Tag Archives: laptop sessions

“The Wrestler” (Bruce Springsteen Cover)

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By Chris Moore:

(For the chords to “The Wrestler,” go here: The Wrestler Chords)

Hello and welcome to a brand-new week of cover song music videos here at your source for the best of the best — the Laptop Sessions!

But, as much as we like to brag, we really are trying every day to fill this site with a ridiculous number of cover song material — our daily video posts, chords/tabs to your favorite songs, and much more.  We even sneak in a Fusco, Moore, and/or Copperthite original every Wednesday or so…

For today, I’m skimming off the top of the new music / new album current events pool.  Tomorrow is the official US release date of Bruce Springsteen’s 16th studio album.  It’s been less than two years since number 15, so this is exciting news!  I think his previous album, Magic, was one of the best albums of 2007 and certainly my favorite Springsteen album to date.  Now, to be fair, I’ve only listened to his more recent albums, so I reserve my right to change my mind sometime down the line…

But, back to the present.  His new album, Working on a Dream, is coming out amidst a whole lot of Springsteen mania.  For one, there’s his upcoming appearance during the half time show of Super Bowl XLIII on February 1, 2009.  Following in the footsteps of such classic acts as Tom Petty and the Rolling Stones (who were also called out ostensibly to prevent any potential wardrobe malfunctions that may befall a younger, female act!), Springsteen’s album sales are expected to rise directly following the show.  This is opportune timing, then.  Also, two months ago, he released a greatest hits album exclusively at Wal-Mart.  Now, I must admit that I was aggravated when I heard this in the news.  After all, Springsteen is famous and much-respected for his disavowal of corporate sponsorships or endorsements.

Then, as I read some more of the article about this, I realized that it makes perfect sense.  First of all, there’s the statistic that (reportedly) 15% of his recent CD sales have come from Wal-Mart.  Also, there’s the whole Super Bowl business.  I have to admit I can’t blame him and/or his people for pushing a greatest hits out now.  I’m typically disgusted by these sorts of 12-track, almost-all-repeat-tracks-from-his-previous-greatest-hits sorts of releases.  And yet, this is what people will be looking for!  So, as Ben Folds might sing — “You’ve got to give the people what they want!”

Also, the disc is only $9.99, and it’s a limited release item (not part of his official catalog).

I find this stuff fascinating…

But, to come back to tonight’s video, let me explain why I’ve recorded “The Wrestler.”  This is the title track to the film starring Mickey Rourke that has gained the spotlight during various recent award shows.  I have yet to see the film, but I had heard that this track would be a bonus song on the new album.  Thus, I set out to learn it, loved it, and had to record it.  For those of you listening to this song now for the first time, I hope you’ll like my version and want to hear the real one.

I can’t actually vouch for the new album, as I have yet to hear anything other than the song titles from the track listing.  However, I am ecstatic for this, the first new music release of 2009 that I’m really excited for.  I’ll be out during lunchtime tomorrow or as soon as I get out of work to get it.  And, who knows, I may just push myself to write a review tomorrow night.

Crazy?  I know, but that’s what this whole Laptop Sessions thang is all about!

Oh, and before I forget, don’t miss the chords that I just posted a few hours ago here on the site.  Now you can listen AND learn to play the song yourself!

Okay, I’m off to snuggle up with a couple of my dearest friends — one, the Fusco-Moore Experience copy of the latest Rolling Stone (complete with Bruce Springsteen, aka The Boss, on the cover — predictable?  I know, but I couldn’t care less!) and my stack of midterm exams that are ripe for the grading…

See you next session!

“I Dreamed Last Night” by Blue Jays (Justin Hayward & John Lodge of the Moody Blues) Cover

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By Jim Fusco:

Okay, better late than never!  I just forgot to post this video and even though I kept reminding myself, I’ve been very burned-out lately, so I just couldn’t go through all the motions.  Thankfully I recorded this video a few weeks ago when I was in slightly better spirits.  Not that anything is particularly wrong- I just feel a tad bit overworked, in general.  But, that feeling comes and goes.  I hope that, after a day finishing up yard work and such outside on a beautiful day, that we’re entering a calmer time soon.

I tried making plans today to hang out with 0ne of my best friends, but when I looked at my calendar, it was all booked up every weekend until Thanksgiving.  It’s all fun stuff- concerts, parties, get-togethers at our house- but, it was a pretty sad feeling to say to him, “Sorry, man, I’m booked.”  It’s tough juggling a new marriage,  new house, a website, three jobs, and the massive amount of projects and ambitions I have.  When all these things are working at full-tilt, I feel great- like I can rule the world.  But then, I slowly start to realize that I cannot rule the world and then everything gets overwhelming.  So, it stinks for a few days and then I’m back to sorting things out again.

Sorry for the long-winded explanation, but I felt it necessary considering that I take this Laptop Sessions project very seriously and don’t want it to become a “whenever I get the chance” thing.  I don’t work that way- when someone says, “I’ll get to it when I get a chance,” they really mean that it’s never going to get done.  And for those that are currently enjoying the last Masters of the Universe album, “Homestead’s Revenge,” well then, you’re probably happy that I don’t for people to finish things “whenever they get a chance”.

Onto tonight’s video:

“I Dreamed Last Night” by Blue Jays is simply one of the greatest songs I’ve ever heard.  Other than a guitar solo and harmonies (two things I love, but aren’t necessary in this song), this is a PERFECT song.  If you haven’t heard the original, do yourself a favor and download it.  This is a great story for me because of the way I remembered this song:

I was in Northampton, MA for a day trip and went into this small record store.  In the top section above the rest of the albums, they had a Moody Blues Starter Pack.  There were four records for eight bucks and they were in amazing condition.  In fact, the copy of “Long Distance Voyager” (one of my all-time favorite albums) was never played.  To this day, I don’t have the heart to play it- it’s over 30 years old now and is brand new!  Anyway, inside the set was a copy of “Blue Jays”, which was a one-off album for Justin Hayward and John Lodge of the Moody Blues.  There’s a cool story behind that album, too:

Justin Hayward and Mike Pinder of the Moody Blues decided to work on a project together after the Moodies broke up after the “Seventh Sojourn” album.  But, Mike Pinder (like Gene Clark of the Byrds) is a notorious homebody and backed out of the project after a while.  So, Justin Hayward called in John Lodge to collaborate and to add a few of his own songs.  The album was titled “Blue Jays” because they’re the two members of the Moody Blues with names that start with “J”- get it?  Blue-J’s? 🙂

Well, I fired-up the turntable and put the album on.  I instantly loved it.  Here I had a brand-new (to me) “Moody Blues” album!  I knew all the rest of their albums, but we never got this one on CD, so I never heard it growing-up.  I knew “Remember Me, My Friend” from a Moody Blues compilation I got recently and loved that song.  So I knew I’d love the rest of the album.  There’s something about the sound on “Blue Jays”- it’s very “classic rock” sounding with great guitars and a wonderfully full production.  The songs themselves, for the most part, are some of the best Hayward ever did.  Lodge’s songs were good, too, but I liked some of his earlier work, including “I’m Just a Singer (In a Rock’n’Roll Band)” and “Ride My See-saw”.

Then, as I was listening to the album, “I Dreamed Last Night” crackled onto my speakers.  I instantly remembered it.  It must’ve been on a compilation set my father played a lot.  My brother remembered the song, too.  And when I heard it, I instantly ran over and played it again.  I called my wife upstairs and embarrassingly sang it to her at the top of my lungs.  I couldn’t stop talking about it for days- this song has one of the best tunes I’ve ever heard.  It has slow parts and fast parts.  It’s sad and yet triumphant.  In a word, it’s amazing.

So, when it came time to do the new season of the Laptop Sessions, this was near the top of the list.  Even though I don’t play the song in the same guitar tuning as Justin Hayward does, it’s still in the same key and I think it gets the sentiment across very well.  I hope you’ll love this song as much as I did and will check out this album- it’s a lost gem if I’ve ever found one.

