#Frail Autumn,, #GarageBand,, #Lyrics, #meanderings, #music, #Retirement Projects, #songwriting

Songwriting. A Journey.

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Photograph from WordPress Free Library.

Songwriting. Dreams. Both strangely inspiring and logical too. Perfect therapy. A journey of a single step. First step? Maybe an unusual or common chord one finds or one that is used often. Or a one line initial sung melody that arrives out of the blue. Then leading into witnessing ongoing steps producing sound and sight. Realising the beginnings of another hopeful dream of a song is possibly in the making.

Songwriting. Songs. Like flowers on flowers blooming inside your mind. They hold their spell over you. Eventually breaking free.

Like a butterfly escaping the cocoon and flying into the light of day.

One of my favourite eclectic Beatles’ albums is The White Album. I absolutely love its twists and turns. Released in its pure form, it is obvious it went through infancy to acceptable presentation for release album status. So due to the diversity in this one Beatles album, one of my favourite current internet seeks is to investigate the bands I love and have loved over decades having ‘boxed set collections’ of various recordings over their years of poor initial tryouts to sublime finished productions of their music. We had a reel to reel tape of The Troggs in the studio arguing. An infamous recording you can listen to on YouTube. How bands argue amongst themselves to capture the much desired song’s outcome.

These band collections show the raw/naive/regress/experimentation/progress/successes of there total outputs. I am currently looking at the wonderful collection from Dream Academy of their 7 CD collection history ‘RELIGION, REVOLUTION AND RAILWAYS CLAMSHELL BOX’. All songs have magic in their singular presentations. Journeys are shown and that shouts soul and endeavour.

Solo artists? A musician with simply an acoustic guitar or piano. Is there less of a collective of recorded attempts due to the very nature of recording solo in this manner in the past? Google this scenario and many artists do have periods of solo flying, with a single instrument, and released to realise success.

What is it like to be in a band? Life’s songwriting inclusions of a band’s total music output opens eyes. I adore warts and all showings. I suppose their presenting in seeking inspiration to finding pathways and windows of enlightenment to eventual successes give me confidence to show my own journeys to get to those points of hoorays. I actually do not bother what people think. New AI and its manipulation of old recordings to get them pitch perfect is abhorrent. Where has the soul gone in music!

Some bands show the hours on hours on hours of captured recordings. The prolific Marc Bolan and his Tyrannosaurus Rex/T.Rex for example. Some examples of a fair few hours of rough beginnings to winning outcomes show the process of eventual captures. Too many to mention of songs that reached finality and are now found in their officially released songs’ catalogue. Whatever the presentations, it gives us songwriting hopefuls some strings to cling on to. Various successful bands’ ownership of their own warts and all are akin to us seeking our own dreams. Their presentations help us to present our own weird recorded inclusions, because we know, by others’ subsequent successes, that we also have a chance. If they can do it, then why can’t we?

Stop this heartache……acoustic guitar and vocals only.
And you put the above acoustic and vocal raw idea into a new format.

I thought of the way I approached songs I have written over the last 50 years.

The naivety of beginnings from the very first sitting in the isolation of the bedroom, writing weird lyrics for song themes. It was in the late 1960s so a lot of influences regarding that decades holistic vibe. The vinyl album ‘Hair’ and The Monkees ‘Head’ were particularly fond memories. But so were my parents albums. Joan Baez, Frankie Laine, Mario Lanza, Elvis Presley, Tom Jones. And so many 45 singles too. Dozens of eclectic choices from the 1950/60s.

In the early 1970s. Strumming a cheap acoustic guitar which began the realisation that becoming a musician was a very great way to go in life. I claimed my own music then. Playing mostly covers and a few self written songs in church halls, the pubs and working men’s clubs was how our band started. I realise now that writing song lyrics can be fraught with not seeing the bigger picture. Lyrics written regarding the hopeful relevant inclusions of early 1970s influences from that particular culture in time added tinges to songs which, on reflection, completely dated my lyrics due to naivety and focusing on irrelevant theme inclusions.

