And now for something more familiar to me. Another Wallflowers cover!
This song is from their album “Breach” and is called Sleepwalker. It is a single, so I expect this song should be familiar to most of you Wallflowers fans. It is an extremely catchy song, especially with the claps in the chorus. Now, I don’t know about you, but I “hear” the claps in this video, but I didn’t clap at all.
I did this video on the 7th take, and despite a wrong chord in the last chorus, I kept it because it was the first time I sang the right chorus at the right time throughout the entire song.
However, with the Laptop Sessions, we give you a new video every day! Look out tomorrow for Jim’s next video as he indulges us into yet another wonderful song from his collection.
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 original 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!
Tonight is the beginning of a side project that will take me as late as next summer to complete… a new album! You may be asking yourself, okay, so you’re going to record another new album. It’s about freakin’ time. And you may also be wondering what that has to do with the Laptop Sessions.
Well, I’m going to tell you!
Having been thinking so much recently and having been so inspired by a number of factors — not the least of which are hearing some leaked tracks from Jim’s forthcoming release and some awesome new albums this year by songwriters like Brian Wilson and bands like R.E.M. — I have been working on and arranging tracks for a new album, ironing out arrangements, finishing lyrics, etc. Now, I bring my motivational and promotional project to the Laptop Sessions…
Every three weeks (or so, once we hit the new year), I will release a demo of another track from the new album. Not only will I release the tracks, but I’ll do so in order! Thus, tonight, I bring you what will be track one of my next album. Now, in the spirit of the Laptop Sessions, I bring this song — “No Lights, No Sound” — to you as a recording of only my third complete performance of the song ever. In other words, I rolled out of bed, finished writing the lyrics and the entire middle section, and recorded this demo. This is hot off the presses. This is the song in about as early a form as you’ll see here on this music blog.
And, that being said, I hope to get an amazing, yet fairly affordable producer to make it the perfect opening track! (Anybody know a good producer, by any chance? ;- ) I’m thinking either Rick Rubin or Jim Fusco. I figure I’ll send out for a bid in a couple of months and see what’s in my budget. (Actually, no offense to Rubin, but I’d take JIm any day. Even though he does NOT wear a fashionably immense and flowing beard…)
As you listen to the demo, you might notice that it’s a bit slow at first for an opening track. I’ve since worked out a better version of the tempo I’d like to use, and I hope to have it build up right after the chorus and incorporate drums, bass, etc. before getting to a solo and eventually ending with a repeat of the first verse with only an acoustic and lead vocal. But, we’ll see what the finished version holds.
In closing, this really puts the pressure on me to finalize my track listing and finish writing these songs. I plan to record them as soon after writing them as possible, which will make it all the more interesting to look back and compare them to the final versions some day! (And I don’t doubt that some won’t make the final cut, or that I’ll change the order as I go, but I’ll try my best to decide an order soon and stick to it.)
I truly hope you enjoy this side project for me here on the best acoustic cover song and original music blog in the universe!! Don’t forget to come back tomorrow and Friday for a double dose of one Jeffrey Copperthite…
Hi there. This is Chris, bringing you my “Original Wednesday” contribution for this week. And I’m really trying here, but you’re going to have to cut me a break on the post length. But I have a reason for the brevity of tonight’s post, I swear!
Whether you think it’s a valid reason, well, that might be another issue altogether…
Anyway, this original song, “Piles of Love Letters,” is potentially slotted for track four of my soon-to-be-recorded album, a debut offering me and a producer officially overseeing things, namely Jim Fusco. In fact, Jim just made a HUGE contribution to the album tonight by suggesting what I have decided is an excellent idea for an album title. He thinks the title should be based on the line in this song that states, “At least it’s tried and true.”
I can see this — the new album as Tried and True. Or Untried and True. Or Tried and Untrue. Great idea, Jim! Now, all I have to do is think a bit about the album and decide which version fits the most strongly with the dominant themes, etc.
Unfortunately, while I was recording this, I missed a performance by the Foo Fighters on the Grammy Nominations Concert Show. I initially scoffed at the idea of a nominations show, but the concert idea was pretty cool. Taylor Swift is a modern pop country singer, and yet I must say that her voice is amazing and she is beautiful and seems very sweet. I wonder, of course, how she is as a normal person, away from the cameras. (I don’t know if she can quite top my love for Katie Lloyd on Boston Legal (see previous post), but still…
Well, one thing led to another and before I know it, Jim and I are locked in a contest for who can stop watching television and return to working first. You see, the Victoria’s Secret show came on in HD. To look away would be to deny both one’s heterosexuality and love of HD television, so you can see why this was an unproductive stretch for us… Nevertheless, after being told neither the true identity of Victoria nor what her secret is, I returned to my work.
Now, all distractions have dispersed and I am in bed listening to the Uncle Tupelo track “Outdone,” a demo from 1989 that is on their 89/93: An Anthology disc. This is a fitting end to the day, as it’s been a wild musical ride — the past few days, in fact. I have heard everything from Brian Wilson to Leonard Cohen to lots of Ringo Starr to What About Today? recently. On the way home from work, I popped in Wilco’s AM before giving Paul McCartney’s (The Fireman’s) Electrical Arguments another set of rotations. That led me to this essentials disc — I’ll definitely be recording one from them in the future, though possibly not until the new year.
And with that, I’m off to sleep. Thanks for checking in for your daily dose of acoustic rock music, today in original form! Come back tomorrow for a surprise visit and video from our very own Jim Fusco!!
Back for another installment of “Original Wednesday” is a tune that I haven’t written, but I have a lot of experience with.
This song is by my bandmate Scott Poglitsch (of Quilt, as read about on Fusco-Moore Productions). It is a very upbeat and positive song that I like to play a lot. It has a catchy chord progression that I instantly liked when I first heard it.
I did this one on Windows Movie Maker, complete with a web page splash and title effects. Too bad the program couldn’t improve my singing voice 🙂
Enjoy this one please. I hope to do another cover Friday.
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 original 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!
