Cheese, Man

I was thinking "London Calling" by The Clash, but then this happened. I'd been speaking with Murf, afore-mentioned creator of the Murfenbacker, about how Pete Townshend is able to create wonderful overtones and harmonics by layering his guitar tracks. That's why this tune ends in such a rich, multi-layered, harmonically aural experience ... (self larfs, etc.). This is another of those nasty AM radio-type mixes in which I excel, but I like to believe it's due to my 1970s, culturally rich childhood experience. And I did manage to find those overtones.

Recorded using GarageBand and....

• '04 Epiphone Casino
• '84-'87 E-Series Fender Stratocaster
• '04 Rickenbacker 370/12 
• '06 Rickenbacker 340/6 VP VB
• '68 Gibson EB-O Custom
• Kawai keyboard with voicings facilitated by GB
• Percussion played and voiced through GB's Musical Typing

The Sha-Boopie

One afternoon in February 2011, I managed to get away from the office. I played with a mic and a mixing board, but when things weren't flowing I got silly and reverted to form: my Punk/New Wave roots. It's all about comfort zone, so I tracked a lead vocal in one of my silly voices, then a harmony vocal through a vocorder to get that ... well, you'll hear. An old music bud from the day provided the drums & synth.

Recorded using GarageBand and....

• '04 Epiphone Casino
• Mid-'60s EB2-style Kent bass
• ElectroVoice Raven dynamic microphone
• Behringer Xenyx 802 mixer
• Roland XV-88 synthesizer
• Remaining instruments programmed & played through GB's Musical Typing

(The) Kids (Are Alright)

I chose this early Who/Pete Townshend tune as an exercise to learn how to program drum patterns. Keith Moon ... there's an exercise in eloquently demented patterns! As an exercise, I think it turned out OK. I like the overdrive I managed on the lead guitar, the Murfenbacker. Nice sound. I tried to mix Townshend with early '70s glam. The bass is a mix of my old Gibson bass and keyboards morphed into a single bass sound. Thanks to Ray Manzarek et. al. for the idea.

That Murfenbacker.... Woodathunk that a homemade Ric copy, made from an old, weathered birch table top with a rock maple table leg for a neck, loaded with 1960s Sears-purchased Silvertone pickups could sound so nice!? My favourite guitar, hands down.

Recorded using GarageBand and....

• '01 Rickenbacker 360/6
• '04 Rickenbacker 370/12
• '86 Murfenbacker 6-string 
• '68 Gibson EB-O Custom
• Kawai keyboard with voicings facilitated by GB
• Drums programmed & played through GB's Musical Typing

Wang Dang Doodle - Take 1 - Mix 4

A microphone against my wrist to record my pulse, then speed up the recorded result. The tune is my wonk on Love Sculpture's 1968 take of the Willie Dixon tune.
Recorded using GarageBand and....

• '86 Murfenbacker 6-string 
• Some serious finger snappin' & poppin'
• Various GarageBand jiggery-pokeries.

When I See You

This tune in progress really shows the wonk as it's happening. The tune is one I used to do with a band in Halifax back in the '90s. It never went anywhere, neither the band nor the tune, but I always liked the groove. It's slowed from it's original hyper speed, and a couple of parts are missing. That said, I think you'll get the idea. Apologies for the harsh mix. Hopefully, I'll have a chance to re-do it sooner than later.

Recorded using GarageBand and....

• '86 Murfenbacker 6-string
  
  What is a Murfenbacker? It's a custom, luthier-built Rickenbacker 370/6-style guitar, crafted from a birch table leg and top, plus some sides that Welt had up in the truck. Yes, she was made from an old table that lived outside for countless-odd years. The fretboard is cherry with bubinga inlays and the three pickups are single coils from a '60s Beltone guitar. A bone nut (actually made from the leftovers of that night's dinner), hand-tooled brass hardtail tailpiece/bridge, and Gibson Custom tuners complete the set-up. She's currently strung with Pyramid Gold 11-gauge flatwounds and playing beautifully. The guitar was built by Murf Lively of NSCAD/Halifax back in the early 1980s.
  
  
• Mid-'60s Kent bass
• Kawai keyboard with voicings facilitated by GB
• Remaining instruments programmed & played through GB's Musical Typing

Lilli

Another partial from last summer, 2010, that never made it to completion, though something tells me it will be finished this spring. Who knows, we'll see.

Recorded using GarageBand and....

• '01 Rickenbacker 360/6
• '04 Rickenbacker 370/12
• '68 Gibson EB-O Custom
• Remaining instruments programmed & played through GB's Musical Typing

North Winds Blow

This is part of an tune I wrote back in ancient times, but started to re-record last year after being prompted by someone who should know better. The "middle eight" section of the original is missing So, too, are the vocals. However, it does have that '80s percussion sound, especially the snare which is augmented with hand-claps.

Recorded using GarageBand and....

• '86 Murfenbacker 6-string
• Mid-'60s Kent bass
• Kawai keyboard (found by the side of the street while walking home from work one day. All the lower register keys were broken or missing on receipt. Honest.)
• Remaining instruments programmed & played through GB's Musical Typing