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All notes, lyrics, etc. are copyrighted by their respective owners; reprinted here with permission.
Sibella (Richard Thompson) - [disc 2, track 9]
Acoustic guitars, electric bass and vocals performed by Dick Thaxter.
 | Guitar: Collings C-100 guitar for both rhythm and lead tracks |
| Other instruments: Hamer USA Cruise electric bass |
| Guitar strings: John Pearse phosphor bronze strings |
| Guitar tuning: Open D |
| Recording details: Recording device was a Guillemot ISIS Maxi Studio sound card into a homemade PC using Cool Edit 2000 software. Guitar was recorded through Fishman dual system with Crown mic into Raven Labs blender. Hamer USA Cruise bass recorded using mic'd amp. Vocal was through an inexpensive condenser mic into a Soundcraft Spirit 100 mixer into the sound card. |
I recorded a couple of Richard Thompson tunes off of his Mock Tudor album. I liked "Walking the Long Way Home" best, but my family said "Sibella" was their favorite so I went with their choice. As in many RT lyrics, there's usually one line that really grabs me -- in "Sibella," it's "Did you never let Jack Kerouac wash over you in waves." For RMMGA CD Vol. 2, I submitted an original song and an original instrumental -- thereby nearly exhausting my complete catalog of original material.
Maple Leaf Rag (Scott Joplin, arr. Lasse Johansson and Claes Palmqvist) - [disc 4, track 12]
| Guitar: Taylor 914C Grand Auditorium, Engelmann/rosewood (left channel); Lakewood M54 Grand Concert, German spruce/Brazilian rosewood (right channel) |
| Strings: Taylor - Elixir Nanoweb lights; Lakewood - D'Addario lights |
| Tuning: Taylor - standard; Lakewood - standard, capo 3rd fret |
| Sonic capture devices: Oktava MK012-01 condenser microphone angled towards the bridge/soundboard |
| Sonic recording devices: Behringer MX 802A; recorded,
mixed, and mastered on a Dell XPS R450 computer w/ Turtle Beach Montego
II sound card, running Cakewalk Guitar Tracks Pro. |
This arrangement is by Swedish guitarists Lasse Johansson and Claes Palmqvist. Since I couldn't find anyone locally, I decided to try to simulate the duet myself. I hope you enjoy this rendition of a century-old tune.
I've been playing guitar for almost 25 years, and ragtime and fingerstyle for the last five years.
I've attended the previous two EC gatherings and, although I'm primarily a lurker on the newsgroup, being a part of RMMGA has been fantastic and I've had the pleasure to meet and play with some wonderful people.
Thanks to all involved for their work on this CD project.
1) New World Order Blues (Stephen Lee Veal) - [disc 3, track 9]
Words and music by Stephen Lee Veal, Best Coast Music (BMI)
Stephen Lee Veal: vocal, bass and acoustic "Taylor-caster" guitar
Ricky Chancey: harmonica
| Guitar: Taylor 614CE |
| Strings: D'Addario phosphor bronze |
| Tuning: CGCFAC (w/ heavy 1st .014 string) |
| Other instruments: Fender acoustic/electric bass, harmonica |
| Recording details: Oktava MK012 mic at 12th fret. Factory pickup ran through RNC compressor, then Peavey Delta Blues tube amp with tremolo. Amp miked with MK012. Recorded to Yamaha MD-8 digital: one track of overdubs with the same guitar routed as above but first through an Ernie Ball volume pedal; overdubbed guitar switched between pick'n and slide on same track. Fender acoustic/electric bass recorded direct through ART Tube compressor. Vocal and harmonica recorded through Neumann TLM-103 mic and Peavey VMP-2 all-tube preamp. |
2) Your Memory Won't Burn (Stephen Lee Veal) - [disc 5, track 22]
Words and music by Stephen Lee Veal, Best Coast Music (BMI)
Stephen Lee Veal: vocal and acoustic guitar
Ken Smith: mandolin and fiddle
| Guitar: Larrivee LS05 |
| Strings: Medium D'Addario phosphor bronze |
| Tuning: Standard, dropped one step |
| Recording details: Oktava MK012 mics (X-Y), recorded to Yamaha MD-8 digital. Mandolin and fiddle overdubs recorded with single MK012. Vocal recorded through Neumann TLM-103 mic and Peavey VMP-2 all-tube preamp. |
E-mail: info [at] bestcoastmusic [dot] com
URL: http://www.bestcoastmusic.com
| Guitar: Washburn D10CE LH (left-handed) |
| Strings: probably medium gauge D'Addarios |
| Sonic capture devices: Peavey Studio Pro diaphragm mic and guitar electronics (Equis Silver) |
| Recording devices: Behringer Eurorack MX-802A mixer; Creative Wave Studio 4.02 and Sonic Foundry Acid 2.0 software |
1) Less Than What You Are (Phillip Wages) - [disc 3, track 5]
Why I chose this song: I felt the lyrics were some of my best, and I really felt great playing the rhythm. Also, fellow RMMGA member John Collins and my wife both agreed that this was the song to submit.
