**Song-writing Demo for FAWM 2022**
Song number 5
Written Thursday 10th February 2022
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What can I say? Mrs R likes it.
I knew she would.
Scheduling-wise, songs per day, I've now caught up with having missed the first 5 days of…
**Song-writing Demo for FAWM 2022**
Song number 3
Written Tuesday 8th February 2022
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So, here's today's little ditty.
(I don't know whether folks outside the UK would know what a Chelsea Bun is. I love them, they are extremely yum…
Great story line - has a true troubadour feel about it! Love it - kind of dark.
I have had the pleasure of a Chelsea bun here in Canada - yup, extremely yummy.
Very creative song. I'm listening to a great concert of all your songs ...loving it.
**Song-writing Demo for FAWM 2022**
Song number 2
Written Monday 7th February 2022
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I wrote this one a couple of hours ago.
I set up for recording, and busted a string on the Martin... GAH!!!
I tried a big ole dreadnought thing…
holy cow......I hadn't heard this one before! Gorgeous!!! That Fender did it's job well. Absolutely love this. I think this one is perfect as an acoustic version.
As If It Really Matters - A A J Russe
Written 16th January 1999
Recorded 12th March 2022
The Shoebox Demos Vol 1
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Crumbs, even this is 23 years old!
We used it as a set-opener in the last band I was in.
I've been trying to make…
Wow!!! This song did not age ....it is gorgeous. Truly beautiful and I love the complexity of the melody and how it moves about. I imagined hearing it live at a concert (I'd be in the front row!).
No-one To Blame - A A J Russe
Written 1st January 1988
Recorded 6th March 2022
The Shoebox Demos Vol 1
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Nearly forgot to post this one! (it's been a busy week at work)
I was 24 when I wrote it. What more can I say…
The Feast - A A J Russe
Written 26th September 1985
Recorded 3rd March 2022
The Shoebox Demos Vol 1
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This one's been sticking out of the shoebox for a long long while. It always shows up in a list of maybes. And it did this time…
Just To Make It What You Want - A A J Russe
Written 1st October 2016
Recorded 4th March 2022
The Shoebox Demos Vol 1
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I was going to choose a more uptempo one next, then this one jumped out of the shoebox at us, shouting "me me ME…
Gates Of Heaven - A A J Russe
Written 15th January 1988
Recorded 6th March 2022
The Shoebox Demos Vol 1
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This is about as naked as I can get.
This is how I wrote it. It's never had any accompaniment.
I was a bit young to sing…
Isn't This Fun - A A J Russe
Written 1980 (Completed 16th June 1991)
Recorded 6th March 2022
The Shoebox Demos Vol 1
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I wrote most of this in my first year at university.
But the Shoebox says I completed it 16/06/1991 - and the…
I Want You To Know - A A J Russe
Written 21st June 1987
Recorded 6th March 2022
The Shoebox Demos Vol 1
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This was to the same lady who inspired Foolishness. There's a couple of others from the same period, related to her, that will…
I Want You To Know - A A J Russe
Written 21st June 1987
Recorded 6th March 2022
The Shoebox Demos Vol 1
****
This was to the same lady who inspired Foolishness. There's a couple of others from the same period, related to her, that will…
Gates Of Heaven - A A J Russe
Written 15th January 1988
Recorded 6th March 2022
The Shoebox Demos Vol 1
****
This is about as naked as I can get.
This is how I wrote it. It's never had any accompaniment.
I was a bit young to sing…
I Hope I Love Them - A A J Russe
Written sometime in 1989
Recorded 2nd March 2022
The Shoebox Demos Vol 1
****
This one has tugged at me for many many years.
I absolutely adored it from the moment I wrote it in 1989... But I thought…
**Song-writing Demo for FAWM 2022**
Song number 1
Written Sunday 6th February 2022
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OK, this is a bit of a departure for me - posting songwriting demos.
This is a one mic recording made this morning in the living room, touch of reverbs…
First time hearing your stuff. After the first song, I love your writing. I'll be listening through what you have posted for the rest of the day!
Completely agree with RPM. I do enjoy it, however this year, my focus was more on songwriting and having fun. Production took a back seat.
