Scratch 1 -

Here is a bit from the Movie One Trick Pony which all song writers can relate with if they have ever had any experience with record companies. (notice Lou Reed playing the part of the suck up “yes man” -- and just in case you have never heard of Albert Schweitzer before read here)

We may not follow through with this tune, but we’re posting it anyway.

Update: After listening to Normandy again this AM, I can’t honestly understand why Dave would not want to go forward with the finishing of this song. I for one, love it. Those who find this page please comment your thoughts -- thumbs up or down.

Looking forward to adding some guitars and bass to Normandy when I get back from Sacramento (that’s is where we have decided to go for our trip).

So YES! We are going forward with Normandy and I will master this first scratch track so we can keep a record of it’s development.

This is done but will be remastered possibly bringing down the loudness somewhat for more dynamic range.

For more on Mary Makes a Radio including working notes, videos, lyrics etc, click here. Video coming…

We are going forward with one of our tunes that is waiting in the tank. This song is called Spin and the basis idea is about an individual voicing their reluctance to “fall for”, or follow blindly the opinions and beliefs of others who push or promote their Religious or Political discourse.

Verse lyrics are those of a so-called “believer” in a Religion or Political view and it is answered by the second voice in the chorus with; “You can’t Spin me”. This is the simple form of the idea here. The actual lyrics have not been written or cemented yet, but it will be very easy to come up with these words. Your humble narrator will write the verse lyrics and Dave will write the Chorus lyrics.

Scratch Takes

There was a time when Dave, Don, and Myself would never let anyone hear our rough scratch tracks. Scratch tracks being the first rough ideas of a song. These cuts are almost always just one instrument and a voice or two and there are no lyrics written yet. We just “scat” through the idea so we can get a basic melodic structure and chord pattern to the song idea.

Now we really don’t care what anyone hears, so we are going to post these initial scratch tracks to diary each song project.

Scratch 1 -

Scratch 2 -

Tracking Process

We will be sending Don our finished bed tracks for spin in a Garageband project file so he can lay down the percussion and other track ideas he has. Then Don will send us the project file back using FTP.

Then Dave and I will finish tracking the tune. Dave will mix it and I will master it and make a video for Youtube. Done.

So lyrics are coming soon, and Spin is on it’s way to being fully written, arranged and recorded.

Status of Songs in Production:

Mary Makes a Radio is now in the mixing stage and almost done. Mastering will be next week, and the it will be posted.

Final Update on Kong -- We’re Letting it Go (May 19th. 2009)

Dave, I listened to Kong this AM and I think I’m going to let it go. Any changes we make (or I make) will only be noticed by me, and in the future, even I won’t notice. So onward…..

Just hang out today. Soon I’ll get ready to bed the two new songs. “Beautiful” and “Apples” (working titles). The work we did on Mary showed as you predicted -- the next songs are getting better in arrangement and tracking.

Excited to make the tracking for the new tunes as solid as Mary was.

Fin

Update on Kong -- May 17th:

We are in process of re-tracking some of the instruments and all of the vocals for King Kong Kinda Dude. Bass guitar, vocals, couch (kick drum) will be redone. Even the whistling at the beginning will be redone. Most of tracks on this tune were scratch tracks that never got redone.

Furthermore, Dave will be mix Kong when I’m done re-tracking. Dave is a much better mixer than your humble narrator, so I’m excited to hear the end result.

The video will be much the same, but the audio will be updated of course when it’s all done.

Dave and I usually hate “going back on a song”, because we like to move on, but there is reason for this exception. I feel this song is about all of the men I admire in the my personal life -- like my Father, Grandfathers, Uncles, Father-In-Laws, Brother, Brother-In-Law, Nephews, Friends, and of course the celebrities featured in the video.

Every time I hear “King Kong Kinda Dude” I think of all these men I’ve admired in my own life, and the great Men of celebrity I’ve admired. Unfortunately, the current cut of Kong is too flawed for me to enjoy and I have not given this song it’s best “takes”.

Thank you to Dave for understanding and being willing to “go back” this one time. This song just means too much to me.

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Update on Kong -- Notes to Dave for Mix May 18th:

I took a good look at the kick (couch) on Kong and it was badly out of time. Sounding MUCH better now that I have edited the kick in time and in the
flow of the acoustics. NOTE: To those outside the Pop Jerry experiment, the kick drum sound was simulated by putting a high condenser mic on the arm of a couch as we hit the couch with the open palm of our hand.

Next is bass which is out of whack as well.

When I’m done with the complete clean up your mixing experience will much more enjoyable and the finished tune should be great.

You may want to experiment with just the acoustics and whistle coming in by themselves. For a bar or so…..I’m sure you will try allot of things.

At least you won’t have to edit bad timing and bad bass guitar. As well the vocals will actually be in key.

All you will have to do is sing that one line so not much work for you until mix time.

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The first song written and recorded by Pop Jerry is called King Kong Kinda Dude. Inspiration, Song Info, Audio, Music Video and Lyrics below.

Lyrics:

he was a king kong kinda dude
everybody said he was something to
behold -- everything he touched turned
to gold -- thank you very much sir

and if he’s gonna climb so high
i never saw the sky so bright
(underneath)
ride up and ride on -- ride up and ride
a new day has now dawn -- a new way to move on

he was a king kong kinda dude
struttin’ down old broadway avenue
He said, “don’t you worry none -
every soul is like the setting sun”

and if he’s gonna climb so high
i never saw the sky so bright
(underneath)
ride up and ride on -- ride up and ride
a new day has now dawn -- a new way to move on

he was king kong kinda dude
never thought fearing any news
from new york to the sunshine state
skateboarding down the golden gate

he was a king kong kinda dude
everybody said he was something to
behold -- everything he touched turned
to gold -- thank you very much sir

Inspiration:

King Kong Kinda Dude was inspired by great men of the last century. The Music Video depicts this as you see images of famous men like Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Harvey Milk, Gandhi, Bob Geldof, John Lennon, etc.

In essence a “King Kong Kinda Dude” who sacrificed and worked for the greater good of mankind.

Song Info:

The intention was to have a laid back groove, with a simple arrangement and hand claps for a casual effect. The song was written by Dave Ticholis and Brent Truitt (your humble narrator at the milk bar) and was recorded in a home studio.

The arrangement was never intended to be a repeated chorus chord structure but that is what ended up happening. Dave and I recorded this in one day. It was mixed and mastered in the first two weeks of May, 2009.

MP3 Audio:

The song was mixed to a CD Wav format at the standard CD pressing format of 16 bit. Below is an MP3 version done at the highest quality possible. Please do not convert this MP3 to a lower quality. We are trying to protect the quality of all Pop Jerry music. Mp3 Audio at 320 Kpbs Quality: