My lyrical reworking of Geoff Mack's classic to accommodate 67 5 syllable place names from Australia... sing along! More info and a live video is at: http://malwebb.com/fivebeen.html

I was driving my Subi, up the road to Tantawangalo
Singing "I've Been Everywhere Man"
And my mate turned round and said, "You know
"If a place name's got 5 syllables, it won't fit in that song"
So I got it in my noggin, I just had to prove him wrong
Mash up Mission Impossible, make Geoff Mack's song expand
To make a space for every 5 beat place name in the land

I've been everywhere, man, I've been everywhere, man
I've crossed the desert bare, man, I've breathed the mountain air, man
And travel I've had my share, man, I've been everywhere
I've been to...
Adaminaby Yarrahapinni Cuppacumalong Croajingalong
Coonabarabran Tangambalanga Tallebudgera Onkaparinga
Wingecarribee Eurobodalla Irrewillipe Copacabana

Yarrangobilly Wagragobilly Gobbagombalin Bellimbopinni
Boomanoomana Goobarragandra Moonyoonooka Malabugilmah
Coolabunia Carrawabbity Mullengudgery Wantabadgery

Billywillinga Bellawongarah Bundalaguah Bobinawarrah
Jerrawangala Jerrabomberra Jerrabattculla Kaltukatjara
Milikapiti Cullacabardee Mooliabeenee Halekulani

Corobimilla Currabubula Currawananna Korweinguboora
Coolcalalaya Cookamidgera Cookardinia Carrickalinga
Cooeeimbardi Coleambally Collarenebri Bungeworgorai

Ngaanyatjarraku Connewirricoo Pallamallawa Yallabatharra
Alexandria Copperhannia Cooplacurripa Tallygaroopna
Wereboldera Wattamondara Weeaproinah Willenabrina

Tarrayoukyan Barraganyatti Terramungamine Duchembegarra
Indooroopilly Warracknabeal Nurenmerenmong...

Yes, they're all real place names in Australia. Thanks to Cassie Carter for helping me to collect them. I do the verse over "Take 5" and the rest is over "Mission Impossible". Due to copyright restrictions, I can't release it on a CD, so here it is, free to all!
Geoff Mack wrote the original song and it was recorded by Lucky Starr and heaps of other artists. Geoff and his wife, Tabby, heard me play it at Tamworth in Jan 2012 and dug it immensely. Geoff said to me, "That's incredible... how long did it take you to get it together?" I said, "Gee, I've been at it for a year or so" and he said, "well, I wrote the original in half and hour!" Hmmm, thanks Geoff!

Five Been Everywhere

This is a little ditty that I wrote for the ABC TV show "Woodley". They wanted something "cheesy 80s rock, like Pina Colada", so this was what they got! It was played in the 2nd episode in the car of the yucky neighbour who runs over the cat. We mixed the down the vocals a bit so the lyrics couldn't be understood!

Carmody

This is a song I wrote with Kylie Morrigan for our friend Charlie Whiter's 33rd birthday. Apart from 1/3-of-a-century / LP-record (33rpm) type jokes, I made the groove of the song in 33, as in, 3 bars of 11 (grouped 4,3,4). At 1:41, I put a 3-in-the-pulse groove (11 pulses) against it (and adapt the old "21 Today" song*) and then at 3:00, I put 2,3,2 against the 4,3,4, so it becomes 8 against the 11**, which, over 3 bars and at 2-in-the-pulse, makes 12 pulses! So the same guitar part can work against either 11 or 12!  
As we were to surprise Charlie with the song in a park (with the help of Effy), I did all the looping on my Android phone using the Loopify app ( https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zuidsoft.looper or https://apps.apple.com/us/app/loopify-live-looper/id1659855312 for iOS) ... yes, the looped part of the guitar and the beatboxing is all through my Nokia G20's mic... not bad! If you'd like to play with the loop on your phone, here's the Loopify session http://malwebb.com/ChuzWiz33.lpy . 

Charlie knows the lyrics of my songs at times better than I do, and he often requests 2 particular songs (Dodgy and Fried Larynx) that are both (mostly) in lydian dominant scale (major with #4 and b7 ...the scale that the Simpsons theme is in). As the name part of Happy Birthday*** is over a lydian chord (E/D, if playing in A), I made our song morph out of that moment, and stay in D lydian dominant (D9 E9 D/C) until returning to Happy Birthday at the end: It's like a bizarre dream sequence in the middle of Happy Birthday!

