from SKYLARK
Written by David Foster & Renee Olstead
Whenever there was a chance to give Renee Olstead’s beautiful voice a listen, it was apparent that her impressive chops and talent should have made her a big star in the jazz and pop fields. Ms. Olstead’s two records, both produced by David Foster, were pristine examples of good music with superior vocal and instrumental performances. Her 2009 album titled Skylark presented the usual batch of inventive covers carefully crafted by Foster in the traditional pop vein. One of Skylark’s pluses was the welcome addition of a few original tunes composed by the Canadian music-maker with lyrics written by the young singer/actress. One such tune has already been reviewed, the modern torch song “Hold Me Now.” This week, the focus is on another beautiful ballad titled “Nothing But The Blame.”
On this bittersweet song, Foster provided the singer with one of his timeless melodies and an irresistible, bluesy feel with a lush atmosphere not far from the classic soul gems delivered by a legend like Etta James between the sixties and seventies. Ms. Olstead’s performance of “Nothing But The Blame” was a joy to listen to with her beautiful voice ranging from utterly powerful to deliciously vulnerable. The pure bliss backing track was cooked by Foster. Dean Parks’ amazing guitar work was in the spotlight while the usual work was done by world-class pros including Vinnie Colaiuta, Nathan East and Chris Walden. The production by Foster and his parter in crime, Humberto Gatica, was phenomenal. The final result was a must-listen for Foster fans, but also for those who appreciate great voices and extraordinary music.
These days, Ms. Olstead keeps going with her career showing solid results in both movies and music. October 2017 had the release of her interesting cover of Kris Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make It Through The Night,” a country-flavored ballad originally popularized by the late Sammi Smith (1943-2005) that again highlights her noteworthy vocal skills.
Listen
[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Renee-Olstead-Nothing-But-The-Blame.mp3|titles=Nothing But The Blame|artists=Renee Olstead]
Lead Vocals: Renee Olstead
Keyboards: David Foster
Guitar: Dean Parks
Bass: Nathan East
Drums: Vinnie Colaiuta
Additional Keyboards, Programming & Sound Design: Jochem van der Saag
Percussion: Rafael Padilla
Arranged by David Foster
Strings Arrangement by Chris Walden
Produced by David Foster & Humberto Gatica
Lyrics
Something ’bout that Sunday morning
And something ’bout doin’ what I’ve done
I didn’t know I was ended
But how it yet begun
Oh oh
And when I look back
I’ve should have known
The facts were there and they were played
Now I don’t deserve anything
No nothing but the blame
Yeah
And ’bout the time oh I knew I loved you
Was ’bout the last time you felt that way
And ’bout the time I saw stars above you
Was round the last time you felt the same
And now you’ll never know how much I love you
Yet I hurt you just the same
And I, I don’t deserve anything
No, nothing but the blame
Yeah
And ’bout the time oh I knew I loved you
Was ’bout the last time you felt that way
And ’bout the time I saw stars above you
Was round the last time you felt the same
Oh oh oh oh
Seems you’ll never know how much I love you
And yet I hurt you just the same
Oh I don’t deserve anything
No nothing but the blame
I don’t deserve anything
No nothing but the blame