VETERAN BLUES ROCKER JOEY STUCKEY ROLLS
HIS PROGRESSIVE AMERICANA ENERGY INTO
MEMPHIS FOR AN EXPLOSIVE SESSION RESULTING
IN HIS EPIC FULL-LENGTH ALBUM
‘IN THE SHADOW OF THE SUN’
HIS PROGRESSIVE AMERICANA ENERGY INTO
MEMPHIS FOR AN EXPLOSIVE SESSION RESULTING
IN HIS EPIC FULL-LENGTH ALBUM
‘IN THE SHADOW OF THE SUN’
When Joey Stuckey gives inspirational talks about overcoming odds and helping people define
success on their own terms, he’s big on the concept of living a life of intention. Yet when the
veteran blues rocker booked his progressive Americana trio into the legendary Sun Studio for a
three-hour session on an off day from their tour, he had no specific plan except to record a few
originals and covers. Letting the legendary spirits in the room (Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Elvis,
et al), the vintage 50-s’-60’s equipment and the refreshing spontaneity of a live recording in the studio
opportunity take over, Stuckey created In The Shadow of the Sun, the most unexpected and
the amazing full-length album of his career.
Titled with a double entendre referring to both the historic room where the session took place
and the singer/guitarist’s own Shadow Sound Studios in his hometown of Macon, GA, the 40
the minute collection features five powerful originals and fiery re-imaginings of three classics that
are among his trio’s most popular live performance songs. Stuckey is rolling the release out in
multiple formats, including vinyl for the first time.
The vinyl version includes the original and radio edit versions of the set’s lead single “You’re So
Wrong,” “Troubles Come in Threes” (featuring Hammond B-3 great Randal Bramblett (Steve
Winwood Band, Traffic), “Still Me Sane and Free” and “Truth is a Misty Mountain” (a tune
Stuckey wrote in the 90s but never recorded before). Stuckey also recorded blistering first take,
no mistake versions of Van Morrison’s “Domino,” Danny O’Keefe’s “Good Time Charlie’s Got
the Blues” and The Allman Brothers’ “Whipping Post” – which Stuckey concludes, as he does
when he performs it live, by shouting, “Good night, thank you, and may your God go with you!”
Another highlight is “Ain’t It Good to be in Love,” which features a 30 piece children’s choir
from Howard Middle School in Macon, where Stuckey’s bassist Nestor Jaenz is the choir director,
and a special guest performance by trumpeter Al Chez, best known for his work with Tower of
Power and the Paul Shaffer Band. Stuckey released the original version of the track in 2017
under the name “Joey Stuckey and the Shadow Bandits.” It is a co-write with his dear friend
Charlie Hoskyns, a UK based producer Stuckey met while performing in England. The two
wrote an entire album together, and Stuckey wanted to include a freewheeling new version as a
tribute to his friend, who passed away in September 2017.
The CD version of In the Shadow of the Sun, which runs about 70 minutes, is an exciting
package that has both stereo and mono versions of all eight songs and the radio edit of “You’re
So Wrong. “At the original Sun Studio, everything was mixed in mono,” Stuckey says, “and I
thought it would be cool to present recordings in that format as an homage to those that were
done there in the ’50s and ’60s. My thought was since you’re hearing the classic room and some
of the gear from that era, let’s see what it would sound like as if we had recorded it then. There is
a bit less articulation in mono, but the groove, the kick drum, and bass is heavier and fatter.”
success on their own terms, he’s big on the concept of living a life of intention. Yet when the
veteran blues rocker booked his progressive Americana trio into the legendary Sun Studio for a
three-hour session on an off day from their tour, he had no specific plan except to record a few
originals and covers. Letting the legendary spirits in the room (Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Elvis,
et al), the vintage 50-s’-60’s equipment and the refreshing spontaneity of a live recording in the studio
opportunity take over, Stuckey created In The Shadow of the Sun, the most unexpected and
the amazing full-length album of his career.
Titled with a double entendre referring to both the historic room where the session took place
and the singer/guitarist’s own Shadow Sound Studios in his hometown of Macon, GA, the 40
the minute collection features five powerful originals and fiery re-imaginings of three classics that
are among his trio’s most popular live performance songs. Stuckey is rolling the release out in
multiple formats, including vinyl for the first time.
The vinyl version includes the original and radio edit versions of the set’s lead single “You’re So
Wrong,” “Troubles Come in Threes” (featuring Hammond B-3 great Randal Bramblett (Steve
Winwood Band, Traffic), “Still Me Sane and Free” and “Truth is a Misty Mountain” (a tune
Stuckey wrote in the 90s but never recorded before). Stuckey also recorded blistering first take,
no mistake versions of Van Morrison’s “Domino,” Danny O’Keefe’s “Good Time Charlie’s Got
the Blues” and The Allman Brothers’ “Whipping Post” – which Stuckey concludes, as he does
when he performs it live, by shouting, “Good night, thank you, and may your God go with you!”
Another highlight is “Ain’t It Good to be in Love,” which features a 30 piece children’s choir
from Howard Middle School in Macon, where Stuckey’s bassist Nestor Jaenz is the choir director,
and a special guest performance by trumpeter Al Chez, best known for his work with Tower of
Power and the Paul Shaffer Band. Stuckey released the original version of the track in 2017
under the name “Joey Stuckey and the Shadow Bandits.” It is a co-write with his dear friend
Charlie Hoskyns, a UK based producer Stuckey met while performing in England. The two
wrote an entire album together, and Stuckey wanted to include a freewheeling new version as a
tribute to his friend, who passed away in September 2017.
