This is my CIA/spy song. All these seasons of "24", we have been watching, have inspired me to work it out for this Cd. I still have to finish vocals for 2 more songs, "Won't Be Home Again" and "Where's The Sun" (and possibly a couple of redo's). Once they are completed I am going to start working on the drum track for this song. "Simple Minded" is definitely still on my hit list too. This would give me a total of 14 songs for my "Crazy Like A Fox" Cd. Counting the 18 tunes from my previous 2 releases, I would have a grand total of 32 songs !!! Not a bad showing for an underground independent songwriter. My BR 1600 is holding up very well. I would highly recommend this recorder to the other independent songwriters out there. It is an amazing product ! Hats off to the people at Boss.
5-20-10, While watching episodes of "24" season 6, I have been working out the guitar progression for this song. It is turning out real well. I think by next week I will be ready to start putting the drum track together.
5-22-10, I think I finished up the vocals for "Where's The Sun" last night. This means that I will start putting together the drum track for this song sometime early next week. I decided to hold off on the vocals for the 2 songs that I am thinking about redoing, until I get around to recording the vocals for this song and "Simple Minded". I am almost positive that 10 of the 12 songs are good to go. And it is also possible the other 2 are also alright. I think it will be a wise move to step away from all the vocals for about 2-3 weeks, and then re approach them again with fresh ears. Time is on my side, and I am way ahead of schedule.
5-23-10, Now that everything is completed with "Where's The Sun", it's time to start work on this song. I am watching the end of "24" season 7 today. Tomorrow I have to attend a funeral, and mass, for my grandfather. It's not entirely a sad occasion, because he was fortunate enough to live a long healthy life (92 years). Still, funerals are a bit depressing. I am glad that my brothers and I will have the chance to be there for my dad, because he has always been there for us. I will probably begin working on the drum track for this song on Tuesday. The season finale of "24" season 8 is on Monday night, and I definitely don't want to miss it. Get Jacked !!!
5-24-10, The mass and funeral went well. My dad did an excellent job with the eulogy. His father was then laid to rest at the veterans memorial cemetery in honor of his naval service during World War II. We all have one lifetime to work with and it is up to each one of us to respect this gift and make the most out of it. (10:25 p.m.) We just watched the season finale of "24". Just last night mom and I finished up watching season 7. It was an absolutely awesome series. In the end Jack realized that he had one good friend in Chloe, who was always there for him throughout everything. This may be what gave him the strength to want to keep living. I do believe in peace, and I believe that one day the world will embrace it too. Unfortunately, there are many lunatics in this world, of all races and religions, who will do everything in their power to destroy it. We need people like Jack Bauer to protect us. The revelation of armed drones, at the end of the finale, was a bit scary. Right now, I am watching "Dancing With The Stars". Once that is over I am going to hit the gym and put in a good workout. Tomorrow it's back to work ! I pretty much have a bass arrangement worked out for the entire song. It will just be a matter of taking a few days to get the drums together. Then ... I am back in recording mode.
5-25-10, I'm starting to get the drum track together (about 2/3 finished). In about 2 more days, or so, I should have it recorded. By the weekend I will be working on laying down the bass track. It's kind of developing into a bit of a punk rock CIA/spy song ... I wonder if that's ever been done before ?
5-27-10 (3:15 a.m.) And we're off !!! The drum track is completed and recorded. I have also found the right effect for the bass track, which should be recorded within a day or two. Everything, so far, sounds really good. I have no idea, whatsoever, what I am going to play on guitar ? For the most part, the majority of the song is in A Minor and E Minor. The bass uses chromatic runs in the chorus, which may alter the key a bit. I'll have to work that out before I start working on the guitar parts. (7:30 p.m.) Still grinding out the bass track. My ears are a bit tired, at the moment, so I will resume my efforts later.
5-28-10 (2:00 a.m.) Success ! I finally got the bass track recorded. I used a Stadium Bass effect and kept the tone on the low end. I still don't have a clue what to do with the guitar and keyboard tracks. I really need to come up with a signature riff that will give the song a unique CIA/spy effect. If only I could get the Austin Powers theme song out of my head ... it's driving me crazy ! I am trying to write a serious song, not a comedic one. When I get around to the vocals, I might just use an effect for the verses that sounds like I'm talking through a cell phone (or headset). First things first, guitar and keyboard tracks. (8:00 p.m.) I spent part of the afternoon hanging out at the beach. When I got home I started working out the guitar track. Things went very well and I almost have it worked out. The Pedal Vibrato effect seems to be the soup of the day. I'll have to fine tune things a bit, then I will lay it down. If all goes well it should be recorded within 2 days.
5-29-10 (2:00 a.m.) I just got back from a good workout and hydro massage. (3:30 p.m.) Dang, it seems I have pinched a nerve in my neck, which is very uncomfortable. I rubbed some Icy Hot on it and took an Ibuprofen. I'll have to wait until later to tackle the guitar track. (6:30 p.m.) It seems to be a bit overcast outside. As a result, I've decided to put off the guitar track until tomorrow. I don't want to have the power knocked out while I am recording. I have decided to spend some time sending out friend invites through My Space. Maybe I can get my band equity rating up to a new high.
5-30-10 (2:45 a.m.) Well, the storm never did develop, so, I ended up going to my studio/storage facility to record some guitar. Every time I go there something positive happens. I wanted to lay down the lead guitar track, but it wasn't happening, so I nailed the rhythm track. I ended up using a Fat Strat effect, and it rocks ! This tune is turning out to be very heavy. In fact, it may even be the heaviest tune on the Cd. The lead guitar track is pretty much worked out (except for the solo), I just need to catch the right moment to lay it down. Once I get the lead guitar recorded, I will move on to the keyboards. All I really need from the keys is some catchy accent work, or sound effects. I am very happy right now ! This song seems to be falling into place rather quickly. (10:00 p.m.) I decided to take the rest of the day off from recording. I spent a lot of time on my computer sending out fan invites for my My Space site. I am determined to get my band equity rating to a new all time high.
5-31-10 (3:30 a.m.), Happy Memorial Day ! I just got home from another good workout and massage. While at the gym I came up with a clever idea. I am considering including 6 songs from my previous 2 Cd releases on this Cd. It would give me a grand total of 20 songs and it would definitely help elevate my "Crazy Like A Fox" Cd to groundbreaking status. There is more on this idea in my "Miscellaneous" post.
6-1-10, OK !! It is now June. I have one month left to finish this song and "Simple Minded" (plus the vocals). I also may have to redo 2 other vocal tracks. That means there is ... 1 entire song to record, I guitar and key track for this song and 4 vocal tracks ... and that's it ! With one month to work with, I am doing very well. This song will definitely be done within a week. "Simple Minded" shouldn't be very complicated. It may take me 1-2 weeks at most. That leaves 2 weeks to complete the 4 vocal tracks. Perfect !!!! As a result I have taken the rest of the day off. In the afternoon, mom and I went out to eat in Safety Harbor (another cool artist community). This was a very unique area. In the matter of one block there was a wiccan store, a freemason hall and a Buddhist building (we enjoyed the wiccan store). There was also a wide variety of restaurants and shops. The highlight of the city was a rather large spa, located at the end of the main street. People who lived in the area seemed to very happy. They have a "live and let live" mentality, which means that everyone doesn't have to be alike to get along. I have friends from Illinois visiting this Friday (3 days away), which should be a lot of fun ! This leaves me 2 days to get the lead guitar track recorded.
6-2-10 (12:00 a.m.), I am just having one heck of a hard time laying down the lead guitar for this tune. I went to the studio for about 3 1/2 hours and got nowhere. This is the first time I went there and walked away with nothing to show. Oh well, can't win them all. I'll try it again tomorrow here at home ... in the air conditioning ! It is not an overly complicated track, it's just that there are no breaks from start to finish, so I have to nail the entire 4 minute track in one take. As far as this Cd release goes, this is probably the last complicated track that I will have to endure. I am going to look at this like a test of patience.
6-3-10 (11:00 p.m.), I did it !! The lead guitar track is completed. It has a bit of a frenzy feel to it, which should go along well with the lyrics. I normalized the track and cleaned it up. I also cleaned up the bass and rhythm track. Now I need to work out a keyboard track. The 3 stringed instruments are all on the lower end, tone wise, so ... the keyboard track is going to have to add a little color and personality to the mix. My friends from Illinois aren't going to be here until Saturday, so I have all day tomorrow to work on this song.
6-5-10 (1:00 a.m.), I have a good idea of some parts for the keyboard track. It's nothing overly complicated, just some padding and sound effects, but I think it is going to make the song happen. To get myself back in the mood, I am watching season 1 of "24". My friends are coming in tomorrow (today), so I might need to hold off on the track for a bit. (9:30 p.m.) I did it !!! I finished both keyboard tracks today. The tracks include a little bit of everything (helicopter, car squealing, cell phone, laugh, footsteps, etc.) This song started out as just a lyrical idea, and ended up growing into another big production. I am a very happy dude right now. I cleaned up the tracks, saved/protected the song and backed up the data. I haven't heard anything from my Illinois friends yet. Hopefully everything is alright. Unfortunately, I don't have a cell phone number for them. They are probably burned out from the drive and taking it easy tonight. I am sure I will hear from them tomorrow. Anyway, it worked out excellent for me because I got this song finished !!
6-14-10, I am going to hit the studio tomorrow to record the acoustic and lead vocals (hopefully) for "Simple Minded". After that, all that will be left with that song will be the lead guitar track. I only have about 2 1/2 weeks left to work with, so I do need to get to this song soon. 2 lead vocal tracks, 1 lead guitar track and 2 lead vocal redo's are all that is left for this Cd. I can do it !!! (11:00 p.m.) We just started watching season 2 of "24". This is the last one, in the series, that we haven't seen yet.
6-16-10, Watching the last 4 episodes of season 2 of "24". Later tonight, weather permitting, I am going to finish up the acoustic and lead vocal track for "Simple Minded". Once those are done, my next visit to the storage unit will be to finish up the lead vocals for this song.
6-17-10 (2:30 a.m.) I had an excellent session at the storage unit. I think that the acoustic track, and lead vocals, are completed for "Simple Minded". That means that this song is now in my sights ! If all goes well, I will probably work on it Friday night (2 days away). Yes !! Season 2 of "24" was excellent. I'm sure the inspiration will carry over into my recording. I am hoping to capture a bit of the wide open spy game frenzy with this song.
6-19-10, I spent some time adding EQ and effects (reverb/doubling) to the song. It's sounds awesome !!! Only one track is unused and that's for the lead vocals. I should make it to the studio either later tonight, or tomorrow.
6-20-10 (4:00 a.m.) Success !!! After 6 grueling hours at the storage unit, I did it ! I am absolutely positive that this is going to be a hit song ! I couldn't find a vocal effect that simulated a cell phone, so I ended up using the Slapback Delay effect ... it worked perfectly ! This tune turned out to be very heavy and theatrical. Once again, I did an excellent job of selling the drama. All those episodes of "24" did wonders as inspiration. I think Jack Bauer would even give me a thumbs up. I have been working on this song, on and off, for about a month now. I am very happy it is finally finished.
UPDATE (2-16-14): All songs from my "Crazy Like A Fox" Cd can be heard in their entirety through the tune player below. Please make sure to also check out my home website at: www.foxmanmusic.com
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
"Simple Minded"
I might as well get this post started. It's inevitable that I am going to write this song. Things have been working out very well for me with this Cd and I am very thankful. It's hard, sometimes, not to think that higher powers are guiding me. I can tend to be a bit mischievous with my songwriting (mafia, vampires, ghosts, doppelgangers, voodoo, etc.), but underneath it all, I am proud to be one of the good people. I currently am not a member of any religion and I don't attend church. I did, however, attend Catholic schools when I was younger. There are many problems with the Catholic Church leadership, just like with our government. This, in no way, reflects on the hard working people who are believers in both. From my experiences the Catholics were always cool down to Earth people, just like the majority of Americans. Well to cut to the quick, I think that the powers that be allow us to be unique and original and we are all blessed with different talents. Sometimes in return the powers that be may ask that you give something back. In my case, I think it is this song. This is my way of saying thank you to the powers that be, and to all my friends and family who are believers.
5-3-10, I have about 2 weeks, or so, until the storage facility where I am recording my vocals will be ready. That gives me 2 weeks to work on this tune. Once the drums are worked out it should only take 3-4 days to finish everything else. So ... I guess this means I have some free time to get out and enjoy the warm weather. I have earned the down time !
5-6-10, How quickly things can change ! I got the storage unit sooner than expected. This song will have to sit on the back burner for a while.
5-18-10, I am still recording the vocals for my first 12 tunes (only 2 left). Once the vocals are completed, I am going to work on "Wilderness Of Mirrors". After that, I will tackle this song. If all goes well, I will be back to this post in about 2-3 weeks. This will be the final song that I work on for my "Crazy Like A Fox" Cd. If all goes well, I will be in an excellent mood when I return. I have the storage facility through the month of June, so that will leave me with about 2 weeks to nail this tune. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed, and hope that my luck continues.
6-5-10, I just finished up "Wilderness Of Mirrors" tonight, so this is the final song that I will work on for this Cd release ! I made it back to this post in 18 days, so I guess I am right in the middle of my 2-3 week prediction. Oh, and yes ... I am in an excellent mood. I technically have the storage facility until July 4th, which sounds like a perfect day to celebrate having all the recording done for this Cd. I think I should have this song done within 2 weeks. It is going to be nice to get back to using the acoustic guitar, which I am thinking about recording at the storage facility. All the natural reverb in there should work out real well. So basically I just need to record the drums, bass, lead guitar and a scratch acoustic track here at home. I am also contemplating trying my hand at some slide guitar on the lead track. Composition wise, I do still need to work out some lyrics and a bridge section. No ideas at this point, but I am sure something will come to me.
6-6-10 (3:30 a.m.), Well so much for waiting. I have already started to put the drum track together. I didn't think it would be overly complicated. A nice straightforward, romping, Rockabilly beat is all that is needed. The groove will pretty much drive through the entire song. I am still not sure if the song needs a bridge section, or not ? I also have all the lyrics for the verses, and choruses, worked out.
6-7-10 (3:00 a.m.), While working on the drum track, my headphones began zonking out on me !! Here all along, I thought the input on my recorder was messed up (after dropping it at the storage facility). Now that the same cutting in and out problem is occurring with the drum machine, it is obvious that it was my headphones all along. I am relieved that the problem isn't with my recorder. I have had this set of AKG Monitor headphones for about 10 years now and they have more than earned their keep (used on all 3 Cd's). I guess I will have to make a trip to Sam Ash today, and buy another pair. Luckily, it's just a minor setback. Hopefully a good pair won't be too expensive. Maybe I will get lucky and they will have my studio monitors in (I currently have their floor model). I have been patiently waiting for about 1 1/2 months for them to arrive. Maybe if I play this right, I will be able to work a deal for the headphones ? We'll see .... (5:30 p.m.) My monitors weren't in yet, but I did a get a nice new pair of Samson CH700 Studio Reference Headphones ($50) !!! I autographed and dated the old pair of AKG headphones and packed them away. You never know ... they may end up being a cool collectible someday. (11:00 p.m.) Alrighty then ! I am having a really productive day. I am almost positive that I have the drums worked out. I came up with a simple change part that should work out alright. Since I am on a roll, I might as well hit the gym and put in a good workout. I will give the drums another listen when I get home. If I like what I hear, then I will record them tomorrow. The new headphones seem to be working well !!!
