Today's episode is fun all around, because I got to feature the return of legendary songwriter JACK TEMPCHIN, this time in living color. He is one of those musical artists who epitomizes the Southern California sound that so many of us baby boomers took comfort in, like a cool breeze coming off the Pacific Ocean. Even though we are 70 mile-apart neighbors, I am glad we have technology such as Zoom, so that Jack and I could visit for a little over an hour. You'll get to hear about Jack's latest song project "The Gingerbread Man" and how his wife Sheryl played an important part in it's creation. Jack also retold a few stories about some of his top 40 hits, and how he and Glenn Frey teamed up after the Eagles to launch a successful string of solo albums and singles. So much more on the menu, including a Wienerschnitzel meal with gingerbread cookies for dessert (Watch the interview and you'll understand.) Please enjoy the "Peaceful Easy Feeling" that you are sure to get from my visit with this talented writer of beautiful songs, Jack Tempchin.
Dean Olson
StrongWriter On the Radio
* Listen to Jack's Interview with Dean! *
Featured Guest: JACK TEMPCHIN
Photos courtesy of JackTempchin.com
Jack Tempchin is a legendary hit songwriter, whose compositions “Peaceful Easy Feeling” and “Already Gone” are synonymous with the Southern California Sound. These songs can be found on the Eagles’ compilation Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975, which the RIAA named the Best-Selling U.S. Album of the 20th Century.
Jack Tempchin songs have been performed or recorded by several artists, including George Jones, Buck Owens, Emmylou Harris, Glen Campbell, Jackson Browne, Dwight Yoakam, Linda Ronstadt, Patty Loveless, Trisha Yearwood, Tanya Tucker, Richie Havens, Sammy Kershaw, Kate Wolf, Tom Rush and more.
Jack Tempchin has also performed live with 3 Eagles—Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit. He’s also played with greats like Poco, Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Chicago, Chris Hillman, Herb Pedersen, Jimmy Webb, Al Kooper, Kenny Loggins, Karla Bonoff, Christopher Cross and Dolly Parton, among others. In the mid-90s, Jack toured as the opening act for Ringo Starr and His All Star Band at major venues Radio City Music Hall and The Hollywood Bowl.
A San Diego native, In 1976, Jack Tempchin was first signed by Clive Davis to Arista Records, along with Jules Shear and Richard Stekol, in the band The Funky Kings. Retro-rocker Johnny Rivers recorded The Funky Kings’ track “Slow Dancing (Swayin’ To the Music)” written by Tempchin, and made it a Billboard Top 10 in 1977.
In the 1980s, Tempchin co-wrote a dozen radio hits for Glenn Frey’s solo career, including “True Love,” “The One You Love,” “Sexy Girl,” “Party Town,” “I Found Somebody,” “Soul Searchin,” and “Livin’ Right.” Other Tempchin/Frey co-writes include Top 40 hits “Smuggler’s Blues” and “You Belong to The City” for the original ‘Miami Vice’ TV show soundtrack. These two songs were later sampled in the 90s by platinum rappers Coolio (“Nature of the Business”) and Jay-Z (“City Is Mine”).
Famously, Tempchin’s tune “Peaceful Easy Feeling” was featured in a notorious taxi scene in the Coen Brothers cult classic The Big Lebowski where Jeff Bridges’ character is unceremoniously tossed from a cab. “Part Of Me, Part Of You,” another Tempchin/Frey classic, was the end-title theme song for the Oscar-award winning film Thelma & Louise. In 2015, a Tempchin/Frey co-write was featured in David O. Russell’s Joy starring Jennifer Lawrence.
In 2014, Jack’s lyrical manuscripts for “Peaceful Easy Feeling” and “Already Gone” as well as his original Stella guitar were on view at The Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, CA. Prior to that, his lyrics were featured at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.
In 2019, Jack was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York City. His latest album, “One More Time With Feeling,” was released on Jimmy Buffett’s Mailboat record label.
Additional Jack Tempchin Credits:
Jack co-wrote the theme song (with Johnny Rivers and Steve Plunkett) for the Aaron Spelling produced TV series “7th Heaven”, which ran for 11 seasons on The WB / UPN / The CW.
Listen Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obr9NNNU8IQ
– Other songs featured in films:
• Sgt. Bilko (1996, Steve Martin) – “Party Town”
• The Lonely Guy (1984, Steve Martin) – “The Lonely Guy”
• Girls Just Want To Have Fun (1985, Sarah Jessica Parker, Helen Hunt) – “On The Loose”
• Homer and Eddie (1989, Jim Belushi, Whoopi Goldberg) – “Bad Seeds”
• Season of Fear (1989) – “I Did It For Your Love”
– The city of San Diego declared December 1st 2012 to be “Peaceful Easy Feeling Day” to honor Jack and the 40th anniversary of the song.
– And of course, in 2012 Jack received a coveted 18k Golden Weiner award from der Wienerschnitzel, as well as a plaque on the table where he was sitting when he wrote Peaceful Easy Feeling.
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