Tomorrow's Show...
First thing, anyone who read a blog I wrote a few days ago called 'My Recording Process', should know, I missed out some vital information. I may have sounded very clever, but you must know, it was Pete Townsend who designed, assembled and aquired the studio setup for me, it took him a week. I needed a fool-proof set up, cause I'm a fool. Pete done all this for me because I hated recording on a computer, and the little four track with broken buttons. When I first got it, I was really scared of it, I remember I didn't produce a demo for ages, but the sound is incredible, Pete designed a system that makes me sound lovely, while being usable and logical. I am eternally grateful for all Pete has done for me, and feel very lucky to regard him as a friend.
The drawing here in my songbook, is of my number 2 guitar, the one I took camping in France. I got this guitar on my twenty-first birthday, and have wrote most of my songs with it. There's a song to go with this drawing, but I'm still working on it, so, no name or information yet, except, it made me cry when I wrote it. The colours come from the same two blackberries and ivy leaf. I love this drawing.
Looking forward to tomorrow's show on Who TV, hope you all get a good feed, give me a shout.
mikey
posted by musicmikey @ 1:56 pm
33 Comments:
Mikey, The drawings are wonderful. I love that you use berries and leaves for color. We used to spend a lot of time in the woods in Vermont, and I love white birch trees. My grandfather, a real woodsman, used to tell me that we should never, ever peel off the bark, but if the bark was already off, we could use it. So my sister and I would always look for pieces of birch bark to play with.
I still have a short letter Grampa wrote to me on a piece of birch bark. Have you ever made any art on birch bark?
I'm looking forward to tomorrow's webcast too. I will only be able to "attend" part of it this week.
Raining here in Minneapolis this morning.
Hey Brina, we call them Silver birch over here, and its my favorite tree. I've never written or drawn on the bark, yet, but you've planted a seed. Thanks.
Mikey...I think you have a lovely voice,and the songs I've heard have been wonderful! Thanks for sharing your thoughts...I'll pop by now and then to see what's going on!...Nancy P
Mikey, you're lucky. The more I find out about you, rachel, rene and pete through this blog, the more I admire each of you. That was such a nice way to describe the setup of your studio. The only contact I've had from pete was him sending my Chines Eyes CD all the way back to America after I had passed it to his people at the House of Blues in LA. That meant so much to me that he would care so much - I hadn't expected to get the cd back. Since then I had it framed with a nice photo taken at the event of Pete on stage and it hangs on the wall of my music room next to my quadrophenia poster above my Rickenbacker. Anyone who visits my little room hears the story of that autograph, everyone.
I was working on the song for my wife last night, I ended up using sampled drums and tapping out the drum track by hand. I have a guide guitar track and will be putting a bit of piano down tonight, she's out working her second job. Only a few days left to pull this together, our anniversary is on October 20th.
Thanks for the excellent post.
Thanks Nancy P, really glad you like it.
Cheers Gary, good story. I hearing about the way you work. Your anniversary is on my brothers birthday, and Rene's sisters birthday, and great things always happen on that day or just around it. Good luck mate, and thankyou for your excellent comment.
Hi Mikey,
Silver birch is even nicer! I always loved birch trees. Feel very spiritual and connected with them.
There is a birch tree at the cemetery next to my infant son's grave (he died in 1997). I have spent a lot of time at that tree. Usually when I go there, I'm really quiet, but sometimes I sing one of Ethan's songs. He liked "Edelweiss" the best. Losing Ethan is one of the life events that pointed me toward becoming a grief counselor. He's one of the reasons I spend so much time studying now (and should be doing, right now!).
Hugs to you and Rene.
