I "try" to use the Gary Diamond method of learning one song a week. I sing it in early in morning in the car on the way to work and play/sing at home before I go to bed. This week is "Rhinestone Cowboy"

My next song to learn? I want more of a challenge since I'm off of work for the summer. I looking for something that would sound good with a classical guitar sound. Maybe an Isaac Albéniz piece?

I can't wait to hear what everyone else is working on!

Working on a Johnny Cash medley at the moment, also another Beatles medley.

Refreshing my chops on a few; "Just Once"{-Quincy Jones) and Moonlight In Vermont. Also am checking out some of the more obscure Stevie Wonder tunes ("Ribbon in the Sky" and others).

Man, there is always a lot to learn and practice.

Russ

The toughest one lately is Al-Di-La, singing it in Italian. Also trying out a new slant on September In The Rain, a neat version by Marty Robbins.



Gary

Nice selection there, Russ. One Stevie Wonder fave of mine is All in Love is Fair.

That is a favorite of mine, too!

R.

Last song I learned was "The Only Couple On the Floor"
~Frank Sinatra

Hi Paul, great thread topic.
Interestingly enough, like Gary Diamond, I too am working on a song by Country Legend, Marty Robbins.
The one I'm working on is his 1961 hit song "Don't Worry":



Gary, I too like the Country Swing style performed on classic American Standards like "Sept in the Rain". Another in the same vein is Jim Reeves rendition of Charmaine, performed as a swing tune vs the original, written in waltz time. I perform 'Charmaine' in swing time as well now.

I remember exactly when I learned "Don't Worry Bout Me". It was in 1878. I had just moved to Louisiana. I had a request for the song. I had heard it but didn't know the words.
The guy handed me a $20. bill and said "fake it".
I made a phone call to a friend in Arkansas, and he gave me the words over the phone. This was before cell phones and internet and texting!
I went back to the bandstand and sang it and the guy made me do it three more times. By the end of the night I knew it pretty well!
Tonight, 34 years later, I had a request for "Some Enchanted Evening". I googled the lyrics + chords in a matter of seconds (thanks Guitar Guy), played and sang it. Another $20, but ain't technology wonderful!
The last songs I learned were three songs that Jimmy Swaggart recorded. My boss, Ernest, is a big Swaggart fan. I learned them for him.
"Heaven's Sounding Sweeter Every Day", "One More River", "I've Never Been This Homesick Before".
DonM

1878, huh? Okay Mason, fess up! Just how old are you? Did Louisiana even exist then?

Dom have you tried this one by Jimmy Swaggart, it moves.

John C.

JESUS ON THE INSIDE

Oh what a change-- Oh what a change---
Oh what a change-- in my life---

Oh what a change--- Oh what a change---
Oh what a change-- in my life----

I got Jesus on the inside --- He’s moving on the outside
Bringin’ about a change-- in my life----
I got Jesus on the inside-- He’s moving on the outside--
Bringin’ about a change-- in my life----

No new songs but another guitar player and I are getting deeper into One Note Samba, All the Things you are and Satin doll. We sing, play chords and play lead. All songs are memorized.

Yesterday we bought a bass; we will share playing the bass. There is no end to the fun music can bring.
Here is the amazing part; I am 80 and he is 86 and we sound great. (Sorry for self-praise) As we run through the fake book partner remembers the lyrics to every song we turn to; tell me about the fading mind.

Life is good, John C

Great thread,

Just learned "Don't Take Your Love From Me" instrumental version by the Three Suns!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4qtwaF8fqM

Also having fun delving into the world of "Cleveland style polkas" a la Frankie Yankovic, Johnny Pecon et al.

I'm working on "Janez & Lojza Polka" and "Mary Lou Polka"

I've been playing accordion for 55 years and while I know and can play probably 20 or so of the most popular polkas, "beer barrel," "Clarinet Polka" etc, I don't consider myself a polka player.

Cleveland style is a whole nother genre for me! I'm even having one of my accordions retuned to get the particular "Cleveland style" sound.

I'll be 70 my next birthday and I'm still having a ball!
Keep playing

Don,

That must have been right after the Louisiana purchase. I'm still waiting for you to come to Michigan and give me some golfing lessons. I know you won't believe this but the snow is all gone and it's only June, stupid climate change!

