Season 411: Missed Opportunities, Second Chances, and Do-Overs

this, a hangover original song from last week.
i played Joko's random song generator a 2nd time and it threw me back this:
I AM marco polo WHO laughs AT going to church.
wtf? this happened on new year's eve (comfort or forewarnings...)



MARCO POLO

If I was Marco Polo, I would walk that great Silk Road
And if Jesus walked on water, what I sight we would behold
And if Lazarus was breathing, would he laugh or cry
with a heart that's beating, and ponder how or why?

Oh, the water's turned to wine
Oh, I guess it's drowning time
just like an angel's crime

If I picked a daisy, he'd give you a whole bunch
If I wrote you down a haiku, he'd have a sonnet before lunch

Oh, Marco was a travelling man
Oh, Jesus held him in His hand
just like this drowning man

So tell me all your stories, of China and the East
And I'll tell you my stories, of the angel and the beast
Everyone's a weary traveller, on that long road home
And though the gate is narrow, you'll never walk alone

And oh, the water's turned to wine
Oh, every sip's a sign
I guess it's laughing time
 
Happy 2020, lynda! Thanks for pulling in donnalele's song!

here is donnalele's gorgeous abba cover, embedded for your viewing and listening pleasure



comments are disabled on that vid, so let me take the opportunity here to say, that was really lovely!



geoff, so glad your wife is doing better. wishing you both a happy and healthy 2020




thank you val! it was monday - but i like to have a birthday week (or two................ or fifty-two!)



ok, here is another season 394-y, electric uke-y homemade song - thanks so much, rick, for giving us all a chance to go back and fix season-y things we might have missed!

 
I see Lynda just did Falling....now I'm doing Falling Awake.
This fits Val's recent HAND season...mentioned in lyrics. Tenor uke, melodica and harp.
 
Bossanova is hard!

My late entry for week 379. An instrumental, and it may not sound too distinguishable, if you squint your ears a bit, you'll hear how the ukes and the beat align. I recorded no video while making it, so I had to pull up random old stuff.

If you can't listen to the whole thing, skip to the end. There's something cool in the back.

 
this, a song that could have fit for Ryan's Australia season or Kevin's NPR season
an original song by an Australian fella
 
Hello again, Rick! I wanted to do a Harry Nilsson song for Linda's (Turtledrum's) "Hats off to Harry" Season, as I knew that he was a fan of Nilsson (as I am), but I never got round to it. So, herewith, from his album, "A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night" ...

 
Last edited:

I recorded the video a few weeks before Christmas but I couldn't post it because the uke was a present for someone. That's why the instruction book is hanging from the uke.
 
I had really hoped to get something done for 408/Tiny Desk Concert series but it didn't quite work out.

I had watched a few of the tiny desk concerts and had some ideas. Anyway, I had another look and found Scottish Folk singer/songwriter Karine Polwart did a set. This song didn't come from her set but is one she wrote that I learnt over 10 years ago at a folk music workshop at the Sage in Gateshead. In the days before I had a ukulele even.
 
Cheers for hosting this one Rick. Just popped my head in and its a no brainer for me to go for Ryans Australia Season to show my support for those affected by the devastation and suffering that's going on out there with the bush fires with loss of life both human and wildlife. Thinking of Oz and our friends down under. It's meant to be getting worse over the weekend so keep safe and lets hope it gets under control. Peace

 
Last edited:
We are not in the major fire areas but the whole place is tinder dry.
We had a fire start a few kms away that thankfully drew the attention of large water bombing aircraft.
Still some smoke but seems under control.....

IMG_5671.jpg
 
We are not in the major fire areas but the whole place is tinder dry.
We had a fire start a few kms away that thankfully drew the attention of large water bombing aircraft.
Still some smoke but seems under control.....

View attachment 124064
I don't envy anyone who already has lung/breathing problems in that environment Brian.
 
I don't envy anyone who already has lung/breathing problems in that environment Brian.

The smoke has been way above the hazardous level here for months.
They say the equivalent of smoking a pack and a half of cigs each day.
The fires have been burning in inaccessible ares for months - only heavy rain will control them.
 
The smoke has been way above the hazardous level here for months.
They say the equivalent of smoking a pack and a half of cigs each day.
The fires have been burning in inaccessible ares for months - only heavy rain will control them.

When I lived in the Western U.S., smoke from California wildfires would travel hundreds of miles. I recall health warnings being issued in Nevada and Colorado for fires in California. Be safe out there, friends.
 
The smoke has been way above the hazardous level here for months.
They say the equivalent of smoking a pack and a half of cigs each day.
The fires have been burning in inaccessible ares for months - only heavy rain will control them.

I've been wondering how you are affected. Keep safe and let's hope you get that rain sometime.

I was reading today that it's effects are being felt in New Zealand which is a good distance away.

This has to be a wake up call for the climate change deniers and for governments everywhere.
 
This one would have qualified for the first season of 2019 (359 Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick - hosted by yours truly) and the last of the year (Joko’s ‘nines’ season), as it was originally released in the US in 1999 by the lovely and talented Dido.

It’s a Griffs collaboration with Kevin (Mezcalero) and we’ve taken a slightly different approach with this in that I’ve opted for the lead vocal (along with the usual keyboard and rhythm stuff), and Kev has brought some killer vocal harmonies and his trademark faultless electric uke addition.

I used the iPad GarageBand app for the multi tracking and included some video showing all the different parts so you can hopefully see the constituent instrument sounds and how it all builds up and progresses through the song. For more info see below:



The green blocks are the parts I played in using a MIDI controller keyboard and the blue blocks (which I scroll down to show further in) are my lead vocals and the imported audio of Kev’s vocal harmony parts and his electric uke at the bottom. Anyone who has an iPad should have GarageBand pre-installed - it’s worth taking a look at if you haven’t already - it’s fab! I may at some point post a video going through some of the basics of GarageBand if there’s enough interest here - let me know? :)
 
Last edited:
367. turtledrum - A Simple Gift - songs performed for or dedicated to a special someone
392. turtledrum - Hats Off to Harry - songs for Randy McSorley

This is very rough and I would have given up on it if I had not been doing it for Randy. Only got it to this place after 5 takes which is just over the top for me....

The other Brian posted a BRILL instrumental which is a MUST listen.

The sopranino was a deliberate choice as the best societies look after their smallest weakest and most needy members.....

Pretty sure these are the Billy Bragg lyrics...

 
Last edited:
5th vid from me - thanks for such a great theme, rick!

this homemade-y song is inspired by the current, thrilling, "dracula" series on bbc1, and is, like all my songs this week, for jim's electric uke season that i missed

 
We are not in the major fire areas but the whole place is tinder dry.
We had a fire start a few kms away that thankfully drew the attention of large water bombing aircraft.
Still some smoke but seems under control.....

View attachment 124064

So glad to find out your're fairing well through such horrendous fires across your country. Stay safe, Mate.
 
Top Bottom