Phil Gammage - Motel Songs (2002)

Motel Songs 1990–1994 (compilation album). As the 1990’s began Gammage began to perform and record with some of the top rock musicians New York had to offer. Players such as Vinny DeNunzio (Feelies, Richard Hell), Marc Jeffrey (Band of Outsiders), Wendy Wild (Fleshtones, Das Furlines), and David Kaufman (The Nails) just to name a few. The chemistry between these like-minded musicians was amazing and what resulted were four stunning and at the time overlooked masterpieces; NIGHT TRAIN (1990) , KNEEL TO THE RISING SUN (1991), CRY OF THE CITY (1993), and LOWLIFE STREET (1994). What these records spotlight is not only Gammage’s outstanding guitar playing but his brilliant songwriting skills and vocals. With the exception of CRY OF THE CITY these CDs were all released in Europe on France’s New Rose Records (or their successor Last Call Records) and never found a large audience in Gammage’s native United States.

Later in the decade Gammage expanded musically to the worlds of blues, lounge, jazz and swing as well as returning to his rock roots with a reunited Certain General.

SourMash Records and PreFab International Productions are pleased to release MOTEL SONGS, a collection of many of the best songs off those four solo Gammage records. The years ‘90-’94 were particularly productive and creative for Phil and the songs in this collection speak with an emotive honesty that is as timeless as the day they were released. Finally a decade later most of these songs see their first American release.