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Founder of Miami’s The Goods Releases Song To Help California

The founder of the Miami band The Goods wrote a song about California and only days before its release date, the wildfires happened. Now he’s giving proceeds to help out those impacted. (Photo courtesy of Juan Davila)
You may remember Jim Camacho from the iconic Miami band The Goods, which he founded with his brother John. The rock band, formed in 1989, released five albums throughout the 1990s.
Although the band broke up in 1999, Camacho’s never stopped. He’s had a prolific solo career since and became a YouTube phenom with his series “Adventures in Songwriting” where he would spotlight special guests and then the two would write a song together during the 30-minute show.
The Miami musician’s latest single, “California Calling,” was set for release on Jan. 17. Vicky Hamilton, president of Dark Spark Music, says in a press release that “it’s a beautiful song about making dreams come true in California.”
Camacho says, “the song was written and ready to go for months, then the fires happened.”
Ten days before the song’s set release date, the Palisades Fire began burning in the Santa Monica Mountains of Los Angeles on Jan. 7.
“Now it has a whole other meaning,” says the artist, adding “it’s prophetic.”
It’s about chasing stardom for artists and dreamers, but in the wake of the wildfires Camacho feels like “arrives as a warm embrace and an anthem of determination.”
He wrote the song from a personal experience. “My first record deal was out in fantastic Los Angeles, California (with Columbia Records) so we did the California trip. You know, where you go out there and you’re feeling like your dreams are going to come true, and all the magic that comes with that. It’s quite an experience, to just go for it, to go for your dream. And that’s what the song is about.”
“California Calling” is a way for Camacho to help out, he says.
“We have decided to give six months of royalties to MusiCares’ Los Angeles Relief Efforts. We are inviting everyone to donate to MusiCares because they are helping out lots of musicians who are facing a nightmare situation out there,” says Camacho. I’m happy we have an opportunity to do a little something to help out. You hear all these stories of friends and friends of friends who went through it over there. I’m just keeping the prayers coming and staying positive.”
Camacho says the You Tube video has amassed 772,000 views.
He says he knows firsthand about natural disasters and the effects they have on communities.
“I went through Andrew and we’ve been lucky for a while down here in southeastern Florida. I guess it gives you the ‘hurricane party/ride the storm out’ energy keeping your mind positive and carpe diem/every day as a blessing mindset.”
But there’s a stark difference between hurricanes and wildfires.
“With hurricanes, you have a warning. On the West Coast you get the earthquakes, so you don’t get a warning on that and the fires can come at you pretty quick as we saw with this tragedy.”
In the song’s video, directed by Juan Davila and produced by 2 Way Creative,” Camacho takes a nostalgic cruise through Los Angeles in a classic 1968 Buick LeSabre. There are shots of the Hollywood sign and tower palm trees, while his band performs against other California backdrops.
And while the song is “California Calling,” Camacho is happy to stay rooted in Miami. “I don’t see myself permanently moving out of here. Maybe I’ll dip my toe in some other adventure for a bit, but Miami’s home.”
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