JPF Home Page Forums Lyric and MP3 Feedback MP3 Feedback Forum BOETTICHER BLUES

Hi Guys & Gals

Haven't been here in a bit to review, struggling heavy with EVERYTHING lately. Especially health! It always starts there.

Regardless somehow, I still threw down! Music heals even if for a little while.
Here is a change up of style for me, this NEW instrumental "Boetticher Blues"

Sounds sweet through headphones!
First tune of 2009 wow have I regressed.

"Boetticher Blues" Mix #2 - 3:43 - MIke Caro
www.substudiomusic.com/BoetticherBluesFinal.mp3

Mike Caro - Acoustic Guitar, (Variax-Dobro/Banjo) Lead Slide Guitar, Bass,Drums,Percussion,Harmonica,produced,engineer.

Laine Thompson - Additional Acoustic lead

Mike Decampo - National Steel Intro

Man, that is sweet

Love how it builds - and then a harmonica near the end!

Bass part is really cool on this.

I pay a lot more attention these days to what's going on in a recording. It never occurred to me before that someone would play harmony to a lead guitar part. That was really cool!

Very cool Sub - it could be dropped right into a movie right now....

Scott

That is a solid as a rock, way cool. The instrumentation, mixing, voicing and interplay are all top notch. If you had left more "room", I might have been tempted to add lyrics. Heck, I still might try (LOL!).

Excellent track, loved every minute of it.

Kevin

Hi Mike

Hah, this Aussie girl is back, and seems like yours was my first listen, Wow Mike, you done good hey.

That's Talent!


Hugs
Michele

Thanks Scott

It's funny you mentioned the harmonica and bass first as they were the two last things added to this lol..

DArn harmonica was in the wrong key a "C" harmonica. But I pulled it off.
The tuning for this song is as always with me slightly weird. It's D A D A B E

As a kid I was a lead guitar player in a rock band so the harmony on lead has always been for me.

Definitely movie/film song. Tripp said she could hear it in something like Thelma & Louise.

Thanks it's good to finally have a song done in 2009 any song.
And at least one thing to feel good about...

Thanks Kev, that means alot to me.

Before I put it away I'll take out some stuff over the verses and chorus especially,
and make another mix. This way there's room to try some lyrics, ya never know could be cool.

Thanks Michele

Welcome Back! I'm really trying over here!

Incredible...simply incredible. I must share your link with every guitar entusiast that I know.

Wow!

Great work Mike!

Sweet sounds allright, and your roadmovie pitch sounds spot on. Leaves you with a tension throughout because of the underplayed instruments, very clever route to achieve that effect!

I also love the way you carved out a domain for every instrument in there.

What's with the title? :-)

Real good...love it!

Mike,
You're right on the money with this one. What a sweet ride. I didn't listen to details, just let it carry me away. Thanks.
JW

Hi Mikey !!

Sure does sound smoooth and sweet to my ears --- hard to hear anything that I might tweak. It conjures up a great movie scene in my mind --- could be a gambler scenes cards, whiskey and bluffing going on --- Clint Eastwood is in there...

love it all..... jm

Hi Mike,

Man, you have got it going on! I guess you've done this for a while, eh?

Ricki

Great sound you've got there, Mike

Bill

Hi Mike,

Great tune and spotless recording. Gregg Allman would die for music this pretty to sing over.

I thought the basic theme was just okay, but everything else was amazingly great; my high point was when the guitars split into two channels with fingerpicking on one side, around 1:20, and the slide/dobro improv around 2:00.

Enjoying this!

Mike Z

Mike:

Beautifully layered and textured - this is totally movie and TV ready. I especially like the breakdown to percussion at about 3:10.

I was listening to a bunch of your songs earlier in the week and have had parts of Closer and No Good In Goodbye running through my head for days. Mike, those are great songs - musically, lyrically, any way you want to look at them. I watched a special on Meat Loaf a couple of weeks ago and my thought was: If he had recorded No Good In Goodbye he would have had another hit song on his hands. I can only believe that he never actually heard the song.

Anyway, it's good to see you working and writing new songs. Hope things are going well for you.

Mark

Hi Mike,

How are you?? It's great to come over and see that you've posted some of your work.

This is just awesome! I love it. Your amazing talent is evident throughout.

Thanks for sharing this with us Mike. ( I'm still enjoying those incredible CD's....)

My best to you,
Gail

Thanks Steve - your way too kind!

I hired a great guitar player to work over this and wound up keeping just some of that and doing the rest myself. A pattern has developed over in recent years the better someone is who comes over the better I become. I pick up on there feel and skills and use it to motivate me best I can I do it with singers,drummers, guitarists whatever,

I NEVER play slide but once i hear it being played I can feel it and start to do it a bit myself...