6-8-10 (3:30 a.m.) Another awesome workout ! I think I was there about 3 1/2 hours. I have started to work a 1/2 hour of cardio into my usual routine. I am listening to the drum track right now, and I think it is good to go. All in all, it is kind of a "simple" song (no pun intended). I will record the track later today, when I wake up. The acoustic, with a capo on the 1st fret, isn't going to be problem at all. It's just a bunch of straightforward strumming ... without a pick (my preferred way of playing the acoustic). I am definitely going to record the track at the studio, because I want to experiment with running 2 recording lines (1 direct and the other through the microphone). This will give me 2 versions of the same guitar track to work with. I am anxious to hear how the acoustic sounds through the microphone, with all the natural reverb in the room. I will just have to be careful not to move around much while recording, so no extra noises bleed through the mix. Before I do this, I am going to record a scratch track, which will make it easier to record the bass line. Since the acoustic has a capo on the first fret, I will have to tune the bass up 1/2 step. This is also cool because it will smooth out the dead frets that I have been having trouble with. Once the bass and acoustic are finished, I will move onto the lead guitar. I am very excited about attempting to play some slide guitar. I have never tried this before, so it will be a new experience. I am positive that I am not going to use any keyboards on this song. (3:00 p.m.) I just got the drum track recorded (my last drum track for this Cd). I also did a scratch acoustic track. After this, I tuned up the bass and did a quick test run. As far as the tone goes, everything sounded good. So, basically I am ready to roll with the bass line. Before I do this, I will need to work out the song keys (I don't want to hit any boner notes). My friends from Illinois left me a text earlier today, so I will probably be getting together with them over the next few days. We might catch a Rays game tomorrow (we're still in 1st place, and Price is pitching vs. Toronto). Anyway, I'm going to go and hit the beach for about an hour or so.
6-9-10 (3:00 a.m.), On a roll ! I just got the bass track recorded. I did raise the tuning up 1/2 step (G#, D#,A#,F). The song operates around 2 keys (F Major during the verses and G# Major for the choruses and change). The bass track makes for a very nice backbone to the song. The tune actually has a danceable beat, which is cool. Religion, when it's done right, should have a celebratory vibe. Well, this was my last bass track for this Cd ! I am sure that whenever I get around to writing another Cd, I will be playing a new bass (hopefully a Ibanez). I have had this Aria Pro (with custom pickups) for about 22 years now. It is one of the few, surviving remnants from my Illinois days. Shortly after moving to Florida (1991), I sanded it down and gave it a custom paint job. Someday I will have my own custom studio, and I am sure that this bass will be hanging up on the wall somewhere (probably next to my AKG headphones). Well, the acoustic guitar track is next ... then the lead guitar. The acoustic is going to be no problem at all. The lead guitar, on the other hand, will be a challenge. Playing slide is a bit tricky. (12:00p.m.) I just found out that my dad (birth dad) is in town. I am going to go over to my brothers house tonight to visit with him, and maybe go fishing tomorrow. (2:00 p.m.) Yes, I am going to the Rays game tonight with my brother and dad. Left field bleachers, Price vs Marcum ... should be an awesome game. (11:30 p.m.) Rays Win !! I had a good time. My brother, dad and I are going to go fishing at Fort DeSoto tomorrow. Should be another good time.
6-10-10. I went fishing today with my birth dad, brother, sister-in-law and their grandson at Fort DeSoto. after that I hung out with my Illinois friends. It was a fun day ! I have to admit that when it comes to fishing I am not very good. All I ended up catching was a good sunburn. I did, however, see a 3-4' shark and a dolphin swam by about 50-75' away from where we were fishing. It was a fun day and a much needed break from the music. My friends from Illinois were also doing well. It was good to see them again.
6-12-19 (5:00 p.m.), I took it easy yesterday, and stayed home in the nice cool AC. It is really hot out ! I might get together with my brother and dad later today. Tomorrow we are going to an art show in St. Pete. On Monday (2 days), I will resume my work on this song. I am thinking that I may just record the lead vocals on the same day that I do the acoustic. This would leave me with just the lead guitar track left to finish. Once the lead track is finished, all I will have left is .... one vocal for "Wilderness Of Mirrors" and 2 possible vocal redo's for "Coming For You" and "Best Days Of Your Life". By Monday, I will have about 20 days left to accomplish all of this. I actually think that I will have it all finished and still have about 2 weeks left to play with. I may then use some of this time to do some mastering. It will be very hot in there, but if I walk away with any final mixes it will be worth it.
6-14-10, I just got done bringing my birth dad to the airport. We had a fun week. Our relationship has always been a bit on the rocky side. There is no doubt in denying that he is a dedicated alcoholic. This has been his lifestyle for a very long time and it has really begun to take a toll on his body. It is sad seeing him in a deteriorating state. That being said, I am not a hater and I don't want to live my life thinking that I am any better than anyone else ... we all have our demons. I have my days where I like to party too. I just don't want it to be something that controls me. Despite all the adversity and bad times that I have had to endure with him, I am still thankful that he is my dad and I do love him. I am also thankful that I had a chance to spend some time with him and share some good memories. Sometimes the greatest lessons in life can be learned by watching other people's mistakes. If his health does take a turn for the worst (which is inevitable), I have the peace of mind to know that we are on good terms with each other. I am also very proud of my mom for riding with us to the airport. She has many reasons to be bitter with him, yet she found the strength to turn the other cheek. I know when he left Tampa, he did so with a smile on his face ... and that is a memory I will never forget. (6:30 p.m.) I am going to put in a good workout tonight ! Tomorrow It is back to work for me. I am going to hit the studio and lay down the acoustic for this song, and possibly the lead vocals too. If I pull it off, all that will be left is the lead guitar track. (11:30 p.m.) I am just too burned out, the workout is going to have to wait.
6-16-10, Finally feeling better today. There is some thundering going on outside, but no rain so far. If no bad weather develops I am going to hit the studio later, and finish up this song (acoustic and lead vocals). With my birth dad and friends visiting last week, I kind of got blown off course for a bit. I only have about 2 weeks left now, and I absolutely need to step up and get this song done. It is possible that I may hold off on the lead guitar, until all the vocal work is done ("Wilderness Of Mirrors" and the 2 possible redo's). The storage unit contract ends on July 4 and I really don't want to have to rent it for another month. So, finishing the vocals is my priority right now.
6-17-10 (2:30 a.m.) Yes !!! I am back on top of the game. After about 5 1/2 hours in a grueling hot storage unit, I am proud to say that I have completed the acoustic track ... and the lead vocals !!! Of course I will have to listen back tomorrow before I give my final approval, but I think it will be good to go. I did do a dual recording of the acoustic (1 mic'd the other a normal line in). I am positive that both tracks are perfect. It's cool because I have 2 versions of the same recording to work with. I also ended up using a pic, the finger strummed approach just wasn't working. The results are excellent. This song ended up becoming a bit of an upbeat rockabilly religious tune. If everything sounds good tomorrow, all that is left is the lead guitar. Awesome !!! (4:00 p.m.) I did it !!! The acoustic and vocal tracks are perfect. The song actually sounds great without a lead guitar track ! Despite this, I am still going to record one. A few tasty leads, or simple rhythmic slides, should add a whole new dimension to the tune. Well, that was my last acoustic track for this Cd. Of all my instruments, my Ovation is definitely my favorite. The approach I used last night to recording the acoustic worked perfectly ! I will continue to use this approach with all my future Cd projects. I ran out of CDRW's, so I wasn't able to backup the song data. I am going to make a run to Office Depot in a couple of hours, when I got back home that will be priority #1. I know I don't have the lead finished yet, but I don't want to lose what I've already finished.
6-18-10, I have started to mess around with some lead guitar parts. I am going to use a slide guitar tuning (F,C,A#,F,C,F). The verse parts are in the key of F Major and the chorus/change parts are in G# Major. The open strings F,C and A# are common notes in both keys. It's just a matter of getting familiar with the tuning, then I will start playing along with the recording and see what develops. I am not going to use the slide all the way through, some parts will be picked. I have never used a slide before, or this tuning, so I am excited to see what happens. I guess this qualifies as another creative moment ... I love it ! I am determined to elevate this tune to another level !! If I get it right the slide parts should add a bit of a swampy/bayou southern vibe to this religious rockabilly song. I am the only person I know of who could come anywhere close to pulling this off. Though not stated directly, the lyrics in the song do kind of pertain to the suffering in New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina and both wars. I can do this !
6-19-10 (2:30 a.m.) I have been working on putting together a really cool slide guitar track. I pretty much have the the intro/interludes, verses and 1/2 the chorus worked out. The change section is going to be the only challenging part. I am still not totally comfortable with the slide, but it is a lot of fun ! It really does add a cool southern vibe to the song. I can do it !
6-20-10, I just nailed the lead vocals for "Wilderness Of Mirrors" tonight. That means that all I have left is the lead guitar for this song, and 2 possible vocal redo's. I technically still have 2 weeks left with the storage unit, so I am now way ahead of schedule. Things are going very well with this Cd. Tomorrow (today) is Fathers Day's so I will take a break a break from the music to spend some time with my dad. I am also going to call my birth dad and wish him well.
6-22-10, I have put this song aside for a couple of days while I worked on designing the front cover sleeve for the Cd. I did, finally, buy some CDRW's so I will be able to backup this songs data ASAP. I don't want to lose the tracks that I have already worked on. Once the lead guitar is done, I will overwrite the data
6-31-10 (3:00 a.m.), I have put the lead guitar track aside while I was working on the graphic design for the Cd. To break the monotony, I went to the studio tonight to take shot at recording it. Well, it didn't work out. On the brighter side I did manage to get a good mix for the song. Maybe that will make future recording attempts a bit easier. For what it is worth, I am really not overly concerned about when I get around to recording the lead guitar. It isn't like I'm sitting idle and not getting anything else done. After listening to the song, it is possible that I may also scrap one of the guitar tracks. The one that was recorded through the mic has a very muffled low end tone that seems to muddy up the mix. If I do so, then I will have another extra track to work with. It is possible that I may even lay down some keyboards on this track. Keys and a lead guitar would make this a very big sounding song. For whatever reason, I seem to do very well with big sounding songs.
7-5-10 (4:30 a.m.) I decided to change from the slide tuning (F,C,F,A#,C,F) back to a 1/2 step up approach (F,C,G#,D#,A#,F). The catchy rhythm slide part I came up with only uses single notes and I think it will be less complicated in this tuning. Besides, the majority of the slide part is played on the high F and C strings, so nothing changes there. (9:00 p.m.) I am starting to put the guitar track together. It's nothing overly dramatic, just some nice melodic rhythm leads. I might open it up a bit during the musical change part, which I will work out when I am recording. I am also going to need to enhance the outro. Maybe I can get it to have an uplifting vibe. That would be a fitting ending to the song, and the Cd.
7-7-10, The lead guitar is really starting to take form. I am experimenting with an alternate approach for the outro. If all goes well, I will probably have the track recorded within a week. The slide parts that I came up with are very catchy, and fit the song perfectly. For the most part it is Slide Guitar 101 ... but it works !
7-8-10, I got the intro, verse and chorus sections recorded today. I was getting tired of putting things off, so I decided to put my head down and get it done ... haste is waste ! I still need to fine tune the change part before I lay it down. I am also working out a cool melodic outro solo. The first half of the chorus, and the outro, are the only parts of the track that don't use a slide.
7-9-10, The outro solo is almost worked out !! I still have to add a few finishing touches, but it is pretty much good to go. This is probably one of the most melodic solo's I have ever put together. I still need to work out something for the change section. It's not going to be anything flashy, just a few slides to accent the rhythm section. I am confident I will have the entire track finished tomorrow.
7-11-10 (1:30 a.m.) Yes !!! I am finished ! This is one of the tastiest lead tracks I have have ever recorded. I ended up alternating between the slide and finger picked parts in the outro (played without removing the slide). The slides I came up with for the change section are perfect ! I am absolutely positive that this song has the potential to be a hit. It is also one of the more danceable tunes on the Cd, and one of the longest at over 5 1/2 minutes. I am sure that the higher powers will be very happy with my efforts. The song turned out to be a southern rockabilly swamp boogie hip shaker with a religious theme. It is such a relief to finally have this tune finished. There is only one word I can think of that is suitable for the end of this post .... Amen !
*** It is also fitting that I finished this song on a Sunday morning ***
5-3-10, I have about 2 weeks, or so, until the storage facility where I am recording my vocals will be ready. That gives me 2 weeks to work on this tune. Once the drums are worked out it should only take 3-4 days to finish everything else. So ... I guess this means I have some free time to get out and enjoy the warm weather. I have earned the down time !
5-6-10, How quickly things can change ! I got the storage unit sooner than expected. This song will have to sit on the back burner for a while.
5-18-10, I am still recording the vocals for my first 12 tunes (only 2 left). Once the vocals are completed, I am going to work on "Wilderness Of Mirrors". After that, I will tackle this song. If all goes well, I will be back to this post in about 2-3 weeks. This will be the final song that I work on for my "Crazy Like A Fox" Cd. If all goes well, I will be in an excellent mood when I return. I have the storage facility through the month of June, so that will leave me with about 2 weeks to nail this tune. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed, and hope that my luck continues.
6-5-10, I just finished up "Wilderness Of Mirrors" tonight, so this is the final song that I will work on for this Cd release ! I made it back to this post in 18 days, so I guess I am right in the middle of my 2-3 week prediction. Oh, and yes ... I am in an excellent mood. I technically have the storage facility until July 4th, which sounds like a perfect day to celebrate having all the recording done for this Cd. I think I should have this song done within 2 weeks. It is going to be nice to get back to using the acoustic guitar, which I am thinking about recording at the storage facility. All the natural reverb in there should work out real well. So basically I just need to record the drums, bass, lead guitar and a scratch acoustic track here at home. I am also contemplating trying my hand at some slide guitar on the lead track. Composition wise, I do still need to work out some lyrics and a bridge section. No ideas at this point, but I am sure something will come to me.
6-6-10 (3:30 a.m.), Well so much for waiting. I have already started to put the drum track together. I didn't think it would be overly complicated. A nice straightforward, romping, Rockabilly beat is all that is needed. The groove will pretty much drive through the entire song. I am still not sure if the song needs a bridge section, or not ? I also have all the lyrics for the verses, and choruses, worked out.
6-7-10 (3:00 a.m.), While working on the drum track, my headphones began zonking out on me !! Here all along, I thought the input on my recorder was messed up (after dropping it at the storage facility). Now that the same cutting in and out problem is occurring with the drum machine, it is obvious that it was my headphones all along. I am relieved that the problem isn't with my recorder. I have had this set of AKG Monitor headphones for about 10 years now and they have more than earned their keep (used on all 3 Cd's). I guess I will have to make a trip to Sam Ash today, and buy another pair. Luckily, it's just a minor setback. Hopefully a good pair won't be too expensive. Maybe I will get lucky and they will have my studio monitors in (I currently have their floor model). I have been patiently waiting for about 1 1/2 months for them to arrive. Maybe if I play this right, I will be able to work a deal for the headphones ? We'll see .... (5:30 p.m.) My monitors weren't in yet, but I did a get a nice new pair of Samson CH700 Studio Reference Headphones ($50) !!! I autographed and dated the old pair of AKG headphones and packed them away. You never know ... they may end up being a cool collectible someday. (11:00 p.m.) Alrighty then ! I am having a really productive day. I am almost positive that I have the drums worked out. I came up with a simple change part that should work out alright. Since I am on a roll, I might as well hit the gym and put in a good workout. I will give the drums another listen when I get home. If I like what I hear, then I will record them tomorrow. The new headphones seem to be working well !!!
6-8-10 (3:30 a.m.) Another awesome workout ! I think I was there about 3 1/2 hours. I have started to work a 1/2 hour of cardio into my usual routine. I am listening to the drum track right now, and I think it is good to go. All in all, it is kind of a "simple" song (no pun intended). I will record the track later today, when I wake up. The acoustic, with a capo on the 1st fret, isn't going to be problem at all. It's just a bunch of straightforward strumming ... without a pick (my preferred way of playing the acoustic). I am definitely going to record the track at the studio, because I want to experiment with running 2 recording lines (1 direct and the other through the microphone). This will give me 2 versions of the same guitar track to work with. I am anxious to hear how the acoustic sounds through the microphone, with all the natural reverb in the room. I will just have to be careful not to move around much while recording, so no extra noises bleed through the mix. Before I do this, I am going to record a scratch track, which will make it easier to record the bass line. Since the acoustic has a capo on the first fret, I will have to tune the bass up 1/2 step. This is also cool because it will smooth out the dead frets that I have been having trouble with. Once the bass and acoustic are finished, I will move onto the lead guitar. I am very excited about attempting to play some slide guitar. I have never tried this before, so it will be a new experience. I am positive that I am not going to use any keyboards on this song. (3:00 p.m.) I just got the drum track recorded (my last drum track for this Cd). I also did a scratch acoustic track. After this, I tuned up the bass and did a quick test run. As far as the tone goes, everything sounded good. So, basically I am ready to roll with the bass line. Before I do this, I will need to work out the song keys (I don't want to hit any boner notes). My friends from Illinois left me a text earlier today, so I will probably be getting together with them over the next few days. We might catch a Rays game tomorrow (we're still in 1st place, and Price is pitching vs. Toronto). Anyway, I'm going to go and hit the beach for about an hour or so.
