Image By John Bull

A FORCE OF NATURE TRACK BY TRACK BY SARI SCHORR

1. Ain’t Got No Money ~ 5:21

Vocal: Sari Schorr
Guitars: Innes Sibun
Keyboards: Julián Maeso
Bass: Nani Conde
Drums: Jose Mena
Percussion: Mike Vernon

We live in a world of money junkies, suffering from “wealth addiction.”  When I wrote “Ain’t Got No Money,” I was thinking specifically about the power brokers on Wall Street who use money to shape the world to their advantage.

I read an interview with a former broker who said, “$10 million, $1 million or $2 million doesn’t look so sweet when the guy next to you on the trading desk might be making more.”

Wall Street’s greed is tied to an insatiable desire for power, which explains why earning millions of dollars is never enough.  I don’t think it’s healthy for a society when Wall Street gets a disproportionate amount of the money compared to other professions.  Why should teachers, nurses, police officers, firefighters, physicians, scientists and so many professions that contribute to society be so undervalued?

Living in the financial capital of the world, I’m an outsider who has chosen to chase a dream rather than wealth.  I’m defending that choice in this song when I say, “I made my mind up, won’t live beneath your sky. I’ll fight the battles for things money just can’t buy.”

There’s a play on words in the line, “Ain’t got no money, but you ain’t got no sense (cents).”

2. Aunt Hazel ~ 5:38

Vocal: Sari Schorr
Guitar: Innes Sibun
Rhythm Guitar: Quique Bonal
Bass: Nani Conde
Drums: Jose Mena
Percussion: Mike Vernon

“Aunt Hazel” is an urban slang for heroin.  I was working with a beautiful and brilliant dog trainer for my three rescued Pit Bulls, who was known in Brooklyn as the “Pit Bull Whisperer.”  Tragically, she had a secret heroin problem.  She was on the verge of losing her son, her apartment, her dogs, everything.  I tried to help and managed to get her into some programs to get her back on her feet.  She made some progress, but it didn’t last.  She just couldn’t beat it and ended up losing everything.

Personifying the drug as “Aunt Hazel” allowed me to create a sense that heroin enjoys a villainous satisfaction when its victims suffer.  You feel it in the line: “Aunt Hazel’s laughing as my words get slurred.”

3. Damn the Reason ~ 5.21

Vocal: Sari Schorr
Guitars: Oli Brown
Keyboards: Julian Maeso
Bass: Nani Conde
Drums: Jose Mena
Percussion: Mike Vernon

Driving to a writing session on Long Island, I saw a girl walking on the side of the road. Stopped at a red light, I had a chance to look closely at her.  She had such a lovely face, but it was filled with deep sorrow.  As I drove off, I couldn’t stop thinking about her.  I imagined a tragic story of her life.  I pictured her being trapped in an abusive relationship.

By the time I got to the studio, I wanted to write a song about domestic violence.  There’s a double meaning to the line, “Don’t want to see myself in your eyes.” Firstly, she doesn’t want to be physically close enough to this man to see her reflection in his eyes.  Secondly, she doesn’t want to perceive herself as he sees her.

It’s heart-breaking, but globally 1 in 3 women will experience violence at the hands of male partners in their lifetime.

4. Cat and Mouse ~ 4:15

Vocal: Sari Schorr
Guitars: Innes Sibun
Rhythm Guitar: Quique Bonal
Keyboards: Julián Maeso
Bass: Nani Conde
Drums: Jose Mena
Percussion: Mike Vernon

Before I met Mike Vernon, I was working with a lousy producer who was driving me insane.  He was emotionally abusive and working with him was soul destroying.  I desperately tried to convince the president of the NY based label to replace him, but he bitterly refused and demanded that I, “make the record with that guy or not at all.”

Things only got worse.  The producer wasn’t showing up for sessions.  I found out some of his problems were drug related.  The label still wouldn’t relent.  We missed the deadline for the album release.  After a near nervous breakdown, I finally got up the courage to walk away from the album and the record deal.

I had lost so much of myself trying to make an unworkable situation work.  This song is about my struggle to find myself again after the dust settled.  I reveal the challenge in this line, “I’ve been around the world searching for myself, one step behind my own defence.”

5. Black Betty ~ 4:50

Vocals: Sari Schorr
Guitars: Innes Sibun
Organ: John Baggott*
Bass: Nani Conde
Drums: Jose Mena
Percussion: Mike Vernon
*Recorded at J.B.’s Home Studio, Bristol, UK.

I had the honor of being asked to perform this Lead Belly classic at the Lead Belly Fest at Carnegie Hall.  The producers suggested the song, and Innes Sibun and I came up with a special arrangement.  Although there are many interpretations, for me the song is about a slave, a rape and the cracking of a whip. 

6. Work No More ~ 5:22

Vocal: Sari Schorr
Lead guitar: Walter Trout*
Rhythm Guitar: Innes Sibun
Organ: John Baggott**
Piano: Dave Keyes***
Bass: Nani Conde
Drums: Jose Mena
*Recorded at The Lion’s Den, Los Angeles, CA. Engineer: Eric Corne
**Recorded at J.B.’s Home Studio, Bristol, UK.
***Recorded at D.K.’s Home Studio, Sloatsburg, New York.
Walter Trout appears by kind permission of Provogue Records (Mascot Label Group USA)

This touching song is written by Walter Trout.  I originally met Walter at a festival in Oklahoma and then again performing together on the Lead Belly Fest. I’ve always been a big fan of his work. He heard I was recording and graciously said he’d love to contribute to the album. He told me about the song, “Work No More” that he wrote for a woman named Irene.  She meant a lot to him and had passed away.  It became a clear choice for the album.  It was also one of Johnny Winter’s favourite songs.

