Carlton's studio credits from the 1970s and early '80s include musicians and groups like Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, Michael Jackson, Sammy Davis Jr., Herb Alpert, Quincy Jones, Bobby Bland, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and literally dozens of others. Among his more notable projects as a session guitarist were Joni Mitchell's critically acclaimed Court and Spark and Hejira albums, Steely Dan's The Royal Scam album, and Donald Fagen's Nightfly album. For much of the 1970s, Carlton was active as a session guitarist, recording on up to 500 albums a year. Although he recorded a number of LPs under his own name as early as 1968's With a Little Help from My Friends (Uni), and 1973's Singing/Playing, he didn't land a major-label contract until 1978, when he signed with Warner Bros.
Carlton began taking guitar lessons when he was six. His first professional gig was at a supper club in 1962. After hearing Joe Pass on the radio, he was inspired to play jazz and blues. Wes Montgomery and Barney Kessel became important influences soon after he discovered the jazz guitar stylings of Pass. B.B. King and other blues guitarists had an impact on Carlton's style as well. He honed his guitar-playing skills in the clubs and studios of greater Los Angeles. He attended a local junior college and Long Beach State College for a year until the Vietnam War ended. Carlton toured with the Fifth Dimension in 1968 and began doing studio sessions in 1970. His early session work included studio dates with pop musicians like Vicki Carr, Andy Williams and the Partridge Family. In 1971, he was asked to join the Crusaders shortly after they'd decided to drop the word "Jazz'' from their name, and he remained with the group until 1976. In between tours with the Crusaders, he also did studio session work for hundreds of recordings in every genre. But it was while he with the Crusaders that he developed the highly rhythmic, often bluesy style he has now. His credits include performing on more than 100 gold albums. His theme music credits for TV and films include Against All Odds, Who's the Boss, and the theme for Hill Street Blues. The latter won a Grammy award in 1981 for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.
Carlton delivered his self-titled debut for Warner Bros. in 1978, shortly after he was recognized for his ground-breaking guitar playing on Steely Dan's Royal Scam album. (Carlton contributed the memorable guitar solo on "Kid Charlemagne", and the opening to "Don't Take Me Alive.") He released four more albums for Warner Bros., Strikes Twice (1980), Sleepwalk (1981), Eight Times Up (1982), and the Grammy-nominated Friends (1983), before being dropped from the label.
He continued studio session work and touring in between, emerging again in 1986 on MCA Records with an all-acoustic album, Discovery, which contained an instrumental remake of Michael McDonald's hit, "Minute by Minute." The single won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance in 1987. Carlton's live album, Last Nite, released in 1987, got him a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance.
While working on his next album for MCA, On Solid Ground, Carlton was the victim of random gun violence, and was shot in the throat by gun-wielding juveniles outside Room 335, his private studio near Burbank, California. The bullet shattered his vocal cord and caused significant nerve trauma, but through intensive therapy and a positive frame of mind, Carlton completed work on On Solid Ground in 1989. Carlton formed Helping Innnocent People (HIP), a non-profit group to aid victims of random gun violence.
Carlton's most recent albums include two releases in 1996 for GRP Records, Gift and With a Little Help from My Friends. His other recordings include 1990's Collection and 1992's Kid Gloves for the same label, Playing/Singing (1995, Edsel), and Renegade Gentleman, a 1993 release for GRP.
Despite the tragedy that was foisted on him in the late '80s, dragging him through a long and dark period of hospitalization and rehabilitation, Carlton's output over the years has been steady through the 1980s and 1990s. Carlton seems to have slowed down his touring schedule a bit, but certainly not his recording schedule. Always happy to meet with the press, Carlton has a sweet, peaceful personality, and one can hear it in his unique, rhythmic, warm guitar chords and ringing guitar tones.
Larry Carlton's niece is pop singer/songwriter Vanessa Carlton.
Cold Day in Hell
Larry Carlton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You looked in my eyes
With a smiling face
Telling me those dirty low-down lies
Saying baby baby
You got to realize
It'll be cold day in Hell
You spend all your time
Covering your tracks
I'd sleep in the front room
You'd sneak in the back
Then you'd lay down beside me
And whisper a lie
It'll be a cold day in Hell
If I every leave you
It'll be a cold day in Hell
It'll be cold day in Hell
If I ever say goodbye
It'll be a cold day in Hell
It'll be a cold day in Hell
If I ever say goodbye
How long did you think
You'd do this to me
Did you think I was blind
Lord did you think I couldn't see
Now I'm standing in the door way
With all your bags packed
It's a cold day in Hell
You're gonna leave
Yes it's a cold day in Hell
GoodByeeee!
