Rick Harrington
Rick Harrington has been playing guitar and writing songs for over twenty-five years. It has always been a passion of his and something he enjoys deeply. For years he has had the dream of recording some of his songs professionally, with quality musicians. In the fall of 2005 that dream began to become a reality. Rick’s electrical contracting company began work on converting a 1920’s Methodist church building in Asheville, NC into a first-rate recording studio. During the construction process, Steve Wilmans, the owner of Echo Mountain Recording, graciously agreed to trade Rick some recording time for his labor. A little over a year later, Rick stepped into the studio for the first time. Over the next year-and-a-half, the studio squeezed Rick in when they had an opening, occasionally having to bump him for an actual "paying" customer. Rick didn’t mind. He was just thankful for the opportunity and understood going in that this was going to be the case.
The album, “You Can’t Just Sit There” is the result of Rick’s barter with Echo Mountain Recording. Rick will be the first to tell you that he couldn’t have done this alone. Recording an album is a tremendous amount of work, and it didn’t take Rick long to realize he was in way over his head. He enlisted the help of some very talented individuals on this project and wants his listeners to know that any degree of quality they hear on this CD is largely due to their involvement. Paul Babelay (a local Asheville musician and the only other person besides Rick who performs on every track of the album) deserves a great deal of the credit. He not only played drums, percussion, piano and organ throughout the project, he produced the album. He was also instrumental in bringing in all the other talented musicians you hear on the songs. His contribution to the final product is immeasurable.
Another person who deserves a great deal of credit is Emily (Hickman) Truncellito. Her vocals stand out as some of the real “polish” on the album. Emily and her family have been very close friends of Rick for years. From the time this project began to take shape, Rick knew he wanted to showcase Emily’s remarkable vocal ability on some of his songs. Her mother, Rachel Hickman, also lends her beautiful harmonies to a number of the tracks. Their additions to the album are instrumental in bringing it to a level it never could have achieved otherwise.
It would be negligent not to mention the other talented musicians that performed on this album. They are all Asheville area locals and Rick is honored to have had them contribute to his project. Along with Paul Babelay, they are Ron Clearfied (Cello), Bobby Hicks (Fiddle), Charles Holland (Bass), Lynn Netherton (Steel Guitar) and Vince Novak (Saxophone). Julian Dreyer, one of Echo Mountain's talented engineers, played bass on Bertram Harris. It is their playing that truly provides for some of the highlights of the CD.
As you’ve obviously ascertained by now, Rick himself does not play music for a living. He is an electrical contractor who happens to love playing and writing music. He feels blessed to have a successful business that was instrumental in allowing him to do something few people get to do. He believes he made the most of this wonderful opportunity and hopes that after listening you have come to the same conclusion.
Oasis Disk Manufacturing, the company that manufactured the CD, included a wonderful promotional package with their manufacturing services. This website is just one part of that package. It allows unknown, independent musicians not only a place where their CD’s can be sampled and purchased, but also a means of letting people know who they are. If you already have a copy of Rick's CD, we hope you have taken the time to listen and found it enjoyable. If you don't have the CD, you can listen to it right here on this site, and even purchase it if you'd like.