“All I Want is You” (U2 Cover)

By Jeff Copperthite:

Welcome to Thumpin’ Thursday w/ Jeff!  Today I bring you another band we’ve covered in the past.  This one, however, is more in my register than the past ones from this band.

Not to say I did a bad job previously – it takes a lot to cover a song from U2.  Bono is an incredible singer (although I do find his single word name a bit pretensious).  This particular song came from a sort of video documentary that they put out after their hit album “The Joshua Tree”.  This song is from that movie “Rattle and Hum”.  Of course, it was also released as a single.

I had my formal observation in school today, so I’ve been wired all day since it’s finished with.  I got to relax this evening, and enjoy some basketball.  Even though I didn’t pick UConn to get into the Final Four, i’m still hoping they do.

Enjoy this evening’s video, and i’ll see you next week!

Editor’s Note: Unfortunately, Jeff’s acoustic cover song music videos are no longer on YouTube, but we decided to keep his cover song blog posts up.  We figured these music blog entries would be good for posterity’s sake and because Jeff always gave such insightful posts each Session.  We hope to see Jeff’s impressive catalog of acoustic rock songs here on the Laptop Sessions cover songs and original music blog again in the future.  But, for now, please make sure to check-out hundreds of other acoustic cover songs from all of your favorite bands here on the Laptop Sessions music blog!

“Unexplained” (Quilt Original Cover)

By Jeff Copperthite:

You know, it is time to ask the age-old question that I have asked multiple times this year.  I think i’ve lost count just how many times.

Any idea what it is?

Ok, here it goes.

“Why does Youtube feel like it’s time to have a maintenance only when it is my night to post for the day?”

Yes that’s right.  Youtube will be undergoing scheduled maintenance in a short while – probably after I finish typing this post.

But thankfully, I have uploaded the video already!  Ha!  And it’s a good one too.  It’s “Like bashing in the head of whomever schedules the time for Youtube maintenance so badly he looks at you and vows never to do it again and you force feed him various videos involving Mister Ed and movies with Paul Reiser until his eyeballs can’t take it anymore and he screams for mercy” good.

But seriously, it’s Original Wednesday – the BEST day of the week!  Where you get to hear another original tune from the library of yours truly.

The song I have chosen for tonight, ironically, is my own self-declared “Most Depressing Song i’ve ever written”.

From the 2003 Quilt album Expressions, the song is “Unexplained”.  There was a time towards the end of my senior year in college where I suddenly realized how “aware” I was of the world.  It’s what my teachers talked about throughout my years of school that “you’ll have to grow up and realize you aren’t invincible, there’s people around you, etc.”  It’s really a kind of awakening.  But that sudden awareness of things around you includes the positive…and the dreadfully negative.  I wrote this song after a period of questions that are embedded in the lyrics of this song.

It’s weird though.  Nowadays I tend to think about that subject matter at night as I drift off to sleep.  It’s discomforting for sure.  Funny thing is if you saw me at any point of the day where I was awake, you’d think I was the happiest person alive.

Well, I am quite happy.  I’ve got a great job, great wife, great condo, and an overall great life (my wife wants me to put “wife” first, but she doesn’t understand the literary prose that is at work here).  I even wrote in the liner notes of this album that the lyrics do not reflect my true overall state of thinking.

I decided to throw in some fingerpicking into this song, despite the recorded version having all normal picking.  The recorded version is also a bit slower than this one.  Also, 5 years later, I have more insights of how to sing songs properly.  I’m really pleased with the quality of this video!

Now, you know that tomorrow is Thumpin’ Thursday.  I’m still mad at my voice for supplanting my previous Thursday.  However, Jim “Like three octaves of pure unadulaterated BAM for your ears Good” Fusco will be here to show us his 2nd consecutive Thumpin’ entry.  It’s going to be that good.

I’ll see you in 3 days!

Editor’s Note: Unfortunately, Jeff’s acoustic cover song music videos are no longer on YouTube, but we decided to keep his cover song blog posts up.  We figured these music blog entries would be good for posterity’s sake and because Jeff always gave such insightful posts each Session.  We hope to see Jeff’s impressive catalog of acoustic rock songs here on the Laptop Sessions cover songs and original music blog again in the future.  But, for now, please make sure to check-out hundreds of other acoustic cover songs from all of your favorite bands here on the Laptop Sessions music blog!

