Singer, Songwriter, Actor Ed Bruce Honored With Posthumous Album, AFTER HOURS

The late Ed Bruce found success as an actor, singer and songwriter, but it was the latter for which he most wanted to be remembered. Some of his best-known songs included "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" (Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson), "Restless" (Crystal Gayle), and Tanya Tucker's "The Man That Turned My Mama On" and "Texas (When I Die)." One of his biggest hits, as a singer, was "You're the Best Break This Old Heart Ever Had," which reached number one on country charts in 1982, while others he recorded reached the Top 10.

Now, some of Bruce's previously unreleased songs can be heard for the first time on AFTER HOURS, a 16-track album from Music Row Talent Records (MRT) and Old Hat Productions, a creative partnership formed by Bruce and two of his songwriter friends, Mike Morgan and Jeff Elliott.

"This album is a look back at Ed, when he was in his prime," Elliott said. "He was extraordinarily talented and great fun to be with."

"Ed wrote and recorded hundreds of songs," Morgan said. "We have selected what we think are some of his best unreleased songs for this album and mixed them the way we think he would have wanted them to sound."

Music Row Magazine wrote that the album proves Ed Bruce "was a songwriting master to the end." Americana Highways said "the production sparkles. It's country, plain and simple."

Born in Keiser, Arkansas, William Edwin Bruce, Jr. grew up in Memphis Tennessee, where he began working with legendary producer Sam Phillips at Sun Records at age 17 and, later, at other record labels, most notably RCA, Sony, and MCA, writing songs for other singers throughout the 1960s, 70s and 80s. During the 1980s, Bruce shifted his professional focus from songwriting to acting, appearing in several made-for-TV and theatrical films. His most notable role was that of "Tom Guthrie" on the NBC series "Bret Maverick" from 1981-82, which starred James Garner, after which Bruce returned to his music career.

On AFTER HOURS, the songs range from sweet, sad and somber to humorous and uplifting. With a spirited Mexican feel, "Who Wrote Her Name On the Wall" has Bruce questioning the truth about the woman he loves after finding her name written in a men's restroom in at a bar. "Never Thought About You" and "After Hours" are mellow, smooth-jazz songs that could sound as fitting in a hotel lounge as in a country music venue. "Good Jelly Jones" is a bluesy ballad about a man who skirts the law to support his wife and kids.

"Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys," arguably Ed Bruce's best-known composition, received a Grammy nomination for Best Country Song earneda Grammy Award for Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group. The version of that song on AFTER HOURS is from a performance by Bruce on the TV show "Larry's Country Diner."

"Homecoming 1945" is a poignant tune about wounded soldiers who form a band after World War II. "The Outlaw" is a tribute to Bruce's friend, Waylon Jennings. The album concludes with "Old Timer," which sounds as if it may have been intended as a self-penned obituary, with Bruce singing, "There's a gold record that hangs on the wall in his den / 'Cause he once wrote a big song that reached number one..."

AFTER HOURS by Ed Bruce is on Spotify and other digital platforms. Physical CDs are available at edbrucemusic.com and Bandcamp.

Tracks

1. What's a Girl Like You Not Doin' Here
2. Who Wrote Her Name On The Wall
3. After Hours
4. Like You Like Me
5. Never Thought About You
6. The Things I Couldn't See
7. Good Jelly Jones
8. The Feel of Bein' Gone
9. Mama's Quilt
10. Homecoming 1945
11. Never Did Get Close Enough
12. They Don't Play Double Headers Anymore
13. Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys
14. The Outlaw (Tribute to Waylon Jennings)
15. Outrun the Wind
16. Old Timer

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