Oh Daddy (original version)

oh daddy (original version)
volume 3 number 10

imagine my surprise. for a week I had been walking around humming this melody in my head. I had worked out the piano chords and practiced it daily. I had even spent time in the studio recording the instrumentation.
the novel idea behind the song was a "conversation" between daughter and father over the big question of success. this required two singers: the little girl with the questions and the father with the answers. no problem. my 10-year old daughter audie was a good little singer. whether it turned into something or not, we thought it would be fun.
the day arrived for the two of us to go into the studio to record the vocals. I was stunned to realize they were too high for either of us to sing*. rarely do I make such a mistake, but I'm shy about singing my vocals until I have the right words and know what I want to do, and in all my piano practicing had never sang them out loud! what an idiot. I quickly improvised a counterpart melody, a little lower, and began teaching the lines to audie. that became the melody you may know. overnight I changed some of the words. on the second day we recorded the actual vocals which are on the record.

to me oh daddy was a "novelty" song, something I wasn't even sure would go on a record. as it happened an A&R man from Atlantic Records named Jason Flom was working in the studio with another band, heard my song, and went back to new york raving about it. soon I had a 3-record deal with Atlantic. (I always get in the back door!) boy, were they surprised when they realized I didn't have anything else remotely like oh daddy. still, they really got behind the record, even footing the bill for my first serious video. the video was more of a hit than the song was and soon it was on all 3 american video outlets (MTV, VH1, and Nicklelodean). the song stopped at #38 when a load of new releases from big stars sent it spiraling off the charts. well, I almost had a hit.

I've always figured it was a good thing my novelty song didn't do any better than #38. otherwise I'd be forced to play my one-hit wonder for the rest of my days and where would I get a 10-year old girl year after year?

*the opening guitar line was the original melody.

vocal: audie belew
guitar, piano, bass, drums, vocal:
adrian engineer:
rich denhart
assistant: dan harjung
recorded at Royal Recorders in Lake Geneva, Wis. on June 14, 1988
length: 3:04

Another Time Another Place (demo)

another time another place (demo)
volume two number two

there were multiple demo versions of this song floated to prospective labels, so much so that I can't say with certainty who the drummer is on this one, but it sounds like Jerry Hertig, the drummer for Sweetheart. regardless, I didn't feel it was a strong enough candidate for the first solo record, but gave it another try (pun intended) for the second one.

piano and vocals: christy bley
saxophone and vocals: bill janssen
bass: rich denhart
guitar and vocal: adrian
engineer: rich denhart recorded at Cwazy Wabbit in Springfield, Ill. sometime in 1980? length: 3:22

Madame Mecca Consults The Popcorn Ceiling...

I asked the Great One to predict some future events and this is what she revealed*:

"the terrorful power trio will perform more shows this year than last year, resulting in a sweaty euphoria hitherto unknown, a brand new "studio" masterwork, and "live" downloadable improvs shall multiply. the mighty krim will rehearse more often than perform but it will be worth each dead brain cell once the first note is struck. an "art record" will appear between two collaborators, one a pianist from texas. a collection of rarities called dist (sic) shall be made available on CD. and you (adrian) will once again be left out of the competition for the Fox channel's next American Idol!" 

all good, as far as I can see. thanks Madame Mecca. 

*predictions do not allow for a 5% margin of error. 

questions..

need to be answered. as this year has quickly unfolded I have neglected my duties as you blogist to answer your concerns. so let me do so now.
davidly asks about a volume two of the experimental guitar series. well, just as soon as they finish my clone, it shall be done. perhaps I should have mentioned the series continues every 15 years.
scooby asks about the new guitar rig. I have no pictures yet, in fact, it's still not finished. but you will see it (and hear it!) on tour. and about why I use Parker guitars? see the blog "odyssey (parts one and two) from March 1, 2007.
bob asks if I'm using the new POD X3. no, not yet, but saul is. maybe I'll try his. I love Line 6 products. what a forward-thinking company.
hynek asks about which of trent's pedals I tried out. the ones I remember most were called Fuz Fabrik and Bit Mangler. I love to try crazy pedals so if anyone has a recommendation, please: bring it on! 

pete asks why the southgate show was not chose for side four as planned. simple, the canal street show was better. 

hope that covers it. questions are always welcome .

I Walk Alone (original demo)

I walk alone (original demo)
volume 4 number 2

along with postcard from holland this is one of the "bus songs"
written in my head while laying in my bus bunk riding across europe
with david bowie's sound and vision tour in 1990.

obviously inspired by the man I consider america's most emotional vocalist
Roy Orbison, the song played in my mind as though it was already recorded.
I am particularly happy with the bass part and the rhythms,
neither of which are typical of this kind of song,
but, given my limited abilities, it was the piano which gave me fits for a while.

this was during a rather remarkable time in my life
(see the blog "birds" from March 19, 2007)
of new found love and isolation by a lake in Wisconsin.
what better time to tackle playing the piano?

piano, bass, drums, guitar, pizzicato strings, vocal: adrian
engineer: rich denhart
recorded at home in Delevan, Wis. on April 4, 1991
length: 2:27

you may be wondering by now...

where is adrian?

or probably not...
rest assured I'm working hard toward new music
as well as an expanded palette for the upcoming shows.

this new year began with
The Attack Of The Kidney Stones!
a malady which laid me flat for a few days.
then michael clay arrived for a day of new music making
(more on this later, but I'm excited by the record we've nearly finished)
then, while Saul went fishing in upstate new york
Andre Cholmondeley from Project Object arrrived.
he and I have had our heads under the hood
of my guitar rig ever since.
andre is a master of many things including the illusive
language known as MIDI.
he is helping re-fashion my guitar set-up
to do old things better and to do new things I've never done.
it's exciting but tedious work.

I've always had excellent relations with selected manufacturers
and would like to thank some people and companies in particular
for their help in creating my updated beastly guitar rig:
thanks Tim Godwin and everyone at Line 6,
thanks Steve Lobmeier and the gang at Planet Waves,
thanks Mark Menghi and the folks at Samson,
thanks Bob Duncan and the genius of Roland,
thanks to Ray Maxwell and everyone at Eventide,
and of course Paul Muniz at Johnson amps.

Announcing the Winner of the SMARTIES contest...

after much listening and brow-furrowing our illustrious judges conferred and came to a clear-cut conclusion.

well... almost.

they said, "we love these three!"

"what do you want me to do, slice the painting in thirds?" I offered,

"we have to have A winner".

more listening, more furrowing.

indeed it was a tough choice.

there were many entries which passed

the contest's litmus test for creativity and content.

a good time for me to say thank you and congratulations

to all of you who made such efforts.

keep in mind my comment that the doing of the thing is the reward.

(if I didn't believe that I might have quit long ago.)

ahem...so, the winner.

Lou Luca

for his version of happy guy.

congratulations Lou!

Lou wins the painting adidas in heat pictured above.

(lou, please send your address to Rob Murphree)

our two runner-ups both chose spies as their song to finish.

congrats to second place winner Cameron Devlin

and third place winners Linnea Ann Lindgren and Leif Lindgren.

since the judging was pretty close we've decided to post

all 3 songs as a FREE download.

listen and decide for yourselves which one is your fav.

thanks again to everyone who entered.

Introduction To Something

introduction to something
volume 4 number 7

I can't remember what exactly this was for.
I do remember these things:
a) it was written as an intro to something.
b) it was performed on the Roland GR-50
guitar synth, the old faithful Roland GR-700
guitar synth, and the Roland R-8 drum machine.
c) it was put away and forgotten.

synth and drum machine: adrian
recorded at home sometime in 1992
length: 2:09