Carla Olson is a Los Angeles-based songwriter, performer and record producer.
Biography
Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Olson moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1978 where she formed the Textones, whose debut albumMidnight Mission entered the Billboard 200. An early version of the Textones consisting of Olson, Kathy Valentine, Markus Cuff, and David Provost, played the late 1970s punk/new wave scene in Los Angeles and toured the US and Europe. They also released an EP in the UK and a single in the US. Their debut album for A&M Records, Midnight Mission, consisted of Olson along with George Callins, Joe Read, Tom Jr Morgan, and Phil Seymour. They also toured the US and Europe. The record charted at 76 on the Billboard 200, and both singles, "Standing in the Line" and "Midnight Mission", were featured videos on MTV, and received radio airplay as well. The second Textones album, Cedar Creek, was released in 1987 by Enigma Records. Olson has received critical acclaim for her work as a solo performer, band leader, and producer. In varying capacities she has worked with former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor, Percy Sledge, Ry Cooder, Gene Clark, Don Henley, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, John Fogerty, Mikael Rickfors, and many others. Her musical partnerships in the 1980s included former Byrd member Gene Clark and Mick Taylor. The Carla Olson and Mick Taylor band included George Callins on guitar, Jesse Sublett on bass, Tom Jr Morgan on saxophone, and Rick Hemmert on drums. Their live albumToo Hot For Snakes added Ian McLagan and Barry Goldberg on keyboards. Varying combinations of these musicians also appear on the subsequent Olson studio albums Within An Ace, Reap The Whirlwind, and The Ring Of Truth. Olson also appeared in Bob Dylan's first video. To return the favor, Dylan gave Olson his previously-unreleased song "Clean Cut Kid" which she recorded on Midnight Mission. Ry Cooder played slide guitar on the track. Since 2001 Olson has concentrated most of her energies on music production, but has continued her songwriting and co-writing activities. She has written music for lyrics by Sterling A. Brown, George Callins, Allan Clarke, George Green, Rick Hemmert, Brian Jones, Jim Morrison. She has also written with Barry Goldberg, Kathy Valentine, Mikael Rickfors, Danny Tate, Danny Wilde and Pete Brown. In 2013, after not releasing an album of her own since The Ring of Truthin 2001, Olson recorded Have Harmony, Will Travel, which is an album of cover songs with guest vocalists on each track including Rob Waller, John York, Richie Furay, Juice Newton, James Inveldt, Scott Kempner, Peter Case and Gary Myrick. May 26, 2015, saw the re-release of the Textones albums Midnight Mission and Cedar Creek by Omnivore Recordings. Both albums were expanded editions with additional studio tracks, live recordings, photos and newly written essays. In January 2017, Olsons's debut solo album, recorded in Malmo, Sweden, in 1988, was released in the U.S. by Sunset Blvd Records. This U.S. edition is titled Rubies & Diamonds after one of the album's tracks. It features Olson and George Callins of the Textones, plus Gene Clark on vocals, plus most of the members of the Swedish rock band Wilmer X: Thomas Holst, Stefan Bjork, Sticky Bomb and Jalle Lorensson. The album was produced by Tomas Gabrielsson along with Olson and Callins. In February 2020 saw the release of Have Harmony, Will Travel 2 – the sequel to volume 1. The new album includes new duets with Stephen McCarthy, Timothy B. Schmit, Peter Noone, Terry Reid, Jim Muske, Ana Gazzola as well as 4 archive recordings featuring Percy Sledge, Gene Clark, and I See Hawks in L.A.
