The fact that this album is a DIY speaks volumes about the state of affairs in popular music. A talent this big should have to pick and choose which label he wants to be on. And it's not as if they don't know who he is. Greg Prestopino has had his songs recorded by the likes of Puff Daddy, Celine Dion, Aaron Neville, Natalie Cole, Bette Midler, Gary Wright, Crystal Gayle and Matthew Wilder. He's also had songs featured in films such as Pretty Woman and The Rose. His vocal talent has been employed by many artists including Ry Cooder, Jennifer Warnes, Midler and Wilder. The guy was even a staff producer for Elektra / Asylum! Still, big red nude is a "do-it-yourself" production and thank God he did it. In short, it's a pop masterpiece.

Track after track, nude is a testament to just how good modern pop can be. It kicks off with the gorgeous "Beautiful Night" and never looks back. Stylistically, he varies from the bossa nova sway of "Everywhere You Are" and the reggae-influenced "heaven and Earth", to the white boy hip-hop of "Born With It". "Good Looker" mixes that same hip-hop beat with some boogie piano. And Prestopino has a falsetto to die for.

It's hard to pick a favorite but "I Had Faith Today" might be the killer of the bunch as he rails against "talk show zeros" and school yard criminals. There's really not a clinker in the bunch. That alone makes big red nude worth checking out. -Performing Songwriter Magazine, January/February 1998

With a track record like Greg Prestopino's, he should need no introduction, however, on the off-chance that you need to have one, here it goes. Greg's musical career has covered much ground over the years. He has written hit songs for the likes of; Matthew Wilder ("Break My Stride"), Natalie Cole ("Wild Women Do"), Puff Daddy ("Can't Nobody Hold Me Down"), Celine Dion ("Show Some Emotion"), and Marty Balin ("What Love Is"). Greg has also had the pleasure of playing on the albums of several legends including; Bette Midler, Ry Cooder, Maria Muldaur and Jennifer Warnes. His original music and/or his distinctive voice have graced such films as; Pretty Woman, The Rose, Pocahontas, The Man With Two Brains, Money For Nothing, Boulevard Nights, The Big Picture and Greg's unique sound can also be heard through the glory of syndication on television shows like, Spencer For Hire and Fame. Greg needed one of the finest producers in the country to make this album a complete success so he decided to call on the one legend in the music business who could pull it off; Andrew Gold (musical director for Linda Ronstadt and former Electra Records artist with such memorable hits as "Lonely Boy" and "Thank You For Being A Friend").

The CD begins the journey with, "Beautiful Night", a song co-written with Matthew Wilder (who produced No Doubt's album, "Magic Kingdom"). Greg's vocals cascade like rain along the flowing lyrics and orchestrated musical production. This is truly one contemporary gem of a CD that deserves to be a commercial success. "Beautiful Night" lush, layered textures penetrating a highly defined production. "I Can't Find Love" a mixture of Phil Collin's and Dan Fogelberg sensibility all rolled up into a tasty, gourmet appetizer. "Summer Girls" "I woke up real groggy, the air so hot and soggy / I floated out the window of my room / I flew to an oasis, where gardenias turned their faces / toward the dreamers they dispatched with their perfume"......this is fine poetic literature with an orchestrated canvas of intoxicating sounds. A romantic masterpiece. "Everywhere You Are" is a lounge-inspired composition oozing with sensual tone and surreal disposition. "Drifting Apart" ....."like the dusk turns it's back to the dawn, like the singer who won't sing his natural song / like an atom in fission, well, like simple division / we're drifting apart"..........this is a generously revealed piece of musical magic.

"Heaven and Earth" the reggae/rock rhythm brings this tune into the dirty-dancing arena. Breathy vocal vulnerability and a strong, building intensity wrap around this piece like newly-found lovers on a dimly lit dance floor. "Born With It" this is attitude with the moral contradiction of blues and gospel fused together to make for one volatile and exciting mixture. Raise your hand people, this is a revival for those musically deprived spirits. "Good Looker" funky fun that brings back the taste of Three Dog Night and Billy Preston. Party on! "I Had Faith Today" strong. "Soul Down The River" moody intensity . "Beginner's Again" uplifting reverence for the optimistic thinkers of the world. A satisfying brew that quenches the thirst. "Let Love Save Me" a pop hit in the making. Filled with a solid drum beat, a contemporary sound and lots of B3 fill, this tune would be at home in a huge ampitheatre filled with hoards of appreciative music fans.

