Category: Virtual LP

This past weekend, with a cool drizzle coating my beloved Bay Area, I finally had a chance to combine my passion for songs about bringing beer to people in Georgia with my love for chamber music orchestration. Herewith, the results…

time: 1:11 seconds; specs: 2.3M
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Today’s track is a wee rave-up version of “I Fall in Love too Easily,” by Jule Styne and Mr. Sammy Cahn. The tune was originally launched by a boyish Frank Sinatra in the film Anchors Aweigh in 1945 (herewith, a lovely clip of the thin-faced lad, at the keys).
-Cecil

time: 1:13 seconds; specs: 1.5M
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A crazy long time ago, one of my brothers gave me lyrics to a song about Clark-brand Wallabees. Wallabees were the preferred shoe-wear of Vortices in the ’70s. Their return to the scene had upset him. I set those words to music and got a vocal assist by so-called Shonny Vortex. Herewith, the results, recorded in 2010 and finally seeing the light of blog.

time: 1:04 seconds; specs: 1.5M
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Here’s a new addition to the Virtual LP, written and recorded this morning. It’s a true story, almost. “No incantations will bring back the pie” indeed.
I should probably be clear that I’m not really that upset about the missing piece of pumpkin pie. I mean, I like pumpkin pie. But mostly I just wanted to see if I could write the world’s angriest song about a missing slice. Sort of like, what would happen if you took the last piece of pumpkin pie from Dick Cheney, and he started to sing about it….
Eat hearty,
-Cecil
time: :49 seconds; specs: 1.1M
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I’ve fallen back in love with the piano. In particular, I can’t stop playing one of my very favorite songs — “Time After Time” by the unbeatable Cahn and Styne. Holy cow could those fellows write a tune. There are incredible versions of this out there by the likes of Sinatra and Chet Baker. A personal favorite is by Alex Chilton, off Cliches (highly recommended).
I took a crack at recording a cover of this beautiful song this evening. As with pretty much all the tracks on the Virtual LP, this is a relatively short number — a smidge over 60 seconds. Just piano and vocals. I even resisted my usual urge to overtreat the voice. A fun Sunday night project. The house was warm, the way houses get when it’s snowing outside. Only, no snow…. Hope you enjoy it, and thanks for listening,
-Cecil
time: 1:06 seconds; specs: 1.6M
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Here’s a sleepy little tune-let to add to the Virtual LP. I’ve been messing around with these changes for a few days now and wanted to see tonight whether I could get a few takes recorded around the margins of a work eve.
One program note: following Shonny Vortex’s recent vocal debut, Lullaby marks the Virtual LP premiere for Power Vortex, here on backup vocals. He did in two takes. Quite the pro, that Power.
Thanks for listening and nighty night,
-Cecil
update: new version uploaded Saturday with a vocal fix, guitar, and a rousing coda.
time: 1:29 seconds; specs: 1.3M
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Here’s the latest in the ongoing project the cognoscenti likes to call the Virtual LP. I love the cognoscenti. I just can’t let myself get too attached. You know how they are.
This tune marks the “World Wide Web” debut of Shonny Vortex, who turns in a, I’ll say it, stellar performance on backup vocals. The song’s about a true fact — 7 coats I had, 7 coats I lost. I’ve literally had and lost around 7 coats over the last stretch while My Mind Was Wandering. A maddening thought, one I could only quiet by, you know, setting it to music. Thanks for listening. May all your coats come home.
-Cecil
time: 1:01 seconds; specs: 950K
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When I first put my real name up here on the site about three weeks ago, I thought to myself (largely in the second person) “Not to worry, So-Called ‘Cecil.’ It’ll be years before you feel the urge to post something that in substance or by way of word choice might leave you later thinking, ‘Perhaps this isn’t the sort thing I’d necessarily want associated with my name for the rest of my life.’”
Turns out I was off by roughly X, where X = [years minus three weeks].
Here’s the latest addition to the Virtual LP. You’ve been warned. Therefore you can’t say, really, that I didn’t warn you.
time: 1:08 seconds; specs: 1.6 MB
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Once again it’s been a while since my last track on the virtual lp. I’ve started playing piano again of late. Not sure what’s triggered it, but it’s fun. Here’s a mimosa toast to piano, on this Saturday morn.
Specifically, my daughter brought home a great Disney songbook, which led to this here mini-cover of “Everybody Wants to Be a Cat” from Disney’s immortal Aristocats. (Not to be confused with more recent and slightly more mortal flick entitled The Aristocrats, particularly on family movie night.)
Thanks for listening…..
-Cecil
time: 1:35 seconds; specs: 2.1 MB
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note: updated from Saturday’s initial version.