“Dam Would Break” (Toad the Wet Sprocket Cover)

By Jeff:

There’s a saying i’ve been hearing lately – “mush brain”.

Because I feel like I have that.

Let me preface with this.  I was rendering the video last night to prepare it to upload.  My wife says “Can you help me with the laundry?”, and because i’m such a chivalrous gentleman, I let the laptop continue to render the video and went upstairs to help with the laundry.  3 loads of laundry later, I say “Wow I’m bushed.  I better head to bed.”  And off I go to sleep.

And then I wake up this morning and say “Holy crap I didn’t upload the video and post about it.”  Needless to say, I feel like a total dbag.

So while i’d technically like to call this “Fail Friday”, but i’d rather call it “Thumpin’ Thursday which is too cool to be posted on time.”

Anyway, on with the video.  Tonight I am covering a song from Toad the Wet Sprocket called “Dam Would Break”.  It’s from one of my favorite albums.  The song is “Dam Would Break” and it’s the 4th track from the album “Coil”.  I remember trying to figure out how to play this song 10 years ago before I knew what a capo was.  Naturally I didn’t know enough chords at the time to figure out this song without a capo.  It’s a wonderful tool for sure.

You’ll also notice the new guitar strings.  Sound good don’t they?  I wish I could say the same about the forgetful person playing the song.

I’m began my semester last week, so if any of my current students are reading this, I hope you did your homework!  (It could easily be any of the 80+ students I have)

Ok i’ll see you in 6 days for a (hopefully on time) new video!

Editor’s Note: Unfortunately, Jeff’s acoustic cover song music videos are no longer on YouTube, but we decided to keep his cover song blog posts up.  We figured these music blog entries would be good for posterity’s sake and because Jeff always gave such insightful posts each Session.  We hope to see Jeff’s impressive catalog of acoustic rock songs here on the Laptop Sessions cover songs and original music blog again in the future.  But, for now, please make sure to check-out hundreds of other acoustic cover songs from all of your favorite bands here on the Laptop Sessions music blog!

“Never Without You” (Ringo Starr Cover – Jeff’s 100th session!)

By Jeff Copperthite:

Good evening and welcome to your weekend-ending Super Sunday session w/ me, Jeff Copperthite!  I’m happy to expand my personal “bands covered” library with today’s session, which happens during a great landmark.

Tonight is my 100th Laptop Session!

And tonight i’m bringing you a sentimental dedication song by Ringo Starr.  This song is from his recent 2003 album Ringo Rama (though not his latest album) and was composed in remembrance of the late great George Harrison.  The fact that i’m wearing black in the video is just a coincidence, but it is well fitting for this video.

I am well behind on Beatles’ trivia, but Ringo Starr’s name is Richard Starkey.  The whole time i’m reading credits for the Ringo Rama album i’m going “Who is Starkey in the credits?”.  Should’ve guessed that it was him since it sounds a lot like Starr being derived from that.

I am excited that I have reached the 100 session mark.  Through the past year or so I have accomplished a lot during the course of these 100 sessions and I have made a lot of fans and recorded a lot of cover songs.  I’ve had to fight the urge to quit quite a few times, mostly due to negative comments (which we do get from time to time).  I’ve been told to throw my guitar out a window, stop insulting songs, and yes, i’ve even been told to inflict a self-mortal wound (paraphrased naturally).

But aside from the occasional negative comment, I have gotten huge amounts of positive feedback and that is the stuff that makes me continue to bring these videos to you.  I don’t intend for them to “get me anywhere” (as someone so kindly pointed out how i’ll never make it, despite me not really trying to do so) – I do it for fun and for your enjoyment.  And even if it’s a few people who truly enjoy seeing our sessions per day, if we have made it better because of our series, then that’s all the confirmation I need.

Here’s to 100 more sessions!  Come back tomorrow for Jim’s latest session – i’m sure you’ve missed him since his double dose last week.

Editor’s Note: Unfortunately, Jeff’s acoustic cover song music videos are no longer on YouTube, but we decided to keep his cover song blog posts up.  We figured these music blog entries would be good for posterity’s sake and because Jeff always gave such insightful posts each Session.  We hope to see Jeff’s impressive catalog of acoustic rock songs here on the Laptop Sessions cover songs and original music blog again in the future.  But, for now, please make sure to check-out hundreds of other acoustic cover songs from all of your favorite bands here on the Laptop Sessions music blog!