Bill Champlin Interview - Part 1

Part one of a two-part conversation, Bill Champlin joins Preston Frazier for an in-depth, fan-driven interview centered on his album No Place Left to Fall. Champlin walks through the making of the record — recording live with co-producer Mark Eddinger and engineer Jason Casaro in a church studio in Hopatcong, New Jersey, and assembling a band with Bruce Gaitsch, George Hawkins, and Billy Ward for old-school, in-person rehearsals and tracking. He shares warm memories of longtime collaborators George Hawkins and Bruce Gaitsch, breaks down standout tracks like "Total Control" (co-written with Jay Graydon) and "Tugging On Your Sleeve" (written with his son Will and Michael Caruso), and traces his rhythm guitar influences back to New Orleans and LA session players and organist Mike Finnigan. The conversation also covers his history with Lou Rawls, the writing behind "The Truth" and "He Started to Sing," and a personal story about his early connection to the Cipollina brothers. Rounding out this first installment, Champlin talks Suns tour news — including lineup changes with Terry Haggerty stepping in — plus the solo songwriting behind "Lover Like That," the massive "spaghetti singers" vocal stack on "Looking for You," and stories from co-writing with Swedish songwriter Andreas Carlson, including the unusual origins of "Yo Mama." Part two continues the conversation.