This offering is dedicated to the loves of my life, including my amazing sisters Suzanne, Kathy and Betsy, and my loving sister in Heaven, Judy; to my Robin, who came into my life and made it whole again; to my Regina, Kevin, Rachel, Tad, Mason, Spencer, Blaire, Sammi, Kris, Danielle, Beau, Whitney, Makayla, Aidan, Giorgio and Stefani! I love you all! Thanks to all the artists who raised this project to a greater level with their soul and inspiration, especially my dear friend and guitarist Michael Higgins. Thanks to my friends from the San Diego Symphony, Erica and Healy, for lending their talents. I love you all. Thank you to my mother, Elaine, for passing on your talent and love of music. This CD has been literally a lifetime in the making. Although I’ve recorded some of these songs before, some with other artists and in other incarnations, I’ve been asked many times to put together a compilation of the songs that I’ve written that others have asked me to play so many times during my live engagements. I’ve also included a couple of new songs to round it out. These songs are mostly about life, love, breaking up and finding new love, all born from life experience and adversity. Just remember, never give up! “Even in the depths of Winter, I found within myself an invincible Summer.” FEEL FREE still makes me cry. We all have this need to breathe, to let go of all of the things that tie us down. I originally wrote this for my childhood friend Sheryl Crow, but I never sent it to her! KEYS/BASS/VOCALS- Tad Sisler, GUITARS-Michael Higgins, TRUMPETS-Gary Hartman, SAXOPHONES-Glen Myerscough, BACKGROUND VOCALS-Paula Stapleton Lyrics/Music- Tad Sisler (ASCAP) Publisher- Tadco Music (ASCAP) I FOUND ME A GIRL is reminiscent of my favorite old soul music. It’s a happy song! My best friend Eddie Balderama was hugely enthusiastic about this song, and I’m grateful for his input! I was blessed to record this with my good friend, legendary trumpeter Steve Madaio., and other excellent musicians. I wrote this song with the extremely talented Chad Quist and Andrew Fraga, Jr. KEYS/VOCALS- Tad Sisler, GUITARS-Chad Quist, TRUMPETS-Steve Madaio, SAXOPHONES-Steve Alaniz, BASS-Gilbert Hansen, BACKGROUND VOCALS- Michael Kennedy, DRUMS-Andrew Fraga, Jr., and Matt Foster Lyrics- Tad Sisler (ASCAP) Music- Tad Sisler (ASCAP), Chad Quist (ASCAP), Andrew Fraga, Jr. (BMI) Publisher- Mainstream Global Publishing (ASCAP), Mainstream Worldwide Publishing (BMI), Sardonic Blotterhouse (ASCAP) CLAIR DE LUNE-I LOVE YOU is my own original, morphed version of the Debussy classical piece. It has been going through my head since I first heard it played on piano by my lovely mother, Elaine, who was a child prodigy and performed as a soloist at the age of 17 with the Chicago Symphony. I’m not sure if she’d quite understand this version, but I believe she’d sit with it for a minute and end up liking it! KEYS/BASS/VOCALS- Tad Sisler, GUITAR- Michael Higgins, BACKGROUND VOCALS- Whitney McDonald and Spencer Meredith Lyrics- Tad Sisler (ASCAP) Music- Traditional (Debussy), Arranged by Tad Sisler (ASCAP) Publisher- Tadco Music (ASCAP) YOU’D BE SO GOOD TO COME HOME TO was the song that started my career. This recording is the way I originally intended it, as a soft ballad. My friend Hillery Johnson heard me play this at the Canyon Hotel in the mid 1980’s and he did an incredible R&B version with Lalah Hathaway on vocals and the late Don Myrick on saxophone. I then did an adult contemporary version of it on my 1993 CD that got an incredible amount of airplay in 