Thanks I really enjoyed doing it.... The pitch is pretty darn good, could be a touch better but it's very hard with a slide. I should play with it much more. But i do what comes to me then it's on too something else. I would be bored to tears with a slide in my hand every day

The title - The song is named after an old movie director Budd Boetticher
here's his info - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budd_Boetticher

He did some great Westerns in the 1950's mostly with Randolph Scott.
Seven Men From Now, The TAll T, Commanche Station, Ride Lonesome etc...

I'm a HUGE western film fan and the 1950's is the BEST for it.

Budd was kind of a B Movie off list Hollywood guy. But his work is a big influence on many great directors.
He also did "The Rise And FAll Of Legs Diamond"

I liked his name for a title and the music seemed fitting

Thanks Ted & JW

I'll find your tunes and check em out....

Hi Joice

I'm watching "Hang Em High" right now!

The first slide when the harmony comes in.. the harmony is just a touch too loud.
I fixed it now....

Thanks Riki,

Well the whole thing has been going on for 40 years lol..

The harmonica first time ever.. and the slide playing is very rare for me, I never practice it. CAn't do it all! But I try to fool ya to thinking I can lol

Mike,
I don't know what else to say that hasn't already been said except this is Frigging Awesome!!! Nicely Done!!!!!

Charles

Thanks Bill!

Thanks Mike:)

Yes I love Greg's voice and would die to hear it over this

I agree with you on the basic theme. It was never intended to be a theme song or really have a set melody. Ya know the deal it started with that cool rythym pattern, then the pretty change that floats then descends. Then the heavy section.. so it has only 3 sections. At first it was just everyone jam over the changes.

But then it felt like it needed some more continuity aside from the arrangement.
So at least over the softer pretty part I added that reoccurring slide melody with the harmony.

If it's just a jam them it can either go on for 5 minutes or so and that would be torture lol.. Or it needs to be 2 minutes of just jamming over one or two changes.

So it's lots of improv with a little hook in there for good measure
As for background film music all you need is 30 seconds, they'll pick it and you may never reach your chorus

Thanks!

Hi Mark old buddy....

Thanks bro, I like that break section alot too. When i turn the snare off and start hitting the drum it just pops... very cool.

Ah yes those haunting old songs!!!

Meatloaf - I or I should say we, over here me & Mr Neil are still sick over that one.
I was told they heard it and the big wig Desmond said "No songs on this without my name on it" I don't believe any of that. I know as well as you I was gonna be giving up 75% of that song! The whole opportunity was blown

But yes, he does that song, and it's on the light FM station in every office in every city in our Country "No Doubt"!!! ANd instead of having a zero record he's got at least one hit this decade.

Just to prove my point I found my way on too his website fan club forum. I posted the song there as a fan etc... I got loads of GREAT responses to the song from his fans, No his fanatic fans!!

And "Closer (If I Could) died with our friend Franke. RIP
He got the Spin Doctors signed and he was gonna get that song picked up..
He really believed in it

Boasting? Nope! Just unending sacrifice and work,commitment and a brutal amount of dues paid.

Thanks for asking bout me,things aren't going too well at all.

God Bless Mark be well

Hey Mike....been six years since I've been in a studio.....This is truly the work of a consummate professional...makes me wanna get back and dig some more...lol

Larry

Hi Larry

It's been six years since I have been out of the studio For real!!!

Lost my day job six years ago!

Thanks man!

Thanks Gail

I'm sooooo happy you like the CD's and this new song.
Hope you are well.....

Thanks Charles

Hey I think we have the same board bro!

Hi Mike,

Don't you get bored making a PERFECT piece of music ?
Seriously, I'm HIGHLY impressed like the rest of the group here.
Proud of ya !!

Calvin


http://www.soundclick.com/bands/0/calvinstewart

That is very good, wished I had all that studio gear.

Dude

Hey there Mike!

First off, sorry to hear about your ongoing medical crap. I do understand how one's health issues affect everything -- and generally speaking, for the worse.

Given your situation, then, I marvel at your fortitude. What it must take to create a song of this caliber, under normal circumstances, is an accomplishment unto itself. That you should persevere and continue to collaborate and bring your talent to the table -- in your situation -- is remarkable.

As for the song itself, I too could imagine it as a soundtrack. But, in keeping with the magnificent build, I envisioned it more as part of a coming-of-age story. 'Course, that might mean the first crime committed by Jesse James and his gang , but ANYWAY....!!

Oh, hold on a sec. I just googled "Boetticher", and I see he was a director of low-budget westerns! Well how do you like them apples?!

Seriously though, Mike, thanks for sharing. I especially enjoyed it after taking your tip to listen through headphones. Gotta do that WAY more often...

Ciao for now,
Beth

Sounds pretty great Mike. Pretty spotless recording with a great feel.

