The story of “Three” In 1994 as a medical student in New York City, I was introduced to a man who would change my life forever. I was recording my first “demo tape” and Paul Gordon was brought in to the studio, as a favour to my producer, to play piano on several of the tracks. This was the beginning of a friendship that would last a lifetime… Years later, Paul and I reconnected on Facebook and he gave me a VIP pass to see him play with the B-52s in Washington DC. He was a real rock star now! The night before the concert we met at his hotel to catch up on the past decade of our lives – music, medicine, marriage, divorce, hard times, faith, and more… we talked for hours. Paul asked to hear some of my recent song writing efforts. I was reluctant to share the Garage Band demos on my phone with someone who had played with Prince, The Goo Goo Dolls, and Natasha Beddingfield, but his cherubic smile and genuine heart convinced me. He listened intently for over thrity minutes while I sat silently, anxiously awaiting his commentary. As he removed the headphones from his ears, he placed his hand on my arm, looked intently into my eyes, with enthusiasm and sincerity and said, “Shari, you’re ready for an album! And I want to produce it!” I laughed and graciously declined his offer, believing him to be humouring me. Little did I know, at that time, he believed in me… “I loved your music then, and I love it even more now that I know what you’ve been through. If you can get to Nashville in October, we’ll make a record together!” Including my early demo (1994), “Perfect Love” (2013), “Faith” (2014), and “Three” (2016), as well as a few single releases, Paul Gordon and I have recorded forty songs together. There is no possible way for me to convey to you the deeply intense friendship we developed during the hours spent in these recording sessions over the years. Like no one before, Paul Gordon “heard” Shari Hall. I may have written the songs, but Paul created the artistry within them, with his arrangements, his musicianship, and his exquisite attention to the essence of my soul in each and every lyrical word and note I wrote. We laughed, smiled, argued, cried, confided, trusted, and ultimately, we created a legacy to share with you… “Three” began in early 2015. In a frantic one week visit to Nashville in April, Paul devoted endless hours in the studio (and I am sincerely grateful to his beautiful wife Jen, who understood my time constraints) to me and my music in an effort to get it all done in the few days I had in the USA. He was masterful, and reassured me, as a five song EP grew to a ten song full length album, we would get it all done in five days. And indeed, we did! But fate would have it that every producer’s nightmare occurred two months later as he was preparing final mixes – his hard drive crashed, and over 80% of our album was lost forever. We were both devastated, horrified, and filled with remorse. Especially Paul… Oh the emails, phone calls, and text messages we exchanged over the next few weeks. It wasn’t pretty, I can assure you. The money I had invested; the travel time away from my children; the massive amount of time he had spent! All gone… Between Paul and I though, there was always compassion, forgiveness, and complete dedication and commitment to our music. So, he began to recreate what we had done in April. While caring for his family, touring simultaneously with the B-52s and Jennifer Nettles from Sugarland, and having a surgical procedure on his heart, Paul made the time to re-record the lost tracks of my, as of yet, unnamed album. But, I grew impatient, and as we sometimes do, I lost faith that we would ever see the album completed before the end of 2015, my desired year of release to complete the trilogy of my story. I so regret the pressure, the deadlines, and yes, the doubt I placed on my best friend… The guilt he must have felt. (The guilt I now feel). The tireless hours he dedicated. (The endless nights of sleepless hours I have since endured). The emotional energy he invested for me… for our music… to see it finished. During these months, through an introduction made by a well respected man in the Australian Christian music scene, Wes Jay at Woodlands Media, I came to work with the dynamic duo of Nathan Eshman of Music Entourage and Andrew Crawford of Hillsong Music in Sydney, Australia. The aim was to create an “edgier” sound, more appealing to the progressive Australia Christian rock