6-9-10 (3:00 a.m.), On a roll ! I just got the bass track recorded. I did raise the tuning up 1/2 step (G#, D#,A#,F). The song operates around 2 keys (F Major during the verses and G# Major for the choruses and change). The bass track makes for a very nice backbone to the song. The tune actually has a danceable beat, which is cool. Religion, when it's done right, should have a celebratory vibe. Well, this was my last bass track for this Cd ! I am sure that whenever I get around to writing another Cd, I will be playing a new bass (hopefully a Ibanez). I have had this Aria Pro (with custom pickups) for about 22 years now. It is one of the few, surviving remnants from my Illinois days. Shortly after moving to Florida (1991), I sanded it down and gave it a custom paint job. Someday I will have my own custom studio, and I am sure that this bass will be hanging up on the wall somewhere (probably next to my AKG headphones). Well, the acoustic guitar track is next ... then the lead guitar. The acoustic is going to be no problem at all. The lead guitar, on the other hand, will be a challenge. Playing slide is a bit tricky. (12:00p.m.) I just found out that my dad (birth dad) is in town. I am going to go over to my brothers house tonight to visit with him, and maybe go fishing tomorrow. (2:00 p.m.) Yes, I am going to the Rays game tonight with my brother and dad. Left field bleachers, Price vs Marcum ... should be an awesome game. (11:30 p.m.) Rays Win !! I had a good time. My brother, dad and I are going to go fishing at Fort DeSoto tomorrow. Should be another good time.
6-10-10. I went fishing today with my birth dad, brother, sister-in-law and their grandson at Fort DeSoto. after that I hung out with my Illinois friends. It was a fun day ! I have to admit that when it comes to fishing I am not very good. All I ended up catching was a good sunburn. I did, however, see a 3-4' shark and a dolphin swam by about 50-75' away from where we were fishing. It was a fun day and a much needed break from the music. My friends from Illinois were also doing well. It was good to see them again.
6-12-19 (5:00 p.m.), I took it easy yesterday, and stayed home in the nice cool AC. It is really hot out ! I might get together with my brother and dad later today. Tomorrow we are going to an art show in St. Pete. On Monday (2 days), I will resume my work on this song. I am thinking that I may just record the lead vocals on the same day that I do the acoustic. This would leave me with just the lead guitar track left to finish. Once the lead track is finished, all I will have left is .... one vocal for "Wilderness Of Mirrors" and 2 possible vocal redo's for "Coming For You" and "Best Days Of Your Life". By Monday, I will have about 20 days left to accomplish all of this. I actually think that I will have it all finished and still have about 2 weeks left to play with. I may then use some of this time to do some mastering. It will be very hot in there, but if I walk away with any final mixes it will be worth it.
6-14-10, I just got done bringing my birth dad to the airport. We had a fun week. Our relationship has always been a bit on the rocky side. There is no doubt in denying that he is a dedicated alcoholic. This has been his lifestyle for a very long time and it has really begun to take a toll on his body. It is sad seeing him in a deteriorating state. That being said, I am not a hater and I don't want to live my life thinking that I am any better than anyone else ... we all have our demons. I have my days where I like to party too. I just don't want it to be something that controls me. Despite all the adversity and bad times that I have had to endure with him, I am still thankful that he is my dad and I do love him. I am also thankful that I had a chance to spend some time with him and share some good memories. Sometimes the greatest lessons in life can be learned by watching other people's mistakes. If his health does take a turn for the worst (which is inevitable), I have the peace of mind to know that we are on good terms with each other. I am also very proud of my mom for riding with us to the airport. She has many reasons to be bitter with him, yet she found the strength to turn the other cheek. I know when he left Tampa, he did so with a smile on his face ... and that is a memory I will never forget. (6:30 p.m.) I am going to put in a good workout tonight ! Tomorrow It is back to work for me. I am going to hit the studio and lay down the acoustic for this song, and possibly the lead vocals too. If I pull it off, all that will be left is the lead guitar track. (11:30 p.m.) I am just too burned out, the workout is going to have to wait.
6-16-10, Finally feeling better today. There is some thundering going on outside, but no rain so far. If no bad weather develops I am going to hit the studio later, and finish up this song (acoustic and lead vocals). With my birth dad and friends visiting last week, I kind of got blown off course for a bit. I only have about 2 weeks left now, and I absolutely need to step up and get this song done. It is possible that I may hold off on the lead guitar, until all the vocal work is done ("Wilderness Of Mirrors" and the 2 possible redo's). The storage unit contract ends on July 4 and I really don't want to have to rent it for another month. So, finishing the vocals is my priority right now.
6-17-10 (2:30 a.m.) Yes !!! I am back on top of the game. After about 5 1/2 hours in a grueling hot storage unit, I am proud to say that I have completed the acoustic track ... and the lead vocals !!! Of course I will have to listen back tomorrow before I give my final approval, but I think it will be good to go. I did do a dual recording of the acoustic (1 mic'd the other a normal line in). I am positive that both tracks are perfect. It's cool because I have 2 versions of the same recording to work with. I also ended up using a pic, the finger strummed approach just wasn't working. The results are excellent. This song ended up becoming a bit of an upbeat rockabilly religious tune. If everything sounds good tomorrow, all that is left is the lead guitar. Awesome !!! (4:00 p.m.) I did it !!! The acoustic and vocal tracks are perfect. The song actually sounds great without a lead guitar track ! Despite this, I am still going to record one. A few tasty leads, or simple rhythmic slides, should add a whole new dimension to the tune. Well, that was my last acoustic track for this Cd. Of all my instruments, my Ovation is definitely my favorite. The approach I used last night to recording the acoustic worked perfectly ! I will continue to use this approach with all my future Cd projects. I ran out of CDRW's, so I wasn't able to backup the song data. I am going to make a run to Office Depot in a couple of hours, when I got back home that will be priority #1. I know I don't have the lead finished yet, but I don't want to lose what I've already finished.
6-18-10, I have started to mess around with some lead guitar parts. I am going to use a slide guitar tuning (F,C,A#,F,C,F). The verse parts are in the key of F Major and the chorus/change parts are in G# Major. The open strings F,C and A# are common notes in both keys. It's just a matter of getting familiar with the tuning, then I will start playing along with the recording and see what develops. I am not going to use the slide all the way through, some parts will be picked. I have never used a slide before, or this tuning, so I am excited to see what happens. I guess this qualifies as another creative moment ... I love it ! I am determined to elevate this tune to another level !! If I get it right the slide parts should add a bit of a swampy/bayou southern vibe to this religious rockabilly song. I am the only person I know of who could come anywhere close to pulling this off. Though not stated directly, the lyrics in the song do kind of pertain to the suffering in New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina and both wars. I can do this !
6-19-10 (2:30 a.m.) I have been working on putting together a really cool slide guitar track. I pretty much have the the intro/interludes, verses and 1/2 the chorus worked out. The change section is going to be the only challenging part. I am still not totally comfortable with the slide, but it is a lot of fun ! It really does add a cool southern vibe to the song. I can do it !
6-20-10, I just nailed the lead vocals for "Wilderness Of Mirrors" tonight. That means that all I have left is the lead guitar for this song, and 2 possible vocal redo's. I technically still have 2 weeks left with the storage unit, so I am now way ahead of schedule. Things are going very well with this Cd. Tomorrow (today) is Fathers Day's so I will take a break a break from the music to spend some time with my dad. I am also going to call my birth dad and wish him well.
6-22-10, I have put this song aside for a couple of days while I worked on designing the front cover sleeve for the Cd. I did, finally, buy some CDRW's so I will be able to backup this songs data ASAP. I don't want to lose the tracks that I have already worked on. Once the lead guitar is done, I will overwrite the data
6-31-10 (3:00 a.m.), I have put the lead guitar track aside while I was working on the graphic design for the Cd. To break the monotony, I went to the studio tonight to take shot at recording it. Well, it didn't work out. On the brighter side I did manage to get a good mix for the song. Maybe that will make future recording attempts a bit easier. For what it is worth, I am really not overly concerned about when I get around to recording the lead guitar. It isn't like I'm sitting idle and not getting anything else done. After listening to the song, it is possible that I may also scrap one of the guitar tracks. The one that was recorded through the mic has a very muffled low end tone that seems to muddy up the mix. If I do so, then I will have another extra track to work with. It is possible that I may even lay down some keyboards on this track. Keys and a lead guitar would make this a very big sounding song. For whatever reason, I seem to do very well with big sounding songs.
7-5-10 (4:30 a.m.) I decided to change from the slide tuning (F,C,F,A#,C,F) back to a 1/2 step up approach (F,C,G#,D#,A#,F). The catchy rhythm slide part I came up with only uses single notes and I think it will be less complicated in this tuning. Besides, the majority of the slide part is played on the high F and C strings, so nothing changes there. (9:00 p.m.) I am starting to put the guitar track together. It's nothing overly dramatic, just some nice melodic rhythm leads. I might open it up a bit during the musical change part, which I will work out when I am recording. I am also going to need to enhance the outro. Maybe I can get it to have an uplifting vibe. That would be a fitting ending to the song, and the Cd.
7-7-10, The lead guitar is really starting to take form. I am experimenting with an alternate approach for the outro. If all goes well, I will probably have the track recorded within a week. The slide parts that I came up with are very catchy, and fit the song perfectly. For the most part it is Slide Guitar 101 ... but it works !
7-8-10, I got the intro, verse and chorus sections recorded today. I was getting tired of putting things off, so I decided to put my head down and get it done ... haste is waste ! I still need to fine tune the change part before I lay it down. I am also working out a cool melodic outro solo. The first half of the chorus, and the outro, are the only parts of the track that don't use a slide.
7-9-10, The outro solo is almost worked out !! I still have to add a few finishing touches, but it is pretty much good to go. This is probably one of the most melodic solo's I have ever put together. I still need to work out something for the change section. It's not going to be anything flashy, just a few slides to accent the rhythm section. I am confident I will have the entire track finished tomorrow.
7-11-10 (1:30 a.m.) Yes !!! I am finished ! This is one of the tastiest lead tracks I have have ever recorded. I ended up alternating between the slide and finger picked parts in the outro (played without removing the slide). The slides I came up with for the change section are perfect ! I am absolutely positive that this song has the potential to be a hit. It is also one of the more danceable tunes on the Cd, and one of the longest at over 5 1/2 minutes. I am sure that the higher powers will be very happy with my efforts. The song turned out to be a southern rockabilly swamp boogie hip shaker with a religious theme. It is such a relief to finally have this tune finished. There is only one word I can think of that is suitable for the end of this post .... Amen !
*** It is also fitting that I finished this song on a Sunday morning ***
Friday, April 23, 2010
"Downtown"
4-23-10, Things are just happening in a good way for me. I might as well roll with it and see where it takes me. Originally this tune was going to be called "Cool Cat Cunning" or "Kicking About", but I think "Downtown" will work out better. This is nothing more than a lyrical idea that I came with about 7 years ago. I can remember driving in the mail truck and singing the chorus. About 2 years ago I came up with the verse lyrics (it's me versus the police chief, mayor and governor ... guess who ends up going downtown). After a good workout at Anytime Fitness, I came home, sat down with the acoustic and came up with some chords. This is definitely going to be a fun, playful novelty song. I think that one of the tricks to being a good songwriter, is to always carry a notebook and write things down. You never know when an idea is going to hit you. Besides all the old songs I have recorded on cassette, I also have a bunch of lyrical ideas written down. I have another one that is called "Wilderness Of Mirrors", which has a CIA/spy theme. Maybe if things go well with this tune, I'll work on that one
* I also want to add that I am totally impressed with my BR 1600 digital recorder. When I started out, it was all foreign to me. As time has gone by I have become very comfortable with it. I originally thought it would only hold about 7-9 songs. Well, I'm at 11 tunes now and there is still plenty of memory space left. I still have to learn the mastering tools, and how to burn Cd's, but I'll cross that road when the time comes.
4-24-10, I am starting to get the drums together. It's another chromatic song. I think that's about 3 in a row using this approach. It's usually a bit of a challenge with song keys but, if it's done right, it gives the tune a unique character. This song tells such a fun story, if it's done right, the listener should be able to concentrate on the words and not get too distracted by the music. On the other hand, I also want the music to compliment the lyrics, so I need the groove to be upbeat and interesting. The arrangement, so far, is falling into place. The swing on the song is set to 66 (50 being lowest and 75 highest). The bass line is going to walk it's way through the entire song (using every note). For the most part, this should leave the acoustic guitar free to do some straight forward strumming. Maybe, if it's needed, I'll add some rythym solo's. The 3 main keys to be used in the song are G Minor, A Minor and D Major. The biggest challenge to writing fun novelty tunes is to make sure that the whole thing doesn't get too hokie. Fun and playful is cool, because listeners usually appreciate the change of pace. I like to be known as a creative writer, so the playful tunes are just part of my repertoire.
4-25-10, The drums are recorded. It's a very short song at about 2:45, which is alright. The drum track is nothing flashy ... nice, tight, straight forward and strong on the accents. The drum and bass should blend together well for a nice backbone to the tune.
4-26-10, Dang !!! Another lesson learned. I almost had the bass track finished, I was doing one last edit, when my recorder froze up ! I ended up having to unplug it. Well to cut to the quick, I lost the entire bass track because I didn't have it saved. 4-5 hours of work gone in a flash. The lesson learned is to save frequently. On the positive side, at least I have the track worked out. I'll just have to lay it down tomorrow. I do have a lot of songs and data saved in the recorder, so I may want to keep a closer eye on things. I am hopeful that the freeze up was just an odd occurrence, and nothing more.
4-27-10, Today was for me ! An afternoon at the beach, a few pints at a local Irish pub and a night of partying at some local beach bars. Of course my clumsy ass couldn't make it through the night without spraining my ankle. Maybe someday I'll figure this walking thing out.
4-28-10, That's more like it. The bass is recorded ! The song is mostly in G Minor and D Major, the A Minor wasn't needed. There is a lot of chromatic work in this song, I actually did end up using every note (another first).
4-29-10, Yes !!!! Sam Ash was running a 20% off sale today, so I went and bought a pair of Samson Resolv A5 active studio monitors. With the cable it came to only $231. The speakers were out of stock, so I am using their floor model until mine comes in (2 weeks). I tested them out when I got home and they rock ! It was cool hearing my tunes outside of the headphones. With my last 2 Cd's I used my home stereo as my monitor, so this is my first pair of official studio monitors. April, 2010 (my birthday month) has been my best songwriting month ever ! I have completed nearly 5 songs ("Same Old Troubles", "Where's The Sun", "Doppelganger Blues", "Coming For You" and I'm working on "Downtown"). I started the month with 7 songs finished, and I am ending it working on song #12. I listened to all of them through the monitors and I am very happy. This Cd is going to be excellent ! I am still working out the guitar for this tune. It will probably be recorded within 2-3 days. I will also have to resume trying to find a place where I can record the lead vocals.
4-30-10, For the most part the lead guitar is recorded, I just need to do some final editing. I have a funny feeling that I may need to add another track or 2 (this track mostly follows the bass line). At a minimal, I am going to need something during the chorus to make the whole thing bigger. We'll see what develops. I came pretty close to finishing in the song in April. Happy May Day !
