I KNOW WHERE YOU COME FROM

GHOST FLUCTUATIONS

The Irishy Corner

TELL ME SOON ABOUT CATS' PARADISE

Collaborations

with https://soundcloud.com/clublimemusic, Hiram, Mark Hoogslag & Maarten Luitwieler, Pleudoniem, Régulo Tortolero,  Orillia Junction, Julsy & Snow Mens Music (Todd) , Say, https://soundcloud.com/the-plugs, Carolyn Burnette, https://soundcloud.com/markjbennett, https://soundcloud.com/fingerstyle_guitar, Mark J. Bennett, Daniel Lockhart, LFH a.o.

other musicians welcome

Great Tracks - Great Artists 2

Dan https://soundcloud.com/progrockdan1 is one of the most inventive and exciting people to collaborate with on SC. If you haven't heard his work before you should check out his cloud. Mark

Collaborations with ProgRockDan1 (and Oorlab)

The Ghost Vessel - Fleursonseaux
All rights reserved - © Copyright

The Ghost Vessel

Cut through the static—Three Photons is broadcasting pure analog soul from a rain-slicked midnight in Chicago

I have been playing around with.....ii V I progressions and the Bebop A dominant scale. I call this one an Indie Dark Jazz flavor. Hope you will like some part of it and maybe hum along before it ends..... 
Thank you René for feedback on the first draft! 

Live from Chicago 
Written by TJG March 2021
Mix 1: March 23, 2021

Technical Details
Recorded at Princeton Studio
Guitars
Rhythm 1: Guild DV52
Rhythm 2: Les Paul Standard
Lead1: Fender Stratocaster
Bass: Fender Squire

Percussion: 
Pearl Cajon Mach 2 – with brushes
Pearl Hi Hat with Zildjian symbols - with brushes - no idea what I'm doing here, but I like working the foot pedal. 

Mics: Neumann TLM 67 (vocal)
AGK 414 & Shure KSM44 on guitars, cajon and hi hat

Software: Pro Tools
Vocals: TG

Mixer: API 24 channel summing mixer (8200/7800)
Stereo Bus processing (API EQ and API compressor)
Final mix down to a MARA MCI JH110 1/4inch 2-track at 15 ips using ATR Master Tape. I used an input and output transformer to give some additional harmonic distortion......I just like pushing the buttons and watching the reels spin…;-)


Verse 1
They’re all buying guns
To take a shot at you
But you’re still smiling
Because you died a long time ago
Two bullets through your soul

Refrain 1
It’s live from Chicago
Let the camera roll 
It’s live from Chicago

Verse 2
When the morning breaks
The camera fades away
But you’re still smiling
Because you’re still standing tall
Two bullets through your soul

Refrain2
Let the camera roll 
It’s live from Chicago
How was I to know?
Two bullets through your soul
It's live from Chicago

outro
How was I to know?
It's live from Chicago....

Let the camera roll
It's live from Chicago
How was I to know?
Two bullets through your soul
It's live from Chicago
How was I to know?
Two bullets through your soul
Here in Chicago
How was I to know?
Two bullets through your soul
let the cameras roll
let the cameras roll
it's life in Chicago
it's life in Chicago

Two bullets through your soul
It's live from Chicago

Live from Chicago

CLUB APOCALYPSE - ft. KIEF NEBULA "We just wanna have some fun in these end times." (Lyrics by Grimm Justice & Kief Nebula) (Beat by @Allrounda) (Mixed & Mastered by Kief Nebula)

Enter The Mask

Club Apocalypse

ENTER THE MASK (Album)

👾CLUB APOCALYPSE👾 - ft. KIEF NEBULA

Music & Lyrics Phil Dale
Guitar & Vocal Finn Eces @finn_eces

Watch the lyric video https://youtu.be/OD9hOQeyims

The true tale of Charles Byrne, the Irish Giant. (1761–1783)
Charles' "gentle, likeable nature inspired an immense public fondness, and his celebrity life was constantly splashed across the newspapers of the day. Byrne's great height was the result of a then-undiscovered growth disorder.
Byrne was living in London at the same time as the pre-eminent surgeon and anatomist John Hunter. Hunter had a reputation for collecting unusual specimens for his private museum, and Hunter had offered to pay Byrne for his corpse. As Byrne's health deteriorated, and knowing that Hunter wanted his body for dissection (a fate reserved at that time for executed criminals) and probable display, Byrne devised a plan. He made express arrangements with friends that when he died his body would be sealed in a lead coffin and taken to the coastal town of Margate and then to a ship for burial at sea. Byrne's wishes were thwarted and his worst fears realised when Hunter arranged for the cadaver to be snatched on its way to Margate."

