#Frail Autumn,, #GarageBand,, #iconic ownership, #music, #Retirement Projects, #songwriting

Acoustic version. Electric version.

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My Fender Jazz bass guitar back in the day.
Acoustic version of Stop this Heartache. Original lyrics.

Electric, eclectic version of Stop this Heartache. Different first verse lyrics. It needs a lead guitar on it. Also a bass line throughout. Both will definitely be on the radar for including now.

When I split from the band Team 23 in around 1982, I bought a kiln and became a potter. I sold my beautiful 1960s Fender Jazz bass guitar and that gave me enough money to buy a kiln. I also sold my Fender amp and speaker cabinet. I got ripped off with that one. Never saw the money! But, on the positive side……my ceramicist days had started in earnest. They last 12 years. 12 very, very enjoyable years they were too.

Playing with a band again? Never ever did. Oh! Sorry. A brief experimentation a week or so after the band split found me playing with two musician friends, a guitarist and drummer, who were amazingly good. We did a one day jam session together. Musically, it could have been the best band I ever played in. However, I still felt the aftermath of the music industry shenanigans. Bad vibes with people trying to manipulate us were very much part of the music scene. So I never made a commitment of the opportunity in carrying on. Didn’t want to return to those suffocating experiences. Those two musicians in that jamming session went on to release singles and albums. So well deserved too. Myself. Retreated into the clay making vibe. Loved the new role of humble potter.

An acoustic guitar was, over decades, never far away, so it was/is often picked up and played. No ambition to play it properly. It’s simply there to write songs on. It may have been a couple of months after leaving the band that songwriting was returned to. And the top acoustic version on the video above was one of the first songs I wrote in the aftermath. Another was ‘Wind of Sorrows’.

I recorded this quick and basic acoustic version above last year. The guitar playing is just a chunky accompaniment. I play it more openly now. What it did though was that it gave impetus to then use the idea for the electric version below it.

This morning it got me thinking . Should I choose a few more songs and do acoustic versions of them. Include them in the CD song list. Each CD has an awful lot of time allowance on them. So a fair few additional songs can actually be included as extras.

As said above regarding Wind of Sorrows. Last year a quick ‘Can it be remembered. Can it maybe still work?’ Crossed the mind. Maybe it can…..I like the tune, so there’s hope.

Wind of Sorrows. Rough…..but the tune is there!

Double Down Thinking if this, done properly, recording of acoustic versions of some songs could work now! 🤔🤔

23 thoughts on “Acoustic version. Electric version.”

    1. Cheers Shep. There are all those try outs of writing songs with just guitar and voice that went on to be recorded with bells and whistles attached. So there’s a good vibe in some to just do proper recorded acoustic versions. Thanks for the support and advice Shep. 🙏🏽🍁🍂

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    1. Thanks Victor. I like the idea of emotional capture. It’s a bit like your photography when you get those, what I used to call, ‘Shock of Latent Imagery’ photographs. A stand alone capture that has sat there undeveloped and therefore a latent image unseen/invisible on the film negatives surface. And when it is brought to life with the developing process, it becomes one of those stand out from the others photographs. Like a song that can stand out from others once you develop the sounds that brings it to life.

      Cheers for your thoughts Victor. They are always appreciated. Hope you are keeping well. 🙏🏽🍁🍂

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      2. When reading your posts a short while back Victor, you were saying how it had affected everyone around you and that you could realistically only focus on your immediate circle of family and friends. I’m glad that you are now saying ‘Everything is well here’ in that close social group of yours. All the best and thank you for visiting.

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      4. Certainly. I am aware that I can send CDs to local drop off points. Post Offices, depots, lockers , service points, etc. Otherwise it may have to go on Bandcamp. But I want to gift the music and not charge. I will seek out ways in the future. Maybe a way to download from a platform source. Not sure if WordPress offers such a thing.

        Thank you for your interest in the songs Victor.

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      5. A CD can only be some kind of GIFT these days. I don’t think that i have any possibility to use it these days. But it is possible that Cassettes technology is doing a reverse for many 😉 Also Spotify is a good feature cos most of us already are paying for it. (i’m for sure)

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      6. I do want to seek the ‘hard copy’ of ownership primarily. And CDs are regaining a lot of interest now. People like to own a tactile format it seems. My whole life revolved around vinyl, cassettes and CDs.

        To be honest, if vinyl were affordable, it would be the number one choice. Last year I did open a Bandcamp site called Frail Autumn. But couldn’t conclude the whole process because opening a Strike bank account required a photograph from a passport (I don’t have a passport since Covid days) or a Driving Licence (I have an old fashioned paper licence). So I could provide no evidence that I am who I say I am. But, on my 70th birthday I do require a new photographic Driving Licence. So can then sort out Strike and put songs up on that platform. I suppose the only way to do this ethically for myself is to charge a minimum price.

        Cassettes can be an amazing idea. I play cassettes as I have a mini player to put through my CD sound system. I just need to see how to record onto a cassette. Spotify? I have never looked into them as a platform to consider. Or Prime, Apple, etc.

        I suppose it will be an ongoing thinking process. But. I am definitely putting out a limited number of 100 CDs to give away. A way of saying thank you.

        Cheers Victor. You’ve given me something to think about. Much appreciated.

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      8. Indeed Vinyl Record is number one even though I don’t have a patephon to listen to the records I’m buying sometimes some old psychedelic stuff for my brother’s collection and we are listening together. I’m planning to find some nice cassette players.
        It’s always a pleasure to talk with you Gray.
        Just curious to get why you don’t have a passport ? Is it possible these days?