Would you believe NINETEEN 78?
Tom, I was already in Michigan. I think it was 1975. Can't think of a reason I'd want to come back.
Do they still make cares up there?
John C., I will check that one out!
Thanks,
Don

I love threads like this because not only does it show what others are working on, but I get some great ideas for my song list as well ... ... running out right now to talk to a guy about a gig ... will get back to you all later ...

A couple of songs I’m learning for tomorrow’s gig; “Cold, Cold Heart”, “The Good Life”, “I Wanna Be Around”, “Stranger in Paradise”. This is a C.C. gig that was booked several months ago, and at that time, I asked if there are any special tunes … ‘Oh, just the regular standards and Sinatra tunes’ says the client, ‘No problem’ says I. The day before yesterday, the client calls and says the ‘guest of honor especially likes Tony Bennett…’ and rattles off about a dozen plus titles, some that I have done in the past, and some that I haven’t done. So, from a Fake Book, I enter the chords, rhythms, styles etc. into Band in a Box, save as a midi file, edit in Power Tracks, transfer and re-edit in the Midjay Plus, find, edit and enter lyrics to the MJ. I’ll go over them before the gig. What’s next? I’ll let you know when the phone rings for the next weeks’ gigs.
Ciao,
Jerry

Jerry ... don't you just LOVE when that happens ... at least they didn't surprise you at the gig ...
The last few I've added to my list are Choo Choo Ch' Boogie, Flip, Flop and Fly, and My Darling Clementine - Bobby Darin big band style with key changes ... currently working on 'Blue Velvet' after hearing the Tony Bennett/k.d. Lang duet version - NOT as a 50's type ballad ... a few from this thread will be added also ...

Ballad-wise I just learned Mickey Gilley's "That's all that matters to me".

On the up-side, I decided I had to do
Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice" after seeing
this clip of Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJJzGYIR2RI

Eddie

Is anybody learning anything NEW?
I've learned several Billy Whittington and Zak Brown Band songs in the past few months. They go over well with young and older audiences.
BTW a guy from Bossier City, Roscoe Whorton, wrote "That's All That Matters To Me". He sold it outright, along with the rights.
Roscoe was the band leader and piano player on Louisiana Hayride. He came in one night whee I was playing and heard the Roland G800 I had at the time, and asked what I would sell it for. I unloade--I mean agreed to let him buy it, which he did the next day. I noticed he had a really large lump on his neck and I asked if he had been to the doctor. He said no, but he was going next week. Turned out it was cancer and he was dead within a month or so. He also wrote a beautiful song called "My Tomorrows".
Anyway, Roscoe taught me That's All That Matters, long before it was famous. Mickey Gilly did a wonderful job on it, but I believe Roscoe AND my late friend HankB did it better.
DonM

How about you share YOUR version with us, Don ?!? ...

My wife and I just learned "I Need to Know" by Marc Anthony. Thats "sort of new"

Also we're going to learn a new Brazilian song called "Ai se eu te Pago". Our friend Telmo turned us unto the song. if you don't believe an accordionist can achieve rock star status, you need to check out the video!

OMG- I thought "I need to know " was just a couple years old. I just looked it up and it was released in 1999. Seems like yesterday....

El Cumbanchero was a tough one that I learned about 6 months ago. I get requests for this one all the time, now. It took about two weeks to learn the lyrics in Latin. Here's a good rendition of the song I found.



Gary

I think I could sing it in Spanish but Latin would be even harder

For "new" we've been doing Adele's version of the not so new Bob Dylan song, "To Make You Feel My Love". Just doing it solo piano to start then bringing in some warm pad sounds to build a bit towards the end. It's one of the few songs we leave fairly 'naked' without any vocal harmony. Makes a nice sonic lull and quiet spot in the program.

Obviously, I meant to say Spanish. I often wondered, though, why Latin Music is not called Spanish Music. And, of course, if the song is Brazilian, which is referred to as Latin American, why is it sang in Portuguese, which to me is a lot more difficult than Spanish. But then, in American we sing in British, don't we?

Cheers,

Gary

I appreciate the traditional Spanish version of El Cumbachero by Puerto Rican composer Rafael Hernandez Marin, yet interestingly enough, another rendition I also like is the rock guitar version that Finnish band, Topi Sorsakosiki & the Agents did back in 1984. Thanks to my Synthzone finnish buddy Heikki (aka: the Wolf) for introducing me to this band and Finnish Iskelma music in general.

Neat! Kinda' sounds like a Ventures version.