Inspiration for writing the song: Basically, I was playing my guitar and the first two vocal lines came out when I started singing, so I constructed the entire song around that. The first verse and chorus weren't really conscious efforts, but the second verse was written for "normal" song length and was more painstakingly written to fit the rest of the song.
Lyrics for "Less Than What You Are":
Try to hold your head up high
make it look like you really would
wipe that old tablecloth down
take your tip cause you did gooddo not cry
you're doing your best
I won't lie
You could have been something
You could have been something...
less than what you areAnd if you wanna eat tonight
play your talent the best you can
'cause you will need some spare change
just to purchase a loaf of breadthough being born was the only thing you ever did wrong
being alive has become the focus of your heart's song
2) Wrong Is a Frame of Mind (Phillip Wages) - [disc 6, track 19]
I suppose I actually had some inspiration for writing this song. My wife and I had an argument about something . . . namely my getting depressed that I feel I'm wrong all the time. So, I came to the guitar. The first vocal line came out of me and the whole song was written from there. I like the lead guitar lines in this tune, though some could use some work. I chose to submit this song because it was the first song I worked on for this project, and it was one of the better selections I had ready by the deadline.
Story behind the song: God! Not so much on the song itself, but all the work that went into it. I probably spent 12+ hours recording the song (I spent about 30 minutes recording the other song I submitted). I recorded the vocals around 20 times. Finally, I junked all those recordings and recorded it again. That last single recording is what you are hearing here. However, after all the work I put into this song, I lost the vocal track at the last minute! Well, I at least had saved the finished song as an MP3 and I had to submit it as such. So, please disregard any quality loss.
Lyrics for "Wrong Is a Frame of Mind":
wrong is a frame of mind
where I spend my time
things you say never change
driving my inner painI know it's wrong
I am withdrawn
I don't wanna be here when I come down
to the way I feeltime is plannin' to catch me
it calls so sweetly
but I can't be so lucky
to seize my timeAnd how the world around us
laughs and calls my bluff
'cause I paid too much
'tention to the time of lovelooking back at the things I live for
and I wonder if I ever had a door?
Since I started life in 1980, I'd heard virtually no rock music until around 1994, when my father got me a BMG subscription which included Tom Petty's Greatest Hits. I listened to that CD every day from about 4 pm 'til 10 pm for 4 months. Hooked is clearly what I became. Long story short: I started writing songs the summer of 1995, by October I got my first guitar, and being left-handed, it was a cheapy Lotus Strat. My senior year (1997-98), I took music theory. This really opened my eyes and ability! The following summer, I got my first acoustic (a Fender DG-10) because it was much more convenient than lugging around an amp everywhere. I immediately fell in love! By 2001 I was growing tired of my guitar, so I went to the local guitar shop and traded it for my current axe of choice -- in fact, the only guitar I own -- my Washburn D10 CE LH.
I love writing songs, and sometimes I even write a song every day! I've written close to 1000 songs, but I really only think there are around 30 or so that I like. I have crummy recordings of most on my computer and I may end up publishing many on the 'net and even set it up so people can vote on them. Hopefully, I can take the top 10-15 and make a CD someday. I consider my style to be folk/rock/alternative in the vein of Tom Petty, John Mellencamp and Pearl Jam, if you can imagine such!
