Jesus Just Left Chicago cover (ZZ Top)

[Guest]

Ronws has mentioned to me a couple of times that he thought this song would be a good fit for me. To be honest I didn't know the song (shame on me). Ron had already recorded a version of this.

I wasn't going to post this week, hopefully I will start recording again next week. But I wanted to get this done for Ron. I have a few songs I want to iron out but haven't had the chance since being sick so I got this one while the gettin' was good. I don't feel well so I gave it one shot and it will have to stand. I'm not that happy with the mix but what else is new

Ok...the contest is on...this is my answer to ronws' cover of Jesus Just left Chicago by ZZ Top.

May the better man win!! Ahhh, just kidding Ron plays guitar on his I think...I can't compete with that.

I hope you like this. It's not something I would add to my list as I think it needs a specific audience. This one is just for the Ron Meister.

http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=11789146&q=hi&newref=1

[napoleonboot]

Very cool.

I think I might give this a go also, I'm a sucker for a bit of blues.

You don't get any more Amercian than ZZ Top, so I'll apologise in advance for being so British!

George

[Guest]

Thanks George. Much appreciated

[ronws]

Pardon my profanity but, HELL YEAH!

I knew your voice was perfect for this song and vice versa. In fact, your voice is more suited to this song than mine is, though I still sing it because I like it so much. That little ole' band from Houston knows how to hit a groove. Excellent karaoke track.

And yes, I did my own guitar playing on mine and screwed up the eq and mixing all on my own, as well.

And thank you for posting, even if it's just for me. I likes me some delta blues.

[Guest]

Glad you liked it Ron. A "Hell Yea" is always good. :)

[napoleonboot]

My take on it. What a great blues song

http://soundcloud.com/george-williams-8/jesus-just-left-chicago

[Guest]

That's a great rendition there George, thanks for posting it

Yea, it is a great blues tune.

The "Jesus Just Left Chicago" thread!! :D

[Vocalist Dad]

I loved both versions guys, great job.:)

[Guest]

Thanks Steve,

Now we need Ron to add his version.

[ronws]

You asked for it, Tommy.

I didn't think of using a karaoke track. I've been playing this song for decades. And so I did it in my comfort zone.

Two tracks. First track, me playing the chords and singing at the same time. Second track, some noodling guitar for the break.

Then I mixed the whole thing wrong. It sounds like it would in my '68 Mustang. It had the original Philco AM radio and I added an FM converter given to me by a friend but I had to replace the adjustable rf coil in the intermediate local oscillator section to get it work. This about the sound quality of that. So, maybe, it's right. It's what I heard back then.

Apologies for my all-thumbs approach.

"Jesus Just Left Chicago" by ZZ Top

http://www.box.com/s/2089af1e317fdc009fcc

[Guest]

Ok, you're in!!! Well, actually you were first. :D

[Keith]

Loved it. Let me ask, how far do you stand away from the mic? and is it a studio mic or a live vocal mic?

[Guest]

Loved it. Let me ask, how far do you stand away from the mic? and is it a studio mic or a live vocal mic?

Keith, which of the three of us are you referring to?

Ron, George, or me?

[Keith]

You Tommy lol. Havent gotten to the others yet.

[Guest]

Ok Well first, thanks for liking the song. RE: mic. I use an SM58 and I hold it in my hand. How far away I hold it depends on the song and how loud I am singing. For this song I held it a few inches (6?) from my mouth except for the high part/scream where I moved it up to above my nose and turned my head slightly away from the mic.

For louder songs I hold the mic as far as a foot or more from my mouth and then angle it above my nose for louder high notes or falsetto's. It also depends on the volume level of the music. Some tracks are loud to start with and I have to turn up the vocal volume and so I move the mic farther away.

For "with a little Help From My friends" I had the mic about a foot and a half away. You know I'm figuring this out on the fly. :D

[ronws]

As for me, I used the mic stand and pop filter and my face was almost 2 feet away, with the guitar in front of me, being a little closer. About like what it would be live. Except that I eq the track wrong.

For the solo, I lowered the mic to be even with the guitar and more like a foot away, basically to mask out other noise. Post recording, I added some echo for the solo track.

I like how I sounded on this song but I absolutely hate how I mixed it. This should have been a case where I should have sent it to you, Keith.

[slstone]

Mixing is definitely an art. I didn't gain my mad skills in one day. Took many years of a bit of trial and a whole lot of error before I really started to learn. It is definitely a skill with a huge learning curve.

[ronws]

Thanks for your input, Scott.

Since this has become the "Jesus just left Chicago" thread, maybe you could put up a version.

That would be cool.

[slstone]

Hey bro, I appreciate the invite, but blues really isn't my "thing". plus I don't know when I would have time. At this current moment in time, I have 3 Nightwish collaborations, 1 Kamelot Collaboration, 2 Kamelot songs I am doing on my own, a Stratovarius song, Dio song and Dream Theater song. All in progress in various stages of completion, in addition to video footage being shot and edited for most of these. I am also gearing up to start writing for my 2nd CD. I also have a Petra song on back order to do.

In all these songs, I am playing all instruments and singing all male vocals. The collaborations I have in progress are with another vocalist(female), singing female parts, respectively.

I can say, thank goodnes I am a fast study. I can sit down to learn a song without ever having played it before in about an hour(by ear alone), and be ready to record 2 hours later to where it sounds like I have been playing the song for years. Like you, I work a full time job outside of home, in addition to familial obligations.

Very time consuming, as you can imagine. I think you will really like what will be coming from my studio.

Still pondering if I want to take up Robert's challenge. I am also a big Deep Purple fan as well.

p.s. For a chuckle, I do all this even though I had my left index finger dislocated at work 2 years ago, and I still can't bend it all the way, which makes my guitar playing a challenge. I had to change my form and positioning to accomodate for it. You can't tell it from listening to me play. It is definitely a challenge to play with a finger like that. Challenging, not impossible. anyway.....

[ronws]

Oh, okay.

Well, at least I asked.

I am going to do the "Child in Time" challenge. I've been working on pieces of it on the way to work (between 5 and 6 am.) In the afternoon, between answering business calls on my company mobile, I sing whatever is on the radio,

I have sang the song a number of times but, as I have learned, it doesn't hurt to rehearse a few more times. I want to make some creative choices, as did Robert. But it's better to work those out in advance, rather than on the fly, in some cases.

[slstone]

That's what I generally do when I work on a cover. I will bring my instrumental version(that I almost always play record all the music myself), and sing it on the way to work to practice what I want to do, especially parts where I will put my musical signature on it.