Slipstream Records and Torn & Frayed are thrilled to announce the forthcoming release of 'Until Loving Finds Me', 14 home demos and unreleased songs by Hal Paris, one half of the songwriting force behind Country Funk - the cult psychedelic country rock band.
As a member of Country Funk, Hal shared bills with Crosby, Stills & Nash, Jimi Hendrix, The Velvet Underground, Flying Burrito Brothers and Neil Young, and released one highly rated album on Polydor in 1970.
These songs, recorded between 1971 and 1972, find 'Highway Hal' at a crossroads. Cut loose from the comfort and camaraderie of his former band, Hal stayed busy, recording demo after demo, mostly alone but sometimes hooking up with sympatico musicians.
Intimate and heartwarmingly lo-fi, on 'Until Loving Finds Me' we hear Hal working out not only his solo songwriting voice, but also his next move. His commercial ear developing as he dials into the mainstream's embrace of Country Rock's softer sounds and makes plans to head West.
Writing mostly in retreat on the East Coast, but also on the cusp of what would turn out to be a final move to Boulder Colorado, Hal pines equally for the spiritual freedom of California, the friends he's made during his touring days, and for a companion to share his itinerant lifestyle.
He moves between celebrating his choice to live life on the road, to leaning fully into feelings of loneliness and the lost opportunities of his days in Country Funk. But Hal's charm, humour and musicianship are always front and centre, not to mention a voice that recalls one Jerry Garcia at his most earnest.
Even in their raw form these songs beg the question what if? What if Hal got one more break and the chance to get these songs in front of record execs, or found a group to flesh them out? The internet age has brought many a long forgotten talent into the spotlight. We hope this release will bring Hal's songs to the audience that he was writing and hoping for.
Hal died in December 2023, so it is with a certain sadness that we share these tunes, in the knowledge that Hal didn't live to see them brought to life.
Ride on down the highway Hal, straight into the sun!
