Adult TV (original), OM warm-up act

[brianlarsen]

Only one week till the next Open Mic… Where’s the hype?
Mixed feelings about not playing (entertaining in-laws) but enjoying the complete lack of structured life at the moment.
I think this is the one I would have chosen to play, so I decided to re-record (from about a year ago) and share as a warm-up act (this time with a Trio+ backing track)
(You don’t even have to put up with the interminable intro)

Blurb:
We grew up in a world that was black and white.
All our play was based on good guys against the bad guys, cowboys and Indians, cops and robbers, the allies and the axis…
Television programs reflected this, and we even called it black and white TV.
Getting older, many of us realise very few problems are B&W; It’s all shades of grey, with ‘cures’ sometimes worse than the ‘disease’.
You’ll recognise TV programs in the chorus, but younger members might not be familiar with the excellent Get Smart (and their cool ‘cone of silence’), or perhaps Ironside, the wheelchair detective.
As for solutions to the problems in the verses, answers on a postcard please.
(Maybe one day I’ll write another adult TV song in 50 shades of grey… )

Go break a leg all you performers!

Adult TV, original (with backing track)

[philsmith]

Nicely done Brian. Those trios look really interesting, but way above my current level. Not sure I wanted to be reminded it is a only week away. My song never seems to go right any more, and I am tinkering with mics, reaper and OBS. Even trying to go back to basics seems challenging. I may just disappear to a darkened room for a while.
Phil

[liaty]

Nice work Brian, you’ll be missed on the night

[TheMadman_tobyjenner]

Good to hear this again Brian and the Trio BT works well. I must persevere with mine !
Nice warm up and puts me in the mood for the OM but likely to save the hype for a few days.
Songs finally sorted and tomorrow I’ll decided how I am going to rig things up. But this evening its a time out day, after bouncing around on the tractor mower for around for hours, so completely cream crackered, as the hound had me up at 5am. Will miss your presence next week !

Cheers

Toby

[sairfingers]

Yes, I remember the yellow sputum swirling down the drain lyric from your previous version Brian.
I also remember all the tv shows in your song. Great stuff and the Trio backing helped give the song a little extra.
You sang and played with your usual passion. Well done.

I actually muted the Eurovision Song Contest to listen to your song. Can’t say fairer than that. My vote goes to the Spanish bird with not much on.

[batwoman]

This sent my wheels and cogs moving all along the highways and byways Brian. The quiet melancholy I often hear in your voice works so very well here. I like the juxtaposition of this against the jaunty, let’s have a jolly good time bounce of your guitars. It’s uncomfortable and it works.

[DavidP]

I will certainly miss your performance at the OM and the introduction … always a highlight of the evening.

You have such a way with words, able to share insight and observations on almost any topic as well as any of the great singer-songwriter story-tellers. And then deliver the lyrics in a way that holds my attention, the simple accompaniment serving the song perfectly.

Sadly no answers to place on a postcard, just maybe a link to my own song Two To Midnight that ventured down a similar avenue some time back.

I remember the shows though too young to have watched them all, other than MI plus in my memories as a youngster (under 9), Star Trek, Virginian and Dixon of Dock Green and the kids shows like Scooby Doo, Captain Scarlett, and Thunderbirds on the old B&W telly before coming to SA where in those first years there was no telly at all.

Look forward to more re-recordings of your original songs with your backing Trio.

[roger_holland]

Hi Brian,
That was a fine, one and certainly that last bit came in well ,with so much power sung out (I think the translation on my part is so so, but we’ll just have to stick with google translate…I’m not fresh awake still not after 2 hours )

Next week a(21) lustrum wedding, and 2 birthdays, so even sitting in public is not in it … I saw it coming a while back so I kept myself completely aloof in that thread …

@brianlarsen

and we even called it black and white TV

@brianlarsen

As for solutions to the problems in the verses, answers on a postcard please.

I’m about to buy the whole postcard shop…I’ve got some ideas let’s say

@brianlarsen

Maybe one day I’ll write another adult TV song in 50 shades of grey

BIS BIS BIS

[jkahn]

I really liked the contrasts in the first verse. Save the planet, like my shit online. So trivial the shit a lot of fretting happens over.

It’s not so black and white these days. Was it ever? Most of us from the “west” grew up with stories of good always winning over evil. But what’s good, and what’s evil (if there is such a thing of either).

Great songwriting.

[SgtColon]

Brilliant Brian. I got most of the references in your chorus. Excellent song writing and very thought provoking.

I enjoyed my black and white day’s. It made life simple.

[robert.c.1984]

Nice one!

[LBro]

Good job Brian. But it was not enough to raise the dead as the skull behind you looked a bit dormant. Though I think I see a smile there…

Bummer you can’t be in the next OM. Hopefully the next go thereafter will be blessed with your song and play.

These loud vocal burst must be meant to wake up those nodding off?

Keep up the good vibe,
LB

[pkboo3]

How much would that 6 Million be today? I got several of your references. Not all though.

