House of the Rising Sun

This is one of my all-time favorite songs. I've been playing this song on the uke practically from day one but have never gotten around to recording it so I decided, "hey, why not record it for the ukeeku acoustic challenge?" (What's a little cross-posting among friends, right?)

The intro section is a bit dark - I'd forgotten that I'd turned off the overhead light after shooting the main video part and I decided not to fix it.

The song part was recorded using the built in microphone in the flip camera, in one take. Then I split the audio track off and added a little reverb and a touch of compression before putting it back with the video. I'd planned to add a bass part and some shaker but decided for this song I really liked the simplicity of just the uke.

I wrote the "little brother" verse a while back after hearing the "baby sister" verse for the first time (I'm not sure who wrote that one but I think it's fairly recent - at least not 100+ years old like the original song).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clGUBdYfcbM&feature=youtu.be

John

Whoa! You got a set of pipes, Bruddah John! Nicely done. Here's the embedded vid in case anyone's too lazy to click on the link.

Good job, I like that tune a lot.
Back in the days when I played guitar, I went into a music shop and there was a sign that read " anyone who plays the house of the rising sun will be asked to leave" which I found highly amusing..seems that the shop owner had been overdosed with it, as it's one of the first songs folks learn to play.

Very nice John! I really like that "little brother" verse! I may have to use that.

Eric

Really nice, John...... bet you can sing some bass at the barber shop..... really well done, man.....

Drew Bear said:

Whoa! You got a set of pipes, Bruddah John! Nicely done.

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Thanks. Still don't really think of myself as a singer but this one is firmly within my kind of limited range.

UkuEroll said:

Good job, I like that tune a lot.
Back in the days when I played guitar, I went into a music shop and there was a sign that read " anyone who plays the house of the rising sun will be asked to leave" which I found highly amusing..seems that the shop owner had been overdosed with it, as it's one of the first songs folks learn to play.

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Heh, heh. Yeah, I've seen signs like that only usually it's "Smoke on the Water" or "Stairway to Heaven" LOL

elisdad said:

Very nice John! I really like that "little brother" verse! I may have to use that.
Eric

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Please feel welcome to. That's the lovely thing about folk, vs. commercial, music. We strive to add to the sum total of human endeavor, rather than subtract from it.

23skidoo said:

Really nice, John...... bet you can sing some bass at the barber shop..... really well done, man.....

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Actually, I don't do well with harmonies, maybe just lack of experience. If I hear someone singing the melody I always get "pulled" to it.

Thanks all,
John

Aloha John,
Awesomely done, nice rendition with a home town feel to it............................BO.....................

Sooo Smooooth! i remember my uncle always playing this song. feels like sitting in a campfire. greaat job!

Top stuff John, excellent vocal, and a terriffic song choice.

Good Job John...an old time favorite of mine...so it's KoAloha for you now..??? wow

Thanks all, 'preciate the kind words.

@mm_stan - I've been sold on KoAloha ukes almost from day one. A KoAloha concert was my third uke, I got that about a month after I started playing. I bought this longneck soprano after a few months and sold the concert. So, I've had this one for about a year. Sometimes I grab one of the Mainland tenors, but I consider this my "main ax." I also still pull the longneck soprano Kiwaya out from time to time so it doesn't get lonely.

John

Great job, John!