Performing with other musicians requires a deeper channel of communication than normal language. When creating in this environment, every nuance has a meaning. Every motif can create musical ripples. Sometimes, two thoughts are better than one. Co-writing can take a piece further than you would have thought possible on your own. Try it. You might like what comes out of it. Over the years I have worked with a group of songwriters. Each writer diving in to show off the latest and greatest. While in one of those small traveling bands from hotel to hotel, I was playing in Corpus Christie TX. We played a lot of different music for three people, and one of us did not play any instruments. We wanted to come up with something with a bit more country flavor, and the lead guitarist was working on some soft ballad type chords during practice. I told him I had written some lyrics that might fit. I had finally given myself the title of songwriter as you know, so a while back I challenged myself to write a country song. I had something specific in mind.
I write a lot of songs. I write a lot of lyrics that never become songs (not yet anyway). I write a lot of poems that may never become lyrics. I write a number of songs and I might not even have a recording of it, even though I love to archive and preserve original performances. Some songs I write for others and do not have a real interest in recording myself. Maybe because I already have a good idea of what the song is supposed to sound like when a realperformer/band records it. I am not putting myself down here. I simply do not have the talent or resources of famous stars. You might laugh, but when I was writing the lyrics below, I wrote them as a duet for some famous country music stars at the time; Kenny Rodgers and Dolly Parton!
I have only one recording of this song and I will share it with you, Kenny and Dolly you too if you’re listening! I am singing the male part on this recording. Not sure if this was ready before we moved on from Corpus Christie to another hotel, but it fell together quickly with the ballad chords at practice, so we performed it live to the more country leaning southern audience. We were surprised that it went over so well and people in the hotel/audience that were regulars, were singing the words after a few nights in town. So, I will probably never record this song. It has always been a distant dream to one day hear others recording this as their own. I have already heard in my mind what it sounds like with them performing, but this live two-track recording is not too bad for a working representation.
“Miracles In Your Hand” (Down Uneasy) (c) 1981 MSK
A reason is such a small thing,
Can’t you give me one?
Seems to me you were holding out,
Were you really just holding on?
The things we did won’t mean a thing,
The memories drift away.
The things you said hang in the air,
Like a light that will not fade.
CH: You’re alive one day with miracles in your hand,
Then you’re heading for a wall, drivin’ fast as you can.
I settled down uneasy, I’m just waiting for tomorrow to come.
When the answers seem so distant,
Questions lose their fun.
You thought that I was shutting up,
I was really just shutting down.
It’s time we found the meaning,
In the games we have made.
And a reason makes the difference,
When the last trick must be played.
CH: You’re alive one day with miracles in your hand,
Then you’re heading for a wall, drivin’ fast as you can.
I settled down uneasy, I’m just waiting for tomorrow to come.
After a break-up some of these lyrics just poured out. Seeing the same thing and coming to opposite conclusions. Having an early exposure to poetry first, I try to keep those ideas reflected in many of the songs I write. The chorus was an idea I had been playing with lyrically for a while and it seemed to immediately fit with the loss described in the verses. What would you do if you held a miracle in YOUR hand? What if that couldn’t save you?
This is a fairly early recording of this song. The recording was low tech. I have an Ovation 12-String acoustic/electric guitar. This was so long ago I don’t remember which microphones I had. But I don’t have any fancy microphones even now. I took the guitar line out and recorded that on track one, and a microphone (Audio Technica ???) positioned at the sweet spot in front of the guitar and sent that to track two. After recording the guitar tracks I played them back and used the same microphone to record the first vocal on track three. Then I played all three tracks back (through headphones and in a different room, but more on that stuff later), and recorded the second vocal on track four. I am now officially out of tracks, by the way.
For the mix I panned the guitar track one (electric jack out…) all the way to the left and the guitar track two (microphone) is panned all the way to the other side. The 12-String is full by itself, but this separation on both levels tricks the ear into thinking there are more than one guitar performances being played. At the other end the vocals are attempting to duplicate or double each other to make them sound full, but with one vocal track.
While this is not the first song I wrote I will use the same lyrics, the same instruments, the same arrangement, the same studio and recording gear to show how differently the same words can be interpreted. In this case the only difference is going from a male lead vocalist to a female lead vocalist…… but the outcome is totally different. No, I am not the lead vocalist, so that will have to wait a little longer. I am playing my favorite 12 string acoustic/electric guitar and a rhythm electric track. Writing lyrics is a powerful tool. Maybe because they can be interpreted in various ways.
Now the only change is the lead vocalist. The song has added controversy if you will, and maybe the subject has more acceptance now than in the past, but it changes how the lyrics are interpreted. All Night Long took me about fifteen or twenty minutes to write. I wanted a simple R&R theme. Most of my songs are not main stream. I do not pretend to be commercial. The other reason I wanted to introduce you to this song now is because it is not like any of the others I have written. Throughout my life I have searched out unusual artists and creative ideas. Art, poetry, sound engineering, acting, I have been drawn to and inspired by some amazing people. So this is more cookie-cutter. Predictable song with the usual topic and repeating lyrics. I still have fun with it!
As I was practicing my wife did a mic check to set levels and she started singing the song. I thought immediately that was IT! It totally changed the song’s meaning. So changing the vocalist in effect took it off main stream and cookie-cutter. The subject material was not so acceptable back then……..
I entered a few of my recent songs into a local radio band contest. Too much to go into now, but at this point, my wife had never really performed in front of an audience. She is a bit shy in that area. It was a total shock when one of the songs we submitted was played on the air and a runner in the contest and another song I submitted for another friend of mine was selected to a battle of the bands in a large venue to compete for title and prizes. We were jazzed…..