Bandcamp

The Irish Giant (feat. Finn Eces)

English ballad set to the traditional Irish tune, Londonderry Air.
Danny Boy arrangement © Debra Buesking 
Piano: Steinway 1951 --> Synthogy Ivory II American Concert D

Danny Boy

As this is called ‘Wordlessly’ I’ll try to keep this brief. http://soundcloud.com/progrockdan1 approached me with this beautiful and unusual piece and I had his melody going around in my head for months with several sets of lyrics on different themes but I found myself drawn to this almost wordless version. http://soundcloud.com/progrockdan1 loved this but felt a female vocal would give more of a sense of dialogue and suggested https://soundcloud.com/lamara-marie, who brought a whole new dynamic to the piece. Behind the scenes, we ended up in a 3-way philosophical debate on the role of communication within relationships. Our communication was far from wordless.

I’d like to thank Dan and Lamara-Marie for their help and inspiration in this experimental journey. Please check out their clouds and also leave a comment if you have time.

All Music, Arrangement and Mix - http://soundcloud.com/progrockdan1

Additional Lyrics, Lead and Backing Vocals - https://soundcloud.com/lamara-marie

Lyrics, Lead and Backing Vocals - Me

My love and I, 
Have found the way 
To express, 
Our love, 
Wordlessly.

Wordlessly (collaboration with ProgRockDan1 & Lamara-Marie)

With Pat's passing, I wanted to post this version of Ode with us doing a little brainstorming on the creation of the song. 
I witnessed a miracle--at least I would call it that.  A beloved rose that was a regular bloomer(pictured) fell victim to the incredibly harsh cold spell we had in February of 2021.  By April when the rest of the roses were waking up, this one had not a sign of life in it, just a brown stump.  I watered, and fed, and waited, and waited.  Nothing.  I dug out the stump.   For Mothers' Day my daughter had bought a rose to replace the one that had perished...or so I thought.  Within a week of planting the new one, the old one put out a shoot just a foot away.  I guess the digging, watering, etc for the new rose stimulated some remaining root of the old.  It has since received lots of love and care, and has at least a half-dozen buds ready to bloom in a couple of weeks.  So this is an ode; to a beloved rose and all things miraculous.  
Special thanks to Pat Howell for the initial inspiration and his fine musicianship and sweet additions with mandolin and octave.  Please check out his page for more fine music @patrick-howell-786748109

Ode To A Rose (with new intro and outro 7/23/23)

Sí Mhór SÍ Bheag (Carolan) arr. Pete Huttlinger

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded and mixed using Logic. Mastered in Soundcloud
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.

This acoustic guitar instrumental is played in DADGAD tuning (all tuned down a half step)using my Taylor 714 CE guitar.

The Chase

Overdubbed guitar duet arrangement dedicated to my wife of 20 years.
Recorded 1998
Remix version
Artwork by Joshua Lasky

Soon

Tell Me Now
written by Jasmin M. 
all rights reserved - 
THX for your support! <3 Cheers, Jazzy <3

Tell Me Now - Jasmin M.

HAGE PARADISE

Sparkling Cat

Piece inspired by romanticism in the city: love within concrete walls, poetry beneath artificial light...

Three vocal parts (translated lyrics below) became in very different moods in the songwriter phase, so I couldn't fit them in the same tempo. Working hard on transitions, I got the following solution:

Intro: ad libitum
A: 6/4 & 5/4 at 147bpm
B: 4/4 at 220bpm
C: 4/4 at 293bpm

Such ABC pattern is repeated twice, structured with some city scenes, and 2nd 'C' part includes a guitar soloing lesson by https://soundcloud.com/paco-ray, old friend of mine, technical consultor and personal luthier ;)

Pic: edited photo taken from home studio window where I recorded some city sounds for the track.

