**Song-writing Demo for FAWM 2022**
Song number 9
Written Tuesday 15th February 2022
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I decided it was time I wrote a song that wasn't so hard to sing and play!
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**Once Again - A A J Russe**
Every day
You keep asking…
oh yeah!!! Great song and loving that chord progression. Beautiful with all the changes ...loving it. How did you do all this in such a short time period? Wow, wow, wow.
**Song-writing Demo for FAWM 2022**
Song number 8
Written Monday 14th February 2022
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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
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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
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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
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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…
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…
I've disappeared into a total rabbit hole with these 70s/80s synths. This one features the ARP2600 (in several guises), the Jupiter 8, Prophet 5 and the Fairlight (what a machine that was back in the day!)
This started in my head as another…
I was wondering what you meant by "reminds you of ELO", and then every now and then there was a momentary "oh yeah! I see what you mean", but then I don't know what bit it was that made me feel it!!! (So that's a good thing). Cool track, digging the bass sound.
Oh baby let me take you
To that screen-saver dawn
To Hallmark scenes
On a snowy winter’s morn
You can’t do this on your own
You can’t do this on your own
Oh baby let me take you.
Oh baby let me take you
Out to the windy cliff
Where…
So I had this song, not quite finished, I sort of insisted Greg Connor sing it, he also wrote the last verse. Steve Krell added the solo break. I think they helped to bring the song alive. Oh yeah, I'm in the Chorus ...... hiding Somewhere. :) :)
SKINNY GIRLS
Capo @ 3 in G
...and then he said,
I like skinny girls
Toothy girls
Flat chested girls
I like girls with Adam's apples
A mouth full of titty
And a hand full of ass...
A girl with a six pack
is my kind of...
And then…
I wondered if that was the case :) ... mine's still with me, though she claims she's on the way... and every now and then she goes "but you like skinny girls" and I go "not since I met you!" :)
SKINNY GIRLS
Capo @ 3 in G
...and then he said,
I like skinny girls
Toothy girls
Flat chested girls
I like girls with Adam's apples
A mouth full of titty
And a hand full of ass...
A girl with a six pack
is my kind of...
And then…
Hehehehe... This was me when I was in my 20s! Tastes change, though.... You learn you probably do need something to grab on to... Like you did with your Mum or Gran... Otherwise you end up falling over in the street and stuff like that...
This bouncy little groove brings the 2020 50/90 Challenge to a close. I end with 51 songs written in 88(?) days. I've only finished this challenge once before, in 2014. That year I stopped at 50 songs but I got there with a lot more time to…
WOW! What an achievement. A superb body of work. I've seen that you don't like some of it, but as a whole it really hangs together and is good to listen to all the way through. Then when you realise these 51 were created in 88 days... crumbs. Well done... FLIPPIN WELL DONE! :)
I think we have a winner here.
I already had 50 songs in process for the 50/90 challenge and I was starting to feel like I was going to finish with time to spare. Then my wife and I were having a Facetime call with my step daughter who is…
I think you're right ("I think we have a winner here"), I've been enjoying all of them playing (it's turned up quite loud, I'm kinda digging it) ... but this one made me come back to the window that's playing it, there's something about this one that commands attention. Nice one! (Back to work now!)
50/90 runs from July 4 through October 1. Three months. When I work on it I tend to break the project up into four pieces. Songs started and finished in each of the three months, and songs that cross between months. This is the only cross…
You've posted SO many songs since I was last listening, I'm just gonna pick up where I left off and let them play while I'm working. I can see you completed the challenge, 51 in 88... WOW! Congratulations :)
A first venture into open G tuning ....... Poor old Reg has been let down by a lot friends in his time and now he's down to just a few fingers on one hand .........So he thought he'd write a song about it ... Gibson acoustic tuned to open G recorded…
Oh yes, like this - very inventive. On the Steel... Hehe... I've used G for years and years and years for slide playing... and it's only recently I discovered that G is the secret to this guitar part (that I've loved for even longer!). I think I watched some Earls Court footage a couple of years back and the penny dropped.
The second one born from my first week of quarantine. I dusted off my 5 string Sandberg bass guitar and wanted to evoke a Motown-ish vibe on this one and really got into the snare and bass guitar following the same rhythm rather than the usual…
Only 1 week ago I was luxuriating at a beautiful hotel in Dubai, floating blissfully in a lagoon pool... Forward wind one week and I'm here in the cold, wet, windy UK having to quarantine...
Now, at the aforementioned pool, they played a chill…
Yep. Cool sounds (although I feel less in need of chilling out, more a case of "where's my long hot water bottle I bought the other week but my missus has nicked so she can have two at once...")
