BCC Released their 2nd album in 2011, this is what Glen Hughes thought about it track by track: “This isn’t just any old album to me. It’s more like life and death. Now, that might sound strange coming from somebody like myself who’s made a lot of records over the years. But I just got to a point where I said, ‘That’s it. I have to share my secrets. No more hiding. I’m going to write songs that matter deeply.’

“On a business level, this was an important record for the band [which also includes Joe Bonamassa, guitars and co-vocals; Jason Bonham, drums; and Derek Sherinian, keyboards] because we wanted to do a proper tour – well, in-between Joe’s schedule, ’cause he likes to do something like 365 solo shows a year [laughs] – and really have the greatest set of songs possible. One album wasn’t going to do that; we needed two. So it was decided – and we talked with [producer] Kevin Shirley about this, as well – that before we did any real roadwork we’d have two records of material under our belts.

“The bulk of the writing was left up to me. Because he was touring, Joe could only commit to writing two songs, so the bones of the album fell on my shoulders. Joe and Kevin asked me if I could work up the majority of the material, and I was very honored – to have your partners trust you to that degree is very gratifying.

“The first album was done in a flash – Kevin likes to work fast and capture raw energy. I don’t think he likes music to sound artificial; he likes to hear a band play a song like it’s their first time doing so. That’s pretty much the case with us. [laughs] I think we recorded 14 songs in 10 days – that’s five days longer than we spent making the first album - and the 11 best tracks made the record. “Kevin wanted to nail that ‘Bonham sound,’ and in order to do so we went to this fantastic studio in Hollywood called East West.

It’s got this massive room where Frank Sinatra used to record with an orchestra. Now, Jason Bonham sounds good no matter where he plays, but on this album the drums are most impressive, I must say. “There’s energy and passion on every track, but there’s also something more important: a real band. We felt like a band when we made the first album, but this time out, there was no question that we belonged together.

“Musically, I’m embracing riff-rock in a way I never have before. On a lot of my solo records, my feet were planted firmly in a lot of funky soul and R&B. On BCC 2, we’re going with a classic British rock vibe, without sacrificing groove and melody. And when you’re lucky enough to play with musicians this talented, groove and melody are never in short supply.”

The Outsider: “Originally, this was going to be a song called Good Man. It was very much the song you hear now, only the chorus was supposed to be acoustic. “When I first wrote it, it was more ‘dramatic,’ if you will. However, when we started to play it as a band – you’ve got Joe and Bonham really going for it, and I’m playing the same line as Joe, and then there’s the Hammond organ on top of that – we really rocked it out. So it became more driving. “I like to sing live with the band as we’re playing, and as I did, I just tore into it and these new lyrics started coming to me. ‘How the hell did that happen?’ I said to myself. What was Good Man went right out the window and it became The Outsider.

“The funniest thing happened during a break: I was showing Kevin another song called Little Secret. As I did, he told Joe and Derek to go off and work out a solo to The Outsider. Suddenly, I heard them in the other room doing a kind of Deep Purple Highway Star-slash-Burn thing, and I went, ‘What?! Don’t tell me they’re going there!’ I’ve already been down that road before, of course. But Kevin talked me down: ‘Trust me, Hughsy, rock fans are gonna love it.’”

 Man In The Middle: “For me, Man In The Middle took the longest of everything to write because I knew in my heart that it would be the first single and video. I had all the parts worked out in my head – total British rock – and knew I wanted to write a song about this fucked-up rock ‘n’ roll star. Basically, it was going to be a ‘story’ song, and the story was about myself. “It all sounds rather sad and desperate, but in the end it was a real joy to write, sing and perform, and I even had a good time making the video.

“Joseph will probably be loathe to doff his hat to Jimmy Page, but I hear a little of Page in his solo. Joe plays his ass off, as always. You just can’t keep that boy down. He doesn’t quit, he just gets better and better.”

 The Battle: “This is one that Joseph had started the day he came to the studio. He had the acoustic bits, and I added my bass line. The whole thing came together very quickly, but then, of course, what doesn’t happen fast with this band? “If I had my druthers, Joe would be singing more in this group, but he wants me to sing and he wants to just play. But I’ll say this, and I want everybody to hear me now: I. Love. Joe. Bonamassa’s. Voice. There you go. I love his voice, and I wish he’d sing more.

“Harmonizing with him, as we do on this track, was sheer bliss. And thank you, Kevin, for having us put the 12-string in the pre-chorus and the chorus. It’s very Zeppelin-y, but we’re not Zeppelin. We’ve just taken a little leaf from the page with the 12-string and the Bonzo and what have you – that’s it, really. We’re celebrating, if you will.”