Hurricane Katrina Relief Project Thread - Song 1 (Ted)

[Tedster]

So it was you, then? Cool! Next time I need an idea for a song, I'll give ya a call! Thanks, Mr. Muse, ol' buddy...

[Franknputer]

FYI: I'd appreciate an email when something is ready for guitar, as I'll see it sooner than on the forum. Send it to willowhaus AT gmail DOT com please.

 

And yes, I'm working on my tune. Still looking for someone who can play N.O.-style piano, or a gospel feel is probably close enough.

[Gruuve]

Hey folks:

 

I'm working on something that I hope to be able to post later this afternoon. Bass, drum machine, and a chord progression...maybe a lyrical idea as well, we'll see. Will need guitars, keys, etc.

 

Also, here's a thought I want to toss out. I'm planning to post a rough mix of Rebuild later today as well. The motivation to finish this song has been merely to finish it...I don't believe at this point that the Asian Tsunami victims would see any benefit from it. So, my question is this: should we now "allocate" this song to Hurrican Katrina efforts rather than the Asian Tsunami? In a perfect world, I'd say "no, it was intended for the tsunami benefit". But, we don't live in a perfect world (if we did, it would have been finished in Feb). It would definitely benefit HK moreso than tsunami victims at this point, and this is one that's almost in the bag. What's your vote?

 

Dave

[PBBPaul]

I vote that we use it where it can do the most good. If it can do anything for the hurricane victims, that's where it should go.

[Eric VB]

Sorry to be late to the party ... I just got home from vacation 3am this morning.

 

Can anyone (or several anyones) synth up some decent Dixieland jazz band sounds: sousaphone/tuba, trombone, trumpet/cornet, clarinet? Anyone play banjo? (I'd do the tuba and 'bone myself, except I don't have the instruments or the chops anymore.) Just need it for an intro. Er, anyway, I have an idea; hopefully I can get something together soon. (This way I can play bass on something.) In addition, I'll definitely need vocs, drums, guits, whatever.

 

Oh, and I'll be honest here. I may need help with lyrics/composing in order for this not to take 20 years like some of my other songs.

 

I'm also available to add mandolin if anyone needs.

[Gruuve]

Thanks, Paul...agreed. So, if no one objects we'll allocate "Rebuild" to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. I'm a little behind where I intended to be with the mix...I'm going to try to get one more pass at it done tonight, and I'll hopefully post an MP3 before I retire for the night.

 

Dave

[Gruuve]

Hey RBG:

 

Post an MP3 so we can take a listen!

 

Dave

[nursers]

My view on Rebuild - the FOF project was designed for the Asian Tsunami, and there are still masses of people displaced by that, let alone the near half-million people who died and left families behind. All that aside though, I agree that it would seem more relevant for HK now.

 

At this juncture a question for Craig - you mentioned you would do what you could to let people know about the song/s - will it be easier / harder if there are a few songs - will that muddy the waters at all?

 

[Gruuve]

Song #2 working title: Primitive Existence

 

Ref Track MP3

 

Track to this:

Ref Track Shortened WAV file

Use the Shorten utility to uncompress the WAV file.

 

Note: Do not track to the MP3 file...track to the WAV file.

 

Here's the older demo.

Hurricane Katrina - song #2 demo

 

Contributor list:

Producer - Dave

Bass - Dave

Lead Vox - Dave

Backup Vox - Dave and anyone else

Guitar(s) - Bdemon

Keys - open

Drums - open

Mixer/Masterer - open

 

UPDATE: I've posted the latest demo and lyrics. I don't claim to be a guitarist, so no heckling on the sophomoric guitar work!

 

The chord progression is:

 

Verse: B Asus4 C#m Asus4 B Asus4 E C#m x 2

Chorus: B A G#sus4 x 4

 

-----------------------------------------------

Lyrics

 

Verse 1:

See you on the TV

baby in your arms.

The water washed away

everything you call your home.

 

You search for food and shelter

in this unfriendly place.

Unplanned circumstances

you now face.

 

Chorus:

Unexpected primitive existence.

We'll bring all of our persistence

and help you make it through this

unexpected primitive existence.

