Howdy, folks..

I'm posting for Dave, this latest demo I've just finished for him, and it was both a challenge and a pleasure, as I finally learned how to program my virtual lap steel guitar (Orange Tree Samples "Slide Lap Steel") which plays throughout and solos at the end. If you notice a bird tweeting, that's the I'iwi, one of the honeycreeper songbirds of Hawaii. Anyway, we hope you enjoy the song!

https://soundcloud.com/michael-zaneski-1/moonlight-at-makaha

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Moonlight At Makaha

The moonlight at Makaha
It's where I'd rather be
But I'm standing here now waiting
By the lonely Banyan tree
Thinkin' 'bout our time together
I never can break free
From the memory of your magic
And the love you shared with me

Come and find me cuz I'm sinking
In a pool of reverie
Can't forget you, need to love you
Your love can rescue me
Will we ever be together
Where the waves are wild and free
Am I broken and forgotten
On our sand bough by the sea

I drove out to Nanakuli
To the cafe where we'd go
They'd play our island music
All the songs we used to know
But the magic isn't there now
Still the trade winds gently blow
And the message of the music
In the moonlight haunts me so

Drinkin' Rusty Nails and wishin'
Our love would still live on
But my simple intuition
Knows tonight your love is gone
Though my heart believes our love affair
Would still be goin' strong
If you only knew I love you
And I'll never do you wrong

Now you live in Honolulu
Not too far from Waikiki
When you're workin' at your day job
Do you ever think of me
Or has time and space convinced you
Our love can never be
How I wished that you still loved me
It's still my fantasy

Guess we'll never be together
To surf the angry sea
But I'll dream of it forever
When our love was young and free
I'll dream of it forever
Mahaka..
You, and me

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Lyrics and Music by Dave Rice
Copyright (C) 2016 Dave Rice
All Rights Reserved

Hi Dave,

A beautiful lyric.

Hi Mike,

Very cool and so smooth.

Thanks for sharing what you do.

Calvin


[color:#FF6666]The Blood Of My Youth..... [/color]http://www.soundclick.com/bands/0/calvinstewart

Dave,

Very pretty write and Michael really did it justice. The lyic flows so naturally with the music; plenty of breathing room for the vocal. The performance and production was awesome too. Really enjoyed this. Thanks for.sharing!

Tom

Dave & Mike, that's some beautiful and enchanting music. The production really captured the essence of the islands and the sea. Do DJs still spin records? If so, this one's ready for the turntable and 45 RPMs.

We love lap steel...takes us back to Jackson Browne and David Lindley (the Dobro player in our old bluegrass band played very nice lap steel). The steel adds the perfect finishing touch to the texture of this tune.

"Come and find me cuz I'm sinking
In a pool of reverie
Can't forget you, need to love you
Your love can rescue me
Will we ever be together
Where the waves are wild and free
Am I broken and forgotten
On our sand bough by the sea"

Wow, that is beautifully visual! Like Tom mentioned there is plenty of breathing room for the vocal. We both love an open airy mix with subtle but effective dynamics throughout and this delivers that in spades.

And that mix supports fine vocals that effortlessly capture the feel.

Great work you two!

J&B

Very very very nice. Marriage of mood, music and lyric is great. This song could be enjoyed by a lot of people.

Hi Calvin:

Thank you so much for listening and the nice comment. Mike really did a great job on this for me. He is such a talent.

Regards, ----Dave

Hey, Tom:

Your thoughts are so meaningful and I know Mike appreciates your comments, just like me.

Thanks, ----Dave

Hi Dan:

Thank you so much for giving "Moonlight" a spin... and I'm pretty sure there are places still doing 45's... although I suspect the market it pretty slim... LOL! I've never been accused of creating "enchanting" songs... but wow, I'll sure bask in the glory of that nice comment.

Best, ----Dave

J&B:

I don't think there are sufficient words to express my appreciation regarding your listen and comments. Coming from two of my favorites... I'm doing my best to keep from going into orbit!

Looking forward to your next creation. ----Dave

Martin:

It means a lot to Mike and me to know you liked this song. Your opinion really counts with us.

