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From The Desk Of Peter Holsapple: Lou Christie

It makes sense that since Peter Holsapple has long been the go-to guy for musicians such as R.E.M., Hootie & The Blowfish, John Hiatt, Indigo Girls, the Troggs, Juliana Hatfield and too many others to name here that when he needed assistance on his first solo album in 21 years that he would turn to, well, himself. Game Day (Omnivore) is a solo record in the truest sense of the word, as the dB’s co-founder pretty much did everything himself on the LP. Holsapple will being guest editing magnetmagazine.com—for the second time—all week. Grab some beer and some pizza: It’s game day.

Holsapple: My favorite falsetto in rock, and one of the most prolific guys to record, Lou Christie shares my birthdate, and I’ve been somewhat obsessed with his music since I heard “Two Faces Have I” (one of the U.S.’s first hits with a reggae beat, maybe?) as a stripling youth. When I got older, I began trying to collect Lou’s many singles on dozens of labels. I think I got up to about 50 or so 45s before my collection went under in Hurricane Katrina. And every one of those singles had intriguing production values and ultra-memorable melodies. From 1964’s “Have I Sinned” on Colpix to “If My Car Could Only Talk” and “Painter” on MGM to “Self Expression (The Kids On The Street Will Never Give In)” on Columbia, Lou’s tenor brings a high drama to story songs, many co-written by Lou and Twyla Hebert. No less a fan than Alex Chilton covered “I’m Gonna Make You Mine.” Even 1981 period piece “Guardian Angel,” a tribute to NYC’s security force from the era, is sorta fascinating, like his summer anthem “Riding In My Van.” Lou still performs and records, and his falsetto would seem to be unchanged by time.