Spheres of Influence by George Vinson

As a session player and producer/engineer he has for the last 30 (!) years worked for hundreds of artists and recorded literally thousands of songs, jingles, and commercials. George is no stranger to band projects either; as a founding member of Paradox (and the earlier incarnation Spirit Band) he helped land several cuts on local and regional radio stations around the Southeast back in the late 80's and early 90's. He was a touring member of CCM hit-maker Glenn Garrett's band and went on to play with local favorites Sportz, Randy Hunter, and many others. Today George continues to lend his talent to various artists around the area including Marc Phillips, Kevin Derryberry, and Kevin Williams. Though he has recently relocated to the Nashville, Tennessee area, he continues to be an in-demand guitarist and bassist at studios around his home town of Birmingham, Alabama.

With "Spheres of Influence" George is finally pushed from the backline to the forefront. But rather than simply put out a CD of guitar-driven instrumental music, George wanted to do something a little bit different. While SOI is a great mixture of great guitar tones and textures, roughly half of the project features vocal-driven songs. The other half of this project (the instrumentals) range from the Pink Floyd-inspired atmospherics of the opener "Spheres" and the powerful Beatles/George Harrison tribute "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", to the more intimate acoustic-based originals "The Mayor of Ponte Tresa" and the woefully short "Segue". "The Fountain" is a GV arrangement of the old hymn "There Is A Fountain" which he has been performing for years.

But how does a 'non-singer' like George not do an all-instrumental recording project? For the vocal tunes he took a page from the playbook of one of his influences, the Alan Parsons Project; use a different singer for each song! What initially seemed problematic turned out to be very liberating as George could now choose just the right voice for each song. And having great friends who happen to be great singers made the toughest part picking who sang what! For "People Get Ready" the choice was easy; long-time friend and studio veteran Tony Wachter. Wes Hampton (initially George's choice for 'The Wall') came in to cut a 'scratch' or guide vocal while "Forty" was being recorded. The result? That guide vocal became the definitive take. And while GV's version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is technically an instrumental, Bates Brothers Eugene and Eric added a great touch to this arrangement with their harmonies. Former Paradox band mate Ricky Hall was always the voice George had in mind while writing "A New Heart".

But his 'Peter Gabriel-esque' treatment on the Kansas classic "The Wall" made finding the right singer for this song more difficult. Hotel and Split The Dark front man Marc Phillips stepped in to deliver an incredible vocal that sounds as if the song was written with him in mind. For the final CD tune, "Amazing Grace" George turned to Steve Wingo (in fact this version was conceived while they were on tour in Italy and Switzerland a few years back). Steve's distinctive vocal is filled with a passion and emotion that conveys the message of this hymn in a powerful way; a fitting way to close this remarkable project.

The music on "Spheres of Influence" is varied... and for a reason. The underlying concept behind this project is that of the various influences that have helped made George the musician he is today. As an 'influences record', SOI contains cuts that are either GV arrangements of songs by some of his favorite artists or GV originals done in the style of those bands. On a secondary level of influence, all of the people involved in this recording are dear friends who have had a tremendous impact on his life and work throughout the years. Lastly, the final layer of influence is the meaning behind the songs; each contains a message of hope that has informed George's life and music since he first picked up a guitar at age thirteen, the same age as when he came in contact with his 'ultimate influence', a personal relationship with Christ. It is George's hope that "Spheres of Influence" will influence others to examine their own influences and impact them to make choices about their moral and spiritual condition. His dream is to perform these songs live using all the technology now available to bring these powerful songs to life on stage with full band, sound, lighting, and video. He founded the non-profit organization Project Onefifty as a vehicle to bring this musical message of hope to the people around the world who need it most.

"Spheres of Influence"

Produced by George Vinson

Eugene Bates, executive producer

Recorded & mixed by Eric Bates,

Bates Brothers Recording, Hueytown, Alabama

Graphic design by Jason Lazzaro, Birmingham, Alabama

A Project Onefifty production

Project Onefifty is a non-profit entity that is supported by the gifts of individuals and business partners. For more information, go to www.project150.com or contact George Vinson 615-483-7436

Project Onefifty P O Box 287 Thompson's Station, TN 37179

All songs by George Vinson © 2004 Vinsongs Music (ASCAP) except where indicated.

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