Tonio K Ole CD

Tonio K's fifth full-length album was originally slated to be released in 1990 on the heels of Notes From the Lost Civilization, thus completing his trio of comeback recordings. Due to the inherent nature of corporate restructuring, however, this project was canned by A&M only to see the light of day seven years later courtesy of Gadfly Records. This album, while being denied a final mix due to financial and political constraints, continues stylistically in the vein of Notes From the Lost Civilization. Tonio K's patented form of intelligent funky roots rock and commentary-laced ballads is complemented greatly by a stellar cast of musicians like Peter Case, T Bone Burnett, Booker T. Jones, Bruce Thomas, David Hidalgo, Paul Westerberg, and Charlie Sexton. Co-produced by Burnett and David Miner Olé contains several intense and substantive songs like "Hey Lady," "Day and Night," (co-written with Burnett) and the caustic "What a Way to Live" which revisits his ornery heyday as a burgeoning voice of unreason. ~ Dave Sleger

Recorded in 1989 and 1990, with a cast of supporting musicians that included Paul Westerberg (The Replacements), David Hidalgo (Los Lobos), Peter Case, Charlie Sexton, Booker T., Bruce Thomas (The Attractions) and producer T Bone Burnett, "Olé" is the album Entertainment Weekly calls Tonio K.'s best. Harking back at times to the crazed-rock feel of his early classics "Life in the Foodchain" (1978) and "Amerika" (1980), "Olé," runs a gamut of styles and shows Mr. K. at the top of his game.Despite receiving massive critical praise for "Foodchain" and "Amerika," Tonio K. bounced around from CBS Records, to Arista, to Capitol-EMI (which resulted in the 1983 EP "La Bomba"), before settling into What?/A&M for his third and fourth albums: "Romeo Unchained" (1986) and "Notes from the lost civilization" (1988). Since being "dropped" from A&M, he has been one of the music industry's most successful songwriters, penning the most played song of 1993 ("Love Is," recorded by Vanessa Williams and Brian McKnight), and placing songs with Bonnie Raitt, Aaron Neville, Al Green (from the "Michael" soundtrack), and many others. All four of Tonio K.'s full-length albums are available on CD from Gadfly Records.Olé song list: "Stop The Clock," "Time Steps Aside," "Maybe There Isn't," "Stuck," "That Could Have Been Me," "Hey Lady," "Come With Me," "I'll Remember You," "What A Way To Live," "Day And Night," "Pardon Me For Living," "We Walk On"The "Olé" booklet includes a history of the album, complete lyrics, and notes about each song, along with other Tonio K.-like stuff...PRODUCED BY T BONE BURNETT AND DAVID MINEROlé‚ key personnel: Tonio K. -- acoustic guitar, vocalsPaul Westerberg -- guitarDavid Hidalgo -- guitar, mandolo, background vocalsPeter Case -- harmonica, background vocalsCharlie Sexton -- guitarBruce Thomas -- electric bassBooker T. Jones -- Hammond organT Bone Burnett -- acoustic & electric guitars, chaimberlin

OLE is a previously unreleased album recorded in in 1989.

Includes liner notes by Tonio K.

Personnel: Tonio K. (acoustic guitar, vocals); T. Bone Burnett (acoustic & electric guitars, Chaimberlin); David Hidalgo (guitar, mandolo, background vocals); Paul Westerberg, Charlie Sexton, Jack Sherman, Warner Hodges (guitar); John Keller (electric & acoustic guitars, background vocals); Marc Ribot, Rusty Anderson (electric guitar); Peter Case (harmonica, background vocals); Booker T. Jones (Hammond organ); David Miner (acoustic & electric basses, piano, percussion); Bruce Thomas (electric bass); David Raven, Mickey Curry (drums); Ralph Forbes (drum programming); Steven Soles (background vocals).

Personnel: Tonio K. (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar); David Hidalgo (vocals, guitar); Jack Sherman, Paul Westerberg, Warner Hodges, Charlie Sexton (guitar); T Bone Burnett (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, chamberlin); John Keller (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, background vocals); Marc Ribot, Rusty Anderson (elecEntertainment Weekly (10/10/97, p.92) - "A&M shelved this during a guard changing in 1990; now unearthed, the T-Bone Burnett-coproduced OLE proves a career high for K. and is arguably better than anything A&M's put out these last several years..." - Rating: A