CARLAW and JAMES COLLINS & STEPHANIE BLEAKLEY, “I Saw The Devil”
“I Saw The Devil” is a nifty slice of soulful alt.pop that showcases a number of Toronto performers. I’ve written about singer/songwriter/actor James Collins a number of times, and his vocal here is smooth and restrained, in contrast to Stephanie Bleakley’s dynamic wallop which recalls other Canadian women like Dalbello or Simone Denny.
And what of lead artist Carlaw? Well I may be wrong, but I think it’s likely a pseudonym or new name for those talented guys The Boomtang Boys, who’ve had many Canadian hits of their own from the 90’s through to the 2000’s such as “Squeeze Toy”. They co-wrote “I Saw The Devil” with James, and someone else also gets a songwriting credit – now’s the time for the interesting back story! That someone is Canadian actor Jason Priestley, currently in “Private Eyes” but most noted of course for “Beverly Hills 90210”.
As James tells me, “”I saw the devil… I embraced him, but I pushed him away” was a direct quote Jason had commented to his wife and sister when he came out of a coma, after his tragic car racing accident. Jason also gave me his blessing in having a song written around that quote… a quote written in his memoir.”
So let that quote be your guide, along with the multitude of talent behind “I Saw The Devil”.
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