Keith Sykes 8th album. Recorded and Mixed in late 1991 at Kiva Studios, Memphis. Released in 1992 by Oh Boy Records.
Produced by Keith Sykes
Jack Holder, electric lead guitar, songs 2, 3, 4, and 9. B3 Hammond Organ, song 8. Electric rhythm, song 1. Background vocals, songs 1 and 2. Synth, song 8.
Dave Cochran, Bass.
Gary (GaryBoy) Allen, Background vocals.
Rick Steff, Squeeze Box, songs 3 and 6.
Tommy Borroughs, Fiddle, song 3.
Mickey Raphael, Harmonica, song 1.
Keith Sykes, everything else.
Engineered by Jack Holder and Tim Ray
Assisted by Travis Smith and Gary Harwood
Mixed by Jack Holder
Mastered by Larry Nix
Photography by Steve Roberts and Ford McDonald
Design by Susanne Smolka, Unicorn Publishing Services
Memphis, Tennessee has a long musical history and is home to many of music’s best songwriters and performers. Keith Sykes carries on that great tradition. He recalls his first professional gig at age 18, performing 4 sets of Bob Dylan songs for which he was paid five dollars. Yet he had been bitten by the performing bug. After doing time on the road and building his performing skills, Sykes migrated to New York where he played coffee houses and colleges in the late 60’s and early 70’s.
It was during this time that Sykes was signed to Vanguard Records, and release two albums on that label. Over the next several years, he would release five more albums. In the latter part of the decade, he played in Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer band. But true to his roots, his songwriting horizons expanded. To date, Sykes has co-written songs with such notables as John Prine, Rodney Crowell, Rosanne Cash, Jimmy Buffett, Roger Cook and Russell Smith to name a few. His songs have been covered by artists ranging from Buffett to Crowell to Jerry Jeff Walker to Patty Loveless to the Judds.
With It’s About Time, it was Sykes goal to create a songwriters’ record, which he has apply accomplished, and the diverse group of contributing co-writers aided in that achievement. In an era that is seeing the return to songwriting consciousness, it’s about time for Keith Sykes–songwriter and performer.
~Press release from Oh Boy Records