Tune in as TampaMystic interviews Ed Morales
Rescue and “Little Sugar” will sweeten up anyone’s musical life
By Kurt Beyers
“Little Sugar,” the fun R&B ’70s throwback single from Rescue, the new album by Ed Morales, will make people play steering-wheel drums.
Or dance.
The rocking country “Texas Lady” will have feet stomping under tables.
And the chorus of “Rescue,” the “anthemic” title song and final track, will stand neck hairs up to attention.
The single and the album drop on April 24.
The 11 songs of Rescue are about experiences of life, and “Little Sugar” was inspired by the romantic potential in puff pastry.
The origin story of “Little Sugar”: “I like to cook and was watching Food Network. A very attractive chef was preparing a recipe for puff pastry. As I was listening to her describe the recipe, I said, ‘This is somewhat suggestive.’ So, I went online, downloaded the recipe and I thought ‘Well, I’m gonna have a bit of fun with it.’”
Gonna come right down
Help you with the recipe
A pinch of this and a dash of that
Maybe something to squeeze
This is set to music inspired by combination of R&B and Pop influenced dance music Ed grew up with in the ’70s and 80s, Chic, Earth Wind & Fire, and Duran Duran.
He chose it as the song to tease the album because it is fun, lighthearted, double entendre with a gravitating combination of rhythmic guitar, bass, drums and sax of “early dance”.
“I wanted the feel and the groove of it, the instrumentation, the saxophone, to be inviting, uncomplicated – simple.”
And people related to it, even his kids, he said.
“It’s a flirtatious, groovy kind of song about a guy coming over to cook with his love. There’s a bit of innuendo, but the inspiration was watching someone on Food Network cooking puff pastry.”
Leave it in until it’s done
Waiting for this is half the fun
Serve it while it’s really hot
One last thing to hit the spot
Give a Little Sugar to make it all better
Ed’s career in music spans several decades and is a gifted musician, singer and songwriter. Beginning in the 1980s, Ed has recorded both as an independent artist and signed to labels. He has journeyed across the country, including a time in Nashville, and still performs to a large following in the Texas Hill Country area around San Antonio, where he currently lives.
“At this juncture in my career, I don’t have delusions of grandeur,” he said. “I really want to reach people of my age. You know, the Gen X group who experienced great music and styles of the ’60s, ’70s, and 80s. People seeking a voice, speaking their ‘language’. Someone who grew up at the same time and understands the juncture we are in our lives. Those are the ones that I’m most trying to appeal.”
But he is ready to take his music to a wider world.
“If the opportunity presents itself for me to travel and perform in other places around the country and around the world, absolutely, I will. Nowadays, the reach is so pervasive you can connect many people around the world. My ‘day-job’ allows me to connect daily to people across the globe, so I know there is a broad, like minded audience.”
Rescue is a collection of songs composed and produced over the last few years, he said. The songs are in a variety of musical styles – a confluence of Rock, Pop, R&B and Americana. Ed calls it “Urban Americana”.
“It is an assembly of the different influences that I’ve gone through pretty much most of my life, but primarily as I was growing up. You’ll hear influences of Tom Petty and Beatle-guitar oriented rock like a song called ‘Rena.’ Being from Texas, one can’t help but be inspired by Texas country stylings of Lyle Lovett and Don Henley in songs such as ‘Steady My Heart’.”
Another song, “Greetings from Asbury Park,” named for Bruce Springsteen’s first album, is an ode to Springsteen musical and lyrical influence, “written as I was driving down a highway listening to the album.”
His music is the kind that reveals something new at every listening.
When this is suggested to him, he said, “Well, I think that’s another aspect of this album. It is layered. It’s about taking people through a journey. There’s a very prescriptive way that the songs flow through the album.”
“The whole album is about experiences. Seeking and embracing experiences in life and all that life has to offer.”
The songs, based in life experiences, are musical experiences worth having.
The title of the album, Rescue, has both positive and negative connotations for him, and a certain poignancy. It is the first music he has released in seven years. In his day job he is an IT professional.
“I still have things to say and music to play, and this was a way of realizing the other part of my spirit.”
During the time he was recording the tracks of Rescue, his life was in “somewhat” of a challenging phase, he said, and the album “recording, writing music — became a release —something I could escape and focus while all the ‘noise’ was going on around me.”
“It did in a sense rescue me from the things that were going on.”
None of that shows in the songs, the album, except in the way that great music and lyrics are relatable to anyone and can help them transcend the chaos of life.
Even make it fun.
When I get there to your door
One more thing left to score
Give a Little Sugar, give a Little Sugar, yeah
Give a Little Sugar to make it all better
Make it all better. Connect to Ed Morales on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.
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