Timeline October 2008 - The writing:

While hastily retreating back to Hawaii from the US mainland after the abrupt ending of a mad love affair, I kept thinking, "don't worry, it's gonna be cool, everything happens for a reason" - I found myself repeating it over and over like a mantra on that plane ride home, and sure enough as the haze began to lift I was able to see that it was true. Of course there is the other side of the coin as when something really terrible happens to someone close to you, and you cannot see the logic behind it cosmic or otherwise. So I'm torn as to whether it's true for all seasons and reasons, but be that as it may, it certainly works in this instance.

January 2009 - The recording:

I'd just moved into the spacious new home for Black Bamboo Studios #5, and 'Everything Happens For A Reason' was the first song I wrote especially for the record. I began recording the song as soon as the ink was dry. Finding and recording some very cool Steve Gadd RMX drum loops - which would later be replaced by real drums - I then added my electric guitar parts next employing my Sadowsky Tele Standard and Carr tube amp with some nice tremelo. While recording the vocals one afternoon, a pesky wild rooster started crowing. While editing said vocals I realized the crowing made it on to the track, but being that it just cracked me up every time I heard it, I decided to leave it in but at a very subliminal volume. Of course when mixing the track Shipley and Brian W raised it's volume way up so it can be easily heard right after the word "grieving'" in the third chorus. I still get a good chuckle when I hear that rooster, but that doesn't mean if I saw him outside I wouldn't chase his ass - you try living with roving hordes of roosters!

Post vocal recording, I brought the song to Michael Ruff for his invaluable ideas and keyboard contributions. He decided accordion and piano would be just the thing. I was down with that. Check out the breathing-like sound Ruff came up with on the accordion. Later while editing, I raised it's volume and dropped it into the intro and re-intro sections for a very tasty little atmospheric yet earthy presence. Superb job by Ruff as always, and his new parts further sculpted the arrangement of the tune, which now called for bass.

One day in late 2007, I answer my phone and an unfamiliar voice on the other end of the line asks if I am the Allan Thomas who sings 'Ray Of Hope'? The fellow had just heard the song on Maui community radio. He said he'd even tried to buy the CD at Borders. I admitted it was I. He went on about how he really loved the track, and then introduced himself as Hutch Hutchinson. On learning his name I immediately knew who the dude was: long-time bassist for Bonnie Riatt, who had also played bass on countless hits and cool tracks by many other great artists through the years. Turned out he lived on Maui part-time. Well lo and behold, Bryan Kessler and I would be doing a benefit concert gig for Mana'o Radio in just a few weeks in support of my then new release 'Making Up For Lost Time'. We made plans to meet. He did come to our gig up there in Makawao at Casanova's, and a fast friendship was forged. Over dinner after the show I told Hutch that it would sure be nice to work together sometime.

Sure enough that opportunity came in the spring of 2010. Hutch was between gigs with Bonnie, was on Maui for a couple of weeks, and I had three tracks ready for bass for the 'Deep Water' record in progress. Truth to tell, I'd rather have recorded him here on Kauai at Black Bamboo Studios, but he wanted to stay on Maui and recommended I fly over there, and that we record at Dave Russell's studio in Paia. That was totally agreeable to me, as I love Maui, and I had heard a lot about Dave's work with Steely Dan at Walter Becker's up-country studio over the years. Cut to the chase: Hutch played one of his Fender P basses on this track. He also graced 'Fall In Love Too Easy', and 'The Gift' with his great vibe and soulful playing. Plus, we had a ball. Dave Russell did a wonderful job of recording Hutch, and made my job so much easier in that I could just concentrate on the arrangements with Hutch and let Dave take care of all the tech stuff. Can't wait to do some live playing with Mr. James 'Hutch' Hutchinson, sometime in the near future.

As for the drums. I had already employed the services of Los Angeles ace drummer Joel Taylor, for two previous songs on the record, it was obvious that he was the man for this one too. With his ease and mastery in both rock and jazz genres, plus having his own home studio, it was no brainer. Joel made it very easy to work together, even though we were sitting on two opposite sides of the great Pacific ocean. In fact, much of this record was recorded elsewhere in different studios around the world, but that never hindered the groove. In this case Joel would record a few takes, then e-mail me a quick and dirty Mp3 mix of one of the takes to see if I concurred that he was indeed in the ball park, or if I needed anything more or different, and we'd be sailing. Most times he just nailed it right on the head. We would always record in 24/96 too, a very high resolution, and then send the larger files back and forth over the internet highway of dreams. After Joel's solid work on four tracks, I would have one more surprise track for him with 'Other Than That', which I was just recording while the record was being mixed.