Christmas Blues

[Guest]

Actually there is no song here. But maybe there could be.

I scribbled this last year. I altered the last verse this year to make it a little humorous. To be honest, this started as an idea for a Xmas Blues song. So it was unfinished and still is. Just scatch notes for a song idea. I forgot I had it and came across it today. I decided not to finish it or add anymore to it and just leave it as is and hand it over here (other than changing that last verse).

Maybe one of you musicians, (guitar platers etc) can put some music to it and also sing it. Just take it and do what you wish (or not). Alter the lyrics if you like. But it's Blues so Blues it up I had a 12 bar progression in mind but I'm no musician so whatever.

Do you Remember Last Christmas

Do you remember last Christmas baby, sittin’ round the Christmas tree

Do you remember last Christmas darlin’ hangin’ round that Christmas tree

You had the nerve to tell me, that you was leavin me.

Gave you everything I had, all my lovin’ too

I tried to make you happy, woman what else could I do.

Merry Christmas baby, hope it’s a good one for you

I wonder who’s Christmas you’ll be turnin’ blue

Do you remember last Christmas under the mistletoe

I Said, Do you remember last Christmas under the mistletoe.

I Tried to love you baby but I ended up out in the snow.

I remember last Christmas, when you said we were through

But this is a new year and I got someone new

I hope you’re doing well and I want you to know

That I still think of you, you ho ho ho ho.

[MDEW]

Pretty Cool Tommy.

I may give it a shot.(if I can get the kitchen table cleaned off and set up my "STUDIO") :P

[ronws]

My Studio is the computer desk next to the sliding glass door to the back yard.

I was inspired, Tommy. Your lyrics, for the most part, have a good and natural blues cadence to them. I picked up the guitar, capo'd to put it in Gb. Got through the first lyrics and I knew I had the beat.

So, rough and dirty. If we were sitting in front of a fireplace, sharing some scotch and soda, and you handed me this, this is what you get. First and only take, no rehearsal, no re-start, right out of the box, as it were.

You can write me blues songs anytime, Hermano en Azul.

https://www.box.com/s/5w1wsgq8r2oh0z4bli10

Other's milage may vary. And yes, anyone can critique, even you, Tommy. Did I get close, even just a little?

[Vocalist Dad]

Love it Ron, You and Tommy need to get after it. :cool:

[MDEW]

I want to give this a shot so I haven't listened to Rons submission. I 'm sure it sounds great and I do not want to be influenced by it. I already have the Christmas Blues so I should be in the correct frame of mind for it.

Just need to get time to lay it down.

[ScratchTracks]

I'm sure she's not that bad... why you calling her a ho? lol

[ronws]

I want to give this a shot so I haven't listened to Rons submission. I 'm sure it sounds great and I do not want to be influenced by it. I already have the Christmas Blues so I should be in the correct frame of mind for it.

Just need to get time to lay it down.

Well, then, hurry up.

I want to hear what you do with it.

[MDEW]

Well I got the studio up for about half a day. So here you go, good or bad.

I did have to think about it a little. I could not do one shot and leave it at that.

https://soundcloud.com/mdew/tommys-christmas-blues

[ronws]

Well done, M. I liked it better than mine. Your is slinky and sexy and I could totally imagine Bonnie Raitt doing this song.

So, here's what you need to do. Copyright with Tommy. Start your own music publishing company. Assign percentage to each writer (you and Tommy.) Get the song listed with BMI. That's the easy part. Here's the hard part. You need to get this song to Bonnie's people.

The industry is full of stories of songs that were rejected, only to be saved later. "By the Time I get to Phoenix" was a lackluster filler song on a Johnny Rivers album and it barely made that. Glen Campbell did his own cover of that and it became his first bona fide pop/country hit.

The hard part is people the crew of Bonnie are inundated by countless offerings of stuff that are of lesser quality than this. They learn to ignore it.

Anyway, get it to Bonnie, let her make a huge smashing success out of it, then you can collect royalty checks and a grammy for songwriter of the year.

[MDEW]

Thanks Ron. I just got a chance to listen to yuors. Your submission was more Bluesy than mine. I liked it.

