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…
Foolishness - A A J Russe
Written 3rd January 1988
Recorded 1st March 2022
The Shoebox Demos Vol 1
****
While writing and recording songs for FAWM 2022 I discovered that I can create acoustic demos of nearly any song I've ever written…
Hehehe... there's LOTS of youthful angst is these Songs from the Shoebox... possibly an embarrassing amount... You wait... let's see if I'm brave enough to record the ones from 1978/9!!!
Foolishness - A A J Russe
Written 3rd January 1988
Recorded 1st March 2022
The Shoebox Demos Vol 1
****
While writing and recording songs for FAWM 2022 I discovered that I can create acoustic demos of nearly any song I've ever written…
Foolishness - A A J Russe
Written 3rd January 1988
Recorded 1st March 2022
The Shoebox Demos Vol 1
****
While writing and recording songs for FAWM 2022 I discovered that I can create acoustic demos of nearly any song I've ever written…
**Song-writing Demo for FAWM 2022**
Song number 5
Written Thursday 10th February 2022
****
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 1
Written Sunday 6th February 2022
****
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…
**Song-writing Demo for FAWM 2022**
Song number 5
Written Thursday 10th February 2022
****
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 15
Written Wednesday 23rd February 2022
****
I wasn't able to stop! I really meant to, but... Oh well.
It's still February, so it can go with the others.
IT IS MY FIRM INTENTION TO…
(Remastered 22/10/2021)
I've been missing in action for ages - apologies to all, I'm about to start listening again too.
For ages, I'd been considering a move away from my trusty Boss BR1600 on which I've recorded and mixed nearly everything…
I saw your comments on my site. Thanks. It sounds like you’ve got this recording process figured out. I’m still learning as I go. Thank God for YouTube. 😎
**Song-writing Demo for FAWM 2022**
Song number 15
Written Wednesday 23rd February 2022
****
I wasn't able to stop! I really meant to, but... Oh well.
It's still February, so it can go with the others.
IT IS MY FIRM INTENTION TO…
**Song-writing Demo for FAWM 2022**
Song number 1
Written Sunday 6th February 2022
****
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…
This is kick-ass! You have a great voice and I love your guitar playing. When you have great ingredients like that, you don’t need much more than good material, of which there is plenty here! I am very inspired listening to this. I appreciate you sharing it and I look forward to delving deeper -bjk
**Song-writing Demo for FAWM 2022**
Song number 6
Written Friday 11th February 2022
****
I was meant to be resting and chilling.
In fact, I was resting and chilling.
But then I got a message from Lala saying she was listening to the…
**Song-writing Demo for FAWM 2022**
Song number 13
Written Saturday 19th February 2022
****
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…
**Song-writing Demo for FAWM 2022**
Song number 14
Written Monday 21st February 2022
****
This is it ... FAWM's all finished for me... time for a lie down now.
There's still nearly a week to go, but I'm done, 14 songs written in 16…
**Song-writing Demo for FAWM 2022**
Song number 15
Written Wednesday 23rd February 2022
****
I wasn't able to stop! I really meant to, but... Oh well.
It's still February, so it can go with the others.
IT IS MY FIRM INTENTION TO…
Love this song! Congratulations - what an accomplishment. I can imagine your fingers are a bit sore and your voice is craving a cold libation. But very glad you shared these with all of us.
**Song-writing Demo for FAWM 2022**
Song number 14
Written Monday 21st February 2022
****
This is it ... FAWM's all finished for me... time for a lie down now.
There's still nearly a week to go, but I'm done, 14 songs written in 16…
Wow!!!! Congratulations. All 14 songs were amazing. And this one - quite the pinnacle moment itself. Gut wrenching in parts... especially the chorus. Your writing is always an inspiration to me, and this one certainly has done that job.
**Song-writing Demo for FAWM 2022**
Song number 14
Written Monday 21st February 2022
****
This is it ... FAWM's all finished for me... time for a lie down now.
There's still nearly a week to go, but I'm done, 14 songs written in 16…
**Song-writing Demo for FAWM 2022**
Song number 8
Written Monday 14th February 2022
****
It's not entirely true. But it's CLOSE ENOUGH!
It was actually the 16th of February.
But we were corresponding by email on the 14th.
Then we…
**Song-writing Demo for FAWM 2022**
Song number 6
Written Friday 11th February 2022
****
I was meant to be resting and chilling.
In fact, I was resting and chilling.
But then I got a message from Lala saying she was listening to the…
**Song-writing Demo for FAWM 2022**
Song number 5
Written Thursday 10th February 2022
****
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…
Love it. I was about to make a comment about I can a certain amount of Kilmister/Clarke here, then I noticed I have a version of City Kids coming up in a few minutes
If it all has this vibe, I think I'm gonna like your stuff :-)
Love the lead bass-playing.
For everybody who wanted to hear my voice!
