A BUNCH OF ALREADY HEARD SONGS ALL BELOW. EXAMPLES OF POSSIBILITIES FOR THE FINAL ‘FRAIL AUTUMN’ SONGS FOR CHOICES OF ‘ALBUM’ INCLUSIONS.

And so the story goes.

To where? No one knows.

Born from self promises.

Not worn out wishes.

I was chatting back and forth with a couple of my musician friends on Messenger. About some of the song choices recorded on GarageBand over the last few months and which are now to be believed as possibilities for future use. To re-record the songs in new totality with real musicians. Finally, to collaborate to mix the songs’ sounds once completed. And finally-finally get them out there on both a Bandcamp type platform and then visual filmed imagery for YouTube uploads.

This won’t all be done in a couple of months. But it is now the subject of reality. As my Mantra says.

Born from self promises. Not worn out wishes.

I played the ‘hand drum’ setting on the new Yamaha DD65 drums this morning. There are so many drum and percussive sounds to choose from. Many ethnic drums included. Listened through the Beyerdynamic headphones and was shocked at the sound they can produce. So much quality! So songs can now have a high end sounding percussive element to them. My playing of the rhythmic inclusions are the only possible problematic that may mess up the process. But it should be okay. I am no hand drummer, but I can play decently enough when pushed. However. The drum kit played sound? No way. I need John, our drummer in the Team 23 band to produce those rhythms. He has played on albums, playing live gigs still and is just the perfect fit. Still to be sorted in how to capture his kit sound though. The electronic kit may be at odds with his preference. My view is that a real kit is far more organic and warm. John and my guitarist brother Steve live about 130 miles away. I can’t take my ‘home studio’ down there. So will have to try to capture their sound in other ways.

Guitars? I don’t mind playing an acoustic strum or similar equivalent addition to lay low in the mix. But my brother Steve, as a fantastic electric guitar player, can provide guitar riffs and leads at a much higher skills level than I can even begin to cope with.

Keyboards are the real conundrum. I don’t want my plinky plonky sounds on the songs. Listening to Ian Hunter and Mott the Hoople recently and his keyboard inclusions to his songs are sublime. I love an influencer or three to provide great examples of what could be achieved. Paul McCartney solo albums being the ultimate. Wish I had his writing melody capabilities.

And of course. I have stated many times in past blogs that the past months of recording songs have only been to capture ideas. Not finished pieces. No attempt whatsoever to mix sound for textures and balance. A what you hear is what you currently get approach. Realistic because of the amount needed to be learned over the past months. Flying solo has been a nightmare in reality. And very lonely too. You guys and girls on WordPress here have been absolute treasures for giving encouragement. And listening when the songs are no where near completed ones either.

Past bands I have been in during the 1970/80s have seen songs that we have self written, realising the need for ongoing development. Sometimes over a number of weeks before you tick the ‘That’ll do nicely’ box. Until we all hear each others’ contributions, there is no way a song’s value can be determined. Sometimes a weak, insignificant little ditty of a song can turn itself around and become one that you love to bits.

It’s good to see light at the end of what has been a very dark tunnel at times.

Here’s a few below I feel okay about. I can hear them in my mind with much more human produced dynamic sounds. Organic and not electronic.

IF YOU DO HAVE HEADPHONES OR EAR BUDS……IT WORKS SO MUCH MORE NICELY AS A LISTENING EXPERIENCE. THANK YOU.

IMAGINATION: STOP THE HEARTACHE:

MOVE INTO THE RHYTHM OF LIFE:

YEAR ONE:

(BUT WITH DIFFERENT RHYTHMIC DYNAMIC CONTENT).

NO LONGER HAUNTED OR ACHING WITH THE MEMORIES:

ONE OF THE VERY FIRST SONGS RECORDED ON THIS LEARNING HOW TO GET TO GRIPS WITH THE TECHNOLOGY PROCESS.

NOVEMBER, THE STEREO AND YOU…….MY FRIEND:

AS YET

1): ONLY BASIC VOCAL, BIT OF SYNTH AT START AND CHUGGING GUITAR.

2): SYNTH ADDED TO VERSES ONLY.

3): MORE ON MORE SYNTH FOR IDEAS OF MELODIES TO INCLUDE .

OLD MAN:

VERY MUCH A WHIMSICAL SONG. WRITTEN WHEN I WAS 17. ALSO VERY MUCH NEEDS COMPRESSING TOO.

LIGHTEN UP:

FOUR SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT VERSIONS.

THERE ARE LITTLE INSTRUMENTAL INCOMPLETE SONGS TOO, WHICH ARE SAMPLES OF MUCH LARGER SONGS THAT ARE LYRICALLY COMPLETE WITH MORE VERSES WRITTEN.

TRUST ME:

AND TRUST ME……I HAVE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT VERSION OF THIS IN MY HEADSPACE. FASTER AND ACTUALLY QUITE A NICE CATCHY TUNE. THE SONG’S TUNE CAPABILITY IS KNOWN BECAUSE IT WAS ONE I WROTE FOR TEAM23. WE PLAYED IT LIVE A FAIR FEW TIMES.

STARS ABOVE THE DUNES:

THIS ONE COULD END UP ANYWHERE WITH ITS OUTCOMES.

THE BE BOP SONG. LIVING IN A WORLD WITH NO IMAGINATION.

AGAIN, A DIFFERENT HEADSPACE DYNAMIC EXISTS WITH THIS ONE.

A SENSE OF INNOCENCE:

A BIT OF RELAXATION MUSIC TO BAN INSOMNIA.

ALSO WRITING MORE ROCK AND ROLL SONG IDEAS CURRENTLY. I’M REALLY INTO THAT VIBE AT THE MOMENT. NEED ABOUT 4 or 5 SONGS. LISTENING TO IAN HUNTER’S TWO DEFIANCE ALBUMS FOR INSPIRATION.

SO. I’m not naive enough to think that my own playing abilities can lift these songs here into anything other than examples of ‘What might be’s). They sound dirge like. I can hear them in my mind. My mind hasn’t had the telepathic ability to inter-connect with my finger tips in order to transfer the inherent mind sounds yet.

Hopefully. As The Beatles sang, ‘I (Will) get by with a little help from my friends’.

I’ll leave you with my very first recording, back in April, when this little adventure began.

IT DOESN’T MATTER MUCH TO ME:

WELL OBVIOUSLY IT DID, BECAUSE I’VE ENDED UP STILL CHASING THE DREAM.