This song was originally a vocal jam to a new synth bass line I came up with using a sound I created on my Arp Odyssey. It just had a good tempo and a nice feel, so I called it the big ‘D’ jam. (yep, it is in the key of D). The vocal scat became repeated lyrics and the song became one of my first original contributions to the duo and later a trio I formed with my brother in law Ric Ahlers called ‘The Personal Touch’. Later I would use that section of the lyrics for an updated piece I called “Bookin’”, cause the is the main feeling when I drive and listen to the song. Not sure anymore what the lyrics are about. I know something about observations of beautiful women pretending to be unapproachable. What do you expect from 1984, George?
Posts Tagged ‘#sound’
Bookin’ MSK 1984
Posted: March 28, 2023 in #poetry, PoetryTags: #arpodyssey, #atari, #audio, #bass, #guitar, #lyrics, #michaelskennedy, #Midi, #midicontroller, #mididrums, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #musician, #personal, #poetry, #recording, #songwriter, #sound, #synthesizer, #vocalist
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Before We Fell In Love MSK 1994
Posted: March 7, 2023 in #poetry, PoetryTags: #audio, #lyrics, #Martinguitars, #michaelskennedy, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #personal, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #poetrypod, #recording, #recordingstudio, #songwriter, #sound
I have witnessed a lot of beautiful relationships that seemed as solid as anything I will ever know crumble into bitterness and hate. A couple that I knew for example, infatuated with each other. Over the years each flaw and glance became unbearable and cruel. What was once cute is disgusting. From my point of view nothing had changed. They were both the same people as always. How they are seeing has changed, not what.
Barely Perceptible MSK 2004
Posted: February 14, 2023 in #poetry, PoetryTags: #audio, #bass, #guitar, #lyrics, #michaelskennedy, #Midi, #midicontroller, #mididrums, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #musician, #personal, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #poetrypod, #recording, #songwriter, #sound
A hard and simple look at the chances most people never have, even though choices are everywhere. Even still, thinking no chance will ever really come, we continue on. Friends would ask me to do some audio gig or help them get their gear set up. More than a few were acting as if they were in debt to me and owed me a big favor. That is where I came up with the first two lines. Then it was clear that for many chances would be rare, but sadistically many are available to others. The best chances you will ever get are Barely Perceptible.
Another Day MSK 2016
Posted: January 17, 2023 in #poetry, PoetryTags: #lyrics, #michaelskennedy, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #musician, #personal, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #poetrypod, #recording, #songwriter, #sound
My cynical look at the ‘job’ of being a drug dealer or loan shark, but not just the obvious snakes are included in this song. How far will any of us go just to make a buck?
Alternatives MSK
Posted: January 10, 2023 in PoetryTags: #audio, #lyrics, #michaelskennedy, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #musician, #personal, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #poetrypod, #recording, #songwriter, #sound
A Few Shattered Lines POD MSK
Posted: December 13, 2022 in PoetryTags: #audio, #lyrics, #michaelskennedy, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #musician, #personal, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #poetrypod, #songwriter, #sound
Also called Reels of Tape. See original lyric post here
Deception is the Tool
Posted: November 8, 2022 in MUSIC, My Tunes, PoetryTags: #audio, #lyrics, #michaelskennedy, #Midi, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #personal, #poetry, #Presonus, #recording, #songwriter, #sound
I have been busy and quite productive in spite of the world moving as fast as ever as I slow down. next year I will be 70, so everything I do takes a bit longer these days.
I have a few songs, a lot of poetry , some photos and a couple outside projects to show for it.
Here is a new song I can blame on too much time to think in between projects. Some darker themes throughout. More to come if I can find the time, even if the descriptions and personal stories are shorter than I usually aim for. Thanks for your understanding.
Pot makes me paranoid
Alcohol makes me cry.
If you ask me a question
I’ll want to know the reason why.
If we could do this all over again
It Wouldn’t Be the Same.
I’ve loved you forever
But it’s driving me insane.
Friends we know are complicated
And rarely ever try.
I told you I will love you,
Until the day I die. Until the day that I die.
Life becomes precious to those
Who see what lies ahead.
Each day becomes very special
For those who know they’ll soon be dead.
Take the time, the time is now
To look what’s inside your head.
I tell you over and over again
But you ignore what I’ve said.