LETRA / LYRICS:

DAS VIDA A MI CIUDAD      /      YOU GIVE LIFE TO MY CITY

En la ciudad donde vivo,     /   In the city where I live,
llena de romanticismo,       /   full of romanticism,
el cariño que has perdido    /   the affection you have lost,
ven a buscarlo conmigo.      /   come to look for it with me.

Las farolas en la acera,    /    The lamps along the sidewalk,
con su fija alternativa,    /    with their constant alternation,
iluminan, no iluminan,      /    illuminate, do not illuminate,
el escenario de mi vida.     /   the stage of my life.

Entre bloques de hormigón,   /   Among blocks of concrete,
somos capaces de pedir perdón. / we are able to apologize.
Entre bloques de hormigón,   /   Among blocks of concrete,
somos capaces de sentir amor. /  we are able to feel love.

Caminando sobre asfalto,   /     Walking on asphalt,
abrazado a tu cadera,     /      held on your hip,
entre coches aparcados,     /    amid parked cars,
duerme la ciudad entera.    /    the entire city sleeps.

Eres tú toda la vida      /      You are all the life
que esta ciudad necesita,   /    that this city needs,
compartiendo cada esquina,   /   sharing every corner,
calles de melancolía...     /    streets of melancholy...

Entre bloques de hormigón,   /   Among blocks of concrete,
somos capaces de pedir perdón. / we are able to apologize.
Entre bloques de hormigón,   /   Among blocks of concrete,
somos capaces de sentir amor.  / we are able to feel love.

ER21HC01 - (C) Ruizzo 1995 - (R) Francés Records;) 2014

Das vida a mi ciudad (2nd solo by Paco Ray)

My idea for the subject matter came from Dan saying the music made him think of mountains and water. In my head I made a leap to a human story I knew of a mother and son who waited for much of WWII at a tiny seaport (Kyle of Lochalsh) in the North Western Highlands of Scotland to occasionally see the husband/father who was on mine sweeping missions with the Arctic convoys. Life expectancy was 6 months but he returned safely. This story would work just as well as a scenario for a fishing village where all the men had been gone for days during a storm.

I can't thank Dan enough for his inspirational piece that triggered these words and likewise Dick made this sound so emotionally charged with his fiddle and harmony vocals. I am greatly indebted to my collaborators for making this possible with endless patience and skill.

Please check out their wonderful clouds. https://soundcloud.com/dan-lockhart/by-the-waters-edge-with-mark-bennett-oorlab-with-video-link
All Music (except for Violin), Vocal - https://soundcloud.com/dan-lockhart
Violin, Harmony Vocal and Video - https://soundcloud.com/oorlab
Lyrics, Vocal and Artwork - me 

Video link - http://youtu.be/UAfy0vtMmsc


By the water’s edge,
All her thoughts are out at sea,
The child in her arms belongs to he,
He who’s gone

Ev’ry storm is a pain in her heart,
Waiting for news that would tear her apart,
Of he who’s gone
By the water’s edge

She is not alone in her wait,
All the women share her fate,
By the water’s edge

Tears of joy from all on the shore,
The ship is home once more.
By the water’s edge

By The Water's Edge (with Dan Lockhart & oorlab) with Video link

Mark says,
"Making music with Rodolfo is always exciting and often a challenge, although I know we both find it stimulating, as we always aim to reach high and this post is no exception. This new song, started its gestation almost a year ago, instantly showed a lot of promise and since has been through many stages of exploration and rounds of problem-solving. The painfully blunt lyrics were initially inspired by a friend's brutal relationship break-up, but the final result is much heavier. I hope you find it moving rather than disturbing, I was trying to match the mood of Rod's deeply dramatic music."

Rodolfo says,
"I think it's a fantastic song and you've done an amazing job on both the story and the vocals, especially those tough lines. When I was writing it, I just felt like a modern blues with a techno vibe was taking shape. The final sound was defined by the story and those really dramatic, emotional lyrics. You might want to make it clear that it's a fictional story to avoid giving our friends heart attacks."