Brina
Hi Mikey,
Started recording myself last night, again... I need some type of organization myself on mine. I don't have enough hands. You are lucky, Do you know how many guys have their jaws dropped now that you said Pete set up your studio? I think I'm going to get books on it myself to make sure I've got it right. Maybe the next contest will be Pete setting up our studio (yeah right). Great Blog, I love making new freinds, and it seems you are becoming one. I cant wait to fly out there someday. Im looking itno a preamp for the Phantom for vocals. My Boss1600 has one in it but the vocals just dont stand out right... I have a lot of reading to do. Thanks for the great writings... michael :)
Hi from San Francisco,
I think you sound a bit like Stevie Winwood and that's a compliment. You have a great voice and play incredibly well and are going to be a big star! I look forward to the big show on Wednesday! Music and laughs. Too much!
hi mikey? thanks for writing back?? i will be looking foward to who tv. im 15 and i may be your youngest fan and also my friends think you and rach are talented people. MY MATES have only just got into rachel fuller, YOURSELF and who tv. laura my bessie mate thinks you sound like a mix between eric clapton and james blunt(i would take that as a complement)i dont know what that means but we think you could become a bigger star than u are and rachel too. sadly i live up north and london i visit around 3 times a year i would like to see you in some funky underground club were yourself rach and pete could all perform. i dont suppose you will be coming up north any time? if so let me now. your very talented and gifted people better than james blunt infact! oh how is ure bro and his wife are you a uncle yet?? congrats anyway darlin
all regards to yourself and rene keep well love!!
love lucy (tammy girl)
p.s. how do u make cheesey egg!! laura asked me? give me the instructions!!
Mikey,
Im almost done with recording "Lets See Action". Its totally different than what I first started it to be. The vocals are a cross between David Bowie and Mick Jaggar. Scary isnt it.. Wait till you hear it. Thanks for the inspiration. Everytime I start I actually think "How will Mikey figure this out". All I need is a big poster of you newt to Petes, that will make it almost complete. Michael :)
Question...for Who/TV
Whats the thing you were afraid of as a child (i.e boggyman..) and did you ever write a song about it?
Where in the world do you dream of going to for holiday, or just to go because you always wanted to?
What word do you absolutly hate to hear or say?
What is your favorite word?
I posted these on Rachels also if you can answer them on WHO?TV michael
Question for the show:
What did you eat for breakfast, lunch? What are your favorite foods/drink?
Will you display any of your artwork on the show?
S
Love the drawing - it would be perfect for an album cover - especially if you have a song that goes along with it.
Love watching you on WHO TV.
Those drwaings are quite nice. I am trying to aquire some recording equipment. It looks like I might have to use computer software (yuck). It is too bad I cannot see you on WHOTV live, I am at school. I have a question for you to answer however. What is your favorite season of year?
Brina in Minneapolis, I used to live there, last year I moved 4 hours north. Living in an earthen structure, very primitive, 22 miles from Bemidji.
I tried listening to your music, as I am very curious, but somehow the platform isn't supported on my ancient computer.
I'm a musician as well, toiling at little recordings in my 'Hovel' with an 8-track. It's great fun recording, but during the winter my studio is too cold, and the microphones won't work. So I work fast during the summer!
Loving you on WHO TV this week - very deep moment on the lion dream :)
Mikey -
I have a gift for you...The actual song...TOUCH MY BUM. It is on my blog for a listen and I hope you enjoy!
I enjoyed the show today and I also wanted to mention I love your art. How cool you used berries for the color..you are very talented! I paint too but would have never come up with that creative idea. I probably would have tossed in the towel and said to hell with it! HA!
Have a great day! I guess evening for you.
from another Blogaholic -Molly
OK I Feel Jipped...Rachel passed over my announcement of TOUCH MY BUM and didn't even read that I found the song for your guys...
Resentment setting in...PERHAPS I will tune in next week...PERHAPS not...LOL
Stumbled across yours, Rachel's and Pete's blogs by chance and loving them! The music, the writing, and the art. Cant express my admiration enough.
Great Day today 10-05-05. Great show. I cant believe I won!!!
On the DADGAD you have to tune up? is this correct, because I saw you use it today and it looks interesting to try out. I will send you some nice little trinkets and useful thing also. I will also send Rene some cookbooks from america. If she likes pins I will send those too.
Mikey,
Your music is amazing. I'm hearing a little Graham Nash coming through. Astounding. Will you have a CD out soon?
HEY MIKEY, Caught the show.SUPERB AGAIN. Came out clear, few glitches but what the hey it was still good.
