Carty “CM” Talkington is perhaps best known for writing and directing the cult classic western psychedelic road opera “Love & A .45” starring Renée Zellweger. More than 30 years later, CM’s released LP Texas Radio produced/mixed by Butthole Surfers' Paul Leary (who also played on it), and featuring Renée Zellweger singing on the song “Two Steps.”
We asked CM how Renee collaborating on the album came about he says, “It all started when we two-stepped together for the first time at the Continental Club in the Summer of 1993, right before we began production on "Love & A .45,” It was one of the greatest nights of my life, dancin' that with my sparkling sunny RZ! Little did we know that we'd be doing a repeat performance 30 years later, just a few blocks from the Continental Club, singin' a song together called "Two Steps" for SXSW 2023.”
He adds, “After I saw "Judy" I knew I had to ask her to sing with me. I figured it was a long shot, but my whole life has been a long shot, so...She told me that she'd never sung in front of anyone before. I didn't believe it. I mentioned "Chicago" & "Judy" and she said those were characters and didn't count. I just kept asking, and she didn't say yes, but she didn't say no, so I kept sending her song demos we were planning on recording. The one she was the most interested in was "Two Steps," which was the one that I really wanted her to do.
“I don't think RZ knew she was signing up to perform live at SXSW, but she did. She's such a remarkable human being. I love Renee cosmically. She's my angel. She's my sunshine. It means the world that she recorded "Two Steps" with me. I can't really put it into words”
You can listen to the LP on Spotify.