old dirty and black. I kind of got disgusted. I thought to myself how dirty, filthy dirty this place was.
NO WAY! Wait a minute. I took a closer look at all this dirt. That is when I had the vision of total clarity. This was not dirt or filth at all.
I was literally looking at the PATINA, the Funk and Soul was dripping off the walls. Straight down from the ceiling, down the walls and onto the floors. All over the place. Nothing but the Funk. Think I'm lying? Shoot, go on, head over to Memphis and look at the Royal Recording Studios.

Then finally I was led into the main room where Willie Mitchell had sat for over 50 years, recording some of the baddest music ever heard, with some of the baddest musicians ever to be recorded in Memphis. There I sat, behind the mixing board which was at least 40 years old. Wow! I did it. I'm sitting here just as I imagined in my head back in Copenhagen, one day I'd be sitting here with Willie Mitchell just as I saw a photograph in one of Al Green's CD's. He looked so happy listening to his final mixes. Now it was my turn to do the same.

Well, Willie had other plans. I was not going to hear any mixes this evening. Day 1 had come to an end. It was awesome. Meeting Willie and Boo Mitchell, meeting mic. ..9, witnessing the funk and soul dripping from the walls, and closing our meeting behind the mixing board.

Goodnight.

Day ..2 was more of the same. Kicking it on Beal Street. Hanging out the entire day at B.B. Kings place.
Heard Bobby Womack play that night at some club.

Day ..3. Went over to Stax Records, now a museum. That was awesome. Went to another museum about the history of Rock and Soul in Memphis.
Then that night, went back to the Royal Recording Studios.

There he was again, Willie Mitchell sitting at his desk. Man I tell you, it was like looking at Duke Ellington or Miles Davis. No! It was better than that. I was looking at the man who discovered Al Green when he was just 19 years old. The man who wrote so many of Al's hit songs, recorded him, produced him, signed him to Hi Records. The man who would honor me by giving me his personal time and his incredible ear to mix my album. Let me say, "our album." Daniel Fridell's album, Thomas Risell's album, Martin and Michael Finding's album. This is my band.

We talked a bit upstairs at Willie's desk which is situated in the lobby area of the studio. Pictures everywhere of the many great stars that recorded there, and of course lots of photos of Al Green.

Boo told me, "Ok man, ready to hear your mixes?" Finally, after 3 days I was going to hear the music. We walked down the stairs and into the mixing room.
I thought to myself, 'Damn, Willie's not coming with us. He's staying upstairs at his desk eating some dinner. I'm not going to get those photos I hoped for, just like Al Green's picuters I saw, him and Willie listening to the mixes.' It's alright, at least your here.

Song 1... song 2... song 3... 4...5... Oh my God. The mixes are awesome. I was never more happy. Song 5 was still playing when out of the corner of my eye I could see way back in the studio, someone coming through the doorway. I looked again, it was Willie Mitchell coming down. Boo looked at me, smiled a big smile, got up from the chair and made room for the man. Willie Mitchell was coming in the studio!
He sat down and asked me, "how you like it? which song you guys on now?" Song 5 we answered. "Take it back to song 1, let's listen."
We listened to the entire album, all 11 songs, together all 3 of us, side by side, Willie sitting right next to me, just as he had done with Al Green throughout his career. Pictures being taken, just as I prayed for. I was on Cloud 99.

After the mixes were heard, we all went back up to the lobby. Willie sat at his desk and I sat across from him. Then he began speaking to me, directly and from the heart.

"Al you may not know what you got here, but I do. What you have here is a SMASH Hit Record." What? Am I dreaming?
"The torch has been passed to you. Your music is great, brand new music not heard before and you are a new artist, but the music is founded on Authentic roots."
I could not believe what I was hearing.
"This album is going to be huge for you. You got something for everybody. All ages. BUT be careful. Take your time. Make your plan. Don't rush. And above all, keep your eyes on the sparrow." I was crying like a baby. I was never so proud, never so humbled, never so full of joy and completion.
Then he said this to me, "The next album will be recorded right here and I'll produce it." That was too much. Tears were all in my eyes. "Congratulations," he said. "Your band sounds great and you all have a sound that is different. It's very good. You are part of this family now."
Can you imagine how I was feeling?
"Al, you really are the artist that will take this music, soul music forward. You are the one who has the history and you're writing great songs. I know it's hard for you to understand but you just have to accept it."
I accept it. It was hard for me to believe but I just had to come to terms with what he has been saying to me, I'll just accept it and keep trying to be the best I can be.

Later that night, they drove me back to my hotel. We had dinner on the way. We all had such a great time being together. Talking about Al Green. "I gave him his name you know. His real name is Albert, I changed it to Al." Ooohhh mmmyy Goddd.
I am really the next Al to come up on to the scene and I'm going to do this with all my heart and soul.

We said our goodbyes. They drove off and I went into my room. Blown away like a mo'fo.