“Home” (New Indie Music – Cover)

By Jim Fusco:

This edition of the Laptop Sessions is the first installment of what we like to call “Original Wednesday”, where we pick an original tune from someone in the Fusco-Moore Productions galaxy and play it for our Laptop Sessions video podcast series!

This Wednesday edition, I’m playing a Jeff Copperthite song called “Home”, which is for his EP “Greenlight”.

I love this song and so does my mother. It’s a very sincere song and I just can’t get that ending tag out of my head. Even as I write this, I’m trying not to think of it so I won’t get it stuck in there again. I’m desperately holding on to Jeff’s Laptop Session of the Wallflower’s “God Says Nothing Back”.

Anyway, this is a cool song, and just as any musician feels when he hears a cool new song, I wondered how it would sound if I gave it the Jim Fusco treatment! So, I hope you enjoy and I hope the video does Jeff proud. Go check out Jeff’s version of my song, “Harmony”, too!! It’s sure to please.

The Newest Video Blog – A Series by Songwriters!

By Jeff Copperthite:

I know you wonder how it is going with the Fusco-Moore Productions crew, so here is another update.

As you have seen, as of Saturday all members of FMP have contributed to the Laptop Sessions, and they are slowly gaining popularity among youtube viewers (as well as those reading this blog – like yourself. You’re a distinguished individual for reading this blog!), and hopefully other well known people.

However, you’ll notice Thursday was the last time I have done a session. There are two reasons for this.

One, I want to get to know the video software that came with my web camera, because Youtube quickcapture is a bit, well, slow. When you watch them, it looks like our strumming hand is one huge blur. That, and you can see us going to the computer to click “Save and Continue”. You’ll also notice Jim and Chris’ videos have titles to them. I want to learn how to do that, so that way, you can hear as little of my voice as possible.

The second is Friday night I injured my left index finger – falling up the stairs. Just when that people only fell down the stairs, I have defied yet another law of nature. That was all that happened, and thankfully it isn’t broken. It is a bit swollen right now, but I figure tomorrow or Tuesday it should be fine enough to play again.

Speaking of playing and recording, another song is almost done for the EP. Only the bass is left to record. I can’t wait to get to the other 3 songs to record. I can see the end of recording in sight. Baseball season is over as of Saturday, so now the weekends are now much more available.

When my finger does heal, I will be playing a couple of Jim Fusco originals on my laptop sessions installments. Hopefully Jim’s ears won’t cringe (or his eyes for that matter) when he hears them.

Until then…

Songwriters Know – It takes how many takes?

By Jeff Copperthite:

Finally was able to get a solid session in today. With a schedule like mine, it is very difficult to find an hour or two at a time.

Between teaching, marriage, and a running addiction to Final Fantasy XI, recording time is hard to come by all at once.

Thankfully, Final Fantasy XI was down for maintenance, my wife was at work, and school was over for the day.

So I got down to the studio and finished the guitars for the song i’m working on now.

And those who have recorded before know how much it takes to lay down one track you are happy with. I ended up with five guitar tracks. The song is about 4 1/2 minutes long. That’s 22 1/2 minutes of guitar recording. That is assuming of course I get each one right on the first try.

Good thing nobody under the age of 27 lives in my house. When you mess up what was a terrific guitar track by missing the string or the chord, it is usually followed by a four letter word that isn’t “love”.

Multiply that by 40.

While three of the five guitar tracks were done in 4 takes or less, the fourth one went through creative changes. Do I want it distorted? Let’s try it clean – nah, screw that lets get that distortion back – wait, is that how I had it? 9 takes later, I had a track that i’m somewhat happy with – i’ll probably end up recording it again. If anyone listened to me talking while recording they’d think i’m nuts.

It’s weird when you know you’re nuts as well.

That’s not even considering the guitar solo, which only happens for 1 minute of the song.

I must’ve played the same solo for the 1st half of this time span about 24 times before I got one perfect.

Then I did the 2nd half on the first take.

When I listened back to it expecting to have to record it again, I surprised myself with it. Recording is like that. Once in a while you nail an entire song in an hour. Other times the song nails you. Or gets you nailed…

No, just kidding. I have yet to have the need to throw throngs of fans off my legs so I could get in my tour bus.

But as you can see. It is a fickle hobby that we are involved in. Good thing you get to hear the end result. It takes hours of recording to get one 4 1/2 minute song for you to enjoy. Imagine how long it takes to record an entire EP or album. Good thing we’re allowed to sleep in between.

Well, more updates to come when they happen.

Until then…

Late Night Video Blog – A Songwriter at Work!

By Jeff Copperthite:

So what the heck is the newest member doing up at 2:18 a.m. on a blog that just started?

No, i’m sober.

Yes, i’m nuts.

No seriously i’m really trying it out to make sure i’m able to post. If you’re reading this, then another mission accomplished.

I’ve been working in my not-so-aethestically pleasing studio on another track for Greenlight. I have a terrific audio picture of what I am doing for this song, and I got to mess around with guitars and a bit of vocals lastnight. My wife came down with me and snapped some photos of me at work. I’m posting the vocal picture on this entry because – well, it goes to show when we at FMP record our singing, we aren’t a bunch of stiffs in front of that microphone.

Singing and loving it

I’m not looking at a furnace and water heater – i’m envisioning the five fans bobbing their head in time with the bluesy beat.

Told you I was nuts.

And you can tell from the background – I can’t wait to get to that putting up corkboard ceiling and a nice non-load-bearing wall in front of said appliances.

But seriously I look forward to recording most of the guitars and vocals for this song soon, and I have another 3 songs to start recording. I am so excited that music is coming naturally to me again.

Also, Jim, Chris, and myself are already plotting “Jamnation 2: the search for more listeners.”

Ok fine, we’ll probably just stick with “Jamnation 2”. Why can’t album sequels work like movie sequels.

Hopefully soon I can procure a webcam and contribute to the laptop sessions. There are lots of cover songs that can use the FMP touch, and I want to do my “part” (come on musicians – laugh!)

Until then…