When I was very young, my father would go out alone at dusk into the marshes of Pennsylvania with his reel-to-reel tape recorder to gather and preserve the sounds he loved so well: the wild melancholy cries of water fowl, the joyful vast praise choruses of insects, the amorous belching of frogs. He would play his miracles at breakfast for a captive audience of six children.

I've been pointing microphones toward music for most of my life, hoping for a miracle of my own. Since Karin and I began writing songs and playing in a band, we've made records in garages, basements, basement garages, barns with blinking horses, mansions in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Sunday School rooms, my third-story bedroom, the kitchen, the attic.

Seldom has it occurred to us to go into a real studio with someone who actually knew what they were doing. Perhaps it was too obvious, or (at various times during an underground career) too costly. Maybe we found the concept lacking something subversive that is hard to put into words.

We wanted something a little wilder. Something unpredictable. A document of an event. So when we heard about an old bus from Texas full of vintage recording gear that was parked in Dave's back yard in Nashville, a bus with peeling paint, an old art nouveau machine which had been not only one of the first mobile recording units ever assembled, but had also once been completely submerged in a (1981) flood in Austin, something clicked and we knew somehow that we would make our next record right there beneath a few trees, while down the road, classrooms full of fourth graders worked on their "Tennessee Notebooks".

Well sure enough, we got started in the attic of our leaning house and then boxed up our tapes and headed south.

Dave pointed the microphones toward the instruments and we prayed to Jesus you would hear what we were hearing in our heads. As always, our prayers were answered in ways that made us wonder if they were answered at all. Maybe that's the beauty of recording: even after all these years, we have no idea what to expect. Capturing songs is something we've never been able to control or quantify: sooner or later, we surrender all, and something emerges with a life all its own.

I think maybe this recording, this collection of songs is about internal worlds, about the dialogue that runs inside all of us, conversations we have with ourselves. We hope anyone who hears these songs will find some fresh language and maybe a soundtrack of sorts for the stories we're all writing everyday with our lives, whether or not we ever pick up a pen.

These days are pages, these years chapters. A plot emerges which is sometimes lost, often revised. Characters come and go, the people I have known, the limited cast of humans that one life can bear. Some I betray, some I love. Some I admire, some I pity. Some I teach, some teach me. Some I lust after, some are naked and I hope to clothe them.

So fade to black and white now, roll the movie of my life inside of my head...

01. The World Can Wait (5:46)
Words: Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist
Music: Karin Bergquist
Karin Bergquist: Vocals, Upright Piano
Linford Detweiler: Drum Loop, Hammond Organ, Cello Arrangement
Jack Henderson: Electric Guitar
Don Heffington: Drum Kit and Percussion
Byron House: Bass
Norm Johns: Cello
Dave Perkins: E-Bow Guitar

02. If Nothing Else (4:53)
Words and Music: Linford Detweiler

Karin Bergquist: Vocals
Linford Detweiler: Upright Piano, Wurlitzer Electric Piano, Acoustic Guitars, Leslie Electric Guitars, Drum Loop
Jack Henderson: Lap Steel
Don Heffington: Drum Kit and Percussion
Byron House: Bass
Dave Perkins: Shaft Guitar
Michael Aukafor: Hammered Dulcimer

03. Give Me Strength (4:13)
Words and Music: Dido Armstrong, Pascal Gabriel, Paul Statham

Karin Bergquist: Vocals
Jack Henderson: Electric Guitars
Pascal Gabriel: Programming, Keyboards, Loops

04. Fairpoint Diary (4:35)
Words and Music: Linford Detweiler

Karin Bergquist: Vocals
Linford Detweiler: Hoffner Bass, Wurlitzer Electric Piano, Upright Piano, Leslie Electric Guitars, Vox Super-Continental Organ, Toy Piano, Keyboard Flutes, Brushed Snare Loop, Rain Tree
Don Heffington: Drum Kit and Percussion
Norm Johns: Cello

05. I Radio Heaven (4:44)
Words and Music: Linford Detweiler

Karin Bergquist: Vocals
Linford Detweiler: Upright Piano, Wurlitzer Electric Piano, Acoustic Guitars
Jack Henderson: Lap Steel Sonar
Don Heffington: Drum Kit and Percussion
Byron House: Bass
Dave Perkins: Electric Guitar, E-Bow Guitar
Mickey Raphael: Bass Harmonica

06. Little Blue River/In The Garden (8:12)
Words and Music: Karin Bergquist/
In The Garden: C. Austin MIles

Karin Bergquist: Vocals and Acoustic Guitar
Linford Detweiler: Hammond Organ, Upright Piano
Jack Henderson: Lap Steel
Don Heffington: Drum Kit
Byron House: Bass

