The official site of author, editor, and musician Lou Tambone, and the home of 2 Jokers Publishing and Entertainment.
THE STORY
This song is the fourth song of a concept album I wrote called The Code of the West. It’s basically an outlaw tale and this song is about the symbiotic relationship the main character has with his gun.
The Story
I got the idea for “One More Round” while thinking about drinking songs one day. I thought to myself, “I need a good drinking song.” Most of the gigs I play are in bars and clubs and everyone’s drinking, so why not? Let’s get them invested and give them something they can relate to, right?
A simple drinking song wasn’t good enough for me, though. Being a fan of artists like John Lennon and Paul Westerberg, I admired their use of double entendres and wordplay. One of Paul’s more famous twists (and he used it in multiple songs) is when he sings something about “whose Suicide you’re on.” I’ve always loved that one.
So it occurred to me at some point that the term “One More Round” could actually mean more than one thing. One more round of poker. One more round of golf. One more round of drinks. One more round of applause. That was all I needed to bang out the lyrics in about five minutes. While writing the lyrics, the chords took shape in my head and yes, it was that simple.
It’s by no means a complicated song. Not counting the bridge, it’s all of three chords but many a fun song has been created using three chords, right? It became quite popular at shows so we often close with it. It’s a good one to jam to, has lots of good energy, and gets people singing along. Can’t ask for more than that.
The Recording
Once the lyrics and chord progression were in place, the recording was pretty simple. From the get-go, I knew that near the end I wanted to have a drums-only chorus section which would be where I’d try to get people to sing along at shows. So while recording the drum track (which I usually do first) I made sure it happened. I didn’t have a bridge in mind so I just played some hits and fills and figured I’d play something over it later, which I did. I do this a lot with songs where I don’t have a specific part figured out in the pre-composition phase. Gotta keep moving forward, right?
I used my trusty Rickenbacker 4001 bass and my ’52 Reissue telecaster for the basic tracks. For the missing bridge parts, I played D-E-F#-A and backed that up on guitar. Easy! After that, I threw an organ backing track down which I hope to insert into the live shows once I get a good keyboard player. I would love to have a good organ part there. Mine is pretty basic.
It was all guitar and vocals after that. The lead guitar parts are always tough for me. I experimented a little with acoustic slide guitar. I can’t say I’m totally thrilled with how it came out. I split the solo into half acoustic slide and half electric slide. The electric part came out better. When we do this song live, I actually play harmonica instead and like that better. If I ever re-record this one, I’ll do that instead.
The lead vocal was easy to do and everything just fell into place exactly as I heard it in my head. The backing vocals are a little weird but somehow they work. I’m sure a real singer or vocal coach or producer might cringe a little listenting closely, but honestly, I don’t care. When we play it live, it’s more of a gang vocal thing, plus the crowd is always singing along, it seems.
On the whole, I think this one only took a few hours to complete. Not bad!
The Lyrics
I’m tired of holding
I’m tired of folding
I ain’t seen a face in forty hands
You run your mouth
And I’ll run my business
Baby I was born to take this chance, so…Rock me baby – Gimme one more round
Rock me sugar – Gimme one more round
Rock me honey – Gimme one more round
Rock me baby – Gimme one more roundTap the ball
Drop it in the cup
That’s a big eighteen, baby shake my hand
Now go get your bag
Meet me at the One
Let’s tear the green grass up againSun’s going down
I find a seat
Have a drink, maybe find a new friend
I check my watch
It’s just 3am
It’s a crazy night – we can’t let it end, so…I take the stage
Play my guitar
Make you smile, make you sing along
Don’t sit there staring
Get up on your feet
Put your hands together, wanna hear you all night long
“Everything and nothing” is my new favorite way to answer the question, “What’s going on?”
Good Lord, I’ve been totally avoiding my own site. I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time for updates. So I threw up a new theme design (hope you enjoy it) and said, “I’m going to write something, dammit.” So here we are.
Goodbye 2012
I want to have a quick look back at 2012. The band and I played many a gig, and many a GOOD gig! I have to not only thank the band members but also everyone who came to the shows and supported me. It really is the most important thing when playing a show. Playing to an empty room is no fun at all. Playing to a room full of people, familiar or otherwise, who are into it and singing your words back to you on cue is a euphoric experience that I can’t explain.
