Tag Archives: Jim Fusco Songs

“Halfway There” (Jim Fusco Original Song)

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By Jim Fusco:

Yes, that’s right- a world premiere tonight here on the Laptop Sessions music video blog!

In just a couple short months (or maybe sooner- who knows), I’ll be releasing my first solo album in four years.  I can’t believe it’s been that long.  And, with the production value and songwriting skills, you’ll realize that I’ve grown in many ways over that time.  I’ve seen a band come and (essentially) go in that time.  I’ve produced and written songs for two albums while in that band.  “Homestead’s Revenge” is truly a great album and I can only hope that “Halfway There” can top it.

I hope to create some sort of buzz for the new album.  I spent so long making it and I’m so proud of it that I wanted to wait until the Laptop Sessions got popular to release it.  Maybe now, my collegues here on the site will realize why I’ve been pushing them so hard to find better avenues for popularity here on the music video blog…

This song, “Halfway There”, is obviously the title track, but it doesn’t appear until track 10 on the 11 track album.  It’s funny- my last album was 13 tracks and this new album is longer with two fewer songs!  The songs on this album are well-thought-out and complete.  The songs on this album take their time and don’t sound too rushed.  The songs on this album are the songs I always knew I could make, but never really had the time or the resources to complete.  You can see why I’m so proud of it!

Of course, this album has a theme.  When you see the album cover, which is awesome, by the way, you’ll get more of the theme’s meaning.  I’m having a great painter named Ben Quesnel paint the cover.  In exchange, I’ll be making him a website for all of his artististic work.  It’s a great trade-off and I know we’ll both be very happy in the end.

Tonight’s song really sums-up the whole concept of feeling “Halfway There”, hence it’s place towards the end of the album.  I give examples of what I’m trying to say throughout the album and finally give it a nice summary towards the end.

The tune came to me while driving back home after our usual trip to my parents’ house on Thursday nights for TNA iMPACT! on Spike TV.  I knew the title of the album long before I wrote this song.  Thinking of the album and its title, I started to sing to myself in the car: “Halfway there…halfway there…halfway there…I’ll always be halfway there…”  I proceeded to drive home much faster than usual and fleshed-out the song a bit more.

Actually, I made a YouTube video of how I developed this song- here it is below.  Then, you can watch tonight’s Laptop Session Original Wednesday version and get a better feel for the finished product.

Of course, the REAL finished product has literally ten of my vocals on the chorus- it sounds so cool!  Again, I finally have the techniques and everything down to make productions like this possible…and sound good, too!  But, for now, I hope you’ll enjoy the first newly-released track off of my upcoming album, “Halfway There” on acoustic guitar for tonight’s Original Wednesday music video.  I’ll be back for my next Jim Fusco Tuesday installment next week and I hope you will be, too!

“Second That Emotion” (Smokey Robinson & the Miracles Cover)

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By Jim Fusco:

I know you’ve been waiting for this all week…it’s Jim Fusco Tuesday here on the Laptop Sessions acoustic cover songs music video blog!  Yes, that’s right, your favorite place to get acoustic covers and rock music videos from three of the best indie songwriters you’ll find.

I’m having SO much fun playing with my new Mac Pro right now.  It just amazes me to be typing this on one 22″ Acer monitor and to have the other monitor rendering a video at a clip about 25 times faster than my old machine.  It makes me feel more productive without actually doing anything!

The computer’s setup is finally complete.  I’ve had it since last Friday and Becky helped me put together (and find) the great L-shaped desk, while Dana helped me to set everything up and give some sage advice.

Meanwhile, Chris was heeding my pleas to do some work on the music video blog here, as he’s decided (quite ambitiously) to post the chords to every single song he plays this year.  Here’s hoping that he’ll play a song I’ve actually heard of…

Now, if you haven’t heard of tonight’s song, you must’ve been living under a rock for the past forty years.  One of Motown’s greatest songwriters, Smokey Robinson, wrote this tune that he did with his group, the Miracles.  Smokey was, and still is, a writer for many other acts.  One song you just might have heard of was an incredibly huge hit for the Temptations, entitled “My Girl”.  Smokey truly is the man.

