Oklahoma Rockers Hillbilly Vegas have released their new single & video for ‘Mr. Midnight‘, which was written by and features Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame inductee Paul Rodgers (Bad Company). The track is the 2nd single from their new album ‘A La Mode‘, which is slated for release on May 8th via Quarto Valley Records. It’s the follow-up to the hit ‘I Hope You Know‘, which is at #20 on the Rock Radio charts and still climbing.
Listen – here
‘Mr. Midnight‘ is a heavy, electric blues-rock song that has a retro feel of ZZ Top ‘Tush’ mixed with the modern blues sound of Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. The edgy and slinky guitar riffs evoke images of Beale Street late at night, whiskey in hand, while on the prowl for good trouble – buoyed by the unmistakable Paul Rodgers ethos of classic 70’s rock and roll.
Paul Rodgers says “I wrote ‘Mr. Midnight‘ a few years ago when I was writing songs – that to my surprise – became an album ‘Midnight Rose‘. I had no idea that the songs would become an album. But when Sun Records said that they would be interested in releasing a Paul Rodgers album you would have to be mad not to accept. I actually forgot that I had the song and that is why it was not included on the ‘Midnight Rose’ album. Bassist Todd Ronning from my solo band – who later joined Bad Company – played on the demo track for the song and was familiar with it”.
He continues “The song started with the guitar riff. I had it floating around in my mind, and I built the song around that. When I was looking for lyrics I was inspired by a feline. Cynthia, my wife, has a number of rescued cats, and there was one black cat in particular named Jasper. His coat was so sleek and black that I nicknamed him Mr. Midnight. You can let your imagination take it from there. When I heard Hillbilly Vegas’ recording of ‘Mr. Midnight’ – Steve (Harris) did such a great job, I felt they had it well covered. I did not want to disturb the flow created in their recording, but I had made a promise to the boys in the band – so I sang some lines, and it turned out very well.”
Hillbilly Vegas’ Steve Harris adds “Being part of something like this with Paul, who’s had such an impact on how we all hear rock and roll, was an incredible experience that we still can’t quite believe happened. His voice, his phrasing and the way he approaches a song…that’s the blueprint. It raises the bar, but it also reminds you why you started doing this in the first place, because you realize you’re not just making a record, you’re stepping into a lineage that guys like Paul built.”
The video for ‘Mr. Midnight‘ was filmed in Oklahoma and produced by the band. Harris explains: We shot the video in our warehouse and it was directed by Jon Wright. He kept it organic and simple…nothing forced, just capturing the band the way we really are. And having Paul appear in the video… that’s just as cool as it gets! It’s one thing to share a track with him, but to have him visually be part of it too—that takes it to another level.”
The band’s 2nd full length album, ‘A La Mode‘, will be released on May 8th. It features 11 tracks and will be available in digital, CD, and Vinyl LP formats. Pre-orders start Monday, April 20th.
About Hillbilly Vegas:
Hillbilly Vegas’ dynamic sound caught the ears of an independent label in Nashville in 2011, and their first album ‘Ringo Manor‘ was released and sold more than 10,000 copies – driven by the hit single ‘Little Miss Rough and Tumble‘. The band has gone on to chart 5 songs on Billboard’s Rock charts, including ‘Let It Ride‘ – which remained on the chart for 13 weeks and reached #10, ‘Feels Good‘, ‘High Time For A Good Time‘, ‘Hell To Pay‘, ‘Two Gun Town‘, and fan favorite ‘Shake It Like A Hillbilly‘.
The band has earned a reputation for rousing live shows – bringing a loud, party-like atmosphere that is all-inclusive. They’ve shown they have a broad appeal across different genres, pleasing crowds while performing shows with rockers Blackberry Smoke, The Kentucky Headhunters, Wolfsbane and Ted Nugent; along with country icons Alabama, Travis Tritt, Blake Shelton, and Wynonna Judd. Hillbilly Vegas has played before huge crowds at NASCAR events, as well as many major bike rallies, including the legendary annual Sturgis Motorcycle rally. They have a strong UK following, and have played the Maid of Stone and Steelhouse festivals. The band is managed by David Spero (Joe Walsh, Cat Stevens/Yusef Islam, Bad Company). Tour dates are being booked in support of the album release for later this year.
Line-up:
Steve Harris – Lead Vocals
Stacy Thornburg – Guitar/Vocals
Geraldo Dominelli – Guitar/Keyboards (former Loverboy/Paul Rodgers)
Todd Ronning – Bass (former Bad Company)
Gunnar Molton (Drums)
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