We had many great shows at places like Crossroads, Connolly’s, National Underground and wrapped up our year with a great gig at Maxwell’s in Hoboken. I’ve gone to many a show there and was thrilled to be able to be on that famous stage. Being from NJ, I think we take that place for granted a bit but there’s lots of great music history there and I’m glad to say I’ve played there. Thanks to my friends in Bradykynin for offering the slot to me.
This year I want to try and keep to at least one show a month, so I hope to see you out there. Our gig at Hat City Kitchen in January was AMAZING. So many great people and so much good energy. Thanks to our friends in Test Pattern for giving us a slot and recording the show. You can hear the audio bootleg here:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SN-l3msgLRg
I think my biggest achievement in 2012 was The Code of the West. Writing and recording a concept album is a very ambitious feat and it is not easy to pull off. I’m used to working quickly but this record really forced me to slow down a bit. There was months of on and off research (most about the old west, guns, and so on) and there was a lot of writing before any notes were played. Taking this thing from concept to fleshing out the story alone was hard work. Then I had to actually record the music and hope that it all made some kind of sense.
While the songs still have that “demo” quality (it was all done in my garage) I have to say I’m proud of the whole thing and there are some very different and interesting things on there for me. I went into areas I didn’t know I could and came out a better musician. Please give it a full listen if you can and let me know if the story works for you.
We’re going to start breaking in some of these songs live very soon. The first will be “This Gun is Now My Life” and we’ll follow that up with some of the more rocking tunes like “On the Run” or perhaps “Keep on Moving West.” I’d really like to play the closer, “It’s Finally Time to Sleep” at some point also. Please give me some feedback when you can.
The Band
I’m happy to say that the band is doing well. When you’re a solo artist, it’s quite hard to find people willing to come in an be the backing band, especially when there’s little to no pay involved. I’m sure Lenny Kravitz or Bryan Adams can hire whoever they please. Lou Tambone has to take who he can get.
You have to find people who love music so much that they don’t really mind what they’re playing or why. They play because they love it. I was lucky enough to find a batch of musicians like this. For some odd reason, they are happy to come down and play my songs to people for next to nothing and I appreciate this immensely. So much so that I want to give individual shout outs to them.
STEVE SAVONA plays bass. I’ve known Steve for what has to be around 20 years now. He was the first person I asked to play and he agreed right away. I never, ever, have to worry about what he’s doing or how he’s playing things and he has a humble attitude that’s refreshing. He’s laid back, but tight and in the pocket. A pleasure to have next to me, even though he towers over me and makes me look even shorter. I’ll have to invest in some platform shoes, I guess.
DAVE WILSON plays lead guitar. I remember auditioning Dave. We were really going through the ringer auditioning guitarists and none of them were working out. I’d give them songs to learn and they would hardly bother with them. Dave was one of maybe two guys that actually listened to the songs and learned them. He came in prepared, played the songs, and left with a handshake. That’s pretty much how he got the gig. Plus he could play. He’s good-natured, easy to work with and very accommodating.
ROB SILVERMAN plays drums. Much like Dave, he was a drummer who came down prepared to play and knew the tunes well. I was pretty impressed at how he picked up on a lot of my little drumming quirks or chops and was able to repeat them. He’s a funny guy with many a story to tell. He puts in the time and it shows on stage. As busy as he is, he always finds the time to get to rehearsals and gigs. He smokes electric cigarettes, which to me is cooler than smoking real ones. Now I’ve said too much.
That’s the core band, but as you might know, sometimes LIFE happens and someone can’t make a show for whatever reason. Sometimes they’re away for work or on vacation. Sometimes there’s a family event. These folks are doing me a favor by playing in my band so I always tell them that family is first!
That said, I’ve started to try and make sure I have alternate players available so that when there’s a gig someone can’t make (or a last minute replacement is needed), I don’t have to cancel the show. Booking gigs is not a pleasurable experience for me so when I book them, I like to keep them.
