Tag Archives: music videos

“The Way You Do The Things You Do” (The Temptations Cover)

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By Jim Fusco:

Welcome to the Laptop Sessions for Tuesday! Today, I bring you yet another new band to the Sessions. Well, it’s not a “new” band by any means, but we’ve haven’t done them before: The Temptations!

This song is also in contention for the longest song title award. I’ve always liked this song, but for some reason it moved its way quickly up my list when I thought of it one night and learned how to play it.

Temptations songs are a bit harder to do, like the Beach Boys, because of their usual harmonies, but it’s fun to take a song that has so much more production and make it into a solo performance. That, in my opinion, is what makes the Laptop Sessions so unique.

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“Three Marlenas” (Wallflowers Cover)

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By Jeff Copperthite:

Good evening to everyone at www.guitarbucketlist.com. It’s Jeff for your Monday edition, and it’s time to go back to the favorite band and to exhaust all their singles from “Bringing Down The Horse”. I get the privilege of bringing you “Three Marlenas”.

I also bring it to you while being shy of a few pounds. You’ll notice I am now clean-shaven, and that is because it was the agreement with my wife. If I purchased a new amplifier, then I would have to shave the beard.

Anyway, while this song is quite simple to play, it tells an interesting story and I like the song a lot. “Bringing Down The Horse” is a terrific album and you should consider giving it a listen if you can.

The Wallflowers are a popular band here at www.guitarbucketlist.com. I’m sure you’ll hear more of them in future sessions. Until then, enjoy “Three Marlenas”!

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!

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!

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“The Way It Is” (Bruce Hornsby Cover)

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By Chris Moore:

Welcome to your Sunday installment of the Laptop Sessions! Coming on the heels of Number Ones week, I decided to play one of my father’s favorite songs from Bruce Hornsby & the Range, “The Way It Is.” Only after I recorded it did I realize that it, in fact, was a #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week in 1986! So, it appears that I’m subconsciously having a hard time leaving the #1 songs behind…

I remember making mock-radio shows on my stereo when I was in middle school, even before I owned a CD player. I used to make shows for my father to listen to while he was working in the garage, so I wanted to find music that he would enjoy. I spent countless hours with a blank cassette tape in the stereo and switching stations constantly, waiting intently to hear a disc jockey announce that “The Way It Is” would be on next. I finally got a version recorded for my show, but I got to the record button a bit slowly, so a good chunk of the intro was cut off.

I did buy him the Bruce Hornsby greatest hits CD years later, when I finally caught up with technology.

I really love this song for a couple reasons. I love how it’s powered by piano, but sacrifices none of the soloing and backbeat that I value in rock music. I also love how the chorus is built around the G – Fmaj7 – C riff (which I duplicated in only a rudimentary fashion). The song was also a lot of fun to sing!

I should mention that everything that could have possibly interrupted my recording did, in fact, interrupt my recording today. My first take was lost for the incredibly raucous chirping of the birds downstairs. (Yes, that’s right–I wasn’t even on the same floor with them). My second take was lost due to stubbornness, as I refused to close my door and the birds continued to chirp. A later take was lost to the vibrating of my cell phone.

The funniest by far, and certainly the most ironic was when my cell phone alarm went off loudly during a good take — it was the alarm I had set to remind me to record a Laptop Session today!

My most perfect take was lost when I forgot the second to last line of the final verse. But, this one will have to do!

Thanks for watching; I hope you’ll leave a comment for me if you liked the song or have any requests for future songs.

See you next session!



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“(Just Like) Starting Over” (John Lennon Cover)

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By Jim Fusco:

Today, “#1 Week” ends with a great tune from John Lennon’s last album, “Double Fantasy”. I was surprised that this song reached Number One on the Billboard Hot 100 instead of “Woman”, which made it to #2.

I’m typing this description while listening to these two fartheads talk. I’m talking about Chris and Jeff, who just bet me to type that, so there you go, guys.

Anyway, I really love this song, too, and it came out great on my nylon string guitar. I had to record this one on my digital camera, as my laptop has been making a lot of fan noise lately.  Also, we were preparing the basement studio to record “Jamnation 1”, so I couldn’t record my cover song music video where I usually do.  I must apologize for the background here- would’ve it have killed me to clean up the blanket on the bed?  But, I guess that’s part of what makes the Laptop Sessions fun for me.  I can set up a camera and play a reimagined acoustic version of a great song like “(Just Like) Starting Over” any time (and anywhere) I want!

You know, it’s funny that the John Lennon album I took “(Just Like) Starting Over” from is called “Double Fantasy”, because only half of the album is listenable.  The version I have on my iTunes is great- I weeded out all of the Yoko Ono songs (which are simply unlistenable) and I’m left with a great album by John Lennon.  He had taken a long hiatus from the music business to focus on his personal life and finally came back with some of his best-ever songs.  “Beautiful Boy” is one of the saddest songs ever, but it’s truly an amazing work of art.  It pains me to think of the music John Lennon would’ve made had he lived longer.  The style he had on “Double Fantasy” was perfect for the time- is has a bit of that late-70s sound to it, but it sounds updated and modern.  This album definitely wears better than many others from the same time period.  I know John Lennon would’ve kept the music that I love on the charts longer and it’s a shame he never got that chance.

I heard recently that John was having some trouble singing the original songs he wrote for Double Fantasy.  I guess, over the years, his voice started deteriorating.  So, he had to double-track every lead vocal part on “Double Fantasy”.  I really had no idea about this- his vocals seem pretty strong.  But, when you listen to the demos he was recording around this time (many of them are out there on boxed sets), you hear a much weaker voice than he had years earlier as a member of the Beatles.  But, John Lennon was a performer at heart and he knew how to make his songs sound the best they could.  So, he double-tracked everything and we got some great original songs out of it!

I will be doing more John Lennon songs from this album in the future, but I hope you’ve all enjoyed “#1 Week” here on the Laptop Sessions acoustic cover songs music video blog!

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