Another good one. I liked the style of the song. Loving the vocals. That’s the second song outburst causing my adrenaline to rise. Scares me every time.

I think I read where you may pop in during the OM. Hope you can.

[adi_mrok]

I remember hearing this one for the first time, great to have another go at it Brian! It was pleasure again having to listen to it

[brianlarsen]

Yikes! I’ve been a bit remiss in responding to all the lovely comments- (I blame the visiting in-laws )

@philsmith

Those trios look really interesting, but way above my current level

Actually not. They are very ‘intelligent’ little boxes (and not that cheap), but work on whatever level you play. If you are able to play four simple down-strums and tap your foot at the same time, that’s enough to create a loop that will give you drum and base backing to practice over. If you can play a couple of bars with chord changes, that allows you to create whole song backing tracks. They’re a lot of fun and good for getting you to play in time as well as learning song structure.

@liaty Cheers, Dave
I hope to check in and see how folks are doing. Otherwise I’ll check it out when it goes up online.

@TheMadman_tobyjenner The forum/OM ‘rock’ in more ways than one: Hog-revvin’, tractor-pullin’, beer-swillin’ axe-man. Look forward to catching your set

@sairfingers Cheers, mate
Your vote of confidence more than any amount of dooze points1
I never did see Mrs. Spain. I suppose I could check it out online, but I received an invitation from someone called Sophie yesterday who wants to be my friend and seems well fit

@batwoman ah, Maggie, always looking for what’s underneath the surface…
Careful there, luvvie

@DavidP Whow, David, very generous indeed
I guess we’re of similar (fine) vintage and not too far apart on our guitar journey.
Glad you enjoyed (again!)

@roger_holland

,with so much power sung out

Cheers, Rogier. When I started recording, I used to just try and play and sing the song as well as I could. My Danish guitar-playing cousin used to tell me to sing with more emotion, which I didn’t really find helpful. I think it was @LievenDV in one of his posts who mentioned that it’s a good idea to really exaggerate whilst performing. I suppose it’s a bit like actors wearing a ton of makeup while on stage or filming.
And yes, I’d like to read your long list of ideas… Not that I think any of them would be practical, but I do enjoy a good laugh
Finally, I am going to ask a silly question:
what is bis bis bis? You’ve mentioned it a number of times and the Google-oracle is unable to help me. So far I’ve been reading it as ‘he he he’

@jkahn Thank you so much. It’s good fun to try and write your own stuff. Once you get over the misconception that it shouldn’t be ‘bad’, you can have a ball

@SgtColon Cheers mate
I guess life is as simple or complicated as we choose to see it.
I wear my rose-tinted spectacles most days

@robert.c.1984 Cheers Robert, and how nice to see you back in action. Loved your jazz number the other day. The most individual style in the community in my book (and that’s great!)
Please accept this as a lazy comment on your thread

[brianlarsen]

@LBro, Raising the dead… maybe there’s a song in that somewhere down the line.

@LBro

These loud vocal burst

Maybe I was ‘exaggerating’ a tad too much?

@pkboo3 Cheers, Pam
Thanks for the listen, comment and am enjoying that ‘other stuff’ you mentioned

@adi_mrok Ta Ade
Another ‘rock’ like the mad one. We’re gonna need a lighthouse to avert disasters.
I thought I was going to be spending a lot of time consolidating and going back learning a load of songs I had already ‘done’, but I’m back downloading from UG again

[roger_holland]

@brianlarsen

Not that I think any of them would be practical

…

@brianlarsen

what is bis bis bis

…B-is equal to B#
And I thought this is a worldwide known thing in the music world…after a song,…especially when a concert is over…it’s a classy way to shout ‘We want more’… …so I often use the term in a different context, such as ‘do yes’
Fun fact, in the Netherlands I already cried as a child and still (very loudly) ’ one more song…nog een liedje’ (the translation does not go well here),…so I now sometimes hear that at a concert both on TV and the live versions and was also quoted by an artist well-known in the Netherlands during a TV interview that I was the one who started it (no idea if that was really the case that I was really the first)…

If you have another question …
And my solutions for all world problems are actually quite simple and known for thousands of years and also known to you and many others I think so…I don’t have to spend time on that…for now

[LievenDV]

@brianlarsen

I think it was @LievenDV in one of his posts who mentioned that it’s a good idea to really exaggerate whilst performing. I suppose it’s a bit like actors wearing a ton of makeup while on stage or filming.

Well, it made you articulate a little better and most of all; it really serves your storytelling here!
And that my dear @brianlarsen is your forte; songwriting and storytelling whilst doing it.
The first verse got me hooked right away.
Love the dynamics after minute 03:00 to 04:00 as well!

[tRONd]

You’re ability to write lyrics and make music amazes me Brian!!
You have a real talent for songwriting in my opinion.

You will be missed on the OM, but at least you threw out an brilliant warm up act!

Next time buddy…

[SDKissFan]

Great song. Thanks for sharing. You are talented.