As of now I have two alternates, one for bass and one for lead guitar. When there’s no drummer, we’ll just have to go without… or maybe I’ll play some live drums one day… who knows?
HANNAH HAREL plays the bass and is my good friend. We have played together in another band and had lots of fun. For some reason, she seems to really like playing my songs. I think something must be off in her head, but it works to my advantage so I go with it. When Steve can’t make it, she’s my go-to girl. You’ll see her in some of the youtube videos. I can’t say enough good things about her. We always have a good time.
ROB FERRARO plays lead guitar. He and drummer Rob Silverman, along with myself and another bass player named Anthony Capricuso are all in another original band called Radio Therapy. He’s going to be filling in for Dave at our NYC show on April 6th. This is a real sweetheart of a guy and once again, I’ve lucked out. He also played on the track “On the Run” from my Code of the West recording. He’s a great player.
I’m still auditioning keyboard players but I think I’m close to someone. Keyboard players are a tough breed! If I find one, you’re going to start seeing some cool stuff happening.
Music Stuff
I have all kinds of ideas. All the time. Getting those ideas to a place where you can see/hear them is a project unto itself. Some things make it, others don’t.
There will be new songs/music this year. I’m determined and have lots of drum tracks recorded. Once I have the drum tracks down, that’s usually a good indicator that the songs will actually happen. If I can eek four more drum tracks out, that’s enough for a new record and that will make me very happy. Stay tuned to the site and my Facebook page for updates on new music.
I’ve been seriously considering trying out this whole crowdfunding thing. Sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo seem to be doing well for musicians. The only X Factor is people. Running one of these campaigns is like a part time job for a month. You really have to get behind it, make a video, plan out all kinds of rewards and make sure people know where every dollar is going. I’ve already done most of the work but I haven’t made a video.
Here’s my thinking. Right now, I have three “albums” of material that I’ve recorded mostly alone in my garage/home, playing all the instruments not counting the occasional guest spot (sax, steel guitar, lead guitar parts, etc.) All of these recordings have a home demo feel to them. I’d like to have an album available that is studio quality. I don’t expect people to shell out money for my current home recordings. They’re not sonically up to snuff and I don’t have the money to record in a real studio.
If I could raise some money through crowdfunding, I could cherry pick 10-12 songs from my first two albums and make a “real” album of studio quality songs that I feel good about handing out to people or selling on the internet or giving to clubs to get better gigs/time slots or selling at gigs, and so on. Since I could play music, I’ve always thought it would be a funny idea to make a first album and call it Greatest Hits. I have no idea why. When I started doing more recording at home, I broke that rule with Damaged Goods. However, those are really demo-like. This could be a real studio record and it would be my first solo one. So Lou Tambone’s Greatest Hits may see the light of day if this whole crowdfunding things works out. I’m still on the fence about starting it though. Part of me thinks, “What have you got to lose?” and part of me just wonders if it’s worth it. If no one donates, I’m back at the drawing board.
Please leave me some comments if you can. Have you done it? Would you do it? Have you donated to other people’s campaigns? Would you donate to mine? I’m considering it but not totally sold.
Previously, I mentioned another original band I’m in called Radio Therapy. It started off as a cover band but that quickly fell apart and we all decided that original music was where it’s at. Team leader Anthony brought in a bunch of his songs. I donated a few more. Rob F. gave us one finished song. The rest came out of joint writing sessions with the three of us. The songs are really good and we’re about ready to play live so look for updates to the Calendar here and on Facebook for the gigs.
***
Look, I could ramble on all day but I feel I’ve done my duty here. Thanks again for a great 2012. Hope to see you all at a gig in 2013. Please leave me some comments about whatever you want. I promise I’ll try to update more! See ya!
The Story
From my late teens to my mid-twenties, I was fairly busy in a musical sense. I was in a few bands (mostly on drums) and had begun to explore songwriting. At some point, life happened and more serious issues started to arise.
I had finished college with a degree in what Rutgers (the Newark campus) called “Theater Arts and Speech” which is a fancy way of saying “Communications” – and to boot, I had a specialization in TV Production. As you may well know, this degree will get you next to nowhere. It’s almost as good as a degree in music. 🙂 Unfortunately, it was the only thing that interested me at the time, outside of my first major which was Psychology. I was a lazy student and that major was way too much reading and writing. If I could go back, I would have stuck with it but alas, the past is gone.
