Willy De Ville

Willy DeVille - Cadillac Walk The Mink DeVille Collection - 2001 - Capitol

A good compilation album from Willy De Ville and his band. A self-taught guitarist, Willy found his early inspiration in bluesmen like John Hammond Jr., Muddy Waters, and John Lee Hooker, and these influences pervade this album. 22 tracks of "Spanish Soul", blues, RB, and Cajun music. Check out Mink De Ville's "Live USA" album @ WDEV/LUSA The "Willy DeVille Acoustic Trio - In Berlin" album can be found @ WDEV/AT/INBER and Willy Deville's "Crow Jane Alley" is @ WDEV/CJA

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Spanish Stroll DeVille 3:39
2 Mixed Up, Shook Up Girl DeVille 3:45
3 She's So Tough DeVille 2:45
4 Cadillac Walk Martin, Martin 3:15
5 Gunslinger DeVille, Erlanger, Erlanger 2:11
6 Venus of Avenue D DeVille 5:00
7 Little Girl Barry, Greenwich, Spector 4:20
8 'A' Train Lady Forman, Levine 3:28
9 Guardian Angel DeVille 3:18
10 Confidence to Kill Aherns, Erlanger, Erlanger 1:51
11 Soul Twist DeVille 2:33
12 Desperate Days DeVille 2:50
13 I Broke That Promise DeVille 3:01
14 Just Your Friends DeVille, Nitzsche 4:09
15 You Just Keep Holding On DeVille, Pomus 2:48
16 This Must Be the Night DeVille 2:50
17 Savoir Faire DeVille, Pomus 3:09
18 Mazurka Ida, Lewis, Queen Ida 2:30
19 Turn You Every Way But Loose DeVille, Pomus 3:36
20 Bad Boy Armstrong, Long 2:49
21 Just to Walk That Little Girl Home DeVille, Pomus 3:53
22 That World Outside DeVille, Pomus 2:59

MUSICIANS

Willy DeVille Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
Louie Erlanger Guitar
Jerry Scheff Bass
Bobby Leonards, Keyboards
Ron Tutt, T.R. Allen Jr. "Manfred" Drums
Jackie Kelso, Steve Douglas & the Rebel Rousers Saxophone
Kenny Margolis Accordion, Keyboards, Vocals (bckgr)
Jean-Claude Petit String Arrangements
The Immortals Group
Eve Moon, Mike Johnson, Jake Jacobs, Val Heron, David Forman, Cleon Douglas,The Bees, Max Bowman Vocals (bckgr)

BIO

The roots of American music, including the blues, R&B, and Cajun music, gave Willy DeVille's (born William Borsey) late-'70s punk band, Mink DeVille, its unique flavor. A quarter of a century later, DeVille continued to blend musical traditions and postmodern intensity. A self-taught guitarist, DeVille found his early inspiration in the blues of John Hammond Jr., Muddy Waters, and John Lee Hooker. Determined to become a musician, he moved to London in 1971, hoping to latch on with a British band. Frustrated by his lack of success, he returned to the United States. Temporarily settling in San Francisco, he spent most of 1972 developing his stage persona in Bay Area clubs. Returning to New York, DeVille was in the right place at the right time. Forming a band, Dilly DeSade & the Marquis, later renamed Mink DeVille, with bassist Ruben Siguenza and drummer T.R. "Manfred" Allen Jr., he found his roots-oriented rock welcome in the city's burgeoning punk scene. When the independent Omfug label included three of their songs on the multi-artist compilation Live at CBGB's, recorded at the influential New York punk club, their punk connection was assured. With Atlantic acquiring national distribution rights to the album, Mink DeVille became one of the country's top punk bands. Willy DeVille has remained active since the breakup of Mink DeVille in the mid-'80s. His debut solo album, Miracle, was produced in 1987 by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, and included such guests as guitarist Chet Atkins. One tune, "Storybook Love," used in Knopfler's score for the film The Princess Bride, was nominated for an Academy Award. Residing in New Orleans since the early '90s, DeVille featured the city's leading musicians, including Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, and Eddie Bo, on his 1990 album, Victory Mixture. New Orleans-style rhythms remained essential on his 1996 albums, Big Easy Fantasy and Loup Garou. Subsequent releases have focused on DeVille's live shows. Released in 2001, Live combined performances from the Bottom Line in New York and the Olympia Club in Paris. Live in Berlin, released two years later, featured the accompaniment of Seth Farber (piano, background vocals), Boris Kinberg (percussion), Freddy Koella (guitar, mandolin, vocals), David Keyes (bass, background vocals), and YaDonna Wise (background vocals). © Craig Harris, allmusic.com