Well, it’s that time again… for another Original Wednesday Laptop Session! For today’s installment, I decided to break out a slower song that’s never been released before. I wrote it this summer when my girlfriend and two best friends were out of the country (her in England and them in Italy). They were off on adventures in other countries, and I was still at home, going through everyday life as usual.
Except I was alone most of the time.
For the most part, it was relaxing, as I had just finished my student teaching. But, it was also lonely, and I thought about them often, especially Nicole. Thus, this song kind of came to me as I was practicing another song. It really expresses the feeling of figuring something out about a relationship, but being too distant to share it. Yet.
On a side note, I just found out that Jim, Jeff, and I will be playing two live shows in the coming weeks, so be sure to check http://LaptopSessions for all the details! (Just search “Live Events”)
I hope you enjoy this video and please comment or rate it!
Hello and welcome to my first true Laptop Session in quite a while — since December, to be specific, when I covered the Goo Goo Dolls song “Laughing.” Well, I’m back today with an original song from my new album, The 2010 Project, which was released just a couple weeks ago. In fact, the day after my album hit the web for download, Mike Fusco (who mixed and produced it) and I went to see the Goo Goo Dolls. This was our second time seeing them — and I won’t repeat what I wrote about them back in December — but suffice it to say that it was exciting going to see a band with so many anthemic songs, a group that can create such energy and drive the audience so masterfully. And look like they’re having the time of their lives on stage.
We left the concert revved up: proud of the project we had just completed the day before and excited for new music to come.
So, now that a couple weeks have passed and I’ve had the opportunity to play The 2010 Project songs live again, thinking of them as whole songs to perform rather than in pieces (as I did during the recording sessions), I had the itch to return to the Laptop Sessions and debut those songs that haven’t been seen and heard here yet.
This is the second track on the album, “Threshold,” and one which stands out from the rest for the fast delivery during the verses and the statement of purpose in the chorus that could very well be the thesis statement for the entire album. For this video, I (for obvious reasons) couldn’t include the guitar solo performed on the studio version, so I broke out my “E” harmonica and worked out a simple solo and added some flares to the beginning and end of the performance. It clocks in at under three minutes, and is a good example of the type of music I’m making these days.
And, for those who have heard the demo version, this is a significantly improved arrangement!
I also recorded “You Will Thank Me” as well as the single from the album “It All Comes Around,” so check back for those videos in the coming weeks.
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.
Welcome to another Laptop Sessions’ original Wednesday, where the we at Fusco-Moore Productions present one of many songs that we have written, and play it for you!
This marks the first time I have played one of my original songs here on the Laptop Sessions, and it is a great pick if I may toot my own horn.
The song is called “Improbable Fantasy”, and it is from Quilt’s 2003 album “Expressions” (available at www.fusco-moore.com’s store). It is a bit on the longer side (in this video I did shorten the middle section a bit from it’s original version), but has a catchy progression, and it tells a true story.
In 3 weeks I will be back for another original wednesday (with regularly scheduled covers in between), and you will most likely hear a song from my new album which comes out February 24th. I’m very excited, and I hope you will be when you hear it as well!
Until then, keep checking https://guitarbucketlist.com/ for more from Chris, Jim, and myself!
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!