We appreciate all of the kind support that the Soundcloud community has given our collaborations. Thanks for listening and sharing your thoughts, Mark and Rodolfo

Rodolfo Planes - Music composition, instrumentation, arrangement, production and mix https://soundcloud.com/rplanes
Me - Vocals and lyrics

Moments of stress,
How did you deal with the rest?
All that is left of you and me,
Is wrecked.
How can we expect,
To go on when there’s nothing at all left?
 
…Left in the lurch,
You should have done more research.
I was truly never a safe bet for you…
For you could have made,
A much better match than you did with me.
 
Open your eyes,
I promise you won’t be surprised,
It’s been there before you,
All along, all of the way…
…Way before you had sensed,
That we had got it all so wrong by then.
 
Moments of stress,
All such a mess,
It’s anyone’s guess,
How it all went so wrong?
Moments of stress,
No more nor less,
Need I express,
How it all went so wrong?

Moments Of Stress - Continental Collision (by Rodolfo Planes/Mark J Bennett)

This is new take on a song that Rodolfo and I first worked on 4 years ago. He had always imagined it with fine saxophone and great backing harmonies and now that Continental Collision has a wonderful pool of talent to draw on, that has become a reality, thanks to Ce Mastro and Georg Boehme's beautiful contributions.
The song has been given so much more feeling and emotion.
Thanks to them and Rodolfo for believing that we could succeed  and thanks to all of you for listening.

Rodolfo Planes - Music composition, instrumentation, arrangement, production and mix - @rplanes
Me - Vocals and additional lyrics
Javier Rolando - Original song lyrics
Ce Mastro - Backing vocals and chorus vocal arrangement - @cemastro
Georg Boehme - Sax solo and fills - @georg-boehme
Image (Caithness, Scotland): Courtesy of Douglas Corrance

A Stranger In Your Heart - Continental Collision featuring Ce Mastro & Georg Boehme

I don't know what I've done wrong?
I don't know why you have gone?
Though I hope some day,
When I whisper your name,
We'll be together.
But today's too soon.
When I think of you, I dream.
Yet still, I'm a stranger,
Yet still, I'm a stranger in your heart.

Sometimes I feel like a fool.
Never knowing whether you'll,
Give me hope some day,
Still I call your name.
We'll be together.
Is today too soon?
When I think of you, I dream.
No longer a stranger,
No longer a stranger in your heart.

A Stranger In Your Heart - Continental Collision (featuring Ce Mastro and Georg Boehme)

Hot on the heels of 'By The Water's Edge', Dan came up with another maritime sounding arrangement that he was keen to share with Dick Vestdijk and myself. The original music was very inspiring and my immediate suggestion was on the theme of 'impressment' - the press-ganging of sailors into naval service against their will. No sooner had I suggested this than Dick had drafted a great start to the fine lyric we have now. I added a verse then Dick completed the lyric and delivered a guide vocal that took my breath away. I thought we should leave it at that, however we all continued to work on multiple versions with a variety of arrangements and vocal set-ups. What we were seeking was something organic and natural sounding, as if a couple of sailors were singing in a tavern about their life at sea, surrounded by other impressed seamen. The quality of musicianship, imagination and patience that Dan and Dick brought to this continues to astound me. As well as their generosity and skill, they really are great guys to collaborate with. I look forward to many more projects.

I'm sure Dan and Dick will gladly respond to any comments posted here. Thanks for taking the time to listen.
 
Original Music, All Other Instrumentation and Final Mix - https://soundcloud.com/dan-lockhart
Guitar, Harmonica, Lyrics, Vocals and Vocal Melody - https://soundcloud.com/oorlab
Additional Lyrics and Vocals - me
 
Also attached is a link to a beautiful video made by https://soundcloud.com/oorlab
- https://youtu.be/I2mUn3yWxPs
 
They took me from the harbour,
 
While I was still asleep,
 
Chained and gagged and bent and ragged,
 
Human turned to sheep.
 


In the days of impressment,
 
Flogging instead of caressment,
 
A captain cruel, an empire’s tool
 
... ship of fools.



Though the sails are torn,
 
The bow cleaves straight,

For the Equator.
 
Unto its fate.
 


The King's shilling will be my lot,
 
My fate's sailing, willing or not,
 
The wind's ailing and I've been bought.
 
