THE TRACKS
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SKYTOWER STARTED BACK IN THE MID 70'S WITH THREE FRIENDS WHO MET THRU THEIR LOVE FOR PLAYING.
AS WITH MOST BAND IDEAS THIS ONE WAS MOSTLY LIMITED TO JUST JAMMING IN THE BASEMENT OF OUR HOUSE. WE DID PLAY A FEW PLACES BUT LIVES CHANGE AND WE JUST STOPPED AS A BAND. WE MOVED TO DIFFERENT CITIES BUT ONCE EVERY TWO YEARS OR SO THE THREE OF US WOULD FIND THAT OPPORTUNITY TO JAM. WE HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS OR SO.
WE LOVED TO JAM. IT SEEMED TO BE MORE FUN TO JUST PLAY THAN TO PRACTISE SONGS! IT ALWAYS STARTED OUT WITH THE START OF A COVER SONG BUT USUALLY ENDED UP GOING OFF SOMEWHERE ELSE LOL!
SO AFTER ALMOST 20 YEARS TWO OF US, (RON / STEVE), FOUND OURSELVES LIVING IN THE SAME CITY. MUCH MUCH OLDER BUT STILL PLAYING . STEVE BUILT A BIT OF A STUDIO IN HIS HOUSE AND EVERY TIME THAT BRIAN CAME OUT WE WOULD JAM AND NOW INSTEAD OF THE OLD CASSETTE RECORDERS WE HAD A PLACE TO RECORD WITH ALL OF TODAY'S RECORDING GEAR.
AFTER ALL THE YEARS OF JAMMING , WHILE IT WAS FUN AND INTERESTING THEY WERE JAMS. .... INSTRUMENTALS WITH MOSTLY LONG GUITAR SOLOS LOL! .... BUT NOT ANYTHING WE WOULD EVER SHARE. FUN FOR THE PLAYERS REALLY.
SO COMING TO THE LAST COUPLE OF PLAYING TOGETHER OPPORTUNITIES................. I DON'T KNOW IF HE FELL DOWN AND HIT HIS HEAD OR WAS HIT BY LIGHTNING BUT THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WHEN WE GOT TOGETHER WE WOULD START TO JAM AND ALL OF A SUDDEN RON , ON DRUMS, STARTED COMING UP WITH THESE LYRICS WHILE WE WERE JAMMING. iT WAS CRAZY, BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN THE JAMS BECAME SONGS.
THE FIRST SESSION A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO PRODUCED FOUR OF THE TRACKS
( FOLLOW THE LEAD, CAR OFF, WALL AND PRIVILEGE) . THESE WERE USED TO LEARN A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE RECORDING SYSTEM AND WHAT WE COULD HAVE FUN WITH .
A YEAR AGO BRIAN ONCE AGAIN GRACED OUR FAIR CITY AND WE HAD I THINK TWO OR THREE OPPORTUNITIES TO PLAY AROUND. THE OTHER TRACKS HERE CAME FROM ONE OF THOSE DAYS. SOMEBODY WOULD JUST START SOMETHING AND THIS DAY WE ALL SEEMED TO GET WHAT WAS GOING ON AS FAR AS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ACTUALLY HAVING VOCALS COMING UP IN THE JAMS...... NOT A FREE FOR ALL BUT PLAYING OFF EACH OTHER WITH NOT A CLUE HOW OR WHERE WE WERE GOING WITH IT.
WITH SOME EXPLANATION BELOW......THAT IS WHAT MOST OF THESE TRACKS ARE..... THE ORIGINAL JAMS RECORDED LIVE IN THE STUDIO.
A NUMBER OF THESE CUTS WERE ACTUALLY FROM ONE LONG JAM AS WE WOULD JUST KEEP PLAYING. WE EDITED TO SEPARATE THE IDEAS TO MIX WHICH IS WHY SOME FADE IN AND OTHERS FADE OUT.
WE REMIXED THEM, HAD SOME FUN ADDING PANS ETC. AND THE ODD EFFECTS.... BUT FOR MOST OF THESE THAT WAS ALL THAT WAS DONE.
JUST SOME OLD FRIENDS HAVING FUN
FOLLOW THE LEAD
One of the first jams we did that had the vocal input from Ron. A second guitar track was added and the end verse vocals.
DOWN THE ROAD
As it happened... fun jam.
PRIVILEGE
This track is Ron and Steve only . This was an early studio recording and used while learning what the system could do. Lots of tracks and overdubs but the first guitar, drums and vocals were one take.
THE WALL
Ron and Steve only studio recording.
DONE ANYTHING FOR ME
Drummer making the mistake of suggesting that a guitar player just play something... lol
A lengthy song at over 8 minutes and actually this went on for another 15 minutes that turned into the LILTING tune, As it happened .
RIDE WITH US
As it happened. Coming off a long jam Steve wants to keep going and then Ron starts in singing..
(GET THE ) CAR OFF THE ROAD
Idea pulled from an earlier jam that Ron and Steve had played with on their own...... This was the original try with Brian but not having known what we were up to Steve ended up redoing the bass track and adding a second guitar.. lyrics came to Ron from Steve complaining about having to park his car away for the winter after the snow falls.
MAKIN IT RAIN / TATTOO
As it happened with some outside sounds added for fun. This was another 25 minute jam that we pulled these last two out of.
After it was done all Ron said was ...."I don't know... the word tattoo popped into my head"
LILTING
Song fades in as it was a continuation of the Done Anything jam...... Didn't even know what Lilting meant when Ron started singing but we had been on a role and kept on going.
BIRD
As it happened. The lyrics had come off a jam a year or so earlier after Ron saw a bird on the ground and the adult was freaking out ! Had somewhat of an idea going in but not where it would go .
DANCE
As it happened. Another thing that got started on that one day session. Was not one that we were going to put up but the times I listened to it I couldn't help but snap my fingers ! lol
BACK IN THE DAY
Made loud to be played loud. Should listen on a stereo system.... you need air!
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