radio audience, quite different from the quintessential Adult Contemporary sound Paul and I had nurtured and cultivated over the past three years. Initially, I brought the team a song I had not written for the album, “Stars”, and then “Trust” (one of the rare songs Paul and I could not agree upon). And the result was something completely unexpected. Before I knew it, Shari Hall was on the “Today’s Christian Music” chart in the top 20! Another new song, “Never Alone”, and new editions of “Ready” and “Shelter” (previously recorded with Paul in Nashville) were also recorded with the Sydney team. On January 12, 2016, Paul sent me the last re-record he would have the opportunity to do. On January 26, 2016, the last text message I received from Paul was: “So, here I am at the hospital. Had a terrible bought of A fib and caught some kind of infection. My blood sugar went to 550, and I thought I was having a heart attack! They are going to cardiovert me in the morning and they have put me on an insulin drip. Troponin levels are non-existent, so I did not indeed have a heart attack.” There was no usual sign off like “love ya sweetie”, or “xo P”, or “miss ya honey! Have a safe trip” at the end of these sentences. I was worried, and I frantically attempted to call unsuccessfully several times. I did not speak to Paul ever again after receiving that text message. There are several reasons why I have called my third album “Three”. “Three” because I believe in The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. “Three” because I treasure every moment of my life with my daughters, Cedar and Nikki. “Three” because there are three parts to this album. And “Three” because it is the third, and final, album Paul Gordon and I will record together. I have often felt that the last song on an album embodies the truth of the artist’s intention for the album as a whole. This could not be more true than it is for me on this album. Part I – Tracks 1 – 5 were recorded in Sydney, Australia and produced by Nathan Eshman, and mixed and mastered by Andrew Crawford. They are all amazing radio-ready songs recorded for my new Australian listeners. I thank these guys for helping me create an exciting new Shari Hall sound! I love every one of them and they constantly surprise me as I hope they will you too! Part II – Tracks 6-11 were recorded in East Nashville, TN and produced by Paul Gordon, with guest appearances by my brother Kevin Hall on saxophone, and Roy Agee on horns. My writing style in these tracks crosses several genres, and like the stories of my life, are varied and inspired! Two tracks “Ready (PG mix)” and “Shelter (PG mix)” were also recorded in Sydney, but I have chosen to release both versions… well, because there was no possible way for me to choose which to share with you. I hope you have a little fun with these! Part III – Tracks 12-15 were also recorded in East Nashville, TN and produced by Paul Gordon, with a guest appearance on drums by Larry Aberman. While every song I write is special and unique to me, it is this Part III of this album “Three” that will forever bring me a bittersweet combination of intensely sad heartbreak, a deep sense of gratitude, and a divinely serene blissful joy and comfort… Track 12, “Sometimes”, was originally written for a close friend who was struggling with the daily challenges of life. Now, as I hear the graceful simple artistry in this piano track written by Paul, and the stunning addition of the cello line and mellotron, I also hear this song as a dedication to my best friend Paul, who was a devout Christian with a strong faith, and I know “He’s beside” him, now, always, and forever. When I “lift up my eyes, and remember why we’re living…” I will remember Paul, because he gave me so much life by believing I had a gift to share with you. I cannot express my gratitude enough… there are no words, only the music. Track 13, “Deeply”, was written to my children, after one of many dramatic moments in our family of three, and during a brief lapse in belief that He is “all that I need”. When I originally wrote these lyrics, they were a prayer to God for “one more little thing”, unconditional love from my children. As parents, we give, and give, and give, and I know most of us, at some time, feel perhaps that we give more than we receive, as indeed, we should. However, it was Paul, in his amazingly intuitive nature and with his finger always on the “Shari Hall pulse”, who revealed to me that