Phil Lee & Other Old Time Favorites explained…

Photo by Barry Goyette

From his humble beginnings opening up for the farm news on WRAL-TV with Homer Briarhopper and the Daybreak Gang, Phil Lee, with this incredible record, brings it all back home…

In 1968 (to the best of my recollection your honor) my Grandma Flossie wangled me a job on television playing drums for a guy who became a huge influence on my whole approach to show business – Homer A. Briarhopper. His suits and his “Howdy, neighbors” wave and the big smile, just the way he engaged the audience and his style of playing to the audience, stuck with me. Every show was a couple of toe tappers, a few country favorites, a rocker or two for the kids, and always one for the sick and the shutins.

He was always inclusive, everybody was welcome and there was literally something for everyone. Fun for the whole family! Unfortunately, I got away from all that for about 60 years, but I wanted to do an album for my mama before she kicked the bucket. Honestly though, it looks like there’s a race for the finish at this point that I may win. Right about the time of the first COVID lockdown, David West, who played on the Crazy Horse record I did, called up – or I called him – and he said, “You know, what we oughta do is you just drop in and play your acoustic guitar and sing – and then leave before you give me something.”

And we did that. I’d come in a couple of hours on Wednesdays every week for ten weeks. I’d sing a song and then David would do what he does, which was everything else… So what the album is, it’s me doing a few things pretty good and David West doing a lot of things great. I do play drums, rhythm guitar, the harmonica and sing… and I wrote the songs, of course. There are a couple of co-writes and a couple of traditional songs I’ve always wanted to do. It turns out for David, who’s produced “many reputable artists” to all those “Pickin’ On” records…this was right up his alley: a folky, bluegrass record.

We then ventured into some Bakersfield kinda sounding stuff, but it was all in David”s wheelhouse, and it was just songs I had written, songs that my mother was particularly fond of like “Daddy’s Jail” or “Where”s the Family Today?” a co-write with my old friend James Brown, may God rest his soul. These are mostly songs I”d always meant to do but they were never right for the arty records I was doing. It’s one of those records with no secret devil-worshipping messages, no “FU’s,” just an album of tunes my mama and I like.

All the songs are short, no 8-minute opuses, no epics, just tunes. We discovered – and I mean, this was entirely by mistake because we didn’t start out to make an album that white people could dance to — but that happened. One of those happy accidents.

So that’s what this album is about, a tip of the hat to Homer A. Briarhopper and the Daybreak Show and to suits and to songs people can play for their friends and family without having to cringe or shout out, “How ’bout them Braves?” Anybody can hear it, and the playing – which is all David West – is phenomenal. Like Larry Johnson says, this album is quality whether you want it or not. We are very proud of it, glad we did it and sincerely hope you like it…

Phil Lee

Phil Lee is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and performance artist, whose credits include work with Richard Bennett, Billy Joe Royal, Clyde Moody, Crazy Horse, Jack Nitzsche, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Rob Stoner, Barry Goldberg, Howie Epstein, Beverly DeAngelo, Homer A. Briarhopper and not Stephen Stills… His critically acclaimed albums include The Mighty King of Love, You Should Have Known Me Then, So Long, It’s Been Good to Know You, Some Gotta Lose, The Fall and Further Decline of the Mighty King of Love, Phil Lee and the Horse he rode in on (with Crazy Horse), Phil Lee and Other Old Time Favorites.

David West has produced over sixty albums as a staff producer for CMH records in Los Angeles, and many more as a freelance producer through his Play Ball! Musical Services and Studio “Z,” based in Santa Barbara, CA. The “Pickin’ On…” series, much of which produced by David and released by CMH has sold over 5
million CDs worldwide. As a multi-instrumentalist he has appeared on hundreds of albums, TV shows and commercials plus several film soundtracks. His early career was spent touring North America/Europe with modern bluegrass ensemble the “Cache Valley Drifters.” During the same period he worked with famed songwriter Kate Wolf as accompanist, contributing original songs to her repertoire. He has worked primarily in the studio for the last twenty five years, although he still occasionally tours, backing up some of his favorite artists. David West is a member of AFM local 308.

For a more complete bio and additional discography visit –

www.davidwest.com