Thanks Scott,

Gary

Gary ... here is a version of Al Di La I just put together that might help you with the pronunciation ... An friend of mine from Italy finds it 'interesting' that I sing Italian with an American accent ...

http://soundcloud.com/tony-mads-usa/al-di-la-for-gary-6-5-12

I 'assume' you have the Italian lyrics to work with ... If not let me know and I will e-mail them to you ...
Buona Fortuna amico mio,

124 ... I've also recently added "To Make You Feel My Love" to my playlist, along with an ALABAMA song Gary D introduced me to: "Feels So Right"

Great rendition, Tony. Yes, I have the Italian lyrics, and the rendition I'm doing is one by Jerry Vale, but with an Adriatic style. I'll try to record it today while on a job.

Gary

Tony
I see your picture all the time , Never expected you to have a voice like that., Very Nice.
Roger

HMMM?!? ... not sure what that means , but thanks for the compliment ...
Actually, Roger, I have been told that I have a 'young' voice ... I guess that just means I look OLD !!!

Hey man, damn straight El Cumba performed Agents style is great, we play it on every gig. Never heard this live version though, thanks for the share.

Gary ... did you get to do the recording?

Tony...nice mellow voice. Guys like you are part of the reason I really don't like to sing!

R.
(Do play Al Di La on a mandolin, if that counts! First time was on a bet. Restaurant owner bet me $200.00 I couldn't play it on mandolin the next night. I bought a mandolin for $140.00, learned the tune on the way up to the gig (my partner drove)...played the tune....collected $200.00..went back to the store to pay for the mandolin the next day...ended my mandolin career immediately LOL).

Tony, I tried again today, but I have to work in the Video to extract the song. Hopefully, I can post this one later today.

Gary

Just post the video!!!

Russ thank you ... but it's like the curly haired woman who wants STRAIGHT hair and the straight haired woman who wants CURLY hair ... I would love to have a little bluesy growl in my voice ...

Here's one of the cuts from today's job. I should be able to pull out another within the next hour or so. It's not easy doing this new fangled video editing, but I'll eventually get the hang of it. The vid and audio are from that $29 Alesis video camera I purchased a few weeks ago. Don't expect high-quality vids or audio and they definitely will not sinc, so the timing between the video and audio are way off. It's still a neat little camera, especially for the price.



Cheers,

Gary

TonyM,

Here's Al De La that I performed today. I did it a little better yesterday, but my Italian will never compare with yours on DNJ's.



Gary

What are you doing out of bed this time of night. As soon as I finish this Margaretta I'm gonna' hit the sack. Tomorrow should be a fun day if the weather cooperates.

Thanks Donny,

Gary

Here's one more so Paul can pick on my Spanish. I used to be able to speak it fairly well, but lately I seem to have trouble communicating with Puerto Rican sister in law.;)



OK Paul, I'm old, I can take the punches.

Cheers,

Gary

Gary,

Watched your vidoes sync sounds OK to me, your not playing right hand, why is thats, us old organ players never have enough hands finger or feet you appear to manage with one hand, wish I could, my feet are still going even when there are no peddles. Perhaps you should have put the camera in a different place, in front of the KB, just a thought!

Tony,

The only song I didn't use my right hand on was Al De La, mainly because I have to really concentrate on those Italian lyrics.

As for the right hand on the other two, the right hand runs were done several seconds before the audio played them. Better get those peepers worked on.

Gary

Gary I can see the folly of my ways, I only managed to listen to 30 seconds of Good Hearted Women, then I turned it off, never got to the bit where you played two hands, never thought the sync was 30 secs out, never mind better luck next time. heeee haaaaaaa


I need to buy a boat and get out more, stop me coming on SZ.

Gary,

You need either Fran or Doony to do the voice over on "Al de La" and then you can go for broke with both hands, have them
rocking in their wheelchairs.

Gary ... good job, my friend ... but I have to say trying to watch the vid and listen to the audio at the same time was like watching one of those old 'English dubbed in' Japanese monster movies ... ...
It worked much better when I just listened to the audio ...

Keep this up and we will have to change your last name to "Diamante"

Very nice renditions, guys - enjoyed them.

An Italian song I always wanted to do is called 'Due' by Drupi. It'd be a test, or a laugh, getting my tongue around Italian prounciation, though.

GIT 'ER DONE !!!