*Which I once did a version of "21 Today" in a 21  groove! https://youtu.be/cWDGX5gX2mM
birthday
**This method of manipulating the groove is what I call Malleable PolyPolyrhythm http://malwebb.com/mppr.html
***Mildred Hill's original version of Happy Birthday has the lydian thang: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Birthday_to_You#/media/File:GoodMorningToAll.svg

Lyrics:
[Happy Birthday, etc. until...]
Charlie Whiter... You're a lover not a fighter
Charlie Whiter... You make the world much brighter
Charlie Whiter... You're the consummate delighter
Charlie Whiter...
[Lydian Dominant riff]
Ky and Mal have noticed that Charlie likes songs in this scale
As it's known as Lydian Dominant it does entail
A Sharpened 4 for spice then a Dom'nant 7th does prevail

33 today, 33 today
He's a third of a century
Give or take a month and three
and verily we all agree
he's the bestest friend there'll ever be

33 today, 33 today
If you were vinyl you would be
a long playing, record breaking
Aria and Grammy winning
platinum selling, off the charts
number 1 hit, in all our hearts

33 today, 33 today
1 and a 2 and a 3 and a 4 and a 5 and a 6 and a 7 and a 8 and a 9 and a 10 and a 11 and a 1
11 threes are 33, so are 3 11s

Charlie Whiter
You're a lover not a fighter
You make the world much brighter
You're the consummate delighter
A jollity inciter
A complimenter not a slighter
You're a kisser not a biter
Forgotten lyric reciter
Charlie, Charlie, Charlie etc (singalong)

Happy Birthday to you!

Oh, and check out my version of "21 Today" in a 21 groove! https://youtu.be/cWDGX5gX2mM

Chuz Wiz 33

A song about trains, trucks and false economies. Dedicated to my Dad. Written, sung, played and recorded by me (Mal Webb), except violin by Kylie Morrigan. Polished and mastered by Jim Spoonbill Moynihan.
It'll be on my next CD, Not Nor Mal, but a few people begged me for a pre-release. 
All the train sounds are my mouth (except the track squeal, which is violin harmonics). The whistle is my throat whistle. Note that the carriage sound loops throughout and the groove changes are all metric modulations. Cute eh!

http://malwebb.customer.netspace.net.au/load.html

Hear and/or buy the finished album version at: https://malwebb.bandcamp.com/album/not-nor-mal

Get The Load Off The Road, Get It Back On Track

The fabulous Patricia Hay sadly passed away on 21/02/2016. She was such a gem: Joyously driven and infectiously enthusiastic, whatever she was doing. Cooking, singing, dancing, smiling all the way. Giving us strength when things were tough. Forge on, Trish! You've fully infused the earth with your gloriousness!

I should mention, I first wrote this song 20 years ago when I was at my peak of Stevie Wonder fandom... I think it's somewhat apparent!

Now That You're Gone (for Trish)

Written, played and recorded by Mal Webb, except electric guitar by the glorious Sam Lemann.
Brooke's Jetty in St Kilda, which features on two of my CD covers, was neglected by those responsible for it (Parks Victoria) and then demolished, without any public consultation, in 2015. I've lived in St Kilda for 25 years and windsurf off the dog beach next to Brookes Jetty, so I was horrified when they destroyed it. There's a fine crew of locals (including a few lawyers) who are pushing them to rebuild it and I thought I'd lend a hand and a larynx to the cause.

Brooke's Jetty

Verse 1:
When Grandad was a young man in St KIlda, you could bet he
Would take grandma strolling summer evenings out along Brooke's jetty
Though all was hot and sweaty, that cool breeze was just in reach
When perched above the lapping waters off the crowded beach

Chorus:
Oh Brooke's jetty. bayside lovers held you dear
Singing your sweet counterpoint to St Kllda pier

But now you're just a drain and nothing more
You were meant to be maintained by Parks Victoria
But without a thought for all those who adore ya
They let you fall apart then tore ya down

But the good folks of St Kilda are demanding they rebuild a jetty
Equal in renown. Our voices will resound
As a tribute to the joy you brought to St Kilda town

Verse 2:
They said "it's unsafe", but nothing's safe when folks lack common sense
They said "it's of no use or historical significance"
But a century ago it was a thriving boating club
And ever since it's always been a vibrant social hub

Chorus...

Verse 3.
To sit upon Brooke's jetty's end with dangled feet and setting sun
To curse at jet skis, gaze at clouds and waves as ukuleles strum
To watch the fun and frolics on the foreshore, pure St Kilda bliss
From such a tranquil vantage point, to dwell, to dream, to reminisce

Chorus...
...Fred Brookes must now be tumbling in his grave
At this disrespectful underhand behaviour
And the tears and pain of those who tried to save ya
It's sad you're gone, but we won't let our hopes drown...

