I'm sure every songwriter has songs they have recorded and, for whatever reason. they get tucked away and saved for later. As songwriting is an ongoing endeavor, sometimes these "secret songs" gather in our private stashes and eventually are rediscovered, often to be seen and heard in a new light. This series will reveal some of the songs in my secret collection.
Episode 4: "Lighthouse"
Recorded at Carousel Recording Studio, Brooklyn NY
Joe McGinty and I had been friends for a long time, working on many projects and shows together, so it was inevitable that we would collaborate on a composition and recording.
Joe had set up his awesome Carousel Studio in Brooklyn and sent me some piano music he had written. I wrote lyrics and a melody that seemed to come out of the music. I had recorded the sound of waves at Ocean Grove, NJ on a trip to the beach. We put that in and it seemed to set a mood.
Using that as a basis we developed the melody and countermelody with strings and vocals and made this song. I had just gotten some very cool string sounds and other toys that I brought to the studio, notably an original Waterphone (which I played with a cello bow) and of course my trusty 1973 E-Bow and Les Paul guitar.
Combined with Joe's collection of vintage keyboards, it was an audio playground of the highest order!
Richard Barone is a recording artist, performer, producer, & author. Since pioneering the indie rock scene in Hoboken NJ as
frontman for The Bongos, Barone has produced numerous studio recordings and worked with artists in every genre. His recent album 'Sorrows & Promises' and latest book 'Music + Revolution' are tributes to the early 1960s music scene in Greenwich Village NYC, where Barone lives....more
John Drumbo French from Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band worked with Thompson on two albums along with Fred Frith and Henry Kaiser.
Those two French, Frith, Kaiser and Thompson albums led me to this.
Also, Richard Thompson taught Hugh Cornwell (of The Stranglers) how to play the bass guitar in a band when they were both at the same school (Emil and The Detectives?).
With a career spanning 50 years and playing with two of my heroes (French and Cornwell) Thompson has produced a fascinating EP. yellowcakeuf6
There's a similarity in song writing between Richard Thompson and Hugh Cornwell which maybe isn't surprising as they went to the same school at the same time, although Thompson is older.
Due to Thompson's association with John French of Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band I searched for his work on the Bandcamp app. French, Thompson and Cornwell all have albums on the app which I'm very pleased about. Only Thompson has released contemporary albums, much to his credit. yellowcakeuf6
The sophomore solo effort from Hiss Golden Messenger bassist Scott Hirsch offers a fresh batch of songs that kick back to classic country, tempered with a satisfying dose of psychedelia. Bandcamp Album of the Day Dec 7, 2018
An earthy amalgam of American Primitive, spiritual jazz, and drone from this Seattle group is full of orbiting melodies and forest vibes. Bandcamp New & Notable Jan 26, 2023