The CD version of In the Shadow of the Sun, which runs about 70 minutes, is an exciting
package that has both stereo and mono versions of all eight songs and the radio edit of “You’re
So Wrong. “At the original Sun Studio, everything was mixed in mono,” Stuckey says, “and I
thought it would be cool to present recordings in that format as an homage to those that were
done there in the ’50s and ’60s. My thought was since you’re hearing the classic room and some
of the gear from that era, let’s see what it would sound like as if we had recorded it then. There is
a bit less articulation in mono, but the groove, the kick drum, and bass is heavier and fatter.”
Although it’s not on the album, the track from the session that means the most to Stuckey is the
Hank Williams standard “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” which was the first one he and his trio (which
also includes drummer Charles Arnold) laid down when their session started at 7 p.m. It was a
way to get his dad, an amateur guitarist and a huge lifelong inspiration, involved. Stuckey’s wife
Jennifer also contributes vocals.
“My dad had a heart attack back in 2016 and so I also thought this would be a priceless memory
for us to play together in the place where Elvis and so many other stars did back in the ’50s and
60’s,” Stuckey says. “So I asked him to join the band on a song. This track isn’t for the public,
just a family treasure. But it was something really different than what I am used to in a good
way! As a producer, studio owner and professor of music technology for Mercer University, I
use as many as 10 to 14 mics on just the drums alone. So this was a cool experience just having a
hand full of mics for the entire band and everyone in one room, where I usually separate
everyone e in ISO booths.”
In addition to his decades as an indie recording and touring artist with hundreds of live
performances under his belt, Stuckey – who has spent most of his life successfully dealing with
various physical limitations, including blindness - has owned the popular Shadow Sound Studio
in Macon since 1996 and has worked as a radio and TV personality, music columnist, educator
and sound engineer. Besides doing radio, TV, and print music journalism, he has a long history
teaching students guitar, voice, music theory and sound engineering. He is currently professor of
Music Technology at Mercer University and an official mentor for the Recording Connections
School in Los Angeles. The Joey Stuckey Band has opened for everyone from Bad Company and
Trisha Yearwood to James Brown and Smash Mouth. Behind the scenes as a producer,
composer, musician, and sound engineer, his resume includes work with Alan Parsons, Chuck
Leavell, Mike Mills (R.E.M.) and many others.
“I’m one of those guys who generally uses a click track and is known as a ‘must get everything
perfect’ producer,” Stuckey says. “In the Shadow of the Sun is not that. There’s no click track
or safety net, no way to fix a mess, and everything I’m doing here is something I don’t typically
do in the studio. Which made it a totally liberating experience for everyone. The best thing about
the session is that we went in there with a bunch of songs, but no specific mission or agenda,
doing it for fun and without much stress. Our attitude was, if it works out, great. If not, we had a
blast. It completely reflects my longtime aesthetic in my home studio and with my band.
Everything for me is about keeping focused and staying joyful.”
Hank Williams standard “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” which was the first one he and his trio (which
also includes drummer Charles Arnold) laid down when their session started at 7 p.m. It was a
way to get his dad, an amateur guitarist and a huge lifelong inspiration, involved. Stuckey’s wife
Jennifer also contributes vocals.
“My dad had a heart attack back in 2016 and so I also thought this would be a priceless memory
for us to play together in the place where Elvis and so many other stars did back in the ’50s and
60’s,” Stuckey says. “So I asked him to join the band on a song. This track isn’t for the public,
just a family treasure. But it was something really different than what I am used to in a good
way! As a producer, studio owner and professor of music technology for Mercer University, I
use as many as 10 to 14 mics on just the drums alone. So this was a cool experience just having a
hand full of mics for the entire band and everyone in one room, where I usually separate
everyone e in ISO booths.”
In addition to his decades as an indie recording and touring artist with hundreds of live
performances under his belt, Stuckey – who has spent most of his life successfully dealing with
various physical limitations, including blindness - has owned the popular Shadow Sound Studio
in Macon since 1996 and has worked as a radio and TV personality, music columnist, educator
and sound engineer. Besides doing radio, TV, and print music journalism, he has a long history
teaching students guitar, voice, music theory and sound engineering. He is currently professor of
Music Technology at Mercer University and an official mentor for the Recording Connections
School in Los Angeles. The Joey Stuckey Band has opened for everyone from Bad Company and
Trisha Yearwood to James Brown and Smash Mouth. Behind the scenes as a producer,
composer, musician, and sound engineer, his resume includes work with Alan Parsons, Chuck
Leavell, Mike Mills (R.E.M.) and many others.
“I’m one of those guys who generally uses a click track and is known as a ‘must get everything
perfect’ producer,” Stuckey says. “In the Shadow of the Sun is not that. There’s no click track
or safety net, no way to fix a mess, and everything I’m doing here is something I don’t typically
do in the studio. Which made it a totally liberating experience for everyone. The best thing about
the session is that we went in there with a bunch of songs, but no specific mission or agenda,
doing it for fun and without much stress. Our attitude was, if it works out, great. If not, we had a
blast. It completely reflects my longtime aesthetic in my home studio and with my band.
Everything for me is about keeping focused and staying joyful.”
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