The Story of SPACE COWBOY...

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An epic psychedelic rock-country concept album which follows Sonny Mac through his out of this world adventures, all while covering classic songs in a space aged retro vintage vibe. This album mixes all styles of songs with a psychedelic twist. The psychedelic visuals mix with the retro futuristic theme of this album to tell the story of Sonny Mac: THE SPACE COWBOY! Sonny Mac - minding his own business - is abducted by aliens and proceeds to go on wonderful wacky spacey timey-wimey adventures. Inspired by the likes of: Burl Ives, Flaming Lips, Frank Sinatra, Earth Wind and Fire, Tame Impala, Dr Who, Neil Young, Jack Bruce, Mechagodzilla, Beach Boys, The Beatles, Velvet Underground, West, Bruce & Laing, Vulfpeck, Star Trek, Grease, Pink Floyd, & Nat King Cole. If you're a fan of the aesthetic of Brian Wilson/The Beach Boys "Love You" album, then you'll get a kick outta this! #music #conceptalbum #psychedelicrock

 

Sonny Mac is going along his way minding his own business singing some classic country music by Burl Ives. As he sings Empty Saddles by Burl Ives he is then rudely interrupted aliens abducting him to take him for wacky adventures in SPACE! Empty Saddles by Burl Ives inspired this first classic country tune for the SPACE COWBOY album.

 

It Overtakes Me by The Flaming Lips happens when aliens slip the SPACE COWBOY: Sonny Mac some mysterious substance and he goes on a wild trip through space and time. This second song is a cover of It Overtakes Me by The Flaming Lips. Prepare to be overtaken by this psychedelic cover of the Flaming Lips hit song "It Overtakes Me" from the album "At War with the Mystics"

 

Sonny Mac reaches the moon and in order to bring peace and good times to the moon peoples he decides to introduce them to the undeniably swingin' tunes of Frank Sinatra & The Count Basie Orchestra. The third song for SPACE COWBOY is Fly Me To The Moon by Frank Sinatra.

 

After bringing world - or erm - "moon" peace to the peoples of the moon, Sonny Mac and the gang have a party to celebrate! The fourth song on SPACE COWBOY is Let's Groove by Earth, Wind and Fire.

 

After saving the moon, Sonny Mac is whisked off into deep space where he passes by the wonder that is the Tame Impala psychedelic nebula. The fifth song on SPACE COWBOY is The Less I Know The Better by Tame Impala (Kevin Parker).

 

Doctor Who Theme! After his rest at the Tame Impala nebula, Sonny Mac bumps into some very dangerous foes - the Daleks! He's on the run, but what's that wheezing sound I hear? It's none other but the Doctor in his trusty blue box, the TARDIS, has come to save Sonny from the perils that he finds himself in! The sixth song on SPACE COWBOY is the Doctor Who Theme by Murray Gold/ Ron Grainer and Delia Derbyshire back in 1963.

 

The Doctor drops Sonny Mac off at the nearest inhabited planet, one where industries have taken over and nature seems to be on the run. Our intrepid SPACE COWBOY makes a plea to the population to change their ways and save the world. The seventh song on SPACE COWBOY is After The Gold Rush by Neil Young. I’m pretty happy with the visuals I got for this one. Went for a stroll around the neighborhood when it was spring in February (before it became winter again) and got these cool shots! I feel it gives the video a very “Edmonton” vibe. Go watch it on YouTube & let me know what you think! ?

 

This Jack Bruce song called Rope Ladder to the Moon inspired Sonny Mac introduces the inhabitants of the industrial planet to the people of the moon that he had previously introduced "moon" peace to. A connection is made to further the cooperation and spread the good word of peace and good times throughout the galaxy. The seventh song on SPACE COWBOY is Rope Ladder To The Moon by Jack Bruce from the album Songs for a Tailor. This is a special one because this is a tribute to my favourite bass player and one of my biggest inspirations Jack Bruce! I’m glad I finally got the chance to transcribe one of his bass lines note for note, he has such a unique 16th note feel & groove that is deceptively hard to master. His voice on the bass is also so creative, in a simple 1 chord groove for the verse he says so much melodically - no line is repeated exactly.

 

Tragedy strikes as Sonny Mac discovers that the moon is being attacked by evil space aliens who are using MechaGodzilla to wreak havoc! Sonny has to coordinate the resources of the galaxy to repel the invasion and stop MechaGodzilla's attack! The eighth song on SPACE COWBOY is the MechaGodzilla Theme by Masaru Sato / Akira Ifukube.

 

MechaGodzilla is defeated and the clouds part. The moon people sing a song of joy and Sonny Mac joins along. The tenth song on SPACE COWBOY is written by the incomparable Brian Wilson: God Only Knows (Isolated Vocals) by The Beach Boys.

