Inbox Update: The Who, Mindy Smith, Craig Chaquico

Classic rockers The Who, singer-songwriter Mindy Smith and guitar great Craig Chaquico are all the focus of upcoming October releases.


The Who 'Live In Texas '75' - coming to DVD on Oct. 9, 2012

New York, NY (August 23, 2012)—Eagle Rock Entertainment is thrilled to present one of the greatest live bands in rock’n’roll history: The Who Live In Texas ’75 on DVD October 9, 2012.

Pete Townshend. Roger Daltrey. Keith Moon. John Entwistle. Filmed in Houston, Texas on Nov. 20, 1975, it was right at the start of a massive tour of the U.S. to promote The Who By Numbers, their seventh album in their 10th year of existence. With Dolby Digital Stereo sound, this 117-minute 25-song bomb blast—previously only available as a muddled bootleg—has been pridefully restored to its rightful visual and sonic superiority by longtime Who collaborator Jon Astley.

Filmed only five years after what arguably is the greatest live album in rock, Live At Leeds, The Who Live In Texas ’75, lives up to and in some ways actually surpasses its predecessor’s greatness. The Who, at that particular point in time, had achieved an unerring almost magical mystical chemistry. Between the windmilling antics of guitarist Townshend, the mic wire lasso of lead singer Daltrey, the crazed bombastic danger of drummer Moon (1946-1978) and, of course, their secret weapon, genius bassist John Entwistle (1944-2002), this was a truly revolutionary band who changed all the hard rock rules. Even the punks, in the anti-rock star era of the late ‘70s, loved The Who.

The extensive Tommy section…the savage recreations of early hits such as “My Generation” (with its iconic “hope I die before I get old” line delivered in all its lusty nihilistic truth)…the celebrated cover of Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues”…plus “Baba O’Riley” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” make this a Who fan’s delight.

Track Listing


1) Substitute

2) I Can’t Explain

3) Squeeze Box

4) Baba O’Riley

5) Boris The Spider

6) Drowned

7) However Much I Booze

8) Dreaming From The Waist

9) Behind Blue Eyes

10) Amazing Journey

11) Sparks

12) Acid Queen

13) Fiddle About

14) Pinball Wizard

15) I’m Free

16) Tommy’s Holiday Camp

17) We’re Not Going To Take It / See Me, Feel Me / Listening To You

18) Summertime Blues

19) My Generation

20) Join Together

21) Naked Eye

22) Roadrunner

23) Won’t Get Fooled Again

24) Magic Bus

25) My Generation Blues


'The Essential Mindy Smith' to be released on Oct. 9, 2012

A retrospective of Smith’s most indelible recordings including the songs “Come to Jesus,” “Out Loud,” “One Moment More,” and “Jolene”

August 23, 2012 -- Vanguard Records is proud to announce the release of The Essential Mindy Smith– a thirteen track collection featuring songs from the highly acclaimed singer-songwriter’s three Vanguard Records studio albums: One Moment More, Long Island Shores and Stupid Love. This compilation also includes Mindy’s cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Little Lies,” previously available only as an iTunes bonus track. The Essential Mindy Smith will be released October 9 via CD, LP, and Digital formats and documents a distinct era in the career of a remarkable artist. Full track listing below.


The world first discovered Mindy Smith in 2003 when she was featured as the only new artist (amongst such luminaries as Emmylou Harris and Melissa Ethridge) on the Dolly Parton tribute album Just Because I’m a Woman with her impeccable version of ‘Jolene’. (Parton later sang with Smith on The Tonight Show and appeared in a music video for the song.)

In 2004, Smith released her auspicious debut One Moment More. With such provocative and compelling songs such as “Come to Jesus” and the title track, an avalanche of critical raves quickly followed. The New Yorker quipped “In the great post-Norah Jones sweepstakes, the smart money is on Smith,” while USA Today hailed Smith’s debut as “one of the most buzzed-about albums of the new year.” As such, Smith established herself as a leader among her generation of musicians.

In 2006, Smith released her second album, Long Island Shores – paying homage to the town where she was raised – featuring the songs “Out Loud,” and “Please Stay.” Smith again earned praise far and wide, with the New York Times hailing, “Her voice carves melodies so sharp and fine you can almost see them.” The Associated Press likewise dubbed Long Island Shores “intoxicating.”

Stupid Love, which followed in 2009, found Mindy exploring pop songcraft and featured the gems “Please Stay,” “Highs and Lows,” and the Fleetwood Mac cover “Little Lies” as an iTunes bonus track. Stupid Love became Smith’s highest-charting album to date, reaching Number One on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart.