The wind’s ailing, It's come to naught.



This coin of treason,

Was in my cup,

The pressgang thugs will never stop,

My love, the world's a station, cruel & dim,

Where is the truth & dignity,

How can this law be for the free?

The King's shilling will be my lot



They robbed me from my hometown,

And pressed me on their ship,

Forced to fight their dirty war,

Slave under their whip,


In the days of impressment,

No law forbade his arrestment,

Sailor’s freedom for what it’s worth,

Where is the justice on this earth?

In the days of impressment.



The King's Shilling Will Be My Lot (with Dan Lockhart & Oorlab) + videolink

Like "The King's Shilling Will Be My Lot' this song started with a maritime theme from Dan, to which Dick found the highly original subject of Napoleon's jailor on the island of Saint Helena. There are conspiracy theories (rumours of arsenic poisoning, etc) about what really happened in Napoleon's last years, although both sides of the story are well documented. Dick was inspired by some research he made via the British Library's website. For more information follow these links -
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_Lowe
http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Napoleons-Exile-on-St-Helena/

It is always a pleasure to get the opportunity to work with such wonderful collaborators. Please check out their clouds if you haven't already. This will become part of a set of songs that relate to nautical themes with more to follow soon.

Original Music, All Other Instrumentation - @dan-lockhart
Guitar, Violin, Additional Drums, Lyrics, Vocals, Vocal Melody, Final Mix and Video - @oorlab
Additional Lyrics, Vocals and Artwork - me

Link to video - youtu.be/_PVXdPRpitc

Hudson Lowe took his ship
To horizons far & wide, 
As long as he was sailing,
He felt no need to hide,

Fighting for King & country,
God & honour ran through his veins,
Securing domains,
In campaigns,
With the insane.

Writing letters from quarters,
Beyond the sea,
From an island full of rats,
And devoid of trees.
The Emperor still conniving,
For an escape, that he was striving.

Hudson Lowe
So long ago
Played his part,
In this final act

The Emperor & his jailor,
Prisoners in time, 
Six times met face to face,
In Longwood’s walls of his disgrace 
The Corporal was waiting 
For his final hour,
Using his power,
The Ferryman’s come.

Endless streams of blood,
In Europe's ground, Europe's soul. 
This prison below the equator,
For them both, it would take its toll.

Where is the purpose,
Of rising through the ranks,
When your ship is stranded,
On history's treacherous banks.

Yet Hudson Lowe
So long ago
Played his part,
In this final act
Hudson Lowe
Long ago
Played his part,
Final show.

The Ballad Of Hudson Lowe (with Dan Lockhart and Dick Vestdijk)+videolink

Three Owls are
 Régulo Tortolero: Drums, Bass, Cuatro Venezolano and lyrics 
 Oorlab https://soundcloud.com/oorlab : Lead Vocals and Backing Vocals, Piano, Strings and lyrics
Mark Bennett: Lead and Backing Vocals and lyrics

Recorded at NoHum Studio, El Limón - Venezuela and Oorlab Studio, Amersfoort - Netherlands and Edinburgh, UK 2025. Mixed by: R.T. ©® NoHum Records 2025  All Rights Reserved

Recorded and Produced by Three Owls 
 Art Cover: Mark J Bennett

Régulo (AKA @kings-of-manguareo) in Venezuela started this project a year ago with a piece called ‘Al Paso C’.
After several evolutions involving Dick (Oorlab) and myself, then the new title was suggested by Régulo and we ventured into space, with a ‘Musical Consequences’ scenario. I started off the lyrics, then Régulo added some lines and finally Dick completed them. Soundcloud is a great place for experimentation. Many thanks to my collaborators and also to you for taking part by listening, Mark

Am I the follower?
 Pleiades am I bound? 
Pleiades I am bound,
 I am the follower.

Aldebaran, Aldebaran, Aldebaran, Aldebaran… 
Never going, never going… coming back!

The fiery eye of Taurus,
 Trains its gaze upon, 
Orion’s shiny belt 
And it's perfect triad
 Over all of us
 For all eternity…

As long as the sun will shine
 And the magnetic field  
Stays well aligned 
The World will keep itself  
On course.