Things were moving quickly and I soon realized that I would not be able to support a family while working in the wonderful world of retail, which is where I ran back to at full speed after realizing my college degree was pretty useless unless I wanted to intern (aka work for free) for a year or three somewhere in the hopes that it “might” lead to some kind of paying job. I had bills and other things to worry about.
So I went to a computer school, being already quite computer savvy, and started to make some life changes. Marriage, kids, and so on. Before I knew it, about 15 years had gone by and I was completely removed from the music scene. I had done absolutely nothing. No writing, no bands, no nothing and it was slowly eating away at me.
Eventually things settled down a bit and the itch became to annoying to ignore. Music is in me. It’s a part of me. When I’m not being musical somehow, I just don’t feel right. So I started to ease my way back into the scene. A cover band here, filling in for a friend on drums there, writing some new material, and so on. It was time to get back out there. I reconnected with a lot of my musician friends, some of whom were still playing, and they inspired me. I also met and networked with a whole host of new musician friends and that inspired me even more.
I decided it was time to start writing songs again. The next thing I knew I was staring at a bunch of lyrics, melodies and ideas. The song “Tonight I Ride” was one of the first of this new batch and it basically signaled how I felt at the time. I had been away far too long and it was time to come back.
“Tonight I Ride” is a song about returning to something. You can interpret it as returning to anything you like, but for me it was strictly about returning to music. I had been away so long that there were friends and new family members who had no idea that I could make music. When they eventually saw me play they were quite shocked. It was a fun feeling.
I promised myself when I wrote that song that I’d never take that huge break from music again. It became clear to me that there’s really no reason to. There’s always room for music.
The Recording
The first thing I remember about writing this song was the chorus. I had it clearly in my mind. I had the lyric and the melody/chords all in my head. From there it was a matter of just writing the rest of the song. I’m not sure where I heard the phrase “Tonight I Ride” but it must have gotten into my head at some point. I always picture some kind of Wagner-esque Viking on an armored horse marching into battle, but I digress.
After I had the chorus mapped out in my head, the next thing I thought about was the song’s opening drum beat. I could also hear that clearly in my head. All the lyrics flowed from there and then it was time to record. As usual, because I’m alone when I record, I tracked the drums first. I used that little beat I dreamed up and then just built upon it, bringing the dynamic up or down when needed.
I played it through on guitar just to make sure I had all the chords I needed and tracked the bass. I laid down some distorted guitars and a wobbly guitar solo which I’m not very proud of. I always figured the solos would be better when played live by more capable musicians.
The vocals were my first accidental experiment with double tracking. Many bands have done this. You basically sing in unison with yourself on another track. I didn’t really mean to do this. I did a vocal pass, and then did another on a different track because I wasn’t sure if I was going to keep the first one or not. During playback, I forgot to mute one of the vocal tracks and they both played through the monitors. I was about to mute one but listened a little longer and the sound began to grow on me. They’re not perfect vocal tracks but they sort of work so I kept the two in there. So if you’re listening to the song, you’ll hear me singing along with myself and the two takes sort of stray from each other a bit here and there. It’s a little weird but I can see the attraction and how it can be effective when done right.
Lots of times, when I’m writing songs I’m actually not near any instruments. It sounds odd but sometimes they just jump out at me and I have to quickly write stuff down or else it’s usually gone forever. So when it comes to what we call in rock music the “bridge” or sometimes the “middle eight”, I will sometimes say, “I’ll come up with something later.” Sometimes I’ll have lyrics for the bridge along with a vague melody but it’s pretty fluid. I remember not having lyrics or a melody for this bridge when I sat down to record.
While tracking the drums, I just played a bunch of random fills that felt right and then brought myself back to the chorus somehow. I listened to those drums a few times and they sounded a little raucous to me. I decided to forgo the lyrics and just try some guitar stuff instead. After experimenting with a few things I settled on the bridge you hear which is basically a series of “D” shape chords moving up the neck with an open D ringing above them. It reminds me slightly of The Who, which is why I kept it.