1977……On to punk, then to new wave and then a timeless never ending hopeful dream in the bands’ awareness of always logically wanting success. It hits the senses to realise success in ambition is a ‘nope’ and then split. Going on to the slender/‘write songs for the fun of them’ years of having a professional career elsewhere (nurse, social services) and therefore no ambition musically other than writing all types of nonsense (jetsam and flotsam songs/ditty tunes) and lastly to….the here and now…current thinking of what do I adopt now! Recording it and presenting it to you here in the blogs since about a year ago.

November the Stereo and you My Friend and a new idea called Outside Looking In. November eventually ends up as the one in the fuller song below.

….and there are so many more that I have written over that time from 1972 to 1982 and the decades since! Just need to remember to sink a few hours into focusing on the inner synapses…and capture even the most bizarre.

Why? A tune is a tune is a tune.

And must remember…….Awful to decent is but a heartbeat away.

Working Song Titles: Recently written.

With Vocals:

A Million with Shotguns.

November, the Stereo and You.

It Doesn’t Matter Much to Me.

Stop This Heartache.

Trust Me.

Moving to the Rhythm of Life.

Hey Yano.

Old Man.

Year One.

Gone are the Promises…that held your hand.

Eddie Just Loves to Dance.

Lighten Up.

Stars Above the Dunes.

Currently Just Instrumental: Muzak and the other ‘Just Weird Stuff’.

Maybe take ideas from them because tunes/melodies and some lyrics are already being formed over the top of them.

Back Beat.

The three bar chord Ditty. 1,2,3,4….testing out the new…..microphone. The SM58.

Groovin’ With Mr. Cloud 9.

The Choir. Chords of E, A and B7.

TADA.

Mindfulness. New Age.

The Insomniac.

Echo guitar (Newest): Today. Vocal tune? Okay-ish.

Ideas that are Strong Contenders for Developing into Songs. (A).

In this case….Check out the iPad quick recorded ramblings of rough ideas I have forgotten, because of my mind lapsing.

Also, songs from the past that still may have promise if rediscovered, updated and so re-recorded.

A is current. There are far more. Need to listen to the small ‘catches’ on the iPad.

B is old. But maybe can be updated. Akin to the new sound and rhythm of ‘Year One’.

Giving it time. (A)

Living in a world with no imagination. (A)

Today. (A)

Mistaken Identity. (B)

Losing Out. (B)

She Said. (B)

Red Lights, Blue Nights. (B)

My friends tell me she’s gone for good. (A)

City Girls. (B)

Lies. (B)

Faded Velvet Suits. (B)

Thank you for both reading and listening.

25 thoughts on “Songwriting. A Journey.”

    1. Thank you Friedrich. Although I did not take your own thoughts regarding comparison of the infancy of work and the resulting finished piece. So have now rectified it by edit uploading the songs in comparison. The raw acoustic/vocal delivery now has them as they are now….played out fully with the various instruments. So thank you for commenting Friedrich. It reminded me of your thoughts. All the best.

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      1. Thank you, Gray! My thoughts aren’t always easy to follow 🙂 Sorry. I’ll post an article on Saturday that might clarify one or two aspects. But that’s not really important. Your music simply sounds appealing….

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      2. I can follow your thoughts in that I am very much interested and follow the philosophy you write about myself. But I am not at the levels you yourself both study and experience. So I do find your writings extremely interesting as a learning platform. When you commented on the songs earlier, it set off the lightbulb moment that I hadn’t uploaded the two comparisons. When you show your paintings and the philosophy behind your work, it makes me think of my musical presentations here on WordPress.

        The musical sound produced has two drawbacks. I am a bass player and do not play other instruments with skill. Secondly, I have equipment naivety and have recently got to the point where what has been purchased re: technical equipment, is going to make a better sound.

        I like that word appealing. It suits my musical direction perfectly. All the best Friedrich.