I also love tonight’s cover song, “Second That Emotion”, because Smokey sings in his classic falsetto throughout the song.  Now, this actually poses a bit of problem, believe it or not.  You see, everyone’s voice kind of hits falsetto at a different note.  Brian Wilson always went into falsetto at exactly the right times and I don’t believe I’ve really ever heard Carl Wilson use his falsetto voice.  That said, my falsetto range tends to be a bit on the high side.  Meaning that whenever I sing songs that are mostly in falsetto, I find it more comfortable to sing most of it in my regular voice.  That makes it hard to switch halfway through.  But, I practiced and practiced until it worked really well.  Here’s to you, Smokey!

Tonight, I’m happy I can bring you another great Motown hit from the sixties.  It’s so funny to see the breakdown of decades here on the video blog.  Chris and Jeff have the 90s and 200s locked solid.  Then there’s me bringing up the rear, taking the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s by a large margin.  And every I say or write “large margin”, I’m forced to think of “Large Marge” from Pee Wee’s Big Adventure.  My cousin, brother, and I watched that movie all the time when we were little.  Then, I watched it again recently and realized that it’s a freakin’ hilarious flick.  If you haven’t seen it for a while (or were scared of it when you were little, like I was), you really should give it another chance.

Okay, I’ve ranted long enough for one night.  Tune in tomorrow night for a GIGANTIC premeire here on the best music video blog ever created!

Why’s it such a milestone?  Well, I’m going to bring you the title track to my upcoming new album, “Halfway There” on Original Wednesday!  I know you’ll love the song, especially after the great reaction I got from “Only A Dream” last week.  Thanks to ilsy74 on YouTube for sending out the video and promoting our original work.  I’m very excited to get the reaction to my new material and I’ll be back soon enough to bring it to you!  Until then, have a great night and enjoy tonight’s Motown acoustic cover song music video!

“Only A Dream” – an MoU Original Acoustic Rock Song

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By Jim Fusco:

For my first trick…

Welcome to my first Original Wednesday original acoustic song music video for the year 2009!  It’s Jim Fusco here with a great song that we chose to kick-off our (and by “our”, I mean the band Masters of the Universe, or MoU) second album, “Homestead’s Revenge”.  The song is “Only A Dream” and it’s a chorus I wrote the tune to, but never did anything else with.

I remember the day very vividly.  It was one of our band songwriting sessions and I remember finally fleshing-out the chorus with the help of Chris, Mike,  Becky, and Cliff.  Then, I ran over to the piano and started to work out chord progressions for the verses.  I came up with the very interesting Em7 to Bm chord progression and I really love the tune that goes along with it.  I remember sitting there working and hearing Becky and Chris deciding on words to go into the chorus of the song.

I took my ideas over to the rest of the band and we worked out the words.  We came up with this image of a man in a jail cell.  The conversation went something like this: “How about a man locked in a jail cell that’s dreaming about getting out?”  “Oh yeah- like he’s locked in there!” “Okay, let’s see- ‘Locked in solitary confinement…'”  “No, that doesn’t work with the tune…” “Locked in solidarity…” “That doesn’t make sense, though.” “Oh, but it does!  The guy is locked up AND he’s all alone!” “Perfect!”

And that’s how the writing session went- we scrutinized everything but were able to paint a very realistic image of the idea we were getting across.  Why don’t you just listen and find out what that message is?

I also remember Mike returning from the back room, playing his middle-8.  I love that part of the song and it leads right back into the chorus very well.  He did that on “These Streets” from the same album.  The lyrics are great on the middle-8 to “These Streets”- we were thinking about that kind of great fast-paced life you think you have in high school  and threw in, “Live like it’s 1999,” because I was a freshman/sophomore in 1999.

Also, I was very excited when we all did the vocals.  On the original (which you can hear by going to MoU’s Official Website), you’ll hear double-tracked vocals from each of the five members of the band on the choruses and backgrounds, PLUS the lead vocals.