The long night will turn around
 Winter solstice is here 
Aldebaran will rise
 The ice will disappear

Aldebaran by Three Owls

Tom Régnier https://soundcloud.com/tom-r-gnier approached me with a beautiful piano piece and with the words 'Kiss Me Goodbye' to ask if I could make a song lyric out of this. After receiving my short sung part and having superb contributions from Jussi Welin https://soundcloud.com/juswel (Guitars and guitar arrangements) and Georg Boehme https://soundcloud.com/georg-boehme (Flute & Horns), Tom described it more as a journey than a song and I think he is right.
Painting by Paul Cézanne.


Kiss me goodbye
Now is the time
For us to part
Let it show
With all of your heart
Kiss me goodbye, let me go

The Silver Darlings (with Dan Lockhart & Dick Vestdijk)

Mark says - 
In the 5 years I have been working with Rod, I have been encouraged to reach as far as my experience allows me to, with complete support at all times. So far we have completed 11 songs and have experimented with several others that made for a great learning curve for me, with several more at other stages of development... Watch this space, however as we are methodical and patient, therefore it may take some time to get them off the ground.

The subject matter of this song may be based on a different scenario but it is also a token of my gratitude to my inspirational collaborator and friend Rod, who has given me much confidence to rise to the ambition of his musical creativity and meticulous arrangements. Thank you all for giving this song your time.

Rod says - 
This song was conceived a long time ago to be sung in Spanish, but Mark did a magnificent adaptation with his English lyrics, and the meaning is 100% faithful to the original spirit, even though he hadn't heard the original song in Spanish. Technically, there are three voices together, consolidating a multi-vocal performance. The synth sounds emulate my old analog and FM synths, and the guitars were routed through an old console to achieve the vintage sound I was looking for.

Rodolfo Planes - Music composition, instrumentation, arrangement, production and mix - @rplanes
Me - Vocals and lyrics
Image by Douglas Corrance

Thank You (Rodolfo Planes/Mark J Bennett)

I would like to tell you just how grateful I am,
And also how important you’ve been here in my life.
I know I don’t need to draw you a diagram,
Thank you for being there all this time as my wife.
I have to tell you just how good you’ve been for me,
And I hope that I have also been there for you,
When you needed me through all this trouble and strife.
 
No need to show me all of your gratitude,
I already know how much you show that you care,
When you were prepared to move to my latitude,
Then I was convinced I was ready to share,
My life with you whatever it threw at the both of us.
I know that it’s true, no matter what you care to say.
I’ll always need to express all of my thanks to you 
This will always be true on that I swear.
 
I would like to tell you just how grateful I am,
And also how important you’ve been in, in my life.
I have to tell you just how good you’ve been for me,
And I hope that I have also been there for you,
When you needed me through all this trouble and strife.
Then I was sure that I was ready to share,
My whole life with you, whatever that meant for the both of us.
I know that it’s true, whatever you say.

This song on Continental Collision's own cloud - https://soundcloud.com/user-517923604/thank-you

Thank You - Continental Collision (Rodolfo Planes & Mark J Bennett)

The story of Grace Darling to me as a child felt like the ultimate example of female heroism imaginable. This year celebrates the bicentenary of her birth. For more information on her life please visit these links –
http://www.gracedarling.co.uk
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Darling
http://rnli.org/aboutus/historyandheritage/museums/Pages/Grace-Darling-Museum.aspx

This song was different from most of our other collaborations in the way it developed. It started from a lyric for almost all of the song from myself, which Dick added to, especially in the chorus as well as coming up with the music and vocal melody. Dan came on board later with backing vocals and more instrumentation as well as the final mix.

I’d like to thank Dan and Dick yet again for their patience and creativity and for enabling me to realise this piece. I’d also like to thank some other fellow Soundclouders from the North of England for some invaluable advice whilst we were researching this subject -
https://soundcloud.com/the-secret-red-orchestra
https://soundcloud.com/sciencebase
and https://soundcloud.com/gibson-j-4-5

Mark J Bennett – Lyrics, Vocals, Artwork
https://soundcloud.com/dan-lockhart – Backing vocals, Mandolin, Bass and Final Mix
https://soundcloud.com/oorlab – Music, Additional Lyrics, Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Drums and Video.

