Running In The Rain (Smith) 4:20
Heard about your wedding I've seen it in the paper
They said it was a success just what you wanted
I don't mean to intrude when I ask you this question
You sure have gone out your way to find the next one
But listen to me
For some sympathy
And what I say
That it should have been me
I'm just running in the rain
Cuz it keeps me sane
Trying to get over you
Just to ease the pain
My only wish was to see you again
I suppose there was a time but now there isn't
I guess the songs that I wrote you don't even mean much
But doesn't the thought even count?
But the movie's over
As you slip away
Too late the hero
There goes the train
I'm just running in the rain
Cause it keeps me sane
Trying to get over you
Just to ease the pain
Well I don't plan to see you again
Cause Dallas Texas is too far out of the way
And Arizona Nights you say are too hot
And come tomorrow another day
And one man's poison
Is another's drug
And one man's treasure
Look what the cat drug in..
I'm just running in the rain, don't mind me
C 1986 Wapsipinicon Dreamer Music
Songwriter's note: The Arizona Nights line was replaced with:
And Cedar Rapids you say is plainly too cold
I also been toying to resuffle that line with And this town has nothing left for you.
But upon looking at that line it kinda leaves the listener hanging on so basically I'll leave the CR line there for future concerts and recordings.
Originally off Wapsipinicon Dreaming (MRK-24186) 1986
New drum track recorded for the greatest hits Stories From The Road MR-24999 2000
Saturday, 15 June 2013
Friday, 14 June 2013
Songs About Janice
As anybody who has listened to the Townedgers and the music of the past 30 years a lot of songs were based upon my experiences and crushes and loves on girls that I knew and at one time was a part of my life. But back in 1976 I really couldn't translate them very well into songs. A few of them were based upon Janice Berns, a skinny tall girl who somehow developed a crush on me during my sophomore year in high school to which I had to endure her shenanigans and her girlfriends at that time. But then again a few factors came into play as well.
A year before hand I ended up falling head over heels over some girl in Jackson Michigan in 1975 and turned my world upside down. Problem was I would never see her anymore after the summer of 1976 even though we promised each other to be true and faithful. Janice on the other hand came into my life and for all of rest of 76 and part of 1977 we were the Bickersons of high school. Her and her friend Anne would constantly come to my locker and bug the hell out of me. Looking back on hindsight I really blew that one. Janice was attractive, straight honor student, cheerleader and here she was bugging some lowlife across the tracks that had only interest for records, beer can collecting and gave his heart to somebody else at that time. I mean Janice did have a crush on me, one day in American Studies class she mentioned something about sitting on my lap and I dared her and damned if she didn't plopped herself on my lap.
For most of that time I resisted but finally when it came to pass that the Michigan love interest was gone forever more, they were playing Chicago's Colour My World and her friend said that Janice wanted to slow dance, so I basically went up and grabbed her hand to go to the dance floor and you think that would have been the start of something new. She grabbed herself away from me making me look like a fool and I called her a few choice names and stalked off but Sue instead came up and we finished that dance but I livid with Miss Berns. The next day, somehow she found me at my grade school and we just sat and argued big time. Somehow she mentioned she loved me that and I blew her off. Look at that another chance done by the wayside. And that turned out the be the cause and effect of the rest of the 70s, we both made feeble chances for a date but never seem to be on the right page. Circumstances also didn't help either, she became a cook at Applegate's Landing, some fly by night pizza joint and I became a dish washer which put more salt into the wound. But I don't think she ever dated anybody till I left school and I did see her with somebody a year later and was finally free from her but then got mad of the fact that it wasn't me that was with her.
Somehow in the course of that time, something in her changed and she became more bitter toward the town or maybe of the fact that she took a chance on a loner. Even up to Town's Edge Rock in 1983 I would have welcomed her into this life but I think I've seen her one time and she looked withdrawn and angry at the world. She dated a friend of my brother but sometime in 1984 she moved to Texas and married somebody that kinda looked like me in 1986 and outside of a 10th year high school reunion has simply dropped off the face of the planet or at least here in town. Even her high school friends have said they haven't heard from her in years either. It seems once she left town, she left everything behind in memories. Some people are like that I guess.
Even during the echophonic era I wrote a song that did mention Janice, Four In The Morning I think it was called but the tape got erased and it wasn't a good song anyway. In 1985 I did write Song For Janice for the Rock And Roll Made Me What I Am Today album but on the CD version I left it off. When she got married, my reaction was Running In The Rain off Wapsi Dreaming and it remains one of the most requested song in my reportorial output. Later on, she was the subject of note on We Never Danced to which I revisited my feelings of anger when she didn't want to dance with me even though she told everybody in earshot that she did. Last Train Home off Moonlight Chronicles in 1989 dealt with the playground argument of the next day after the dance to which the line utters Janice I wish I never met you probably had her echoing the same thing.
As you get older you wonder what if, what if we could have been together. On High School Sweetheart (1994-Weather On The Nines) I start the song out with Doesn't anyone remember Janice? To which I remember the good times that we did share in the brief time we were together around the town but perhaps the damming second chorus of
Teenage Dreams
Forgotten It Seems
And the rain falls on our parade
All dressed up and nowhere to go
I think we both stood each other up
37 years down the road, that line sums up the legacy of Me and Janice, of how a failed concept of having a teenage crush on somebody who wasn't interested at the time who turn somebody into a life of bitterness although I could be wrong and Janice might still be living and still married to same guy. I seriously doubt that we'll ever crossed paths again. Or what if I never went to Michigan and fell into an infatuation which blew up in my face as well. And then trying to win Janice back in the best way I knew how and that didn't work either.