I was still not well-versed in the art of compression or mastering/mixing. I still don’t know if I am, actually. So all of the mixes from those early songs aren’t panned well (or at all). There isn’t a lot of “space” there. One of these days I’ll go back to those old tracks and do some remixing with some of the things I’ve learned since then. I think this song can sound a lot better with some TLC.
It was a quick job but the song is fun and I’m finally getting around to playing it in my live sets. The band seems to like it and it does make me feel a little wistful in many ways.
The Lyrics
All my life I’ve been waiting
All my life I’ve been saving up
All my life I’ve been holding back
But tonight I rideAll my life I’ve been hungry
All my life I’ve been ready
All my life I’ve been so determined
But tonight I rideTonight, tonight I ride
Perpetual motion is on my side
The links are broken, the chains are dead
I’ve got to move aheadAll my life I’ve been sitting
All my life I’ve been lying down
All my life I’ve been static
But tonight I rideI look at you and you’re flying
I look at you and you’re in the air
I look at you and I’m jealous
So tonight I rideTonight, tonight I ride
Perpetual motion is on my side
The cage is open, the bird is free
I’ve got to get release
I’ve got to know release
I need to be releasedTonight, tonight I ride
Perpetual motion is on my side
Unleashed and I won’t be denied – YeahTonight, tonight I ride
Perpetual motion is on my side
I’m strong and I won’t take my time
The world is mine tonight
Yeah it’s my prize tonight
Stay out of my way tonight, tonight, yeah tonightI ride tonight
I’ve added two gigs to the calendar, folks. I sure hope to see you there if you’re in the area.
December 2, 2011 will be at one of my favorite NJ venues, The Crossroads in Garwood, NJ. We go on at 8pm. Dave Wilson will be making his debut on lead guitar. Steve Savona is on bass and Rob Silverman will be on drums. It’s always a good time at Crossroads and the food is great so please come on down and have some fun with us.
January 20, 2012 will be my debut at NYC’s National Underground which is owned by brothers Joey and Gavin DeGraw. This is going to be another fun show because I’m sharing the bill with my good friend and musician, Jill Cagney! Jill goes on at 8pm and we go on at 9pm so come down early to catch Jill and then stay for me and the guys!
See the Calendar page for more info on the gigs or just give me a shout. Thanks!
The Story
This song is about an aging rock star, sung from his point of view. He’s an amalgam of sorts. I guess you could say he’s based on a few characters, both real and fictional.
One of those would definitely be WASP’s Chris Holmes. I am by no means a big fan of WASP but Holmes was famously interviewed for the documentary, The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years, during which he floated on a raft in a pool (fully clothed) guzzling three different bottles of vodka (and also pouring it over his head). He referred to himself as a “full-blown alcoholic” and even a “piece of crap”. He said he’d probably be dead in a few years and didn’t seem to care. This was all in front of his mother, mind you, who sat poolside trying to maintain her composure.
I guess there’s also a little Joe Walsh in this song. His big hit “Life’s Been Good” also covers the same subject matter. I think I tried to capture a little of his humor in my song. He has a line that goes, “I’m making records, my fans they can’t wait. They write me letters, tell me I’m great.” I have a similar line about devoted fans that keep me so rich, I haven’t done a thing in years. Of course, the “me” is the character and not really me. Wouldn’t that be nice.
There’s definitely some (older) Elvis Presley in the song. The list goes on. You can take any pompous rock and roll star and adapt them as you see fit, I suppose.
Structurally, the song is a musical transcription of an interview, I suppose. The aging rocker has allowed a journalist into his home. The rocker is quite friendly but clearly not sober, even directing his assistants (Hey, Pierre – don’t put that there…) while showing the reporter around his mansion.
He’s had enough success that he doesn’t really need to work anymore, but he’s completely bored and depressed. He’s hardly ever in the news except for the rare gossip column where he makes a drunken fool of himself. In fact, he’s really happy to have this interview, which is probably the first one he’s had in years. People aren’t interested in him anymore, which is why he’s depressed and suicidal – yet still partying it up like a madman.
