Well, it’s that time again… for another Original Wednesday Laptop Session! For today’s installment, I decided to break out a slower song that’s never been released before. I wrote it this summer when my girlfriend and two best friends were out of the country (her in England and them in Italy). They were off on adventures in other countries, and I was still at home, going through everyday life as usual.
Except I was alone most of the time.
For the most part, it was relaxing, as I had just finished my student teaching. But, it was also lonely, and I thought about them often, especially Nicole. Thus, this song kind of came to me as I was practicing another song. It really expresses the feeling of figuring something out about a relationship, but being too distant to share it. Yet.
On a side note, I just found out that Jim, Jeff, and I will be playing two live shows in the coming weeks, so be sure to check http://LaptopSessions for all the details! (Just search “Live Events”)
I hope you enjoy this video and please comment or rate it!
Good evening to you on this Friday. Jeff Copperthite here today with your latest edition of The Laptop Sessions. Today I am bringing you another song from a previously covered band.
From their album “New Miserable Experience” I bring you my acoustic cover video of Gin Blossoms’ hit song “Hey Jealousy”. Again from Colchester, VT (for the last time this year) as you can tell by the background. Acoustics are interesting in the room to say the least. Also, the lighting isn’t the greatest, but I view that as a plus – you don’t have to look at my ugly mug in as much detail!
The song came out fine, although I did time some for the vocals a bit differently than the recording. I also used a capo when I could’ve gotten away with doing it in standard position. However, the song is much much easier to play on 2nd fret capo. I hope you enjoy it.
I would’ve posted earlier but my wife & I attended a casino night in the hotel and came out only down $20 after 3 hours – a win in my book. However, I did miss the thrilling Michael Phelps’ 7th gold medal by .01 seconds on TV.
Stay tuned tomorrow for the latest session from Jim Fusco!
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 origianal 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!
Dance, Dance, Dance – 8
Kiss Me, Baby – 9.5
Please Let Me Wonder – 9 (I actually like the arrangement on the “Live at the Roxy” CD better- which really doesn’t fit with my stance on live versions…)
She Knows Me Too Well – 8 (What an ending! Probably one of the best endings ever)
When I Grow Up – 7 (This song is great, don’t get me wrong, but when I first learned it, I always found it to be a bit boring. But, the subject matter is amazing.)
Help Me, Ronda – 6 (I love this song, but sadly, not this version.)
Do You Wanna Dance? – 7 (Great Denny vocal here and I consider this the “standard” version of the song)
Good to My Baby – 7.5 (I love the style of this song, the great guitar riff, and the a capella vocals in the beginning)
*Dance, Dance, Dance (alternate) – 6 (Why do the unreleased alternate takes always sound so tinny?)
Don’t Hurt My Little Sister – 5 (Funny story about this song- my friends and I talk in the tune of this song! I know it sounds weird, and that’s because it is. We’ll say any line with seven syllables to the tune of this song, for instance, “Did you go buy the hot dogs?” Sing it- it fits!)
I’m So Young – 6 (This has some interesting sounds to it. Even though I like Dennis’ part at the end, it’s a bit out of his range)
*Graduation Day – 5 (Great harmonies, just not exactly “engaging”)
In the Back of My Mind – 6.5 (This is a great song with a personal message from Brian Wilson shroud in the vocals of Dennis Wilson. He really nails this and the tune is so unique that I have to give it a good rating)
*I’m So Young (alternate) – 5
Bull Session with the “Big Daddy” – 1
** This is clearly one of the Boys’ best albums of all-time. The production quality, although mixed in mono (which I’m not a fan of, growing up in the surround-sound age), is great. I do miss the Boys playing their own instruments, as they did on the Christmas album’s first side, but the song quality is so good here, that I can look far past it.
