Hey there! So I haven’t posted in awhile and I wanted to put on a great tune that I’d been meaning to learn how to play for awhile (and I did, and it’s easy!) This Tommy James and The Shondells song is a classic, and when you listen to the actual recording, you can see how ahead of its time the production is.
And to me, the message is simple and in which I can easily relate. You have two people in love, running around together, almost as if they’re trying to escape getting old and time itself. And that’s what love makes you feel…like you’ll always be young and always be happy. Ive had conversations even with family where people have said how rare it is for two people to have that… seem like they get each other so well, and the rest of the world is left out of whatever inside joke is going on between them. That’s what this song, to me, is about…When you’re with the one you’re meant to be with, you are the BEST version of yourself. You are stronger because of them, more creative, and in the busy world, you sometimes can’t remember who you truly are unless you get back there again.
And then you find yourself saying with a sigh of relief…”I think we’re alone now”.. =)
And for those guitar players out there, without going into the full layout of the song, the chords are A, C#m, f#m, E for the verse, c#m and A G E for the bridge, and the chorus is A, E, D, A. So go try it out!
Or just listen and enjoy my version instead! And as a birthday present to me, (this coming monday!), you should leave me some good ratings/comment
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.
Happy 2015, everyone! For my first post of the year, I’m proud to bring you the full video from my concert celebrating the release of my 2014 album, “The Easy Ways”! In this concert, I play the album in its entirety. I made a special mix of the album without the lead vocals and lead guitar. So, I was able to play alongside that backing track to give the audience a real preview of what the album sounded like!
We had a great turnout and performance went off without a hitch. If you weren’t able to make it, it’s a great opportunity to watch and listen to the whole album! And, if you went, I’m sure you’ll want to relive the concert again and again. 🙂
The concert, like the album, is split into two sections. So, make sure to watch both videos. I’d love to hear any comments about the album and hope everyone enjoys.
