Great story, Ian and great guitar playing!👍👏

Superb song and a perfect realization. Great work. Beautiful voice. Bravo0

I love your storytelling songs. This is very beautiful.

Wonderful song again Ian, beautiful guitar playing. Lovely lyrics and singing too. Great work :)

Live and Die


Verse 1:
So many changes come after your life begins
You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again
You are born alone and you will die alone
It’s no secret and it seems to be widely known

In between you will come across many people
Some are oh so good and others oh so evil
Some will be friends other’s will not
They will get your skin so sweaty and hot

Your body start so little and gradually get bigger
At first you will have milk and later strong liquor
Your mind does the same as it fills with knowledge
Some of it will come from the books in college

But regardless you and I know what is to come
Regardless of what you think or if it make you numb
In the end your body will give and leave this Earth
It doesn’t matter if you have a ton or worth





Notes:
These lyrics came to me while listening Carl “Buffalo” Nicole.  You can listen to his music here:
https://www.youtube.com/@BuffaloNichols/videos

This song started with me trying to learn how to use the strumming guitar feature in Kontakt,  I have tried before but failed several times.  I found playing my guitar so much easier.  This time was different, there were people nearby and I had to be quiet.  The only option was using a virtual guitarist that I could listen to on my headphones.  I eventually figured out how to use it.  You will hear me change the strumming from verse to chorus and within the last two choruses. How do you think I did? I might use it again sometime.

This is my first upload to SoundCloud in over a year.  I became frustrated with SoundClouds marketing policies.  They deleted two of my accounts.  I do not know why.  That means all of the music on those accounts is now lost.  Lately I have been using YouTube to upload my music.

Live And Die

This is dedicated to the inspiring acoustic guitar players:

David Dunham https://soundcloud.com/david-dunhamuser589535203

Nathaniel Ehrnman https://soundcloud.com/nathaniel-ehrnman

Jon Spilde https://soundcloud.com/user-788197225

Ian Stokes https://soundcloud.com/ianstokes-uk

Viv https://soundcloud.com/garddwrporffor

Sartori Guitar https://soundcloud.com/user-83791253-79179570

I know I am forgetting folks equally inspiring, and I apologize! So many of you are so good. If I had the facility on the instrument that you acoustic magicians do, this performance would not have the slight stiffness that it does at times.

Rain Delay

written by Netta&Mcgill
a little song about appreciation and sticking together............thanks for listening and merry christmas


you're the blue up in my sky
the twinkle in the eye
aint no mountain seem too high
when you are by my side

you're the no and i'm the yes
you're the answer i'm the guess
everything just seems a mess
without you by my side

sometimes the days aint long enough
to do what we gotta do
and get on with what really matters
like taking care of me and you

my island in the sun
a place to hide when i'm on the run
i could easily come undone
without you by my side

cool me down like summer rain
seek me out when i'm lost again
among enemies you're my friend
who stands right by my side

like a dusty road that never ends
the long goodbye, to part as friends
just know that we'll meet again
and we'll walk side by side

Side X Side

Frans Beelaard...tracks, Recorded in Modesto, Ca.  Steve Roy...Bass, Drummondville, Canada. Sergio Parraga... Percussion, Spain. Horn Section, Trumpet, Alto, Tenor Saxophones. Fender Rhodes Electric Piano solo. Roland Bass Synthesizer. Vibraphone Rhythm. Fender Rhodes Electric Piano Rhythm. Gibson 335 Electric Guitar solo. Trumpet solo. Trap full kit Drum set. Percussion, Timbales, Cowbell, Tambourine, 22" Zildjan Ride & Crash Cymbal.

Cannery Row

Power House

Slice of life.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

at the party
in your kaftan

hesitating never knowing what to say

sunday morning
ruffled pillows

what just happened, am i waking all alone
was i dreaming how come i can’t find my phone

heart is racing
head is spinning

my new boyfriend i don’t even know your name
be my boyfriend never thought i’d play this game
listen boyfriend you have left me overthrown
be my boyfriend you can even keep the phone

Boyfriend

Written, performed and recorded by  Neli CoKo, 2024, all rights reserved. 
I tried to create a real big space. Not easy! Thank you for listening :)

Now it´s time
Remember and release
Now it´s time
The pain will come and ease

Now it´s time
To get back on the ground
Now it´s time
Declutter what I found

I can´t believe it´s over, a new beginning
...

Now it´s time
To become innocent
Now it´s time
To live luminiscent

Now it´s time
To overcome the pain
Now it´s time
To let it all go down the drain

I can´t believe it´s over - a new beginning
...