 

Verse 2:

 

There's no place to hide from

Nature's crushing blow.

The shelter's over-flowing

you have no where to go.

 

The water that brings us life

can also take away.

Now is the time to act

and the time to pray.

 

Chorus:

 

Verse 3:

 

[short guitar solo - verse chords]

 

The old need their medicines

but the pharmacy is gone.

The young need a clean place to crawl

and sing their baby songs.

 

So put away your guns

and drop the things you stole.

Pick your brother up

and carry him home.

 

Chorus:

Chorus:

[End w/ guitar solo - chorus chords + half-time drums]

 

 

Dave

[Gruuve]

I have a 2nd pass at the Rebuild mix posted...you can take a listen here:

RebuildFinal_TestMix2.mp3

[Billster]

Originally posted by Dave Sisk:

Also, here's a thought I want to toss out. So, my question is this: should we now "allocate" this song to Hurrican Katrina efforts rather than the Asian Tsunami? In a perfect world, I'd say "no, it was intended for the tsunami benefit". But, we don't live in a perfect world (if we did, it would have been finished in Feb). It would definitely benefit HK moreso than tsunami victims at this point, and this is one that's almost in the bag. What's your vote?

 

Dave

Slightly contrarian, I think this a great opportunity to remind folks that the Asian situation is going to take a long time to resolve and improve.

 

I vote Tsunami aid.

[Franknputer]

L ike the new song idea, Dave - nice feel to it.

 

I kinda agree with Billster - there's a need in Asia too, and the efforts were for that project. Of course, if they're in the same place on the web then there would have to be either distinct lines drawn or a blending of efforts somehow, like 50/50 between the two. That could be a bit confusing.

 

About the mix: listening to it here on my modest 2.1 PC speakers, it just doesn't sound cohesive to me, sorry. I'm hearing different parts pushed up front at different times and others getting buried in the mix by it: for instance, the guitar solo stuff buries the vocal when they are together; nursers' string pad at the beginning dominates the other instruments, when it should really be more of a background sound; and the bass solo sounded lower than the rest of the bass part, when really it should come up a bit more as a featured instrument.

 

My 2 cents: i'd mix the "band" first, and check it at a very low level to see that you still hear everything evenly. Then, start adding the leading parts on top of that, again working at different levels & listening for the blend. Some ambience on the guitar solo over the vocals might help too, & I'd mix it back a bit more than when it was featured by itself.

[Gruuve]

Hey Chris:

 

Agreed on the mix. Still working on it, and I hope to post an update within a day or so.

 

On the new song idea, go take a new listen...I added some vocals...now it needs some funky guitar.

 

Thx,

Dave

[Tedster]

Originally posted by Dave Sisk:

I have a 2nd pass at the Rebuild mix posted...you can take a listen here:

RebuildFinal_TestMix2.mp3

Cool tune, Dave...has sort of a "Duran Duran" sort of feel to it with a screamin' guitar.

[Gruuve]

Originally posted by Tedster:

Cool tune, Dave...has sort of a "Duran Duran" sort of feel to it with a screamin' guitar.

Uh oh...my 80's must be showing... Most of the credit goes to the other musicians...all I did was come up with a bass line and all the other folks who actually have talent took it from there!

[Eric VB]

Ok, here is my very rough song idea. Since I wanted help getting this off the ground nothing is polished; in fact it may be hard to listen to. You've been warned, but I give no apologies. There's already two other good songs ahead of this one that are ready to go, so I'll not feel slighted if this is as far as this one ever gets.

 

Water\'s Risin\' High (working title)

 

(If you have trouble with the link, you may have to right-click/download it.)

 

The song is based on the old Dixieland "funeral march", where the first half is a slow dirge and the second half is a bouncy jubilation. However, instead of a typical slow blues beginning I came up with a moderate shuffle. I left the 2nd half open; I just give a chord sketch (and lazily repeat drums from earlier -- these need to change).

 

The opening lead was supposed to be sung, but it may be uglier (better) left as a guitar lead. It's my attempt to disfigure "Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans?". The original is in a nice happy major key; this one is not. Obviously, I'm not the guy that will play this part in the final cut.

 

Each verse has a short intro suitable for some instrumental leads. Again, what you hear now will be replaced.