Mindy Smith is currently on tour in support of her new self-titled fifth studio album and first independent recording on Giant Leap/TVX Records. Tour dates listed below.


The Essential Mindy Smith track listing:

1. Come to Jesus

2. Out Loud

3. It’s Amazing

4. Highs and Lows

5. Please Stay

6. Jolene

7. Hard To Know

8. Tennessee

9. Love Lost

10. Little Lies

11. Fighting For It All

12. Peace of Mind

13. One Moment More


2012 Fall tour dates:



9/14/2012 Nashville, TN - The Rutledge (Americana Music Festival)

9/19/2012 Phoenix, AZ - Rhythm Room

9/20/2012 San Diego, CA -The Griffin

9/21/2012 Santa Monica, CA - McCabe's Guitar Shop

9/23/2012 Pleasanton, CA - Firehouse Arts Center

9/25/2012 Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios

9/26/2012 Seattle, WA - Tractor Tavern

9/28/2012 Boise, ID - Boise Cont. Theater

9/29/2012 Salt Lake City, UT -The State Room

9/30/2012 Denver, CO - Swallow Hill

10/2/2012 Santa Fe, NM - Sol Santa Fe

10/4/2012 Woodlands, TX - Dosey Doe CoffeeHouse

10/5/2012 Austin, TX - Cactus Cafe

10/6/2012 San Antonio, TX -Sam's Burger Joint

10/7/2012 Dallas, TX - Kessler Theater


New Craig Chaquico album set for release on Oct. 16, 2012

Craig Chaquico, platinum-selling lead guitarist and songwriter with Jefferson Starship as well as a chart-topping smooth jazz solo artist, takes a walk on the bluesier side of the street with his Blind Pig debut, Fire Red Moon. The American roots music label has announced an October 16, 2012 release date for the recording.

From the radio-friendly opening tracks, "Lie To Me" (with vocal by Noah Hunt of the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band) and "Devil's Daughter" to the thunderous conclusion of Robert Johnson's "Crossroads," Chaquico explores the thoroughfares and back alleys where blues and rock intersect. There's an instrumental version of Albert King's signature tune, "Born Under A Bad Sign," a rousing cover of Muddy Waters' "Rollin' And Tumblin'," and sterling originals that echo the stylings of blues/rock forerunners such as Cream, Jimi Hendrix, ZZ Top, and Steely Dan. There's even an instrumental tune entitled "Blue On Blue" that would appeal to Craig's many smooth jazz fans.



As a teenager, Chaquico (pronounced Cha-KEY-so) was invited by Paul Kantner and Grace Slick to join Jefferson Starship and played a seminal role in making that group (later re-named Starship) one of the top selling bands in history, earning twenty platinum and gold albums. On the best-selling album of their career, Red Octopus, Rolling Stone remarked that "the emergence of guitarist Craig Chaquico resulted in the finest San Francisco music since the heyday of the Haight."


Chaquico became a central figure in the band, playing lead guitar on all their hits from 1973 to 1990 including "Miracles," "We Built This City," "Sara" and "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now," and developing into one of their main songwriters. He wrote or co-wrote some of Starship's most memorable songs such as "Find Your Way Back," "Jane," "Layin' It On The Line," and "Rock and Roll Is Good Time Music." While others came and went, Craig is the only person in the band to appear on every recording, tour, MTV video, album, and hit song during that time.

Then, after finding himself at the top of the national charts in each of three consecutive decades, Craig left the fast-paced pop world of arena rock and reinvented himself as a top-selling contemporary jazz/New Age guitarist, once again topping the Billboard and radio charts. Altogether, the acclaimed guitarist has sold over a million albums as a soloist. He was also voted the "Best Pop Instrumental Guitarist" by the readers of Guitar Player while Jazziz magazine listed him as one of the "Top 100 Most Influential Guitarists of All Time."

Now entering the fifth decade of his illustrious career, with the release of Fire Red Moon Chaquico continues his improbable journey from the boy-wonder of 70's rock to genre-defying success as a top jazz and new age guitarist, returning now to the roots blues he listened to in his early teens.

Says Chaquico, "The multi-platinum stadium rock period in my musical life was as rewarding as it was fun, and part of my higher musical education. And as much as I still love instrumental smooth jazz, which for me was always blues-based anyway, I sometimes missed the edge that I could experience with blues-based rock and roll."



Blind Pig's signing of Chaquico continues something of a trend for the label, and the music business in general it seems - the release of roots blues albums from well-established rock stars. In recent years Blind Pig has released titles by two members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Ray Manzarek of The Doors and Jeremy Spencer of Fleetwood Mac. Meanwhile, the market has seen very successful blues releases from pop star Cyndi Lauper and even well known TV actor Hugh Laurie.