once again, I was desperately continuing my search for “Perfect Love”. I almost didn’t put this song on the album, because even after all the introspection of the last three years of songs, with this song, I find myself back at the same place I began, a feeling that there still “something I know that You want me to have, ‘cause you put us here together, to give and to live, let me be loved deeply…”. I know in my heart, God is “all that I need”, but still, I have to ask, and believe, when the time is right, I will receive. Track 14, “Forgiveness”, was written on one of my many sleepless nights. I often find myself awake, creating, writing, thinking, receiving at two and three o’clock in the morning. On this particular night, I had posted a Facebook notification requesting anyone who was still awake to try and guess the title of this album. Whoever guessed it would receive a free autographed copy when it was completed. While only one person guessed the actual title “Three”, the numerous single words that flowed from the continuous middle of the night dialogue between Alan, Bee, and Ben inspired the music and lyrics to this hymn. When I introduced the song to Paul, in five straight verses with no chorus or bridge, he instantly “heard” me, as he always did, and wrote a “Paul Gordon bridge” filled with his layered “aahs” as background vocals, what I hear as a choir of angels each time I listen. From the sounds of the soothing water at the beginning, to the final delicate piano note, this song is heavenly, and indeed leaves “my soul at peace again”… Vocal tracks on professionally recorded albums are often cut and pasted from many “takes” and auto-tuned for perfect pitch. But not these. All three of these vocal tracks were, in Paul’s words, “just precious…” on a single take. Once again, I had to defer to Paul’s righteous opinion, and I am so happy that I did. “Sometimes”, “Deeply” and “Forgiveness” I consider some of my personal best vocals. They are all original single takes, pure and “precious” as Paul said. They are so very special to me for many reasons, and I hope that as you sit or lie silently, and allow the music and lyrics to nurture your soul, you will appreciate the love that has been poured into them, from God, from me, and from Paul… for you. Parts II and III have not been completely mixed or mastered. Paul didn’t have time to finish them… I have left them as they are, as I received them, before leaving his studio. Lastly… When I first heard the rough instrumental version of “Sometimes”, I immediately fell in love with this classic Paul Gordon piano arrangement. I asked Paul if he would send me the piano track alone, because, even though I wrote the song, I did not write the piano line, and I really wanted to learn to play my song the way he played it. It is a personal favourite… So, I have included the solo piano track Paul sent me that day as the last track on “Three”, and have titled it “Sometimes (Paul’s Theme)”. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the creation of “Three”. I love you and appreciate all you have done to make this such a special album for me. Thank you, God… I continue my journey and walk with you every day forward, and “each morning I pray and thank you for the gifts You give to me each day.” Thank you, Cedar and Nikki… all I can give, I give to you, with unconditional love. And, thank you Paul Gordon. ”I can feel your love shining through in all that I do. There’s music inside my heart when I’m walking with you…” With love, Shari ALBUM CREDITS THREE ©2016 Shari Hall and Paul Gordon (SCeNic/ASCAP) EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: SCeNic Enterprises LLC ALL SONGS WRITTEN BY: Shari Hall, except: "Never Alone" lyrics by Shari Hall and Russell Morgan "Kiss" & "Forgiveness" music by Shari Hall and Paul Gordon ALL BACKGROUND VOCALS BY: Shari Hall and Paul Gordon PART I PRODUCED BY: Nathan Eshman (Music Entourage, Sydney NSW, Australia) MIXED BY: Andrew Crawford (Hillsong Music, Sydney NSW, Australia) MASTERED BY: Phil Blackbourn ALL INSTRUMENTS and PROGRAMMING: Nathan Eshman PARTS II and III PRODUCED and MIXED BY: Paul Gordon (Stayawake Music, Nashville TN, USA) ALL INSTRUMENTS and PROGRAMMING BY: Paul Gordon, except: HORNS - Roy Agee (Flyin') SAXOPHONE - Kevin Hall (Story) DRUMS - Larry Aberman (Sometimes) GRAPHIC ART DESIGN BY: Amanda Morgan PHOTOGRAPHY BY: Cedar Noyes and Nicolette Noyes Visit: www.sharihall.com Contact: sharihallinfo@gmail.com