March started off strong with lots of ideas. In fact I have four new songs started that all have a lot of potential. I tracked several ideas and had more than enough options to sort through before I settled on what would be this month’s entry. I knew the end of the month would be busy with shows and Easter weekend, and felt very inspired to get an early jump on recording.
Then I got sick! A good old-fashioned spring cold tore through our household and left my wife and I talking like characters from a gangster movie. Mine settled into my chest and stayed there for the better part of three weeks. Gone was my buffer and once again I found myself scrambling, not only to complete a piece but to sing it without sounding like an outcast from The Godfather. I suppose it’s true that recordings are a snapshot of time!
For the sake of time, I shelved my more ambitious ideas and recorded this simple acoustic piece that I fleshed out with some ambient synths, subtle percussion, and a bassline courtesy of my friend Chuck Teed. Sean Boyer added a last-minute harmony before mixing it down on the last evening of the month (Sean’s mix only).
Lyrically this song feels hopeful to me. I haven’t decided exactly what I am saying in this piece yet, but each playback makes me think more and more that my father’s memory is most likely at the heart of this one. Fitting given that April 1st is the anniversary of his passing.
I’m presenting two mixes of this month’s song. One by the ever-present Sean Boyer and another by my friend and bandmate Bill Preeper.
With further adieu, Quiet Nights:
Bill Preeper Mix:
(to download, right click and select “save as”)
Sean Boyer Mix:
(to download, right click and select “save as”)
My sincerest gratitude to both Sean Boyer and Bill Preeper for their time and mixes.
Thanks to everyone who has been visiting the site, commenting on the blogs and just generally being encouraging. We’re at the quarter-mark now and I have no regrets about re-visiting this project.
Note: This song is also available in both .WAV and FLAC formats. If you’d like a copy in either format, please write to clintoncca@gmail.com