E-mail: philwages [at] townsqr [dot] com
URL: http://www.philwages.com
Her Brown Hair (Tim Wampler) - [disc 2, track 22]
| Guitar: Ted Davis Custom Small-Body 12-Fret |
| Tuning: DADGAD |
| Sonic capture: Several external mics and the guitar's M7 TruTone pickup system |
| Recorded at Keith White Studios |
When I first met my wife-to-be, she had long brown hair down to her waist. I still remember those days although it's been twenty years now. And seeing that this song is one of her favorites, I eventually named it in her honor . . .
NJ Exit 142 Slack Key (Andrew Wang) - [disc 4, track 13]
| Guitar: McCollum Meghann |
| Strings: Webstrings phosphor bronze lights |
| Tuning used: Taro Patch (DGDGBD) |
| Sonic capture: Sound Professionals T-mic |
| Recording devices: Sharp MD-SR60(S) and Cool Edit software.
Since I'm a home recording novice, it's recorded all the way through without
any edits or effects. |
My buddy, talented luthier and guitar player Atsuhiko Kawamura, encouraged me to write my own composition and this was the result.
A big mahalo to all the slack key artists who have toured and so openly shared their craft with me and others around the world. To my wife, Lynette, "Aloha au ia `oe." Thank you to the TaroPatch.net `ohana for the recording tips, guidance, and making it a fun place to hang out.
The Hawaiian folk tradition of slack key, whose name is derived by its numerous alternate tunings a.k.a. "slacking of strings," actually predates the better-known Hawaiian steel guitar by 80-100 years and can be played on any acoustic or electric guitar. For more information on slack key guitar check http://www.dancingcat.com or http://www.taropatch.net.
Butterfly (David Wellborn) - [disc 2, track 23]
| Guitar: 1985 Martin D-35 |
| Strings: Elixir lights |
| Tuning: Standard |
"Butterfly" was written in my college days for a girl I dated briefly. She was very beautiful and a free spirit. I knew I wouldn't be able to hold on to her for long, but I wanted to for as long as I could. This was my first "country and western" song.
| Guitar: 1975 Gibson MK-72 |
| Strings: GHS White Bronze |
| Tuning: Open G (DGDGBD) |
| Recording info: Recorded direct-to-DAT in 1995 at Surreal Studios in Anchorage, Alaska |
| Engineered by Kristi 'Syd' Olson |
1) Inside Passage (Greg West) - [disc 1, track 15]
The Inside Passage of Alaska is a narrow waterway that snakes its way through the islands of southeast Alaska, one of the most beautiful areas of the world. The voyage down the passage is a breathtaking vista of snowcappped mountains, virgin rainforest, eagles, ravens, dolphins, whales, otters, and other wildlife. It is the ancestral land of the Haida, the Tlingit, and the Tsmimsian. The tapped harmonic technique used in the song is to emulate the patter of the nearly constant rains and the drumming of native dancers.
2) The Hearts of Fathers (Greg West) - [disc 5, track 4]
The Bible says that God would send Elijah the prophet to "turn the hearts of the children to the fathers, and the fathers to their children" or else the earth would be smitten with a curse. It was prominently featured in a University of Anchorage film about the plight of homeless children.
Greg West's music is an amalgam of influences including contemporary folk, jazz, world, and New Age music. His 1995 solo album, Orion Ascending, documents his guitar prowess on both acoustic and electric instruments in what amounts to a "New Age" guitar mini-symphony and also features Pat Mundy. The album received airplay on over 200 stations across the United States and abroad. Greg is the recipient of the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award and twice competed at the top levels of the Air Force Talent Competition. He has performed at festivals and venues around the country including the Talkeetna Bluegrass Festival, the Anchorage Folk Festival, and Seattle's Folklife Festival.
Greg lives in Norfolk, Virginia where he continues to teach and compose music.
