Randy Vanwarmer Just When I Needed You Most [Digipak]

Randy VanWarmer exploded onto the music scene in 1979 with his hit song JUST WHEN I NEEDED YOU MOST. Released on the Bearsville label, it peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and crossed over to the country charts. Written when he was 18, it became an international success, and has become a classic and enduring presence to this day. Randy went on to write such #1 hits as the Oak Ridge Boys I GUESS IT NEVER HURTS TO HURT SOMETIMES, Alabama's IM IN A HURRY(And Don't Know Why) and Michael Johnson's I WILL WHISPER YOUR NAME. Over the years, artists across multiple genres, such as Dolly Parton, Chet Atkins, Conway Twitty, Kenny Rogers, Charley Pride, Laura Branigan and Billie Joe Royal, have benefited from the Randy s songwriting talent. We sadly lost Randy in 2004, and 6 years later, several 'rehearsal' tracks were discovered in his studio, which are presented here on this CD entitled JUST WHEN I NEEDED YOU MOST. These 'work tapes' were used to prepare for live shows and were mostly recorded in his studio. But the beauty and the clarity of his angelic voice and music need to be shared. Add to this the 10 tracks from the CD THE VITAL SPARK which was never released in the U.S., and contains the #1 hit song IM IN A HURRY(And Don't Know Why) and this CD offers the listener 19 of Randy's most memorable songs. Randy VanWarmer - THE BEST FRIEND by Roger Earl/Foghat Although Randy and I were on the same record label in the 70's, we had never met. It wasn't until 1998 that my good friend, and now wife, Linda introduced me to two of her closest friends, Randy and Suzi VanWarmer. After a few days at their home in Nashville it was as if we had always known each other. Over a few glasses of wine, Randy and I realized that we had almost identical experiences with Albert Grossman, who signed both Randy and my band Foghat to his Bearsville Label. The parallels were amazing. I feel so honored that I had the opportunity to know this incredible human being. He was a beautiful man. You felt good talking to him. He was gentle, insightful and very funny. A great sense of humor and a twinkle in his eye along with that beautiful singing voice. And what a laugh! We spent time in his studio listening to music and talking about doing something together. Sadly , before we got the chance, Randy was diagnosed with Leukemia and succumbed to the illness on January 12, 2004. His positive outlook and courage during his battle was inspirational. He never stopped thinking of others and especially of his wife and best friend Suzi, whom he treasured (and rightfully so). It was a sad day when we lost Randy. But his music lives on. This recording not only has tracks from a little known release called The Vital Spark but also some recently discovered and never before released versions of some of his greatest songs, most of which were recorded in is home studio. Very cool. Randy had a way of looking right into your eyes , that made you feel important. He listened! Yet another of his gifts. After his passing there was a memorial service at the Ryman Auditorium and later a three day celebration of his life at the Bluebird Café in Nashville, where Randy often performed. So many friends got up to speak. It became a 'theme' of the celebration that everyone who stood at the mic to talk prefaced their speech with 'Randy VanWarmer was my best friend'. He made everyone feel that way. It made us smile. Thank you Randy. Your friend - Roger Earl