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      3. Thank you, Gray! I’ve always seen great similarities between music and painting in many areas. In both, you can choose to jump on a bandwagon and follow well-worn paths. That’s often a good recipe for success—especially in the pop industry. Or you can choose to force your own style and risk not becoming as popular. If you don’t have to make a living from your work, the latter option is probably the more fulfilling. All the best Gray!

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      4. I do remember your blog on music and art and your experience in using both art forms together. A really interesting experiment and an enjoyable read. Myself? I just write songs that feel good for my soul. Not always light, but certainly bringing no dark angst into my life lyrically. ‘November, the Stereo and You..My Friend’ is about male depression and its effect on his relationship. So emotional and situational themes are addressed. But not often. ‘Stop this Heartache’ is about the last band I was involved with splitting up back in 1982. I wrote the song back in 1983. So older themes are still relevant to my own thoughts even now and I can still sing them. They have become gentler on reflecting the scene now.

        I do miss interaction with other musicians and living rurally has fewer people to reach out to. Although my introvert nature certainly suits the ability to self motivate. The fear of new technology is the biggest hinderance. But if you have to learn this new tech presentation to produce results….you just keep plodding on.

        Cheers Friedrich. Sorry for the long answer. 😊

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  2. one of my favorite posts ever. I sometimes think of what I do—and what every songwriter before me has done—as adding a personal piece to a larger, timeless song that belongs to everyone. like we’re all contributing to a collective melody, each of us adding our own unique thread to the tapestry. I can’t wait to hear what you add next, Gray. x

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    1. Your own thoughts on what music can give regarding the way our songs can fill the world and you never know who is listening, singing a little melody of yours or quote singing your poetical lyrics gave me the inspiration for this blog cookie. Also, the way you describe pouring recent emotional experiences into your new songs. It all seemed relevant to how we are as song writers. You express in such a poetical way in your blog writings, so the spiritual nature of the words you write kind of hit home to myself as a songwriter. So thank you for your recent blogs.

      What I add next cookie is determined by Frankie the Fella cat. As much as he is such a superb being with the central characteristic of being a gentle giant…..he doesn’t half need lots of input and attention. He wants to be outside all the time and forever on the move and investigating. Being on a very long leash of 50 feet means he gets tangled around so many objects in our garden. And then Yowl complains. Trees are the worst! He keeps climbing the apple trees, silver birch trees and the damson trees…gets stuck and complains to get pulled back down again. Sometimes falls out and hangs in his harness! So unless I create an outdoor home studio space to record songs..time is still going to be so much more limited. But hey ho….. things turn out when you get more aware of how to stabilise situations. Cheers cookie.

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    1. Thank you for the consideration anyway Sheila. The files are in my iPad and therefore protected. I believe it’s the same with the audio files too. I certainly cannot copy and bring back my WP uploads into my iPad again. I can download my Flickr photographs back though. Strange. But the audio only songs can be in three different places. So unsure of possibilities there.

      I’m pleased you see this blog as one of your favourites. It’s bits of information I either read from, or commentary share, with the bloggers on here. Yourself, cookie, Ol’ Shep, etc.

      Recently you mentioned the soulless vibe of AI in certain areas and Richard and yourself penning songs with real musicians playing out the final results being more soulful. cookie mentioned some amazing points in her last blog regarding our hopes for our self penned music. Also, she wrote of what we pour into our musical thoughts. Ol’ Shep is a trooper for much eclectic music and loves to share ideas and history regarding bands in his blogs. So I suppose this is a collective of what I read from yourselves and also what I have inherently felt over the decades. None more than now though since coming back into the musical fold with new songs, ideas and where I would love them to be.

      Cheers Sheila.

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      1. Well, the audio file works fine. I will open this post on my laptop and see if the videos play. Maybe it’s a Jetpack issue.
        I think you did a superb job capturing what most of us are thinking and experiencing in today’s digital world of music creation, Gray.

