Get out your stick of digital chalk, the proverbial classroom chalkboard and mark yet another tick in the finalized category. This time around the fourth song finalized is “Thump Thump Thump”. There is no doubt that this is a veritable smash of a song. Super catchy is a phrase that comes to mind.
Not a lot of tweaks were needed to be made to this one. In fact, there is really only one decision left in terms of the arrangement. It has to do with how long I’ll make the intro. I’m debating on cutting it in half. Come to think of it, I might need to do a radio remix version – with a shorter intro, and then leave a longer intro. Who knows. That’s a decision to be made once I’ve hit the mixing stage.
There was a slight delay in getting to this one as I was hired to write a bit of music for a film trailer the other day. Then I got hired to record a special little choir for yet another film trailer – I’m working on that one right now actually as it’s due in tomorrow morning.
I’m heading back into the fray with yet another song to be announced shortly. I’ve been rerecording all the parts and thinking about the instrumentation. I may actually have news up as soon as tomorrow. Until the fifth is posted, the fourth song finalized is “Thump Thump Thump”.
— Jody
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving in the States. I got to spend time with friends and family which is always a bonus. I got a little sidetracked in getting this demo done (I’ll explain in a bit). However, my third song finalized is In Disguise. Got it done last night.
First off, last week one of my best friends, Jeff Scott Soto, was in town for a couple of days. He’s on tour with TSO (Trans Siberian Orchestra) as one of the lead singers. Nothing like getting a call to come hang out with him and then meet several of the other awesome singers (Nathan James, Dustin Brayley). Monday night was a fun night of bar hopping, some alcohol, and hitting the stage where a blues night open jam was going on. I think we freaked out the band. They took it in stride and we had a blast on stage. The TSO show itself was a sonic and visual spectacle. Go if you can!
Then the holiday and a couple of days of down time. Leads me a couple of days behind where I thought I’d be.
In Disguise was a co-writing thing that involved myself, Johnny Elkins, and Lindy Robbins. Being the musical guy in a room with a couple of lyricists that I had just met was a great experience. I played traffic cop on all the words they were putting together, along with coming up with the music parts and helping with the melody. We got a real winner of a tune that came of it. The original demo was sung by Lindy herself – who is no slouch of the singer: She Got Pipes!
This tweak for my version ended up taking two days. I can’t sing quite as high as Lindy so I had to figure out what key I was going to put the song in. I tweaked the tempo slightly. Then I had to lay down all the parts again in the new key. I put in my vocals and mapped out some of the extra parts that I’ll be bringing some of my TSO singing buddies to sing background on this bad boy in the studio. It’ll be a bit more beefed up, a little more ballsy, and a hair faster than the original demo. In listening back I can also hear some additional parts of some horns and maybe in the bridge a bit of dub bass. Hmmmm…
Anyway, consider another one down and ready for final flight. Because the third song finalized is In Disguise and it’s a super keeper. Tomorrow has me choosing another song to dress up for pre-production goodness. Stay tuned to find out what song it is and… how soon I get it done.
— Jody
If you were keeping tabs on the song order, you might have noticed that I started alphabetically. However, today I’ve already broken ranks. The second song finalized is Femke. No rhyme or reason why on that, it is what it is.
In this song I made lyrical tweaks to the second verse. I also made a lyrical change to the first line of the chorus. It now makes a bit more sense to an outsider view about someone you might know and the changes all recorded on the demo. Musically I didn’t find a need to tweak any of the melody. I will be adding a few elements in the studio that are beyond what is in the demo. I keep the arrangement fairly sparse. But instead of drum and orchestral samples, I’ll be bringing in the real thing. More human that way.
What song will come next and when will it get finalized? Only the shadow knows. For now, you are in the know knowing that the second song finalized is Femke.
Stay tuned.
— Jody
The tweaks are beginning to flow. My first song finalized is American Mayhem. So far I’m going in alphabetical order. No rhyme or reason it was the first on the list.
I got the verses tightened up and made some changes to the lyrics in the chorus as well. I recut the vocals on the demo to closer represent my final goal and to have the new lyrical version around for practice. I’ve added some elements to the music part of the mix as well. I’m looking forward to getting into the studio to cut the final vocal and get the mix completed. It’s gonna be a nice slammin track.