 

This one’s short & sweet. Lately I’ve been inspired by Brian Wilson and his genius way of arranging vocals. I found an isolated vocal track from God Only Knows where the voices are almost orchestral - this is my attempt to recreate that sound

 

Sonny Mac has a crisis of self, he ventures out into the cosmos alone to see if he can find the meaning to the most mysterious questions in life. The eleventh song on SPACE COWBOY is Nowhere Man by The Beatles. I’m really excited to share this one because Nowhere Man has some of the most beautiful vocal harmonies ever written. The Beatles are endlessly inspiring to me so I hope you enjoy my tribute to them! Go give it a listen on YouTube won’t ya?!

 

Sonny Mac finds a new lease on life as he discovers an intergalactic rodeo. Now this is his speciality, Sonny Mac enters the competition and shouts "YEE HAW!" The twelfth song on SPACE COWBOY is Lonesome Cowboy Bill by The Velvet Underground. New SPACE COWBOY video today! One from the Velvet Underground: Lonesome Cowboy Bill. This was one of the first songs I chose for this project & it helped shape what the concept of Space Cowboy was going to be - not necessarily country in genre but a genre hopping tale of Sonny Mac getting abducted by aliens! Hope you enjoy the video!

 

Sonny Mac channels Jack Bruce's bass playing and wins the intergalactic rodeo and as a victory lap he performs a throwback nod to his past life when he was a rock bass player. Equipped with his trusty Gibson SG bass Sonny performs a bass solo. The thirteenth song on SPACE COWBOY is Jack Bruce's Bass Solo from Powerhouse Sod (Bass Solo) by West, Bruce & Laing. It’s Friday and you know what that means? New SPACE COWBOY video today! This one is yet another Jack Bruce tribute, one of his few recorded bass solos was done with his post-Cream power trio “West, Bruce, & Laing” in the song “Powerhouse Sod” I was so blown away by how unique in form and style it was, I remember showing it to a friend and he thought that it was a guitar playing all those parts! If you’re a live Cream junkie like I am, you’ll definitely get a kick outta this small tribute to Live’N’Kickin’ #jackbruce #bass #musicvideo

 

After wowing the audience with his bass solo, Sonny joins with the locals and has a groovy jam. The fourteenth song on SPACE COWBOY is Beastly by Vulfpeck. Short but sweet, a tribute to one of my favourite bands & bassists of the modern era. The new SPACE COWBOY video is… B E A S T L Y

 

The jam was good but alas cannot last forever, Sonny Mac - trying to hitchhike home - joins the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise and they set off to the farthest star to the right... Engage! The fifteenth song on SPACE COWBOY is the Star Trek TNG Theme by Jerry Goldsmith, Alexander Courage. Space (COWBOY) the final frontier… these are the voyages of SONNY MAC! His continuing mission, to Git ‘er Done, to Give’r, and to sing That’s How She Goes!

 

Sonny Mac regales his stories of his past escapades to the crew of the Enterprise in the bar, Ten Forward. A tear comes to his eye as they listen to how he saved the moon people from the perilous dangers that they found themselves in. The captain brings Sonny to the holodeck so he can see a simulation of how his beloved moon people are doing now. The sixteenth song on SPACE COWBOY is Blue Moon (Grease Soundtrack) by Sha Na Na. Sonny Mac the SPACE COWBOY returns to the moon of his home planet and joins in with the locals to sing a beautiful melody - the national anthem of the moon!

 

After Sonny Mac leaves the holodeck he says goodbye to the crew of the Enterprise and takes a shuttlecraft to go his own way in space. He then happens along a black hole which he veers to try and avoid, but unfortunately the pull of the gravity is too much for the small space craft to overcome. Sonny Mac is pulled into the black hole and he experiences all of space and time simultaneously. The seventeenth song on SPACE COWBOY is Eclipse by Pink Floyd. We’ve reached the climax of the SPACE COWBOY saga - Sonny Mac is pulled into a black hole and he experiences all of space and time simultaneously. Nothing will be the same as Sonny reaches enlightenment, he sees worlds being destroyed and others being created. His eyes are opened to the psychedelic wonders of the universe!

 

Sonny Mac, now existing at all points across space and time tries to anchor himself to home. The nostalgic sounds of the past come rushing to him and he is pulled towards the light. A single heartbeat, which becomes every heartbeat across the universe synchronizes and sings a song. Time and space come crashing down around Sonny and he opens his eyes - he is back on earth with only the memories of fading stars in his mind from his past adventures. The eighteenth and final song on SPACE COWBOY is Stardust by Nat King Cole. The finale! SPACE COWBOY reaches it’s end and Sonny Mac is transported back to Earth, his mind not able to remember or fully comprehend the journey that he just went through. Things seemingly return to normal, but Sonny’s journey through space and time has left permanent invisible marks on him and the fabric of the universe itself… in the end we are all stardust melodies - the memory of love’s refrain.