Author Topic: California Breed (Hughes/Bonham/Watt) - The New Black Country Communion  (Read 2554 times)

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Offline Mister Gold

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So yeah, after Glenn Hughes and Joe Bonamassa had that fallout two years ago, BCC disbanded. Well, it looks like Hughes and Bonham have finally found themselves a replacement for Bonamassa in young guitarist Andrew Watt and are now playing as California Breed. The first album should be out in May.



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Former Black Country Communion stars, singer-bassist Glenn Hughes and drummer Jason Bonham, have announced the formation of a new band – California Breed. Featuring the astounding talents of 23-year-old singer-guitarist Andrew Watt, the fact that their first album has been produced by Dave Cobb, whose spectacular work with Rival Sons has received so much acclaim, gives a big clue as to what they sound like.

“It’s proper rock,” says Hughes, “but at the same time it’s very now. Andrew is as influenced by Mick Ronson as he is Jimmy Page.”

“I grew up listening to all the grunge bands,” says Watt, “but my dad always played me The Who, the Stones and Led Zeppelin so that became my music too.

“This kid is amazing,” says Bonham. “The first time we met I thought he looked like the white Jimi Hendrix. And he plays in the studio likes he’s onstage!”

The three-man line-up got together as California Breed for the first time last year after Hughes was introduced to the newcomer from New York by their mutual friend Julian Lennon. “Julian was having an exhibition of his photographs at the Morrison Hotel Gallery in LA,” Glenn recalls, “and he said, ‘You must meet this guy, he’s the most fantastic guitarist – who turned out to be Andrew.”

Reconvening at Hughes’ Hollywood home a few days later, “The chemistry was just instant,” says Hughes. “We immediately wrote two songs together, Chemical Rain and Solo, both of which have ended up on the album. That’s when I called Jason and said you’ve gotta come down right now.”

“The energy when I walked in the room was crackling,” recalls Bonham. “I was so pleased. Glenn and I had not only really locked in as a rhythm section in BCC but we’d started writing together and we both really wanted to keep that good feeling going.”

Indeed, all 12 tracks on the as-yet untitled forthcoming California Breed album – the band have signed a deal with signed a deal with the Frontiers label - have equal co-writing credits amongst the band. Recorded at Cobb’s Nashville studio, “Everything was done more or less live,” says Hughes, “including the vocals. Which is the reverse of how I’ve always done things”.

The end result is a sound that combines all the classic rock elements of BCC – big, meat-cleaver riffs and heart-rending vocals – but with a 21st century gloss that comes from working with someone as up-to-the-minute and talented as Watt (whose previous music can be heard at his Soundcloud page and on the track below, with video directed by Mick Rock).

Look out for the first single, Midnight Oil, a raunchy Stones-esque rocker with breathless female backing vocals, deep groove rhythms and face-smacking guitars. The other breakout track is All Falls Down, the kind of spine-tingling pop-rock-who-knows-what that starts all colour and light and finishes all towering harmonies, back-arching guitars and epidemic-sized catchiness.

There are others but, as Hughes says, “You’ll have to wait for the album in May to hear them. This, I promise, is going to be something special.”

Space this watch…
https://www.classicrockmagazine.com/features/glenn-hughes-jason-bonham-unveil-california-breed/

Been checking out Watt's own music, and he's pretty good. You can kinda see how Hughes's funkier music might have influenced Watt as a musician and singer. Should be interesting to see how this turns out. :metal
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Offline Mindflux

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Re: California Breed (Hughes/Bonham/Watt) - The New Black Country Communion
« Reply #1 on: February 10, 2014, 09:47:18 AM »
Was just talking to a buddy about BCC today.  I wish that would have worked for everyone.

Offline Nekov

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Re: California Breed (Hughes/Bonham/Watt) - The New Black Country Communion
« Reply #2 on: February 10, 2014, 10:36:40 AM »
Looking forward to this
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Offline Mister Gold

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The band's released its first single/music video, "Sweet Tea"! Sounds a bit like AC/DC! I dig it! :metal :tup

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vUay-lOjFk
Beyond the limits of the mortal frame
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Watch the little ego floating in me.

