Artist: John Fullbright
Hometown: Born in Bearden, Oklahoma; lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Song: “Crossing Over” (written by Steve Ripley)
Album: Back to Paradise: A Tulsa Tribute to Okie Music
Release Date: August 28, 2020
Label: Horton Records
In Their Words: “I played various keyboards and acoustic guitar, percussion, and sang a bunch of stuff — I was all over the map on the record. I picked out ‘If the Shoe Fits’ by Leon Russell because I’m pretty sure that song was recorded at Paradise Studio and it’s about that place. I did an audible at the last minute and recorded a Hoyt Axton song called ‘Jealous Man.’ We wound up doing it in one take, which always feels nice. I thought the selection was great — we went from the obscure to stuff that everybody knows.
“I also recorded a song called ‘Crossing Over’ by Steve Ripley. Yeah, it’s my buddy, Steve. It’s literally a song about him going on to the next thing, and right after, he went on to the next thing. There was a tape glitch sound when we were recording it that was just subtle enough that everyone just turned and looked at each other. It was so subtle that it wouldn’t mess up everything else. It was just a little ‘Hey guys,’ ‘Hey kids.’ That was Steve.
“I’d heard about Leon’s Grand Lake Studio for a long time. It was a lot cooler and vibier than I had expected. I didn’t know that so many of the records that I really like were recorded there. So, walking around the place, and just kinda feeling it out, it was almost as good as being there back in the day. This is a snapshot in time of the Tulsa music scene that is very eclectic and very talented. And it’s a city that obviously doesn’t forget its roots, its past, and celebrates it and builds on it.” — John Fullbright
Photo credit: Phil Clarkin
