While strumming my acoustic guitar as a songsmith I was trying to write an interesting catchy melody line that seemed to move along without getting boring, but this time limiting myself to only two chords. It’s really hard to write an interesting flowing song with lots of chords as it is, so writing a good one with only two chords was a real challenge. Here I was pushing myself to the limits. I did the same with the song ‘Strive’ which is on this album, only that contains just one chord.
After bashing at this for what seemed like weeks, it suddenly fell together quickly when I started to build the whole band and orchestral parts into my composer workstation – Ensoniq TS10. With the piano, I found inversions of both chords that made it sound like many different chords but in actual fact it is only two at the route. That was when it became interesting. Having no keyboard skills whatsoever I was relying on my ears rather than knowing what I was playing. I still haven’t got a clue. I usually program keys and orchestrations for these productions but I’ll never be able to actually play a keyboard as long I’ve a hole in my arse!!
The muted trumpets sections before and after the chorus were originally a part of the song, but when I played them as muted trumpet sections they worked better as instrumentals.
I played all the parts including the bass and drums into the work station. I thought that this was it until I sent this to drummer Joe Crabbtree along with other recordings that I had going on at the time. I stumbled across his website by mistake http://www.joecrabtree.com/ Joe ended up being the main drummer on the first solo album. I quickly discarded my programmed drums and added Joe’s drums which fitted perfectly into my already done sessions. My friend Omar stepped in on the bass guitar and completed the band.
I knew that the lyrics would have to be extremely visual to help the process of a two chord song. I went back to feelings of an old flame who had left me stranded while on holiday in Spain a few years earlier, hence the summer seaside lyrical content. I wanted to mix sad lyrics with a happy optimistic melody and orchestral arrangement, so that the listener is hit from all emotional angles.
Players;
Paul – Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, (TS10) Piano, Organ, Trumpets, Strings; Tambourine, Hand Claps
Omar Wilson; Bass, Hand Claps
Joe Crabtree – Drums
Marklew (C)
Album; Songs Of Fragrance
If you like this and would like to share it? You can share it with hundreds of thousands of people at once by clicking here http://www.xpn.org/about-xpn/contact-xpn and messaging the largest radio station in North/South America and Canada. Ask them to play it on the international show ‘World Café’. This is the largest radio show in those countries. They already have the album and they will respond to your request.
People power!
Don’t forget to;
Share, Like, Thumbs Up