 

Instead of killing this song by attempting to sing the verses myself, they're "suggested" by the lead guitar. That is, I didn't play them note-for-note, so who ever sings has some lattitude in both rhythm and note choice.

 

This was one of those unusual times when words just tumbled out and seemed to fit. (Lyrics don't come naturally to me.) Still, they're open for change, and the whole 2nd half of the song is missing. More on that later.

 

 

Water's Risin' High

 

Do you know what it means, to miss New Orleans?

 

verse1

It was a summer just like any other

Storms in the Gulf, but naught to worry 'bout

The shrimp were runnin' good that summer

But Cajun fortune and Creole luck had run out

 

verse2

The gov'nor says get out of the city

This 'cane's crazy mad; we're dead in her path

I can't get myself out of this city

Don'cha know that I'm too damn poor for that

 

verse3

The water's risin' high in the city

And the water's run dry from the tap

The water's so high in this city

On the roof I'll be dry but I'm trapped

 

bridge

The magnolias can't help me

Big Easy living is hard as hell

There's no food to feed me

Only lawless lead to eat if I'm found

 

verse4

Oh won't someone save a wretch like me

Ruined by the House of the Rising Sun?

Amazing grace come save a wretch like me

Beached on my roof, dyin' in the blistering sun

 

 

And that's how it looks right now. It needs help, folks. Last night when I was tracking I realized there needs to be something that joins the two halves. Looking at what I have so far, I'd guess it would work better to put the bridge after verses 2 and 4, so the 2nd time around the bridge would do its job.

 

You can see I've borrowed quite a bit for verse4. If the cheese factor is too high it can be cut. (It was the last thing I wrote before falling asleep, so I have an excuse.)

 

The 2nd half is the hardest, because we haven't seen that part of the song yet. It's about the happy times of rebuilding N.O. and "hurricanes and hand grenades flowing down Bourbon Street once again". (If you've never been, those are popular names of local high-alcohol-content drinks.) I was also thinking of playing with "wooden nickels" and the "French Quarter". Another idea is to steal, er, borrow "when the Saints go marching back in". Oh, and if we can work in "mud bug" (local term for crawfish), that'd be peachy. Obviously, local food such as etouffee, gumbo, jambalaya, etc. could fit in. (You can use Fishbone\'s menu for ideas.) This half of the song should give hope to everyone that everything will be all right. It doesn't have to be as long as the 1st half; 2 verses and a chorus would be fine. Anyone up to writing this part? (Feel free to change the music here, too; it would probably be better to get away from the triplet "shuffle" feel. Rock-a-billy?)

 

The only thing I reserve for myself is bass.

[Gruuve]

RBG: This is a great start...I like it!

 

Dave

[Red Winger]

Dave H. asked me to post a quick summary of some calls I've been making lately to update you guys on my efforts to get the iTunes Music Store involved in the distribution of the songs everyone's putting together for the Hurricane Katrina fund. I haven't posted anything about this before, just because I wasn't sure whether I would be able to make the right contact.

 

In any event, without naming names, I called a few contacts over at Apple and was able to locate the guy within the iTunes Music Store that is responsible for content and special projects (such as this one). After we talked on the phone for a while about the songs you guys are putting together, I sent him an email with more details, including a link to the Face of Friendship website. He has promised to talk to his team about the possibility of iTunes creating a page for downloading songs.

 

However, before anyone gets their hopes up too high, he was hesistant to say that they'd be willing to do so, as iTunes already apparently has a number of projects in the works related to Katrina relief. He was doubtful that they'd be able to take on another project such as this, just because they are limited in the number and type of such projects they can take on. I'm hopeful, but not optimistic yet.

 

In any event, he was going to check out the website, talk it over, and get back to me. I will keep you posted with what I hear back. Fingers crossed.

 

I'm also going to try similar, but less solid, contacts I have at Yahoo Music and Napster to see if they are possibilities. However, if anyone else has contacts at these or other places, I encourage you to pursue them on your own as I think my efforts are long-shots at best.

 

Cheers,

Mark

[Gruuve]

Mark:

 

Thank you for this post...I was thinking about asking if anyone was pursuing possible partnership with iTunes and others.