7. Demolition Man ~ 4:27

Vocal: Sari Schorr
Guitars: Innes Sibun
Organ: Julián Maeso
Piano: John Baggott*
Bass: Nani Conde
Drums: Jose Mena
Percussion: Mike Vernon
*Recorded at JB’s Home Studio, Bristol, UK

I read an article in the New York Times that Amnesty International had passed a resolution to support the decriminalization of sex work. They determined that decriminalization is the best way to reduce the risk of abuse and defend the human rights of sex workers.

Sex work is an occupation that many women, men, transgender and gender-diverse individuals voluntarily choose.  Denying that prostitution is work simply infringes on an individual’s right to choose, and makes them more vulnerable to exploitation and violent abuse.

To show my support of the Amnesty resolution, I wanted to write a song about the virtues of legalized prostitution from a female perspective, which also address the unfair bias women face when soliciting sex.

The line, “I’m not the kind of woman who is gonna take a stand” not only means she won’t judge her lover, but she’s not taking a stand because she’s on her back.

8. Oklahoma ~ 5:40

Vocal: Sari Schorr
Guitar: Oli Brown
Rhythm Guitar: Quique Bonal
Keyboards: Julián Maeso
Bass: Nani Conde
Drums: Jose Mena
Percussion: Mike Vernon

I was living in Paris when I was asked to sing on an Amnesty International project called ‘Toast to Freedom’ with Warren Haynes, Eric Burdon, Keb Mo’, Taj Mahal and others.  Long story short, I volunteered to produce the French side of the project and brought in high profile artists including Marianne Faithful, Jane Birkin, Arno and in the USA, Carly Simon.

We were scheduled to perform on the Tonight show with Jay Leno. Artists were flying in from all over.  I was at New York’s JFK airport ready to board when I got the panicked call from the project’s producer, already in LA.  There were problems with works permits for some of the international artists. We were being cancelled.

I had been on tour with Joe Louis Walker at that time.  I called Joe and told him what happened.  He was happy I could re-join the tour.  Moments later I was rerouting my ticket from Los Angeles to Oklahoma and was onstage with the band that night. I wrote this song about my newfound appreciation of Oklahoma.

9. Letting Go ~ 3:43

Vocal: Sari Schorr
Guitar: Innes Sibun
Rhythm Guitar: Quique Bonal
Keyboards: Jesús Lavillas
Bass: Nani Conde
Drums: Jose Mena

Mike Vernon invited me to write with him and guitarist, Quique Bonal in Spain.  We were working in Mike’s dining room where I noticed a photo of his beautiful wife, Natalie.  She sadly passed away one year before. My attention was repeatedly drawn to the photo. Quique was gently strumming his acoustic guitar and in a flash, the entire song was in my head.  This was highly unusual.  Typically, I first work out a melody with a mostly nonsensical lyric.  Then I spend hours, days or even months fleshing out lyrics.

The line, “Let me go, I can’t bare my heavy soul. Only shadows have open arms for me” is where we learn Natalie has passed away. This song was a gift from Natalie and I dedicate it to her.

10. Kiss Me ~ 4:21

Vocal: Sari Schorr
Guitars: Oli Brown
Organ/guitar arpeggios: Dave Keyes*
Bass: Nani Conde
Drums: Jose Mena
Percussion: Mike Vernon
*Recorded at DK’s Home Studio, Sloatsburg, New York

I love 60’s psychedelic rock. The melody and harmonics of the song were a perfect sound bed for an erotic lyric. We even snuck in a line about my 3 Pit Bulls, “A Pit Bulls’ loving eyes that I just can’t wrest.”  I often write lyrics on the floor with my poetry books jumbled about and Pit Bulls crushed up against my body.

But, the song is actually about being in love with someone who is gone. That is only revealed in the last verse, “Forever might be shorter than the years gone by. Silence came boldly to answer all of my prayers.”

11. Stop! In the Name of Love ~ 4:00

Vocal: Sari Schorr
Backing vocals: Sari Schorr, Rietta Austin
Guitars: Innes Sibun
Keyboards: Jesús Lavillas
Bass: Nani Conde
Drums: Jose Mena
Percussion: Mike Vernon

Written by Holland/Dozier/Holland, and originally a No. 1 hit single on the US Billboard Hot 100 for the Supremes in 1965, Mike Vernon came up with a great remake idea for this song.  At first, I wasn’t convinced I could do it justice, but I trusted Mike and just went for it.

12. Ordinary Life ~ 3:51

Vocal: Sari Schorr
Guitars: Innes Sibun, Quique Bonal
Keyboards: Jesús Lavillas
Fretless bass: Nani Conde
Drums: Jose Mena

As I get older, I realise the benefits of practicing gratitude are practically endless.  Gratitude has an extraordinary power to bring us closer to happiness.  I think so many of life’s challenges can be overcome through the lens of gratitude.  Ordinary Life is the story of my battle between the persuasive forces of regret and gratitude.

“I’ve made my piece with loneliness, never been nobody’s wife, oh lord I’m grateful for this ordinary life.”