Tony Sheridan • And Opus 3 Artists Opus 3 LP 24001 & CD 24001
 f I say the name Tony Sheridan, what's your first thought? Do you
recognize the name? Do you associate it with a successful musician who had a career
spanning over 50 years? Would it bring back memories of the early 1960s? And would you
recognize it as the name of one of only two musicians to be credited with playing with the
Beatles? (Billy Preston was the other.) Yeah, me neither. But early on in Beatles'
history, when they were still known as the Silver Beatles, it was Tony Sheridan who used
all or part of the group as his backing band, and he joined the Beatles in gigs in
Germany. Surprisingly enough, at the time it was Sheridan who was thought to have the
better chance at stardom.
Sheridan went on to have a pretty decent career, and he was still making music until he passed away in February 2013. The people at the Opus 3 label had long been fans of Sheridan's work and wanted to do a full album with him. They got together and recorded three songs initially, with plans to record the balance of the album shortly thereafter. Unfortunately, Sheridan passed away before that could happen. So, what to do with the three songs, "Tell Me If You Can" (the star song of this album), "Indochina" and "The Puzzle"? After all, these were the last Tony Sheridan songs ever recorded. They’re history. So, Opus 3 couldn’t just let them go to waste. Their answer was to use those three songs, along with a cover of Sheridan’s biggest seller, "Skinny Minnie," and fill out the rest of the album with luminaries from their stable of artists to cover other Sheridan songs. I suppose that technically makes this more of a tribute album, but it doesn’t really feel that way. All of the songs here were written by Sheridan, except for "Skinny Minnie," which was a Sheridan cover; it’s ironic that the song he’s best known for, despite being a prolific songwriter, wasn’t even his. The other songs are covered by the likes of Maria Winthers, Bottleneck John, Yamina, Therese Mercedes Myrhed, and Roger Ekman. These musicians do full justice to Sheridan’s music and lyrics. And Opus 3 does full justice to the sound. Vocals stand out, full-throated and three-dimensional. The soundstage is both wide and deep. We’re given an exceptional sense of space. That typical Opus 3 sense of being in the room with the musicians is palpably real. Even if the music doesn’t move you, you’ll want to hear the LP or hybrid SACD for the demo-quality sound alone. It's one of the best-sounding recordings of popular music I’ve heard. While Tony Sheridan never quite achieved the notoriety he
was expected to, he's not forgotten. Both his music and association with the Beatles
leave behind a lasting legacy to his talent. Add in an album such as this one, which
showcases his own songwriting, and you have a worthy tribute. It's a lovely recording and
a reminder of the talent we lost just a few short years ago. |