I Want You To Know - A A J Russe
Written 21st June 1987
Recorded 6th March 2022
The Shoebox Demos Vol 1
****
This was to the same lady who inspired Foolishness. There's a couple of others from the same period, related to her, that will…
I Hope I Love Them - A A J Russe
Written sometime in 1989
Recorded 2nd March 2022
The Shoebox Demos Vol 1
****
This one has tugged at me for many many years.
I absolutely adored it from the moment I wrote it in 1989... But I thought…
The Feast - A A J Russe
Written 26th September 1985
Recorded 3rd March 2022
The Shoebox Demos Vol 1
****
This one's been sticking out of the shoebox for a long long while. It always shows up in a list of maybes. And it did this time…
**Song-writing Demo for FAWM 2022**
Song number 13
Written Saturday 19th February 2022
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UPDATE: 8 Hours after posting I just spotted that I listened to and favourited a song called... um... "We're Done" by oldfolks2 - check it out…
I had your FAWM playlist going and sort of forgot I was supposed to be active listening, but this one pulled me right back into it... then I saw your liner notes. I know the feeling of not being happy with something but needing to get it out, but this is great. I'm curious to see what you do with it, because I think it works far better than you it seems.
You better close the stadium with this one, because all those lighters and voices in unison are going to violate some sort of by-law.
**Song-writing Demo for FAWM 2022**
Song number 3
Written Tuesday 8th February 2022
****
So, here's today's little ditty.
(I don't know whether folks outside the UK would know what a Chelsea Bun is. I love them, they are extremely yum…
I'm a little perplexed at the narrative, but oh what a great narrative it is. That second verse paints a pretty vivid picture, although I'm a little unsure that being denied pastries is an apt consequence, but then Ive never had a Chelsea Bun.
**Song-writing Demo for FAWM 2022**
Song number 1
Written Sunday 6th February 2022
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OK, this is a bit of a departure for me - posting songwriting demos.
This is a one mic recording made this morning in the living room, touch of reverbs…
Congratulations on the FAWM "win", especially with only 23 days to do it. A great start as well.
I share the sentiment on production. Part of me wants to do RPM next year because I wonder if I had too, could I move fast on production? It sounds a lot more exhausting than FAWM, that's for sure.
Gary and I did something good.
ONE AND ONLY
How many times have you been captured by a camera
With no one really knowing who you are
Caught in the sight lines in the background
In the corner of their eyes
Never looking closely at the…
Straight cover, from a backing track, just because I had the urge and I don't think the neighbours would appreciate me thrashing the guitar so late!
The backing track pretty much sums up where my head was at when I recorded it :)
This is a fairly simple guitar part I came up with a couple days ago and my friend talked me into recording it. It needs words- perhaps that will come later.
Skeen 130215
Melodic idea by Tiggy Acworth 23rd November 2012.
Made reality and added to quite superbly by David Bevan in February 2013. A perfect example of a living, breathing SKEEN. Music to live by?
Most definitely a click free recording…
A little tune to help me get through the winter ... used my 63 Fender Jazzmaster for the guitar tracks. This guitar has been with me through thick and thin and just gets better with age.
A little tune to help me get through the winter ... used my 63 Fender Jazzmaster for the guitar tracks. This guitar has been with me through thick and thin and just gets better with age.
Greg let me have another go at one of his songs and I the wrote the words and music for a bridge
so that way he has to pay me some royalties when he sells a million !!! lol thanks Greg for your inspiration and great music!!
lots of different things I tried in this one, mostly in structure and vox, as well as harmony and texture. I guess it is a progressive type song with some gloom.
the intro is a short bass thing with effects called nectar, its like 25 sec.s…
#RPM Challenge 2013#
Wake up in the morning, I’m still in my cloths
I got one eye open but the other wont go
Barely can remember the night before
Except for how you threw me out the door
Whiskey, Whiskey, Whiskey
I think I’m in trouble again…
I was flapping around working on something else with just vocal and guitar the other day. It wasn't going well, so I just started slapping the guitar and singing one of my favourite songs.
What I didn't realise was that I was recording it…
It's three mics. A Rode NT1000 large condensor for the vocal. The guitar had two SM57s on it, one at the 12th fret, one just below the bridge, panned hard left and right.
