New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Valerie Carter, the essential LA session vocalist and background singer with
James Taylor, Jackson Browne, and
Linda Ronstadt, is rediscovered with the posthumous album release of "
The Lost Tapes" by Cowboy
Angel Records. Valerie's passing in early 2017 left a void in the Los Angeles music scene, and now thanks to a discovery of some unreleased tracks, her legacy is rekindled
Valerie Carter was an American singer-songwriter who also had a successful career as a solo artist, debuting in 1974 at LA's Troubadour as part of the country-folk band, Howdy Moon. The group's one album is notable for Valerie's penned song, "Cook with Honey," later a hit for Judy Collins, and her introduction to Lowell
George (Little Feat), who would produce her widely acclaimed first album, "Just A Stones Throw Away" in 1977. This recognition placed her as the opening act for The
Eagles on their European tour. She would follow with LPs, "
Wild Child" (1978), and "
The Way It Is" (1996) to the delight of critics. Later releases included the EP, "Find A River" (1998), and compilation CDs, "Vanilla Grits" (2001) and "Midnight Over
Honey River" (2003).
Recently, Valerie's sister Jan, and longtime friend, Kathy Kurasch, found never released tapes of songs
Valerie had recorded. These recordings, comprising "
The Lost Tapes", feature an impressive array of guest artists, musicians, and composers including Prince, Lowell
George &
Little Feat,
Linda Ronstadt, Nicolette Larson, Steve Tyrell,
David Lasley, Will Jennings, and Tom Snow.
"
The Lost Tapes" offers an eclectic overview of Valerie's vocal style, ranging from the whimsical Carter/George collaboration, "Skinny White Pants" to the spiritual "My Saving Grace", composed by Steve &
Stephanie Tyrell with Barry Coffing. The soulful interpretation of
Little Feat's "Spanish Moon", and joyous remake of The Shirelles, "
Baby It's You", highlight Ms. Carter's genre bending vocal reach. Other standouts include a
Linda Ronstadt duet of "Heartache" and the previously unreleased demo of "I Got Over It", composed by
Valerie and
Prince in the 1970's.
Rounding out "
The Lost Tapes" is a treasure of newfound gems. From the insightful, "Echo My Heart", to the piercing vocals of "Be Here Now" and "Somewhere in this World,"
Valerie Carter pulls at your heart strings. In addition, her cross cultural influence runs deep on "La Vida Es Sueno", and she gets personal on "How Can I Say Goodbye", and "Labor of Love."
The musician,
James Taylor, spoke for the musical community when he eulogized
Valerie Carter; "One of the great singers of her generation…an old soul and as deep as a well. We were the lucky ones who worked with
Valerie over the long arc of her creative career. We got the best of her love."
"
The Lost Tapes" is available on Amazon, iTunes, CD Baby, and from the official
Valerie Carter website ValerieCarter.net and Facebook page.