Videolink - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V31JV3Bqz8&feature=youtu.be

Witnessing the wreck from her window,
Showed her mettle when facing peril.
With her father, she braved the storm
Little thought of fear or harm.
Survivors clamour for dear life,      
On half a ship as if cut by a knife.
Grace be brave, daughter of the lighthouse.
A ray of hope, when all else fades.

Rowed a mile in a Northumbrian coble,
Was an act so selfless and noble.
They rescued four men and Sarah Dawson,
Too late for the vicar and her children.
Newspapers clamour for her story,
And bathe in her reflected glory.
Grace be brave, daughter of the lighthouse.
A ray of hope, when all else fades.

Eighteen were saved from the sixty-two, 
Gifts and donations they did accrue,
From circus, Duke and even the Queen.
Such fuss, they could not have foreseen.
Artists clamour for her likeness,
Yet something faded from her brightness.
Grace be brave, daughter of the lighthouse.
A ray of hope, when all else fades.

Unwanted celebrity was hard to maintain,
The pressures of fame, proved a strain.
Already reclusive on her island retreat,
Her admirers became indiscreet.
Visitors clamour for a token,
Grace’s calm, forever broken.
Grace be brave, daughter of the lighthouse.
A ray of hope, when all else fades.
Grace be brave, daughter of the lighthouse.
Grace be brave, daughter of the lighthouse.


Grace Be Brave (with Dan Lockhart & Dick Vestdijk)+Videolink

A sleightly  remastered version appeared on the  2014 album  "Halfway island":
http://oorlab.bandcamp.com/album/halfway-island

This version was launched on the occasion of October 5th 2011 Soundcloud Meetup Day - downloadable until October 12th 2011.

http://soundcloud.com/the-plugs (Venezuela) - drums and bass, mix
Oorlab (The Netherlands) - guitar and keys.

Picture by Melvin Gaal http://www.flickr.com/photos/94379417@N00/
http://Mindsharing.eu - Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0) 

Central Park Sunrise - collaboration The Plugs & Oorlab

This is our latest installment in the Songs of the Sea series.  
https://soundcloud.com/oorlab/sets/songs-of-the-sea

As usual we wanted to do something a little different. A few months ago I started with an idea for a song in 7/4 time.  I have written a number of songs using various time signatures (as well as a couple utilizing multiple Time signatures).  It was hard to play in 7/4 time I kept wanting to add the 8th beat and make it 8/4.  With some work I finally felt the rhythm.  Dick added some parts that helped get it all smooth.

As usual we did a little research to get a theme for this song.  We found that 7/4 time is common in Middle Eastern music.  We did some more research to identify a singer that could help create the Middle Eastern flavor we desired.  Here is a link to the video:
youtu.be/Kjbb9D3U_aY

We were lucky to find Hossein Ragheb.  We sent him the song and he agreed to participate in the project.  The result are the excellent Farsi vocals on this song.  I hope you enjoy this addition to the Songs of the Sea as much as we do.

Sinbad & the Whale

Sindbad and the whale started out as Dan floated the idea to use a different time signature: 7/4 and a Middle Eastern
feel. Off course we then quickly arrived at the legendary Sindbad from the Thousand and one nights fairytales.

&#1607;&#1586;&#1575;&#1585; &#1608; &#1740;&#1705; &#1588;&#1576; / Hezar-o-yek shab

In our version Sindbad comes to an island, but discovers that it is actually a whale.

https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/b/burton/richard/b97b/complete.html#section714


The Book of
The Thousand Nights and a Night

Translated by Richard F. Burton -1885

Here are the lyrics in Farsi (Persian) which Hossein has written based on the story:

دوباره سندباد
به دریا میره
سفر در کشتی
از این جزیره
به اون جزیره

تا میرسه به
جزیره ای که
آروم نداره
آروم نداره

چه وقت خوابه
نهنگ بیداره
به قایق برگرد
وقت فراره


Here is a translation of the Farsi lyrics:

Sinbad, once again,
Goes to the ocean
Travelling on a Ship
From this island
To that island

Until he arrives
On this odd island
Which is not still
Which is not still

It's not time to sleep
The whale is awake
Go back to the boat
It's time to escape