IN SUMMARY: Greg Prestopino is a true example of how far independent talent can go these days based on it's own merit. Every cut on this project is a genuine, certified original that can hold an audience spellbound. The songwriting is evidence of a brilliant mind at work, capturing the minute details and phrasings that elude even some of the best songwriters from time to time. The musicianship is supportive and layered but without being overbearing. The little nuances throughout are further proof that underplaying is sometimes the best thing a musician can do to enhance a mood or expression. The production is extremely clean but not to the point of being sterile. There's a real sense of intimacy having Greg's vocals come through with seemingly far less reverb than the instrumental tracks. The sound is panned with admirable precision that only comes with experience and keen instinct. "Big Red Nude" is a masterful piece of genuine artistry that excels your expectations and revitalizes your enthusiasm for the indie marketplace. -Independent Songwriter Web-Magazine, Spring 1998

Beautiful Night
(Matthew Wilder / Greg Prestopino)

I thought it would rain forever
caught in the flood
reaching for some high ground
just before I went down

it's hard for me to remember
just how I got through
now I'm lying on the cool sand
happy here where I am

I look up
the setting sun is bathing the world with a healing light
little darlin'
it's gonna' be a Beautiful Night

the rollin' of distant thunder
trouble ahead
don't you be afraid now
we'll get through it somehow

Just look up
the setting sun is bathing the world with a healing light
little darlin'
it's gonna' be a Beautiful Night

some like burning all night long
some like howling at the moon
some just need to sing along
'cause we get lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely

the stars in the sky above me
can make me forget
everything but you baby
everything but you

I look up
I see your shining smile and I know it'll be alright
little darlin'
it's gonna' be a Beautiful Night

I look up
the setting sun is bathing the world with a healing light
little darlin'
it's gonna' be a Beautiful Night

1994 Streetwise / No Ears Music

Can't Find Love
(Music: Greg prestopino / Lyrics: Greg Prestopino / Mary Lee Kortes)

I've been walking in my sleep
I've been driven to extremes
turning over every shadow in the night
chasing down a crazy dream

you've been knocking at my door
throwing pebbles at my pain
you don't worry if the rain is gonna fall
we'll go dancing in the rain

if I follow your advice
and I lose my heart tonight
how will I find it again

I have tried love
everybody takes that dare
but I Can't Find Love nowhere

could I use a little luck
am I trying way too hard
should I build a higher wall around my heart
should I just let down my guard

I would like to take your hand
let you lead me far away
where the bounds of love will open up again
let me in and let me stay

is it hidden in your hands
is it here beneath my feet
if I find it will it just fly away

I have tried love
everybody takes that dare
but I Can't Find Love nowhere

I've been searching over and under
I checked the lost and found
I wonder what my heart will discover
now that you're around

I have tried love
everybody takes that dare
but I Can't Find Love nowhere

I've been looking for the place they hide love
maybe you can take me there
'cause I Can't Find Love nowhere

© 1991 No Ears Music/Leonora Music


Summergirls
(Greg Prestopino / Andrew Gold)

I woke up real groggy
the air so hot and soggy
I floated out the window of my room

I flew to an oasis
where gardenias turned their faces
toward the dreamers they dispatched with their perfume

you know that there is nowhere you can run
when city streets have melted in the sun

these southern towns are vicious
feels like I might be here forever
these summers are the worst I've ever known
the only thing auspicious
I can see about this weather
is the clothing that the women leave at home

