Dad3353

Apologies for the 'party-pooping; I can't pretend to be in the most merry mood, despite the calendar, but here is my contribution to the December 2018 Basschat Christmas Covers Challenge... All very well, but I don't know any stuff to 'cover', so I've chosen instead to record my version of a song, written and composed by Alan Stirling, a great fellow I rehearsed with many decades ago, in Shepperton. (If you're reading this, Alan, I'd like to 'leap the in-betweens' and hear from you..?) My Verithin guitars are played here, with a Ruby bass. Drums were programmed using BFD3 (excellent Vst; very pleased with it...). The vocals are mine, as you'll hear. Auto-tune is all very well, but there's only so much it can do with the dross I fed into 'em. Sorry about that; I assure you that it sounded great sung by Alan and the girl he sang with. Recorded and mixed with Reaper, of course, with as much post-production as I could ladle on to get some glitter rolled onto it, as it cannot be polished, obviously. I've done this from memory; no mean feat, as it's nearly half a century ago that I last heard/played this (on drums...). I've had to re-write the lyrics as best as I could, too, hoping not to have betrayed too much the original work; scroll down if you want to read 'em. Not very festive, I'm afraid, but with personal relevance that I'd rather not dwell on, here. That being said, thanks for listening, if you already have; if you're about to, enjoy. Lyrics... I long I really, really long to find a place It seems I can't belong to time or space Life's laughing in my face I wish You can't believe how badly I wish you'd Say you love me; sadly, but it's true You never do And if some time You could see your way to write a line That would be so fine And if one time We could do it again... Now I see there is no sense I'd still be trying to make you mine It's crazy, I know Why anyone could ever feel this low It's a crime But here I am... Who knows A ghost that seems like reason may appear To leap the in-betweens and lift me clear I need you here Who cares..? Who cares for blindfold reasons and such Reduced to questionnaires life don't mean much Without your touch We walk in lines Tightrope tense with new designs I look for signs We talk in rhymes We try to define the truth we all know in our minds That life so surely undermines It's crazy, I know Why anyone should ever feel this low It's a crime But here I am... I'm beat There's no retreat Death's taste is sweet You've got me nailed down so neat You're the one You are my one and only one You're the one. See this face, with its mask of time It's mine See these hands, with their broken lines They're mine See this key for the jamboree It belongs to me See this heart, with its so many parts It's all yours, lady it's all yours I'm beat There's no retreat Death's taste is sweet Life's got me nailed down so neat You're the one You are my one and only one You're the one.

No mean feat for a drummer; respect.

Happy Christmas.

I think he's been practising.

If he's a singer, perhaps 'beat-boxing' is his speciality..?

If he's anything like this fellow, you'll be fine ... Ray Cooper ... (Photo credit .Lori LUM..)

It rather depends on just how good an 'accomplished musician' the brother is, I'd say. A virtuoso percu player would not necessarily be good at playing a regular drum kit, but would certainly make a good account of him/herself on their chosen instrument. Bongos, congas, cajon... it'll all fit in just fine if the talent is there. No, it won't sound exactly as the original, but shouldn't be a dire catastrophe, either. T'would be recommended, of course, to at least have a quick 'spin' before the night, just to see what styles the fellow can come up with. I'd be a bit wary about just how much space could be taken up by a full set of percu, too, as there could be a lot of 'real estate' involved. T'will be interesting to read how this develops.

+1 ^^ I concur with my learned friend.

+1 for the above ^^. I can't remember the Lee filter numbers I used for this 'warm' and 'cool' lighting (too long ago, and I'm old, so...), but they are very effective. I spent several happy years lighting for a ska/rock/punk group, touring most of France, and that 45° rule was used a lot, by myself and other lighters. Without perched lights there'll have to be some compromise, but a combination of 'as high and far forward as you can' and 'as low and far forward as you can' will do nicely. Try to avoid anything 'straight on', including footlights, though. At worst, totally side-on will work, as long as both sides of the faces are lit, so one (or, better still, an up/down pair...) at each side of the stage will be better than nothing.

Depending on the solidity and rigidity of the PA, it's possible to perch a LED projo on top, preferably screwed or bolted on. A lightweight LED bar or PAR36 would do the job. Ideally, one could consider filters, one each side, with a 'warm' side and a 'cool' side, to diminish the 'flattening' effect, and, again, preferably, with differing intensities. S'not easy if there's no perch above the front of stage, so high-up side projos, as far forward as possible, is the way. Hope this helps.

There are no issues (well, from the Mods and Admins, at least...) concerning Ricky posts; it's the offering for sale that's not allowed, as has been explained many times before. Post away, when the thing arrives, just don't try to sell it here..!

Hmm. I must be doing something wrong, then, as my Hofner Verithin sounds very 'bassy' to me.

Amp'll time for that, surely..?

You've not played enough dives or festivals with slippery surfaces, maybe..? It lends a dash of 'home comfort' to the occasion. I'm a drummer, so (obviously...) I have a rug; our rehearsal space is laid out in similar fashion to the video above (albeit a tad smaller room...). Mickey 3D have an armchair and standard lamps, with lampshades, on their stage; it's part of their atmosphere. Try it, they're fun..?

It would maybe be useful to have a few shots of someone carrying the gear up a flight of stairs (maybe even a spiral fire escape..?), to demonstrate portability..? How about seeing how it fits under the cupboard under the stairs, too, for storage considerations. Some moments showing the stuff in the boot of a car (preferably a hatchback...), to see just how visible it could be to would-be thieves, and what means should be used to reduce that risk..? Under different lighting, too; bland, 'we're going to pass the vacuum cleaner' club neon strips, followed by a couple of PAR36 cans, then lit by a long-range Super-Trooper spot, all from different angles, so as to appreciate its scenic impact. So many things that need to be demonstrated before one could make an informed choice. ...

Quite right too, and probably very restful for the audience. Piling on layer after layer of virtuoso solos can be very wearing on the ear, so that would be a welcome respite. T'wouldn't work for some numbers, though, where one is supposed to be 'trading eights' for four minutes..! My 'drum solos' are equally sparse, applying the principle that 'less is more'.

S'easy..! You capo, too..!

I'm trying to sort something out, simply for participation's sake, by recording a song I played (drums...) on, nearly fifty years ago now, when rehearsing stuff with Alan Stirling's band in my front room at Shepperton. It's from memory (as was last year's effort, in similar circumstances...), and will certainly be unknown to anyone. I count it as a cover, as I didn't compose the original. We'll see how I get on with it; be prepared for disappointment, though.

You mean it's a godsend..? That would, indeed, be a provenance worth paying for..! ...

Good evening, Stephen , and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

I'll not be buying the albums. ("...Couldn't figure out how to embed a video" Copy the YouTube 'Share' link, and simply paste it into the post, s'all. Hope this helps...)