Enigmatic Songwriter Willis Alan Ramsey To Finally Release 2nd Album
The original Willis Alan Ramsey album released in 1972 is the stuff of legend. Considered one of the very foundations of the Austin music scene that was just starting to emerge as a point of national interest at the time, the enigmatic songwriter recorded 11 original songs for Leon Russell’s Shelter label, and they would go on to be covered by the likes of Waylon Jennings, Jerry Jeff Walker, Jimmy Buffett, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Lyle Lovett, Shawn Colvin, and others, with Ramsey’s song “Muskrat Candlelight” being made a hit by both America and Captain & Tennille under the title “Muskrat Love.” Today, songs like “Satin Sheets,” “Ballad of Spider Jon,” and “Northeast Texas Women” are considered standards in Texas and beyond.
What made the original Willis Alan Ramsey record so legendary is that it was such a tour de force of songwriting, and the only one Willie Alan Ramsey ever released. For years a followup record was rumored, but never saw the light of day. The mythology behind it began to take on a life of its own as people salivated for its release. Eventually Willis Alan Ramsey drifted out of the music scene entirely, moved to England in the 80’s, married songwriter Alison Rogers, without the second album seeing the light of day. He moved back to the United States in the 90’s where he began to dabble with music some more, penning Lyle Lovett’s hit “That’s Right, You’re Not From Texas.” He resumed touring sporadically, but still not releasing his rumored second album.
When Saving Country Music profiled Willis Alan Ramsey back in 2009, rumors of a new album called Gentilly were beginning to swirl. In 2014, The Dallas Morning News profiled Ramsey, and at that point he was declaring the record almost done. Five years later, and nearly 48 years after the original Willis Alan Ramsey record was released, it finally appears like Gentilly will soon be a reality, at least it does at the moment.
Working with Bruce Robison as part of his music series called The Next Waltz, Willis Alan Ramsey has released an acoustic version of “Mockingbird Blues” (see below). It is one of the songs that is supposed to appear on the new record. Lyle Lovett, Tim and Mollie O’Brien, Tommy Malone, and Marcia Ball are all said to make appearances on the new album, with musicians including drummer Jamie Oldaker (Eric Clapton), steel player Bruce Bouton (Garth Brooks), Roscoe Beck on bass, and Viktor Krauss of Lyle Lovett’s band on guitar appearing on the record as well.
“I’m really happy with this record,” Ramsey tells The Dallas Observer. “I think it compares favorably to the first record. These new sounds are the same kind of sounds. I try not to waste people’s time. They’re written to have some sort of impact.”
At the moment a release is rumored for the spring of 2020, but just understand, we’ve heard rumors about Willis Alan Ramsey’s long-awaited second album before, and for nearly half a century. So don’t get too married to this idea until we have a proper release date, but for the first time we do have a new song.
Stay tuned.
October 6, 2019 @ 9:19 am
Someone once asked him when he was going to make another record and he said, “What’s wrong with this one?”????
October 6, 2019 @ 3:45 pm
“What’s wrong with the first one?”, to be precise. And it’s highly doubtful it happened only once – would’ve been a shame if it did 😉
October 6, 2019 @ 11:07 am
I hope it happens. Definitely a Day 1 purchase for me.
October 6, 2019 @ 11:28 am
I love his first album! Still listen to it all the time. I’m not sure how to describe it but it feels homey to me. The production is perfect for the songs, whose lyrics and dynamics hit so well from one to the next. It always feels over too soon!
October 6, 2019 @ 3:17 pm
I pulled over the first time I heard Spider John, and listened two or three more times. I don’t have a favorite song, but if I did, that one would definitely be in the running.
That album is full of songs I find stuck in my head constantly, even when it’s been months since I listened. That’s gotta be the mark of a great songwriter. I’ll be eagerly awaiting more news and updates on this one.
October 6, 2019 @ 4:26 pm
I think he should put off releasing it till 2022 cause then he could start saying he releases albums every half century.
October 6, 2019 @ 4:28 pm
if he had released this upcoming album way sooner, maybe he would have got a mention in the Burns doc.
October 6, 2019 @ 5:21 pm
I have two copies of the album, in case one gets scratched or worn out.
October 6, 2019 @ 7:56 pm
Found his first in a used record store awhile back and fell in love with it right away. Spider Jon is one of the finest songs written. I look forward to this!
October 14, 2019 @ 9:37 pm
This is great news..sounds excellent and remarkably a lot like his first record in soulfulness…
Hope it’s available on vinyl when it is released
April 27, 2021 @ 3:01 pm
He’s written some more songs, but I doubt that he’ll ever release another record. For one thing, he’ll never get another producer as talented and musically sensitive as Leon Russell. No, he’ll have to deal with a plethora of wanna-be musicians who will want to put hip-hop beats to his songs and release it on iTunes or Tiktok.
December 11, 2021 @ 3:58 pm
I just (12/11/21) listened to him on NPR/American Roots. Come on Willis, you don’t need a producer. Let it out, man.