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      2. I feel, as a technophobe, the system s not so frightening now. But I still start up new investigations with dread. The electronic Yamaha drum kit should be compatible with the Tascam mixer. But for the life of me I keep putting off connecting it all together. I bought a second hand original Yamaha MIDI five pin connector too. Like hen’s teeth in rarity. So wasn’t cheap. But I have to format the drum kit with the system. I looked a few months ago when connected to the Apple Mac M2 and spooked out. Oh for a techy buddy who just laughs and does such stuff with ease.

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      4. Jetpack are an ever going mystery at times. I try to keep it a simple as simple. Thank for this Sheila. Very much appreciated. Very nice of you to consider this. I like the Jetpack audio stats ‘downloaded’ reader on audio. Since I started this audio bar inclusion I notice very, very many listens. Sometimes a hundred plus per day on each song. So I believe there are now many thousands on thousands of ‘downloads’ over the last year since recording on the home studio system. There were a fair few on those cassette recordings and the iPad guitar and vocal warblings. But not as many as nowadays. Be interesting to see how this app works in a way. However. Maybe the songs are not always listened to in completion, but certainly nice to think the songs are getting out there with a bit of an interest to push the ‘start arrow’. 😊 Cheers Sheila.

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      6. I believe if people are like myself, then listening is usually on a ‘list’ on YouTube. Just playing in the background. Or listening to podcasts. No visual connection though. Listening at distance. But nowadays with being outside in the garden more than inside, with no signal out there, there is no opportunity for this. So it has been an opportunity to read more books or tidy up and work on the garden.

        As to why getting involved in music is important. It is just nice to have music for music’s sake to focus on really. Keeps me sane in retirement. The Virgo in me focuses on the best I can achieve. Hence seeking for answers to get something worth the efforts. And yes, it’ll be nice to think of the grandkids laughing later down the years as to what their Grancha got up to with the music. Hopefully some of them will be doing their own musical journey. Cheers Sheila.

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  4. Hi Gray …

    even I’m unable to access your videos…
    and seems we all thoroughly enjoyed this journey share of yours …
    “both strangely inspiring and logical too” …

    🤍

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    1. Sorry to hear that Destiny. I will try to hunt down the audio only format and upload those. Sheila did say that she couldn’t share the blog. Strangely, the ‘audio download and video watched’ stats in the Jetpack App show a fair few listens.

      Thank you for enjoying the reading part. Much appreciated. 🙏🏽

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      1. I use the reader … but I went on to your site and was able to listen.
        The videos have been removed? I don’t see them anymore.

        My pleasure, Gray …🤍

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      2. I took them off Destiny. Replaced them with the audio bar. Just in case others couldn’t access either. But they were very plain anyway, so not interesting. Just a colour wall. The Imagery at a Minimum blog has videos, so you can see if they are visible to you. I sometimes have the same problem as you do with the inability of watching through Reader. So do go to the sites to access. Thank you for relooking. Cheers Destiny. 🙏🏽😊

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  5. Hi Gray, I dislike the AI thing ,and agree with everything you say. Bowie in the Ziggy days did 3 takes, warts and all to capture the feel of the songs, more than that and you begin to dislike the song, I know this from experience. Being put in perfect tune for a singer at the mix, is a killer for them, often spoiling the true pure vocals. Enough said, but you are a amazing songwriter, outstanding in Xcerts/Team 23 and now, can’t you move to Rugby? haha! I would get back on the kit, as currently it’s all tribute bands, everywhere now,

    not many original, which is a crying shame.

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    1. Hi John. Good to see you’ve accessed the blog site now. I agree with the soul aspect of vocals. AI and pitch perfect is bad news because seeking perfection is a common flaw. Raw not losing flaw.

      Saw you mentioned Bowie here before we set off to Yorkshire. So put the double CD of Bowie’s singles in the car to listen to on the journey. What a genius. And yes. It would be grand to be closer to play some gigs and also record some new songs.

      Thanks for the nod regards my songwriting. I know it will be great now to get them from demo stage to a decent release sound. Still working out how!

      Cheers John.

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