James Lee Stanley

Infobox musical artist
Name = James Lee Stanley

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Img_capt = James Lee Stanley performing live in 2001
Landscape = Yes
Background = solo_singer
Born = birth date and age|1946|04|30
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died =
Instrument = Vocals, guitar
Genre = Folk, Folk-Rock, Jazz, Blues, Pop/Rock
Occupation = Singer-songwriter, musician, composer, producer, actor
Years_active = 1960–present
Label = Beachwood Recordings
Associated_acts = Peter Tork, John Batdorf, Tom Dundee, Hamilton Camp
URL = [http://www.jamesleestanley.com/ jamesleestanley.com] ]

Composer, Musician, Producer, Performer, Actor, Freelance Human Being

James Lee Stanley (born April 30, 1946) is an American folk singer-songwriter who has been recording and performing since the age of fourteen. He spent time in the Air Force during the late '60s and early '70s as a Chinese Linguist and studied music at Cal State-Northridge after his discharge. Upon graduation, Stanley began working as a songwriter for producer Bones Howe, a relationship which led Stanley to a recording contract with the Wooden Nickel division of RCA.

He has toured consistently since then and has performed up to three hundred dates a year, with such diverse acts as Steven Wright, Bonnie Raitt, Robin Williams, Nicolette Larson and even Bill Cosby.

Biography

Of Italian, German, Cherokee Indian, Scottish/Irish, and English Descent.

Early life

James said in a 2002 interview that as a child he was: 'Shy bright, blessed ... Strict father gentle mother ... Three beautiful sisters ... Parents still married, Dad came home every night and kissed mom full on the lips'

Pre-recording career

As a young boy his uncle taught James to play the ukulele, thus beginning James' musical career.

Early Recording and Song Writing

When James got his first recording contract at the age of 14 he says, "The Producer told me to write songs, so I did. They were terrible"

In the early sixties a pre-Mamas and Papas Cass Elliot paid for James' first recordings. He remained close friends with Cass until her untimely death from a heart attack in her sleep in 1974.

Major Label and Beachwood Records

RCA's subsidiary Wooden Nickel did little for his career commercially. The publicity for his albums was sorely lacking. "Publicity campaign?", James says, "They made three t shirts, one for me, one forthe president of Wooden Nickel and one for his wife. And there was one group adwith Tower Records L.A. in which my album was included. So far as Iknow, that was it." Critically, Stanley fared much better. "I received nothing but brilliant reviews. I remember Billboard Magazine (then the biggest music/showbiz mag in the world) choosing only a few albums to spotlight the week I put out 'Three's the Charm" [1974] : Queen's "Night at the Opera", Loggins and Messina's "Sittin In" /
Ten Years After with Alvin Lee / and Three's the Charm."

After bouncing around to different record companies through the '70's and into the '80's James made the decision to start his own label Beachwood Records. James says,"I wanted to make a recording of music and comedy and all the labels said: 'Choose one or the other.' So I chose to start my own label and do just what I do." Beginning with James Lee Stanley / "Live" (1988) to the present, all of James' own solo work has been with Beachwood.

Current era

A tireless live performer, James is always on the road giving concerts. James is currently working on the long and eagerly awaited "Cathy: the Musical", a project James has been working on since 1990 which is based on the popular comic strip.

Discography

Vinyl 7" Single Releases
I Knead You (1973)
This Could Be Goodbye (1973)
Plenty of Reason (For Going) / Windmill (1974)
Midnight Radio (1980)
Same Olde Samba / The Dancer (1989)

Vinyl 12" Releases
"James Lee Stanley" (1973)
"James Lee Stanley,Too" (1973)
"Three’s The Charm" (1974)
"Midnight Radio" (1980)
"Eclipse" (1982)
"Racing the Moon" (1984)
"James Lee Stanley/Live" (1988)

Vinyl 12" / CD Releases
"Simpatico" (1989)

CD Releases
"Ripe Four Distraction" (1991)
"The Envoy" (1993)
"Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" (1995)
"Two Man Band" w/Peter Tork (1996)
"Domino Harvest" (1997)
"Freelance Human Being" (1998), One of the Top 200 CD's of All Time - FI Magazine, (March 1999)
"Once Again" w/Peter Tork (2001)
"Beachwood Christmas CD - 2001" (2001)
"Two Man Band Two" w/Michael Smith (2002)
"Beachwood Christmas CD - 2002" (2002)
"Traces Of The Old Road" (2003)
"A Beachwood Christmas - 2003" (2003)
"All Wood And Stones" w/ John Batdorf (2005)
"Live / Backstage @ The Coffee Gallery – Peter Tork & James Lee Stanley" (2006)
"Eternal Contradiction" (2007)
"New Traces of the Old Road" (2008)

References

http://www.arabhorses.ms11.net/jlsdetailed.htm [http://www.arabhorses.ms11.net/jlsdetailed.htm] - JLS Discography with supporting musicians

External links

* [http://www.jamesleestanley.com/ JamesLeeStanley.com - Official website]
* [http://www.datamusicata.com/ DataMusicata.com - Blog site]
* [http://www.allwoodandstones.com/ All Wood And Stones site]
*imdb name|page=nm0822508