I knew I'd crossed a border
when that waitress took my order
and I asked her for a donut with my beer

outside the rain was boiling
I made her laugh a little
but I couldn't take us far enough from here

you know that there is nowhere you can run
when those city streets are melting in the sun

these southern towns are vicious
feels like I might be here forever
these summers are the worst I've ever known
the only thing auspicious
I can see about this weather
is the clothing that the women leave at home

don't they move you
slender arms and fingers
skin so smooth and irridescent
lit from within
flushed at the neck
pinched, the smell of honeysuckle rises
and the canvas falls flat and white again
ready for the brush

these southern towns are vicious
feels like I might be here forever
these summers are the worst I've ever known
the only thing auspicious
I can see about this weather
is the clothing that the women leave at home

© 1996 No Ears Music / Quarkbrain

Everywhere You Are
(A. Gold / G. Prestopino)

smiling at a stranger
dancing through the rain
watch for stars above
I'm in love again

joy that seems to flow from
Django's jazz guitar
music so complete
the world is sweet
everywhere you are

I could never leave here
knowing what I know
just whistle to my heart baby
and happy down I go

sighs that tell me how to proceed
when I've gone too far
deep inside your skin
I've always been
everywhere you are

let the feeling flow
nowhere will I go

joy that seems to flow from a Paris I dreamed of
is that Django's old guitar
I hear down a rainy street
the world is sweet
everywhere you are

ask me any question
tell me any lie
let me be your fool
lover's rules apply

I will blindly follow your lead
no path is too bizarre
beyond earth and sea
beyond this galaxy
my love will be
everywhere you are

© 1996 No Ears Music / Quarkbrain Music

 

Drifting Apart

(Greg Prestopino)

like the dusk turns its back on the dawn like a singer who won't sing
his favorite song
like an atom in fission
well, like simple division
we're drifting apart the old broken heart like a man with a price on his head
I've been running away
from the things that you said
all this old indecision
keeps me locked in this prison
if I could decide
I might leave with my pride

but it's over
it's over
all of the caring has gone
it's over
it's over

like the dusk turns its back on the dawn
like a singer who won't sing
his favorite song
like an atom in fission
well, like simple division
we're drifting apart

© 1994 NO EARS MUSIC


Heaven and Earth
( G. Prestopino / A. Gold)

all alone on the levy of the river
wandered a man who could not find his way
there was nothing to guide him but the water
and the water goes its own way, yeah flows its own way
as he walked, he turned his vision skyward
he searched the heavens looking for a sign
a grateful smile spread 'cross his face
not a single star was out of place...in

heaven and earth
heaven and earth
we are all one family by birth
I'd give all the future promise I'm worth
just to know
heaven and earth
just to hold
heaven and earth

he saw the plan of nature all around him
he saw the fires set by men who couldn't feel
he asked a question but could not hear an answer
he cried for all the hungry children begging their next meal
as ev'ry tear fell one by one
there grew a flower reaching for the sun

heaven and earth
heaven and earth
we are all one family by birth
I'd give all the future promise I'm worth
just to know
heaven and earth
just to hold
heaven and earth

good and evil, flood and drought
we are sister and brother
love and heartbreak, faith and doubt
can't know one without the other

© 1996 No Ears Music / Quarkbrain Music


Born With It
(B. LaBOUNTY, S. LORBER, G. PRESTOPINO)

I came into this world alone
ain't nothin' here but meat and bone
I took what god give to me
now what you get is what you see

I was born with it
born with it
I was born with it
and it'll be here 'till I die

saw my angel's shiny face
comin' up ol' natchez trace
she said "how come you walk so tall
when you ain't got a thing at all"

chorus
oh oh oh oh
long as nothin's free
oh oh oh oh
nothin's all I need

midnight howlin' at the moon
I'm on a tear and outa tune
got a nail bent and a screw that's loose
now you tell me what's your excuse

chorus

I came into this world alone
little bit of love is all I own
be careful now how much you take
'cause I still got a heart that breaks

chorus

© 1994 NO EARS MUSIC/ CHALK HILL-SONY TREE)


Good Looker
(G. PRESTOPINO, M. JORDAN)

quit pullin' my chain
ringin' my bell
runnin' my ragged ass all over hell an' gone
you don't wanna be swingin' doncha hang on my tree
but where you gonna find another good-looker like me

i been flat on my back
dead on my feet
how you gonna ride a horse that you're beatin' on
everybody lookin' to get somethin' for free
but where you gonna find another good-looker like me

you say i'm a conceited so and so
don't ask me why i think you'll show
i just know

well it ain't no sin
but it's a minor abuse
better keep it in your pocket if you ain't gonna use it now
let me lay it out straight, don't wanna confuse you
you got your butcher and your baker, your celebrity
but where you gonna find another good-looker like me