100 cities and was listed as chartbound on Gavin and R&R. This is just bringing it back to it’s roots. PIANO/VOCALS- Tad Sisler, GUITAR-Michael Higgins Lyrics/Music- Tad Sisler (ASCAP) Publisher: Tadco Music (ASCAP), Ouises Music (ASCAP) LIVE YOUR LIFE WITH LOVE was inspired by my late wife, Stephanie. She had a dream that I was on stage surrounded by many people and I was singing “Live Your Life With Love”, so we wrote this as something maybe Marvin Gaye might have liked to sing. KEYS/BASS/GUITARS/VOCALS- Tad Sisler, BACKGROUND VOCALS- Whitney McDonald and Spencer Meredith Lyrics/Music- Tad Sisler (ASCAP), Stephanie Sisler (No Society) Publisher- Tadco Music (ASCAP) TAKE THE TIME TO UNDERSTAND is a simple offering that speaks for itself. PIANO/KEYS/BASS/VOCALS- Tad Sisler, GUITAR- Michael Higgins Lyrics/Music- Tad Sisler (ASCAP) Publisher- Tadco Music (ASCAP) YOU’RE MY WORLD was the song that Sinatra was supposed to sing. I was blessed to work for Frank when I was in my early 20’s, and one night he and Barbara asked me to perform an original song. Barbara loved this and asked me if I would get them a recording of the song for Frank to sing, but I was broke and raising 4 kids and I couldn’t afford to get into a recording studio, so it never happened. So this is in honor of my friend and mentor, Mr. Sinatra. PIANO/KEYS/VOCALS- Tad Sisler, VIOLIN- Healy Henderson, CELLO- Erica Erenyi, GUITAR- Michael Higgins Lyrics/Music- Tad Sisler (ASCAP) Publisher- Tadco Music (ASCAP) STAY THE NIGHT tells the story that we all want to believe, that things will always look better in the morning light. This version was inspired by Sam Smith. PIANO/KEYS/BASS/GUITAR/VOCALS- Tad Sisler, BACKGROUND VOCALS- Whitney McDonald and Spencer Meredith Lyrics/Music- Tad Sisler (ASCAP) Publisher- Tadco Music (ASCAP) THERE’S ANOTHER SIDE TO YOU is dedicated to my friend Jojo Comi, who passed away many years ago. He owned a club I worked in, and later bartended at another with me; always asked for this song; said it was the story of his life. PIANO/KEYS/VOCALS- Tad Sisler, GUITAR- Michael Higgins, BASS-Gilbert Hansen, SAXOPHONE- Glen Myerscough, TRUMPET- Gary Hartman, DRUMS- Steve Neilen, BACKGROUND VOCALS- Paula Stapleton Lyrics/Music- Tad Sisler (ASCAP) Publisher- Tadco Music (ASCAP) UNTIL YOU GO is my sad parting song, full of angst and with a touch of bitterness. PIANO/BASS/VOCALS, Tad Sisler, GUITAR- Michael Higgins, VIOLIN-Healy Henderson, CELLO- Erica Erenyi Lyrics/Music- Tad Sisler (ASCAP) Publisher- Tadco Music (ASCAP) IF I EVER LOVE AGAIN is my EDM offering on this project. I wrote it originally as a rock anthem, but I was diggin’ on this version, so here it is! KEYS/VOCALS/GUITARS/BASS – Tad Sisler Lyrics/Music- Tad Sisler (ASCAP) Publisher- Tadco Music (ASCAP) SONG FOR A FRIEND is a song I’ve performed at many memorial services. When I was young, I wrote it as in instrumental. I performed it in a hotel lounge I was working, and a lovely young waitress loved it and would ask me to play it over and over again. One night she was walking across the street and she was hit by a car and killed. It was such a shock to all of us, we cried all night. I fell asleep and when I woke up, I had all the words to this song that she loved so much…so this is dedicated to her and every friend we wish we could see just once again. PIANO/KEYS/BASS/VOCALS- Tad Sisler, GUITAR- Michael Higgins, VIOLIN- Healy Henderson, CELLO- Erica Erenyi, DRUMS- Steve Neilen Lyrics/Music- Tad Sisler (ASCAP) Publisher- Tadco Music (ASCAP) I WAITED FOR YOU is a song I