"Bluebell wood" sounded and looked amazing. You should get some more video's done. They really seem to express your music. Superb Vid. Is it going to be on your album? The song is great.
I thought the viseo was romantic and very sweet. Nice song too! Thanks Mikey...no go listen to TOUCH MY BUM! LOL
Hi, Mikey! Finally popped by to see your blog and say that you're a fantastic musician and artist! Please post more stuff.
Also, did you ever collect from that bet with Rachel? The one about whether or not 'bastardization' is a word. Because it most definitely is. If you've not, pester her til she caves!
Cheers,
Heather
Mikey, I can't wait to hear some of the songs you have recorded in your home studio. Maybe you can put some up on your blog?
Hi Mikey,
You were spot on today! In purple, quite the fashion plate, and the music sounded so good. I so enjoyed Spud's angelic presence. He reminds me of my Polly, although she is more animated than Mr. Spud with the thyroid issues. He seems like a happy, sweet dog. And Pete was great fun. I hope it cheered Rachel some, after her disappointing news.
I sure enjoyed the webcast. I was sick yesterday and am still a bit weak today (dr. says it was food poisoning, not the flu, eeek), so I especially loved being able to watch my British blog pals. All of the music was terrific today.
I love it that you are addicted to blogging. Me too! (and it's all Rachel's fault, she got us started, eh?)
Hugs,
Brina
P.S. Your brother bunk beds story reminds me of all the years I shared a room with my sister. We did similar things to your monkey noises to bug each other. In fact, well, we still do when we get together...she knows just how to push my buttons, that's for sure!
But do brothers borrow your favorite clothes and wear them on dates before you get a chance to wear them?! She used to do that to me and it was infuriating!
Hello Mikey~ Had to come and see your blog.....your artwork is so lovely, as is your music.
You have a beautiful soul, and it comes through in both mediums.
Love you on the show.....
Take Good Care~
Elizabeth
Mikey,
Terrific show today! I absolutely loved your song (and video) "Bluebell Wood". I've been studying on my own recently about the naming of place and the specific naming of natural things (like bluebells) in writing. By doing this, you bring the outside landscape inside of you, combine it with your internal landscape of feelings and emotions and then express yourself in a way that combines the two worlds. This is the defining characteristic of the best poetry from my area: the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. where the environment is so spectacular (even what’s left of it) that it can’t be ignored. What I’m talking about is really the writing equivalent of what you are doing with your painting by using blackberries and ivy as materials.
With “Bluebell Wood” you achieved this in a song quite beautifully. So, I guess that means you’re officially a Pacific Northwest writer! I guarantee that if you come to this part of the world people will understand your songs right away.
The only thing that I could hear which might make the music of the song better would be to either lower the level of the drum kit track or just take it out entirely and use only the other percussion track. The drum part was quite good, but I felt it was maybe too rigid sounding, while the percussion track (congas? bongos?) seemed to match the looser, organic feel of the song that came across in the video. Just my two cents worth! The song is absolutely brilliant and I hope that you do more songs that feature the natural world in some way.
Cheers,
Tom Pratt
Mikey, I was reading a back issue of performing songwriter just now, Dwight Yoakam was the featured interview. He's a country artist here in the US. In it he describes his process of writing, and I thought it really accurately describes the experience, for me at least, particularly the last paragraph. Is it the same for you?
Here is what he had to say.
I would just find myself emulating mood and tone. I mean that in an almost visual sense. As in, what I see in my mind as I close my eyes. Tone in a shaded sense. In terms of light. That's a strange way of talking about it, but I visualize musical moments. I have a visual experience. It's almost like chanting.
I don't sit down and say, "Now I'm going to write a drinking song." My earliest memory with a guitar, when it was too big for me to even try to play, once I was able to master a few chords—and I haven't much outdistanced that mastering yet—I would sit, almost in a catatonic way, then go away with that sound, whatever the chord was, whatever the riff was. I still write with that approach as a basis. For me, it's music first. It's usually vowel sounds. It's intoning on top ot that melodic progression. Some sort of vowel sounds that have an emotional articulation.