What does she mean when she said she's my life
The only social life that I'll ever had
Making mistakes just like in the past
I guess she's the one that knows me best
Janice said the day after the failed dance that she was the only social life that I ever had which even made me laugh in her face even more but in a way she was somewhat right. I didn't date much if at all in high school outside of Penny which we did have a few dates but Janice and I was never on the same page, even when I wrote the chorus of The One That Knows Me Best in 1999.
As time goes by, the memories of high school fade into nothingness and perhaps she did marry the man of her dreams, they are still together and doing quite well out there in Texas just like the song Running In The Rain suggested. I also think she's doing a lot better now like the Last Train Home song suggested as well. She's a president of Ladies Auxiliary, and of a Catholic church. Ah, the power of the internet.
I guess in the outcome of life we were a clash of the air masses. I don't think she would have approved of my music and the extensive music collection over the years but that's all right.
I wish them the best of life.
A year before hand I ended up falling head over heels over some girl in Jackson Michigan in 1975 and turned my world upside down. Problem was I would never see her anymore after the summer of 1976 even though we promised each other to be true and faithful. Janice on the other hand came into my life and for all of rest of 76 and part of 1977 we were the Bickersons of high school. Her and her friend Anne would constantly come to my locker and bug the hell out of me. Looking back on hindsight I really blew that one. Janice was attractive, straight honor student, cheerleader and here she was bugging some lowlife across the tracks that had only interest for records, beer can collecting and gave his heart to somebody else at that time. I mean Janice did have a crush on me, one day in American Studies class she mentioned something about sitting on my lap and I dared her and damned if she didn't plopped herself on my lap.
For most of that time I resisted but finally when it came to pass that the Michigan love interest was gone forever more, they were playing Chicago's Colour My World and her friend said that Janice wanted to slow dance, so I basically went up and grabbed her hand to go to the dance floor and you think that would have been the start of something new. She grabbed herself away from me making me look like a fool and I called her a few choice names and stalked off but Sue instead came up and we finished that dance but I livid with Miss Berns. The next day, somehow she found me at my grade school and we just sat and argued big time. Somehow she mentioned she loved me that and I blew her off. Look at that another chance done by the wayside. And that turned out the be the cause and effect of the rest of the 70s, we both made feeble chances for a date but never seem to be on the right page. Circumstances also didn't help either, she became a cook at Applegate's Landing, some fly by night pizza joint and I became a dish washer which put more salt into the wound. But I don't think she ever dated anybody till I left school and I did see her with somebody a year later and was finally free from her but then got mad of the fact that it wasn't me that was with her.
Somehow in the course of that time, something in her changed and she became more bitter toward the town or maybe of the fact that she took a chance on a loner. Even up to Town's Edge Rock in 1983 I would have welcomed her into this life but I think I've seen her one time and she looked withdrawn and angry at the world. She dated a friend of my brother but sometime in 1984 she moved to Texas and married somebody that kinda looked like me in 1986 and outside of a 10th year high school reunion has simply dropped off the face of the planet or at least here in town. Even her high school friends have said they haven't heard from her in years either. It seems once she left town, she left everything behind in memories. Some people are like that I guess.
Even during the echophonic era I wrote a song that did mention Janice, Four In The Morning I think it was called but the tape got erased and it wasn't a good song anyway. In 1985 I did write Song For Janice for the Rock And Roll Made Me What I Am Today album but on the CD version I left it off. When she got married, my reaction was Running In The Rain off Wapsi Dreaming and it remains one of the most requested song in my reportorial output. Later on, she was the subject of note on We Never Danced to which I revisited my feelings of anger when she didn't want to dance with me even though she told everybody in earshot that she did. Last Train Home off Moonlight Chronicles in 1989 dealt with the playground argument of the next day after the dance to which the line utters Janice I wish I never met you probably had her echoing the same thing.
As you get older you wonder what if, what if we could have been together. On High School Sweetheart (1994-Weather On The Nines) I start the song out with Doesn't anyone remember Janice? To which I remember the good times that we did share in the brief time we were together around the town but perhaps the damming second chorus of
Teenage Dreams
Forgotten It Seems
And the rain falls on our parade
All dressed up and nowhere to go
I think we both stood each other up
37 years down the road, that line sums up the legacy of Me and Janice, of how a failed concept of having a teenage crush on somebody who wasn't interested at the time who turn somebody into a life of bitterness although I could be wrong and Janice might still be living and still married to same guy. I seriously doubt that we'll ever crossed paths again. Or what if I never went to Michigan and fell into an infatuation which blew up in my face as well. And then trying to win Janice back in the best way I knew how and that didn't work either.
What does she mean when she said she's my life
The only social life that I'll ever had
Making mistakes just like in the past
I guess she's the one that knows me best
Janice said the day after the failed dance that she was the only social life that I ever had which even made me laugh in her face even more but in a way she was somewhat right. I didn't date much if at all in high school outside of Penny which we did have a few dates but Janice and I was never on the same page, even when I wrote the chorus of The One That Knows Me Best in 1999.
As time goes by, the memories of high school fade into nothingness and perhaps she did marry the man of her dreams, they are still together and doing quite well out there in Texas just like the song Running In The Rain suggested. I also think she's doing a lot better now like the Last Train Home song suggested as well. She's a president of Ladies Auxiliary, and of a Catholic church. Ah, the power of the internet.
I guess in the outcome of life we were a clash of the air masses. I don't think she would have approved of my music and the extensive music collection over the years but that's all right.