 

Two questions:

 

1) If it isn't possible to do this as a seperate project within iTunes, would they be willing to perhaps incorporate it into an existing project?

 

2) Would there be any benefit to FOF.org actually forming a more formal long-term partnership with iTunes that could span over multiple projects rather than being a one shot deal for each disaster? I'd presume that FOF.org would actually need to become a "label" for this to happen, but maybe not. (Come to think of it, is there any distribution benefits to FOF actually becoming a label of sorts anyway?)

 

Thanks!

Dave

[Eric VB]

Thanks for the encouragement, Dave!

 

Oops! Guess I subconsciously ripped off Ted's F to D/F# transition! (At least I don't have any Am's.) If it's not too obvious I'll let it be.

 

(all 7ths are flatted)

 

verses

Cm7 Gm7 (many times)

Ab7 G7 (yes, the G is major this time)

 

bridge

Eb7sus2 D7sus2 Gm7 (2x)

F D/F# G7 Ab7

Ab7 G7 (yes, ends same as a verse)

 

right now the 2nd half is just Eb Bb Ab7

[Red Winger]

Originally posted by Dave Sisk:

1) If it isn't possible to do this as a seperate project within iTunes, would they be willing to perhaps incorporate it into an existing project?

Good thought. I will check into this possibility.

 

 

Originally posted by Dave Sisk:

2) Would there be any benefit to FOF.org actually forming a more formal long-term partnership with iTunes that could span over multiple projects rather than being a one shot deal for each disaster? I'd presume that FOF.org would actually need to become a "label" for this to happen, but maybe not. (Come to think of it, is there any distribution benefits to FOF actually becoming a label of sorts anyway?)

To some degree, you are already your own label, just not formally so. Realistically, there probably aren't that many distribution benefits (other than potentially collecting royalties from performing rights orgs if a song was to start getting a lot of airplay). While having a more "long-term" presence might make it easier to get individual projects onto iTunes, Yahoo Music, etc. if you were to negotiate a presence there, you'd probably need to be more formal about the structure, charitable status, record-keeping, etc. for them to treat you as an actual label. Most of the on-line distributors prefer to deal with either major labels, multi-artist indies, or content aggregators (like CD Baby, for example). Most likely, iTunes would advise you to go to an aggregator rather than act as your own label.

 

--Mark

[Gruuve]

Mark:

 

Thanks for the response and great guidance. Understood. Interesting thought on CDBaby, etc. At some point, FOF may have enough material to do a compilation CD, and I could see CDBaby perhaps being a venue for that. Of course, one of the main things we need to do now is crank out songs. However, it's nice to have something to do with them once you're done cranking, so I'm really pleased to see that we have effort focused on that part.

 

Dave

[nursers]

Indeed. Mark - thanks SO much for your effort

 

Ted - how's the reference track looking?

[Tedster]

Oh, poop.

 

I forgot to post...I've had a couple of PM's with Phil...

 

I'm going to go into a proper studio Monday and get the refs done. It's coming together!!! Right now...over me (Shoop (boom boodledaboom) bubbada bubbada bubbada bump)

[Eric VB]

Way to go, Ted!

 

You may be grooving up slowly, flattop, but you sure are one spinal cracker.

[Tedster]

Originally posted by RicBassGuy:

(How's the toe jam?)

Well, it's football season...so it's toe jam football, y'know...I've got early warning, I've got mojo filter

[Franknputer]

you guys is shooting Coca-Cola...

[nursers]

Originally posted by Tedster:

Oh, poop.

 

I forgot to post...I've had a couple of PM's with Phil...

 

I'm going to go into a proper studio Monday and get the refs done. It's coming together!!! Right now...over me (Shoop (boom boodledaboom) bubbada bubbada bubbada bump)

[Tedster]

He bag production...

 

Had the session today. Went well. More soon!

[bdemon]

Dave! I dig your Katrina song #2 demo. I could throw down a funky guitar part (I hear some clean guitar in the verse), maybe one of those cool rock solos. I have gigs this weekend, making music for some dancers, then I'm out of town for a few days next week, but this sounds pretty workable.

 

And thanks for the invite.