I was hoping more people would give it a shot. Would be good hear how other people handle the song.

[ronws]

Blues is a particular genre that is more about feeling and sass than it is about perfection of singing technique, in my amateur opinion. In fact, some of the most successful, beloved, and well known blues musicians have less than perfect technique. Less than perfect voices. Which is not to say that we are singing badly.

But it's not opera. It's not heavy metal. It's not even "hard rock." And it's appeal here is quite limited. Mainly to just us few who appreciate and like the blues.

I think the lack of traffic for this type of music and certainly for this thread is that not a lot of people are interested in the genre and even less are interested in trying it out. Iron Maiden and Helloween covers get far more attention than this will.

However, we blues fans can continue with it.

In the thread about giving out too many "good jobs," Tommy pointed out that he really appreciates technical critiques. And, of course, I am the one most guilty of handing out good jobs. But if I am the only one commenting on his blues songs and I happen to like them, well, there you go. I am doing a disservice to Tommy for liking his abillity to sing the blues. He takes a song and sings it like it was his own, which is golden in my amateur book.

I am not a singing teacher, though I like to help from my perspective, when I can. I am a fan of the genre, a fan of Tommy's singing, a fan of his performing style. One of those rednecks in the audience who parted with some cash to hear him sing.

So, my review doesn't make him a better singer. It doesn't mean he will always sing something right. And, just for the purposes of review, if he gets a note that I think was off-pitch or a bit wonky, I will point that out, too, if it is necessary. In the end, it doesn't matter the particulars of that note, but what the audience perceives. At least from the "getting paid" standpoint. And we could debate endlessly how the note should be song. And wind up with something tnat sounds like Pavarotti trying to sing "Christmas Blues." But it would not be the blues. The blues is more than just the 1-4-5 in 12 bars. It's a style.

A style that has limited appeal, at least in these circles.

So, here's to us bluesmen, all three of us. And the Tommy Pressimone Official Fan Club (all two of us.)

Keep writing, Tommy. You have a gift, use it.

[MDEW]

"And we could debate endlessly how the note should be song. And wind up with something tnat sounds like Pavarotti trying to sing "Christmas Blues." But it would not be the blues. The blues is more than just the 1-4-5 in 12 bars. It's a style."

I once saw a video of Pavarotti and BB King. I was hoping I would see how Pavarotti would handle a blues song. Unfortunately thay had Pavarotti sing some classical type phrases during the Lead Guitar portion of the song.

Both Pavarotti and BB King seemed to think the other was a joke. It could have been Awesome.

I still do not know if they were trying to make fun of BB or Pavarotti.

[ronws]

Don't forget, there was also a duet of Pavarotti and Bryan Adams singing "O, Sole Mio."

That was also comical. Especially as Pavarotti was a physical giant of a man and Adams is a short and little guy. They looked like Mutt and Jeff on stage.

[Guest]

Ok, I know Xmas is over...but. Thanks to those who gave this a shot. As I said in the original post feel free to reshape the lyrics. Add/subtract whatever.

I don't play an instrument so I couldn't add my own completely original submission but I'll give you what is sort of what I had in mind, although anyone is free to do what they like.

As I said, I don't play an instrument so I found a backing track on youtube. It turned out to be long and had a twist or two to it so I had to sort of add lib the lyrics a bit and add some extra.

Check this out.

http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=12073861&q=hi&newref=1

[ronws]

That was good, Tommy. I liked the track you found. That was kind of the crunch I was aiming for, too, I think. I know that sometimes you don't want to be known for "just the blues." But it's okay to be good at something, to have a natural talent for it. Even if you want to stretch in other directions, once in a while. To me, Blues is about tone and delivery. And you've got that, in spades.

[MDEW]

Very good Tommy. You have the blues touch.

I knew mine was more of a 50/60 rock feel than what you were looking for. I also went over board with my final

Merry Christmas. I thought about changing it ,but it was what I was feeling at the time.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to express ourselves.

[ronws]

MDEW, you did fine. Blues is about your soul. Not just mine, or Tommy's, or any one else's. We still have to watch our pitch control, of course, as with any singing. But the expression, that's all on you and you can't go wrong.