Stay tuned as more songs are getting tweaked. Which one will be next on the list? Check back and find out. For now, you know the first song finalized is American Mayhem.
— Jody
The light at the end of the tunnel on a recent project is opening wide. A project I’ve been doing for John Michael Kane has been completed today. I’ve been mixing it up and down with a large selection of songs for John and now it’s over.
The beauty is, a lot this music will be getting heard relatively soon on sports programs and other things TV related. John is part of a library that gets his songs licensed on TV. It’s a beautiful thing.
In front of the last mix for John Michael Kane.
This particular song is called “Won’t Stand Down”. Seems like I went alphabetical in the song order or I could been saving the best for last. Either way, I’m happy, he’s happy. We’re all happy with the end result. May the music grace your ears before too long.
— Jody
Here’s a question that I’ve been getting recently: What songs are left? Meaning, what of the 72 songs that I started with for the next CD are now being considered for the next release. No need to ask any more. Why? Because the list is here [in alphabetical order]…
American Mayhem
Careful
Femke
Imagine Life
In Disguise
It Burns
Jupiter Bowl
Love Takes A Holiday
New Here
Stand My Ground
Stand Up
Things Left Unsaid
Thump Thump Thump
‘Till We Meet Again
Touch
Vaporize Your Heart
Waiting On One Thing
You Can’t Hear
Of those 18, there are a few more that I’ll axe from the list to get it down to the final group. I’m spending time pouring over each song. Debating on the arrangement. Making necessary lyric changes. Ending with any transitions between parts that need to be made. After all that, it will be time to assemble the proper crew to help out with the recording process.
I’d love to get your help with offsetting the costs of the recording process. Please share the love of this page and help it go viral (click here).
Stay Tuned!
— Jody
Here’s my thanks to everyone that took the time to vote on the songs. It started with 70. Then came to 32. Now it’s down to 18. From here on out, I’ll be tweaking and massaging the songs that are left. Of the 18 left, at least 6 will fall by the wayside. They might become b-sides to singles. What will be left are 12 super potent songs that will be sheer awesomeness.
I’m excited to have brought fans in on the process of picking out the songs. The beauty is allowing all to see the process we songwriters go through to create words and sounds you get upon final release. A process that can take a ridiculous amount of time and effort.
I appreciate the time and effort that was put into the listening and voting as well. I know it takes a good chunk of time to listen to 70 songs and give an opinion on them. Then to do it again on 32 songs.
My next step as it goes is to take time going back over songs with a fine tooth comb and make some adjustments. Figure out if the key of each song is the best it can be. If there is a need for anything else in the arrangements and how they need to transpire. Once this is figured out it will be time to head into the studio and begin the recording process.
Stay tuned.
— Jody
Two days ago I spotted a tweet about a piece of music. That particular tweet came from a fan of mine. One that runs a few online radio station types like Blip.fm. She goes under the moniker Jalapno. I’m thinking that’s supposed to represent Jalapeno the spicy pepper. The tweet I’m talking about mentioned a song I recorded last year with my buddy Robert Navarro. It’s about how Morning Rays brighten your days. Two fold there, with the sun coming up meaning the world is still here and if you have a special someone who puts a ray of sunshine in your day.
The song was written by me, but it was done for a library. Therefore I don’t own the rights to it for selling and licensing purposes. Though the more it gets around, eventually the better it is for me and for Robert.
As it stands, look no further than here to hear the song:
Since you’re here reading this post, I’m requesting that you share the post as well as share the video too. Heck, while you’re at it – head to the video page and share some of my other videos. Even better, I’d ask you to purchase my tunes, make a video like this, contact me for a license (it’s important to get as YouTube and other places will likely pull it if you don’t get a license from me) then share ’em on youtube, vimeo, or your favorite video site. I’d like to see where the music goes.
Have yourself a fantastic week and may Morning Rays brighten your days.
Aw, I’m getting a little choked up. I’m getting featured on Taylor Guitar’s website. This is actually pretty cool. I was asked by Taylor Guitars if I would do a little clip about how I got a particular guitar sound for the trailer Goats. Well, here it is in all it’s glory.
The bonus is, I’ve been asked to do more of them. So stay tuned. As I complete projects that utilize my favorite acoustic guitars (Taylor Guitars ahem hem). Then there will be more of them.
Enjoy
p.s. – There’ll likely be an update before long when Dean Markley also ends up posting this.