Tag Archives: cover

“Baby I Love Your Way” (Peter Frampton Cover)

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By Jim Fusco:

My LAST post of the year is the my last entry into our “Session a day” project.  I can’t believe it’s over, but I also can’t believe that it took this long to get where we are!  I mean, yes, we’ve gotten some success, but it certainly hasn’t been overnight.  We’re talking over a year now!  But, I do see many great signs of progress every day here on the best music video blog ever created.  Tell your friends- tell your enemies- tell everyone!

Tonight, I bring you a classic tune off of the album that Peter Griffin asked, “You what was huge?  ‘Frampton Comes Alive.’  Honestly, was there even one person you knew who didn’t have that record?”  It’s so true.  I went out and got a copy on CD a few years back.  I’m not a huge fan of long, drawn out, jam sessions, so the concert was of limited enjoyment to me.  But, I did get a few great songs off of this album, especially because the famous versions are from that concert.  I first bought a copy of a Frampton Greatest Hits, but it had the studio version of “Show Me the Way”.  The version everyone knows is the live version!  And then, I had always heard the studio version of “Baby I Love Your Way” on the radio.  Guess what?  The live version graced that disc.  I was pissed.  That actually happened to me once before with a Neil Diamond greatest hits album.  I so desperately wanted the studio version of a certain song and the collection only had the live cut.  This was back in the days before iTunes and commercially available mp3s, so no help there.

I really enjoy “Baby I Love Your Way”.  It’s a simple song- no odd stops or middle eights or guitar solos- but it gets the sentiment across well and has a nice, recognizable tune.  I had fun playing this one.  I’m always concerned that I look angry while I’m playing these songs.  That is, angry or just very hurt.  I have to catch myself on things like that.  For this video, I had to do about ten takes (only one other full one) to get it right.  I kept putting the wrong emphasis on words or I would look in the camera and notice I had this scowl on my face.  Ah, the Laptop Sessions…

THANK YOU to all who have supported us in our efforts to bring you a cover song a day for the entire year of 2008!  We’ll be donig a video a week (each) next year, but to make up for the slower schedule, we’ll be writing articles, posting music reviews, and adding the chords to your favorite songs so you can play along!  Have a GREAT New Year.  My next scheduled post won’t be until Tuesday, January 6th, but I don’t think I can be away for that long, so I’ll be on here, redesigning the homepage for the site for the new year and new schedule.  Until then!

“Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” (John Lennon cover)

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I’m sooooo tired.  No, I’m not quoting a classic Beatles tune- I’m really freakin’ exhausted!  Something about driving an hour to the Buckland Hills mall, shopping, eating a TON at Red Robin, and driving an hour back just makes me so tired.  Then, I realized it was my night for a cover song music video.  It always works that way.  My way of dealing with it?  Honk the horn while driving down I-84.

As we gear up for yet another winter storm here in CT, I find myself really ready for Christmas, and just in time.  Today, we dug ourselves out of the snow and I went to my parents’ house for a party with my father’s cousins- a yearly tradition.  It was so nice, especially because Mike was there.  Felt like old times.  Mike and I would attempt to fit in with the older crowd, but eventually would just run downstairs and play with our Hess trucks, which we would get each year.  Today, we got pizza from Fratelli’s in Wallingford.  My parents had never eaten there before, but I tried it at work and loved it.  So, I put my recommendation out there, and thankfully, everyone loved it.

I then went to do a video job (maybe THAT’S why I’m so tired) at the New Haven Lawn Club.  It was a nice Jewish wedding.  I only had to do the ceremony, but got paid for a whole job.  And a few days before Christmas, that’s always a welcome thing.  Chris, Dana, and I went on our trek (see above) after I got home, and that brings us to my cover song music video for tonight.

I’ve known “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” my whole life.  I always found it interesting that my father said this song wasn’t really a big Christmas “hit” until after John Lennon died.  Just like George Harrison’s music- the man’s albums went on being obscure and not available on CD until AFTER he died.  Hey, at least they’re out now.  Dennis Wilson is the perfect example of this phenomenon, except it took everyone about 25 years to re-release something after his death.  And he was the most talented of them all.

I dedicate this song to my boss, Steve Mirabella, who suggested I do this for the Laptop Sessions.  It’s so rewarding to find someone who cares about and loves music as much as I do and is actually interested in these cover songs music videos we do on a daily basis here.  And yes, Steve, I found a much less annoying way of handling the Yoko Ono parts, so the song sounds much less….well, you know…than the original.

I hope you all enjoy this great Christmas song and heed its words- Christmas is a time for EVERYONE and it will come no matter the wars, hardships, unreasonable hatred, etc.  It’s good to know that there’s an anchor in our lives like that.  It allows me to keep traditions going and that makes me incredibly happy.  I’ll see you back here again on Tuesday for another great Laptop Session!  Oh, and tonight is my 150th music video, and here’s to 150 more!