BRIDGE
you know what you want me to give you
and you know i always satisfy
my oh my

so don't you rattle my brain
jngle my nerves
what did i do, what did i do to deserve it all
you could wind up with a joker let you live for free
but where you gonna find another good-looker like me

don't ya gimme that look
don't ya show me that lip
when you gonna turn around an' get on the hot tip, baby
you can look in the mountains or under the sea
you can lean on your religion, your philosophy
you can run to your mama but i think she'll agree
you ain't never gonna find
never gonna find
never gonna find
another good-looker like me

© 1994 NO EARS MUSIC


I Had Faith Today
(G. Prestopino / S. Lorber)

another talk show zero barking on tv
why's everybody take him seriously
you know it ain't the truth
it's only entertainment
loud mouth, north or south
they're just the same
if you turn it on you'll tune it in
and disconnect your brain

instead of going blind
I pushed back my recliner
and threw my remote away
I had faith today

someone's little criminal heading off to school
making damn sure he ain't nobody's fool
jeans fallin' off his hips
tattoo on his shoulder
don't ask him where he's goin'
he won't tell you where he's been
and his little red bandana
don't make him huckleberry finn

looks like he's reaching for his heater
it's just a copy of lolita
that's he got stashed away

and I had faith today

I saw a bluebird on the wing
heard a choir of children sing
felt the sun hang hot and yellow in the sky
I knew the wonder of your touch
you know it may not seem like much
but I had faith today

you and me we're always
'bout to vanish out that door
who would blame us if we couldn't take it anymore
but you found a way to laugh a little
so I laughed a little too
just a chain of little victories
when you're running out of rope
string em all together and you build a little hope

you touched me where I live
so I just had to give in
and find another reason to stay
I had faith today

I saw a bluebird on the wing
heard a choir of angels sing
felt the sun hang hot and yellow in the sky
I felt the music in your touch

you know it may not seem like much but I had faith today
amen
amen
ah

amen
amen
ah

amen
amen
ah

amen
amen
ah

© 1996 No Ears Music / counterculture - Sony Tree


Soul Down The River
(A. GOLD / G. PRESTOPINO)

all of us start out this journey alone
reaching for someone to love
searching for something we sometimes call home
hoping to heaven we'll have time enough

just a soul down the river
just a flame in the hollow
let me follow the water
let me sleep in your heart

we are here for a moment
then are vanished forever
just a soul down the river
just an ocean apart

I've read too many stories that bleed off the page
I need to hear a sweet lullaby
I know I've been crippled by sorrow and rage
I need your love to survive

just a soul down the river
just a flame in the hollow
let me follow the water
let me sleep in your heart

we are here for a moment
then are vanished forever
just a soul down the river
just an ocean apart

when you're lonely and weary at the end of the day
you need someone beside you
who can reach deep inside you
'cause when the flood waters rise and the land falls away
you'll need someone to cling to
someone to cling to

© 1996 NO EARS MUSIC / QUARKBRAIN MUSIC


Beginners Again
(Sam Lorber/Greg Prestopino)

the only way your luck will change
make the heartache end
close your eyes and pray for rain
and try for love again
and if the cure don't kill ya
and if the light don't leave you blind
and if the spirit's in ya
and if you just don't lose your mind

oh maybe we'll be sailing
far from a troubled shore
borne on the wind
beginners again
and not afraid of love anymore

every time we start again
after ev'ry fall
we might find an empty hand
or we might find it all
and if the fall don't scare ya
and if your pride don't break your heart
and when the dream is over
if you still remember who you are

oh maybe we'll be sailing
far from a troubled shore
borne on the wind
beginners again
and not afraid of love anymore

