Back in the mid-late 90’s I managed hat was starting to be called an alt-country group, The Blue Shadows. Led by the twin sonic assault of Jeffrey Hatcher and Billy Cowsill, the band received slathering praise from musicologists coast to coast. The band sold a respectable amount of albums, and shared the stage with JJ Cale, The Barenaked Ladies, The Band, Sweethearts of the Rodeo, and just about anyone else our agent, the famed Ralph James could shake out of his roster.

Our big problem in Canada was to find an act that would compliment The Blue Shadows show. Through a strange set of circumstances I was turned on to Scotty Campbell, hailing out of “The Hammer” Hamilton, Ontario.

The first show Scotty opened for The Blue Shadows was a magical sold out night at Toronto’s famed Horseshoe Tavern. I had only spoken to Scotty on the phone, and heard a couple of songs off of his debut EP “Pitchin’ Woe.” When Cowsill and I slipped in the back door of The Shoe, Scotty and his band were in full flight. I stopped at the side of the stage and was transfixed with what I saw and heard. Lost in thought I hadn’t noticed Billy had broken with tradition of heading straight to the dressing room, he was standing in the middle of the packed dance floor with his guitars at his side like long rider rifles. Campbell tore through 3 songs without a break. He then stepped up to the mic and said “Good evening my name is Scotty Campbell, now I guess you know why you have never heard me on “new country.” As Cowsill passed me on the way to the dressing room he looked at me with a proverbial sh__t eating grin and said “This guy is cool Captain.”

It was the beginning of a long a treasured friendship between Scotty, Billy and myself. That is another story for another day.

Scotty has put out a number of records that have been summarily ignored by country radio. Campbell and his band of merry music makers play constantly throughout the Golden Horseshoe area of Southern Ontario, and have been known at times to get enough steam up to make it out West. As Campbell says “One night we are playing for an old legion crowd, and the next night we are performing for the hipsters on Queen Street and we don’t do anything different, nothing!”

Scotty Campbell & The Wardenaires have recently released their latest offering “Smokin’ and Drinkin’”. The new CD is a collection of time honoured rare country classics mixed with a smattering of Scotty’s originals. Hell, who in their right mind would put a cover of a Godley/Crème song on a country record? The amazing thing with CD #3 is Campbell who has always been able to write songs that you swear you have heard before, now takes that songwriting style one step further.

Scorching fiddles, weeping steel guitars, and a cooking country shuffle band chugging through 13 tracks that take you there and back, you get the feeling you are right there in the honky tonk. I could stand outside of any big box Best Buy store in Canada with a ghetto blaster and sell the CD like pancakes in Calgary, during Stampede.

Until I carve out that time in my schedule, allow me to direct you to www.scottycampbell.com

There is an old saying that has been appropriated at times in a rather derogatory manner to describe old time music like Scotty makes. But let me tell you in Campbell’s case, no truer words are spoken.