I wish them the best of life.
Tuesday, 4 June 2013
Modern Problems In Reflected Living 20 Years Later
This month we released two albums of historic value, one was Town's Edge Rock and ten years later Modern Problems In Reflected Living came to be. We focus on the latter.
I actually had an album done The First And Last Reunion when Jack Orbit came up to me and wanted to do a new album along with Ken Miller and Geoff Redding. But I thought since I was working nights at the time, it would free up days so that we could actually record new songs and we did.
The majority of songs were recorded in June of 1993 at the duplex lovingly called Broadcast Manor. Waste Of Time Wynna was the sequel to Pretender of Drive In Blues, I had this psycho chick at work that liked me but everytime I tried to ask her out, she would freak out and say she's engaged to this dude in Muscatine and bla bla bla and so basically this is a FOAD song aimed at Miss Wynna Witmer who's probably married and divorced five times already. Somebody's guitar is way out of tune on this one.
Pillar Of Salt-a odd one but I think it was a co write with Ken Miller about a reaction we saw on Oprah that didn't set well with us. I love the Geoff Redding guitar counterpoint as he strums to the offbeat. Diggy Kat played this a few times on his show although I think we have better songs on this album he could put on instead.
Hard To Love You-One thing about Orbit's contributions to this band is that he likes plenty of backing vocals. I sing well it's hard, Geoff, Jack and Ken sing To Love You and then we all get together on the final tag line but I think we gave that up on later recordings. I think Wynna may have been the target of ridicule on this song especially on the biological clock is ticking but as the years go on, the mind gets foggy.
How Far It Goes actually goes back to 1988 during the Postcards From The Edge, but none of the music fit the lyrics and we put them back into the closet till Geoff added a reggae guitar to the beginning.
Hey Bama-Something that I wrote down at DeSoda's on a fun filled Saturday Night. Ken actually is using a glass side on the bass to give it a different sound than usual. I think we were going for a Little Feat sound. Geoff sits this one out, which is probably the only recording with the Town's Edge Rock lineup of me, Orbit and Miller.
Debbie's Winegarden-Named after the chick that supposed to be my duet partner on this song but she never showed up to do the recording so we went on without her. Original intent was me to sing the first verse, her the second and both of us the final verse. It would have been gangbusters.
Missing Her-Another song conceived on the dance floor and in the bathroom at DeSoda's. Another song about a wasted weekend at the meat market.
Minor Miracle-Brian Mullahan's production on this album really came full circle as we used different methods of recording guitars and drums on this album. Although known as a perfectionist who would literately take apart other bands, he also recorded things as they happen, sometimes good and sometimes not so good and the drums are pretty sloppy to say the very least. Basically me and Geoff on this number.
Little Girl-Wynna again. She used to work with us at the old place of workage and although I think there was some sort of attraction, she seemed to take great pride in pissing me off with her split personalities although not as bad as Isabella when I decided to cast my lot with her 8 years down the road. The song is fun to do though.
Lies-When someone screwing you do you stop and say thanks.....how did we come up with that line? Oh the fun of observing folks at the singles bar and you can come up some interesting things as well. It really sounds punkish to me.
Are You Gonna Be The One-Originally from First And Last Reunion I had to include this to Modern Problems since it sounded so good.
Long Way To Go-Replaces the overlong Her Lightning Ways on CD. Something spur of the moment.
Away From You-One of the things that makes co-writing with Jack Orbit is that he managed to bring in a zinger set of lyrics or music when he feels the moment is right and he gets credited for the yuk yuk yuk yuk guitar riff at the beginning of the song. Another in a long line of infatuation songs that I tend to be good at that time.
Straight Laced And Gone- Aka Modern Problems In Reflected Living. A silly ditty that was fucking impossible to get on tape. Finally had to slow the guitars down to at least get the drums fit into the groove. Most of the lyrics is jive anyway.
Girl On Your Mind-Another Desoda's observation that became another song but I sang it in that hypnotic whine that was typical of the 1983-1985 era to which I was trying to find my voice. Sometimes that Illinois southern drawl really is a liability.
Don't Let Me Know-Lyrics were written around 1987 and never used for Tales Of The Red Caboose but Jack and Ken came up with a nice little riff that fit the words hand in glove. The stop and start of the chorus is fun to do live and usually the jam part we do extend it by a minute or two.
Frosted Flakes-Some perverted humor of watching some dumb show on TV and making fun of the ditz that was on that show, Road Rules maybe? Geoff Redding's guitar riff counterpoint is perfect.
When The Night Comes-Wrote this with Ken about five years prior but we could never get the feeling right till finally on the next to last recording session finally did this with a very slow and deliberate off beat snare drum hit. And for the first time ever, I actually did the lead guitar part. Very simple but reeking of despair.
Sun Ra-Done as a tribute to the eccentric jazz artist who passed away a day before and we decided to do something off the cuff and something avant-garde Amazing what a digital delay can do for you.
Modern Problems would be the final trilogy of a cycle of albums that began with Diamonds In The Skies and Drive In Blues ended with the pop rock style of MP but soon after the completion of this album I decided to put the band on hiatus while reunited with my old high school sweetheart of a life of being together, which only lasted about four weeks and endless days of rain which begin the flood of 93. By then while recording we were finally mastering the art of recording music and I can hear it on this recording. Hugh McConnell did wonders by placing the drum mic at certain spots and picking up everything
Broadcast Manor's recording room was my bedroom at the duplex and it was very cramped to say the very least, the amps were turned down fairly low and some of the songs we just plugged the guitar and delay into the four track itself. Worked out very well judging by how little space we had in there. The old Realistic Mic really did a good job despite the fact that it was battery operated and the threads were just about stripped off from all the use but it did managed to hang together for another five records before retiring it for good.