© 1993 chalkhill-sony/no ears music


Let Love Save Me
(G. Prestopino / A. Gold)

she said
I hate thinkin' about dyin'
I can't stand thinkin' about death
we're livin' in a rush
then our body turns to mush
there's nothin' left

when am I gonna feel like I'm livin'?
when am I gonna know about love?
for an hour of that high
I'd give you anything yeah I'd
deliver you the moon and all the stars above

I want someone to comfort me
jump for me
in the here and now
I see everyone
having fun
just tell me how

Let Love Save Me
just like in the books
you say the grass is always greener
I bet it's greener than it looks

Let Love Save Me
just like on TV
put your arms around me
Let Love Save Me

put your arms around me
Let Love Save Me

She said
I'm tired of living without passion
I'm sick of baking on this rock
I need a little sin
it's time to take a giant spin
around this block
I'm tired of staring at this clock baby

fans are looking for their idols
while gods are waiting in the wings
it's just a universal rut
you can't ever know just what
the future brings

but if war brings out the best in us
and love brings out the beast
someone heavy must be testin' us
...at least I'm gonna

Let Love Save Me
just like in the books
you say the grass is always greener
I bet it's greener than it looks

Let Love Save Me
just like on TV
put your arms around me
Let Love Save Me

put your arms around me
Let Love Save Me

every time I see you
I want you
(I want you baby)
love is all around me
I forget where I am
(I need you baby)
oh let me be your slave
I'll do anything
anything
to get into your heart

© 1996 No Ears Music / Quarkbrain

The following people worked on Big Red Nude:

GREG PRESTOPINO (Artist):
Wrote the hits "Break My Stride (Matthew Wilder, artist), "Wild Women Do" (Natalie Cole, artist), "What Love Is" (Marty Balin, artist) "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down (Puff Daddy, artist). Has played on albums by Ry Cooder, Maria Muldaur, Jennifer Warnes, Bette Midler, etc.

ANDREW GOLD (producer):
Musical Director for Linda Ronstadt on many tours; played guitar on all the early hit albums. Career as a solo artist for Elektra Records: had hits such as "Lonely Boy", "Thank You For Being a Friend", "Endless Flight". Made three albums for Polygram with Graham Gouldman; their band was called "WAX". Is currently producing Lisa Angell for the Dreamworks label.

DEBRA DOBKIN (percussion and vocals): Has toured and played on albums for: Bonnie Raitt, Don Henley, Jackson Browne, Jimmy Buffett, Namie Amuro.

MARK T. JORDAN (keyboards and vocals): Has toured and played on albums for: Bonnie Raitt, Boz Scaggs, Lyle Lovett, Dave Mason, Van Morrison.

VALERIE CARTER (background vocals): Has toured and sung on albums for: Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor. Has made solo albums.

MARK SHULMAN (guitar): Has toured and played with: Martika, Suzanne Vega, Chris Botti.

MARK GOLDENBERG (guitar): tours with Jackson Browne. His band, the Cretones, made two albums for Planet Records and he has written several hit songs, most notably "Automatic" for the Pointer Sisters and "Novocaine For the Soul" with the artist E of the Eels.

JENNIFER CONDOS (bass): Has toured with many acts, most notably Don Henley.

MATTHEW WILDER (songwriter): Co-wrote the 1984 world-wide hit "Break My Stride" with Prestopino. Produced the mega-selling No Doubt album, "Tragic Kingdom".

SCOTT CHAMBERS (bass): Original bass player for Jack Mack and the Heart Attack. Currently tours with Bread.

KATE and ANNA McGARRIGLE (vocals): World famous recording artists for Warner Brothers and Hannibal Records.

PAUL PRESTOPINO (guitar): has recorded with Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, Judy Collins, Graham Parker, Harry Nillson, Willie Nile, Johnny & Edgar Winter, and John Denver, among others.Currently tours with Peter, Paul and Mary.

BILLY VALENTINE (vocals): Billy is an artist on the Atlantic label.

LEE HERSHBERG (master mastering): An engineering legend; check out the credits on your Randy Newman and Ry Cooder albums!! Not to mention Rickie Lee Jones, James Taylor, etc. In the recording lexicon under HOW TO MAKE RECORDS. One of the last true gentlemen.