UnPredictable
Posted: August 29, 2022 in MUSIC, Opinions and Observations, PoetryTags: #guitar, #jayaronoff, #localbands, #lyrics, #Mara, #michaelskennedy, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #musician, #personal, #poetry, #recording, #songwriter, #sound, #stanaronoff, #UnPredictable
A common topic shared on this platform as I reach 70 years old.
Another friend of mine has died unexpectedly. He was ten years younger than me. My posts have bragged about the people I have met over the years, and he is one of the special ones. Jay Aronoff truly loved music…. in all it’s forms, but he made it his own. Life had it’s struggles but he always had time for good friends.
Son of former Ohio Senator Stan Aronoff but he chose his own path. I met him when I worked at a local music store chain. I managed the store and he was a guitar instructor. Even when he was not in a lesson, the guitar was strapped around his shoulder and he encouraged impromptu renditions of our favorite prog-rock songs. He was easy to love.
Jay was stunned I had never had a cup of coffee. He persisted until I had my first and only cup of coffee with him. It wasn’t that bad but not as good as the smell of fresh ground coffee in the old grocery stores so I decided to stick with tea!
I did a video of Jay’s band Mara performing live. My wife Ellen and I did all the camera work on two separate nights, and I did the post production video and timing by ear. In memory of Jay Aronoff, here are links to that video filmed in 1988:
I also have some lyrics to share with all who knew Jay, and those who know me:
This is all Unpredictable
The end to a terrible day.
A phone call from another friend;
This would be the last day with Jay.
He was a very special soul
Who bound so many together.
I thought he’d be the one
To remember us forever.
Jay had his demons to face
I’m sure he faced many alone.
None of that matters today
Because from now on, Jay is gone.
This is all UnPredictable
The cruelty cannot be more clear
This would be the last day with Jay.
So I raised another glass of beer.
This is all UnPredictable
The cruelty cannot be more clear
This would be the last day with Jay.
So I raised a glass of beer.
Michael K
Music for Enemies In Your Head
Posted: January 7, 2022 in My TunesTags: #lyrics, #Midi, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #poetry, #recording, #songwriter, #sound
I am working on a musical arrangement for lyrics I posted recently. It is not much right now. I have a piano and bass track using my MIDI keyboard, along with my vocal track for the melody line.
Here is to a great new year for all of us.
Early recordings of The Chase
Posted: August 13, 2021 in Live Sound Reinforcement Series, MUSIC, projectsTags: #aliceinchains, #bass guitar, #cliffsofdover, #ericjohnson, #Euphoria, #keyboardplayers, #Liveband, #livesoundreinforement, #livingcolour, #localbands, #michaelskennedy, #midimike, #midimike.com, #musician, #personal, #recording, #rhythmguitar, #sound, #thechase, #vintage recordings
For a quick recap, I have been going through archived recordings I have made over the years. Recently reviving performances with the bands I have played in, I want to give you a few samples of recordings I made with The Chase.
For a period of time we were reforming the band Euphoria and looking for a new vocalist. These recordings were during that transition period working out with different vocalists. Short story for new visitors, I worked at a local instrument store as a salesman when asked by The Chase to fill in for their sound man while he was on vacation for a few weeks. I had never run sound (with the exception of one hotel gig band that was in desperate need for one night.) I filled in, loved it and the band, the sound man could not return and I became their regular sound guy. The band was smart and paid the sound engineer the same as the other members of the band. They knew the house sound was important.
Once running sound, the keyboard player took a break for a few years and I worked really hard to fill in for him. Soon after that I started playing rhythm guitar too………. and yes, in the early years I ran sound, played keyboards, rhythm guitar, back-up vocals and percussion all at the same time from stage. For a period of time I ran sound from the audience and had my instruments next to me. Not as strong a player as the others in the band I tried to “earn my keep” by being a jack of all trades.
I have recorded music since I bought my first four-track reel-to-reel when I was around 13 years old. I am closer now to 70 years old. When working with bands as a sound engineer or member, I record for a lot of reasons. Some were not intended to be hi-quality recordings and often were stereo cassette or DAT machines connected directly to the main outs of the sound board. Usually there was no level test and the band members would not know I was recording at all because it was so basic.
In the next few posts I will share cover songs we played live with three vocalists. In some I am playing Keyboards, rhythm guitar etc., and some I am running sound using various techniques to find quick ways to get a decent live recording. Many of these I have detailed here in my Live Sound Reinforcement Series.
Here are a few samples, starting with Gary Jefferson as the lead vocalist.
MidiMike 