REAL WEST PRODUCTIONS/PARAS RECORDINGS TO RELEASE COWBOY CLASSICS: PLAYING FAVORITES II BY MICHAEL MARTIN MURPHEY

Follow up to 2000s Playing Favorites features brand new acoustic recordings of singer/songwriters most requested 19th Century Old West trail songs.

Burbank, CA -- Real West Productions, in association with Paras Recordings, announces the May 14 release of COWBOY CLASSICS: PLAYING FAVORITES II by singer, songwriter and cowboy music legend Michael Martin Murphey. A follow-up to 2000s Playing Favorites, which featured new versions of Murpheys renowned pop and country hits like Wildfire," Whats Forever For?" and Carolina in the Pines," this recording features twelve new, acoustic based versions of his most beloved and requested 19th Century traditional cowboy folk songs.

After a successful two decade career in pop and country, Murphey turned his creative attention in the early 1990s to the songs of the American cowboy- a roots music tradition that pre-dates modern country music by many years. Murphey dug in his boot heels against the Nashville establishment, fighting for a release of real cowboy songs. His first release, Cowboy Songs, sparked a revolution and revival for cowboy singers and poets, and all roots music performers. A respected Chicago Tribune critic, Bill Hurst, called it a masterpiece- the album of the decade", and Country Music Magazine hailed it as one of the essential 200 albums of all time." Original versions of each of the songs on COWBOY CLASSICS are available on his recordings Cowboy Songs Volumes 1 (1990) and Cowboy Songs 4 (1998). Several of the re-recordings feature additional verses that were left off Murpheys originals. The new version of The Streets of Laredo" has the original Irish lyrics to The Bard of Armagh," the source song for the cowboy adaptation. The collection includes The Yellow Rose of Texas," I Ride An Old Paint," Whoopee Ti-Yi-Yo," The Old Chisholm Trail" and Red River Valley."

Cowboy music has always been my cultural heritage, and its exciting to bring these stories to life in different settings," says the Texas-born rancher. In the years that Ive been performing cowboy songs, there are many that have grown into crowd favorites, and this is a project I always thought of doing, bringing those together in a fresh new way. Cowboy songs of the 19th Century touch on something in the American soul. Theyre not just about the Western region. They stand for what American spirit is all about- self-determination, individuality, independence, and pride in a tough job well done. Since September 11th, 2001, we are a cowboy nation chasing real outlaws, with a Texas President who knows how to lead a posse. Cowboy songs are the anthems of the American soul!"

Murphey will play many of these songs when he hosts the 16th annual Westfest, Americas #1 Art, Culture and Music Festival, in Colorado Springs June 27-30, 2002. Set against the backdrop of Pikes Peak (Americas Mountain), Westfest is a celebration of the music, art and culture of the west designed to educate the public about its rich history and relevance to the present day. Inspired by Buffalo Bills legendary Wild West Show of the late 19th Century, the festival was launched by Murphey to help promote western culture and positive attributes such as charity, integrity, service to others, and respect for open space. Entertainment and activities include: nationally known music stars, cowboy and mountain man camps, trader and trapper camps, fine arts exhibition and sale, western accessories and collectibles exhibition and sale, working ranch rodeo, cowboy poetry, mutton busting, celebrity trail rides, chuck wagon foods, an American Indian village, family entertainment, hands-on activities for children and a special rodeo for the handicapped.

Along with Murphey, this years musical performers include The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Chelly Wright, Red Steagall, Riders in the Sky, Pin Monkey and Eddie Three Eagles. This years festival will also feature Best of the Real West, a showcase featuring Real West recording artists Joni Harms, Brenn Hill, R.W. Hampton, Cowboy Nation and Red Feather recording artist, Joanne Shenandoah. This event will be held in the Pikes Peak Performing Arts Center, located on the festival grounds, on Friday, June 28.

For more information please contact Paras Group Publicity:
Christian Mella - Phone: 818-848-6300 -- Email: cmella@parasgroup.com
Paras Recordings, 826 S. Victory Blvd., Burbank, CA 91502