The Immediate Family
The Immediate Family Releases Debut Single “Cruel Twist”
with New Video Premiering via Rolling Stone
“Cruel Twist” is the band’s first release from their upcoming EP on Quarto Valley Records
LOS ANGELES, CA, June 12, 2020 — Quarto Valley Records (QVR) announces the release of the new single from recording artists The Immediate Family titled “Cruel Twist,” available for purchase and streaming beginning June 12. The “Cruel Twist” music video premiered 6/11 via Rolling Stone magazine. “Cruel Twist” is the band’s first single of new music for release in the U.S., Europe and South America, and the first offering from their upcoming EP set for release in October, with a full-length LP coming early 2021 on QVR. The Immediate Family is a rock & roll band composed of longtime friends and legendary musicians – Danny Kortchmar (guitar and vocals), Waddy Wachtel (guitar and vocals), Leland Sklar (bass), Russ Kunkel (drums) and Steve Postell (guitar and vocals).
Commenting on the creation of the song, Kortchmar remarks, “I wrote this song a while ago when I was living in Connecticut. The great Harvey Brooks, Charlie Karp and I had a little band called ‘Slo Leak,’ and I was writing for that band. Harvey came up with the title and I came up with the music very quickly. Basically, it’s a cautionary tale, like a lot of my songs. It kind of applies to today, because it’s about a reversal of fortune like what’s happening now with the virus and the economic downturn. Ultimately, it’s a blues song about what can happen if one gets too confident and too full of oneself.”
The band is the evolution of a lifetime of friendship of playing music together: it began in the 1970s as a collective of studio and live musicians known as “The Section,” best known for both their work in support of some of the top selling singer/songwriters and solo singers in the history of music, as well as their own acclaimed instrumental albums. Collectively, these musicians helped define the sound of a generation by supporting many of the most iconic artists of the last five decades, including James Taylor, Carole King, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Keith Richards, Neil Young, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Don Henley, Phil Collins, Bonnie Raitt, Warren Zevon, Stevie Nicks, Bryan Ferry, Lyle Lovett and Jimmy Buffett – and as well as for producers Lou Adler and Peter Asher.
Watch “Cruel Twist”
Operating as The Immediate Family for the last few years, the band has been performing live and recording new original music, and most recently found its stateside home with QVR.
Speaking about “Cruel Twist,” Legendary DJ Jim Ladd (host of SiriusXM Deep Tracks Channel 27) remarks, “I love this timely new song from musicians that have seen their share of every stadium on the planet. “Cruel Twist” is a cool gem! The Immediate Family has years of experience performing on the road and in studios with so many talented artists. These amazing players are now a band of their own that we can all sing along with and be Immediate Family together. We need that now more than ever. It is their time to rock us through the 2020 struggles.”
Additionally, production continues on the group’s upcoming documentary The Immediate Family, filmmaker Denny Tedesco’s exploration of the band’s rich history, which also serves as the follow-up to his acclaimed feature The Wrecking Crew, which spotlighted an earlier group of Los Angeles studio pros.
Immediate Family documentary Facebook page
“Cruel Twist” Credits:
Songwriters: Daniel Kortchmar, Harvey Brooks / Universal Publishing (ASCAP)
Produced by Danny Kortchmar, Steve Postell, Fred Mollin
Recorded at Groove Masters & Katonah Studios
Engineered by Niko Bolas & Steve Postell
Mastered by Richard Dodd
Performed by The Immediate Family with Jim Cox on Hammond B3
Video produced and directed by: The Immediate Family
Video editor: Michael Perlmutter
About The Immediate Family
The Immediate Family (the modern iteration of a legendary studio ensemble known as “The Section”) is a rock and roll band composed of four of the most recorded, respected and sought-after players in modern music: Danny Kortchmar (guitar and vocals), Waddy Wachtel (guitar and vocals), Leland Sklar (bass), Russ Kunkel (drums) and the addition of prominent touring, session guitarist and songwriter Steve Postell (guitar and vocals). Frequent collaborators both in the studio and on-stage, their work can be heard on albums from Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Stevie Nicks, Keith Richards, Warren Zevon, Graham Nash, Neil Young, David Crosby and many, many, many more. Kortchmar, Sklar and Kunkel have worked together since the early 70s and made up three-quarters of The Section, best known for both their studio and live work in support of some of the top selling singer/songwriters and solo singers in the history of music, as well as their own acclaimed instrumental albums. (By mid 70s, they were later joined by Wachtel). Collectively, these musicians helped define the sound of a generation.
Danny Kortchmar’s credits as guitarist, producer, songwriter, and session musician include work with James Taylor, Don Henley, Carole King, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne and Billy Joel, among many others. As a songwriter, Kortchmar has both written alone or collaborated with numerous artists, penning indelible tracks such as Don Henley’s “Dirty Laundry,” “All She Wants to Do Is Dance,” and “New York Minute,” as well as Jackson Browne’s “Somebody’s Baby” and “Shaky Town,” to name a few.
Legendary guitarist, producer and songwriter Waddy Wachtel has worked with many of the same artists as Kortchmar, as well as artists like the Rolling Stones, Keith Richards, Stevie Nicks, Randy Newman, Bryan Ferry and the late Warren Zevon, with whom he co-wrote and produced a number of hit songs including “Werewolves of London,” which The Immediate Family has included in their set list. Wachtel’s production work includes Keith Richards, Bryan Ferry, George Thorogood and The Church, and he has composed numerous scores for feature films.
Leland Sklar has performed in the studio and on tour with Phil Collins, James Taylor, Toto and Billy Cobham, to name a few. Actually, Sklar has the most credits of any of the members of The Immediate Family, having worked on over 2,600 albums.
Russ Kunkel’s credits include Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks, Lyle Lovett and dozens more. He has created and co-produced film scores for Mike Nichols’ Heartburn, Joyce Chopra’s Smooth Talk and New World Films’ Certain Fury. Production work includes Clannad, Jimmy Buffett, The Derek Trucks Band, Dan Fogelberg, Aaron Neville and others.
Steve Postell is a seasoned touring and session player who has worked with David Crosby, Jennifer Warnes, Michael McDonald, John Oates, Robben Ford and many others. He recorded and mixed the final 3 performances of Ravi Shankar, and has scored films including “Dying To Know” about Timothy Leary & Ram Dass and narrated by Robert Redford. He has released several solo records, including the critically acclaimed “Time Still Knockin’” on Immergent Records.
Purchase or stream the new single here:
Overall: https://smarturl.it/CruelTwist
Apple Music: https://smarturl.it/CruelTwist/applemusic
Amazon Music: https://smarturl.it/CruelTwist/az
Spotify: https://smarturl.it/CruelTwist/spotify
iTunes: https://smarturl.it/CruelTwist/itunes
The Immediate Family online
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Jeff,
Awesome you liked it. Have they ever. Welcome and thanks for your comment.
These are the guys we’ve been rocking’ to for so long. I feel so lucky I came of age to the music of the Immediate Family and the music they have graced us with. And now young musicians are coming back around. These guys are music gods (as well as the acoustic and bluegrass music gods.) Keep making the music as long as you can because it’s sacred and the weasely, dorky human race needs all the inspiration it can get. And Thank you, (Sister) Tiny, (KFAT, KHIP, KPIG) and now jiveradio.org Keep on Rockin’!
I remember reading the credits on all my record albums, tapes and CDs in the 60s 70s 80s 90s and 2000s seeing all the “immediate family” names on many of them. You guys are awesome. Please keep me in the know for future events. Thank you