By Bob Makin
originally published: 10/10/2025
The Makin Waves Song of the Week is “When It Rains,“ the latest single from Jersey Shore-raised singer-songwriter James Deely. PHOTO COURTESY OF BIG AMERICA RECORDS
On Oct. 20, Jersey Shore-raised singer-songwriter James Deely will release his latest album, “The Nashville Sessions.”
The LP’s latest single, “When It Rains,” is the Makin Waves Song of the Week.
As the Makin Waves Song of the Week, “When It Rains” also can be heard between 6 and 8 p.m. on Oct. 10 on “Radio Jersey” at ThePenguinRocks.com. If you miss it, you can tune in any time in the archives at The Penguin, Mixcloud and RadioJersey.net.
“‘When It Rains’ is an observation on how we can go for long stretches of time and nothing is happening, but then as fate would have it, when it finally does rain, it pours,” he continued. “A deluge of biblical proportions!”
While longtime J.D. pal Bruce Tunkel produced “When It Rains” and mastered “The Nashville Sessions” in Branchburg, the rest of the album was produced in Nashville by Grammy winner Doc Holiday, one of the founders of the Sounds of Asbury Park (SOAP) organization before he relocated to Music City.
“Early last year, I received a call from famed Nashville producer, Doc Holiday,” J.D. said. “He had heard my song ‘Nashville's Finest,’ and said those magic words, ‘Come on down to Nashville and let’s make a record.’ So off I went, to Sony Studios in Nashville, and in walks the bass player, (E Streeter) Garry Tallent, who I knew from my days at Shore Fire Recording Studios in Long Branch. So we cut ‘Nashvilles Finest,’ and it was so much fun, I had to have more, more, more! So I went back down a few more times and recorded an album!
To be released on J.D.’s Big America Records, the album also features guitarists Eric "Roscoe" Ambel (Steve Earle, The Del-Lords), Dale Martin Herr (“The Simpsons,” “That ‘70s Show”), and Johnny Waken (Norman Nardini), vocalists Layonne Holmes (Matt O’Ree, Darlene Love) and Judy Tint (Steve Conte, Eric Burdon), organist-pianist Jeff Kazze (Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes), and drummer Pete Barnett, the original skinsman for James Deely & the Valiants, J.D.’s late, great Jersey Shore band.
They were recorded by Bobby Bradley (k.d. lang, Loretta Lynn) at Sony Music in Nashville. The album was mixed by Joe Joseph DeMaio at Shorefire Recording Studios.
The album’s artwork was done by Bruce Tunkel’s Red House band mate Robert Nicol of Square Mellon Art Design, and a lyric video was created by Neil Jolma of Wisconsin-based Skyline Drone.
Check out “The Nashville Sessions” when it drops Oct. 20 at Bandcamp.
Bob Makin has produced Makin Waves since 1988. Follow Makin Waves on Facebook and contact Bob at [email protected].
About the author:
New Jersey Stage is proud to be the home of Bob Makin's Makin Waves column since 2017. His Song of the Week column comes out every Friday. He also writes an Album of the Month and Interview of the Month as well.
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Benson Boone to Perform at Prudential Center on July 13th
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