Australian born , Chicago based blues musician Michael Charles is showing his love for country music, particularly the music of Glen Campbell by giving a bluesy dusting to Campbell’s 1968 hit “ Wichita Lineman.”
Michael Charles and his band including drummer Ryder Olle and bassist Luke Gill return to the Slice, Thursday, April 27.
“ Before the pandemic, I was playing with the same guys for 16 or 17 years.
But the moved on, so I had to form a new band. We were new the last time we were in Lethbridge, but we’re a lot tighter now,” Charles observed.
He played a marathon set of uninterrupted music last May for a dismal turnout, but had a decent crowd for his last Lethbridge show in October.
He is excited about his new single— a cover of one of his musical idols, Glen Campbell’s hit “Wichita Lineman.”
“Jimmy Webb wrote the song, but Glen Campbell popularized it. I was inspired by that song the first time I heard it when I was 13 or 14. He is an awesome guitar player who has inspired a lot of people,” Charles said, adding Campbell played on songs by the Everly Brothers, Sonny and Cher, Frank Sinatra Merle Haggard, the Monkees and even the Beach Boys, plus Elvis Presley and plenty of other chart toppers as a member of renown Los Angeles session players the Wrecking Crew and even toured with the Beach Boys in the mid 1960s.
“ Glen Campbell was a great guitar player. In the 1970s and ’80s he was everywhere,” Charles said.
Coincidentally, around the same time Charles decided to record “Wichita Lineman,” he was asked to perform at the opening of the Glen Campbell Museum in Nashville in 2020, a few years after Campbell passed away from Alzheimer’s disease in 2017.
“ It was just such a cool experience. And I just enjoy playing ‘Wichita Lineman.’ it’s been part of my set for a while now,” Charles said.
“ It was a surreal experience to be there and it was an honour to be asked to play,” Charles continued.
He always puts his own stamp on the rare cover he performs.
“ It doesn't mean I’m going country. I don’t do a lot of covers. This one isn’t exactly the same. It’s important to keep it fresh,” he said.
He is excited to play Lethbridge, though turnouts can be hit or miss.
He was competing against a sold out Corb Lund show and NHL playoffs in May, but had a decent turnout in October.
“I have lots of music. I have 38 or 40 records out. So that gives me a lot to choose from I like to start the night off slowly and people have requests I like to play,” he said.
“I love it when people give me feedback. I want each show to be different. I want them to keep getting better,” he said.
He brings an arsenal of guitars to choose fro .
“I love to play the same guitars I recorded the songs with. I love Fender Stratocasters and PRS guitars and Ovation acoustics. they have different feels for each song.
Charles always looks forward to returning to Canada.
“ I love touring Canada. I’ve been playing there for close 17 years. We‘re going to EPenticton and Saskatoon. I’ve met people from all over Canada. I’ve made friends in all of these places and you can’t beat that wth a stick,” he said.
“I’m a bit of a workaholic. I love making records and touring. That’s just what I do. I don’t have any hobbies. I don’t golf or anything. I play guitar,” he said, adding he is working on a new album, but doesn't play the new songs until they are released.
“I’ve been working on it for one or two years.It’s falling into place. I record an album and then I hit the road,” he said.
— by Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