Offline bl5150

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I really like Glenn (sometimes) but that was a whole lotta noise to me.  I am interested in the hair concept though  ;D
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Online TAC

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Huh..I don't know what to make of that
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

Offline BlobVanDam

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I liked the style and sound of it, but that song didn't do much for me unfortunately. I'd be interested in hearing some other samples before making up my mind.
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Yep. I think the only party in the MP/DT situation that hasn't moved on is DTF.

Offline Kotowboy

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It was Ok.

Nothing groundbreaking obviously. Could easily have been a BCC tune.

Really cheapy video though :p

Offline Nekov

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An OK song, just that.
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Offline TempusVox

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Actually the song sounded a lot like "Simply Irresistible" by Robert Palmer. While I loved BCC and think Hughes is amazing more and more each year, I hope the rest of the record delivers more.
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Offline Anguyen92

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Re: California Breed (Hughes/Bonham/Watt) - The New Black Country Communion
« Reply #10 on: March 20, 2014, 12:27:21 AM »
The band's released its first single/music video, "Sweet Tea"! Sounds a bit like AC/DC! I dig it! :metal :tup

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vUay-lOjFk

You're not really kidding on the sounds a bit like AC/DC.  Sounds a bit like Bon Scott AC/DC era.  Anywho, I could always listen to new stuff and we got some good players here so I'll give this a listen when it comes out.

Offline wolfking

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Re: California Breed (Hughes/Bonham/Watt) - The New Black Country Communion
« Reply #11 on: March 20, 2014, 03:48:46 AM »
That song is just meh to me.  The solo was just rubbish.

I'm honestly quite tired of this whole old school rock thing Glenn keeps doing.  It just doesn't do it for me.  I wish he would go back to a more metal stlye concept.  Another album with Iommi would be amazing.
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Online TAC

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Re: California Breed (Hughes/Bonham/Watt) - The New Black Country Communion
« Reply #12 on: March 20, 2014, 05:12:17 AM »
That song is just meh to me.  The solo was just rubbish.

The whole time during the solo, I kept thinking that this is the stuff tat Mike Orando catches crap for.
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

Offline Kotowboy

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Re: California Breed (Hughes/Bonham/Watt) - The New Black Country Communion
« Reply #13 on: March 20, 2014, 06:21:05 AM »
When the solo started I was hoping it wasn't one of those "noise" solos where they just strum open strings and hit the back of the neck and do pick scrapes and crap like that.

But the actual solo itself was pretty rudimentary.

Offline Mindflux

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Re: California Breed (Hughes/Bonham/Watt) - The New Black Country Communion
« Reply #14 on: March 20, 2014, 07:43:42 AM »

The whole time during the solo, I kept thinking that this is the stuff tat Mike Orando catches crap for.

But whoever this guy is isn't playing 90,000 notes per second.  Orlando catches shit for always having to be as fast as possible and all over the place.

This guy wasn't that bad, IMHO.

Offline Anguyen92

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Re: California Breed (Hughes/Bonham/Watt) - The New Black Country Communion
« Reply #15 on: March 20, 2014, 09:43:01 AM »
Ok, now that it is morning and I got a clearer conscious of watching youtube videos, the video just made no sense to me.  I mean sure, it's a band playing a song in a room with a woman shot from time to time.  The thing that kinda makes me a little mad about the video is where they shot footage of Hughes holding a bass and footage of him not holding bass in the same room.  That just makes no sense to me in some way.

The song is still solid at times.

Online gazinwales

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Re: California Breed (Hughes/Bonham/Watt) - The New Black Country Communion
« Reply #16 on: March 20, 2014, 11:29:31 AM »
Pretty under whelming for me.
GH has been hyping AW on Twitter for a while now, and based on this song alone, nowhere near BCC.

Offline Kotowboy

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Re: California Breed (Hughes/Bonham/Watt) - The New Black Country Communion
« Reply #17 on: March 20, 2014, 11:38:08 AM »
The non-performance portion of that video is completely un-necessary.

Offline Nekov

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Re: California Breed (Hughes/Bonham/Watt) - The New Black Country Communion
« Reply #18 on: March 20, 2014, 12:10:19 PM »
Pretty under whelming for me.
GH has been hyping AW on Twitter for a while now, and based on this song alone, nowhere near BCC.

BCC had Bonamassa and Sherinian so it's kind of unfair to compare them.
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Offline wolfking

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Re: California Breed (Hughes/Bonham/Watt) - The New Black Country Communion
« Reply #19 on: March 20, 2014, 03:39:11 PM »
It's a Frontiers records made video, most videos made by their artists are absolutely terrible.
Everyone else, except Wolfking is wrong.