©Mal Webb 2016

Brooke's Jetty song

This is a song that I starting writing back in 1993, recorded in 2000, then I rewrote it to make it more accurate and recorded for my 2016 album, Not Nor Mal. In all that, I hadn't notice that I'd got the year she died wrong! So I've dropped a fixed version of the vocal into the master and matched it as best I could. Dance on, Henrietta, in a million test tubes around the world. Read more about this song and the amazing story of Henrietta Lacks at: http://malwebb.customer.netspace.net.au/henrietta.html
And hear and/or buy Not Nor Mal from https://malwebb.bandcamp.com/album/not-nor-mal

Henrietta Lacks '51

I wrote a piece for the Woodley TV show that I called Carmody (also uploaded below) and I used an instrumental version of it for the "Patron Saints of Disappointment" cabaret show in May 2018. We also used the below recording of Gregorian chant as pre-show music and when I was emailing the tracks, I accidentally played them simultaneously and this is what I heard! Both tracks are at original pitch and unstretched. I rather dig it, in an ancient yacht rock kinda way!

The original Gregorian Chant is:
"Ad Matutinum: Invitatorium: Deum verum" by Hendrik Vanden Abeele
Performers: Psallentes
Album: De Liège: In Festo Sanctissimae Trinitatis
www.psallentes.be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK5AohCMX0U

Carmody Gregorian Mash Up

Going up the harmonic series, one note per second, through a delay set to e seconds (e being Euler's number =2.7182818... ), with infinite repeats.
Note that it creates an 19 groove with many 7 groupings over the top of it, which makes sense, since 2.7182818 is just a little more than 19/7 (2.71428...).

For more explanation of this: http://malwebb.com/irrational.html

e delay with harmonic series

Going up the harmonic series, one note per second, through a delay set to gamma seconds(gamma being the Euler-Mascheroni constant =0.5772156649015328...), with infinite repeats.

For more explanation of this: http://malwebb.com/irrational.html

gamma (Euler-Mascheroni) delay with harmonic series

Going up intervals of 1/Phi of an octave (Phi being the Golden Ratio, 1.61803398...), but as a "Shepard tone": It's two guitar tracks panned, with one fading in a low octave and the other fading out a high octave, so it stays within two octaves, but seems endless. One note per second, through a delay set to e seconds (e being Euler's number =2.7182818... ), with infinite repeats.
Note that it creates an 19/8 groove.

For more explanation of this: http://malwebb.com/irrational.html

e delay / Phi pitch

Going up the harmonic series, one note per second, through a delay set to delta seconds (delta being the Feigenbaum constant 3.14159265359...), with infinite repeats.
Note that it creates an 14/8 groove, that feels like it's triplets... but isn't!

For more details, visit: http://malwebb.com/irrational.html

Feigenbaum delay with harmonic series

Going up the harmonic series, one note per second, through a delay set to pi seconds(pi being 3.14159265359...), with infinite repeats.
Note that it creates an 11/8 groove.

For more details, visit: http://malwebb.com/irrational.html

Pi delay with harmonic series

Going up the harmonic series, one note per second, through a delay set to Phi seconds(Phi, or the Golden Ratio,  being 1.6180339887498948482045...), with infinite repeats.

For more details, visit: http://malwebb.com/irrational.html

Phi delay Harmonics

Going up the harmonic series, one note per second, through a delay set to p seconds (p being the ratio to which the Padovan and Perrin sequences converge, 1.324718...), with infinite repeats.

For more details, visit: http://malwebb.com/irrational.html

Padovan/Perrin p delay Harmonics

This is a song Kylie Morrigan and I wrote for my Mum, Susan Robertson's 80th birthday. As Mum is of Scottish background, we thought a jig was appropriate (with a few of those backward swings that the Scots do in their jigs). 

Hip hooray you've made your way to eighty 
So here's a syllable for ev'ry year 
Four score taurine fools, shining lyric jewels
We'll sing for thee, our Bonnie lass so dear
 
While this milestone may seem vaguely weighty
It's pure delight with fam'ly gathered near
Wide smiles full of pride, Alan by your side,  
We'll dance a jig and give a hearty cheer

(This extra bit from Mally won't add to the tally
And also this, from Kylie, who sings your praises highly)

Mum80

Mum's 80 syllable birthday jig

My granny once recorded herself reading a Beverley Nichols story. And I've always like this line.

"40 Pounds" from Granny's story

This is part of my song, "Home Sweet Homeostasis", which is based around a Risset rhythm/ Shepard tone / Harmonic Series rise I've made, https://youtu.be/2otKFo79Je0 , as well as this, the reverse of the beatbox groove with a guitar part (that's the drop!) Beware, it might do your head in!* Of course, when I perform it, I'll loop it all live. Oh, and here're the lyrics... so far (I'm nearly settled on it!) http://malwebb.com/homeo.html

*When Frank Woodley heard it, he wrote, delightfully: "It's outrageous. It's definitely doing something to my brain on a very deep level.  Somewhere between an impending orgasm and a door banging in the wind as your starting to fall asleep and dream about a horse eating celery (with a sleepy cowboy on its back) trotting to a stop while a tinnie with a recalcitrant outboard speeds up and putts off across a lake. Brilliant original work you lunatic!!" 

My thoughts exactly... well, kind of!

malwebb

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