I love rainbows. I originally uploaded this as a dedication to my Dad :)
Recorded with a £4.99 Asda SmartPrice headphone/ mic, using just the metronome you can hear ticking away there. I then…
Yeah, write some lyrics!
It needs doing :-)
Even without vocal this yummy. And some VERY tasteful guitaring going on - makes me want to get one of my telecasters out and dust it off.
And then the sudden change of style at the end? That was a real surprise, but it seems to fit - it needs them lyrics.
Oh this is just a brilliant version. I played it because I thought, well... I had my doubts! (I'm kinda fond of the original).
But this is superb - there's a whole load of sunshine in your voice.
It's fun to buy a new toy once in a while. This is the first attempt at using my new Line 6 POD Guitar Effects.
Lyrics:
Here you come, my sweet baby
Don’t know why you drive me crazy
I’m crazy, in love with you
And it’s been a long long…
the girl with her piano
this land she's in
clothed in unfamiliarity
these colors blend, fade
and run out of hue
all light has changed
and turned into greyscale
tinted with every shade of blue
this room she's in
suddenly fills with…
My composition Ediacaran Garden for classical guitar has been selected for performance by Kenji Haba in New York City June 26 2011 as part of the Fifteen Minutes of Fame with Kenji Haba Vox Novus series. A requirement was that the piece not…
It was about sunrise when I met this guy on the streets of the French Quarter and bought him coffee. I don't know if he's still around -- that was some 20 years ago -- but a two-hour conversation affected my life more than I would have ever known…
This has probably the least effert i've ever put into a song , i was sat at my computer falling asleep , when i had the urge to sing this beautiful George Harrison song , i could'nt be asked to get up and change guitars , so using my PRS Singlecut…
This is a Ralph Mctell song , a very underated British singer / songwriter , probably famous for one song , The Streets of London , but in fact wrote many great songs , he wrote this while working on a building site before he was signed by a record…
This song was written by a guy called Bert Sommer , and perforormed at the Woodstock Festival , he was also in the musical Hair , its said he wrote the song about Jennifer Warnes ( who was also in Hair ), if this song had been included on the…
Awoke tonight to realize that my girl had a broken heart,
And like an image of me, she fell apart.
You laid it all out on the line, another time. A shout out in the dark.
And I should have come but it seemed too far at the time.
In the end it…
A fine end to a fine set of songs :)
Considering the layers of guitars and vocals over all the tracks, and the quality of all of them, I'm stunned you managed to get this done in three weeks.
Excellent stuff, thanks for posting it.
Some may say that given time, every one messes up and thinks of no one else,
Sins their sin, their selfish acts.
But you I would have sworn were different, a faithful heart.
Not without fault, but I never thought you would cut me like that.
Some…
Lack of self respect can blind,
Lead to self destructive tendencies.
But I am old enough to know this game.
I cannot deny the truth to this.
Still I...
I've always recklessly believed that there was more to you than what they said you were.
I…
Woo... huge wide sound at the start, and then the voice sitting in the middle - and superb bvox, by the way.
Builds and then down to nothing... perfect.
Beautiful constructed.
Both of us have made mistakes, I know
I'm not so naive to think this is an empty canvas for me to paint my hopes on
Even so, that doesn't mean there's no potential
Even so, I'll still put myself on the line
Just take it or leave it.
This…
You know how to sequence an album... (for my tastes anyway lol).
As this started, it was the perfect build after the last two. And then the song itself builds up to the energy of the earlier tracks.
With a new day comes new hope for tomorrow,
It may be unfounded but it's all that we've got.
So don't hide your eyes. No one's watching out for us.
We're on our own, and we're all that we've got.
In your shadow I am groping to find purpose.
What…
You'll find me there.
Discover my smile.
I'll be confused, and so will you,
But it won't last for long.
Because you and I were never meant for this place.
Soon you'll see-
We're better with wings.
It's in the air,
Reaching out for a hundred…
Nice change of pace. Lovely groove with a dreamy vocal on top.
Excellent. Liking how the songs fit together as an album as well. With each one I want to keep listening.
Hello stranger.
I've been waiting with a compliment for you,
In case it's something that you don't already know.
Hello stranger.
There is always something left unsaid.
But just ask me and i'll tell you, though I don't even know your name.
We…
The past holds nothing for a man so proud.
Nothing for a man like you.
I feel like I haven't lived before tonight.
That terrifies me.
Would you like to take a walk or something?
She keeps the truth held tight inside, but her eyes show.. something…
Digging this one too. Excellent vocals (I'd personally try to bring them up a bit more against those fabulous guitars).
One of the things that I'm noticing with your stuff is how you manage to cram so much into the arrangements without over-stuffing it. This is really impressive - guitar parts, vocals, drum parts, there's always something interesting happening but it never overpowers the track.
I'll get over this,
There's no need to talk about it.