All the best, ----Dave

Calvin, Tom, Dan, Janice, Bud, and Martin..

Hi y'all, and thanks for listening. I'm grateful for your listening and all your kind words.

Bud..I love David Lindley! We spun "El-Rayo X" every day for several months, back at Tower Records Sacramento back in the early eighties. I know all those songs by heart, "She Took Off My Romeo's" being my favorite--and his work with Jackson Browne!!!

Thanks Dave, my friend, for these beautiful songs to sink my musical teeth into--I'm proud to try my best to do them justice.

Mike

Dave, this is a lovely, mellow chair dancer. Reading the lyrics, they seemed way too wordy but Mike makes them flow like honey. Really pretty instrumentation and harmonies too. Very nicely done.

Ricki

A very cool piece, guys.
The write and performances, especially the vocal work are all to die for.
Production wise... It sounds good and it feels good.

Hats off on another extraordinary collaboration.

this one is super nice,a wonderful job Mike.and Dave you really have a fantastic lyric there.It put me right there on those islands.Mike

Hi Ricki:

I appreciate your thoughts and you are 100% correct. It is a difficult song to sing... unless you are Mike Zee... LOL! Although the song is fictional, I spent three years in Hawaii and did some surfing at Makaha and Waianae as we would pass the little village of Nanakuli on the way.

At that time, Hawaii was a U.S. Territory and I was lucky enough to have been there when "Statehood" happened.

I really enjoyed my time in the Islands.

Thanks for listening and your comments.

----Dave

Hi Nelson:

Glad you listened. You should hear my original version of the song. Mike did his usual "magic" to make things come out so well.

Regards, ----Dave

Hi Mike:

I hope you were not flooded like so much of south Louisiana. Thank you for taking time to listen to "Makaha" and for your meaningful comments.

----Dave

What a beautiful song!

A terrific write, Dave. Interesting throughout - lyric and melody...

Beautiful production, Mike. Stellar vocal.

Listened several times...

floyd

Hi Floyd:

Once again, I am humbled by your praise... and especially the fact you listened several times. (A real testament to the many talents of Mike Zaneski.)

Thank you for your kindness... and for sharing your talents with JPF.

----Dave

Smooth as cocoa butter....definitely evokes the islands, trade winds...

Hi John:

Thanks for listening... and positive feedback.

Regards, ----Dave

Ricki, Nelson, Michael, Floyd, and John V..

Howdy friends, and thanks.

Thanks for listening and I can't help but be a happy camper since you're happy with my work. It all starts with a great song like this, and then kinda doing that Michelangelo thing--chipping away everything that's not the song.

Thanks again. You've made my day!!

Mike

Fantastic tune. Congrats Dave for a fine write and congrats Michael for a top notch performance.Felt like I was in Hawaii the entire time.

Wonderful.

Dave

Oh yeah, thats a sweet tune.. what a vibe!!
This is not a demo at all, it's a unique piece of art, ready to be released as is!
Beats any margarita sounding country tune out there, imo.

Hi Dave:

So glad you listened and it "took you to Hawaii!" I thought Mike captured my words and music very well indeed.

Thanks, Pal, ----Dave

Magne:

It is so nice of you to compare this song to "art." Art is something most of us strive to achieve in our songs... but miss the target a bit each time. Our friend Mike is due the credit for "making the song his own" and taking it to another level.

Thanks for your time and kind words, ----Dave

Hi Michael

Pretty good mood music

The opening kinda reminded me of Maria Muldaurs "Midnight At The Oasis"

Which as we all know-didnt suck-lol....

The recording quality isnt up to commercial standards-but you know that already.....

Good luck with it!

Tom

Hi Tom:

Thanks for listening to Michael's Demo of my song. I'm pleased with your comparison to "Midnight at the Oasis!" I'll keep your advice in mind if I decide to have another demo made... but I really enjoyed Mike's work... even if he does not have a major studio at his disposal. He more than compensates for that with his vocals and musicality.

Regards, ----Dave

Hey Michael and Dave,

Yes, you've certainly captured the essence. Very smooth.

Mike, that slide patch is working beautifully, and makes the song what it is.