07. Goodbye (This Is Not Goodbye) (5:26)
Words and Music: Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist

Karin Bergquist: Vocals
Linford Detweiler: Upright Piano, Organ, Keyboards, String Arrangement
Jack Henderson: Electric Guitars, Lap Steel
Terri Templeton: Harmony Vocal
Don Heffington: Drum Kit and Percussion
Byron House: Bass
Strings performed by Love Sponge:
David Davidson: Violin
Kristin Wilkinson: Viola
John Catchings: Cello

08. Whatever You Say (3:43)
Words: Linford Detweiler
Music: Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist

Karin Bergquist: Vocals
Linford Detweiler: Hammond Organ, Wurlitzer Electric Piano, Acoustic Guitar
Jack Henderson: Electric Guitars
Terri Templeton: Harmony Vocal
Don Heffington: Drum Kit and Percussion
Byron House: Bass

09. The Body Is A Stairway Of Skin (4:19)
Words: Linford Detweiler
Music: Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist

Karin Bergquist: Vocals
Linford Detweiler: Editing/Loops
Jack Henderson: Lap Steel

10. Moth (4:37)
Words: Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist
Music: Karin Bergquist

Karin Bergquist: Vocals
Linford Detweiler: Hammond Organ, Upright Piano, Wurlitzer Electric Piano
Jack Henderson: Electric Guitars
Terri Templeton: Harmony Vocal
Don Heffington: Drum Kit and Percussion
Byron House: Bass

11. When I Go (6:25)
Words and Music: Karin Bergquist

Karin Bergquist: Vocals and Acoustic Guitar
Linford Detweiler: Hammond Organ
Michael Timmins: Electric Guitar

All songs Scampering Songs Publishing/Cool Puppy/BMG Songs, Inc. (All rights administered by BMG songs, Inc.) ASCAP, except Give Me Strength, © 1997 Warner/Chappell Music Ltd. (All rights on behalf of Warner/Chappell Music Ltd. (PRS) administered by WB Music Corp) and In The Garden by Robert C. Hebble, Austin C. Miles, published by Hinshaw Music (ASCAP).

© 2001 BACK PORCH. 4650 N. Port Washington Road, Milwaukee WI 53212 USA. Tel. 414-961-8350 All compositions copyrighted. Warning: All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws. Manufactured and distributed by Back Porch. Printed and manufactured in the USA.

Films For Radio: Roll the credits.

The World Can Wait, If Nothing Else, Fairpoint Diary, I Radio Heaven, Goodbye, Whatever You Say, Moth and Little Blue River/In The Garden were all shot on location and recorded in glorious technicolor at The Grey Ghost in Cincinnati, Ohio, and on Dave's existential bus in Nashville, Tennessee, produced and recorded by Dave Perkins and Linford Detweiler. The World Can Wait and If Nothing Else were mixed in stereo by David Thoener at East Iris in Nashville, Tennessee, assisted by Kevin Szymanski. Fairpoint Diary, I Radio Heaven, Goodbye, Whatever You Say and Little Blue River/In The Garden were mixed in stereo at The Carport in Nashville by Russ Long. Moth was mixed by Dave Perkins on the bus, assisted by Linford. No animals were harmed in the making of these recordings, although Willow was sent to her chair a few times.

When I Go was shot on location at the Grey Ghost in black and white, and at the Junkies' clubhouse in Toronto, screenplay by Karin Bergquist, recorded by Linford Detweiler, mixed in stereo by Mike Stucker at Echo Park, Bloomington, Indiana. Produced by Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler. Michael Timmins appears courtesy of absolutely no one.

The Body Is A Stairway of Skin, a home movie, was shot using natural light in the attic of the Grey Ghost, produced, recorded and mixed by Linford Detweiler. Thanks to Vinylistics #2.

Give Me Strength, a foreign film, was recorded in England. Mike Stucker re-assembled the parts and recorded Karin's vocals at Echo Park. The electric guitars were recorded by Jack Henderson at Bulldog Farm in Cincinnati. Final mix by David Thoener at East Iris, assisted by Kevin Szymanski. Produced by Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler.

Films For Radio was digitally mastered by Trevor Sadler in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The World Can Wait, If Nothing Else and Give Me Strength were mastered by Stephen Marcussen at his studio in Hollywood, digital editing by Trevor Sadler.