1) Surprise, AZ (Richard Buckner) - [disc 2, track 5]
| Guitar: Yamaha GD-10, handcrafted classic series (white spruce/Indian rosewood) |
| Strings: D'Addario Pro-Arte, extra hard tension |
| Tuning: A half-step down from standard. There are two guitar parts: the main rhythm guitar at capo II and the second guitar (rhythm plus solos) at capo VII. |
| Sonic capture: Shure BG2.0 microphone |
| Recorded at various times over a long stretch in September
2002, to a Tascam 414 four-track recorder (yay analog). Final mixdown to
PC via Soundblaster Live sound card; digitized to wav using an old version
of Cool Edit. |
Richard Buckner is one of my favorite singer/songwriters and guitarists. I first heard his music in the fall of 2000 -- it was unlike anything else I'd ever heard before, and since then it has refused to leave my consciousness (and, no doubt, my subconsciousness). I've been both inspired and influenced by his albums (I can't say that about many folks), and have been fortunate to talk to him a few times following his concerts. IMO he's a very underrated (and unfortunately, rather unknown) artist, and although this may well sound cheesy, I really am grateful to have found his music. It's difficult to imagine my life without it.
"Surprise, AZ" is from Richard Buckner's first album, Bloomed. There, it's arranged with a semi-up-tempo beat, but I usually play it in a slower setting, as arranged here -- however, I found out later that Buckner uses a very somber tempo in many of his live performances. I'll spare you my whole review of the songwriting highlights, but suffice it to say that he does a worthy job of combining elements of history, the cycle of life and death, space (places), persons, and of course time (past, present and future) into a compact, yet rich story about lingering ghosts and lost hopes.
2) Twilight (David Gray) - [disc 5, track 10]
| Guitars: Yamaha GD-10, handcrafted classic series (white spruce/Indian rosewood); steel-string guitar that shall remain nameless. |
| Strings: D'Addario Pro-Arte, extra hard tension for the classical guitar; bulk phosphor/bronze medium gauge strings for the steel-string guitar. |
| Tuning: Both guitars tuned a half-step down from standard. Both rhythm parts at capo IV. The guitar doing the solo was capo-less. |
| Sonic capture: Shure BG2.0 microphone |
| Recorded on the night of September 28, 2002. I'd run
out of tapes for my Tascam four-track and instead of buying more, decided
to try recording on my PC. I used the four-track as a preamp and preliminary
mixer. Signal -> Soundblaster Live sound card -> Sonic Foundry's ACID
XPress software -> an old version of Cool Edit. |
I "found" David Gray around the same time as I did Richard Buckner. He's also become one of my favorite singer/songwriters and guitarists, although unlike Buckner, David Gray's recognition factor has skyrocketed since I first heard him over two years ago. His most recent albums are much more accessible -- dare I say more pop -- than his earlier work.
From what I can tell, his version of "Twilight" (from the acoustic album Lost Songs) is a simple recording of only his voice and accompanying guitar. For my arrangement, I extended the song a bit by repeating the bridge and a verse and including a solo. The song is pretty easy to play, but I ran into a bit of unforeseen trouble doing the simple chord strums on the steel-string. I hadn't played that guitar very much lately, and its narrow fingerboard (only 1 & 5/8" at the nut, as opposed to 2 & 1/16" for the classical) kept throwing me off. Aside from that and a few other quibbles, I'm pretty satisfied with the one-night recording.
After trying a couple of other instruments in my youth, I picked up the guitar in 1993 and never looked back. Major reasons for playing: fun, inspiration, stress-relief, and peace, a.k.a. maintaining sanity.
Although I've been playing for about ten years (wow, that long already?), I didn't really start recording songs for public ears until very recently. Currently (2003), I'm working on recording a project featuring original songs. Thanks to the RMMGA-ers (and even non-RMMGA-ers) who've taken the time to send kind words and encouraged me to keep recording and sharing music. You know who you are. I'd list names but I don't want to embarrass anyone. And of course thanks to Richard Buckner and David Gray for, well, being Richard Buckner and David Gray. --Jennifer
E-mail: musicaddict47 [at] yahoo [dot] com
URL: http://www.geocities.com/musicaddict47
1) From the Beginning (Gregory Lake) - [disc 3, track 12]
Performed by Jim Whelan (rhythm guitar) with Keith Reynolds (lead guitar).
| Guitars: Jim - Koa/Adirondack Kinscherff High Noon. I believe Keith played a Taylor 414. |
| Strings: Elixirs on the Kinscherff. |
| Recorded and mixed by Jim McCrain. Song recorded with microphones in a live setting at RMMGA TX-3 in October 2002 at Wimberley, Texas. |
Keith and I had never played together before and only met for the first time at TX-3. There was a definite "click" as far as musical interests.
