EARACHE: Art's Tune Thread

[PrideofPasadena]

If I could've gotten the gym going like that, my bags would've been packed the night of graduation and I would've been rolling out for Nashville or L.A. the next morning. But for some reason she never pursued singing, despite loads of people encouraging her. I sent her some notices about open mics in bars just a couple of miles from her, but for some reason she doesn't follow up. As well as the singing, she's got a very Loretta Lynn-like personality that I think people would connect with.

I swear I remember talking to her mom on the phone once and she said she had auditioned for Star Search here in Atlanta and it came down to a tie between her and another girl, and one of the judges broke the tie by giving the other girl a quarter of a star, even though her mom said she clearly kicked the other girl's ass. But I brought that up to her and she didn't seem to know what I was talking about, but said she had auditioned for another show and won a trip to Las Vegas from it. But that was nearly 30 years ago.

Like I told her, even if she was a backup singer, she could be seeing the world from the window of Keith Urban's Lear jet! People make six-figure incomes singing on demos. Even if she never made a dime she'd have lots of great memories from beyond the high school gym. But oh, well! We're all nearly 50 now so I guess it's a moot point.

Oh, she did audition for Star Search. Can't believe she didn't get chosen.
Definitely, today, with all the shows on TV now, she woulda been chosen.....mighta won.

Too bad her heart wasn't into it. Like you said, at the least she coulda been making money singing back up.
I agree. Just going on tour, seeing the world, would be cool. Even doing it for peanuts.

[ArtyBoy]

Perhaps I made a mistake starting this thread with the BEST thing I've ever done. For this new track, lower your expectations!

This song will require you to have a strong imagination -- and stomach!

You are about to hear my first (technically second) attempt at writing lyrics ever, and my own terrible attempt at singing!

This is supposed to be sung by a GOOD, FEMALE singer. Here's the tune, "Don't Be a Stranger."



If my vocal was too much to bear, try just the music track:



You're hearing me do this because I've tried to get several female singers to do it and got no movement at all. So fuck it! Here's ME singing it! Maybe a bad idea to put such bad singing on the internet, but oh, well. If I put so much time into something, for better or worse, it will be heard!

[japeape]

Perhaps I made a mistake starting this thread with the BEST thing I've ever done. For this new track, lower your expectations!

This song will require you to have a strong imagination -- and stomach!

You are about to hear my first (technically second) attempt at writing lyrics ever, and my own terrible attempt at singing!

This is supposed to be sung by a GOOD, FEMALE singer. Here's the tune, "Don't Be a Stranger."



If my vocal was too much to bear, try just the music track:



You're hearing me do this because I've tried to get several female singers to do it and got no movement at all. So fuck it! Here's ME singing it! Maybe a bad idea to put such bad singing on the internet, but oh, well. If I put so much time into something, for better or worse, it will be heard!

It's your "How many say i" moment!

Get that chick back behind the mic, and strap on the tele.

[ArtyBoy]

It's your "How many say i" moment!

Get that chick back behind the mic, and strap on the tele.

That is exactly what I was afraid of! Although on the up side, maybe now I've equaled Eddie in some way.

I couldn't get her to do this (from what I can tell, no one can get her to do anything), that's why I threw my scratch vocal on it, just to demonstrate where the words and melody would go. Never mind! Now only the music track is up!

When I couldn't get her to respond, I started looking up girls on YouTube doing covers with their acoustics and PM'd them. "Uh, hey, I'm some random guy. I wrote this song and think your voice will fit. Will you sing over this so I can post it on Facebook and impress my friends?" I had exactly one taker in Louisville who said sure, send her the lyrics. Then she made up some B.S. story about her computer being broken. Maybe it was the 19 dick pics I attached, but I dunno.

So I have been cornered into "singing" it myself, which is bound to make it sound horrible.

Coming up later, a song I couldn't get any guys to sing (even though I'm sure it's brilliant)!

[ArtyBoy]

Here's an alternate approach: the "lyric video" but only with the backing track and not my crappy vocal interpretation!

With the right female voice, maybe a few lyrics tweaked, I'm certain this would be good!

[japeape]

Wouldn't it be ironic if your voice was what actually brought you fame?

You become a modern day Leonard Cohen or Tom Waits.
Years playing the guitar, session ready, but the vocals become your identity.

Truthfully, i never got Leonard Cohen or Waits, but i'm told both are absolutely
brilliant artists.

Maybe so.

[ArtyBoy]

I just went on a jag of watching videos from John Prine, Townes Van Zandt and J.J. Cale. There's definitely a market for weak singing. Unfortunately I think those guys are Pavarotti compared to me.

There's a video on YouTube where Jimmy Page talks about how much he loved Jeff Buckley. That led to me looking him up and hearing him cover "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen. I don't get it. I remember seeing Cohen on the Tonight Show where Jay Leno introduced him as his favorite, and I'm not sure I could sit still through one song on an open mic night.

In the early `90's I had a friend who foamed at the mouth for Tom Waits, so I checked him out. A total mystery. I like Tom Waits better as a comedic actor.

"We could go to IHOP."

"You think I'm an IHOP type of guy? What are you trying to say?"

[japeape]

Jeff Buckley was incredible.