Well... this took a left turn at Odd Street. The main melody started off as riff written and played on bass guitar and the early version had guitars, and real drums etc.... Then I got introduced to a suite of 80s synth plugins and it all went…
I'm playing catch-up. I was about to listen to your latest and realised there's been an upheaval... so I've come back here to the oldest one I haven't heard so I get them in the order you posted. In case you haven't revisited it to decide on what it is... may I suggest it's "a steaming pile of really catchy electronic pop"! :)
Song #50!! Another part of the super-skirmish weekend. Prompt was to use 5 of 10 randomly generated words. I used: cowgirl, alaska, fools, madness, top, taco
V1:
Drivin' down Main I noticed her license plate
Man, she was a long, long…
Last skirmish of this years 50/90. Great prompt: "Wonder"
A1:
The days
The Days of Wonder
Are they gone
Gone forever
It makes me sad
I thought I'd never
I'd hoped my hard-nosed nature was a fad
With blinders on
Can't see the beauty…
Engine stalling
Redwood falling
Babies bawling
Sheriff come calling
Another child missing
Black snake hissing
Radio squawking
Searchers walking
Media stalking
Everybody talking
Mother in ruins
What’s black snake doing?
Fox in the…
Another collab with Paul Chapman (Chaperzee) from the other side .....
Nothing here
Is this all you had to say
When you talked to me today
I can’t see the games you play
Is it that you with your minds astray
I stand here in dismay…
So, as a major change from countryside walking...a random leap for no. 6 in this series to visit the Greek Goddess of the Hunt...Artemis. More discordant, but hopefully capturing some drama!!
OK, for some reason, this has put an image of Angelina Jolie in my mind... (In a Lara costume, obviously!). Nice one... both the soundscape and the image!
Comments on Andrew Russe's stuff
oh yeah!!! Great song and loving that chord progression. Beautiful with all the changes ...loving it. How did you do all this in such a short time period? Wow, wow, wow.
Another beautiful poetic song with such an excellent expressive performance. Love it!
I must take this train after hearing this song! What a great song :)....deserves a second comment.
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.
Comments made by Andrew Russe
I was wondering what you meant by "reminds you of ELO", and then every now and then there was a momentary "oh yeah! I see what you mean", but then I don't know what bit it was that made me feel it!!! (So that's a good thing). Cool track, digging the bass sound.
Yep, beautiful song. And some gorgeous guitar playing.
Woah... this is mighty fine. Heading Somewhere... yeah...
I wondered if that was the case :) ... mine's still with me, though she claims she's on the way... and every now and then she goes "but you like skinny girls" and I go "not since I met you!" :)
Hehehehe... This was me when I was in my 20s! Tastes change, though.... You learn you probably do need something to grab on to... Like you did with your Mum or Gran... Otherwise you end up falling over in the street and stuff like that...
WOW! What an achievement. A superb body of work. I've seen that you don't like some of it, but as a whole it really hangs together and is good to listen to all the way through. Then when you realise these 51 were created in 88 days... crumbs. Well done... FLIPPIN WELL DONE! :)
I think you're right ("I think we have a winner here"), I've been enjoying all of them playing (it's turned up quite loud, I'm kinda digging it) ... but this one made me come back to the window that's playing it, there's something about this one that commands attention. Nice one! (Back to work now!)
You've posted SO many songs since I was last listening, I'm just gonna pick up where I left off and let them play while I'm working. I can see you completed the challenge, 51 in 88... WOW! Congratulations :)
Oh yes, like this - very inventive. On the Steel... Hehe... I've used G for years and years and years for slide playing... and it's only recently I discovered that G is the secret to this guitar part (that I've loved for even longer!). I think I watched some Earls Court footage a couple of years back and the penny dropped.
Oh yeah. Mighty cool.
Yep. Cool sounds (although I feel less in need of chilling out, more a case of "where's my long hot water bottle I bought the other week but my missus has nicked so she can have two at once...")
I'm playing catch-up. I was about to listen to your latest and realised there's been an upheaval... so I've come back here to the oldest one I haven't heard so I get them in the order you posted. In case you haven't revisited it to decide on what it is... may I suggest it's "a steaming pile of really catchy electronic pop"! :)
What a vocal! I was about to pause it and move on, thinking "fair enough, things to do, though..." and then the vocal kicked in. Woof!
Very cool sounds.
Yeah!
Woo! Nice one. Followed. Looking forward to hearing more of your stuff (I'm playing catch up after being quiet for a few weeks)
Welcome!! I've had a bit of a hiatus, but I remember this from a few weeks back on songcrafters... loved it then, love it now, so well put together.
Yeah. That's pretty cool.
Hehe... kinda "March of the cloth masks"
OK, for some reason, this has put an image of Angelina Jolie in my mind... (In a Lara costume, obviously!). Nice one... both the soundscape and the image!