Offline BlobVanDam

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Re: California Breed (Hughes/Bonham/Watt) - The New Black Country Communion
« Reply #20 on: March 21, 2014, 01:14:02 AM »
The non-performance portion of that video is completely un-necessary.

I'm not sure you understand how a music video works. :P Never criticize the addition of a female to a rock music video!
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Yep. I think the only party in the MP/DT situation that hasn't moved on is DTF.

Offline Kotowboy

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Re: California Breed (Hughes/Bonham/Watt) - The New Black Country Communion
« Reply #21 on: March 21, 2014, 04:40:01 AM »
Yeah it's a stupid cliche to begin with but one of the band is in his 60s and one other is nearly 50 so they seem like lecherous old men and two it's just bad in this video.


Offline BlobVanDam

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Re: California Breed (Hughes/Bonham/Watt) - The New Black Country Communion
« Reply #22 on: March 21, 2014, 05:21:16 AM »
It's not like you see them together with the chick. That would be bad. But the fact they're old/ugly guys is actually the perfect reason to put a chick in there. I believe that's called the Toto Rule. :lol
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Yep. I think the only party in the MP/DT situation that hasn't moved on is DTF.

Offline Anguyen92

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Re: California Breed (Hughes/Bonham/Watt) - The New Black Country Communion
« Reply #23 on: April 12, 2014, 10:14:56 PM »
Here's another song from these guys.  Not bad.  Although, Hughes' voice in the verse seems a bit restrained here compared to Sweet Tea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF_pm7mLqXs

Offline BlobVanDam

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Re: California Breed (Hughes/Bonham/Watt) - The New Black Country Communion
« Reply #24 on: April 12, 2014, 10:25:38 PM »
I heard it a few days ago when it came out. I like it. Definitely interested in hearing the whole album.
Only King could mis-spell a LETTER.
Yep. I think the only party in the MP/DT situation that hasn't moved on is DTF.

Offline wolfking

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Re: California Breed (Hughes/Bonham/Watt) - The New Black Country Communion
« Reply #25 on: April 13, 2014, 04:05:43 PM »
Not digging this project at all.
Everyone else, except Wolfking is wrong.

Offline LudwigVan

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Re: California Breed (Hughes/Bonham/Watt) - The New Black Country Communion
« Reply #26 on: April 13, 2014, 04:19:08 PM »
Well, I really liked BCC, and Bonamassa and Sherinian were a big reason why. Derek's keys just gave the band a bit of a Deep Purple vibe, and I just love Bonamassa's smoky vocals and tasty guitar playing. I'll give this a shot but I can't see it living up to BCC.
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Offline wolfking

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Re: California Breed (Hughes/Bonham/Watt) - The New Black Country Communion
« Reply #27 on: April 13, 2014, 08:52:32 PM »
From these two songs, it doesn't stand a chance next to BCC.
Everyone else, except Wolfking is wrong.

Offline TempusVox

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Re: California Breed (Hughes/Bonham/Watt) - The New Black Country Communion
« Reply #28 on: April 28, 2014, 10:55:54 PM »
Just caught Joe B last weekend. Derek has joined his band now full-time, and he was stellar during the show. On JB's current tour, he's doing an accoustic set for the first half, and he's incorporated the musicians who joined him from the Accoustic Vienna Opera House gig he did last year. Derek joins them by playing an upright piano. Very basic, with a lot of ragtime and old blues elements.  Then JB comes out after a brief intermission and goes with the electric set. He gave Derek three different keyboard solos during the second set, and he was incredible. On one of them he starts to go into a very brief run from Lines In the Sand, and then takes off in another direction. Overall the entire concert was amazing, and Derek has added a whole new element to his sound. He also touched briefly on the split of BCC, and ended by joking, "I got the keyboard genius in the divorce settlement."
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Offline Anguyen92

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The album is out now.  I don't know about you guys, but, after listening to this, I dig the sound it is bringing.  It's feels right at home to me.  I don't know why or how I can describe it.

Offline Kotowboy

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I find the production really weird and muddy.

Also the first song is virtually unlistenable for me due to

The really busy drumming.

The music may as we'll be BCC too. It's really nothing new.