I sort of agree w/ Michael about the basic theme. But I think if you tweaked the melody up just a bit, volume wise, at the beginning of the tune you might draw listeners in a bit better. I struggled to pick out the theme at the beginning and I think it would be a bit more enjoyable if the melody were a bit more prominent (just a bit) in the 1st minute or so. Everything worked fine in the last half of the tune.

Great job once again,

Peace,

Ian

Hey Mike,

So glad you are not letting health get in the way of good work, as hard as that must be (I can only imagine). I have to believe creating music is as therapeutic as listening, perhaps more so since in the making one is probably more engaged in the details. That debate would probably be a thread right there . This has nice changes right at the right times and that's an important skill. The one instrument (don't know if it's the dobro or lead slide) almost sounds like someone's voice and they're singing there. Do you know what I mean??

Anyway nice to see you posting and still producing good material.

Happy health,
Lynn

Thanks Cal

I just needed to get something out and down. This was put together entirely in about 3 sessions.

Thanks Dude

I had LOTS more great gear but had to sell it....

Now I;m using my ears more than anything I have...

Thanks!

Freaking good!

..ant

Nice one, Mike!

Hi Beth

Thanks for listening and for this kind and thoughtful response.

Yes the ongoing medical crap it is ...13 years, 40 medical professionals,thousands and thousands spent & gone and NO HELP whatsoever!

My body keeps giving up every single day & night and it destroys my spirit but my will is VERY strong! The hardest part of doing anything like this is "sitting up"

Very good for you, on the association and then looking up Boetticher

Yes the headphones are really nice for picking up all kinds of subtle things and getting some depth.

Wait till you hear the next tune! I can't even play it! And it's not just my health
I'm just not good enough to do it!! But I'll give it a try...

Thanks

It was a nice thing to work on. I agree with you as I do with Mike Z.
It's not an excuse but I wasn't going for a theme song like the Rock Ford Files or something lol... I kinda just let go on it and at one point it had no repeating phrases
other than rythym ones at all. Just improv, but I decided to give it a bit of a chorus.

I hear Blues songs constantly even with lyrics and I couldn't remember them again for the life of me Instrumentals? Hardly ever!
Total back ground this piece. You can take any section and drop it anywhere behind
many scenes. If it needs to be something that perhaps re-occurs like every time there's this car chase scene across the dusty road there's that slide up feel chorus that can be repeated.

If it's swampy and loose feeling there's the opening section. I hear this over & over again in films. Vampire movies with random slide playing for 20 seconds.

I guess though with a bit more thought and playing around I could of wrote a set melody (theme) for the two small verse sections and took that approach more. Wasn't thinking that way at the time. Was thinking "Jam" lol...

Thanks!

One word, Mike...SWEET!!!!!!

Alan

Thanks Lynn

I think I know the sound...
Yeah I must find help so I can live again. This aliment has cost me dearly but I have learned sooooo much about so many things from it. It has changed my perception of life completely.

Music and some old great films bring me some peace. It's getting harder and harder to play by the day but when I can it heals!! If only for a little while. But my timing is becoming sublime, go figure.

Hey Mike,
Awesome tune! Had to listen front to back, back to front, and over again! Love everything about it! I agree,...music heals. The name of my CD is "Cheaper than Therapy". Therapeutic in many ways. I made my first post yesterday, but I have a song coming up that is a cajun, swampy, dark, creepy song that will sound great with a slide guitar!? I love that stuff!

Great song, Droptine

Great blues number. Mike. I agree RE it would be GREAT for movie/TV! I can definitely hear it.

I hope your health improves. I have had some problems of my own recently (heart bypass surgery) so I can certainly empathize. Your production sounds top noche.

Mike, even Your TITLE here is Brilliant! A Great Homage to Mr B, and I instantly got "Visuals" to a Wagon Train...Stagecoach..& Headin' West..off the Music.

A Very Enjoyable Ride, Amigo...& Wish Ya Great Success with it!

Big Guy-Hug
Stan

Hey Sub,

Yep, real listenable. Slow builds, introducing instrumentation, and a cool sonic layering. Very acoustic number, and captured well. My only crits would be, not sure about the opening. I don't think it needs the hard panned muted guitar against the brighter. Maybe just straight in ? The other would be a third harmonic/melody/structure scheme, to give it somehere else to go. They always say three melodic themes for instrumentals. Not always necessary, but I think a third could be incorporated at the introduction of the harp. ( And fatten that kick ! )

cheers, niteshift

mmmmm...makes me wanna go put my cowgirl boots on with a miniskirt and go eat a mess o' crawfish somewhere. Seriously good stuff, man! Wish I could play like that.
yerz, Ellen

Love this one, Mike. Sounds SWEET!

Hey you how ya been?

Miss ya around here... Thanks bro!