The original recording of "From the Beginning" is by Emerson, Lake and Palmer from the Trilogy album. This song has been a staple of my repertoire for a long time and remains one of my favorites to perform. Classic '70s acoustic rock!
2) Doobie-Do (Jim Whelan) - [disc 6, track 21]
Original composition written by Jim Whelan (with improvised leads by Keith Reynolds). Performed by Jim Whelan and Keith Reynolds.
| Guitars: Jim - Adirondack/Koa Kinscherff High Noon. Keith - Taylor 414. |
| Strings: Elixirs on the Kinscherff. |
| Recorded and mixed by Jim McCrain. Song recorded with microphones in a live setting at RMMGA TX-3 in October 2002 at Wimberley, Texas. |
I used all open fingering type chords up and down the neck when I made up this chord progression. I love the way open chords sound on an acoustic guitar. It's in the key of E for those who care about such things. I called the song "Doobie-Do" as a nod to the Doobie Brothers, who definitely inspired me in my early guitar playing days and still do to this day. The opening chords of the song are reminiscent of the Doobie's song "Another Park, Another Sunday." The Doobie Brothers are another of my favorite acoustic rock bands and I perform at least 4 or 5 of their songs in my repertoire.
1) A Case of You (Joni Mitchell) - [disc 3, track 1]
| Guitar: Kathy Wingert (can't remember which model) |
| Strings: D'Addario lights |
| Tuning: DADGAD |
| Recorded by Jim McCrain at the RMMGA TX-3 gathering |
I was 16 the first time I heard "A Case of You" and it has never tarnished. I built my first instrument, a dulcimer, so that I could play the song. I was never ever happy with any of my attempts and over the years, I left it on the long list of songs that I would like to someday play. The arrangement came to me while driving and now it's on the long list of songs that I would like to someday refine.
This song was recorded along with a few others during the wee hours at TX-3. Jim McCrain and several of the fellas, after singing songs all day and all night, stayed up with me recording. Nuthin' but love there.
2) Troubled Mind (Catie Curtis) - [disc 4, track 19]
| Guitar: Kathy Wingert Model E (Koa and Adirondack) |
| Strings: D'Addario lights |
| Tuning: Standard |
| Recorded by Jim McCrain at the RMMGA TX-3 gathering |
This was one of several songs that were recorded very late at night at TX-3. This recording is a testament to Jim McCrain's magical abilities in the art of sound engineering.
E-mail: kathy [at] wingertguitars [dot] com
URL: http://www.wingertguitars.com
1) Radio Road (George Wirth) - [disc 4, track 10]
| Guitar: Collings CJ |
| Strings: D'Addario J-16 |
| Tuning: Standard, capo on second fret. Bare fingers. |
| Other instruments: Hohner harmonica (key of A) |
| Sonic capture devices: MXL 2001 mic on vocal and harmonica, MXL 603 mic on guitar. |
| Recording details: Recorded on Boss BR-532. Monitors:
AKG 240 headphones. Multitracked on the Boss. Three mono tracks to Cool
Edit Pro. Mono guitar track mixed to stereo, 10 ms delay added to left channel.
Light reverb on vocal. EQ. This was my first attempt at multitracking. |
I wrote "Radio Road" for my wife Brenda about a year ago. I'd been noodling around with an old Phil Spector song, "Then He Kissed Me," performed by The Crystals back in the '60s, and this sort of evolved out of that. There are intentional references to that song in this one, musically and lyrically. Every word is true. More or less . . .
2) Shenandoah (American trad.) - [disc 6, track 14]
| Guitar: Collings CJ |
| Strings: D'Addario J-16 |
| Tuning: Standard, capo on second fret. Bare fingers. |
| Other instruments: Hohner harmonica (key of A) |
| Sonic capture devices: MXL 2001 mic on vocal and harmonica, MXL 603 mic on guitar. |
| Recording details: Recorded on Boss BR-532. Monitors:
AKG 240 headphones. Same as for "Radio Road," except vocal and
guitar were recorded to two tracks at once with two mics. I had tried multitracking
this, never got it, and trashed it. This one was done literally at the last
minute as an experiment, recording vocal and guitar in one take. It has
lots of problems but has a relaxed feel I kind of like, probably due to
the fact that I never intended on keeping it. |
This is a different recording of a version of "Shenandoah" I did for the RMMGA Shenandoah MP3 Project. I just couldn't get the traditional version right, so I ended up changing the melody and the lyrics. I wanted it to sound like it could be an old song without dating it to any specific time.
