Saddened to hear that iconic Texas singer/songwriter Joe Ely of The Flatlanders has passed away. He'll be greatly missed.
Joe Ely, 1947-2025
Legendary songwriter, singer, and raconteur Joe Ely died today from complications of Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s and pneumonia. His beloved wife Sharon and daughter Marie were at his side at their home in Taos, New Mexico. Ely was born February 9, 1947 in Amarillo, Texas. He was a leader of the extraordinary parade of artists raised in Lubbock who later settled in the live music capital of Austin. Ely signed with MCA Records in the 1970s and spent more than five decades recording and performing around the world. A full obituary is available to read right here.
We're remembering my old pal Joe Ely today with performances from various points in his lengthy career.
Lubbock pals Butch Hancock, Joe Ely and Jimmie Dale Gilmore are back with Treasure Of Love, out July 9 via Rack 'Em Records.
Here's the scoop...
The Flatlanders, the iconic Texas cosmic country combo featuring Butch Hancock, Joe Ely, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore, have just released the official video for their new single “Sittin’ on Top of the World.” The song is the closing rave-up from Treasure of Love, their first album of new recordings in more than 12 years slated for release on July 9 via Rack ‘Em Records/Thirty Tigers. Treasure of Love is now available for pre-order.
“This video reflects the combined energy of The Flatlanders from many performances over the past 50 years! It’s a damn miracle!” said Joe Ely about the video. Jimmie Dale Gilmore added: “In a way, this video encapsulates the history of The Flatlanders." Watch it below.
Earlier this month, The Flatlanders announced their new album Treasure of Love, which was completed during COVID-19 lockdowns with the help of longtime friend and collaborator Lloyd Maines. Treasure of Love finds The Flatlanders in classic form, serving up a rollicking collection of typically twanged up and harmony heavy performances full of that wry humor we've come to expect. While a few of the songs here are never-before-heard originals, the vast majority of the tracklist consists of vintage tunes the band picked up during their 50-year career, some stretching as far back as the group’s earliest performances in the honky tonks around Lubbock, TX.
“I like to say that this album evolved more than it was recorded,” explains Joe Ely, who hosted the initial recording sessions and worked extensively on the tracks at his Spur Studios in Austin, TX. “We’d been chipping away at these songs for a while without ever really finishing anything, so when lockdown started, it seemed like the perfect time to really focus on it.”
The 15 tracks on Treasure of Love revisit songs they enjoyed playing from the early days and capturing them for the sheer joy of it. Not realizing at the time that they were actually making a record, the trio worked fast and loose in the studio, laying down raw, playful takes whenever they had free time between sessions or tours. It was only when the COVID-19 pandemic forced Ely, Gilmore, and Hancock to simultaneously clear all of their calendars that the band realized they had an album on their hands and the time to finally complete it.
“A lot of groups our age are either dead or not speaking to each other anymore,” says Gilmore, “but I think part of the reason The Flatlanders are still together is that we’ve all had our own separate careers along the way. We’re all such strange individualists, but we can co-captain this ship together because every time we come back to it, we feel that same magic we felt when we first started playing together.”
Single Artist Releases 1. WITCH - We Intend To Cause Havoc! 2. Don Cherry - Organic Music Society 3. The Flatlanders - The Odessa Tapes 4. Hannibal Marvin Peterson - The Tribe 5. Feedtime - The Aberrant Years 5. Ebo Taylor – Twer Nyame 6. Dan Penn – The Fame Recordings 7. Myrian Makenwa – La Extraordinaria 8. Edzayawa - Projection One 9. Tim Maia – Nobody Can Live Forever 10. Henri-Pierre Noel - Piano 11. Azanyah - The One 12. Yabby You & Bretheren - Deeper Roots: Dub Plates & Rarities, 1976 to 1978 13. Can - The Lost Tapes 14. The Funkees - Dancing Time: The Best Of Eastern Nigeria’s Afro Rock Exponents, 1973-77 15. Lee Perry - Sound Doctor: Lee Perry And The Sufferers' Black Ark Singles & Dub Plates 1972 To 1978 16. Sandy Denny – The Notes and Words: A Collection of Demos and Rarities 17. William Parker - Centering: Unreleased Early Recordings, 1976-1987 18. Henri Guédon - Cosmozouk 19. Grupo Los Yoyi - Yoyi 20. Buck Owens - Tall Dark Stranger 21. The Lijadu Sisters – Afro-Beat Soul Sisters: The Lijadu Sisters At Afrodisia, Nigeria, 1976-79 22. Reverend Gary Davis - An Afternoon With