20 years later it still holds up very well and I can listen to every song from start to finish. Although some might opt for Diamonds In The Skies or Long Time Forgotten as the best of the TEs, I have to concour. All the 90s albums have something of value if they weren't they would have been retired long ago. Modern Problems In Reflected Living, while quickly conceived and recorded remains one of my favorite Townedgers albums ever. And that's saying a lot.
I actually had an album done The First And Last Reunion when Jack Orbit came up to me and wanted to do a new album along with Ken Miller and Geoff Redding. But I thought since I was working nights at the time, it would free up days so that we could actually record new songs and we did.
The majority of songs were recorded in June of 1993 at the duplex lovingly called Broadcast Manor. Waste Of Time Wynna was the sequel to Pretender of Drive In Blues, I had this psycho chick at work that liked me but everytime I tried to ask her out, she would freak out and say she's engaged to this dude in Muscatine and bla bla bla and so basically this is a FOAD song aimed at Miss Wynna Witmer who's probably married and divorced five times already. Somebody's guitar is way out of tune on this one.
Pillar Of Salt-a odd one but I think it was a co write with Ken Miller about a reaction we saw on Oprah that didn't set well with us. I love the Geoff Redding guitar counterpoint as he strums to the offbeat. Diggy Kat played this a few times on his show although I think we have better songs on this album he could put on instead.
Hard To Love You-One thing about Orbit's contributions to this band is that he likes plenty of backing vocals. I sing well it's hard, Geoff, Jack and Ken sing To Love You and then we all get together on the final tag line but I think we gave that up on later recordings. I think Wynna may have been the target of ridicule on this song especially on the biological clock is ticking but as the years go on, the mind gets foggy.
How Far It Goes actually goes back to 1988 during the Postcards From The Edge, but none of the music fit the lyrics and we put them back into the closet till Geoff added a reggae guitar to the beginning.
Hey Bama-Something that I wrote down at DeSoda's on a fun filled Saturday Night. Ken actually is using a glass side on the bass to give it a different sound than usual. I think we were going for a Little Feat sound. Geoff sits this one out, which is probably the only recording with the Town's Edge Rock lineup of me, Orbit and Miller.
Debbie's Winegarden-Named after the chick that supposed to be my duet partner on this song but she never showed up to do the recording so we went on without her. Original intent was me to sing the first verse, her the second and both of us the final verse. It would have been gangbusters.
Missing Her-Another song conceived on the dance floor and in the bathroom at DeSoda's. Another song about a wasted weekend at the meat market.
Minor Miracle-Brian Mullahan's production on this album really came full circle as we used different methods of recording guitars and drums on this album. Although known as a perfectionist who would literately take apart other bands, he also recorded things as they happen, sometimes good and sometimes not so good and the drums are pretty sloppy to say the very least. Basically me and Geoff on this number.
Little Girl-Wynna again. She used to work with us at the old place of workage and although I think there was some sort of attraction, she seemed to take great pride in pissing me off with her split personalities although not as bad as Isabella when I decided to cast my lot with her 8 years down the road. The song is fun to do though.
Lies-When someone screwing you do you stop and say thanks.....how did we come up with that line? Oh the fun of observing folks at the singles bar and you can come up some interesting things as well. It really sounds punkish to me.
Are You Gonna Be The One-Originally from First And Last Reunion I had to include this to Modern Problems since it sounded so good.
Long Way To Go-Replaces the overlong Her Lightning Ways on CD. Something spur of the moment.
Away From You-One of the things that makes co-writing with Jack Orbit is that he managed to bring in a zinger set of lyrics or music when he feels the moment is right and he gets credited for the yuk yuk yuk yuk guitar riff at the beginning of the song. Another in a long line of infatuation songs that I tend to be good at that time.
Straight Laced And Gone- Aka Modern Problems In Reflected Living. A silly ditty that was fucking impossible to get on tape. Finally had to slow the guitars down to at least get the drums fit into the groove. Most of the lyrics is jive anyway.
Girl On Your Mind-Another Desoda's observation that became another song but I sang it in that hypnotic whine that was typical of the 1983-1985 era to which I was trying to find my voice. Sometimes that Illinois southern drawl really is a liability.
Don't Let Me Know-Lyrics were written around 1987 and never used for Tales Of The Red Caboose but Jack and Ken came up with a nice little riff that fit the words hand in glove. The stop and start of the chorus is fun to do live and usually the jam part we do extend it by a minute or two.
Frosted Flakes-Some perverted humor of watching some dumb show on TV and making fun of the ditz that was on that show, Road Rules maybe? Geoff Redding's guitar riff counterpoint is perfect.
When The Night Comes-Wrote this with Ken about five years prior but we could never get the feeling right till finally on the next to last recording session finally did this with a very slow and deliberate off beat snare drum hit. And for the first time ever, I actually did the lead guitar part. Very simple but reeking of despair.
Sun Ra-Done as a tribute to the eccentric jazz artist who passed away a day before and we decided to do something off the cuff and something avant-garde Amazing what a digital delay can do for you.