Although music is very different from one Pacific Isle to another, this tune would fit in seamlessly in a bar/restaurant scenario.

It's a soothing tune anywhere.

cheers, niteshift

Hey there, "Shifty from Sydney"...

Thanks so much for taking time to listen. This one was intended for the Hawaiian music market and I thought Mike "nailed it!" You are absolutely correct about the difference in music from the various Pacific Islands and cultures. I find the Maori People's music and culture to be pretty darn unique... but the laid-back style of folks in Hawaii's Isles are all pretty much alike... except for Midway and French Frigate Shoal. (No Natives there now.)

Regards, my friend... ----Dave

Hey Dave,

Yep, mate, you have got something there which won't cause offence, and I'd be more than happy to throw the tune around the Pacific, and even at my own place.

cheers, niteshift

You have a message on your Media Asia site.

----Dave

Hey Dave,

Thanks bud, but I don't pick up messages from that site. Just gimmie a PM here at JPF.

cheers, niteshift

Hi "Nite:"

PM it is!

Regards, ----Dave

Got it !

cheers, niteshift

Sometimes we forget... and when it comes to songs and music... that can be a real "rock in one's road." I completely forgot to send Mike the lyric and chord sheet for "Moonlight at Makaha" and wouldn't you know it. My mumbling southern accent was misinterpreted and "Sand Pile by the Sea" became "Sand Bough by the Sea."

Mike and I discussed it later and I decided it was entirely too insignificant to cause a "do over!"

Of all the songs I've written and recorded, "Makaha" was one of the most difficult for me. When writing a story with lots of local "color"... it's easy to get carried away and end up with a seven minute song. "Whittling" down a song is equally difficult but it's sure important to keep it under five minutes if you expect it to be recorded by a famous artist.

Before I forget something else, Niteshift... did you have any luck?

Thanks again, Mike. You made this one memorable for me. ----Dave

Great song and having worked with you both, Mike and Dave I know how much effort must have been put into the project for it to reach this final stage.
Excellent all round,great story vocal and production chaps
John

Hey Dave and Michael,

Fantastic write and recording. For me all the great harmony vocal parts really stood out. Pristine recording and a write that really takes you to another place. Beautiful, Good luck with it.

Hey Dave/Mike,

This was really different, not sure I've ever heard a production quite like this, but it was very cool and definitely had an Hawaiian Isl sound! It sounds really crisp and some really cool harmonies. These lyrics Dave paint a wonderful picture! Complex production well done Mike!

steady-eddie

Hi Travis, Dave and Eddie:

Thanks for taking time to listen. It's late here in Glen Rose and I'm in the studio working on a new song and noticed my PC was still running. Glad I checked things out. An old friend from the Song Ramp sent me a note via Gmail and it was a bitter-sweet reunion. He now has a heart condition and I hope he is recovering well.

It's wonderful to cross paths with folks we've exchanged lyrics and songs with over the years. Rusty is a special guy and Maine is a greater State because of his great spirit and talent.

Sorry for the ramble... but it helps to talk about things... and share them with great folks like you three.

All my best... and thanks again,, ----Dave

Wow. What a beautiful song. I love the juxtaposition of being broken-hearted in such a beautiful place. I have been listening on my commuter train this morning. Watching the wintery view roll by: gutted buildings, graffiti, bare trees, etc. really made this even more whistful. I thought of Boys of Summer, the Don Henley song while listening. Not that this sounds anything like it but just that it conveys the regret so well, as does that tune.

Mike, the call/response? (Not sure that is the correct term) that comes-in at the 2 min mark! I was like "whoa." So creative and well done with those harmonies.

Love, love, love it, kids.

Thanks, Wendy:

Having a song I created (then improved so remarkably by Mike Zaneski) actually be mentioned in the same breath as the Mega-Artist, "Don Henley" is about the nicest thing I've ever heard. Can you tell I'm an "Eagles Fan?" Then considering the fact you were commuting past all the decay of an urban city with all that grafitti and broken bricks... it makes the experience of "regret among the environs of Oahu" seem pretty good.

I appreciate your comments so much. You really did listen... and that means everything to me. ----Dave