Reverend Gary Davis 23. Ilaiyaraaja – Fire Star: Synth-Pop & Electro-Funk from Tamil Films 1985-1989 24. Pauline Oliveros - Reverberations Tape and Electronic Music 1961-1970 25. Alfonso Lovo - La Gigantona 26. George Jackson - Let The Best Man Win: The Fame Recordings Volume 2 27. William Sheller - Lux Aeterna 28. Derdiyoklar İkilisi - Disco Folk 29. Augustus Pablo - Dubbing On Bond Street 30. Lee Hazlewood – The LHI Years: Singles, Nudes & Backsides, 1968-71 31. Afro Funk - Body Music 32. Pharoah Sanders - In The Beginning 33. Ahora Mazda - Ahora Mazda 33. Rob – Make It Fast, Make It Slow 34. Brenda Ray – D'Ya Hear Me! Naffi Years, 1979-83 35. Karen Dalton - 1966 36. HE3 Project - Chapter Three 37. Tronics – Love Backed by Force 38. Emil Richards - Stones / Journey To Bliss 39. The Outsiders - Monkey On Your Back: Their 45s 40. Baris Manco - Sakla Samani, Gelir Zamani 41. Doug Jerebine – Doug Jerebine Is Jesse Harper 42. Lou Ragland – I Travel Alone 43. Shin Joong Hyun – Shin Joong Hyun & Yup Juns 44. Mahmoud Ahmed - Mahmoud Ahmed Accompanied By The Ibex Band 45. Roy Porter Sound Machine – The Story of Roy Porter Sound Machine 1971-1975 46. Domingo Cura – Tiempo De Percusion: An Anthology, 1971-77 47. Royal Band de Thiès – Kadior Demb 48. Justin Rutledge & The Junction Forty - No Never Alone 49. Afro Kelenkye Band - Jungle Funk 49. Salah Ragab & The Cairo Jazz Band - Unreleased Egyptian Jazz 1968-1974 50. Ironing Board Sam - An Introduction To Ironing Board Sam
Various Artist Compilations
1. Diablos Del Ritmo: The Colombian Melting Pot,1960-1985
2. The Return Of The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of
3. Jukebox Mambo: Rumba & Afro-Latin Accented Rhythm & Blues 1949 to 1960
4. It's Saturday Night!: Starday-Dixie Rockabilly 1955-1961
5. Personal Space: Electronic Soul, 1974-1984
6. R&B Hipshakers, Vol. 3: Just a Little Bit of the Jumpin' Bean
7. Holy Spirit: Spiritual Soul & Gospel Funk from Shreveport’s Jewel Records
8. TV Sound & Image: British Television Film & Library Composers 1955-78
9. Work Hard, Play Hard, Pray Hard: Hard Time, Good Time & End Time Music, 1923-1936
10. A Search For CMS African Records by Blue Flamingo
11. ¡Saoco! The Bomba and Plena Explosion in Puerto Rico 1954-1966
12. The Detroit Funk Vaults: Funk and Soul from Dave Hamilton, 1968-1979
13. Killed By Synth, Vol. 1
14. The Rojac Story: The Best Of Rojac & Tayster
15. The Original Sound of Cumbia: The History of Colombian Cumbia & Porro As Told By The Phonograph 1948-79
17. Soul Cal: Funky Disco & Modern Soul Masterpieces 1971-1982
18. Fetén: Rare Jazz Recordings From Spain, 1961-1974
19. Now's The Time: Deep German Jazz Grooves Vol 2: 1957-1969
20. Cooler Than Ice: Arctic Records & The Rise Of Philly Soul
21. Loving On The Flipside: Sweet Funk And Beat-Heavy Ballads 1969-1977
22. Royal Grooves: Funk & Groovy Soul from the King Records Vault
23. Tomorrow's Achievements: Parry Music Library 1976-86
24. Down Under Nuggets: Original Australian Artyfacts 1965-1967
25. Spiritual Jazz Volume II and III: Esoteric, Modal And Deep European Jazz 1960-78
26. Eccentric Soul: Omnibus Vol. 1
27. Regional Garland - Mixed Sugar: The Complete Works, 1970-1987
28. Hall of Fame: Rare and Unissued Gems from the Fame Vaults
29. From The Vaults Of Ric & Ron Records: Rare & Unreleased Recordings 1958-1962
30. Sensacional Soul Vol. 3: Spanish Soul Stompers 1966-1976
31. The Music City Sessions, Vol. 1-3
32. Eccentric Soul: A Red Black & Green Production
33. Zendooni: Funk Psychedelia & Pop From Iranian Pre Revolution Generation
31. Wail Man Wail! The Best of King Curtis 1952-1961
32. Twin Cities Funk & Soul: Lost R&B Grooves From Minneapolis/St. Paul 1964-1979
33. Deep Enough Volume 1: Deep Jazz, Deep Funk & All Kinds Of Deep Grooves
34: Man Chest Hair: 17 Outbursts Of Unreleased Testosterone From The 1970s Mancunian Rock Underground
35: Java-Java: Indonesia Screaming Fuzz, Vol. 2
36. Soul Braza: Brazilian 60's & 70's Soul Psych, Vol. 2
37. Ike Turner Studio Productions: New Orleans And Los Angeles 1963-65
38. Cumbia Beat Vol 2: Experimental Guitar Driven Tropical Sounds From Peru 1966-1983
39. You Turned My Head Around: Lee Hazlewood Industries 1967-1970
40. Sofrito: International Soundclash
41. Lost Soul Gems: From Sounds Of Memphis
42. Surinam: Boogie & Disco Funk From The Surinamese Dance Floors, 76-83
43. Strange Passion: Explorations In Irish Post Punk DIY & Electronic Music 1980-83
44. Ivory Coast Soul 2: Afro Soul In Abidjan From 1976 To 1981
45. Ritmo Caliente
46. Khana Khana: Funk Psychedelia & Pop From Iranian Pre Revolution Generation
47. The Best of Perception & Today Records
48. Diggin' Down Argentina: Nuggets From The Rioplatense Scene 1967-1976, Vol 2
49. Jende Ri Palenge: People Of Palenque
50. Dabke: Sounds Of The Syrian Houran
