The Immediate Family (the modern iteration of a legendary studio ensemble known as “The Section”) is a rock and roll band composed of four of the most recorded, respected, and sought-after players in modern music: Danny Kortchmar (guitar and vocals), Waddy Wachtel (guitar and vocals), Leland Sklar (bass), Russ Kunkel (drums) and the addition of prominent touring, session guitarist and songwriter Steve Postell (guitar and vocals). Frequent collaborators both in the studio and on-stage, their work can be heard on albums from Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Stevie Nicks, Keith Richards, Warren Zevon, Graham Nash, Neil Young, David Crosby, and many, many, many more. Kortchmar, Sklar, and Kunkel have worked together since the early 70s and made up three-quarters of The Section, best known for both their studio and live work in support of some of the top-selling singer/songwriters and solo singers in the history of music, as well as their own acclaimed instrumental albums. (By the mid-70s, they were later joined by Wachtel). Collectively, these musicians helped define the sound of a generation.
The Immediate Family will be releasing their highly anticipated full-length, self-titled album on August 27th via Quarto Valley Records. Produced by the band, the new album features twelve original songs plus two bonus tracks: live versions of the Danny Kortchmar/Jackson Browne collaboration “Somebody’s Baby” and Warren Zevon’s “Johnny Strikes Up the Band.”
Recorded over three days at Jackson Browne’s studio in Los Angeles, the new album kicks off with a blast of electric guitars with the lead track “Can’t Stop Progress.” The fiery three-guitar interplay intertwines throughout the rest of the album on songs like “Fair Warning,” “Time to Come Clean,” and “Turn it up to Ten.” The band’s love of rock ‘n roll’s roots surfaces in the funky, bluesy tones of “Slippin’ and Slidin’,” “Divorced,” and the Brill Building-esque “Damage.”
This iconic supergroup has played together for decades, but never as their own band. Known for their long, illustrious careers backing Hall of Fame artists like James Taylor, Keith Richards, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, Stevie Nicks and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, guitarists Danny Kortchmar and Waddy Wachtel, drummer Russ Kunkel, and bassist Leland Sklar have come together, along with guitarist Steve Postell, to perform their own songs as The Immediate Family.
Today Glide is excited to offer a premiere of “Fair Warning,” a standout track on the new album that showcases the musical chemistry between these legendary and seemingly ageless musicians. Hitting right out of the gate with a wave of psychedelic guitar that immediately launches into a cranked up 70s rock and roll riff-fest, the band layers in effortlessly cool vocals that straddle the line between late 60s folk-rock and down and dirty psych-blues. Bursting with ferocious guitar solos courtesy of the three-prong attack of Waddy Wachtel, Danny Kortchmar, and Steve Postell, the song captures the ability of these musicians to craft timeless rock and roll that sounds more energetic than most of the stuff being made by musicians decades younger. With the rhythmic backbone of Leland Sklar on bass and Russ Kunkel on drums, “Fair Warning” is an aptly titled tune that signals this Family can’t be stopped when it comes to laying down serious rock and roll chops.
Waddy Wachtel describes the inspiration and process behind the song “Fair Warning”:
“When I started writing Fair Warning, I didn’t yet have a title or a lyric concept, but I did have my Les Paul in an open D tuning, which can make for a very fun, loud afternoon. The chorus chord changes came together rather quickly, and not only were they great to play, but they had a very threatening sound to them. I sometimes develop melodies by playing them on guitar before singing them. Usually, I’ll replace the played melody with just the vocal, but with Fair Warning, the verses are sung with the guitar still playing the melodies. It added to the tension that exists in the music of the song. Once the lyrics were written, and I brought it to the band, I was very happy that everyone loved it, and as soon as we played it, we all knew we had a serious rock and roll song to record and play for everyone.”
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Photo credit: Rob Shanahan
