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7 Days in Memphis
Epic Records
Released Nov. 8, 2005
www.petergallaghermusic.com
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Music Video
"Still I Long For Your Kiss" with Kelly Rowan (The O.C.)
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Official CD Website
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Reviews
Chuck Taylor, Billboard.com, November, 2005
PETER GALLAGHER
Single Title: Still I Long for Your Kiss
Producer(s): Michael Mangini
Writer(s): L. Williams,
Publisher(s): Casa de DJ/Music of Windswept (ASCAP), Warner-Tamerlane/Lucy Jones (BMI)
Genre: TRIPLE-A
Label/Catalog Number: Epic (CD promo)
Source: Billboard Magazine
Originally Reviewed: November 26, 2005
At face value, a record from Peter Gallagher appears to be a misguided vanity project in the vein of Minnie Driver and Robert Downey Jr. But the fine actor has appeared in more than a half-dozen Broadway musicals, and he recently sang Solomon Burke's soul classic "Don't Give Up on Me" on the hit series in which he stars , "The OC." Epic Records came calling, and the result is "7 Days in Memphis," an authentic enough rock-blues collection. Single "Still I Long for Your Kiss," co-written by Lucinda Williams, is an organic jam that hints at bayou blood flowing through Gallagher's veins. Radio will be a tough call, but fans have every reason to applaud.
*** USA TODAY, November 15, 2005
Peter Gallagher, 7 Days in Memphis (* * *) Though most know Gallagher through his film and TV work, the O.C. actor also is a Broadway baby, having starred in acclaimed productions of Guys and Dolls and Grease. But rather than cover show tunes on this debut, Gallagher digs into blues and soul fare, including Stax classics such as When Something Is Wrong with My Baby and When You Move You Lose. Supporting musicians such as Booker T. and The MGs guitarist Steve Cropper and the Acme Horns help lend grit to Gallagher's supple, urbane delivery, which may remind some of Lyle Lovett. - Gardner
Stephen Thomas Erlewine, ALLMUSIC.COM, November 2005
Unbeknown to many of his fans who are only familiar with his work via such films as Sex Lies & Videotape and American Beauty or his starring role on the TV soap opera The OC, actor Peter Gallagher has a considerable background in musical theater; in fact, his first movie role was as a wannabe '50s teen idol in Taylor Hackford's 1980 cult classic The Idolmaker. These musical roots were overshadowed by his success as a film actor in the late '80s and '90s, to the point that only his most devoted fans knew of his skills as a singer. This wound up serving a dramatic purpose on a pivotal episode on the second season of The OC, in 2005, when Gallagher's Sandy Cohen appeared to forget his 20th wedding anniversary but wound up surprising his wife Kirsten with a performance of Solomon Burke's "Don't Give Up on Me" at the show's local nightclub. The audience was as surprised as the characters that Sandy could actually sing -- which not only made the episode work dramatically, but made Gallagher's performance a hit on iTunes, leading to several offers for him to record a full-length album. Gallagher wound up signing with Epic, headed down to Ardent Studios in Memphis, teamed up with some of the city's best musicians (produced by Michael Mangini and led by guitarist Steve Cropper), and recorded a set of blue-eyed soul, comprised largely of standards but also featuring a couple of new songs. And like Sandy Cohen's performance at the end of that OC episode, Gallagher's album 7 Days in Memphis comes a surprise. Far from being a vanity project, or the awkward attempt of a show tune singer to sound soulful, it's a damn good blue-eyed soul record, thanks in part to that crackerjack collection of Memphis studio pros, but largely due to Gallagher's impassioned, unexpectedly subtle and soulful performance. Instead of sounding polished and affected, Gallagher sounds as if he's singing from his heart, bringing his own phrasing to familiar songs and giving these performances some real grit and heart. While he doesn't reinvent warhorses like "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby," "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye," and "A Song for You" -- they're straight up Memphis soul, adhering to the trademark Stax/Volt sound -- he does make them sound fresh, and the newer songs, highlighted by Lucinda Williams' "Still I Long for Your Kiss" and Gary Moore's "Still Got the Blues," sit comfortably next to the classics, making this a well-rounded, consistent album. What's most impressive about 7 Days in Memphis is that it doesn't just succeed according to an adjusted grading curve for celebrities: it's very good by any measure, and in a way, it's more impressive that a singer raised on musical theater could make an album this soulful than it is that an actor could make an album this credible. Either way, 7 Days in Memphis is a satisfying, enormously likeable album that will not only surely please anybody who loved hearing Sandy Cohen sing, but could also win over skeptics who know little of The OC or Peter Gallagher.