But there was one little detail missing; He did not have a band! His song was picked and we (we, because it was my bright idea to enter his song into the contest!) were to compete against other bands in less than three weeks from the day we were notified. We worked in the same music store at the time and we quickly merged members from three different local bands. Each band would bring 2-3 songs to be added to the set list. We had to play for about an hour! That is how All Night Long was performed for the first time; live, to a packed house. My wife will have to give you her thoughts of that evening. I cannot do it justice. All Night Long is added to the set list and we all agree that my wife should sing…… She is terrified. We practice for two weeks learning the other band’s songs…
On stage now and good crowd. We knew they were not here to see us, because until two weeks ago, there was no US! We also figured there was no way to win, but we were going to go up there slamming. We set up and play the first songs on the list. When it is time to start All Night Long, my wife….. A little bit nervous to say the least, walks up to me and says, “if nothing comes out of my mouth, START SINGING!”.
She did great and it was a blast. I will encourage all of you to push the comfort zone a little. Be prepared to take advantage of the feedback and be ready to change and adapt. Work with other artists you appreciate. Encourage them to adapt if needed and support them when they do. My friend would never have submitted a song on his own and he even had me pick out which songs to enter. My wife’s big ambition was not to sing in front of a crowd, but we all remember that event to this day. Fortunately, a friend of ours was in the audience with one of those hand-held video recorders and got the whole thing. WE didn’t win, but they knew who we were… we were NRSB!
As the Live Sound Reinforcement Series (LSR) continues, I would like to share some of the events that allowed or inspired what I refer to as captured creativity. Let’s address a couple things now; the most amazing show/event with powerful and talented performers has little meaning if no one is in the audience. The performers will feel great and energized, but if there literally is no audience (even in the form of recordings), it will be lost. The other obvious reality check is no matter how talented and smart you are – or think you are – will NOT make you loved and famous. Touching on my daughter’s gracious note to me, some of the most talented musicians out there we will never hear. You will not find them in a search and no one will point you in their direction. But they just keep on creating. Soloists, artists, groups and garage bands.
I know that thrill. I understand the communication link that HAS to happen when you perform with someone. I first got that thrill in my preteens when I put some of my brother’s poetry to music. In truth, I exaggerate; I played on bongos and sang a rough melody line with his poetry still intact for the most part. I would get another type of thrill when I began to write lyrics and finally a bunch of ideas became a song.
We also knew right away that I was not the best singer out there. I never really excelled while playing various instruments but over the years I got pretty good at a few of them. But at least I was a songwriter and I knew I had a powerful tool. I love to teach by sharing. Or is it the other way around?
It all started with my dad. I grew up with a recording studio right below my bedroom. He produced and recorded hundreds of original songs at home. The whole family got involved. We sang on tracks and gave our input, but mostly we just supported him, which encouraged him to keep producing music. I learned how to use his equipment, how to play the instruments, how to run sound, which eventually lead me to start my own booking agency to help unsigned bands/artists release albums, go on tour and have their music heard by as many people as possible.
I hate that it all comes down to money. I hear shitty bands being played on the radio every day, but these amazing bands are struggling to gain fans one at a time, go on tour with very little money, stay in shitty hotels, and do it all for the love of their passion. In my dad’s case, he barely had that chance. He put his music career on hold to raise a family. I wish I could give him back the time he lost. I look at him now, years later, still in the studio, still making music and struggling to have that music heard. All he wants is to share his art with others.
I’ve never really stopped to tell him how amazing and unique his music is and how much it has truly changed my life. It isn’t about the money, popularity or fame, it is about connecting with others, reaching people with his words and being able to do something that he is passionate about. If you have someone in your life like this, please take a moment to stop and tell them how you feel. Thank them for inspiring you, support them, and don’t let them give up. The worst feeling in the world is that you are fighting for something alone. Dad, this is for you. I love you and I will always believe in you.
My experience with music and performance is probably not unique. Like a lot of people starting a craft or sport, learning to play an instrument or act, I just didn’t have a lot of confidence or even history to know how I was doing. I mean, at this point I am not even asking ‘when will I be good enough to …). Still fairly young at this point, I really like playing drums and percussion. I tapped out rhythms everywhere I went. We got a small organ for Christmas one year and I was drawn to it for months. Harmonicas, a cheap guitar lead up to recording gear.
As I played instruments and fiddled around with lyrics or microphones and power amps over the years, I realized two things pretty quickly; 1) I knew and understood things a lot of people will never understand and 2) I knew a lot of really good players/musicians/artists, and they were much better than me. I rationalized that I considered myself to be a songwriter (not even singer/songwriter early on) and that was good enough for me.
Today, I encourage each of you to think not just about the target or the goals in your musical performing careers, but to think about how you will continue to improve your craft. Writing songs, performing someone else’s or running sound and making everyone sound great – each takes practice and effort. But eventually it takes confidence. Can you really do it. What if you totally screw things up? What if they don’t applaud (or laugh or cheer)?
I spent quite a long time before I realized I had everyone else’s confidence BUT mine! Knowing what I do now, I would have accepted a few more challenges. I might have encouraged more projects. I could have inspired someone else. So now, let me inspire you. Don’t wait until everyone in the universe thinks you are “good enough” to get out there and jump in. At my job I tell trainees that I know as much as I do because I have made every mistake possible. Do what you love. Put your heart into it. What if you screw things up? You learn from it and the next time you do better. Do it a bunch, and you will be great.
MidiMike 