I still love that "Grace" album.
Every time i hear "Last Goodbye," that slide lick in the beginning, i think of the
fucking hottest summer i ever experienced, in a tiny apartment, with no AC.
I was laying in a river of sweat on my bed, the radio on, and that was the big
radio song at that time (95-97, not sure).

It came on, and i was super uncomfortable, but i liked the song.

"Dream Brother" is also epic.
Loved his vocals & great guitar work.

[ArtyBoy]

Jeff Buckley was good, but I don't get the appeal of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" song.

[PrideofPasadena]

Didn't hear your singing but the tune aint half bad.

[japeape]

Jeff Buckley was good, but I don't get the appeal of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" song.

Yeah, it's kind of Buckley's "Black star" moment.
A bit of vocal show boating.

I guess it's beloved more for the lyrical content.
Again, Cohen has a very unappealing voice.

Now, Tom Waits i can dig.
The guy sounds ragged & drunk, but also like he means it.

[ArtyBoy]

Didn't hear your singing but the tune aint half bad.

Thanks. I really wasn't trying to be the "singer," that was just a scratch track to let a real singer know what I was shooting for.

When I saw Greta Van Fleet making waves, I thought the time was right to make some tracks with the singer of my old band, just to throw on the internet and see what everyone thought. I hadn't seen the guy in 20 years, but through our mutual friend I heard unfortunately his lifetime of hard partying has caught up with him and he's in a very long and intensive program to fix issues he's had since he was a teenager. Good to hear he's ironing out his problems, though.

So then when I got a friend request from the girl, I thought, "Aha! Maybe I can make up some country-rock tracks with her!" But a lot of people have tried to get her to sing over the years and as I say, you can't even get her to a Tuesday open mic, for some reason.

So I've known two people who were legitimately really good singers and I can't get anything out of either one of them! So then I went begging strangers I saw singing on YouTube, but I can see how they would be a little weirded out by a stranger trying to collaborate. I'd like to be making up and mixing tunes right and left, posting something on Bandcamp for download once a month, but...

Oh, well...I've got another, more uptempo tune with my voice I shall post in the near future!

[ArtyBoy]

Maybe I made a mistake trying to make one thread to hold all my tunes, because now it seems like people are only looking at the top post, but oh, well...

Keep in mind, once again, my crappy vocals aren't supposed to be there. I haven't found a good singer to do this one, so you're stuck with my scratch track!

This is called "The Pretty Ones Always Cheat." This is my second (or technically third) ever attempt at writing lyrics. After I reconnected with the female singer, I got into listening to `70's-`80's country again, strumming the acoustic and trying to write my own lyrics. I was thinking back on an e-mail from a female friend where she said, "Remember, the pretty ones always cheat!" It hit me that would be a GREAT title for a song!

At the end, the humming and oohs should be done by a man and woman, representing them finding marital bliss going forward into eternity as the song echoes out.

Guitar-wise, listen for my Mike Campbell/Mick Mars slide guitar moment! And like before, you can either suffer my monotone singing or just listen to the music bed.

[RRvh1]

Perhaps I made a mistake starting this thread with the BEST thing I've ever done. For this new track, lower your expectations!

This song will require you to have a strong imagination -- and stomach!

You are about to hear my first (technically second) attempt at writing lyrics ever, and my own terrible attempt at singing!

This is supposed to be sung by a GOOD, FEMALE singer. Here's the tune, "Don't Be a Stranger."



If my vocal was too much to bear, try just the music track:



You're hearing me do this because I've tried to get several female singers to do it and got no movement at all. So fuck it! Here's ME singing it! Maybe a bad idea to put such bad singing on the internet, but oh, well. If I put so much time into something, for better or worse, it will be heard!

The video with your singing comes up as "Unavailable" yet the music only one plays fine. I love stuff like that. Very melodic and good changes. The parts sound awesome.

Not buttering you up, just being honest. I'm a sucker for musicians who can obviously wail, yet write and record a softer side of their pallette. Makes a more rounded musician IMO. Good job.

[RRvh1]

Maybe I made a mistake trying to make one thread to hold all my tunes, because now it seems like people are only looking at the top post, but oh, well...

Keep in mind, once again, my crappy vocals aren't supposed to be there. I haven't found a good singer to do this one, so you're stuck with my scratch track!

This is called "The Pretty Ones Always Cheat." This is my second (or technically third) ever attempt at writing lyrics. After I reconnected with the female singer, I got into listening to `70's-`80's country again, strumming the acoustic and trying to write my own lyrics. I was thinking back on an e-mail from a female friend where she said, "Remember, the pretty ones always cheat!" It hit me that would be a GREAT title for a song!

At the end, the humming and oohs should be done by a man and woman, representing them finding marital bliss going forward into eternity as the song echoes out.

Guitar-wise, listen for my Mike Campbell/Mick Mars slide guitar moment! And like before, you can either suffer my monotone singing or just listen to the music bed.

That was actually pretty cool! Reminded me a bit of Two Story Town by Bon Jovi, in terms of the chord changes during the verses and the slide playing rocked as well! You know my fondness for Sambora, so that's obviously not me taking a cheap shot...

Still love the 'radio' voice and thought you pulled off the vocals well. The lyrics were cool and like you, I love the title! Very neat to hear.

Kudos.