John Hiatt - guitar, vocals; Ry Cooder - guitar, vocals; Jesse Harms - keyboards, background vocals; James Rolleston - bass, background vocals; Darrell Verdusco -drums, background vocals
To say that John Hiatt is a singer/songwriter's singer/songwriter would be a vast understatement. Although his own solo recorded success has been limited, Hiatt has written hits for a myriad of platinum and notable artists, including Bob Dylan, Willy DeVille, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Joe Cocker, Willie Nelson, Buddy Guy, Jimmy Buffett, Mandy Moore, Iggy Pop, Emmylou Harris, Nick Lowe, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and Rosanne Cash, among others.
This recording came from the King Biscuit Flower Hour in 1983, while Hiatt was promoting the release of his sixth album, Riding With the King. The album followed in the footsteps of his previously released discs, whereby Hiatt focused on sarcastic and angry new wave songs. He was often compared to Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson in this period, although his bent toward country-tinged pop/rock was apparent, even this early on.
Hiatt was still relatively unknown at the time of this recording, although performing with Ry Cooder as one's sideman should count as a mark of success. His celebrity status would come some years later with the release of Bring The Family. When this album and tour failed to ignite a commercial firestorm for Hiatt, Geffen became the third label to drop him. His next home, A&M, is where he would eventually start having hits of his own.
Hiatt continues to write popular songs for other artists and still tours regularly, both with his band and as a solo acoustic act. He is probably best known for his song "Thing Called Love," which was, of course, a huge hit for Bonnie Raitt. He released his 18th studio album in 2008.