If you go to the you tube site, the lyrics are there for you ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-uOwQbS2vw&feature=related

Hi Gary, good job with your Spanish. You already know it's all about the feel and spirit of the music. The pronunciation does have to perfect. Nat Kind Cole had a STRONG American accent when he sang in Spanish yet his interpretations are still beautiful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW0p6vMKnXk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9fJTvn6U...58C5A4D514B3601

Thanks for the complements everyone. I've been away on the boat for the past four days, just got home before the weather really gets nasty.

While I was sailing I discovered something that I was already aware of - I'm too old to do a lot of things, especially when it comes to intense, physical exertion. I was planning on loading all my music gear (one rig) on the boat on October 1st and sailing to the lower Florida Keys, where I was hoping to spend the upcoming winter. I had planned on performing at some of the marina Tiki Bars, mainly in exchange for slip rent, electricity and fresh water. I figured a couple nights of performing should be more than adequate for a week's rent.

The trip I just made was a primer, so to speak, for the Florida excursion. The music equipment was loaded into the boat during an extremely high tide, which meant each piece of gear had to be lifted from the dock to the boat, which was now about three feet higher than the dock. Of course this had to be done while lifting myself aboard the boat because there is no nearby flat surface to place the gear.

When I arrived in Baltimore, which was two days later, with help from another sailor, the gear was unloaded onto a finger pier, wheeled down the dock to a pavilion at the Maryland Yacht Club, where I provided 3 hours of music for a great bunch of folks who frequent the Sail Net Forum. Loading it back on the boat in near total darkness was no picnic, especially with no help.

The equipment list consists of: keyboard, Bose L1 Compact and extension tubes, X-stand, folding stool, custom console, bag of accessories and cables, the Rock & Roller cart, fan, and the pair of aluminum bars that make up the top shelf. Normally, this takes just 5 minutes to load and unload from the van. To the boat, however, took close to 30 minutes. Today, getting the gear off the boat and onto a narrow finger pier, in 95-degree heat, took 35 minutes. By the time I finished I was completely exhausted. Not tired, I mean wiped out.

I made a conscientious decision on the way home - I'm too old for that kind of physical abuse. I'm still going to sail single-handed to the Florida Keys, and maybe over to the Bahamas, but the music gear is going to stay home. My time in the Tiki Bars will be limited to drinking Margarettas and listening to someone else perform.

Cheers,

Gary

Gary ... IF we are fortunate, with age comes wisdom ...

However, I AM sorry to hear about how tough it was to get your gear on and off the boat, and that you have now made a decision NOT to take it along with you and play at tiki bars ... I know you were looking forward to attempting that, and I am sure you would have enjoyed it ... but I am certain you will enjoy the tiki bars even MORE now ...

Gary, You may have to limit some of the stressful physical things you do but I see the other side of the picture; you have done so much with your boat and your music, you can let go of some of the things that you are not able to do with a smile and a feeling of pride which says, “I did it.” Many of us never ventured out as far as you.
John C.

Thanks guys. It was extremely difficult for me to admit to myself that I could no longer do the things I could easily have done 30 years ago. As my wife drove me home from the boat an old Garth Brooks song kept running through my mind - "If Tomorrow Never Comes." I'll get around to learning this one later in the week. Who knows, I may have an alternative way of getting my gear to the Keys. Still working on that, though.

Cheers,

Gary

Gary,

When I said you need to get out on the boat more, this is what I didn't mean, you can't put money in the coffin when you go. You do like to push yourself, like you say a bit too far one day, in the UK we say there is no fool like an old fool. Carry on like you are and you will be in the wheelchair in the rest home with someone playing an arranger to you, ask yourself would you like that, singing "If Tomorrow Never Comes", hope you don't sing that one to the old gits.

Gary, this bit struck me:

"the Maryland Yacht Club, where I provided 3 hours of music for a great bunch of folks who frequent the Sail Net Forum. Loading it back on the boat in near total darkness was no picnic, especially with no help."

Sheesh, and nary a young fella among them couldn't give you a helping hand?

Tony,

I had so many friends that were about my age that sat in front of a TV set since the day they retired. Many are now deceased, and those that are still alive all say "I wish I would have done this or that." I'm still doing the things I want to do, some friends think I'm crazy, my wife thinks I'm insane, but I can guarantee you that the only way you'll see me in a nursing home or an assisted living center is if I have a stroke or suffer from some other sort of debilitating disease. I intend to keep doing the things that others wish they did until I have no bodily parts that still work. My wife will be the first to tell anyone that our 50 years of marriage have not been boring.