5-1-10 (10:30 p.m.), Away from home most of the day, visiting with family. I'm sure I'll be up till the a.m. hours finishing the guitar track. (4:30 a.m.) I've got the lead track finished. I have also been working on a rhythm guitar track, to pad the verses and add more uplift to the chorus. Since things are going well I may even experiment with the keyboards. I don't know if it will lead to anything, but then again, maybe it will.
5-2-10, I did it ! The music for "Downtown" is finished. Today I completed the rhythm guitar and 2 keyboard tracks (orchestra and trumpet). I also saved/protected the song and backed up the data. The 2 keyboard tracks are mostly used in the chorus and fill part. The tune ended up becoming a really cool composition, with a big chorus. Well, this means the music is completed for 12 tunes. It would be an absolute dream come true if I could finish 2 more (a 14 song Cd release would be perfect). I didn't experience any more troubles with the recorder, so the freeze up was probably just an odd occurrence. The 2 ideas I am still contemplating are "Wilderness Of Mirrors" (lyrical idea) and "Simple Minded"(2/3 worked out). "Simple Minded" would be the easier of the 2. It's a straight forward Rockabilly tune with a Catholic theme. Acoustic guitar, bass, drums and some slide guitar would do the trick (it's been a while since I used the acoustic). In the meantime, I also need to get out and find somewhere to record the vocals.
5-3-10, Good things just seem to happen for me when I go headfirst into songs that aren't worked out, like with "Sweet Adelaide" (bought my keyboards and came up with "Under The Weather"). During the process of this tune I bought my studio monitors and may have also found a place to record my vocals (see "Miscellaneous" post). If the storage unit works out, it will be my 3rd wise investment this year. The keyboards were $100, monitors $230 and the storage unit $120. That's $450 of well spent money !
5-4-10, I got the call this afternoon that the storage unit was available. It ended up costing $150 for 2 months. As you probably guessed, I just couldn't wait ... so, I went and finished the lead vocals for this song and "Coming For You". It was a bit on the hot side in there, but I managed to grind it out. I discovered another cool feature in the BR 1600, it has phantom power built in. This meant that I was able to use my AKG C3000 Condenser Mic. The reverb in the unit was perfect. This turned out to be a very interesting song. It has kind of a melancholy vibe to it, which actually sets up the storyline real well. The decision to use G Minor during the verses and D Major in the choruses was a good move.
5-5-10, I listened back to the vocals today and everything is good to go. A few hisses and slurs, here and there, but that's alright. Vocals are similar to recording an acoustic guitar. The extra little sounds are always going to find their way into the mix, but that's just how it is. If I dwell too much on perfection, I'll never finish anything. The vocals are clear enough that there shouldn't be any trouble with the listeners understanding the words, which was one of my priorities. I cleaned up the track, saved/protected the song and backed up the data. Since it is Cinco de Mayo, I will take a break from recording tonight to enjoy some of the festivities. My voice is also a tad hoarse today. I imagine this will be a common occurrence over the next few weeks. I had a very good night hanging with a few acquaintances later in the night, we eventually ended up in Dunedin. There were a few rough experiences trying to flirt with the ladies, but oh well. I actually am a shy person, it's kind of funny that my persona fits my name. I am not embarrassed to admit that I have never been very good at being a playboy (I'm a songwriter so I'm much better at being an observer). After a few drinks my courage does go up, but it also causes me to come across more like a bumbling idiot. Thankfully, I have a good sense of humor and I don't take things too seriously.
5-9-10, This song is good to go. I am happy with the vocals !
* I also want to add that I am totally impressed with my BR 1600 digital recorder. When I started out, it was all foreign to me. As time has gone by I have become very comfortable with it. I originally thought it would only hold about 7-9 songs. Well, I'm at 11 tunes now and there is still plenty of memory space left. I still have to learn the mastering tools, and how to burn Cd's, but I'll cross that road when the time comes.
4-24-10, I am starting to get the drums together. It's another chromatic song. I think that's about 3 in a row using this approach. It's usually a bit of a challenge with song keys but, if it's done right, it gives the tune a unique character. This song tells such a fun story, if it's done right, the listener should be able to concentrate on the words and not get too distracted by the music. On the other hand, I also want the music to compliment the lyrics, so I need the groove to be upbeat and interesting. The arrangement, so far, is falling into place. The swing on the song is set to 66 (50 being lowest and 75 highest). The bass line is going to walk it's way through the entire song (using every note). For the most part, this should leave the acoustic guitar free to do some straight forward strumming. Maybe, if it's needed, I'll add some rythym solo's. The 3 main keys to be used in the song are G Minor, A Minor and D Major. The biggest challenge to writing fun novelty tunes is to make sure that the whole thing doesn't get too hokie. Fun and playful is cool, because listeners usually appreciate the change of pace. I like to be known as a creative writer, so the playful tunes are just part of my repertoire.
4-25-10, The drums are recorded. It's a very short song at about 2:45, which is alright. The drum track is nothing flashy ... nice, tight, straight forward and strong on the accents. The drum and bass should blend together well for a nice backbone to the tune.
4-26-10, Dang !!! Another lesson learned. I almost had the bass track finished, I was doing one last edit, when my recorder froze up ! I ended up having to unplug it. Well to cut to the quick, I lost the entire bass track because I didn't have it saved. 4-5 hours of work gone in a flash. The lesson learned is to save frequently. On the positive side, at least I have the track worked out. I'll just have to lay it down tomorrow. I do have a lot of songs and data saved in the recorder, so I may want to keep a closer eye on things. I am hopeful that the freeze up was just an odd occurrence, and nothing more.
4-27-10, Today was for me ! An afternoon at the beach, a few pints at a local Irish pub and a night of partying at some local beach bars. Of course my clumsy ass couldn't make it through the night without spraining my ankle. Maybe someday I'll figure this walking thing out.
4-28-10, That's more like it. The bass is recorded ! The song is mostly in G Minor and D Major, the A Minor wasn't needed. There is a lot of chromatic work in this song, I actually did end up using every note (another first).
4-29-10, Yes !!!! Sam Ash was running a 20% off sale today, so I went and bought a pair of Samson Resolv A5 active studio monitors. With the cable it came to only $231. The speakers were out of stock, so I am using their floor model until mine comes in (2 weeks). I tested them out when I got home and they rock ! It was cool hearing my tunes outside of the headphones. With my last 2 Cd's I used my home stereo as my monitor, so this is my first pair of official studio monitors. April, 2010 (my birthday month) has been my best songwriting month ever ! I have completed nearly 5 songs ("Same Old Troubles", "Where's The Sun", "Doppelganger Blues", "Coming For You" and I'm working on "Downtown"). I started the month with 7 songs finished, and I am ending it working on song #12. I listened to all of them through the monitors and I am very happy. This Cd is going to be excellent ! I am still working out the guitar for this tune. It will probably be recorded within 2-3 days. I will also have to resume trying to find a place where I can record the lead vocals.
4-30-10, For the most part the lead guitar is recorded, I just need to do some final editing. I have a funny feeling that I may need to add another track or 2 (this track mostly follows the bass line). At a minimal, I am going to need something during the chorus to make the whole thing bigger. We'll see what develops. I came pretty close to finishing in the song in April. Happy May Day !
5-1-10 (10:30 p.m.), Away from home most of the day, visiting with family. I'm sure I'll be up till the a.m. hours finishing the guitar track. (4:30 a.m.) I've got the lead track finished. I have also been working on a rhythm guitar track, to pad the verses and add more uplift to the chorus. Since things are going well I may even experiment with the keyboards. I don't know if it will lead to anything, but then again, maybe it will.
5-2-10, I did it ! The music for "Downtown" is finished. Today I completed the rhythm guitar and 2 keyboard tracks (orchestra and trumpet). I also saved/protected the song and backed up the data. The 2 keyboard tracks are mostly used in the chorus and fill part. The tune ended up becoming a really cool composition, with a big chorus. Well, this means the music is completed for 12 tunes. It would be an absolute dream come true if I could finish 2 more (a 14 song Cd release would be perfect). I didn't experience any more troubles with the recorder, so the freeze up was probably just an odd occurrence. The 2 ideas I am still contemplating are "Wilderness Of Mirrors" (lyrical idea) and "Simple Minded"(2/3 worked out). "Simple Minded" would be the easier of the 2. It's a straight forward Rockabilly tune with a Catholic theme. Acoustic guitar, bass, drums and some slide guitar would do the trick (it's been a while since I used the acoustic). In the meantime, I also need to get out and find somewhere to record the vocals.
5-3-10, Good things just seem to happen for me when I go headfirst into songs that aren't worked out, like with "Sweet Adelaide" (bought my keyboards and came up with "Under The Weather"). During the process of this tune I bought my studio monitors and may have also found a place to record my vocals (see "Miscellaneous" post). If the storage unit works out, it will be my 3rd wise investment this year. The keyboards were $100, monitors $230 and the storage unit $120. That's $450 of well spent money !
5-4-10, I got the call this afternoon that the storage unit was available. It ended up costing $150 for 2 months. As you probably guessed, I just couldn't wait ... so, I went and finished the lead vocals for this song and "Coming For You". It was a bit on the hot side in there, but I managed to grind it out. I discovered another cool feature in the BR 1600, it has phantom power built in. This meant that I was able to use my AKG C3000 Condenser Mic. The reverb in the unit was perfect. This turned out to be a very interesting song. It has kind of a melancholy vibe to it, which actually sets up the storyline real well. The decision to use G Minor during the verses and D Major in the choruses was a good move.
5-5-10, I listened back to the vocals today and everything is good to go. A few hisses and slurs, here and there, but that's alright. Vocals are similar to recording an acoustic guitar. The extra little sounds are always going to find their way into the mix, but that's just how it is. If I dwell too much on perfection, I'll never finish anything. The vocals are clear enough that there shouldn't be any trouble with the listeners understanding the words, which was one of my priorities. I cleaned up the track, saved/protected the song and backed up the data. Since it is Cinco de Mayo, I will take a break from recording tonight to enjoy some of the festivities. My voice is also a tad hoarse today. I imagine this will be a common occurrence over the next few weeks. I had a very good night hanging with a few acquaintances later in the night, we eventually ended up in Dunedin. There were a few rough experiences trying to flirt with the ladies, but oh well. I actually am a shy person, it's kind of funny that my persona fits my name. I am not embarrassed to admit that I have never been very good at being a playboy (I'm a songwriter so I'm much better at being an observer). After a few drinks my courage does go up, but it also causes me to come across more like a bumbling idiot. Thankfully, I have a good sense of humor and I don't take things too seriously.
5-9-10, This song is good to go. I am happy with the vocals !
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Miscellaneous
4-22-10, I started looking around at various places where I could record the lead vocals. Unfortunately most of the storage units don't include electricity. I may have found a break, however, while visiting a local Uncle Bob's. They have an old office in their facility (maybe 8'x 10' with a bathroom) that hasn't been used in a long time. It's sounds like it may be a bit run down and there is no AC, but I am definitely interested. I am going to meet with the manager Saturday. Maybe I will get lucky. Since I am somewhat idle, I am going to see if I can get my ReverbNation numbers to improve. I'm going to be sending out a lot of fan invites !
4-24-10, Well things didn't work out with Uncle Bob's space. The manager pretty much said that the old office was in real bad shape, and that the front doors were barely hanging on. He wouldn't even let me look at it. He also said that it would be more than $150/month, which was my offer. Oh well, I'll just have to keep looking. Something will open up ... somewhere. I'm working on a song right now, anyway. Ideally, finding a place with AC and electricity by the middle of May would be a realistic goal. Ultimately, having all the recording finished by the end of June would be a reasonable time line. That would leave me 4 months for mastering/mixdown, copyrighting, putting the graphic design together and Cd replication. The only major expense is going to be the replication (when Cd copies are made), which might run around $1,500-$2,000 depending on the number of copies. That leaves me about 5-6 months to save up. I may also have to buy a couple monitor speakers for the mastering/mixdown, which will cost around $300. It all still seems a bit overwhelming at this point, so it's probably best that I just focus on recording the music for the last 2-3 songs. One step at a time, things are rolling along real well right now ... why screw it up. 3 more would give me 14 tunes, a creditable amount for an independent release. Like with my previous Cd "Like The Freak You Are", I will use my artwork in the Cd's graphic design. The trick with artwork is to make a piece as memorable as possible. When it's used on a Cd, many people will see it. It's kind of like using one hobby to support the other. Well anyway, I don't need to worry about that for at least a couple more months. There is a good chance that I may just use a couple of my homemade voodoo dolls for the front cover of the Cd. It would definitely be memorable, and add a bit of a freaky element to the release (always a good thing) !!!
4-28-10, This is just too funny not to share. I get notification today that my bank is charging me $2,500 for some mandatory homeowners insurance policy. They don't even realize that they foreclosed on my home nearly 1 1/2 years ago ... what is that ? Did these brainless geniuses go to fancy colleges just to learn how to be inept idiots ... and I'm the problem ? We are still at war, and hard working people in our country, are being blatantly attacked by our own ... and they are getting away with it ? How is this not terrorism ?
5-3-10, YES !!!! I'm going to keep my fingers crossed but I think I found somewhere to record my vocals. It was a local storage facility with AC (77 degrees). They are going to install an outlet for me which will take about 2-3 weeks. They said they would also be able to give me a key card so I will have 24 hour access. The unit is 10'x10' and is indoors. I checked it out and it was absolutely perfect ! Kind of like my own personal jail cell. Two of the walls are concrete, the other 2 are metal. The natural reverb was excellent. If this works out, it is a perfect scenario for me (10'x10' room with AC, electricity, good reverb and 24 hour access). And the best news of all ... it will only cost $120 for 1 month !!!
5-4-10, And just like that it happens ! I got a call today from the storage facility saying that they had a unit already ready for me. I went there right away ! I ended up getting a 10'x15' room with AC, electricity and 24 hour access for just $150 .... for 2 months !! This is the best setup I have ever had for recording lead vocals. It's a nice quiet area with lots of trees around it. The unit is big enough that I can move around and get into the moment, concrete/metal walls ... and the reverb is perfect ! No excuses ... it's time for me to kick some ass !! Thank you to my friends Adam and Eddie ! You guys rock !!!
5-9-10, Happy Mothers Day to all the moms. I love mine !! Well, things are going well with the studio/storage unit. I didn't realize it had only been 5 days. I have finished the vocals for 3 songs already ("Coming For You", "Downtown" and "Horrible End"). "Hard Times", "Sweet Adelaide" and "Nothin" were already finished. So this means that I have finished 6 out of 12 tunes already. I have also recorded vocals for "Best Days Of Your Life", but I am strongly considering redoing them with a better vocal effect (so it's not included as a finished song). I'm having a blast !! My throat is is a bit torn right now, and my ears are exhausted (headphones), so I need to take a couple days to recoup.
5-15-10, I redid the vocals for "Best Days Of Your Life" tonight. I also laid down the lead vocals for "Doppelganger Blues". Earlier in the week, I finished "Under The Weather". I have decided that I am also going to redo "Coming For You" (I kind of like how it is now, but I am positive I can make it better). Technically this means that I have completed 9 songs ! I only have 3 more left to work on "Same Old Troubles", "Where's The Sun" and "Won't Be Home Again". In about one more week, or so, I should also have them finished. I have the storage/studio rented through the month of June, so time is on my side. Once I'm done with these 12 tunes I will move on to writing a couple more. It's cool because I will still have a place to lay down the vocals when I finish them. I think the end of June will be my measuring stick. That will be exactly one half of the year. At that point I will put the songwriting/recording aside and move on to the business side of things (Cd's graphic design, copyrighting, mastering, replicating, joining ASCAP, releasing the CD, marketing, etc).
5-18-10, I just finished the vocals for "Same Old Troubles". Only 2 left to work on ! In between working out and recording, mom and I have been on a steady diet of "24". It started with season 3 about 1 1/2 weeks ago. We just started season 6 tonight. The finale for the current season is just one week away. By then we will through season 6 & 7. I was a huge fan of The Soprano's, but I think this series is much better. Definitely a lot more action going on. Once the current season is over, I'm sure we will backtrack and watch seasons 1 & 2. This series has inspired me work out my CIA/spy song "Wilderness Of Mirrors". Yesterday I started to mess around with a guitar arrangement for it. I still need to finish the vocals for 2 more songs ("Won't Be Home Again" and "Where's The Sun", then possibly a couple of redo's), once they are finished I will start putting the drum track together.