wrote to my Robin. My lovely Robin came into my life and healed a heart that had been trampled all over. She continues to light my life with love and happiness. This is for her! PIANO/VOCALS – Tad Sisler, GUITAR- Michael Higgins, SAXOPHONE- Steve Alaniz , BACKGROUND VOCALS- Helene Immel Lyrics/Music- Tad Sisler (ASCAP) Publisher- Tadco Music (ASCAP) I WANNA STAY WITH YOU FOREVER is probably my most requested song. I wrote it as in instrumental in the late 1980’s and recorded it with Gerald Albright, Glen Myerscough and Michael (Patches) Stewart. My dear friend Paula Stapleton did a lovely version of it, as did Helene Immel. This is my promised vocal version for my buddies. KEYS/BASS/VOCALS- Tad Sisler, GUITAR- Michael Higgins, BACKGROUND VOCALS- Whitney McDonald and Spencer Meredith Lyrics/Music- Tad Sisler (ASCAP) Publisher: Tadco Music (ASCAP), Ouises Music (ASCAP) WHILE I WAS WAITING FOR YOU was also co-written by my wife Stephanie. She was the mother of my children and one of the great loves of my life. She came up with the line, “If you would have stayed, I wouldn’t know love like I do”, which is a great thought for those of us who were destroyed by someone, and just when we recover and find a new love, they come back into our lives and want us back. PIANO/KEYS/BASS/VOCALS- Tad Sisler, GUITAR- Michael Higgins, VIOLIN- Healy Henderson, CELLO- Erica Erenyi Lyrics/Music- Tad Sisler (ASCAP), Stephanie Sisler (No Society) Publisher- Tadco Music (ASCAP) WE’RE MAKING LOVE TONIGHT is my trying-to-be-sultry, male vocal R&B ballad. The great Grammy-winning Saxophonist Glen Myerscough did his magic on this one. PIANO/KEYS/VOCALS- Tad Sisler, GUITAR- Michael Higgins, BASS- Gilbert Hansen, DRUMS- Steve Neilen, SAXOPHONE- Glen Myerscough, TRUMPET- Gary Hartman, BACKGROUND VOCALS- Paula Stapleton Lyrics/Music- Tad Sisler (ASCAP) Publisher- Tadco Music (ASCAP) LET’S STAY TOGETHER is a new version of the Al Green classic melody, my cover song for this project. My close friend and drummer for many years, Steve Neilen, had the idea for this arrangement, so we sat down, my brother from another mother and I, and we put together this emotional ballad. Thanks again to Glen Myerscough, Grammy-winning saxophonist and my dear friend, for his soulful solo. PIANO/KEYS/VOCALS- Tad Sisler, GUITAR- Michael Higgins, SAXOPHONE- Glen Myerscough, TRUMPET- Steve Madaio, BASS- Gilbert Hansen, DRUMS- Steve Neilen Lyrics/Music- Al Green, Al Jackson, Willie Mitchell Publisher- Irving Music, Al Jackson, Jr. Music Arranger- Steve Neilen and Tad Sisler YOU LIVE ON IN ME is dedicated to my father, Maynard, who left us in 2012, and to my late wife, Stephanie. Maynard barreled through his life, a physician treating many, and he finally worked to resolve the relationships he left behind, before it was entirely too late. Stephanie was a gifted, talented, hard-working, loving mother and wife. She was way too young to leave the planet when she did. PIANO/VOCALS- Tad Sisler, GUITAR- Michael Higgins Lyrics/Music- Tad Sisler (ASCAP) Publisher- Tadco Music (ASCAP) YESTERDAY ENDED LAST NIGHT was inspired by the final words of Dr. Raymond Charles Barker, written on a piece of paper by his bedside. Can we let go of yesterday in order to move forward? PIANO/KEYS/BASS/VOCALS- Tad Sisler, GUITAR- Michael Higgins VIOLIN- Healy Henderson, CELLO- Erica Erenyi Lyrics/Music- Tad Sisler (ASCAP) Publisher- Tadco Music (ASCAP) All Songs © 2015 by Tad Sisler (Except “Let’s Stay Together”) Released by Mainstream Source ® 2015 Cover Art/Photos - Tad Sisler and Danielle Dougan