I think, without using composite song scores, but ranking albums as “albums”, that this would probably end up in the Top 5 for me. With it would be “Holland”, “Sunflower”, “Pet Sounds”, and the fifth spot is up for grabs. Of course, everyone knows by now my affinity for the ’85 album, but I do value my life, here! 🙂
As a bit of genealogy to my Beach Boys past, we actually started with Pet Sounds (after the Greatest Hits, of course), which we got in 1992. I was 8. Talk about starting with some heavy stuff! But, we hear it over and over and over and over again. My father couldn’t get enough. We listened to “God Only Knows” about three times a day for a year- I’m not exaggerating. It was like Brian Wilson listening to “Be My Baby”. We then moved on (because many of the Beach Boys albums weren’t so easy to find) to the Box Set that just came out in 1992. Now, you have an 8 year old kid listening to Smile!! But, I do think that listening to, and really getting into, such deep and complex music at the age of 8 helped me to grow into a musician and songwriter at an early age. And, thus, is the reason why Brian Wilson will always be my musical idol.
Well, enough about me- this album’s great, and it’s only gonna get better for me, as I’m such a fan of the other band members’ compositions that I can’t wait for the “Sunflower” days! **
Tonight was, hands down, the absolute most fun I’ve had writing a song and/or recording a Laptop Session!
And I’ve got lots of songs and videos for this one to stand up against…
It all began when I left school late tonight, and headed home to gather my guitar and Macbook, as well as Jim’s Macbook. Then, I met Jim and our friend Dana Camp at Dana’s office for pizza and songwriting. They were gracious enough to help me write a song that I had started — a song that I needed to record and post for tonight’s video. Actually, interestingly enough, I had planned on finishing a piece I have called “There’s One Thing.” It’s an upbeat song, and as I explained to Mike when he came by tonight, I haven’t written all that many love songs. I felt I could definitely use the help to put it over the top!
Then, Jim brought up another fragment that I had recorded as a thirty-second demo for him. All he or I knew was the verse I had written (i.e. “You said goodbye so long ago; I should’ve said something before I just let you go…”). We decided to work on that instead, and after much fiddling on the keyboard, Jim worked out a progression for the bridge that we could both agree on. When we started to write words for the bridge, we realized that we were both singing the tune to yet another fragment I had included on a demo tape. As we continued to work, that third fragment, transcribed into a different key, became the chorus of the song (i.e. “I wouldn’t want you to think I forgot about you, girl…”).
Still, there was something missing in terms of the chords. Jim asked Mike to step in and the team of Fusc and Fusc worked some magic in polishing up the tune and progression — for instance, I have Mike to thank for the flourishes at the ends of the verses.
Finally, I needed to work out a complete set of lyrics. So, Dana pulled up a chair (and an overturned computer monitor as an ottoman) and began writing in his creative writing binder. Thus, I have him to thank for putting words to the bridge (i.e. “Remember those summer days that we wished would never end…”).
A true collaboration.
Truly, I have Jim to thank for arranging and bringing the concept for the song together. You shouldn’t be surprised to learn that the awesome outro of harmonies has his trademark on it. Among other aspects he contributed, I love the riffs he plays on the piano throughout.
So, after a while of writing and feeding spiders to the Dana’s fish (and, by spiders, I mean mutant arachnids — just so we’re clear here!), we recorded the session. It took a few takes for me to get the words down, but then we did a full take and I’m very happy with the way it came out. Remember that it’s a first recording, made only minutes after the final touches were applied. By the time it makes it to the album, there will most likely be some more substance to it and the rough edges will be smoothed out to perfection. On the heels of tonight’s collaboration, I’m even more excited about my first album — I plan to bill it as a debut album — with a bona fide producer!
Other notable moments tonight were Jim’s live performance of “Winning You Over” (such a great song; I don’t understand how it can be written off as a pro-Obama song) and Mike’s live take of “I Don’t Love You Anymore.” Now, Mike’s song I wish I had recorded. After all, as his lengthy list of songs-to-record proves, he writes so prolifically that there’s no telling when an incredible new song will be pushed aside for yet a newer one. I’m just glad we got to hear it tonight. Hopefully, he’ll record another session soon!…
And, with that, I’m off to bed. I hope you enjoy this third offering toward my upcoming new album. As always, I’ll keep you posted on all developments. And thanks so much to the boys for a truly fabulous night of pepperoni pizza and good ol’ American rock songwriting. Now, don’t forget to come around tomorrow and Friday for two more great sessions by Jeff and Jim.