5-22-10, I just finished up the vocals for "Where's The Sun". 2 nights ago I finished "Won't Be Home Again". This means that I have completed vocals for all 12 songs. Considering that I am only 4 months and 3 weeks into the year, this is a heroic achievement. Next week I will start writing "Wilderness Of Mirrors", after that "Simple Minded". Time is on my side ! I have 5 weeks to write/record 2 songs, including the lead vocals. If all goes well, I will finish these 2 songs and still have 2 weeks left to work with. These 2 weeks will be used for any vocal redo's that may need to be done. I may also bring the monitors to the studio and work on some final mixes. I am so thankful that I found this storage unit ! Just 2 1/2 weeks ago, I had 12 songs with the music finished, and only 3 with the lead vocals finished. 2 1/2 weeks later, they are all finished with lead vocals. Thank you to the powers that be !!!
5-23-10, Whew ! I am still exhausted. Whomever said that recording vocals is easy, was lying. I am very proud of my progress. It has been about 5 years since my previous Cd release "Like The Freak You Are". With all the other stuff (house, job woes, etc.) going on, I just didn't have the opportunity to work on any recording. I have to admit that I was a bit unsure when I first started out. What I have learned is that my determination is much more stronger than my insecurities. I guess that's the Aries in me. I make up my mind that I'm going to do something, then I put my head down and do it. I think the positive part, about having 5 years between releases, is that it gave me time to come up with a bunch of song ideas. Sometimes the mental approach to the songwriting process gets overlooked. The truth is ... you have to be able to hear it in your head before you can record it, and bring it to life. After 5 years of having all these tunes bouncing around in my head, it is such a relief to finally have them finished. Once I get these next 2 finished, I will feel even more relieved ! It's kind of funny, because part of me doesn't want to stop. I am going to have to control this urge and be realistic with myself. 14 songs is more than enough material for one release. I am positive that this Cd is going to gain me a lot of recognition, and credibility, as a songwriter. It probably does put me at a disadvantage that I don't have a band, or perform live. On the other hand, it is fun being mysterious and working behind the scenes in a semi-anonymous capacity. It's all part of my Foxman persona.
5-26-10, Wow !!! Lee DeWyze wins American Idol. I thought Crystal had it locked up. The final show was excellent ! There were some classic performances. Congratulations to Lee !!! Also, a big farewell to Simon. Love him or hate him, he created a platform for total unknowns to rise up and become famous.
5-31-10, While working out tonight I came up with a brainstorm. I am thinking about including songs from my previous Cd's on my "Crazy Like A Fox" release. In a way it would be somewhat of a "best of" Cd. The songs I am considering are "Shadows" (my ominous instrumental), "Black Cat Saloon", "City Streets" (underground love song), "Shake For Me Now" (stripper song). "Have Another Cigarette" and "Sunday Morning". "Sunday Morning" is the last song on my "Songs From The Gallery" Cd, and all the rest are from my "Like The Freak You Are" Cd. All together that is 6 songs, which would give me 20 for my "Crazy Like A Fox" Cd. This would also add value to owning original physical copies of my first 2 Cd's. There will only be approximately 1,000 copies of each in existence, making both of them collectibles. All 6 of the songs are excellent, and it would definitely help elevate this Cd to groundbreaking status. I'm thinking of selling it for $15, which would be an excellent deal for 20 songs. On the other hand, I might not want to fire all my cannons in one release. Anyway, I'll think it through a bit more before I make up my mind.
6-1-10, I am pretty much positive that I am going to do it !! My 3rd Cd "Crazy Like A Fox" is going to be a blockbuster. Most people don't know who I am yet, so there is nothing wrong with including tunes from my previous releases. In the long run, I think it will make my first 2 Cd's more valuable. If things go well for me, it will be so much more easy to replicate one Cd instead of 3. Not to mention, my art work on the "Like The Freak You Are" Cd was a bit political, and controversial. By taking 5 (out of 9) tunes from this Cd and placing them on my current release, it chops off my critics at the knees. For what it is worth, I am in this game for the long run. Win or lose, I don't plan on stopping. In the big picture of things, this is just my 3rd Cd release out of many. Ultimately, I will end up with fans who want to own one of everything. So, an early word to those of you with an eye for collectibles ... hurry up and act now. Original, physical, copies of my first 2 Cd's are currently only available at my art studio. You'll have to visit my sites to find your way there :o) Look at it like it's a treasure hunt. (11:00 p.m.) Rays Win !!! A come from behind 9th inning win at Toronto. We are still in first place, with the best record in the league (35-18). Another year like 2008 would be awesome !
6-6-10, Things are going very well. I just finished the music for "Wilderness Of Mirrors", and I have begun to work on my last song "Simple Minded". I have decided to change my target day, for having all the recordings (vocals and music) finished, to July 4th (this is actually the day that my 2 month rental ends/rented on 5-4-10). After that, I will have 3 months to finish everything else (mastering, copyrighting, graphic design, ASCAP, replication, etc). Everything is right on schedule ! I am so glad that I decided to add 2 more songs to the Cd. I am also glad that I have decided to add 6 songs from my previous releases. This Cd is going to kick ass !! (7:30 p.m.) Just finished my online safe driving class. The fee for the class was $30 (it keeps the points from the ticket I received in April from appearing on my record). All I need to do now is run by the courthouse tomorrow and drop of the certificate, that says I passed the class. I also got the paperwork together that I need to register my name in a claim against Countrywide H.L., for identity theft (I will make a copy and mail it out tomorrow). After everything I went through with Countrywide it doesn't surprise me at all that they were also selling personal data. My home was foreclosed on in April, 2009. My problems with them had begun about 6 months prior to that. During one of my remortgages, I realized that they had placed me under an insurance policy that only covered their assets. Once I caught on to this, I went to my original insurance company and had the amount of my coverage bumped up to the amount of the remortgaging. This policy was to then replace their policy. Countrywide then claimed that this left me with a negative escrow, and they began charging me an extra $250 every month. The negative escrow amount was around $1,000, so I paid the extra amount for 4 months. After that, they just kept charging me the exaggerated amount. I wrote to them for help, but got no reasonable assistance. Ultimately, the exaggerated monthly payments were more than I could afford (I even tried renting and selling the property but got nowhere with the ruined economy). This is, ultimately, what led to my moving back in with my parents. Basically, Countrywide took a good 10 + year client and ran him right out of his home. Now the place has sat dormant for about 1 year. The whole thing is an absolute total mess at this point and I don't care. They wanted my house and they got it .. now it is their problem. The cool part for me, is that I have saved ALL the paperwork needed to prove everything I have stated here. Now that these 2 things are dealt with, I have to deal with the IRS again. They are claiming they didn't receive paperwork for my 2009 taxes, which I sent to them about 3 months ago. I had used Turbo Tax in 2009, and forgot to mail in the actual W-2's. They had everything on file but it wasn't valid until I mailed in the actual copies. I have had a lot of trouble with the IRS, over the last 4-5 years. I am living on just a $17,500/year retirement ... and I have to deal with the IRS busting my balls ? Just another crudded up Government agency. I will give them a call and deal with this new problem sometime this week. I am not complaining about all of this, though it is a lot of stress. The same problems that I am enduring many Americans are enduring. I am thankful that I have a strong family to fall back on. The Post Office, IRS and Countrywide are all broken entities .... my family and I aren't !!! Which one is better for America ?
6-7-10 (3:45 a.m.) Well my headphones zonked out on me. I will have to make a trip to Sam Ash, after I visit the courthouse. They are both located pretty close to each other. I am still waiting for my set of studio monitors to come in (I have their floor model right now). It has taken them about 3-4 weeks longer than expected to arrive. Maybe I will get lucky and they will be in. Maybe I will also be able to get a good deal on the headphones, for having to wait so long. I also have this vintage 1970's Shure microphone (no idea at all how I acquired it). I haven't been able to use it because it needs a mic cord with a 4 prong connector ? Maybe they will have one of these cords there. If it works, I am thinking about using the microphone for the "Wilderness Of Mirrors" vocals. If it is a bit old and crackly sounding it will be perfect for the cell phone effect I want. Anyway, I may be able to accomplish 3 things with just one visit to Sam Ash. (5:00 p.m.) Just got home from running errands. I dropped off my safe driving school certificate, so there are no points on my driving record. I sent out the claim form for the Countrywide data theft settlement. Then, I went to Sam Ash ! My studio monitors weren't in yet, but I did manage to get a few dollars taken off the cost of my new Samson CH700 Studio Reference Headphones !!! I brought the Shure mic in with me, but they didn't have any cords with a 4 prong connector. I guess the mic just wasn't meant to be used. Just for kicks I autographed and dated the old pair of AKG headphones. If I ever become successful they will be a collectors item since I used them on all 3 Cd's.
6-8-10, I have decided that I am now going to address the IRS through certified letters. Things are a bit strange right now and I really need to start protecting myself. With certified letters it gives me a legal way to document my contacts with them. This is the same approach I used with both the post office and Countrywide. It's unfortunate that I have to use this approach with another government agency, but it's just a sign of the times. One can't be too careful these days.
6-17-10, I have thought it through, and decided against including songs from my previous releases on this Cd. These new 14 songs are more than adequate, and I want to keep moving forward with my efforts. Just last night I finished up the acoustic and lead vocal tracks for "Simple Minded". All that song needs now is a lead guitar track and it is finished. I also, still need to do the lead vocals for "Wilderness Of Mirrors" and possibly some vocal redo's for "Best Days Of Your Life" and "Coming For You" ... and that is it !!! I still have 2 weeks left to finish these, so I am right on schedule.
6-25-10, "Wilderness Of Mirrors" is completed (vocals and all). Last night I redid the vocals for "Best Days Of Your Life", and everything turned out perfect ! I have listened to "Coming For You" on 2 different occasions, and both times I concluded that the lead vocals are good enough. Basically, all that is left (recording wise) is the lead guitar for "Simple Minded" and a redo of one vocal line in "Doppelganger Blues" (in the bridge section). I may also need to add a few sound effects to the bridge section. About one week ago I started putting together the Cd's graphic design. I pretty much already have the front cover and back panel worked out. I know it is hard to believe, but I am still waiting for my monitors to come in at Sam Ash.
6-26-10, I am going to take part in "Hands Across The Sands" today. It is a protest against off shore oil drilling in our coastal waters. We are supposed to arrive at 11:00 a.m. At 12:00 people will join hands for 15 minutes. It is a cool cause and am proud that I am going to be a part of it. (3:30 p.m.) Well, we showed up at Indian Rocks Beach at 11:45. There were hundreds of people there enjoying the sun. The only problem was that they were all totally oblivious to the cause. Me and my parents, and and one other person, joined our hands for the requested 15 minutes (12:00 - 12:15). None of the hundreds of people around us joined in. Of course we weren't at one of the arranged staging areas .. still, it is frustrating that there are so many complacent people. I kind of felt like the 4 of us were being looked at as radical protesters. A couple people walked by and acted snooty. Others just looked the other way and pretended like we weren't even there. The thing is, that it was a peaceful showing of solidarity with no political affiliation whatsoever. All we did was dress in black (as requested, signifying the oil) and hold hands for 15 minutes, while looking out into the ocean. It's not like we were a bunch of panhandlers begging for change. It is very frustrating that we live in a country where people would rather sit back and bitch, rather than actually doing something. On this occasion, all they had to do was hold hands along the ocean for 15 minutes ... and they couldn't do it ! Oh well, I am proud that my parents and I took part in the occasion.
7-1-10, I am taking care of business today. I typed out a letter for the IRS in response to their letter saying they had not received my tax return for the period ending on 12-31-2008. Like I mentioned previously, I had to resolve this matter when I filed my taxes this year. My W2's and a copy of that tax return were sent in with this years return. I was under the impression that the matter had been resolved and that my account was in good standing. This is basically what I wrote in the letter. I will send it out certified mail tomorrow. I also called Sam Ash in regards to my studio monitors. This is the 3rd time I have had to call since the April 29 purchase date. I ended up getting the same story again ... the monitors aren't in yet and they will call me when they are. I ended up getting the phone number for Paul Ash at the corporate office in New York. I gave him a call and explained my situation. He said he will look into the matter and get back to me. We'll see what happens. Maybe I will get lucky and end up with a store credit I really don't have a problem with keeping the floor model that I have, it's just that I paid the price for a new pair. (4:30 p.m.) Within 1/2 hour I got a call from George at Sam Ash saying that he wasn't aware of the problem, Paul had just called him, and that he would make sure that the monitors would be in within a few days. He must have been the store manager. His voice sounded a bit humble, so my guess is that Paul tore into him pretty good.
7-2-10, I have got my IRS paperwork together. All I have to do is make copies and send it out certified mail. What I have learned through all of my experiences (Post Office, Countrywide, IRS, etc.), is to always make copies and send everything certified mail. That way you always have documentation. Here is a perfect example of why this approach works. I went back through my IRS paperwork from earlier in the year. This recent letter from the IRS, located in Austin, TX, says that they haven't received my tax return for the period ending on December 31,2008. A letter I saved in my files from the IRS in Atlanta, GA says ... we have received your tax return for the period ending on December 31, 2008. The Atlanta letter was sent in May 2010, and the purpose was to get my signature to make everything official. Well, there you have it. The IRS in Austin is totally out of touch with the IRS in Atlanta. Neither one knows what the other is doing.
7-4-10, Happy 4th Of July !!! I went and cleaned out the storage unit yesterday. This means there is no turning back with the lead vocals, they are what they are. Thank you to my friends at UHaul Self Storage Rental for being open minded and allowing me the opportunity to make this Cd happen. I am also proud to announce that I have completed the graphic design for the Cd ... way ahead of schedule ! I still need to work out the actual disc part, but I will do that when I get to the replication stage (I do already have the picture selected). All that is left now is the mastering, copyrighting, joining ASCAP and then the replication. At some point in July, I am going to take a 10 day vacation to visit my brothers in California. I really need a break !!! I have spent the last 6 months working my ass off on this Cd.
7-7-10, Yes !!!! My set of studio monitors finally arrived today. That's one less thing for me to fret over. I gave them a test run, along with some of my new compressor knowledge, and they sounded excellent. It is such a welcome relief to be able to hear everything outside of the headphones. My 6 months of relentless recording has produced some very original music. I really do believe that I am going to surprise a lot of people with this Cd release.
7-11-10, I did it ! All the recording is now completed. All that is left is the mastering, copyright and replication. My goal release date at the beginning of the year was around Oct-Nov. Once everything is finished, the replication process will take about 1 month. Anyway you look at it, I am way ahead of schedule ! If I use all of July and August to finish the mastering, then the Cd should be available for purchase by the first of October. If things go smoothly with the mastering process, I may even have it available somewhere in September.
4-24-10, Well things didn't work out with Uncle Bob's space. The manager pretty much said that the old office was in real bad shape, and that the front doors were barely hanging on. He wouldn't even let me look at it. He also said that it would be more than $150/month, which was my offer. Oh well, I'll just have to keep looking. Something will open up ... somewhere. I'm working on a song right now, anyway. Ideally, finding a place with AC and electricity by the middle of May would be a realistic goal. Ultimately, having all the recording finished by the end of June would be a reasonable time line. That would leave me 4 months for mastering/mixdown, copyrighting, putting the graphic design together and Cd replication. The only major expense is going to be the replication (when Cd copies are made), which might run around $1,500-$2,000 depending on the number of copies. That leaves me about 5-6 months to save up. I may also have to buy a couple monitor speakers for the mastering/mixdown, which will cost around $300. It all still seems a bit overwhelming at this point, so it's probably best that I just focus on recording the music for the last 2-3 songs. One step at a time, things are rolling along real well right now ... why screw it up. 3 more would give me 14 tunes, a creditable amount for an independent release. Like with my previous Cd "Like The Freak You Are", I will use my artwork in the Cd's graphic design. The trick with artwork is to make a piece as memorable as possible. When it's used on a Cd, many people will see it. It's kind of like using one hobby to support the other. Well anyway, I don't need to worry about that for at least a couple more months. There is a good chance that I may just use a couple of my homemade voodoo dolls for the front cover of the Cd. It would definitely be memorable, and add a bit of a freaky element to the release (always a good thing) !!!