Photography (stills from the motion picture) by Michael Wilson. Design by Owen Brock at Zender + Associates. Art direction by Linford Detweiler, Owen Brock and Michael Wilson. Milliner: Hazel Henderson. Notes by Linford Detweiler, November 27, 2000.

We would like to thank the following for their dedication in the making of this record, for their efforts to keep the music of Over the Rhine alive and well, for encouragement, support and friendship: Jack and Hazel Henderson, Michael and Marilyn Wilson, Owen and Sandie Brock, Dave and Sue Perkins, Stacie BeBout, Eric and Jennifer King and everyone at King and Sons, David and Jennifer Sheldon, Dave and Jody Nixon, Kevin and Tracy Rains, Barbara Bergquist, The Detweilers, Rose and Pat, Margo, Don Heffington, Byron House, Terri Templeton, Mike Stucker, Russ and Tiffany Long, David Thoener, Frank McDonough, Ken Pedersen and everyone at Back Porch and Virgin Records (Wesley Van Linda, Rich Denhart, Trevor Sadler, Sue Schrader, Kurt Pfeifer, Lisa Samper, Karen Roth, Mike Bailey, Anne Dickens, Connie Gage, Lynn Wallrath, Greg Jansen, Joan Scaia, Bruce Sullivan, Julee Vajgrt, Paige Ross, Malcolm Carruthers, John Wooler, Tony Berg...), Peter Leak and Cool Puppy, Blair Woods and Big WalkUp, BMG Publishing, Stacy Wallen-McCarthy, Maria Alonte at Nettwerk, Liz Campanile and everyone at Sacks and Company NYC, Graham Henderson, Armand Petri, Mike Sponarski, John Farnsworth, Chris and Laura Donohue, Dale and Carol Baker, Wade Jaynes, Jeff Bird, David LaBruyere, Jeff and Trish Bell, Matt and Kristin Slocum, Don and Karen Peris, Willow, Robert Akers and Sebastian's, Amy Eversole, Carol-Margaret Bittner, Misty Hughes, Tim McAllister, Shelly Ross, Todd Kearby, Rick Lawson, Emmit Jones and ICB, and Mike's Music. Thanks to Brian and Ric and everyone who contributed to the recordings over the years.

Special thanks to Cowboy Junkies and crew.

And we would like to especially thank those of you around the world who have found the music of Over the Rhine and made the songs some small part of the story you are writing with your lives. Your enthusiasm is contagious and deeply appreciated.

For Booking Information contact Ali Giampino at The Billions Corporation: Giampino@billions.com, 312.997.9999.

Management: Blair Woods at Big WalkUp Artist Management: bigwalkup@aol.com, 716.882.1923.

Over the Rhine: Feel free to contact us at OTRhine@aol.com, 513.731.6837, or P.O. Box 12078, Cincinnati, Ohio 45212.

For concert dates, additional lyrics, writings and MP-3's, visit overtherhine.com.

Also available from Over The Rhine on Back Porch: Good Dog Bad Dog.

After the national release of Good Dog Bad Dog, it felt like Over the Rhine was making a brand new start. Karin and Linford had been experimenting with the band’s line-up for several years. Thousands of new listeners had discovered the band through the songs on Good Dog Bad Dog, but the Over the Rhine faithful from days gone by had waited five long years for a new studio album.

Linford explains further: “With Good Dog Bad Dog, Karin and I felt we had hit a bit of a stride as songwriters. We had taken an understated, torchy, smoky approach that really left room for Karin’s voice to breathe. And we were trying to get at something utterly heartbroken with many of our songs, trying to pack as much joy and sadness as we could into the same 5 minutes of music.

But we decided we weren’t going to make Good Dog Bad Dog for the rest of our lives. We had already made that record. It was time to move on.

So we threw out the rule book, we tossed aside much of what we thought we knew, and we kicked ourselves out of our comfort zone. We decided we were going to make a juicy, messy pop record.

We bought a bunch of used ADAT recorders and synced them up in the attic of The Grey Ghost, and all of a sudden we had 40 tracks to play with at home.

We got Dave Perkins involved, a lively raconteur of a theologian who could make us laugh, an ex-road dog who had toured with Jerry Jeff Walker and produced records by Carole King. Dave had an old bus in his back yard in Nashville full of vintage recording gear, a two-inch 24-Track tape machine, some old compressors etc. We drank a lot of Lagavulin and Laphroaig on that bus.

And I fired myself from playing bass, and we hired Byron House who has since become a wonderful ally and friend. (Ed. note: Byron’s upright bass playing was featured prominently on Drunkard’s Prayer, Snow Angels and Live From Nowhere Volume One. He continues to occasionally guest with Over the Rhine.)