If I had more condensors I'd use them on the guitar - when I track things separately I always use the Rode on an acoustic (unless it's a resonator, that pushes a condensor too hard) - using the 57s like this seems to produce are fair amount of hiss!
eyes all around
thought surveillance, the fighting on the ground
dont abuse the diguise the one they made,
should never be altered
now we fear , the words we say, descent in
the shadows
we must hide to survive the thought police their searching…
UNKNOWN,arranged by Terry Brown
'their brains were small and they died'
When I sit in contemplation of the human situation
I often feel a certain sense of pride.
For our achievements are many and mighty
And the evidence cannot be denied.
But my…
rpm #4,, i love watching the local birds,, in winter they seem a bit more eager, in my imagination,, they must spend more of their time sitting around their wood stoves, munching on seeds and telling stories of summer days, all the while as the…
Comments on Andrew Russe's stuff
Absolutely beautiful! Warm and an interesting narrative :). Loving it!
Great story line - has a true troubadour feel about it! Love it - kind of dark. I have had the pleasure of a Chelsea bun here in Canada - yup, extremely yummy. Very creative song. I'm listening to a great concert of all your songs ...loving it.
holy cow......I hadn't heard this one before! Gorgeous!!! That Fender did it's job well. Absolutely love this. I think this one is perfect as an acoustic version.
Wow!!! This song did not age ....it is gorgeous. Truly beautiful and I love the complexity of the melody and how it moves about. I imagined hearing it live at a concert (I'd be in the front row!).
I think I dated this one. I like the guitar lick. The song really moves along well.
I can feel that being a great Rockin' song .....
That's a great song in the making ......
A little bit of magic ...
Very good ..... afraid the 80's are so far away for me ..... old age ;)
Top notch my friend ....
An enjoyable listen, and a little different.
This is beautiful.
Poignant, affecting. Something everyone can relate to. I'm glad you were able to revisit this old song, and I also hope recording it was cathartic.
First time hearing your stuff. After the first song, I love your writing. I'll be listening through what you have posted for the rest of the day! Completely agree with RPM. I do enjoy it, however this year, my focus was more on songwriting and having fun. Production took a back seat.
Funny I don’t get stalker vibes but I can see if one knew the backstory that might be the outcome. Another great piece of writing!!
Sparse and beautiful
This is a good listen.
I had your FAWM playlist going and sort of forgot I was supposed to be active listening, but this one pulled me right back into it... then I saw your liner notes. I know the feeling of not being happy with something but needing to get it out, but this is great. I'm curious to see what you do with it, because I think it works far better than you it seems. You better close the stadium with this one, because all those lighters and voices in unison are going to violate some sort of by-law.
I'm a little perplexed at the narrative, but oh what a great narrative it is. That second verse paints a pretty vivid picture, although I'm a little unsure that being denied pastries is an apt consequence, but then Ive never had a Chelsea Bun.
Congratulations on the FAWM "win", especially with only 23 days to do it. A great start as well. I share the sentiment on production. Part of me wants to do RPM next year because I wonder if I had too, could I move fast on production? It sounds a lot more exhausting than FAWM, that's for sure.
Comments made by Andrew Russe
Aww, fabulous. Where's the fave button when it's not working? (I clicked it anyway...)
Woof - some cool playing right here.
Oh yeah. Nice one guys.
I was thinking that (intense backing track) - I had to listen twice to "block" that out and listen to you! Ace vox.
Tasty. It works like this - it's a good listen as it is - but I'd like to hear what vocals you come up with.
Well, my right foot moved a fair bit... does that count as doing the Tiggy jig? Nice one.
Woo yeah, like it.
I'd fave it, but the button doesn't seem to work for me anymore...
Love this.
This hits the spot. I prefer brandy meself (and vodka martini) but this makes me wonder. Love the choruses.
Wow! Epic stuff.
Oh yeah, this is a tasty one alright.
Haunting. Love the woodwind (and horns?) that come to the fore later.
It's three mics. A Rode NT1000 large condensor for the vocal. The guitar had two SM57s on it, one at the 12th fret, one just below the bridge, panned hard left and right. If I had more condensors I'd use them on the guitar - when I track things separately I always use the Rode on an acoustic (unless it's a resonator, that pushes a condensor too hard) - using the 57s like this seems to produce are fair amount of hiss!
Oh yeah, nice one. Big sound. You've got those synths and guitars working well together.
Love it
Oh yes, another gorgeous one. I think it's my favourite so far.
lol
A fine set of tracks. Looking forward to you posting more.
Ah! I seem to have listened to them back-to-front... But yes, this would be a great opener.