As soon as you are gone I'll start to make myself forget.
Just go..
There's really nothing left, you don't have to stay here (at all)
I misunderstood your intentions here.
There's still time…
Wow! Big sound. Mighty fine
From your profile I'm getting the impression you're a one man band - if so, this is a stunner - I'm really impressed with the "band" sound you've created.
Excellent arranging/playing of the guitars.
Comments on Andrew Russe's stuff
Great tune Andrew. we held back on a few old ideas too. i'm glad you put it out there
Hehehe... there's LOTS of youthful angst is these Songs from the Shoebox... possibly an embarrassing amount... You wait... let's see if I'm brave enough to record the ones from 1978/9!!!
That's rather wonderful ...... a bit of youthful angst ??
You've been a writer / poet for so many years!!! How delightful to put these songs out. I'm glad you found the shoe box.
Another beautiful piece of storytelling through haunting voice and gentle music
You sing these words perfectly … I am just in awe of your story telling
So lyrical
Intrigued … who is this written for? Whoever it is is a lucky person … love this
I saw your comments on my site. Thanks. It sounds like you’ve got this recording process figured out. I’m still learning as I go. Thank God for YouTube. 😎
Another little gem ......
This is kick-ass! You have a great voice and I love your guitar playing. When you have great ingredients like that, you don’t need much more than good material, of which there is plenty here! I am very inspired listening to this. I appreciate you sharing it and I look forward to delving deeper -bjk
Good stuff. I'm always amazed at how versatile you are.
That's a good song. I like the "acoustic demo," but do you also envision this as a rocker (2 guitars, bass, and drums)? I think it'd kill.
RIP to your pretty one....!!
Love this song! Congratulations - what an accomplishment. I can imagine your fingers are a bit sore and your voice is craving a cold libation. But very glad you shared these with all of us.
Wow!!!! Congratulations. All 14 songs were amazing. And this one - quite the pinnacle moment itself. Gut wrenching in parts... especially the chorus. Your writing is always an inspiration to me, and this one certainly has done that job.
***** A lie down ?!!!? You to get yourself a hobby .... Ha Ha, after all that hard work, I'll have to retire ...... Oh ... already am ......
Agreed with the other comment, very Elbow-esque, the melody and even the vocal has a Guy Garvey style to it. Excellent!
Toe tapper, this one. Nice chord changes.
Touching.
Comments made by Andrew Russe
Love it. I was about to make a comment about I can a certain amount of Kilmister/Clarke here, then I noticed I have a version of City Kids coming up in a few minutes If it all has this vibe, I think I'm gonna like your stuff :-) Love the lead bass-playing.
Oh yes...
Yeah, write some lyrics! It needs doing :-) Even without vocal this yummy. And some VERY tasteful guitaring going on - makes me want to get one of my telecasters out and dust it off. And then the sudden change of style at the end? That was a real surprise, but it seems to fit - it needs them lyrics.
Oh this is just a brilliant version. I played it because I thought, well... I had my doubts! (I'm kinda fond of the original). But this is superb - there's a whole load of sunshine in your voice.
Love this.
This is fabulous, extremely inspiring, I'm reaching for my guitar now... Thanks for this one.
Fantastic playing there. Congratulations. Pity it's only a minute long though lol
Excellent stuff. Huge story crammed into 4 minutes.
Ah... You know I likes this one already, very glad to hear it again. There is something VERY special about this vocal performance.
Lovely track. Simple recording beautifully done.
I don't know the original - at least I don't think I do, it does sounds very familiar - but I do like this version. Lovely vocal, excellent stuff.
A fine end to a fine set of songs :) Considering the layers of guitars and vocals over all the tracks, and the quality of all of them, I'm stunned you managed to get this done in three weeks. Excellent stuff, thanks for posting it.
I faved most of them on the album, but this is my favest so far lol
Woo... huge wide sound at the start, and then the voice sitting in the middle - and superb bvox, by the way. Builds and then down to nothing... perfect. Beautiful constructed.
You know how to sequence an album... (for my tastes anyway lol). As this started, it was the perfect build after the last two. And then the song itself builds up to the energy of the earlier tracks.
Oh this is just great.
Nice change of pace. Lovely groove with a dreamy vocal on top. Excellent. Liking how the songs fit together as an album as well. With each one I want to keep listening.
Love this one :)
Digging this one too. Excellent vocals (I'd personally try to bring them up a bit more against those fabulous guitars). One of the things that I'm noticing with your stuff is how you manage to cram so much into the arrangements without over-stuffing it. This is really impressive - guitar parts, vocals, drum parts, there's always something interesting happening but it never overpowers the track.
Wow! Big sound. Mighty fine From your profile I'm getting the impression you're a one man band - if so, this is a stunner - I'm really impressed with the "band" sound you've created. Excellent arranging/playing of the guitars.