Some fun facts: Chris, Cliff, Mike, and I recorded our vocals together and we dubbed Becky’s much softer voice later on two other tracks so I could handle it better in the mix.  It isn’t easy blending a female voice into four other male voices.  But, my voice must not be too far off from a female’s voice, which made it easier to mix.  Why do I say that?  Well, on the middle-8, you’ll hear the backing vocals come in.  I love that part.  Well, on that section, Becky doesn’t sing- it’s just Mike’s lead, then Mike, Chris, Cliff, and I on backing vocals.  I sang the high part (doing my best Becky impression) because we seamlessly wove the backing vocals around Mike’s lead, allowing us to use only four other backing vocal harmony parts.  I remember doing those backing vocals that night with the boys and we were all so incredibly excited.  After we finished each good take, we’d get so stoked about it.  The greatest backing vocals I think I’ve ever heard are during the second half of the second verse.  The way that some of the vocals move around and some stay the same…it’s really a stroke of genius on my part! 🙂  Want to hear just the vocals-only section?  Click HERE and you’ll go to the Albums page on the MoU website.  The clip of only the vocals from that section will play in the background.  Click around to the other pages on the site and you’ll hear more rare vocals-only clips from the album!

Well, I hope you enjoy this great original song.  It was truly a collaborative effort- a great, catchy song- that was the perfect album-starter.  Until next Tuesday, I hope you have a great week.  Make sure to come back tomorrow for your Jeff Copperthite Thumpin’ Thursday acoustic cover song music video!

“Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours” (Stevie Wonder Cover)

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By Jim Fusco:

Here I am, baby, with another edition of Jim Fusco Tuesdays here on the best video blog you’ve ever seen!  How do I know that?  Well, I’ll give you a few minutes to look around, then come back…

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Back?  Yeah- I thought so.  We have the greatest selection of acoustic cover songs you’ll find ANYWHERE on the internet.  Where else can you find a Wilco song juxtaposed next to a Stevie Wonder song…done by two pasty white guys in Connecticut?  Well, I’ll tell you where- right here on the Laptop Sessions acoustic cover songs music video blog.

Onto tonight’s video:

For my Tuesday night edition, I bring you a special Inauguration song in honor of our new President, Barack Obama.  Yes, I’ve been a supporter of the man from the start of the race, but that’s not why I did this song.  As per the quite harsh comments I recieved on one of my original songs, I don’t think I’ll be bringing politics into the conversation anytime soon (join me next week for my exposé on religion…kidding!).  But, I think we should all come together as a nation right now under our inspirational new leader and try to fix what ails this economy and the world in general.

In honor of Motown’s 50th Anniversay (thank you, full page ad in Rolling Stone…), I’ll be doing this and another great Motown hit next week on Jim Fusco Tuesdays here on the music video blog.  I hope Chris and Jeff will help me sing some great Motown numbers, as well, as we’re also very rapidly approaching Black History Month in February.

If you remember Obama’s speeches during the primaries and election, then you’ve heard this song before.  Every time Obama won something, Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours” would play loudly to a group of screaming Obama fans.  “Signed, Sealed, Delivered…” was Barack Obama’s theme song of sorts.  It was always a great motivator that said, “Here I am- you’ve chosen me and I want to be here.”

I hope you got to see the Inauguration today.  My brother Mike was saying that he actually felt bad for former President Bush when the crowd started singing “Na, na, na, na… Na, na, na, na… Hey, hey hey… Goodbye…” as his helicopter exited Washington D.C.  He’s served his time.  He had a lot of bad luck and said some things he really should’ve thought about a bit more before saying and his legacy is…well, we’ll leave History up to that one…

So, I’m happy to honor our new President tonight with this classic Stevie Wonder song.  If you love Barack Obama, or you still need to warm up to him as President, I hope you’ll realize that we’re all in this together and that Obama is here, signed, sealed, delivered and ready to work as President of the United States.  This is a very hopeful day for America and I think that’s something this country sorely needed.  Goodnight and I’ll be back tomorrow with a great Original Wednesday song from MoU!