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ooooo ooooo .oooooo. oooooooooooo HOE E'ZINE RELEASE #626
`888' `888' d8P' `Y8b `888' `8
888 888 888 888 888 "What I Know About Shawn Mullins"
888ooooo888 888 888 888oooo8
888 888 888 888 888 " by Daisy
888 888 `88b d88' 888 o 5/9/99
o888o o888o `Y8bood8P' o888ooooood8
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I've spent countless hours filling my head with enough information
on Shawn Mullins that it would make his own fiance, Kelly Hobbs sick. I've
visited every website possible related to Shawn Mullins, read articles, and
even started this file over half a dozen unsuccessful times. But here it
is, my very own personal thoughts on him, the one and only, Shawn Mullins.
A bit of "before-fame" history. Shawn Mullins grew up in Atlanta,
Georgia, and has been writing songs for over ten years. He went to North
Georgia College and was already interested in the military because his
father was in the Army and his brother in the Navy. Mullins got into the
Colleges military program and was even an officer for the Army for a short
time. While stationed at Fort Benning, two of his albums were done while
he played at numerous Atlanta bars and clubs. Finally, a "new rock" format
radio station picked up on "Lullaby" and before he knew it, nine years
after he began calling himself a musician, he was getting calls from major
record companies, totaling over 26 calls in less than eight days. Columbia
Records finally signed Mullins and re-released his latest, "Souls Core" and
of course, launched a video for his song that really made it happen.
Nine years full of touring coffeehouses, living out of his van with
his dog, Roadie, and attempting to sell what CDs he could move was his
life. He listened to stories from his audience and even produced a few
songs based on them. "Lullaby" for instance was not a life story of his
own or anyone close to him, it was a story inspired by a gig he played in
a small Chinese restaurant. There were only about five members in the
audience and after his performance he was approached by a woman who sparked
lines like, "she grew up with the children of the stars". A week later he
thought up the chorus, "Everything's gonna be all right, rockabye". He
wanted to give the woman hope, something to believe in. Yet, "Shimmer" was
a little bit different. Mullins says, "Unlike Lullaby, it came a lot
quicker. The melody came right after the words. It was like a gift. It
was right after a point in my life when I first met Kelly, in 1994. The
relationship and life helped me write that song. I never get tired of
playing it.
"Gulf of Mexico," my personal favorite, is similar to another song
off of Souls Core, "Twin Rocks". "Gulf of Mexico" was written about a
woman who was married to a Marine guy stationed in Pensacola and about her
life as a bar maid at Flora Bama Sar, a bar on the border of Florida and
Alabama. A few lines were made up though, such as there is no Ocean Avenue
and who knows if w\she ever drove her brother to the liquor store? "Gulf
of Mexico" does hold the most precious and touching line on the whole album
though and it says, "And I hear a voice from my souls core saying freedoms
just a metaphor and you got no where to go," it explains that freedom is
just a joke, you are never really free, it is just a myth.
Currently it is hard to find any of Mullins old albums from back in
the day, but after searching all over Northwest Indiana, before finally
finding one, his 1994 Big Blue Sky. But one sure fire way to get them
though is off of the website of SMG, his label before Columbia House, web
address being <HTTP://WWW.SMGRECORDS.COM>. I must admit my favorite song is
on this album, called "Evolution Man," but I am also five albums shy of
hearing every song ever released so I've got a while before I can voter on
Shawn Mullins number one song. "Evolution Man" reminds me of myself yet
I would be an Evolution "Woman," but that is besides the point, you know
what I mean.
"This world is a lonely place
but shes always been there for him
shes his steady ground
and he'll never ever own her
its the other way around
cause shes the one sure way out
shes the needle in his vein
and he knows shes the only thing
that will ever stop the pain."
It describes my life, just switch the he's and the shes. It is very
moving and I connect with it very well.
With Shawn Mullins unique, musical ways, and his acoustic talent, he
brings a whole new meaning to good music. If you want to hear some wicked
good guitar though, check out "Pandora" on his album Big Blue Sky,
wonderful acoustic talent, I promise. From "living out of his van from
town to town" and realizing "its hard to get rich on a tour of coffeehouse
gigs," Mullins has taught us that "its a blessing to do what you wanna do"
and that it is okay to be a "dreamer".
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[ (c) !LA HOE REVOLUCION PRESS! HOE #626 - WRITTEN BY: DAISY - 5/9/99 ]