Modern Problems would be the final trilogy of a cycle of albums that began with Diamonds In The Skies and Drive In Blues ended with the pop rock style of MP but soon after the completion of this album I decided to put the band on hiatus while reunited with my old high school sweetheart of a life of being together, which only lasted about four weeks and endless days of rain which begin the flood of 93. By then while recording we were finally mastering the art of recording music and I can hear it on this recording. Hugh McConnell did wonders by placing the drum mic at certain spots and picking up everything
Broadcast Manor's recording room was my bedroom at the duplex and it was very cramped to say the very least, the amps were turned down fairly low and some of the songs we just plugged the guitar and delay into the four track itself. Worked out very well judging by how little space we had in there. The old Realistic Mic really did a good job despite the fact that it was battery operated and the threads were just about stripped off from all the use but it did managed to hang together for another five records before retiring it for good.
20 years later it still holds up very well and I can listen to every song from start to finish. Although some might opt for Diamonds In The Skies or Long Time Forgotten as the best of the TEs, I have to concour. All the 90s albums have something of value if they weren't they would have been retired long ago. Modern Problems In Reflected Living, while quickly conceived and recorded remains one of my favorite Townedgers albums ever. And that's saying a lot.
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
Thoughts From The Townedger May
What a month. I haven't done much in terms of adding stuff to the Townedger's site. We had way too many flooding rainy days to the point it stressed me out and couldn't think straight. I hate this weather, even more so than snows and ice of the wintertime. At least they don't seep into the basement like a six inch rainfall and lot of areas around here have gotten hit with way too much rain and the Cedar is out of its banks, just like it was five years ago on that infamous 2008 flood. I hate this type of history repeating. But at least the no rain prayer has held up the past five days. God willing.
I doubt if the Townedgers will do much touring behind No Exit. Reviews have been lukewarm and sales nil. Maier Records announced that Curio will be the third and final single off that album, the previous two failed to chart.
Thanks to Miss Mouse and Diggy Kat for playing the new album and some of the songs. I love them both.
Next month will be the 20th anniversary of Modern Problems In Reflected Living. I promise I'll write something about that album next month.
I don't expect the Smith/Orbit/Miller/Redding lineup to play at any time. Too many issues and the guys really don't want to deal with Jack although I continue to write songs with him.
Some of the TE back catalog will fall by the wayside. The 1989 albums have been a problem of trying to get the sound right and only thing I can do is re record the drum parts over again but that would ruin the original intent.
Still no intention of playing The End live.
Brian Mullahan could be a pain in the ass when he was producing but unlike other bands he knew when not to push, but sometimes the mistakes he left in the recording didn't help either. I cringe when I hear myself singing the wrong words in certain songs.
I could do another best of, or 3 decades of Townedger Rock And Roll. We'll see.
Walk A Thin Line, from Travelogue is the best version. The Soul Biscuits version tries but when I hear the 1988 remix version, it's garage punk heaven. That'll be on the best of.
Every Hour On The Hour, the 1986 Wendy Oaks farewell gig? Don't look for it on CD. It served its purpose back in 1986.
God is love.
I doubt if the Townedgers will do much touring behind No Exit. Reviews have been lukewarm and sales nil. Maier Records announced that Curio will be the third and final single off that album, the previous two failed to chart.
Thanks to Miss Mouse and Diggy Kat for playing the new album and some of the songs. I love them both.
Next month will be the 20th anniversary of Modern Problems In Reflected Living. I promise I'll write something about that album next month.
I don't expect the Smith/Orbit/Miller/Redding lineup to play at any time. Too many issues and the guys really don't want to deal with Jack although I continue to write songs with him.
Some of the TE back catalog will fall by the wayside. The 1989 albums have been a problem of trying to get the sound right and only thing I can do is re record the drum parts over again but that would ruin the original intent.
Still no intention of playing The End live.
Brian Mullahan could be a pain in the ass when he was producing but unlike other bands he knew when not to push, but sometimes the mistakes he left in the recording didn't help either. I cringe when I hear myself singing the wrong words in certain songs.
I could do another best of, or 3 decades of Townedger Rock And Roll. We'll see.
Walk A Thin Line, from Travelogue is the best version. The Soul Biscuits version tries but when I hear the 1988 remix version, it's garage punk heaven. That'll be on the best of.
Every Hour On The Hour, the 1986 Wendy Oaks farewell gig? Don't look for it on CD. It served its purpose back in 1986.
God is love.
Saturday, 18 May 2013
Down On The Farm
This song was recorded for a forthcoming 2011 album that never got finished once my ex girlfriend moved into town, I basically shelved it and forgot all about it till going through tapes and picking up ideas for what would be No Exit. Elements of the song came from Daddy Put The Bomp, an old song from Ducks Deluxe to which song writing credit was given to Sean Tyla for inspiration. Working on a dead line to complete the album, the drum tracks were all over the place to which the final part is just me tapping on a mic stand since it sounded like a bass drum anyway. The album working title was Between The Cedar And The Wapsi, which I live between both rivers.
Down On The Farm (Smith/Redding/Tyla) 4:56
Between the Cedar and the Wapsi
This is where that you can find me down the road, down the road
Living easy and living free
Ain't no place that I rather be, rock and roll, rock and roll
Cuz down on the farm we put the rock in rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll
Cuz down on the farm we put the rock in rock and roll
See my baby such a cutie
She can shake it like a willow tree rock and roll, rock and roll
She's a wonder and she's a dream
She knows the ways to make me scream let it roll, let it roll
Cuz down on the farm she puts the rock in rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll
Cuz down on the farm she puts the rock in rock and roll
(repeat)
Love my baby love her too
Without her charm I wouldn't know what to do rock and roll, rock and roll
Do me wrong do me right
Why don't you do me like a Saturday Night, let it roll, let it roll
Rock and roll
rock and roll
rock and roll
rock and roll
rock and roll
rock and roll
rock and roll
rock and roll
cuz down on the farm she puts the rock in rock and roll
cuz down on the farm she puts the rock in rock and roll
etc.
etc.