So cold
So cold
So cold
So cold
So uh oh cold
The lyrics to Larry Carlton's song "Cold Day in Hell" describe a relationship where one person lies and cheats while the other remains oblivious to the truth. The opening lines highlight how the person has been deceived multiple times, with the other person repeatedly telling lies with a smiling face. They claim it'll be a cold day in Hell before they leave, essentially telling the truth will never happen. The next verse discusses how the deceitful person spends all their time covering their tracks, lying about their whereabouts and actions. The singer is unaware of this and goes to sleep in the front room, while the cheater sneaks in the back. They whisper lies and the refrain repeats, emphasizing the fact that they'll never tell the truth. The last verse takes a sudden turn, with the singer now standing in the doorway, watching the person who has been lying and cheating pack their bags. Finally, the refrain repeats with a different tone of voice- now it is not impossible for the deceitful person to leave, but rather the fact that it is happening means it is a cold day in Hell.
Overall, the song highlights the difficulties of dealing with a broken relationship and the pain of being deceived. The use of the phrase "cold day in Hell" suggests the singer wants the other person to be truthful but feels it will never happen, leading to the inevitable end of their relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
How many times
You repeatedly lied to me with a smile on your face, making false promises to me
You looked in my eyes
You looked at me directly while deceiving me
With a smiling face
You faked your emotions by smiling when you lied
Telling me those dirty low-down lies
You told me lies that were immoral and dishonest
Saying baby baby
You call me affectionate names to earn my trust
You got to realize
You want me to understand something important
It'll be cold day in Hell
You will never leave me, no matter what happens
You spend all your time
You were always busy hiding your wrongdoings
Covering your tracks
You were trying to conceal your guilt and keep your misdeeds hidden
I'd sleep in the front room
I was completely unaware of what you were doing
You'd sneak in the back
You would hide from me and sneak around behind my back
Then you'd lay down beside me
You would come back to bed and snuggle up next to me
And whisper a lie
You would lie quietly in my ear so that I believed you
It'll be a cold day in Hell
You will never leave me, no matter what happens
If I every leave you
You will never abandon our relationship
It'll be a cold day in Hell
You will never leave me, no matter what happens
It'll be cold day in Hell
You will never let our relationship come to an end
If I ever say goodbye
You will never break off the relationship with me, no matter what happens
How long did you think
You did this to me for an extended period of time
You'd do this to me
You betrayed me with your lies and deception
Did you think I was blind
I wasn't oblivious to what you were doing, but I was ignoring it
Lord did you think I couldn't see
You thought I didn't realize your lies and deception, but I did
Now I'm standing in the door way
I've finally caught you in your wrongdoing
With all your bags packed
You're ready to leave me, now that you've been caught
GoodByeeee!
I'm finally free from your lies and betrayal
So cold
I'm filled with icy, detached emotions because of your deceit
So uh oh cold
I'm freezing, exposed, and vulnerable after being deceived by you
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Don Lykke
How many times
You looked in my eyes
With a smiling face
Telling me those dirty low-down lies
Saying baby baby
You got to realize
It'll be cold day in Hell
If I ever leave you
You spend all your time
Covering your tracks
I'd sleep in the front room
You'd sneak in the back
Then you'd lay down beside me
And whisper a lie
It'll be a cold day in Hell
If I every leave you
It'll be a cold day in Hell
It'll be cold day in Hell
If I ever say goodbye
(Music)
It'll be a cold day in Hell
It'll be a cold day in Hell
If I ever say goodbye
How long did you think
You'd do this to me
Did you think I was blind
Lord did you think I couldn't see
Now I'm standing in the door way
With all your bags packed
It's a cold day in Hell
You're gonna leave
Yes it's a cold day in Hell
GoodByeeee!
So cold
So cold
So cold
(Music to end)
So cold
So uh oh cold
airmojo
Terry McMillan on harmonica.... awesome !
G Kiahu
Beautifully done ✅
Mark B
This is a blues beast!
Saveliy1783
это божественно!..
Saveliy1783
если бы я мог, я поставил бы миллион лайков!..
Exa Bast
how is this not world famous ?
Isilbrando Sciarconazzi
Such a long, long time that I haven't heard this song...about twenty years, more or less! Alright!!!
hannibal-Christoph buri
unbelievably