The unfortunate truth is he’s waiting around to die. He drinks way too much, does every drug put in his face, has totally let himself go and yet, he’s still here. He can’t seem to figure out why. I know it’s grim but hey, I just write them as they come to me.
There’s some commentary about the music scene itself in the lyrics. Popular music has a way of changing quickly and ferociously leaving many who cannot adapt behind. I always envisioned the song’s protagonist to be one of these people. He’s perhaps the aged rocker who is not quite as relevant as he once was, trying to deal with the new music scene. Underneath it all, though, he’s quite depressed and even suicidal. The line about trying to check out before the real hurting starts refers to this.
I had a lot of fun writing this one because I was writing it as a character, much like acting in a play. Once I became the character, the words just poured out and what you hear in the song is what was written that same day, pretty much unchanged. The melody made itself known as I was writing the lyrics so when it came time to record, there wasn’t much left to compose.
While the song is a bit dreary under the covers, it was actually written to be a bit humorous and tongue-in-cheek on the surface. It’s a satirical look at celebrity and what goes along with it, nothing more.
The Recording
This was a quick one to record. I already had the song in my head when I sat down to play the drum track so all I had to do was throw in the fun stuff like accents and stops, some of which were simply made up right there on the spot. I like to do that, actually. It’s fun trying to record around and on top of a drum track once it’s done.
The small riff that is repeated in this song was composed while recording the bass track. Sometimes, when I record bass directly after the drums, I do a lot of composing via bass. The rhythm section completes the foundation and sets the tone for everything else recorded afterward. The little riff just happened by accident here and decided to stick around for the duration.
The bridge was also composed at this time. While recording the drum track, I knew I wanted a bridge of some kind for the song but didn’t know what to play in that space. I wondered what would happen if I just played a slower part there instead. In the end, that’s what I did but I didn’t know what would be there musically, only that there would be a slower part in the bridge. There wouldn’t be any lead vocal either, I decided. So, while playing the bass track, I went from C to E twice and then from G to A twice. It sounded weird to me at first but it grew on me.
There are both acoustic and electric guitars on the track. The acoustic was added to fill out the sound a little but also to provide a different tone than the usual electric noise. You can hear it pretty well in the bridge. These were all quick takes and fun to play.
Rounding out the sound are some keyboards. You’ll hear mostly organ sounds but there are a few cool things going on in the bridge. It’s mostly stock stuff but fairly effective.
I admit that I had a lot of fun with the backing vocals. I had a few people tell me I need to do more with backing tracks so I tried to hunker down and put some really good “Ahhhhs” in there. I was very happy with the way they came out after a couple of hours screaming in my living room.
The lead vocal was a breeze for me. It felt more like talking than singing and I think the result really worked. The cocky rock star thing comes off and I think people can recognize the character and the message, whether they just have a laugh at his expense or see some of the issues underneath.
I always get comments about the little ad-libs at the end. I’m not sure where they came from. They were spontaneously yelled out while recording. You can interpret them any way you like. Are they they ramblings of a drunken, aging rock star who forgot he was giving an interview and thought he was actually on a stage? Maybe he feels he always IS on a stage? Is he the last of his kind? You make the call. Good night, New Jersey.
Lyrics
Take it in – Have a swim
I’ll watch your face with a polite grin
I confess – It’s a mess
Take off your gloves I’ll never pass that testStill alive – flying high
Trying to burn out but not fade away
Hey Pierre – Don’t put that there
I might fall down and bust my derriereDon’t know how I get through the day
I’m tired, I’m hungover, and you’re in my way
Don’t try to save this ship I’m on
I’m just living in style in my own private BabylonIt’s a simple thing – I’m the king
I don’t throw parties, people bring them to me
What the hell? What’s that smell?
Something’s dead in the roach motelI got five master bedrooms
I got three heated pools
I got my own bowling alley
I got a helicopter on the roofI got fans so devoted
I can make them spray tears
They’re keeping me so rich
I haven’t done a thing in yearsTalent is irrelevant
It’s all about how you look
There’s no need for me to read
Because I wrote the bookI bet you don’t think
I see this hole in my heart
I’m just trying to check out
Before the hurting starts
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