He said he had a dream where he heard Mexican trumpets. And I guess that’s how they became such a recognizable part of his hit song, “Ring of Fire.” In fact, it went to number 1 on March 25, 1963. … Read the rest
Tag Archives: words and music
Did you see that movie “This Is Spinal Tap” about a fictitious rock band in a fictitious rockumentary? If not, no great loss. I never saw the whole movie either. But I saw some funny clips. And one that stands … Read the rest
Yesterday was that day. Today is that day. And tomorrow will be that day. And by “that day” I mean the day somebody was talkin’ about when they said they’d do, be, or try something. You’ve said it. I’ve said … Read the rest
Even if you’re not familiar with the world of copywriting, you probably read some every day. Because copywriting is the act of using words to sell. That’s the simple definition. And a guy I’ve been following for over 30 years, … Read the rest
Horse songs tend to have catchy rhythms. I guess it’s because of the hoofbeats. *rimshot* Thanks folks. I’ll be here all week. Be sure to tip your bartender and waitresses. Yes, I said waitresses. Don’t git yer stirrups all tangled … Read the rest
The good ol’ American can do attitude. Remember that? If you’re only a couple of decades old (or less), you might not. But it’s what truly made America a force to be reckoned with. Because when you have a nation … Read the rest
At some point of the year in 1990 or 91, my wife and I lived in Tulsa Time for a couple of weeks. Tulsa, Oklahoma to be exact. And that’s because I was booked in a snazzy hotel to provide … Read the rest
Laughter and love. Could there be anything better than those two things? And that’s a rhetorical question of course. Because they both are awesome examples of human connection to God. But before you click away, or stop reading and listening … Read the rest
Each and every time America goes through an election cycle there’s a bunch of what I call strange change. And it’s rarely, if ever, for the good. But the presidential election of 2020-2021 goes down as one of the strangest. … Read the rest
In 1986 I had a couple of Roland keyboards, a stand for my home studio, a stand for stage performance, and all the rest of my gear set up in my little apartment in Lakewood, Colorado. And every night I … Read the rest
Yeah, I’m gonna have a good day. And I don’t care who tries to stop me. Because it beats the tar, dust, and heck out of the alternative. And I’m gonna have a good day tomorrow, too. Because I want … Read the rest
In 1989, I had been back in Colorado for about a year. And I was in my little apartment, B17 (yeah, like the old Olivia Newton-John song), listening to the cool variety of music on FM station, KBCO. Because they … Read the rest
In 1981 I joined a popular trio, in Atlanta, Georgia. They added me as their drummer, and all four of us sang. So, we had some nice 4 part harmonies. And I remember how their fans enjoyed our rendition of … Read the rest
In the middle of the 1970’s I went to college. And like countless other freshmen, I went to orientation, found my dorm, and explored the campus. It was academically exciting to me. For a little while at least. But the … Read the rest
It was July of 1975. And I was a fairly new piano player. Because I had started teaching myself the way around the keys about a year and a half before. So, as the scales and chord combinations started to … Read the rest
Taps and lights out I remember (at least a little) when Taps was played during the funeral proceedings for President Kennedy. But I didn’t remember the bugler’s clinkers during the minute long song. Not until I looked at old video … Read the rest
A conversation in a song stayed in the back of my mind The technical definition of a fugue, in music, is: “a contrapuntal composition in which a short melody or phrase (the subject) is introduced by one part and successively … Read the rest
I’ve got no right My life has not always been a bed of roses. Unlike everyone else in the world, I’ve had some challenges to overcome. I know this is completely foreign to you. But bear with me. And I’ll … Read the rest
Poetry in motion Back in the 80’s music took a sharp, electronic turn. Synthesizers were ubiquitous in top 40. And even drums were digitized. A lot of it was cheesy. But there were plenty of songs I enjoyed, too. One … Read the rest
Hmm…can music change your mood? Spoiler, and short answer…no. Apparently a lot of people use that search phase, can music change your mood, on Google. Because Google serves up a lot of results for the question. But it’s really simple. … Read the rest