(c) 2011 Hot Air Music
As you can tell, this was a songwriting in process as we were trying to get into the groove and upon looking at the finished product this is not one of the better songs ever written. Later on, when we performed this life, I changed the lyric See my baby, such a cutie, she can shake it like an old time movie which sounded better than the willow tree comment. For a throwaway, the music is actually quite good.
(from the Soul Biscuits! CD)
Down On The Farm (Smith/Redding/Tyla) 4:56
Between the Cedar and the Wapsi
This is where that you can find me down the road, down the road
Living easy and living free
Ain't no place that I rather be, rock and roll, rock and roll
Cuz down on the farm we put the rock in rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll
Cuz down on the farm we put the rock in rock and roll
See my baby such a cutie
She can shake it like a willow tree rock and roll, rock and roll
She's a wonder and she's a dream
She knows the ways to make me scream let it roll, let it roll
Cuz down on the farm she puts the rock in rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll
Cuz down on the farm she puts the rock in rock and roll
(repeat)
Love my baby love her too
Without her charm I wouldn't know what to do rock and roll, rock and roll
Do me wrong do me right
Why don't you do me like a Saturday Night, let it roll, let it roll
Rock and roll
rock and roll
rock and roll
rock and roll
rock and roll
rock and roll
rock and roll
rock and roll
cuz down on the farm she puts the rock in rock and roll
cuz down on the farm she puts the rock in rock and roll
etc.
etc.
(c) 2011 Hot Air Music
As you can tell, this was a songwriting in process as we were trying to get into the groove and upon looking at the finished product this is not one of the better songs ever written. Later on, when we performed this life, I changed the lyric See my baby, such a cutie, she can shake it like an old time movie which sounded better than the willow tree comment. For a throwaway, the music is actually quite good.
(from the Soul Biscuits! CD)
Thursday, 9 May 2013
Soul Biscuits!
In keeping up with the fine "missing pieces" series, a new comp of unreleased songs and covers comes out this month with Soul Biscuits! (add exclamation point) a collection of songs that were slated for 2011 album but got shelved when my ex moved down here to be with me for a year. Also a good chuck of songs came from a late December 2012 session which yielded some cover versions to see if we had anything left to prove, as well as some songs that didn't make the No Exit cut but we put the copyright down as a 2012 release. That way we proved that there was an actual album release that year.
The tracking order:
1. My Girl Josephine (Barthomelow/Domino) 3:00
2. Down On The Farm (Smith/Redding/Tyla) 4:55
3. Queen Of Anamosa (Acoustic Version)(Smith) 2:30
4. Walk A Thin Line (Smith/Orbit) 4:09
5. I Thank You (Porter/Hayes) 3:24
6. Amtrak Baby (Smith/Miller/Castleman) 2:09
7. Jet Airliner (Pena) 4:58
Side 2
1. All Along The Watchtower (Dylan) 3:44
2. New Maierburg Blues (Smith/Verhoven/Miller) 3:40
3. Dead Of Night (Smith/Orbit) 4:20
4. Greenback Dollar (Band Version)(Axton) 3:00
5. Serenade In Blue (Smith/Redding) 4:25
6. Soul Biscuits (Redding) 3:00
7. The Mouse And Kat Show (Smith) 3:00
Bonus Tracks
Greenback Dollar (Kingston Trio Version)(Axton) 2:55
Sweet Jane (Reed) 3:29
Chapters (Smith/Redding/Orbit/Miller/McClelland) 2:33
Chapters recorded 2001 during the We're Getting Nowhere sessions
Sweet Jane recorded 2007 during the The Highway Home Sessions Produced By Rodney Smith
Produced by Richard Dennanbaugh
Co Produced by Rodney Smith
The participants of the sessions were
Rodney Smith-Vocals, drums, guitars
Geoff Redding-Guitar and backing vocals
John Verhoven-Bass except where noted
Ken Miller-Bass On Walk A Thin Line and New Maierburg Blues
Martin Daniels-Bass on Sweet Jane
Mark McClelland-Bass on Chapters
Recorded at various locations May 2011 and December 2012 at Junkyard Studios Viola/Springville IA
2012 The Townedgers Music Emporium
The tracking order:
1. My Girl Josephine (Barthomelow/Domino) 3:00
2. Down On The Farm (Smith/Redding/Tyla) 4:55
3. Queen Of Anamosa (Acoustic Version)(Smith) 2:30
4. Walk A Thin Line (Smith/Orbit) 4:09
5. I Thank You (Porter/Hayes) 3:24
6. Amtrak Baby (Smith/Miller/Castleman) 2:09
7. Jet Airliner (Pena) 4:58
Side 2
1. All Along The Watchtower (Dylan) 3:44
2. New Maierburg Blues (Smith/Verhoven/Miller) 3:40
3. Dead Of Night (Smith/Orbit) 4:20
4. Greenback Dollar (Band Version)(Axton) 3:00
5. Serenade In Blue (Smith/Redding) 4:25
6. Soul Biscuits (Redding) 3:00
7. The Mouse And Kat Show (Smith) 3:00
Bonus Tracks
Greenback Dollar (Kingston Trio Version)(Axton) 2:55
Sweet Jane (Reed) 3:29
Chapters (Smith/Redding/Orbit/Miller/McClelland) 2:33
Chapters recorded 2001 during the We're Getting Nowhere sessions
Sweet Jane recorded 2007 during the The Highway Home Sessions Produced By Rodney Smith
Produced by Richard Dennanbaugh
Co Produced by Rodney Smith
The participants of the sessions were
Rodney Smith-Vocals, drums, guitars
Geoff Redding-Guitar and backing vocals
John Verhoven-Bass except where noted
Ken Miller-Bass On Walk A Thin Line and New Maierburg Blues
Martin Daniels-Bass on Sweet Jane
Mark McClelland-Bass on Chapters
Recorded at various locations May 2011 and December 2012 at Junkyard Studios Viola/Springville IA
2012 The Townedgers Music Emporium
New Bottles For Old Wine 1999
There are many compilations than there are actual albums from the Townedgers in the 30 year history as I continue to try to horn my craft into something more meaningful. There's comps that do a good job, 2009's Country comes to mind, so does Observations From The Forefront which gave me a played song in Teri. And there's comps that have way too much filler or songs that sounded good at the time but not any more. Such is the case of New Bottles For Old Wine which took certain failures that didn't make the cut and when this album didn't tickle my fancy, the better songs got used for More Rodney Smith And The Townedgers and Even More. The ones that didn't, remains here in this junkyard of tunes.