New Beginnings

Neli CoKo - New Beginnings

What Have I Done Wrong Now feat. SilverBella / Paploviante Music
Vocals and Lyrics:
https://www.looperman.com/acapellas/detail/22105/what-have-i-done-wrong-now-main-vocal-98bpm-pop-acapella
https://soundcloud.com/silverbellasings
Paploviante: Bass, Music, Composing, Arrangement, Mix and Mastering

What Have I Done Wrong Now feat SilverBella

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded, mixed and mastered in Logic.
Guitar played: Taylor 714CE in standard tuning (Capo 4th Fret) 
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.
Lyrics:
The blind man lay down his walking cane
And rested by a stream
He thought he heard a minstrel sing
Or was it just a dream
A voice so calm and gentle
Full of love and full of grace
The air so sweet as if there was
Some magic in this place

The blind man sat contentedly
To hear the minstrel play
His words painted a picture
Of the dawning of the day
The rising of the morning sun
The light now giving shade
Such things he saw, such images
How could they ever fade

The minstrel played his song
And let the blind man be
At peace with at all the wonders
That his minds eye could now see
The oceans and the mountains
An eagle flying high
The colours of a rainbow 
Across the evening sky

He gathered up his walking cane
And softly bid farewell
My thanks to you kind minstrel
For the stories that you tell
Out there now ahead of him
A new path somehow lay 
As the minstrel’s voice began again
To sing and light his way

If all the stars could tell their tale 
What stories there would be
Of all that makes this universe 
Including you and me
What lies unseen beneath,
Beyond beginning with no end
For all we think we know 
What do we really “know” my friend

The Blind Man

words and music K Gennery


little bird, guess you have flown
over many an ocean exploring the globe

please be my eyes cause ill never see
the seven wonders of the world describe them to me
when you come back
ill be waiting for you

little bird tell me where have you been
have you circled the earth hey what have you seen

good or bad happy and sad
does it make you confused as the news does to me
when you come back
ill be waiting for you

tell me is it true what they say
that the lungs of our planet are being cut away

when you come back
ill be waiting for you
when you come back
ill be waiting for you

Little Bird

We hope that you like this new collaboration. This song really needed some magic in the middle sections and Jorg kindly provided a sensational Sax solo!! 
Please go over to Jorg's page and listen to more of his fantastic music.   @joerxworx

 Sax solo by Jorg
 Final mix by Jorg
 Vocals Lyrics and music by Vocalatti
(c) 2024

STORM   (Ft Jorg Stohwasser )  "Joerxworx"

I just posted a silly tune because I needed cover for this one -- it's pretty heavy.  It's about a neighbor who has ALS, which is one of the worst diseases that anyone could get. Sorry if this is too somber, it kinda had to get done.

Artwork by Carlos Cardona -- Jukar:  https://www.instagram.com/stories/jukarcardona/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/133332765@N07/

Marking Time
the first misstep is a vital sign
but you can never know if it was just the fault of wine
how you missed it doesn't matter anymore anyhow
just rest your eyes and breathe for now

the tiny comforts of each day
the simple pleasures that remain 
binding soul to body
until the morning that this all goes away

I'm only marking time till the day that the end is in sight
I won't there to hold your hand like you're holding mine
and it's tearing me up inside

I think she's out there working on another plan
she thunders through the day with all these papers and phone in hand
as if some new ray of science
will shine a light on what we don't understand

every morning birds singing outside my window
sunlight shining down into my eyes
I know I'll never see the faces of children
born to my own child
but if I'll see you in another life know that I'm satisfied

the tiny comforts of each day
these simple pleasures that remain 
while I'm soul in body
until the morning that this all goes away

I'm only marking time till the day that the end is in sight
I won't there to hold your hand when it's your time
I'll be there on the other side

Marking Time

Welcome to 2024 and thank you for visiting my Soundcloud page. 
It's great to connect with so many talented musicians here on Soundcloud! On this page you'll find my original songs (including 4 albums) and acoustic guitar instrumentals (including 2 EP's), together with various notes about guitars played, tunings, recording etc.

I am in the process of writing my fifth album which I hope to record over these winter months.

Musical influences for me have been many and varied including for example Bert Jansch, John Martyn, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Mark Knopfler, BB King, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Fairport Convention, Paul Simon,  JJ Cale, Eric Clapton, Colin Hay and John Mayer.

Hope you enjoy listening to my music.

Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.

The Blind Man

Ian Stokes

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