4-28-10, This is just too funny not to share. I get notification today that my bank is charging me $2,500 for some mandatory homeowners insurance policy. They don't even realize that they foreclosed on my home nearly 1 1/2 years ago ... what is that ? Did these brainless geniuses go to fancy colleges just to learn how to be inept idiots ... and I'm the problem ? We are still at war, and hard working people in our country, are being blatantly attacked by our own ... and they are getting away with it ? How is this not terrorism ?
5-3-10, YES !!!! I'm going to keep my fingers crossed but I think I found somewhere to record my vocals. It was a local storage facility with AC (77 degrees). They are going to install an outlet for me which will take about 2-3 weeks. They said they would also be able to give me a key card so I will have 24 hour access. The unit is 10'x10' and is indoors. I checked it out and it was absolutely perfect ! Kind of like my own personal jail cell. Two of the walls are concrete, the other 2 are metal. The natural reverb was excellent. If this works out, it is a perfect scenario for me (10'x10' room with AC, electricity, good reverb and 24 hour access). And the best news of all ... it will only cost $120 for 1 month !!!
5-4-10, And just like that it happens ! I got a call today from the storage facility saying that they had a unit already ready for me. I went there right away ! I ended up getting a 10'x15' room with AC, electricity and 24 hour access for just $150 .... for 2 months !! This is the best setup I have ever had for recording lead vocals. It's a nice quiet area with lots of trees around it. The unit is big enough that I can move around and get into the moment, concrete/metal walls ... and the reverb is perfect ! No excuses ... it's time for me to kick some ass !! Thank you to my friends Adam and Eddie ! You guys rock !!!
5-9-10, Happy Mothers Day to all the moms. I love mine !! Well, things are going well with the studio/storage unit. I didn't realize it had only been 5 days. I have finished the vocals for 3 songs already ("Coming For You", "Downtown" and "Horrible End"). "Hard Times", "Sweet Adelaide" and "Nothin" were already finished. So this means that I have finished 6 out of 12 tunes already. I have also recorded vocals for "Best Days Of Your Life", but I am strongly considering redoing them with a better vocal effect (so it's not included as a finished song). I'm having a blast !! My throat is is a bit torn right now, and my ears are exhausted (headphones), so I need to take a couple days to recoup.
5-15-10, I redid the vocals for "Best Days Of Your Life" tonight. I also laid down the lead vocals for "Doppelganger Blues". Earlier in the week, I finished "Under The Weather". I have decided that I am also going to redo "Coming For You" (I kind of like how it is now, but I am positive I can make it better). Technically this means that I have completed 9 songs ! I only have 3 more left to work on "Same Old Troubles", "Where's The Sun" and "Won't Be Home Again". In about one more week, or so, I should also have them finished. I have the storage/studio rented through the month of June, so time is on my side. Once I'm done with these 12 tunes I will move on to writing a couple more. It's cool because I will still have a place to lay down the vocals when I finish them. I think the end of June will be my measuring stick. That will be exactly one half of the year. At that point I will put the songwriting/recording aside and move on to the business side of things (Cd's graphic design, copyrighting, mastering, replicating, joining ASCAP, releasing the CD, marketing, etc).
5-18-10, I just finished the vocals for "Same Old Troubles". Only 2 left to work on ! In between working out and recording, mom and I have been on a steady diet of "24". It started with season 3 about 1 1/2 weeks ago. We just started season 6 tonight. The finale for the current season is just one week away. By then we will through season 6 & 7. I was a huge fan of The Soprano's, but I think this series is much better. Definitely a lot more action going on. Once the current season is over, I'm sure we will backtrack and watch seasons 1 & 2. This series has inspired me work out my CIA/spy song "Wilderness Of Mirrors". Yesterday I started to mess around with a guitar arrangement for it. I still need to finish the vocals for 2 more songs ("Won't Be Home Again" and "Where's The Sun", then possibly a couple of redo's), once they are finished I will start putting the drum track together.
5-22-10, I just finished up the vocals for "Where's The Sun". 2 nights ago I finished "Won't Be Home Again". This means that I have completed vocals for all 12 songs. Considering that I am only 4 months and 3 weeks into the year, this is a heroic achievement. Next week I will start writing "Wilderness Of Mirrors", after that "Simple Minded". Time is on my side ! I have 5 weeks to write/record 2 songs, including the lead vocals. If all goes well, I will finish these 2 songs and still have 2 weeks left to work with. These 2 weeks will be used for any vocal redo's that may need to be done. I may also bring the monitors to the studio and work on some final mixes. I am so thankful that I found this storage unit ! Just 2 1/2 weeks ago, I had 12 songs with the music finished, and only 3 with the lead vocals finished. 2 1/2 weeks later, they are all finished with lead vocals. Thank you to the powers that be !!!
5-23-10, Whew ! I am still exhausted. Whomever said that recording vocals is easy, was lying. I am very proud of my progress. It has been about 5 years since my previous Cd release "Like The Freak You Are". With all the other stuff (house, job woes, etc.) going on, I just didn't have the opportunity to work on any recording. I have to admit that I was a bit unsure when I first started out. What I have learned is that my determination is much more stronger than my insecurities. I guess that's the Aries in me. I make up my mind that I'm going to do something, then I put my head down and do it. I think the positive part, about having 5 years between releases, is that it gave me time to come up with a bunch of song ideas. Sometimes the mental approach to the songwriting process gets overlooked. The truth is ... you have to be able to hear it in your head before you can record it, and bring it to life. After 5 years of having all these tunes bouncing around in my head, it is such a relief to finally have them finished. Once I get these next 2 finished, I will feel even more relieved ! It's kind of funny, because part of me doesn't want to stop. I am going to have to control this urge and be realistic with myself. 14 songs is more than enough material for one release. I am positive that this Cd is going to gain me a lot of recognition, and credibility, as a songwriter. It probably does put me at a disadvantage that I don't have a band, or perform live. On the other hand, it is fun being mysterious and working behind the scenes in a semi-anonymous capacity. It's all part of my Foxman persona.
5-26-10, Wow !!! Lee DeWyze wins American Idol. I thought Crystal had it locked up. The final show was excellent ! There were some classic performances. Congratulations to Lee !!! Also, a big farewell to Simon. Love him or hate him, he created a platform for total unknowns to rise up and become famous.
5-31-10, While working out tonight I came up with a brainstorm. I am thinking about including songs from my previous Cd's on my "Crazy Like A Fox" release. In a way it would be somewhat of a "best of" Cd. The songs I am considering are "Shadows" (my ominous instrumental), "Black Cat Saloon", "City Streets" (underground love song), "Shake For Me Now" (stripper song). "Have Another Cigarette" and "Sunday Morning". "Sunday Morning" is the last song on my "Songs From The Gallery" Cd, and all the rest are from my "Like The Freak You Are" Cd. All together that is 6 songs, which would give me 20 for my "Crazy Like A Fox" Cd. This would also add value to owning original physical copies of my first 2 Cd's. There will only be approximately 1,000 copies of each in existence, making both of them collectibles. All 6 of the songs are excellent, and it would definitely help elevate this Cd to groundbreaking status. I'm thinking of selling it for $15, which would be an excellent deal for 20 songs. On the other hand, I might not want to fire all my cannons in one release. Anyway, I'll think it through a bit more before I make up my mind.
6-1-10, I am pretty much positive that I am going to do it !! My 3rd Cd "Crazy Like A Fox" is going to be a blockbuster. Most people don't know who I am yet, so there is nothing wrong with including tunes from my previous releases. In the long run, I think it will make my first 2 Cd's more valuable. If things go well for me, it will be so much more easy to replicate one Cd instead of 3. Not to mention, my art work on the "Like The Freak You Are" Cd was a bit political, and controversial. By taking 5 (out of 9) tunes from this Cd and placing them on my current release, it chops off my critics at the knees. For what it is worth, I am in this game for the long run. Win or lose, I don't plan on stopping. In the big picture of things, this is just my 3rd Cd release out of many. Ultimately, I will end up with fans who want to own one of everything. So, an early word to those of you with an eye for collectibles ... hurry up and act now. Original, physical, copies of my first 2 Cd's are currently only available at my art studio. You'll have to visit my sites to find your way there :o) Look at it like it's a treasure hunt. (11:00 p.m.) Rays Win !!! A come from behind 9th inning win at Toronto. We are still in first place, with the best record in the league (35-18). Another year like 2008 would be awesome !
6-6-10, Things are going very well. I just finished the music for "Wilderness Of Mirrors", and I have begun to work on my last song "Simple Minded". I have decided to change my target day, for having all the recordings (vocals and music) finished, to July 4th (this is actually the day that my 2 month rental ends/rented on 5-4-10). After that, I will have 3 months to finish everything else (mastering, copyrighting, graphic design, ASCAP, replication, etc). Everything is right on schedule ! I am so glad that I decided to add 2 more songs to the Cd. I am also glad that I have decided to add 6 songs from my previous releases. This Cd is going to kick ass !! (7:30 p.m.) Just finished my online safe driving class. The fee for the class was $30 (it keeps the points from the ticket I received in April from appearing on my record). All I need to do now is run by the courthouse tomorrow and drop of the certificate, that says I passed the class. I also got the paperwork together that I need to register my name in a claim against Countrywide H.L., for identity theft (I will make a copy and mail it out tomorrow). After everything I went through with Countrywide it doesn't surprise me at all that they were also selling personal data. My home was foreclosed on in April, 2009. My problems with them had begun about 6 months prior to that. During one of my remortgages, I realized that they had placed me under an insurance policy that only covered their assets. Once I caught on to this, I went to my original insurance company and had the amount of my coverage bumped up to the amount of the remortgaging. This policy was to then replace their policy. Countrywide then claimed that this left me with a negative escrow, and they began charging me an extra $250 every month. The negative escrow amount was around $1,000, so I paid the extra amount for 4 months. After that, they just kept charging me the exaggerated amount. I wrote to them for help, but got no reasonable assistance. Ultimately, the exaggerated monthly payments were more than I could afford (I even tried renting and selling the property but got nowhere with the ruined economy). This is, ultimately, what led to my moving back in with my parents. Basically, Countrywide took a good 10 + year client and ran him right out of his home. Now the place has sat dormant for about 1 year. The whole thing is an absolute total mess at this point and I don't care. They wanted my house and they got it .. now it is their problem. The cool part for me, is that I have saved ALL the paperwork needed to prove everything I have stated here. Now that these 2 things are dealt with, I have to deal with the IRS again. They are claiming they didn't receive paperwork for my 2009 taxes, which I sent to them about 3 months ago. I had used Turbo Tax in 2009, and forgot to mail in the actual W-2's. They had everything on file but it wasn't valid until I mailed in the actual copies. I have had a lot of trouble with the IRS, over the last 4-5 years. I am living on just a $17,500/year retirement ... and I have to deal with the IRS busting my balls ? Just another crudded up Government agency. I will give them a call and deal with this new problem sometime this week. I am not complaining about all of this, though it is a lot of stress. The same problems that I am enduring many Americans are enduring. I am thankful that I have a strong family to fall back on. The Post Office, IRS and Countrywide are all broken entities .... my family and I aren't !!! Which one is better for America ?
6-7-10 (3:45 a.m.) Well my headphones zonked out on me. I will have to make a trip to Sam Ash, after I visit the courthouse. They are both located pretty close to each other. I am still waiting for my set of studio monitors to come in (I have their floor model right now). It has taken them about 3-4 weeks longer than expected to arrive. Maybe I will get lucky and they will be in. Maybe I will also be able to get a good deal on the headphones, for having to wait so long. I also have this vintage 1970's Shure microphone (no idea at all how I acquired it). I haven't been able to use it because it needs a mic cord with a 4 prong connector ? Maybe they will have one of these cords there. If it works, I am thinking about using the microphone for the "Wilderness Of Mirrors" vocals. If it is a bit old and crackly sounding it will be perfect for the cell phone effect I want. Anyway, I may be able to accomplish 3 things with just one visit to Sam Ash. (5:00 p.m.) Just got home from running errands. I dropped off my safe driving school certificate, so there are no points on my driving record. I sent out the claim form for the Countrywide data theft settlement. Then, I went to Sam Ash ! My studio monitors weren't in yet, but I did manage to get a few dollars taken off the cost of my new Samson CH700 Studio Reference Headphones !!! I brought the Shure mic in with me, but they didn't have any cords with a 4 prong connector. I guess the mic just wasn't meant to be used. Just for kicks I autographed and dated the old pair of AKG headphones. If I ever become successful they will be a collectors item since I used them on all 3 Cd's.
6-8-10, I have decided that I am now going to address the IRS through certified letters. Things are a bit strange right now and I really need to start protecting myself. With certified letters it gives me a legal way to document my contacts with them. This is the same approach I used with both the post office and Countrywide. It's unfortunate that I have to use this approach with another government agency, but it's just a sign of the times. One can't be too careful these days.
6-17-10, I have thought it through, and decided against including songs from my previous releases on this Cd. These new 14 songs are more than adequate, and I want to keep moving forward with my efforts. Just last night I finished up the acoustic and lead vocal tracks for "Simple Minded". All that song needs now is a lead guitar track and it is finished. I also, still need to do the lead vocals for "Wilderness Of Mirrors" and possibly some vocal redo's for "Best Days Of Your Life" and "Coming For You" ... and that is it !!! I still have 2 weeks left to finish these, so I am right on schedule.
6-25-10, "Wilderness Of Mirrors" is completed (vocals and all). Last night I redid the vocals for "Best Days Of Your Life", and everything turned out perfect ! I have listened to "Coming For You" on 2 different occasions, and both times I concluded that the lead vocals are good enough. Basically, all that is left (recording wise) is the lead guitar for "Simple Minded" and a redo of one vocal line in "Doppelganger Blues" (in the bridge section). I may also need to add a few sound effects to the bridge section. About one week ago I started putting together the Cd's graphic design. I pretty much already have the front cover and back panel worked out. I know it is hard to believe, but I am still waiting for my monitors to come in at Sam Ash.
6-26-10, I am going to take part in "Hands Across The Sands" today. It is a protest against off shore oil drilling in our coastal waters. We are supposed to arrive at 11:00 a.m. At 12:00 people will join hands for 15 minutes. It is a cool cause and am proud that I am going to be a part of it. (3:30 p.m.) Well, we showed up at Indian Rocks Beach at 11:45. There were hundreds of people there enjoying the sun. The only problem was that they were all totally oblivious to the cause. Me and my parents, and and one other person, joined our hands for the requested 15 minutes (12:00 - 12:15). None of the hundreds of people around us joined in. Of course we weren't at one of the arranged staging areas .. still, it is frustrating that there are so many complacent people. I kind of felt like the 4 of us were being looked at as radical protesters. A couple people walked by and acted snooty. Others just looked the other way and pretended like we weren't even there. The thing is, that it was a peaceful showing of solidarity with no political affiliation whatsoever. All we did was dress in black (as requested, signifying the oil) and hold hands for 15 minutes, while looking out into the ocean. It's not like we were a bunch of panhandlers begging for change. It is very frustrating that we live in a country where people would rather sit back and bitch, rather than actually doing something. On this occasion, all they had to do was hold hands along the ocean for 15 minutes ... and they couldn't do it ! Oh well, I am proud that my parents and I took part in the occasion.