Go Ahead Buddy (Casey Bill Weldon) - [disc 4, track 2]
| Guitar: A Yeo by Brook Guitars (a small-bodied mahogany guitar with cedar top and Anjan fretboard). |
| Strings: Probably D'Addario 12s or 13s. |
| Recording info: Touch of reverb on voice and guitar. |
| Recorded by David Eastoe at Beautiful Future Studio, Somerset, England in April 2002. |
Walk With Me (Joel Wummer) - [disc 1, track 1]
| Guitar: Martin HD-28, layered 2 or 3 times in parts throughout the piece. |
| Other instruments: Ibanez bass; percussion from a Yamaha TG500 midi'd with the audio through Cakewalk. |
| Tuning: I kept moving the capo up the neck and recording, then edited as needed for effect. |
| Sonic capture: MXL 603S and Shure SM57 mics. |
| Recording devices: Layla digital recording interface and Cakewalk software. |
The words had been lying around for years, and one night I decided to try to use them with music. Three chords seemed to work for the most part, and I used the "start out simple, then layer" approach. I had fun and I used a lot of the capabilities of my Layla recording interface and Cakewalk. I took time to compose the solo; I wanted something that sounded like it fit with the rest, displayed a little finesse, and added value. Hope you enjoy listening.
| Guitar: Franklin OM-3 |
| Sonic capture devices: Two Soundelux microphones were used on the guitar: one near the soundhole and one at the neck. The neck microphone (Elux 251) was also used for vocals. |
| Recording details: Recording was direct to tape. Other hardware in the recording chain included a Brent Averill Neve 1272 preamp and a Manley LA2 tube leveling amp. |
| Recorded at Rear Window, Leawood, Kansas. |
1) The Last Thing On My Mind (Tom Paxton) - [disc 4, track 4]
A great Tom Paxton song. It helps if you sing along on the chorus. Personally, I can't help doing that anyway.
2) Pleasures of the Harbor (Phil Ochs) - [disc 6, track 10]
I've never heard a version of this song played on acoustic guitar, so this is necessarily my own arrangement. The version Phil Ochs included on his album of the same name was heavily orchestrated. This is a condensed version; the original is over eight minutes long. I don't think I lost too much content.
1) I Am (Richard Shindell) - [disc 2, track 10]
| Guitar: Leach Cremona, Adirondack/walnut |
| Tuning: DADGAD |
| Sonic capture: AKG C414 B-ULS mic |
| Preamp: Tascam 3700 |
| Recording software: Pro Tools 5.1 (Mac) |
| Processing: Waves Gold Bundle; software plug-ins |
| Thanks to Brad Pierce at StarFleet Audio |
"I Am" is a 9/11 song which brings me to flat line every time (the medical equivalent of ground zero). Written by Richard Shindell, my favorite singer/songwriter. Richard had moved to Argentina, and was doing well until the events of 9/11/01 made him really homesick.
Dedicated to 343 FDNY brothers.
2) Part Of Your Own (John Gorka) - [disc 5, track 14]
| Guitar: Leach Cremona, Adirondack/walnut |
| Tuning: Standard, capo 4th fret (makes it key of E) |
| Sonic capture: AKG C414 B-ULS mic |
| Preamp: Tascam 3700 |
| Recording software: Pro Tools 5.1 (Mac) |
| Processing: Waves Gold Bundle; software plug-ins |
| Thanks to Brad Pierce at StarFleet Audio |
"Part Of Your Own" floored us. When we saw John Gorka play it live, we sat there with mouths open, listening (and then some). He wrote this for his mother. I wanted to play it at my nephew's wedding for the groom/mother dance, but we agreed it would be too emotional!
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Liner notes compiled & edited by J. Y. Whang