John Hiatt - guitar, vocals; Fred Stickley - keyboards; John Stahaely - guitar; Darrell Verdusco - drums; Jesse Boyce - bass
To say that John Hiatt is a singer/songwriter's singer/songwriter would be a vast understatement. Although his own solo recorded success has been limited, Hiatt has written hits for a myriad of platinum and notable artists, including Bob Dylan, Willy DeVille, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Joe Cocker, Willie Nelson, Buddy Guy, Jimmy Buffett, Mandy Moore, Iggy Pop, Emmylou Harris, Nick Lowe, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and Rosanne Cash, among others.
This recording came from the King Biscuit Flower Hour in 1985, just after the release of Hiatt's seventh album (third for Geffen Records) called Warming Up To The Ice Age. The record further enhanced his ultra-cool, and somewhat cynical Americana perspective, and gave his core fanbase even more to get excited about. However, this album would not be the breakthrough album Hiatt needed to establish his own career among the many stars he had written for. That would come two years later with the release of Bring The Family. When this album and tour failed to ignite a commercial firestorm for Hiatt, Geffen became the third label to drop him. His next home, A&M, is where he would eventually start having hits of his own.
This show features a healthy mix of old and new Hiatt fare, along with songs made famous by the likes of Rosanne Cash. Featured tracks include "Say It With Flowers," "I Don't Even Try;" "Pink Bedroom," and the poignant, "When We Ran."
Hiatt continues to write popular songs for other artists and still tours regularly, both with his band and as a solo acoustic act. He is probably best known for his song "Thing Called Love," which was, of course, a huge hit for Bonnie Raitt.