Barry Ollman Songs

Blue Colorado

I wrote this song the day after Barack's first election. I sent an email to my friend Graham Nash and I wrote Greetings from Blue Colorado in the subject line, reflecting my home state's changed political posture. Graham and David Crosby had been in Denver for an Etown show at the Democratic National Convention in August and we spent a lot of time together soaking up the incredible atmosphere of that event. He and his son, Will, and Michael Jensen sat with my family at Invesco Field as Barack gave his acceptance speech and the whole place was pretty ripped by the end. By the time November 5th rolled around pretty much everyone in my world was feeling some sort of strange combination of relief, gratitude and some serious exhaustion.

I remember feeling like I could breathe again.

The song came pretty easily once I started.

A few weeks later I mentioned it to my long time friend Nick Forster who immediately said "let's record it". By way of background, I have been well aware that while I never stopped playing and performing, I hadn't really written a complete song in some years. I felt an unhappy sort of chronic writer's block and I was eager for a cure...

Nick is a very experienced and talented musician (Hot Rize!), writer, singer, Grammy nominated producer, radio personality, and much more, so I felt very thankful for his vote of confidence, especially not yet having heard the song.

We recorded this one in January in Nick's studio and it didn't hurt at all that Helen, co-host of Etown, who has always been one of my favorite harmony singers, was just upstairs mixing an Etown show. Her harmonies can make pretty much anyone sound good and this song is just a little more proof of that.

I like the way the song takes me back to some of the potent emotions of that day in November.

When I sent it to Graham, his one word revue was a thrill... "Delightful!"

That was all I wanted to hear...

By the way, if you've heard this song earlier in the year, give it another listen as this is a totally different mix with a new drum track from Christian Teele of The Etones. Pay attention to Nick's soulful slide guitar lines and his electric guitar solo which are both beautifully played.