**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
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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.
Stripped this down to perform during my acoustic live sets.
The Devil's March (unplugged)I see, your red mist rising now...A storm...That ruins all around...The road...That Hell is marching down....The demon seed is walking proud.....And…
The cupboards, of this old house
Don't close like they used to
And your mother, is just as old now
Wouldn't you say
The lanterns, you hung in your teeth when you were young,
Still light up the room
Yeah it's true,
If anything is true
I wish…
I've posted this "Naked" version because Mrs Russe wanted me to... :-)
It wasn't "finished" in my mind - there was a certain amount of "orchestration" to come.
But I ended up liking the starkness of this version.
The original intention…
lol - the bass was an organ set to "hammer house of horrors", perhaps I overdid it! (The reverb on the vox is deliberately "chilly" as well)
I wanted stark and lonely in the verses. But I also wanted comfort in the choruses - which is what the other instrumentation was intended to bring... but I've given up on that idea... it now sounds to me like the singer is incapable of bringing the comfort he offers, and he knows it... so I'll leave it them both to it :)
And nope, I didn't steal the teddy bear... But mine were removed from me and given to my sister when I was about 8 years old... so I do know exactly what I'm talking about lol
I saw "the Watchmen"....got me thinking.
are we truly immortal?
will we live through the material passing
or have we died oh so close to the light
not from this earth
not bound by its laws
A slave of no one
I will move beyond
are…
Continuing my obsession with the Buzzcocks Spiral Scratch EP, this is a medley of the four songs made using an Android ap called Chordbot.
There's two versions, this one and the one next to it here. And some guitar played over with the melody…
Oh this one! Without a doubt :)
Listened to all four tracks as well. Nice one. I loathed the Buzzcocks in the late 70s, but I came to appreciate them a lot more later.
I think this needs a guitar solo but i'm not capable of doing it so if anyone would like to give it a go i would love to hear what you could come up with its in C. Otherwise i'm quite happy with it...now with a solo by Billy Jack
Please Don…
I just bought a new Gibson SG Standard guitar with P90 pickups. I bought it after listening to Steve Krell's Gibson Gold Top with P90's.
Here is my first recording with the guitar.
Lyrics:
Sitting in my living room
Sunlight will be fading…
Having another listen for that guitar sound :)
Funnily enough, my SG and Explorer have swapped pickups (wonder if this had anything to do with it?). The SG has come off slightly better I think, been using it a lot last few days - slightly more, er, raucous than this, but it can do these sounds as well now.
I've posted this "Naked" version because Mrs Russe wanted me to... :-)
It wasn't "finished" in my mind - there was a certain amount of "orchestration" to come.
But I ended up liking the starkness of this version.
The original intention…
I'm reaching that conclusion too :)
If I'd held it back and put the parts on that I was rehearsing that day it would have been fine... and possibly better...
But I was trying them out today, and they seem surplus to requirements now!
(Mrs R has got her way lol)
some mistakes, like playing live, but i make them right quicky. the song is for halloween and make of the lyrics what you will.
the drums have phaze on them. some of the soft guitars have phaze and flange. the beginning 2 1/2 mins are slow…
:)
It's the rock part in the middle that grabs me most - love your vocal in that section, almost fluid and liquid.
I like how the whole things hangs together. Just waiting for that weird ending now.... ah here tis...
oh yes, very cool ending!
Many years ago I lived in an apartment in a big city. One day I just gave it all up and moved to the country so I could do the things I want. I This is a tune I made back then and has been in the back of my mind and I thought I would see what…
Never been happy with the original mix as it butchered Phil's drum work. He did an amazing job, and deserved better. So this is better...not as good as his playing, but better than it was.
Lyric:
I was doing a search there on Yahoo
Reading…
This is like, hmm... like talking to a stranger on a train. First, it's nothing about, and then suddenly you discover that you're about to tell your life; or you listen to someone's story, seemingly intricate or simple (and therefore seemed familiar…
My second entry for Beatlesfest II at Songcrafters. This is a cover from the John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band album.
Dueling novachords help tell the story of a world where the future may not be so bright...
Thanks for listening.
It's hard to go wrong with this tune... but this is just gorgeous. Love the arrangement. I find myself drifting between following the melody and following the accompaniment.
Masterful stuff.
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
Not sure I've heard the unstripped version - have to go hunting. Like this one though :)
And this too... love the harmonies.
Yep :)
Wonderful.
lol - the bass was an organ set to "hammer house of horrors", perhaps I overdid it! (The reverb on the vox is deliberately "chilly" as well) I wanted stark and lonely in the verses. But I also wanted comfort in the choruses - which is what the other instrumentation was intended to bring... but I've given up on that idea... it now sounds to me like the singer is incapable of bringing the comfort he offers, and he knows it... so I'll leave it them both to it :) And nope, I didn't steal the teddy bear... But mine were removed from me and given to my sister when I was about 8 years old... so I do know exactly what I'm talking about lol
This is a little bit special.
Oh this one! Without a doubt :) Listened to all four tracks as well. Nice one. I loathed the Buzzcocks in the late 70s, but I came to appreciate them a lot more later.
Woo yeah. This un's a goodie. And a real stand-out Reg vocal on here. Superb.
Having another listen for that guitar sound :) Funnily enough, my SG and Explorer have swapped pickups (wonder if this had anything to do with it?). The SG has come off slightly better I think, been using it a lot last few days - slightly more, er, raucous than this, but it can do these sounds as well now.
I'm reaching that conclusion too :) If I'd held it back and put the parts on that I was rehearsing that day it would have been fine... and possibly better... But I was trying them out today, and they seem surplus to requirements now! (Mrs R has got her way lol)
:) It's the rock part in the middle that grabs me most - love your vocal in that section, almost fluid and liquid. I like how the whole things hangs together. Just waiting for that weird ending now.... ah here tis... oh yes, very cool ending!
Woo yeah... two nice songs. Looking forward to hearing more.
Nice one. Heartfelt stuff.
Wot a voice!! Magnificent.
Ooh yeah, love the skipping/bubbling rhythm.
Haven't heard the original mix, but I love this.
Wonderful music.
Don't know the original at all... but this sounds gorgeous.
It's hard to go wrong with this tune... but this is just gorgeous. Love the arrangement. I find myself drifting between following the melody and following the accompaniment. Masterful stuff.
Yep... it is ok already :)