7-1-10, I am taking care of business today. I typed out a letter for the IRS in response to their letter saying they had not received my tax return for the period ending on 12-31-2008. Like I mentioned previously, I had to resolve this matter when I filed my taxes this year. My W2's and a copy of that tax return were sent in with this years return. I was under the impression that the matter had been resolved and that my account was in good standing. This is basically what I wrote in the letter. I will send it out certified mail tomorrow. I also called Sam Ash in regards to my studio monitors. This is the 3rd time I have had to call since the April 29 purchase date. I ended up getting the same story again ... the monitors aren't in yet and they will call me when they are. I ended up getting the phone number for Paul Ash at the corporate office in New York. I gave him a call and explained my situation. He said he will look into the matter and get back to me. We'll see what happens. Maybe I will get lucky and end up with a store credit I really don't have a problem with keeping the floor model that I have, it's just that I paid the price for a new pair. (4:30 p.m.) Within 1/2 hour I got a call from George at Sam Ash saying that he wasn't aware of the problem, Paul had just called him, and that he would make sure that the monitors would be in within a few days. He must have been the store manager. His voice sounded a bit humble, so my guess is that Paul tore into him pretty good.
7-2-10, I have got my IRS paperwork together. All I have to do is make copies and send it out certified mail. What I have learned through all of my experiences (Post Office, Countrywide, IRS, etc.), is to always make copies and send everything certified mail. That way you always have documentation. Here is a perfect example of why this approach works. I went back through my IRS paperwork from earlier in the year. This recent letter from the IRS, located in Austin, TX, says that they haven't received my tax return for the period ending on December 31,2008. A letter I saved in my files from the IRS in Atlanta, GA says ... we have received your tax return for the period ending on December 31, 2008. The Atlanta letter was sent in May 2010, and the purpose was to get my signature to make everything official. Well, there you have it. The IRS in Austin is totally out of touch with the IRS in Atlanta. Neither one knows what the other is doing.
7-4-10, Happy 4th Of July !!! I went and cleaned out the storage unit yesterday. This means there is no turning back with the lead vocals, they are what they are. Thank you to my friends at UHaul Self Storage Rental for being open minded and allowing me the opportunity to make this Cd happen. I am also proud to announce that I have completed the graphic design for the Cd ... way ahead of schedule ! I still need to work out the actual disc part, but I will do that when I get to the replication stage (I do already have the picture selected). All that is left now is the mastering, copyrighting, joining ASCAP and then the replication. At some point in July, I am going to take a 10 day vacation to visit my brothers in California. I really need a break !!! I have spent the last 6 months working my ass off on this Cd.
7-7-10, Yes !!!! My set of studio monitors finally arrived today. That's one less thing for me to fret over. I gave them a test run, along with some of my new compressor knowledge, and they sounded excellent. It is such a welcome relief to be able to hear everything outside of the headphones. My 6 months of relentless recording has produced some very original music. I really do believe that I am going to surprise a lot of people with this Cd release.
7-11-10, I did it ! All the recording is now completed. All that is left is the mastering, copyright and replication. My goal release date at the beginning of the year was around Oct-Nov. Once everything is finished, the replication process will take about 1 month. Anyway you look at it, I am way ahead of schedule ! If I use all of July and August to finish the mastering, then the Cd should be available for purchase by the first of October. If things go smoothly with the mastering process, I may even have it available somewhere in September.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
"Coming For You "
I dusted out the archives and found this old gem. I recorded the song between 1994-95 on a Tascam 8 track cassette recorder. All in all, I recorded about 30 songs in this format. They definitely aren't of the highest quality, but it's cool that I have an inventory of old material to choose from when needed. I guess I won't ever have to worry about writers block. This is a very simple, catchy, love song that uses somewhat of a grungy punk approach. The arrangement will include only guitar, bass, drums and a vocal track. The theatrical compositions of "Same Old Troubles" and "Doppelganger Blues" have me worn out. It will be a nice change of pace to work on a simple straight forward song. I was wondering what in the heck I was going to do for the last 2 tracks. Just like that, in one day, my entire thought process changed. This song shouldn't be very hard at all to record, and it wouldn't surprise me at all to have it finished in less than one week. A grungy punk approach to a love song .... what ? I never imagined when I wrote this song that I would be re-recording it 15 years later on my 3rd Cd. Unbelievable, I now have 12 tunes planned for this Cd. "Crazy Like A Fox" is going to be one wide open epic release, with a little something for everyone.
4-15-10, I've got the drums recorded. Basically this song is a lesson in Songwriting 101. Very simple, straightforward and effective. I'm going to have to fight the urge to add more.
4-16-10, I think that should do it. The guitar and bass are recorded, and the tune rocks ! Good upbeat energy !! I will listen again tomorrow and make my final decision. If everything still sounds good I will clean up the tracks, protect the song and backup the data. I ended up using a 70's guitar effect, instead of standard distortion ... it turned out real well ! This is a real cool tune, I am very happy that I decided to redo it for this Cd. Things are rolling along well right now. When it's all said and done, it only took me 2-3 days to finish the song ! I'm going to have to check my archives some more, maybe I will stumble upon another hidden gem. It sure was a lot fun working on this one !!!
4-17-10, It's all good ! I cleaned the tracks, protected the song and backed up the data. I think this may be my most uptempo song at 192. I did spend part of today listening to my old cassettes. Other than this song, and the 2 I am combing for "Where's The Sun", I don't hear anything else that is worth using. It was still fun listening to them, it makes me realize how far I have come with my songwriting.
5-4-10, My first day at the new storage unit (studio/see "Miscellaneous") went real well. I finished the lead vocals for this song and "Downtown". This is a fun song ! With just vocals, guitar, bass and drums it is also a very simple song. A Punk/Grunge love song, who would have thought.
5-5-10, Happy Cinco de Mayo amigos ! I think the vocals turned out good enough. I cleaned the track, saved/protected the song and backed up the data. I am never going to amaze anyone with my vocal prowess, and I guarantee you will never hear me hit a diva note. With me, it is more like I picture myself acting out a role and I do what I can to sell the drama. My songs, for the most part, are all about telling stories.
6-20-10, This song is one of the 2 that I am thinking about redoing the lead vocals for. I am a perfectionist, and I definitely want to get it right. I just finished the vocals for "Wilderness Of Mirrors" tonight (my last song). I still have the storage unit rented for 2 more weeks, so there is plenty of time to work on this tune. I am going to try using the small AKG mic, instead of the C3000. I have been having very good luck with it on my other songs. I will also dabble with some different vocal effects to see what will work best. This is such a fun song ... I want to get it right !
6-21-10 (2:00 a.m.), Hmmmm ... I don't know ? I listened back to this song, and dabbled with some effects on the vocals (doubling, reverb, EQ). I actually thought that it sounded pretty good as is. I'll have to listen to it through the monitors before I make my final decision.
6-25-10, I gave this song another good listen today, and I think there is no need for a vocal redo. I still need to hear it through the monitors before I make my final decision, but I really think it is going to be alright.
UPDATE (2-16-14): All songs from my "Crazy Like A Fox" cd can be heard in their entirety through the tune player below. Please make sure to also check out my home website at: www.foxmanmusic.com
4-15-10, I've got the drums recorded. Basically this song is a lesson in Songwriting 101. Very simple, straightforward and effective. I'm going to have to fight the urge to add more.
4-16-10, I think that should do it. The guitar and bass are recorded, and the tune rocks ! Good upbeat energy !! I will listen again tomorrow and make my final decision. If everything still sounds good I will clean up the tracks, protect the song and backup the data. I ended up using a 70's guitar effect, instead of standard distortion ... it turned out real well ! This is a real cool tune, I am very happy that I decided to redo it for this Cd. Things are rolling along well right now. When it's all said and done, it only took me 2-3 days to finish the song ! I'm going to have to check my archives some more, maybe I will stumble upon another hidden gem. It sure was a lot fun working on this one !!!
4-17-10, It's all good ! I cleaned the tracks, protected the song and backed up the data. I think this may be my most uptempo song at 192. I did spend part of today listening to my old cassettes. Other than this song, and the 2 I am combing for "Where's The Sun", I don't hear anything else that is worth using. It was still fun listening to them, it makes me realize how far I have come with my songwriting.
5-4-10, My first day at the new storage unit (studio/see "Miscellaneous") went real well. I finished the lead vocals for this song and "Downtown". This is a fun song ! With just vocals, guitar, bass and drums it is also a very simple song. A Punk/Grunge love song, who would have thought.
5-5-10, Happy Cinco de Mayo amigos ! I think the vocals turned out good enough. I cleaned the track, saved/protected the song and backed up the data. I am never going to amaze anyone with my vocal prowess, and I guarantee you will never hear me hit a diva note. With me, it is more like I picture myself acting out a role and I do what I can to sell the drama. My songs, for the most part, are all about telling stories.
6-20-10, This song is one of the 2 that I am thinking about redoing the lead vocals for. I am a perfectionist, and I definitely want to get it right. I just finished the vocals for "Wilderness Of Mirrors" tonight (my last song). I still have the storage unit rented for 2 more weeks, so there is plenty of time to work on this tune. I am going to try using the small AKG mic, instead of the C3000. I have been having very good luck with it on my other songs. I will also dabble with some different vocal effects to see what will work best. This is such a fun song ... I want to get it right !
6-21-10 (2:00 a.m.), Hmmmm ... I don't know ? I listened back to this song, and dabbled with some effects on the vocals (doubling, reverb, EQ). I actually thought that it sounded pretty good as is. I'll have to listen to it through the monitors before I make my final decision.
6-25-10, I gave this song another good listen today, and I think there is no need for a vocal redo. I still need to hear it through the monitors before I make my final decision, but I really think it is going to be alright.
UPDATE (2-16-14): All songs from my "Crazy Like A Fox" cd can be heard in their entirety through the tune player below. Please make sure to also check out my home website at: www.foxmanmusic.com
"Where's The Sun"
Okay, this is song #3 on my April folklore hit list (2 weeks left to go). The tune is about a tired, burned out vampire who is trying to fight the urge to feed. What I am going to do is to combine 2 songs (both written a very long time ago) into one. I'll have to rummage through some of my storage boxes to find the cassettes for the original. The bass groove for this tune is going to be awesome, kind of James Bond-ish.
4-14-10, Alrighty then ! It seems I am going to take a bit of a u turn. I finished cleaning, protecting and backing up the data for "Doppelganger Blues". After that I went through my storage and found the cassettes for all the songs that I wrote many years ago. I was driving around in my jeep checking out the 2 tunes I planned on using for "Where's The Sun". The song is definitely going to workout, I just need to think it through a bit more. The cool news is that I stumbled upon another tune that I had all but forgotten about, called "Coming For You". It's a very simple, and fun, love song. Who would have thought ? The vampire song will just have to wait a bit longer.
4-17-10, After finishing up "Coming For You", I began putting the drums together for this song. It's kind of cool because I am blending 2-3 different kits together. If I do this song right it will be a little bit on the scary side.
4-19-10, (12:30 p.m.) I got the drums recorded last night and started to work on the bass. There is a lot of chromatic fingering in the bass line for this song (D# is the only note not used). I was having trouble with a dead fret on the G# (4th fret on the E string). To remedy the problem I tuned the E string up to an F#. The other 3 strings are still in standard tuning. I did some experimenting with the drum track, and there is an eerie section that occurs after chorus 2 and at the end of the song. I made the section up with no idea what will be played over it. Maybe the spontaneity will lead to another song idea, like what occurred with "Sweet Adelaide". The bass line will have to wait until later tonight, because I have to go to the courthouse and take care of my speeding ticket ... thanks again Officer Friendly. (11:00 p.m.) I think the bass is finished. I'm still not 100% happy with the arrangement. At this point, there seems to be a lot of awkward tension. I did want the tune to be a bit on the scary side, so maybe that's a good thing. I think I might need to add some keyboards before I tackle the guitar. Maybe it will help spice up the composition. I want the guitar to have some personality, not just a bunch of power chords.
4-20-10, Smoke em if you got em ! I wish I did, but I don't .. Oh Well. I had an excellent recording day ! I recorded some keyboard tracks that are perfect, they brought the whole song together. I ended up using 3 different keyboard effects (Church Organ, Glisten, Dreams and Ritual). The eerie section worked out real well, it even makes way for an ominous chant at the very end of the song. The thing that has me the most excited, is that I also worked out the guitar track !!! I did a scratch track to check it out and it rocks ! I will probably get it recorded tomorrow.
4-21-10, I did it !!! The music for the song is finished. I also cleaned the tracks, protected the song and backed up the data. I am very proud with how this tune turned out. I think I did a good job of capturing the scary, chilling vampire vibe. The chant at the very end is excellent. The guitar track, though simple, still rocks ! The James Bond-ish bass line during the verses is perfect. April was supposed to be my folklore month ... and it was ... and more ! I finished all 3 of my planned songs plus a redo of "Coming For You". The amazing thing is, that there are still 10 days left in the month ! I'm not sure where to go now. My only other somewhat worked out song is "Simple Minded", an acoustic Rockabilly Christian tune. I am also entertaining the idea of doing a CIA/spy song called "Wilderness Of Mirrors" (the lyrics are worked out, but nothing else). For now, I'm going to take a day or two off ... and relax. The weather is nice and warm, maybe I will go and enjoy a couple beach days.
5-20-10, Another good night at the studio, I think I finished the vocals for "Won't Be Home Again". That means that this song is next on my vocal hit list. It is the last tune left of the first 12 that I have recorded. This song is going to be a blast to work on ! I am going to use a lower range, scary/vampiric, voice for the verse sections. I will definitely need to find a real cool vocal effect to make it happen. On my first Cd I recorded another vampire song called "Oh Desiree". With the recent successes of "True Blood" and "Twilight", I think the market is ripe for a song like this. The lyrics for the tune are awesome, very chilling ! A vampire song called "Where's The Sun" ... what more could you want ? (7:00 p.m.) Yep, "Won't Be Home Again" is good to go ! I have also worked out the rest of the lyrics for this song, so everything is ready to roll. I'll need to wait a day, or two, for my voice to recover ... but once it does, I'm going to own this tune !
5-22-10 (5:30 a.m.) Another fun and grueling night at the studio. I am pretty sure that I nailed the vocals ! It took me a while to find the right mood, but I did find it. I will need to listen back to it when my ears aren't so tired, before I give it my final approval. I found a cool vocal effect that worked real well. It actually did turn out to be a bit on the scary side, which means I did a good job of selling the drama. Well I am exhausted ! Time to go to bed.
5-23-10, Yes !!! I did it ! This song turned out excellent, very chilling .. yet a bit playful. Unleash the vampires ! I am glad I saved this song until last, because it was a blast to work on. All that is left now is to write 2 more songs. I still have 8 days left in May and the entire month of June to work with, so I am way ahead of schedule. Yes !!!
UPDATE (2-16-14): All songs from my "Crazy Like A Fox" Cd can be heard in their entirety through the tune player below. Please make sure to also check out my home website at: www.foxmanmusic.com
4-14-10, Alrighty then ! It seems I am going to take a bit of a u turn. I finished cleaning, protecting and backing up the data for "Doppelganger Blues". After that I went through my storage and found the cassettes for all the songs that I wrote many years ago. I was driving around in my jeep checking out the 2 tunes I planned on using for "Where's The Sun". The song is definitely going to workout, I just need to think it through a bit more. The cool news is that I stumbled upon another tune that I had all but forgotten about, called "Coming For You". It's a very simple, and fun, love song. Who would have thought ? The vampire song will just have to wait a bit longer.
4-17-10, After finishing up "Coming For You", I began putting the drums together for this song. It's kind of cool because I am blending 2-3 different kits together. If I do this song right it will be a little bit on the scary side.
4-19-10, (12:30 p.m.) I got the drums recorded last night and started to work on the bass. There is a lot of chromatic fingering in the bass line for this song (D# is the only note not used). I was having trouble with a dead fret on the G# (4th fret on the E string). To remedy the problem I tuned the E string up to an F#. The other 3 strings are still in standard tuning. I did some experimenting with the drum track, and there is an eerie section that occurs after chorus 2 and at the end of the song. I made the section up with no idea what will be played over it. Maybe the spontaneity will lead to another song idea, like what occurred with "Sweet Adelaide". The bass line will have to wait until later tonight, because I have to go to the courthouse and take care of my speeding ticket ... thanks again Officer Friendly. (11:00 p.m.) I think the bass is finished. I'm still not 100% happy with the arrangement. At this point, there seems to be a lot of awkward tension. I did want the tune to be a bit on the scary side, so maybe that's a good thing. I think I might need to add some keyboards before I tackle the guitar. Maybe it will help spice up the composition. I want the guitar to have some personality, not just a bunch of power chords.