Notes
The most extraordinary thing has happened. I just finished recording my first solo album. As I had mentioned earlier, after singing "Don't Give Up On Me," a song made popular by the King of Rock 'n Soul, Solomon Burke, and written by Dan Penn and Bucky Lindsey, I was approached by a couple of record labels and chose to go with Epic Records. That decision has already given me some of the most memorable experiences of my life.
 Photo: Michael Wilson
Pictured L-R: Adam Hill (studio assistant); Raymond Angry (keyboards); Steve Cropper (guitar); Pete Ianncone (bass); Mike Mangini (producer); Me; Caesar Griffin (drums); Steve Greenwell (Engineer).
Not pictured: AJ Nilo (acoustic guitar); Horns: James Spake; Jack Hale; Kirk Smothers; Scott Thompson; Lester Snell (arranger) and Betty Wright (additional vocals).
Apparently, there was some interest at the labels to try and reach a broader audience - particularly an older audience, i.e. older than 17. A couple of weeks after that, somebody at Epic was home watching The O.C. with his wife, and I came on singing "Don't Give Up On Me," at which point his wife said, That's the guy, you gotta get him."
Well, he went to somebody else at the label and suggested it, and he said, "I don't know...what are we going to call it? 'Peter Gallagher Sings?' Sounds like a vanity project," but a few days later he came up with an idea: a whole album of songs in a similar style to "Don't Give Up On Me," and we could call it "Seven Days in Memphis:" a few covers (to sing songs first recorded by the original artists) of the legendary Stax/Volt label that introduced Otis Redding, Booker T and the MG's, Johnny Taylor, William Bell, Sam and Dave, and Isaac Hayes, as well as Solomon Burke and so many others.
They tracked me down and pitched me the idea, and I thought it was brilliant. I had been wanting to do a solo singing thing for a very long time, but every time I've tried to come up with an idea it kept feeling like every other cabaret act and vanity project (meaning the only reason you're doing an album/show is because you're well known from something else and all of a sudden you think you can sing and assume everyone will be interested in your life story) - but all of a sudden here was an idea that could showcase an unbelievably great period in American music, and the location where so much of that great music happened - Memphis. From the mid-fifties through the sixties, Memphis gave birth to soul music, R&B, and Rock n' Roll, and launched the careers of many music legends (like Elvis) that have influenced just about every kind of popular music since.
As I learned more about Memphis and its music, I realized that not only did Solomon Burke and Dan Penn (the creative talent behind "Don't Give Up On Me") have many of their early successes there, but it was where much of the music I loved as a kid came from, and that many other great songs that I'd like to sing might sound pretty good in that Memphis style. My only other experience with Memphis was in my first movie "The Idolmaker:" we filmed a concert that my character Caesare performed there (filmed in LA) with the James Cleveland choir.
I'm hoping that this collection of great songs from the Stax era as well as others from Randy Newman, Lucinda Williams, Leon Russell, and others might appeal to adults like me and give anyone younger a chance to discover the songs for the first time.
We went down to Memphis to record with the legendary Steve Cropper, from Booker T and the MG's, who pretty much invented soul guitar and with an amazing band, who is currently on tour with Joss Stone and recorded her "Soul Sessions" album. I was also lucky enough work with the producer and engineer on that album; Mike Mangini and Steve Greenwell, and had the time of my life. Steven Lippman, a really talented filmmaker, made a short film of our experience for the "dualdisc" and Michael Wilson took some cool photos.
Epic is planning to release the record in November. Also, I just found out Betty Wright, the legendary soul singer, will be doing some additional vocals!
All this gives further proof to the notion that 90% of life is showing up. Keep showing up and don't give up and it's amazing what can happen.
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