HEARTSFIELD BIO (Mercury 1974)

The members of Heartsfield all met in the Chicago area, although southwest Michigan is now their base. The group includes Perry Jordan, acoustic and electric guitar; J.C. Hartsfield, acoustic guitar, mandolin and fiddle; Phil Lucafo, electric and pedal steel guitars; Fred Dobbs, electric guitar, banjo; Greg Biela, bass guitar; and Art Baldacci, drums. The Mississippi-born J.C. Hartsfield started his "pro" career by playing in country-blues groups at age 12. To support his family, he started playing with lounge dance bands and Vegas show groups, neither of which were satisfying to him. In 1970, he met Perry Jordan, who had just left a group called Liquid Heart. They started playing and writing original tunes together. Phil soon arrived and made some tapes with Perry and J.C. He played them for the other members of Liquid Heart and "We all flipped and started exchanging tunes," Fred recalls. The group returned to Chicago for a vacation and got together at J.C.'s place to jam. "We fell in love at first sound," Perry says. This was mid-summer of 1972. The group began playing around Chicago in particular and the midwest in general. All of a sudden, the perennially staid Chicago music scene began to pick up on this group, and within a few months every club Heartsfield played was packed for every show. And then the hardest people in the world to please--music critics--began showing up. And this is where Heartsfield grabbed them. For despite the frills, overdubbing and general perfection that can be attained in a recording studio,

Heartsfield must be seen in performance to be believed and appreciated. The Chicago Tribune said that "Heartsfield live is a delight. Everybody gets a chance to sing and play up-front. And they put out an awesome amount of music." The Chicago Daily News writes that "their spirit and unmistakable enjoyment of making music binds a Heartsfield set into an exciting, engaging experience." The Hot Flash of Kalamazoo, Mich., said "they had people jumping around like in the days when people did such crazy things as have fun at concerts." Heartsfield is dedicated to everyone having a good time at their shows. Says Art: "People want to be entertained. When an act can communicate to 20,000 people like they're communicating to one person, the result is fantastic. I think we're just six people who dig music in all forms, just trying to get by and entertain people." Adds Perry: "Our group is basically a group of writers who can relate and understand without a real effort. There are many styles of music we write and play; we just try to make every song and style sound good. I'm in love with this band and its music."Mercury recently released Heartsfield's second album entitled, "The Wonder Of It All." They recorded it at Golden Voice Studios in South Pekin, Illinois. "We like to keep close to the roots," J. C. said.

BEDROCK BIO - 1998

Suppose there was a band that played continuously from 1973 to 1979 for sell-out crowds, recorded four albums on major labels (several of which hit the Billboard charts), toured with the likes of Elvin Bishop, Fleetwood Mac, Gregg Allman, Charlie Daniels, .38 Special, the Guess Who, the Doobie Brothers, Loggins & Messina, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Waylon Jennings and Hank Williams, Jr. and was called "the best country rock band in Chicago and the Midwest". Now suppose that this band had no compact discs available so that original fans, as well as new listeners, could enjoy their music! These statements were not suppositions; they described a great country-rock band from the '70s, Heartsfield. This and similar scenarios with other bands proved to be the impetus for the forming of Bedrock Records.Thus, Bedrock Records proudly presents its first two CD re-issues: Heartsfield's 1974 album, "The Wonder Of It All" and the band's 1975 release, "Foolish Pleasures". Both titles have been digitally remastered from the original tapes with the cover art restored for longtime followers and a whole new generation of classic rock fans to appreciate and experience. Originally formed in 1973 by J.C. Hartsfield and Perry Jordan, both from the South, but living in the Midwest, the band had a distinctive southern flavor with exceptional vocal arrangements accompanied by four guitars, bass and drums that blended elements of country, rock, folk and jazz into what was called "charismatic magic" on stage.When asked about his music, J.C. Hartsfield once explained, "We believe that country music is really the music of the people, but that rock is the music to move and to excite. Put the two together, you should have something that most people can relate to, and most important, have a good time with."Heartsfield's songs were not aimed at Top 40 formats, and so were picked up by underground FM stations of the time. Due to the air play, the band became local and regional favorites and were in demand for concerts. Many Midwest stations have continued to play the music on vinyl and have made such songs as "Racin' The Sun", "Another Man Down", "Shine On", "House Of Living" and "As I Look Into The Fire" as popular among rock fans today as they were almost 25 years ago!Now, you too can experience the legendary Heartsfield, the "best little country rock phenomenon to come out of the Midwest".