"Why aren't you famous yet?"
Daniel Van Patten, Gold Record Producer
We would like to take this opportunity to
introduce Richard Norton and the independent release of his CD "I Can Stand A Little
Rain".
This recording
represents the arrival of a true "American Musical Entity".
Says Richard " I don't like to think of myself primarily as a guitar player.
I
really hate the title of guitar hero.
There is nothing heroic about playing the
guitar.
In the right hands it's a very powerful instrument, in the wrong hands it's a freakin disaster.
I had this natural geekiness to deal with
growing up.
Playing the guitar
was a great way to get around it and to a large degree it has seemed to work.
A lot of people really do like the way I play
and that's very flattering. However I'd rather be thought of as
a songwriter who happens to
play the guitar.
Actually I'm more of a "de-composer"...
What I mean is if you think my stuff stinks at least you know
the reason why...( insert sly grin )...
I've been called "eclectic" I kinda
like that...
Lets be honest I'm the kinda guy you love to love...
or love to hate...
That's
a whole lotta love...
Refusing to compromise to the mercurial whims of
popular music, Richard has paid the price for his years of commitment, come full circle
and can be truly called a survivor.
"Well…..I don't want to be misunderstood is all. The real issue is about
music, not about fashion or style.
It's not about ignorance, intolerance and musical racism
where my music is better than your music or anything like that.
You see,
musical styles don't clash, people do"... R Norton
"My Main influences would have been more
contemporary players like Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Johnny Winters, Duane Allman,
Lowell George, Mark Knopfler, Jerry Reed, Chet Atkins, BB King, Freddie King, Albert King,
Buddy Guy, Peter Green...
Oh the list is endless...
Eric Clapton was entry
level into rock and blues.
I think every contemporary guitar player has gone through Eric
to find themselves...
One guy who really got to me was
Rory Gallagher...
I ran across his "Live in
Europe" LP back in 1974 and bought it just because of the cover...
Rory was wearing a plaid shirt and playing a
beat up Stratocaster...
I thought to myself man you got to practice an awful lot to knock
the finish off your guitar...
For the next several years I was on a quest to
find a strat like his and I finally did...
When I found my beat up strat I knew exactly how
he must have felt about his...
The more I listened to him making music and read
about him the more I related to him and the kind of person he was...
I really felt a
connection...
I have rarely felt that way about anything or anyone else...
"I
think my album is kind of a tribute to him and his way of making
music"...RN
Actually it didn't even occur to me til way
after the album was finished I thought gee that is kinda the way Rory would do it...
I
thought that was kinda cool...
I still haven't stopped wearing plaid shirts...
Other
Influences...
Songwriters like Woodie Guthrie, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springteen, Tom Petty,
Jackson Browne, George Jones, Tom Waits...
Actually my criteria is real simple, If
you have something meaningful to say I will listen period...
I like songs that say
something...tell a story...a good story...
The music business has changed alot from when I
can first remember.
By the late 1970's it had gotten so formulated and mediocre is it any
wonder that most of popular music sounds like crap these days?
My personal take on it is that 95% of the record execs out
there don't know shit about what people really want.
That's why they would rather sign
every moron with how did Frank Zappa once put it, a studded dog collar and a guitar than
to spend the time and resources trying to develop talent.
How can you expect people with
no talent possibly find anything real to develop.
So it kind of leaves it up to the talent
to develop themselves.
R Norton
Like I said I don't consider myself to be a natural, so I have to practice as often as I
can just to keep up.
It wasn't til later on I discovered the originators and learned from
them.
The first CD
"I Can Stand A Little Rain" was real bluesy. Like
I said a kind of tribute to Rory Gallagher...
I'm working on a new one that will be more
rock and roll plus I'd like to put out an all unplugged disc soon as well
"The Internet kind of spooks people as far as being consumers
although it's getting better all the time....
I just want them to
know that I believe in my work and I'll do whatever it takes to get it in their hands.
I don't have the luxury of having a record
company behind me so I have have to resort to guerilla marketing to get the point across.
The guarantee is simple, buy the CD listen to it and if you don't like it
you can return it for a refund, in other words I'll eat it period.
As far as I know nobody
has ever made an offer like that online or off." Richard Norton
Thank you for letting us share
in the quality artistry that Richard Norton represents.
We hope you now have a better idea
of what that artistry is all about and will share this web site with your friends so that
soon everyone know what you have discovered right here today.
You have heard from
Richard, his friends his fans his critics and the rest. Now
it's your turn, let us take the risk out of your
purchase.
Go ahead buy the CD listen to it. If at any time you are not happy return it for
a full refund . We can't be any more fair than that. Again we thank you
(C) Richard Norton Nortunes BMI 2003-2007