Today, the rain is pouring down and the forecast is for three more days of precipitation. Therefore, instead of sitting in front of a TV or PC, I'm headed to the boat to install a new VHF radio, install a book-shelf retainer bar, and take some measurements of the dinette table, which I intend to replace with one I construct at home and install on the boat two weeks from now. (Yes, I'll post some videos or photos.)

124, Most everyone at the party was pretty well blasted by the time I left for the boat. The last thing you want is someone that had one too many drinks to take your gear off the cart and pass it over a couple feet of open water to you. I figured it would be safer if I left the party goers out of the process.

Cheers,

Gary

ROCK ON, GARY !!!

I think "If Tomorrow Never Comes" is a great tune ... been performing it for a few years ... maybe I'll post it just for the heck of it ...

Gary, we probably don't agree on much but in this case you're 100% on the mark. Nobody's going to find my dead body propped up on the couch with reruns of Ophra playing in the background. I say, whatever you can do safely, do it. I still fly but usually with a competent buddy in the right seat. I still own five motorcycles but don't go on long rides unless it's in a group or with my son (he both rides and flys....he has a CFII). The point is, both body and mind will definitely atrophy if not used; what's the old saying..."use it or lose it". So as long as I have the strength to get top off the Viagra bottle.....well. Anyhow, may your semi-retirement be long and eventfull.

chas

"I ain't dead yet, M-F"........Richard Pryor

Damn, Gary. I was saving up money to put in your tip jar down at the Keys.
Eddie

Just echoing the sentiments here, I'll 'rock 'til I drop'.

I like to take my current old songs and rearrange them

Gary mentioned "If Tomorrow never Comes" by Garth Brooks ...
Here is my version, sung and played over a SMF ...

http://soundcloud.com/tony-mads-usa/if-tomorrow-never-comes-6-12

Good one, Tony. I really love the song. Good, clean midi file too.

Gary

Wow, I'm pretty shocked that no one yet (especially the pro musicians here) didn't notice, or at least point out as a member friend
that the backing track's bass line, from about 2:24 - 3:02 is totally 'out of key'!

Scott,

I didn't notice, but I'm not a pro and I'm deaf as a post, so that may have some bearing on it.

Gary

Scott,

Sounds like somene playing with the pitch wheel in a few parts of the backing.

Tony there is something going on there, why not post the backing and lets hear it without your voice, be interesting.

Tony

Alrite anyone who doesn't hear that from 2:30->3:03 the bass is completely out of key, should not be performing publicly. It sounds terrible. Other than that a decent performance and good vocals, but there's a real problem with the backing. It seems to be transposed too low there for a bit, then at 3:03 comes right back on.

Hey I don't mean to be mean or anything but these kinda things need to be taken care of, you can't underestimate your audience (even if most wouldn't notice what's happening, might just think "it sounds a bit weird" but say nothing of it)

Another tip for midi/smf users, if you gotta use them, spend a good hour tweaking the balance & effects. A little volume adjustment for the different instrument channels and reverb/delay effects can make these midis bearable.

Tony, no nitpicking here, I like it. Bottom line – would I pay to hear you sing this song with the same background? Yes I would.

Good job Tony, John C.

I appreciate all the comments, guys, and will be going through this midi file very carefully ...

John ... thank you ... but if there is something wrong with the file, I certainly want to fix it ... fact is I was doing some work on this file just prior to recording it so it IS possible I screwed it up and didn't realize it ...

I got the midi file from Tony, and put it in my keyboard, and yes, I could hear the bass problems Scott mentioned. Couldn't hear them on my tiny laptop speakers, though, probably because you cannot hear much of anything very well on a tiny laptop. Being somewhat deaf may also have a bearing on my inability to hear those pencil-eraser sized speakers too. On my desktop's sound system the defective segment is definitely there.

Cheers,

Gary

John sorry to say your ears have gone too, never mind at least Gary knows his are shot to pieces
Queen and Country in the war, not certain which war, 1st and 2nd..heeeeeeeeee

Gary,

I think it's OK for someone who is deaf to sing and play an arranger to people who are deaf, it appears to be working

I didn't notice when listening through the speakers on my iphone but I heard it right away when I put my head phones on. Anyways, nice vocals Tony. I'd love to hear with it with a style or a better SMF. I had preety good luck with some SMF that I bought from d-o-o. They seem to be able to optimize them to best suit your keyboard. Well worth the price.