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      9. I still have many vinyl records from over the decades. And have just got my brother’s old 1972 Pioneer turntable down from the loft. I bought a Pioneer vintage 1970 amplifier off eBay last weekend and it should arrive tomorrow. Now I am trying to find some Pioneer speakers from the same period. It is my ambition to get it up and running again. My brother died when 20 years old. So it will be nice to get a really nice set up together. He loved playing music continually on this turntable. Also. He was the drummer in our band. So music was so important in his life.

        I love psychedelic music. Your brother has a fine choice music wise. Yesterday I was listening to Twink’s ‘Think Pink’ album on YouTube. Very psychedelic. I love the Nirvana band too. Not the modern Nirvana. An old 1960s band. There are five Twink albums I believe. I found him through listening to The Pretty Things music. I have their greatest hits double album on vinyl.

        Cassettes. I kept all mine too. Boxes of them! Hoping they aren’t stretched and can still play. But you are right about cassettes. If you buy a Walkman and you can listen ‘on the go’. Or small cassette players can now be plugged into sound systems and laptops. They are quite cheap too. Mine cost about £15.

        My passport ran out of date around COVID time. After a few years I just couldn’t be bothered to apply for a new one. Going abroad isn’t something I like. This country has so many beautiful areas to visit. We live near to the coast too. So we can simply relax in the local area.

        And yes, it’s good to talk with you too Victor. I just found a box of about 40 rolls of out of date film. It is colour though. I never shot colour. Black and white is the best format. Very much like you use yourself. I may try them out though. My Pentax LX is ready for action. 🙏🏽🍁🍂

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      10. Thank you for all this info. You just reminded me that with the Twink’s Ten Thousand Words i started my best Psychedelic 60-70 list on Spotify. Together with Dandelion Seeds by July, The Heap Death by Ultimate Spinach, Song of Gypsy by Damon and dozens others not less Amazing.

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      11. I kind of missed my psychedelic stage in the 1960s. I was born in 1956, so I was a bit too young to appreciate the genre back then. But I did listen to very early Status Quo. Beautiful pop based psychedelic music. Antique Angelique is one of my favourite all time songs. The Beatles and Tyrannosaurus Rex (mystical/magical) were never off the turntables. The musical Hair, with the British cast, was never off the turntable either.

        I shall have to look into the suggestions you have made here Victor. The good thing is, is that YouTube identify what you listen to and then you get lots of suggestion links. That’s how I heard a lot of the psychedelic genre a few years back. Listening to the 1960s Nirvana band. I bought two of their CDs. Then I moved into other genres. I’ve always had an eclectic musical nature born from my parents choices. So tend to jump around listening wise.

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      12. I don’t listen to these you wrote here. Even The Beatles are not really moving me (maybe Abbey Road album). I will check Nirvana from 1960. And i can send you some more names if you are willing. YT is nice with the recommendations but seems like the Spotify algorithm is way better. I was born in 1965 and never was listening to the psychedelic rock when i was kid, only The Doors L.A.Woman album and Rolling Stones Aftermath – i have no idea how my father got these both but passively we were listening to these almost daily.
        And after the age of 11-12 i jumped to albums of AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Queen, Deep Purple, Rainbow and some others. Everything was too rare in the location of my living. Now together with all these I’m listening to an old 65-75 psychedelic bands and a lot of the modern STONER Rock which was generated by the Grandfather Ozzy Osbourn.

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      13. Does sound like you have a rich experience of all music. Especially if it is hard won to find and play a variety of sounds and genres. It becomes more precious. I remember you saying you also meet with musicians too. Taking their photographs. So it seems music is a huge part of your life. Next step is to get your guitar into action Victor.

        I can relate to Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, etc. as my brother is a massive fan. So it was played often in the house.

        I don’t mind suggestions. On Monday I shall write down your suggestions here. Then chase them up on YouTube or Prime. I have no Spotify app. I need simplicity in life as a complete technophobe. Travelling to see family from early tomorrow morning. Hence Monday listening.

        All the best Victor. 🙏🏽🍁🍂

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      14. I’m still photographing rock bands when I’m going to the live performance shows weekly, sometimes twice every week. Taking photographs is just a hobby, so I’m not obligated to do this just when i love what i see 😉 Im playing guitar but not planning to go onstage one day. Just for myself and for my family and some friends.
        Have a nice traveling time, Gray.

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      15. It’s nice when you don’t have to make a living from what you absolutely love to do. My early pottery was fun. As soon as it started to pay the household bills, it became a little stressful. But, still enjoyable. Hopefully you can find more time for guitar too. A bit of live performance gives a nice buzz factor. Just a little open mic night has no great expectations. But is a whole lot of fun.

        Just back from the travels. It was great seeing family again.

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    1. Hi! Thank the heavens you are back in the comments cookie. I have been checking in each week and seeing if anything from your site has changed. I know you were/are taking a break, so it’s fantastic you called in here.

      Lots of new ideas are going on musically….and will get there to realising a 2 x CD project over the next few months. Certainly by this Winter time. 100 limited number. I’m giving them away to people as family and friends.

      Hope you are keeping well cookie and maybe seeking out that beautiful guitar too. And creating some of your amazing music again.

      All the best…..and by dropping by? You’ve made my day so much better.

      Cheers. 🙏🏽 💫✨

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  4. Thank you for all this info. You just reminded me that with the Twink’s Ten Thousand Words i started my best Psychedelic 60-70 list on Spotify. Together with Dandelion Seeds by July, The Heap Death by Ultimate Spinach, Song of Gypsy by Damon and dozens others not less Amazing.

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