Sam Neely
Son Of The South

© Taliesyn Music 2001

Soundbytes

	She Ain't Comin' Back
	The Note And Me

Born in Cuero, Texas on August 22, 1948, Sam Neely says he fell in love with the guitar at age 10. Sam's family later moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, where by age 15 he was playing guitar in bands at local dances. Around 1966 he joined a local band called Buckle, and gained his first recording experience with that group. At age 19 Sam, while watching the "Merv Griffin" TV show, saw a movie producer ask for song submissions for a soundtrack he was working on. Sam submitted some material, and that was the start of his professional music career.

Sam has since written and performed title songs for several major motion pictures. His songs have reached 13 times or better in Billboard magazine's Top 40 as a recording artist/song writer with record sales worldwide. He has recorded for 4 major labels; Capital, A&M, Electra, and MCA Records. Today, Sam is one of the co-owners of Taliesyn Music, located in Corpus Christi, Texas and he continues to write, sing, and record for the company and other artists.

This latest album from Sam Neely contains 10 tracks all co-penned by Sam and M Gregory, with his son Jason also throwing his pen in there on 4 of the tracks. The album contains a good mixture of story songs and love ballads, while kicking off with "She Ain't Comin' Back"a good country rocker that reminds me of some of the material, New Country artist Mark Collie has done. He then slows things down considerably for the excellent, "The Note And Me," a song in which he carries a 'Dear John Letter' around with him, to remind him of the wife who walked out on him. Sam has an emotion filled voice that suits this sort of song a treat, so much so that he almost has you feeling sorry for him!

Other tracks include "Son Of The South," a song that tells of his pride in being from the south, "There's Danger Ahead" and "Midnight Train" a couple of good, catchy toe tappers that are sure to get the dancers on the floor and "That's All I Have To Say About That" a good story song that tells of  a young child complaining that his best friend has moved away, while growing up and doing the same thing himself with his own family. There's also a good sprinkling of love ballads with the Neil Diamond-ish power ballad,"Here I Am Again," "What Am I Supposed To Do,"and "Call Me."

Before this album, the only time I had heard of Sam Neely, was via his cover of the Rafe Van Hoy song, "Sail Away"(also recorded by 'The Oakridge Boys' and Kenny Rogers') in .....I think.....the late 70s. This album shows that Sam is also a fine writer in his own right, whiles’t also possessing a distinctive voice ………somewhat of a rarity these days! This is a fine album from a singer/songwriter whose career I will certainly be keeping an eye on from now on.

Website: www.taliesyn.com E mail: SNeely1878@aol.com