“Burning Love” (Elvis Presley Cover)

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By Jim Fusco:

It’s just a hunka-hunka-burnin’-cover-song tonight on the Laptop Sessions!

Oh, yes, the Session-a-day project is winding down, but the energy still lives on in this acoustic cover song video, as I deliver one of my new favorite videos. I thought of doing this song a while ago, but never got around to it. Tonight, I needed something that would give me a “Sunday night spark”, as I’m usually pretty laid-back on Sunday nights.

This weekend was crazy. I had a work party on Friday (where I finally got to meet Dr. Perricone), came home and slept for three hours, woke up and went to see my good friend Matt Griffiths’ directing job on a one-act play at Southern Connecticut State University, went out to SBC Brewery for dinner with Becky and Danielle, came home and stayed up video editing (and hanging out with Chris and Dana) all the way till 7:30 am (!!!), waking up at 11:45 to go to our weekly “Luncho Marx” with my father at Burger King, driving down to my cousin Lou’s house in Branford to drop off my wedding video edits, coming back to do a bit of shopping, going to see “Quantum of Solace” (which was good) with Chris, leaving right from there to go to another Christmas party, came home to practice some Christmas songs and sleep, woke up to pack the car and drive an hour to another Christmas party (where I played Santa Claus and played Christmas songs with Chris and Becky), and finally came home after usual Sunday dinner at my parents’ house.

Yikes- what a sentance!

Anyway, I finally got a chance to sit down when I remembered that it was my night to post a cover song video here on the blog! And, since this blog is a true musical lifeline for me, I was all too happy to do it. This is almost my 150th music video and I’m so proud of the work we’ve done here on the best music video blog online!

Tonight’s song is an Elvis tune from the early 70s. I remember my father telling me that this song was an Elvis comeback of sorts because he returned to rock’n’roll after years of awful lounge-singing. I think The King’s story is truly one of most tragic in all of pop culture. He was the Britney Spears of his day. “Burning Love” was a huge hit, but sadly, this did not stop Elvis on his decline and he never came out with such a rockin’ single for the rest of his life.

I think the best part about this song is just how classic it sounds. He got the Jordanaires back to sing backup, the song has a great beat, and it really highlights Elvis letting loose on the vocals, especially at the end.

It’s also an incredibly easy song to play. If you can play D-G-A-Bm, you’re all set. Just husk-up that voice and get your best Elvis impression going. Actually, we recorded the performance today of Christmas song, so I may post it, depending on how good it came out. On that, I got to do a couple of Elvis Christmas songs, which have to be my all-time favorites. The only other contender is the Beach Boys Christmas album. Although, in the past few years, there have been some AMAZING Christmas offerings from the likes of Ringo Starr, Brian Wilson, Barenaked Ladies, America, and the Moody Blues. I cherish these albums as new classics every single year.

I’ll be back for an Original Wednesday that’s so good, it’s like “Your Secret Santa decided to ignore the spending limit but you didn’t and he’s not mad” good! 🙂 Wow, I’m way too proud of that one right now- I’m laughing out loud.

Have a great night and we’ll see you back here after two amazing new Sessions from Chris and Jeff!

“Please Come Home For Christmas” (Eagles Acoustic & Electric Rock Cover)

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By Jim Fusco:

Well, my first Eagles cover tonight, aided by one Chris Moore!

This is a landmark Laptop Session, as it’s the first one EVER to feature an electric guitar!  I’m using one of my prized Ibanez guitars for this video.  I can’t believe how great it came out.  I’m not talking about our performance- I’m talking about the fact that we used my one microphone and just sorta placed it there and let it roll.  The amp was on the other side of the room, too.

I got the solo perfect in this take, but Chris wanted to do another one to perfect his part.  After a couple of extra takes, I decided that the solo was more important than a couple of botched chords, so we kept this take.  You may notice a different font used in this video, as that’s a clear sign we used Chris’ computer, as mine was busy burning DVDs.

I like this song, but didn’t really love it until I learned how to play it last year.  It’s got some great chords, including one of my favorites- A major 7th.  It’s my first Eagles song, too, and I’m happy I had Chris to back me up and allow me to play a non-kazoo solo tonight.

It’s really late now, as Mike came over to talk and chill with Dana, Chris, and me.  We had a good time laughing about Dana’s various botched pickup lines and Chris’ general hilarity.

I’ll be back with you on Thursday night, as Jeff will be filling in for me on Monday.  He’s got his work cut out for himself this week, as he’ll be posting Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.  Wow, that’s pretty awful.  But, at least that’ll eat up four of his remaining nine or ten videos for the year!  I’m getting ramped-up for Christmas, as the tree (which is perfect) is up, the lights are on, and the presents are ready for wrapping.  Of course, I’m still busy with video jobs and the like, but we’ll make it.

Okay, have a great week and enjoy your quad-shot of Jeff coming right at ya!