We hired Don Heffington to play drums. Karin and I were both big Lone Justice fans, and Don had played with Bob Dylan and Victoria Willams – lots of interesting stuff. We played some scattered dates with Don sitting in on drums – great player, lots of authority. We learned a lot just by having him around.

Karin and I wrote what we felt were the best songs we were capable of at the time, and then just threw the kitchen sink at them musically.

It was fun.

Our publisher was working with Dido at the time, and on a whim we included one of her tunes (Give Me Strength) that seemed to fit the theme of the record well. Another stretch for us musically.

Ultimately, we felt like Films For Radio got away from us a bit as a body of work, it all felt a little out of control, but we really enjoyed the ensuing tour, which mostly featured Jack Henderson on guitar, Wade Jaynes on bass, and Dale Baker on drums. Songs like The World Can Wait, I Radio Heaven, Little Blue River and When I Go seemed to want to explode when we played them in front of an audience. It was a great ride.”

Films For Radio sold more copies in Paris than it did in the entire state of Ohio, Over the Rhine’s very own neck of the woods. Karin and Linford and the band toured much of the USA and 13 countries in Europe on the Films For Radio tour. In 2001, OtR was included on a handful of European compilations with bands such as Coldplay, David Grey, Gorillaz and Dido.

Pop record indeed.

“We hope you like this musical chapter. We were swinging for the fences.”

"There is an undeniable temptation to close your eyes when you listen to Films For Radio... Over the Rhine has never shied away from painting in intimate strokes that are rich in visual imagery and steeped in pensive drama. But her voice... Bergquist's voice enters your psyche like an aroma... Her prowess combines a stunning technical command with the artistry to elicit gripping, cathartic confessions..."
- Radio & Records Magazine

"Lush chamber pop... with chills not frills."
- The Austin Chronicle

**** (four stars out of four stars) "Films For Radio: Edgy sensuality framed in smart, modern pop, (with a) post-Sgt. Pepper's feel... Swirling, passionate... Don't miss it."
- The Cincinnati Enquirer

"Poetic, smokey songwriting. The trance-like, slow churning techno grooves flow like thick molten lava. Karin's voice licks at the air like a bright, animated flame. Exotic sounds and double-take imagery define this artful CD."
- Songwriter's Monthly, January 2001

"Films For Radio is a nail-on-the-head title for this suite of beautiful, dramatic songs dense with introspective lyricism."
- College Music Journal

"Longtime fans of the band should revel... Films For Radio is the most accomplished Over the Rhine album yet, richly textured with intricately constructed songs, full of subtle melodies and hooks. Ms. Bergquist's voice is as angelic and haunting as ever. Metaphysical, earthy, sensual... Well-crafted, intimate tales of spiritual longing..."
- Cincinnati Post

"Give Me Strength," is a mighty anthem of self-empowerment, an ambitious standout first single... Co-written by hitmaker Dido, the song has already found its way onto a recent episode of NBC's Third Watch. This is the kind of song that breaks an act, grabbing hold from the first note--intense, inventive, and meaningful..."
- Billboard Magazine

"Blessed with a soprano that can sound seductive one moment and seraphic the next, Bergquist opens Films For Radio with a tale of obsession titled "The World Can Wait" which serves as a trailer for the cd. "So fade to black and white now" Bergquist sings, "roll the movie of my life, inside of my head." What follows are a series of moody and quite often intriguing vignettes that range from the erotic ("The Body Is a Stairway of Skin") to the bittersweet ("Goodbye -- This Is Not Goodbye"). The combination of Bergquist's haunting voice and the subtly evocative arrangements offer ample rewards..."
- The Washington Post

"Films for Radio is the band's first studio album in five years and they must have been saving their best for this release. Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler have aptly named this collection of "shorts"... "The World Can Wait," "If Nothing Else," "Goodbye (This Is Not Goodbye)" and "Moth" are all excellent places to start..."
- The Quarterback

"The sound is robust and the arrangements deeply affecting... Singer Karin Bergquist has never needed much help entrancing people, but the cinematic scope of Films for Radio intensifies the dream-casting magic of her supple voice. On "Fairpoint Diary", she takes on the smirking but world-weary creak of Joan Osborne; on the subdued "Little Blue River", she's a soulful siren mourning... Over the Rhine is not only back--it's better."
- The Columbus Dispatch

"Timely and timeless, Over the Rhine has spirit to spare and a knack for pure and honest musicality. Vocalist Karin Bergquist has the shimmering skills to deliver..."
- Bloomington Independent