**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…
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
****
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.
**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…
Well sir, you smashed this challenge - and ended up with a stunning unplugged album. It's made me want to hear some of your established tracks with similar stripped-down arrangements, leading the listener to concentrate on the sheer artistry of your words and astonishingly soulful vocal. Next challenge for you is the 24 hours album. 24 minutes of original music in 24 hours. I believe it originated on alonetone. Off you go.
**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 10
Written Wednesday 16th February 2022
****
I've had the little guitar bit in the middle for years and years and years.
Even my wife recognises it, I play it so often.
Yesterday while…
**Song-writing Demo for FAWM 2022**
Song number 9
Written Tuesday 15th February 2022
****
I decided it was time I wrote a song that wasn't so hard to sing and play!
****
**Once Again - A A J Russe**
Every day
You keep asking…
**Song-writing Demo for FAWM 2022**
Song number 7
Written Saturday 12th February 2022
****
This one was easy to write but hard work singing and recording.
I'm fairly certain this one is high on the list of "arrange me later" - I kept…
Great song writing - loving the sentiment and your tender vox here. I love it when the FAWM and RPM parameters draw out his kind of track, any more of an arrangement would detract from the message - IMHO.
**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…
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…
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…
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
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.
Well sir, you smashed this challenge - and ended up with a stunning unplugged album. It's made me want to hear some of your established tracks with similar stripped-down arrangements, leading the listener to concentrate on the sheer artistry of your words and astonishingly soulful vocal. Next challenge for you is the 24 hours album. 24 minutes of original music in 24 hours. I believe it originated on alonetone. Off you go.
Glad you didn't bin it! Liking the driving feel - immediately hooky also.
A sweet almost-lullaby - glad this one found a home in your February. So very pretty.
Really love this melody and the breezy feel. Some gorgeous little acoustic guitar runs in there too.
Great song writing - loving the sentiment and your tender vox here. I love it when the FAWM and RPM parameters draw out his kind of track, any more of an arrangement would detract from the message - IMHO.
Woohoo! Logged in and back from Brighton. <3 Can now fave this utter classic.
Hauntingly sad and beautiful
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 ......
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!