4-20-10, Smoke em if you got em ! I wish I did, but I don't .. Oh Well. I had an excellent recording day ! I recorded some keyboard tracks that are perfect, they brought the whole song together. I ended up using 3 different keyboard effects (Church Organ, Glisten, Dreams and Ritual). The eerie section worked out real well, it even makes way for an ominous chant at the very end of the song. The thing that has me the most excited, is that I also worked out the guitar track !!! I did a scratch track to check it out and it rocks ! I will probably get it recorded tomorrow.
4-21-10, I did it !!! The music for the song is finished. I also cleaned the tracks, protected the song and backed up the data. I am very proud with how this tune turned out. I think I did a good job of capturing the scary, chilling vampire vibe. The chant at the very end is excellent. The guitar track, though simple, still rocks ! The James Bond-ish bass line during the verses is perfect. April was supposed to be my folklore month ... and it was ... and more ! I finished all 3 of my planned songs plus a redo of "Coming For You". The amazing thing is, that there are still 10 days left in the month ! I'm not sure where to go now. My only other somewhat worked out song is "Simple Minded", an acoustic Rockabilly Christian tune. I am also entertaining the idea of doing a CIA/spy song called "Wilderness Of Mirrors" (the lyrics are worked out, but nothing else). For now, I'm going to take a day or two off ... and relax. The weather is nice and warm, maybe I will go and enjoy a couple beach days.
5-20-10, Another good night at the studio, I think I finished the vocals for "Won't Be Home Again". That means that this song is next on my vocal hit list. It is the last tune left of the first 12 that I have recorded. This song is going to be a blast to work on ! I am going to use a lower range, scary/vampiric, voice for the verse sections. I will definitely need to find a real cool vocal effect to make it happen. On my first Cd I recorded another vampire song called "Oh Desiree". With the recent successes of "True Blood" and "Twilight", I think the market is ripe for a song like this. The lyrics for the tune are awesome, very chilling ! A vampire song called "Where's The Sun" ... what more could you want ? (7:00 p.m.) Yep, "Won't Be Home Again" is good to go ! I have also worked out the rest of the lyrics for this song, so everything is ready to roll. I'll need to wait a day, or two, for my voice to recover ... but once it does, I'm going to own this tune !
5-22-10 (5:30 a.m.) Another fun and grueling night at the studio. I am pretty sure that I nailed the vocals ! It took me a while to find the right mood, but I did find it. I will need to listen back to it when my ears aren't so tired, before I give it my final approval. I found a cool vocal effect that worked real well. It actually did turn out to be a bit on the scary side, which means I did a good job of selling the drama. Well I am exhausted ! Time to go to bed.
5-23-10, Yes !!! I did it ! This song turned out excellent, very chilling .. yet a bit playful. Unleash the vampires ! I am glad I saved this song until last, because it was a blast to work on. All that is left now is to write 2 more songs. I still have 8 days left in May and the entire month of June to work with, so I am way ahead of schedule. Yes !!!
UPDATE (2-16-14): All songs from my "Crazy Like A Fox" Cd can be heard in their entirety through the tune player below. Please make sure to also check out my home website at: www.foxmanmusic.com
Sunday, April 4, 2010
"Doppelganger Blues"
Doppelganger - (German word for double doer) - A ghostly double, or look-alike, of a living person. They are regarded as harbingers of bad luck. Seeing one's own doppelganger is considered to be an omen of death. The term may also apply to an evil twin, body double or alter ego. They are similar to a vardoger (Norse Mythology), which is a ghostly double who precedes a living person and is seen performing their actions in advance. The word also describes the sensation of seeing oneself in peripheral vision, where there is no chance of it being a reflection.
4-4-10, I came up with the idea for this song about 2 years ago. It's pretty much going to be an alternative folk song. I will probably need to capture a bit of the Gypsy vibe to make it work. I already have a pretty good idea how the guitar is going to go for the verses and chorus. The drums are going to be a bit tricky, and will probably take about a week to work out. I'm still elated about my success with "Same Old Troubles" ... and a bit burned out too ! I will probably take it easy for a couple days so my senses can recover.
4-5-10, I had a cool laid back day today. I went to the park and jogged (mostly walked), then hung out at the beach. It was a beautiful Florida day ! While at the beach, I also fine tuned the lyrics for this song. I am very happy with how they turned out. I am also proud to announce that this song will have a lyrical bridge section. As an added bonus, I started fine tuning lyrics for the next song "Where's The Sun". This month is definitely my folklore month: "Same Old Troubles" (voodoo), "Doppelganger Blues" (evil twin/double) and "Where's The Sun" (vampire) ... fun stuff ! When these 3 are finished, I have my Catholic song "Simple Minded" (which would be song #11). And that's it ! I'm just starting the 4th month of the year and I am already able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I still have 2 more songs to write. My goal for this Cd was to have at least 13 tunes on it. Both of my previous releases only had 9 each. What has made all the difference, with this Cd, is that I already had most of the ideas (lyrics, chords and riffs) worked out before I began recording. The other blessing in disguise, is that I don't have to wake up early to go work at some stressful job everyday. I am very fortunate that the economy, and my home/job woes, led to my moving back home. My parents rock ! I am very proud that they are also my best friends ! See ... this is how one takes an extreme negative and turns it into an extreme positive. I'm sure that many of my former employers would prefer to see me broken down and miserable. Well, that's just not going to happen ... I'm the Foxman !!
4-6-10, I'm thinking about joining my bothers softball team (Tuesday night league). The cardio, and fresh air, will do me good. I joined Anytime Fitness about a week ago, so I also have a 24 hour gym to workout at. The cool part about Anytime, other than their night owl hours, is that they have a Hydro Massage machine. Nothing beats a 20 minute massage after a good workout (that's how the athletes do it). I'm not a fitness freak, but I do like to do what I can to stay in respectable shape. It's all relevant !
4-7-10, I'm easing my way into this tune. It is going to be a bit tricky to work out. I did manage to spend some time today getting the song keys together. This song is going to bounce around between 5 different keys (B Blues, C# Minor, F# Minor, F# Blues and G# Minor).
4-8-10, I'm starting to put the drums together. Just the solo section, bridge and outro are left to ail me. For this song, I'm doing the tracks in real time. Usually I quantize the drum machine so the notes never fall off beat. In real time it is a bit more wide open. With this approach, not every beat will be dead on perfect. I think this will add a bit to the gypsy caravan vibe I'm shooting for. We'll see ...
4-10-10, Here we go ... the drums are recorded ! I think this may end up being the shortest song I've ever written (approx. 2:50). I had a fun night hanging out in Dunedin. Brick oven pizza, wine, cheesecake, a cigar and a chocolate martini ... what more could you want ? Dunedin is a real classy artist friendly community. I'm definitely going to go back.
4-12-10 (5:30 a.m.), Yes I pulled an all-nighter and got the bass recorded ! I ended up using a slap approach. This is the first tune on the Cd where I didn't use a pick on the bass. It turned out very well. Off to bed I go ... before the sun comes up !
4-13-10 (4:30 a.m.), I'm at it again ! The guitar is now finished. It turned out to be a very fun track. The song is really taking form. Now the real fun begins ... keyboards ! I don't have a clue what I'm going to do yet (just like with "Same Old Troubles"), but I'm sure I'll make it happen. I'm shooting for the gypsy vibe, so I am positive there will be a panflute track. Beyond that .... who knows ? (7:00 p.m.) I am working on the panflute track. It definitely adds the gypsy element I was looking for.
4-14-10 (5:00 a.m.) ... Success !!! I did it ... unleash the doppelgangers ! I finished it in less than a week. I recorded 2 tracks tonight, panflute and cimbalom (large piano-like hammered dulcimer). Everything turned out excellent ! I did a great job of capturing the folksy gypsy vibe I was aiming for. Tomorrow I will do some mixing, track clean up and backup the song data.
5-15-10 (5:00 a.m.), I had another excellent night at the studio. Originally my plan was just to redo the vocals for "Best Days Of Your Life". Things went so well with that song that I just couldn't stop. I ended up laying down the vocals for this tune also. All in all, this song wasn't difficult at all. I am very happy with the results. I think I did a good job of capturing the gypsy/folk vibe I was aiming for. It is definitely a novelty song. I doubt this tune will be a hit like some of the others, but I do think it will gain me a lot of credibility as an open minded songwriter ... and that's cool. How many other artists can say they have written a song about doppelgangers ? I will listen back through everything tomorrow (today) before I give my final stamp of approval.
5-16-10, I listened back today and I am happy with the vocal track. It's good to go ! Of all the vocal tracks I have recorded, this one was the smoothest. It didn't take very many takes at all to get it right. Of course, I am not gloating because it was also one of the simplest. Still, I am happy it turned out the way it did. It is a very, very unique song. This is probably a very good example of how I like to work. I take pride in being a bit unpredictable and I like to keep my listeners guessing. Well, this song will accomplish just that ! Unleash the doppelgangers !!
6-25-10, I like everything about the vocals for this song ... except, for one single line in the bridge section. It drives me nuts every time I hear it. I have decided that I am going to redo the line. I had the original vocal settings written down, so it won't be any trouble recapturing the moment. I have listened to all my songs and this is the last vocal correction that I need to make. I may also need to add some more sound effects to the bridge section. There is an open track, so this won't be a problem at all. I guess it's that perfectionist in me taking over again. It's a fun folkish novelty song and I want to get it right.
6-27-10 (5:00 a.m.), The vocals in this song are alright ! It's the keyboard effect in the background that make it feel awkward. During mastering I will probably edit them out, and everything will be fine.
UPDATE (2-16-14): All songs from my "Crazy Like A Fox" Cd can be heard in their entirety through the tune player below. Please make sure to also check out my home website at: www.foxmanmusic.com
4-4-10, I came up with the idea for this song about 2 years ago. It's pretty much going to be an alternative folk song. I will probably need to capture a bit of the Gypsy vibe to make it work. I already have a pretty good idea how the guitar is going to go for the verses and chorus. The drums are going to be a bit tricky, and will probably take about a week to work out. I'm still elated about my success with "Same Old Troubles" ... and a bit burned out too ! I will probably take it easy for a couple days so my senses can recover.
4-5-10, I had a cool laid back day today. I went to the park and jogged (mostly walked), then hung out at the beach. It was a beautiful Florida day ! While at the beach, I also fine tuned the lyrics for this song. I am very happy with how they turned out. I am also proud to announce that this song will have a lyrical bridge section. As an added bonus, I started fine tuning lyrics for the next song "Where's The Sun". This month is definitely my folklore month: "Same Old Troubles" (voodoo), "Doppelganger Blues" (evil twin/double) and "Where's The Sun" (vampire) ... fun stuff ! When these 3 are finished, I have my Catholic song "Simple Minded" (which would be song #11). And that's it ! I'm just starting the 4th month of the year and I am already able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I still have 2 more songs to write. My goal for this Cd was to have at least 13 tunes on it. Both of my previous releases only had 9 each. What has made all the difference, with this Cd, is that I already had most of the ideas (lyrics, chords and riffs) worked out before I began recording. The other blessing in disguise, is that I don't have to wake up early to go work at some stressful job everyday. I am very fortunate that the economy, and my home/job woes, led to my moving back home. My parents rock ! I am very proud that they are also my best friends ! See ... this is how one takes an extreme negative and turns it into an extreme positive. I'm sure that many of my former employers would prefer to see me broken down and miserable. Well, that's just not going to happen ... I'm the Foxman !!
4-6-10, I'm thinking about joining my bothers softball team (Tuesday night league). The cardio, and fresh air, will do me good. I joined Anytime Fitness about a week ago, so I also have a 24 hour gym to workout at. The cool part about Anytime, other than their night owl hours, is that they have a Hydro Massage machine. Nothing beats a 20 minute massage after a good workout (that's how the athletes do it). I'm not a fitness freak, but I do like to do what I can to stay in respectable shape. It's all relevant !
4-7-10, I'm easing my way into this tune. It is going to be a bit tricky to work out. I did manage to spend some time today getting the song keys together. This song is going to bounce around between 5 different keys (B Blues, C# Minor, F# Minor, F# Blues and G# Minor).
4-8-10, I'm starting to put the drums together. Just the solo section, bridge and outro are left to ail me. For this song, I'm doing the tracks in real time. Usually I quantize the drum machine so the notes never fall off beat. In real time it is a bit more wide open. With this approach, not every beat will be dead on perfect. I think this will add a bit to the gypsy caravan vibe I'm shooting for. We'll see ...
4-10-10, Here we go ... the drums are recorded ! I think this may end up being the shortest song I've ever written (approx. 2:50). I had a fun night hanging out in Dunedin. Brick oven pizza, wine, cheesecake, a cigar and a chocolate martini ... what more could you want ? Dunedin is a real classy artist friendly community. I'm definitely going to go back.
4-12-10 (5:30 a.m.), Yes I pulled an all-nighter and got the bass recorded ! I ended up using a slap approach. This is the first tune on the Cd where I didn't use a pick on the bass. It turned out very well. Off to bed I go ... before the sun comes up !
4-13-10 (4:30 a.m.), I'm at it again ! The guitar is now finished. It turned out to be a very fun track. The song is really taking form. Now the real fun begins ... keyboards ! I don't have a clue what I'm going to do yet (just like with "Same Old Troubles"), but I'm sure I'll make it happen. I'm shooting for the gypsy vibe, so I am positive there will be a panflute track. Beyond that .... who knows ? (7:00 p.m.) I am working on the panflute track. It definitely adds the gypsy element I was looking for.
4-14-10 (5:00 a.m.) ... Success !!! I did it ... unleash the doppelgangers ! I finished it in less than a week. I recorded 2 tracks tonight, panflute and cimbalom (large piano-like hammered dulcimer). Everything turned out excellent ! I did a great job of capturing the folksy gypsy vibe I was aiming for. Tomorrow I will do some mixing, track clean up and backup the song data.
5-15-10 (5:00 a.m.), I had another excellent night at the studio. Originally my plan was just to redo the vocals for "Best Days Of Your Life". Things went so well with that song that I just couldn't stop. I ended up laying down the vocals for this tune also. All in all, this song wasn't difficult at all. I am very happy with the results. I think I did a good job of capturing the gypsy/folk vibe I was aiming for. It is definitely a novelty song. I doubt this tune will be a hit like some of the others, but I do think it will gain me a lot of credibility as an open minded songwriter ... and that's cool. How many other artists can say they have written a song about doppelgangers ? I will listen back through everything tomorrow (today) before I give my final stamp of approval.
5-16-10, I listened back today and I am happy with the vocal track. It's good to go ! Of all the vocal tracks I have recorded, this one was the smoothest. It didn't take very many takes at all to get it right. Of course, I am not gloating because it was also one of the simplest. Still, I am happy it turned out the way it did. It is a very, very unique song. This is probably a very good example of how I like to work. I take pride in being a bit unpredictable and I like to keep my listeners guessing. Well, this song will accomplish just that ! Unleash the doppelgangers !!
6-25-10, I like everything about the vocals for this song ... except, for one single line in the bridge section. It drives me nuts every time I hear it. I have decided that I am going to redo the line. I had the original vocal settings written down, so it won't be any trouble recapturing the moment. I have listened to all my songs and this is the last vocal correction that I need to make. I may also need to add some more sound effects to the bridge section. There is an open track, so this won't be a problem at all. I guess it's that perfectionist in me taking over again. It's a fun folkish novelty song and I want to get it right.
6-27-10 (5:00 a.m.), The vocals in this song are alright ! It's the keyboard effect in the background that make it feel awkward. During mastering I will probably edit them out, and everything will be fine.
UPDATE (2-16-14): All songs from my "Crazy Like A Fox" Cd can be heard in their entirety through the tune player below. Please make sure to also check out my home website at: www.foxmanmusic.com
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