Have a great one and I’ll be back on time for my video on Thursday, October 28th.  Enjoy tonight’s cover song acoustic version of “I Dreamed Last Night” by Blue Jays!

“Marissa” (New Music from Indie Music Band MoU)

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By Chris Moore:

It’s my honor to present my first original, non-yuletide tune for today’s edition of the Laptop Sessions. At first, I wasn’t sure what song I should play, as “Original Wednesday” comes but once every three weeks. I chose “Marissa,” a song from my 2003 album Something They Thought It Should Be, since it has always been one of my favorite songs to play on guitar. For over a year, it was instinctively the first song I would play whenever I picked up the guitar. Now, I’m playing it for you and hoping you’ll enjoy it!

If you like it, check out the album at the Fusco-Moore Store…

A session a day rolls on at guitarbucketlist.com, and I hope you come back tomorrow for another great session from Jeff!



“Sweet Talkin’ Woman” by Electric Light Orchestra (E.L.O.) Cover

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By Jim Fusco:

The 2010-2011 season of the Laptop Sessions with Jim Fusco has now begun!  Back here again after taking the summer off and that’s the way it looks like the schedule will go: September to June.  That way, I can take time off while my wife is off from work.  I’m excited to bring you a whole new crop of Laptop Sessions acoustic cover song music videos- once every two weeks!  In between, I’ll be posting articles, reviews, and more.  There’s a lot going on in this noggin’ of mine, so let me update you on a couple of things I’m up to:

  • I had a nice summer, taking a cruise to Bermuda and doing many activities (mostly that my wife wanted to accomplish during her time off)
  • BIG changes are coming to my suite of websites, including the simplification of everything.  This starts with the removal of fusco-moore.com and the FMP Music Store.  They’re just not necessary anymore.  I’ll keep the MoU site online just for old time’s sake (and, it looks cool), but everything else will be taken down (except for WCJM, of course).  I’m conceptualizing a new JimFusco.com and we’ve been doing some photo shoots to give me some new content.
  • I also have a new Twitter account for my music: jimfuscomusic.  Easy enough, huh?  Please follow me so you can get up to the minute updates on all of my musical ventures!
  • I’m working on a new vocals-only project, but this is more for my own usage.  I always put so much work into my vocals that I wanted to showcase them on a special collector’s album.  More to follow.
  • Finally, and most importantly, I’m working on new songs!  I have nine so far and will probably go to 15 so I can, for the first time, record everything and pick out only the best.  I think this will be important to make the best album I can.  But, I’m not giving up on “Halfway There” just yet, so I’ll be promoting that in the meantime.  We’re still probably a year out before I release anything new.

So, that’s what’s happening.  Now, onto tonight’s video!

I’m back with “Sweet Talkin’ Woman” by Electric Light Orchestra.  This is a great classic rock tune that I’ve known for as long as I can remember.  The song, written and sung by Jeff Lynne, is one of my favorite ELO (or E.L.O., whichever the search engines prefer) songs.

I knew the song started on the “C” chord- you can just hear it in the original recording.  What I didn’t know, however, was that this song is really easy to play.  I mean, when you hear an Electric Light Orchestra song, there’s so much going on that the songs sound like they’re really complicated.  But, even after taking three months off, this still only took me one take to get right!  No, I’m not perfect- I did practice quite a bit off-camera.

I think I got the song down really well and made it my own.  Again, this is definitely a pared-down version from the original, stripping-away the multiple instruments and backing vocals.  The backing vocals presented a bit of a challenge, so I had to pick what I believed to be the “lead” backing vocal note and sing that where necessary.

I hope you don’t notice that I’m getting over a cold.  I’ve been practicing guitar like mad lately, but I’ve been giving my voice a rest after a really bad cold.  You know how the cough lingers with you for weeks afterward?  Well, it’s only been a few days and I’m really holding back in the video.  I can’t even laugh without going into a coughing fit!

I hope you enjoy tonight’s video and that you’ll follow me on Twitter (@jimfuscomusic) so you’ll be the first to know when all my new acoustic cover song music videos and blog posts come out.  So, until next time, here’s “Sweet Talkin’ Woman”!