Then from there, I've kept little scrap papers and journals of song lines. Lines come to me in a moment. Often times, if I jot down a line, I'll think of a melodic way to express it. One begs the other immediately to follow. When it starts with the music first, it doesn't necessarily give way to an immediate coherent thesis of verbal articulation. But it gives way to some kind of vowel-consonant intoning of emotional articulation, in terms of color. Something wants to come out. I know this sounds really nuts, but it's almost as if a song wants to come from somewhere, from the other side somehow. It's trying to press its way into this plane of existence, via my skull (laughs}.
Hello Mikey-
You are such a beautiful soul- your music and artwork reflect that.
I also love that you use berries and leaves for color.
I tried to use all natural dyes like blueberries and onion skins one year dying Easter eggs with my daughter. The best color actually came from tumeric...the other colors were too light.
I enjoy the show - especially the music so much.
You two just keep getting better (and of course Pete's presence is always a gift from above!).
That is sooooo fantastic that he set up a studio for you. Well, he's a benefactor of discerning taste, so it was your talent that made it all happen. I'm so glad he did, though. So...get busy with that cd already! :)
Awww Thanks Mikey, I was just teasing, Of course I don't feel snubbed, just trying to make you laugh some more.
I agree that song is AWEFUL!!!!!! I was just sick and couldn't sleep in the night so I looked it up for fun and thought it was histerical they actually had a whole website!
Rachel said she couldn't find a clip of the song so I thought I would help out in a silly way.
Beautiful music I can't wait for your CD to come out!
Thanks for the comment it was nice of you to stop by!
Cheers, Molly
Mikey, It's so interesting that one of your bloggers above mentioned Dwight Yoakam and his songwriting. Some of his songs remind me of yours, not stylistically but emotionally.
One of my favorite Dwight songs is from an early album of his, "Hillbilly Deluxe." It's called "Throughout All Time" and I think you should hear it, if you don't already know his songs. It starts:
I'll still see you walking, silently
Through the shadows in my mind
A vision of your sweet blue eyes
Creeps into my dreamful sleep at night
You still haunt the deepness of my memories
I guess you will throughout all time...
I love that song!
Hope you are having a good Thursday. It's really cold here in Minnesota, snow predicted in parts of our state!
Love to you and Rene,
Brina
P.S. Thank you for the useless facts.I like them!
Hey there everyone, I've done this before, and then it disapeared, so here goes again;
Thanks for your beautiful blog Brina, I really feel for you. My newphew Ryan's young son has been named Ethan, I think its heavenly name. Big hugs from me and Rene, and thanks for your amazing comments. Take care.
Thanks Michael, well done for winning. Tune down the E strings to D, then tune down the B string to A, nice and easy does it. I hope I answered your question's on the show, thanks for the great feedback mate.
Thanks Seychelle, I love Stevie, it is a great compliment. See you next week.
Thanks Lucy, I'm sure you'll get to see us soon. Thanks for your great blogs, take care Tammy girl.
Thanks Janey, good idea.
Cheers Kevin, I think its winter.
Thanks for a great comment Ticharu, I used to live in an old railway carriage, amazing to hear your stuff freezes up, what we do for our art eh, thanks for the comment mate.
Thanks Janey.
Cheers Molly, don't feel snubbed, you have a great blog.
Cheers Denver, serendipity eh?
Thanks to Cliff de west, more films coming.
Will do Heather, thanks for the advice and kindness.
Good idea Carrie, don't know how at the moment though, do you know?
Thanks Elizabeth, you too.
Thanks Tom, you do me an honour sir, one I feel priviliged and grateful for. Thankyou again.
Great comment Gary, I wish I was that deep mate, my songs are stories and affirmations, to get me through, mostly. Loved reading it though. Cheers.
Will do Suesjoy, thanks for the lovely words.
Any time Molly, I'll check you again, thankyou.
Snow already, thats criminal, I'll check out Dwight, thanks. I'm full of useless facts and I'm glad you like them. Take care Brina.
mikey
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