The outtakes from albums of that era.
Lover's Night Out (Light At The End Of The Tunnel) 1996 Originally part of The First And Last Reunion, I decided to revisit this song three years later. This is a better version but since we have enough songs for Light, this one didn't make the cut. Later appeared on More.
Walk A Thin Line (Tales Of The Red Caboose) 1987 Two different versions of this song was released, the first one was a edited version that made Tales but the better version was reworked with a better drum sound for Travelogue, our 1988 live double. This version ended up being on Stories From The Road, The Best Of The Townedgers and remains the definite song. We made another attempt of this song for 2012 Soul Biscuits album and although it's a noble effort it pales next to this one. Side note, this was one of the last songs that I ever did using my old K Mart Telisco guitar and with the tube stack volume up high the sound kills. After that the guitar blew up.
The Question Remains (1989 Single) First song that I did on a regular four track and not exactly working the controls very well. Too much echo and the backing vocals are buried. Later attempted for 1993's Modern Problems In Reflected Living but never used till We're Getting Nowhere CD.
Hard Tellin- (Tales Of The Red Caboose 1987, drums overdubbed in 1995) Had we had a four track, Tales would have been a good album but with wrong headed ideas (recording on metal tape?). Richard Dennanbaugh convinced me that if we added new drums to the guitar it would sound better. Which does but one glaring fact: the guitar's out of tune! But at least I got the drum breaks right.
Girl From The Other Side Of Town (Tales Of The Red Caboose 1987) First version which was about going down highway 1 in Mount Vernon and seeing some chick sunbathing topless which became the inspiration of this song. Jack Orbit's lead didn't work very well and couldn't get the drums right till much later. Includes the line Sweet enough to eat which Maier Records rejected upon hearing it and we did a different take. But this one would make it to the More R.S and TEs CD.
The Way I Look At Things (1989) Attempted a couple times in the studio and then forgotten.
Jenny Sez Hi (Tales Of The Red Caboose 1987) We had plenty of ideas going full tilt during Tales and this one was more of the harder rocking tracks but that crappy assed marching snare drum didn't do much favors for me. Another bad idea gone wrong. Originally on Collecting Beer Cans For Fun And Profit, the first batch of TE leftovers ever put on cassette tape.
Miss Crank (Moonlight Chronicles 1989) Love Geoff Redding's Wilko Johnson guitar licks but the lyrics didn't fit the song very well. Attempted a few more times and gave up soon after.
Material Girl (Moonlight Chronicles 1989) A lot of songs that I writing back then dealt with bad girls and most of the time forgettible. It has some nice breaks in this but I didn't like this song much to give it a second thought. Purple Passion was much better.
Cocaine Train (Floodlands 1989) A acoustic version of the Paraphernalia song that the guys did back in 1984. Russ chose it since it had the C word in it. The TEs have done it on occasion.
Highway Of Love (Nice Weather We're Having 1990) Not as wild or over the top as the Postcards From The Edge version but Geoff adds some nice LA Woman type of guitar work on this and Jon Castleman plays bass. Left off the cassette version of Nice Weather but was later added on the CD version of said album.
Black Girlfriend (Nice Weather We're Having 1990) A song about racial tolerance but I think I wrote that song in response to my folks saying no of bringing a black GF home on a date. Didn't make the cut on Nice Weather, always thought it was lacking something.....
Sometimes I Do (Drive In Blues 1992) A cover of the Social Distortion song, sped up and full of backing vocals but thought it was too busy and not good enough so left it off DIB. 10 years later, we would do a much better and much more faithful to the Social Distortion version on The Road Less Traveled and five years later done to better effort on a 2008 live showcase.
You're Gonna Miss Me (Light At The End Of The Tunnel 1996) On a B Side You can do anything and so we did a attempt of the 13th floor elevator's only hit. It's kinda clumsy in its own way but I thought our version was better than the Sand Rubies version that made it to their live album.
Midnight Blue (Light At The End Of The Tunnel 1996) Trying to do something different so I lifted the chorus from Melissa Manchester and Carol Bayer Sager and gave them credit although I was also incorporating Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground's I Found A Reason in a way. We had enough songs for Light, this appears on More.
