Producing a 'mighty' sound


The Mighty Jeremiahs are shown above during a recording session last fall at Dave Barrick's recording studio in Glasgow. From left to right are Jimmy Hall, Mark Hendricks, Jon McGee and Greg Martin. Photo courtesy of Wales Hunter
Local musicians come together to try a different kind of music

By GINA KINSLOW

Glasgow Daily Times

"Wicked Ways" is just one of three tracks appearing on a sampler CD featuring music by The Mighty Jeremiahs, a gospel rock band.

The sampler serves as a promotional tool for The Mighty Jeremiah's new self-titled CD scheduled for release in the spring.

The band is composed of performers from various musical influences including Jon McGee and Mark Hendricks of Taildragger fame, Greg Martin, Richard Young and Anthony Kenny with the Kentucky HeadHunters, and Jimmy Hall, formerly with Wet Willie and now band leader for country recording artist Hank Williams, Jr., among others.

The Mighty Jeremiahs didn't really start out as a serious project.

Martin wanted to work on a music project with McGee, who is his step-son. They began laying down some tracks at Dave Barrick's recording studio in Glasgow in 1992.

"It was just for fun," Martin said. "I guess with Jimmy Hall singing, the MJ's lineup solidified around 2000, that's when we decided to make the project a CD."

Over a long period of time, the sessions became more focused, McGee said.

"Once Greg invited southern rock legend, Jimmy Hall of Wet Willie and Hank Jr., to lay down the vocal tracks, it all clicked," he said. "The Mighty Jeremiahs began!"

The sampler is a product of ear-X-tacy records and Martin's own production company, Paradigm Shift Productions.

The Mighty Jeremiahs have yet to perform in public.

"It's been a studio project so far," Martin said. "Once the CD is released and if everyone's schedule allows, we hope to play some dates together."

Martin has some upcoming commitments with the Kentucky HeadHunters and Hall stays busy working with Williams' band, as well as his own band in Nashville, The Prisoners of Love. McGee and Mark Hendricks, who appear on the sampler, are busy scheduling Taildragger concert dates.

"It's just a matter of finding time since the Kentucky HeadHunters are gearing up for another year of touring, a new CD and I still host the "Lowdown Hoedown" at WDNS on Monday nights," Martin said.

Two years ago, The Mighty Jeremiahs almost signed with a major Christian music label.

"Unfortunately, the label folded before the deal was done. George King, who was the label head, went on to form Dove Canyon Films. George was a big believer in The Mighty Jeremiahs and asked to use about five songs," he said.

The songs will be featured as part of a soundtrack for a movie, "The Moment of Truth" about a wrestler named Sting. The movie is now available at Christian bookstores nationally, Martin said.

He hopes to interview King about the movie project on his radio show sometime next month.

Also featured on the sampler CD are tracks from Taildragger's newest CD, "Skeptic Tank," also set for release this spring. This will be the first CD released by Taildragger since 1998.

"Skeptic Tank" has been in the making for quite a while, McGee said.

"We started tracking in 1999 when our drummer of eight years left and moved to Boston with his family. At that point we sort of put everything on hold," he said.

He and Hendricks continued to perform with McGee's sister, Sherri, on drums, and friends Ernest McLendon and Jeff Baker.

"Eventually, we refocused our studio effort by tracking several new songs with me on drums and Mark Hendricks, of course, on bass," McGee said. "Finally, we combined the new sessions with the older sessions to complete the project. Thanks to Paradigm Shift Productions/ear-X-tacy records, we'll have it available by spring/early summer this year."

The sampler is available at Great Escape in Bowling Green, ear-X-tacy in Louisville, or online at

http://www.earx-tacy.com/