By Ryan Gueningsman
Herald Journal

Recovering and revitalizing a sunken ship is the goal of Henry Paul this year, and he appears to be sailing in the right direction.

Formed in the early 1990s, BlackHawk was lead singer Paul, guitarist Van Stephenson, and keyboardist Dave Robbins.

They were responsible for hits like “Goodbye Says It All,” “Every Once In a While,” “That’s Just About Right,” “I Sure Can Smell the Rain,” “Like There Ain’t No Yesterday,” and “There You Have It,” among others.

“I’m embarrassed to say BlackHawk hasn’t had a record out in almost 10 years, and if you want to sink a ship, metaphorically in career terms, by all means don’t release new music – I have to claim credit for that,” Paul admitted.

The death of Stephenson following a fight with skin caner in 2001, band member changes, two failed record label deals that weren’t the band’s fault, and other things just not going the band’s way admittedly put a damper on the creative life and productivity of the band.

Plus, a revival of Paul’s other band, The Outlaws, shifted time and creative effort from BlackHawk to The Outlaws in recent years.

“The Outlaws animal was a hungry beast, and I had to continually go there creatively, and just got caught up in it and it sort of overshadowed my effort with BlackHawk,” Paul said.

Robbins left the group in early 2008 to pursue his songwriting, and Paul even more so shifted his focus from BlackHawk to The Outlaws. He performed a light tour schedule of BlackHawk shows over the past few years, and eventually the two bands became comprised of the same lineups.

“I put so much time into The Outlaws it got disproportionately focused,” Paul continued. He has since “gone back to the drawing board” and has been breathing new life into BlackHawk.

The lineup is now Paul, Jon Coleman, and Randy Threet. The same musicians who back BlackHawk also are The Outlaws.

“Randy’s a great singer, and he sang with Dave and I on ‘Spirit Dancer,’” Paul said of the new lineup. “Jon came into the band and has really made himself a very popular member of the group with his showmanship. It’s very faithful to what BlackHawk has always done.”

Also faithful to what BlackHawk has done will be new musical offerings from Paul and the band.

In mid-April when he called for this interview, he was going into the studio to record vocals.

“I like to think we’ll be done in the next few weeks,” Paul said cautiously, knowing that longtime BlackHawk fans have heard things like this over the course of the past 10 years through the failed record deals.

Once the music is finished, Paul said the plan is to make some of the new music available on the band’s web site for the dedicated group of BlackHawk fans who have stood by the band over the years.

He has been meeting with his manager and attorney regularly, and wants to re-affiliate the band with a record label to distribute the new music.

“We have every intention of affiliating ourself with a label and getting a marketing budget and a promotion budget,” Paul said. “It’ll be more than just a record on the merchandise table.”

He said he hopes making the connection with a record label will come naturally, as the music will already be produced and ready to go.

“It takes the guesswork out for them (the label),” Paul said. “If you have a record completely finished and ready for commercial exploitation, it makes their job a little easier. Any time you have finished music in your hands – this is a reality – you got it right here.”

Paul said the direction of the album will include four or five songs from an album that was completed for Rust Records in 2005 but never released, along with its share of new material, as well.

“The other half is new stuff I’ve written that I’ve had in my bag of tricks for a number of years and have never got a chance to release,” Paul said.

One such example of these songs is “Cold As A Hollywood Kiss,” which begins playing when one visits the newly-redesigned BlackHawk web site (www.blackhawklive.com).

Paul said he, Coleman, and Threet rehearse hard and concentrate on the details.

“That’s what it’s about – the professional presence of the group’s presentation is unchanged,” Paul said.

He said along with the new music comes the summer touring schedule, as well as with maintaining his role with The Outlaws and keeping both ships moving full steam ahead.

“Both bands are out there working,” Paul said. “We’re going to have a busy year. It’s also an exciting time in The Outlaws’ corner.”

A new album is in the works for that group, too, and Paul said he is going to maintain a strong work ethic for both bands.

“Creatively, it’s a very exciting time,” Paul said. “We’re going right back into the songwriting mode, and I’m going to make it a habit for releasing new music for BlackHawk. I’m excited about it. I’m going right back into the writing mode for new BlackHawk music for after the first of next year – I’m keeping the creative pressure on.”

Paul and crew are also putting the finishing touches on a new BlackHawk Live album and DVD. A similar offering was released in 2008 just before Robbins left the group with the makeup of the band at that time.

Paul is also excited about the summer touring schedule, but said playing indoor venues is much different than outdoor shows.

“When you’re playing an outside show, the atmosphere sucks a lot of energy,” Paul explained. “In a building, it sort of contains it. Outdoor shows are a little more animated – you dig a little deeper for it to work for you out there. This band’s got incredible musicanship and a lot of energy. We’re definitely going to stay busy.”

He is also vowing to not let another lapse of new BlackHawk music happen again.

“I’m up every morning and after it every day,” Paul said. “Honestly I love the band. BlackHawk is a very real priority for me and I have a deep affection for that band.”

For more information on Winstock, visit www.winstockfestival.com, or call 888-946-7865.

For more information on BlackHawk, visit www.blackhawklive.com.

Ryan Gueningsman is at ryan@heraldjournal.com.