Her Lightning Ways (The First And Last Reunion 1993) Appears on the beginning of side 2 of the cassette version of Modern Problems In Reflected Living, this song pretty much is a jam song like Getting To This is a jam song or Tornado is a jam song. I was using my long time old K Mart guitar amp on this with the digital echo running through it. Left off the CD version of Modern Problems.
Gone Fishing (Diamonds In The Skies 1991) Originally slated to be the last song after Back To Marion but after hearing the final version, I didn't like the mix nor vocals to this. The titled lifted from Chris Rea but that's there the similarities end Not sure who I wrote it about, maybe Sweet Melissa or some part time chick at work that I had an eye on. Attempted to do this song a couple more times later on, but got bored with it and moved on to other things.
The outtakes from albums of that era.
Lover's Night Out (Light At The End Of The Tunnel) 1996 Originally part of The First And Last Reunion, I decided to revisit this song three years later. This is a better version but since we have enough songs for Light, this one didn't make the cut. Later appeared on More.
Walk A Thin Line (Tales Of The Red Caboose) 1987 Two different versions of this song was released, the first one was a edited version that made Tales but the better version was reworked with a better drum sound for Travelogue, our 1988 live double. This version ended up being on Stories From The Road, The Best Of The Townedgers and remains the definite song. We made another attempt of this song for 2012 Soul Biscuits album and although it's a noble effort it pales next to this one. Side note, this was one of the last songs that I ever did using my old K Mart Telisco guitar and with the tube stack volume up high the sound kills. After that the guitar blew up.
The Question Remains (1989 Single) First song that I did on a regular four track and not exactly working the controls very well. Too much echo and the backing vocals are buried. Later attempted for 1993's Modern Problems In Reflected Living but never used till We're Getting Nowhere CD.
Hard Tellin- (Tales Of The Red Caboose 1987, drums overdubbed in 1995) Had we had a four track, Tales would have been a good album but with wrong headed ideas (recording on metal tape?). Richard Dennanbaugh convinced me that if we added new drums to the guitar it would sound better. Which does but one glaring fact: the guitar's out of tune! But at least I got the drum breaks right.
Girl From The Other Side Of Town (Tales Of The Red Caboose 1987) First version which was about going down highway 1 in Mount Vernon and seeing some chick sunbathing topless which became the inspiration of this song. Jack Orbit's lead didn't work very well and couldn't get the drums right till much later. Includes the line Sweet enough to eat which Maier Records rejected upon hearing it and we did a different take. But this one would make it to the More R.S and TEs CD.
The Way I Look At Things (1989) Attempted a couple times in the studio and then forgotten.
Jenny Sez Hi (Tales Of The Red Caboose 1987) We had plenty of ideas going full tilt during Tales and this one was more of the harder rocking tracks but that crappy assed marching snare drum didn't do much favors for me. Another bad idea gone wrong. Originally on Collecting Beer Cans For Fun And Profit, the first batch of TE leftovers ever put on cassette tape.
Miss Crank (Moonlight Chronicles 1989) Love Geoff Redding's Wilko Johnson guitar licks but the lyrics didn't fit the song very well. Attempted a few more times and gave up soon after.
Material Girl (Moonlight Chronicles 1989) A lot of songs that I writing back then dealt with bad girls and most of the time forgettible. It has some nice breaks in this but I didn't like this song much to give it a second thought. Purple Passion was much better.
Cocaine Train (Floodlands 1989) A acoustic version of the Paraphernalia song that the guys did back in 1984. Russ chose it since it had the C word in it. The TEs have done it on occasion.
Highway Of Love (Nice Weather We're Having 1990) Not as wild or over the top as the Postcards From The Edge version but Geoff adds some nice LA Woman type of guitar work on this and Jon Castleman plays bass. Left off the cassette version of Nice Weather but was later added on the CD version of said album.
Black Girlfriend (Nice Weather We're Having 1990) A song about racial tolerance but I think I wrote that song in response to my folks saying no of bringing a black GF home on a date. Didn't make the cut on Nice Weather, always thought it was lacking something.....
Sometimes I Do (Drive In Blues 1992) A cover of the Social Distortion song, sped up and full of backing vocals but thought it was too busy and not good enough so left it off DIB. 10 years later, we would do a much better and much more faithful to the Social Distortion version on The Road Less Traveled and five years later done to better effort on a 2008 live showcase.
You're Gonna Miss Me (Light At The End Of The Tunnel 1996) On a B Side You can do anything and so we did a attempt of the 13th floor elevator's only hit. It's kinda clumsy in its own way but I thought our version was better than the Sand Rubies version that made it to their live album.
Midnight Blue (Light At The End Of The Tunnel 1996) Trying to do something different so I lifted the chorus from Melissa Manchester and Carol Bayer Sager and gave them credit although I was also incorporating Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground's I Found A Reason in a way. We had enough songs for Light, this appears on More.
Her Lightning Ways (The First And Last Reunion 1993) Appears on the beginning of side 2 of the cassette version of Modern Problems In Reflected Living, this song pretty much is a jam song like Getting To This is a jam song or Tornado is a jam song. I was using my long time old K Mart guitar amp on this with the digital echo running through it. Left off the CD version of Modern Problems.
Gone Fishing (Diamonds In The Skies 1991) Originally slated to be the last song after Back To Marion but after hearing the final version, I didn't like the mix nor vocals to this. The titled lifted from Chris Rea but that's there the similarities end Not sure who I wrote it about, maybe Sweet Melissa or some part time chick at work that I had an eye on. Attempted to do this song a couple more times later on, but got bored with it and moved on to other things.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)