The Doors of Perception

hello everyone. sorry i haven't written in awhile. i've been busy getting back in band mode with Train. it took a few months to get my head out of book writing mode and back into the music, but rest assured, i am back - full strength! my first novel is all but finished, however i have no plans of publishing it until next year after the Train CD is released. right now i need to give the band my full attention, so we can focus on writing and recording a great CD. and that is really all i have been up to lately - writing music. i've been writing at home on my own, sending demos to Pat, i've been writing with Brandon, i wrote with Scott and Charlie a few weeks ago in Malibu. it was great to see Charlie and to play music with him again. it's been years! we plan to write together again in a few weeks, but don't get any crazy ideas - the one and only Johnny Colt will still be holding down the bass for Train. i wouldn't be surprised to see Charlie's name turn up in the writing credits on the next album, though. we'll see. Scott, Pat, and I will also spend some time writing together over the next few weeks.

speaking of Train songs, have you all heard David Nail's version of "I'm About to Come Alive?" he is a hot, new, up-and-coming country star who chose to record our song (from the "My Private Nation" CD) as his first single. it will also be the name of his debut CD, which comes out sometime this month. anyway, he did an incredible job with the song, and the video looks great, too! he's already tearing up the charts with it, and we wish him the best of luck with hopes that he becomes a big huge country western star and has to play our song every night on tour for the rest of his life! yeehaw!

so, Johnny Colt has been filming a reality TV show with Tommy Lee and Ludacris, which i think will air sometime this summer. the final episode is going to feature a concert with several bands that is being filmed at the Greek Theater in LA Wednesday, the 28th. some of the performers include Tommy Lee, Ludacris, ZZ Top, Switchfoot, Velvet Revolver (I thought they broke up?) and Train! each band will only get to perform three or four songs. one of the songs we will be performing is a cover of the Doors "Love Her Madly," which is one of my personal favorites of theirs. performing the song with us will be none other than original Doors guitarist, Robbie Krieger! he will also sit in with us on "Calling All Angels." i am a big Doors fan, and was fortunate to meet Robbie once before when we recorded "Light My Fire," a song that he wrote, for a Doors tribute album a few years back. playing onstage with him will be incredibly special for me, rivaling the time i got to jam on a VH1 program with another idol of mine, Alice Cooper (Meat Loaf and Ginger Spice were also a part of that jam). i can't wait! this will be the first time Train has performed together as a band in almost a year. it feels really great to be back with the guys and gearing up for another CD and a tour, which probably won't happen until early 09.

what else...oh, how about those Cubbies?!!! talk to you soon. i promise.

jimmy