James Wilsey

James Calvin Wilsey Logansport Indiana U.S. July 21 1957 - 24 December 2018 Was An American Guitarist. He Played Bass With San Francisco Punk Band The Avengers But Became Better Known As The Lead Guitarist For Stockton Crooner Chris Isaak's Band Silvertone. His Playing Was Featured On Isaak's Albums Silvertone Chris Isaak Heart Shaped World And San Francisco Days.
Wilsey's 1965 Fender Stratocaster And Use Of Reverb Delay And Gentle Vibrato Gave A Distinctive Sound To Isaak Hits Such As "Wicked Game" The Opening Two-Note Riff In His Own Words "crystallizes Wilsey's Approach" And "Blue Hotel".
Dropping The Moniker "Calvin" Wilsey Released A Solo Album Of Guitar Instrumentals In 2008 Titled El Dorado Which Paid Homage To Musical Influences Such As Duane Eddy The Shadows Billy Strange James Burton And Link Wray. Selected Discography Solo
El Dorado 2008 With The Avengers
We Are The One EP 1977 Avengers EP 1979 Avengers 1983 Died For Your Sins 1999 Zero Hour 2003 The American In Me 2004 Live At Winterland 1978 2010 With Chris Isaak
Silvertone 1985 Chris Isaak 1986 Heart Shaped World 1989 San Francisco Days 1993 …though His Name May Not Be Known To Some His Sound Is Well Known Throughout The World. His Signature Guitar Work On Chris Isaak's Single “Wicked Game” Helped Propel The Record To 6 On The Billboard Top 100 Chart And The Album To Multi-Platinum Status.
After An Extended Retirement From Live Performance And Recording Alike He Is Finally Releasing His First Solo Album “El Dorado” Via Lakeshore Records January 2008. James Moved To California And Began Playing Professionally At Age 19 With Seminal West Coast Punk Group The Avengers. Soon After He Met Isaak And Legendary Record Producer Erik Jacobsen. Together They Crafted A New Sound Based On Isaak's Crooning Vocal Style And Wilseys' Haunting Guitar. Collaborating For The Next 12 Years They Produced Four Highly Regarded Albums Culminating With The Hit Single “Wicked Game”. The Simple Two-Note Riff That Opens The Song Crystallizes Wilsey's Approach In The Span Of A Couple Seconds And Is Instantly Identifiable To People Around The World And Can Be Heard In Countless Movie And Television Soundtracks. “El Dorado” Marks Wilsey's First Effort As A Solo Artist. A Purely Instrumental Album It Pays Homage To Some Of His Musical Influences Duane Eddy The Shadows Billy Strange James Burton And Link Wray. El Dorado Is More Than A Mere Homage However It Is One Of The Most Original Instrumental Albums In Many Years. Wilsey's Retro-Futuristic Guitar Vision Comes To The Forefront As It Never Has Before. The Ten Songs Cover Many Styles Yet Form A Cohesive Whole Cinematic In Scope With A Distinct Western Flavor. A True Solo Effort Wilsey Composed Performed Engineered And Produced The Entire Album Himself. read less