Season 414: Coin of the Realm

Dinged up my left index finger, doc wrapped it up in a huge splint yesterday, to keep it straight for a week. So my uke options are limited. Wrote this one up last night, and will try it on slide, tuned open A. I've never played slide before, so listen at your own risk! Gonna be on a uke and Seasons vacation, I think. :D

 
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This is a traditional song and was collected from an old Lead Miner in Teessdale. He was reputed to have said that you could be sacked for singing this song. (I wonder why?...He says sarcastically)
Lead mining had been carried on in the North of England at least from Roman times. It reached its peak in the mid 19th century then rapidly declined as lead seams were worked out. Until greater mechanisation came in the 19th century, women and young boys were employed to wash the ore body to recover the finer particles of lead ore from the non lead bearing rock.
 
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In musical "Cabaret" they sang: "Money makes the world go round". This traditional song from Estonia has the same idea, "Money makes the wheels turn". Here with banjolele and € cents jingling.
 
A song about the fountain of Trevi in Rome.If you throw a coin in your wish will be granted allegedly.From the film of the same name
 
Never thought I had another one in me this week. The damn cold I have had since the end of last year has been sapping my energy.

However, the muse had other ideas and good old Garage Band (which I am thoroughly enjoying exploring) came to the rescue again with this rock inspired blues.

Hope you enjoy:

 
My energy's pretty minimal right now, too.

Yesterday I had my second shot of the shingles vaccine. Some of you may already have been so lucky – in the U.S., they recommend getting it once you get over 50. When I had the first shot in September, it gave me low-grade flu symptoms for a day and a half as side effects. A co-worker who’d previously gotten the vaccine said the second dose wasn’t such a problem, so I went in hopeful.

For 12 hours afterward, I felt fine, except that I couldn’t reach my arm upwards. Then at 10 PM, I started feeling grungy, like I was coming down with something. “Oh yeah, that’s from the vaccine.” A while later, when I went to take off my clothes to go to bed, I suddenly felt extremely cold. The room temperature was nice and warm, but I felt like I’d just taken a dip in the Greenland Sea. I started shivering uncontrollably, and within seconds that turned into massive shakes. My arms were shaking so much they were practically flailing up and down. I couldn’t control my hands enough to button up my pajama shirt, which made me feel even colder. “Okay, let’s brush my teeth and use the toilet as fast as I can, so I can get under the nice warm blankets.” My hands were still shaking around as I brushed my teeth. At one point, I stabbed the inside of my cheek with the toothbrush. I was thinking of that song by The Police, “I shake like an incurable, God help me please.” Once I got under the wool blanket, I felt a lot better.

I felt mildly crappy at work today, and needed to put on a Polartec sweater to feel warm enough when I got home.

So that is my testimony in recommendation of the shingles vaccine. A co-worker who’d had shingles told me all this was still way better than getting shingles.
 
There is still som jazz in me after last week, so here is my take on 'Mack The Knife'. Playing the Fanner Guitar Works Jazzy Electric Baritone.

After each verse I modulate up half a step, so I start in G and end in C.

Would have loved to spend some more time on the vocals but could only manage a one take singing wise, so this is as good as it gets.



Nb. In the lyrics is a mention of Louie Miller's hard earned cash...
 
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This is a song Eddie Rabbitt wrote that followed a formula that produced several country hits in the 80s. The song starts with the hook, no prelude, which is the beginning of the chorus. Then there's a short bridge that gets you back to the hook/chorus as soon as possible, then another chorus, then a key change and a final chorus. The whole thing should run between 2:30 and 3:00 minutes. My version is a little short because the original has a brief instrumental bit before the final chorus which also helps lead into the key change. The bridge in this one turned out to be a little tricky.

 
this, an original song for the season


I'M SAVING UP ALL MY DIMES FOR YOU

I don't got no greenback dollars
Diamond rings or fancy cars
Don't wear no suit and no collars
Or whistle at reflections through a whiskey jar
There's clouds on the horizon
But they all got their silver linings
Cause I'm saving up all my dimes for you

Well I could have been a famous teacher
Or a movie star
Coulda been a doctor, a lawyer or a preacher
But you can't save people from who they are
So I'm saving all my dimes
And everything's gonna be fine
Cause I'm saving up all my dimes for you

The rainy day it's gonna come
But I'll bet my money on the morning sun
Cause I'm saving up all my dimes for you

I'd rather be poor and loved dear
Than rich and all alone
I'd rather have you at the end of my rainbow
Than a treasure chest filled with gold
Cause darlin I'm no financier
But I'm a hell of a great romancer
And I'm saving up all my dimes for you

The rainy day it's gonna come
But I'll bet my money on the morning sun
That's why I'm saving up all my dimes for you
 
This one has the word "Money" in the chorus, it should work :)

 
Kind of surprised this was still sitting here for the taking. No drummers were harmed in the filming of this video.



Thanks for hosting Jim, and hope you feel better soon.
 
Money (that's what I want)

I had to look up to see if we’d done this one before. Turns out we had – Season 114, with Ginny hosting. But that’s a full 300 Seasons ago, so we’re gonna do it again.

This week’s theme is money. It can be a song whose title includes a word for some type of coin or bill (“Penny Lane”, “No Quarter”, “All About the Benjamins”) or the word “money” or a synonym, or a song that prominently features such a word, or a song about money or the lack of it.

Several of these songs have been pre-tested at my house. Around Eisley, I often sing money songs but substitute the word “bunny”. Most often, it’s the O’Jays: “Bunny bunny bunny bunny…BUUUNNY!” Or the Beatles:
Talking of the Beatles... (or Barrett Strong, but I'm using Lennon's version of the lyric - and McCartney's version of the bass line).



The Barrett Strong/Jane Bradfield-penned debut hit single for Barrett Strong, and for Tamla Motown itself, released in 1959, & famously covered also by the Beatles in 1963 (with George Martin on piano).

Strong never received a penny in royalties. Three years after "Money"'s release, and claiming a previous 'clerical error', Berry Gordy added his name to the credits and struck off Strong's name. He never did get the money (NY Times: For a Classic Motown Song About Money, Credit Is What He Wants).

p.s. I had shingles a couple of years ago. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I had it on the back & sides. Apparently you can get it in your eyes. Doesn't bear thinking about. And now I've made you all. Whoops.
 
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This is my first try to do a song for the seasons (and I used it for my challenge, too) ;)
 
I think aerobic shivering could be the next exercise craze. Or at least a good name for an indie band.

Feel better, soon, Jim. Significant second-hand info says yes, a bad reaction to the vaccination is much better than actually getting shingles.
 
The economical cycle involves lots and lots of money. Back in the 90s, Stereolab wrote a lovely song about it.

 
Feel better, soon, Jim. Significant second-hand info says yes, a bad reaction to the vaccination is much better than actually getting shingles.

I realize now I should have written my post better. I posted it because while it was a weird thing that I wish hadn't happened to me, I thought it was a pretty comical image of me trying to button a shirt or brush my teeth while my arms flailed around. In the punk era, it would have caught on as a dance.
 
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