You can find Hossein’s excellent music here:
https://soundcloud.com/hossein-tunes

You can find Dick’s wonderful music here:
https://soundcloud.com/oorlab



Sinbad & The Whale (with Hossein Ragheb and Dick Vestdijk)

Dick and I have been on a journey to create Songs of the Sea.  You can find the other songs of the sea here:
https://soundcloud.com/oorlab/sets/songs-of-the-sea

You can find the video here:
https://youtu.be/dRx4Qx4d3wg

I approached Dick about doing a song about the East India Company.  We discussed it for a while before heading off on the journey to create this song.  There is a lot of controversy around this company.  All is not glory and good.  In the end we decided it is like life, you have to take the good with the bad.
 
Here is a synopsis of what Wikipedia says about the East India Company:
The United East Indian Company (Dutch: Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie; VOC), referred to by the English as the Dutch East India Company, was established as a company in 1602.  The Dutch government granted it a 21-year monopoly on Dutch spice trade. It is considered to be the first multinational corporation in the world.  It was the first company to issue stock.   It was a powerful company with quasi-governmental powers.  It could wage war, imprison and execute convicts, negotiate treaties, make its own coins, and establish colonies.

The East India Company  is famous  as the first public shareholder company actually started out as a bunch of adventurers, possibly pirates. The English, Dutch and Portuguese sailed to the east to find America but, while fighting amongst themselves, reached the South East Asian island empire of nowadays Indonesia. There they stumbled upon civilizations that were in many respects more advanced than Europe in the 1500's. But in one aspect the Europeans had maps and instruments to navigate around the globe. The Chinese also had some maps and knowledge of navigation - but they kept it a secret. The Europeans shared more of their knowledge amongst each other. This song describes the journeys of the soldier-merchants of the East India Companies. Coffee, tea, pepper - we owe a lot to these sailors.

To learn more about the East India Company:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_India_Company
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_East_India_Company

Lyrics:  East India Company

Sailing & Searching
across the sea
for spices, slaves and lemontrees.
As long as the wind
is my friend
I can reach that distant land

Across the equator
sooner or later
we all will be working
for the East India Company

I give you one 
If you give me two
make a profit for the crew.
Coconuts for stock & trade
As long as the market is being paid


From Amsterdam to Lissabon,
to Zanzibar and on and on
Fighting and trading
without a care
we'll venture out 
to where we may dare

You can find Dick's music here:
https://soundcloud.com/oorlab



East India Company (with Dick Vestdijk)

Recorded at Pleudoniem Studios, Amersfoort

Elephant Road

Seven to eleven
in a pretty state
winter wind is blowing
but we'll navigate

pointing out the polar
stick a shadow here
it's a kind of knowing
that we could do without

Pacing down 
the elephant road
catching songs, 
for elephant moods

If your name was Martin
you could raise the price
Sipping from your shizzle
Sailing up to Paradise

Clouding up my window, it's
Hard to sleep at night
Their buzzing wakes me up
-... so does the city light

Mosquitos keep on bugging
our welfare state 
impossible to crush
Let alone exterminate

Wave at the clouds
And make them rain for you
Look at the birds
Their wings should be yours
Even from your sofa
Where you sit to blind the sun
The trampling of the bulls
Fades away the news


Elephant Road (collab with Oorlab)

Video clip : https://youtu.be/RH0fMgkFl2E
Please visit my fellow musicians music:
https://soundcloud.com/progrockdan1
https://soundcloud.com/mark-hoogslag
https://soundcloud.com/kellie-rowley



The idea of doing a song about Brendan the navigator came from Dan back in June 2015. We tried different tunes and lines - at one time we had four different ideas about either Brendan's homecoming, Brendan's boat (Currach), Brendan's liberty  and Brendan's brother. We could  have done almost a whole album around this Irish Sailor-Saint. One of the ideas got a Caribbean angle and turned into the Island of Light.

But the Brendan idea never got off the ground until we got Kellie singing along and Mark Hoogslag on board with his flute.  So in the end we made a traditional sounding folk song featuring mandoline, violin, mouth harp, flute, budhran and bass, darbuka and Kellie's and Dick's vocals.

So who was Brendan? Did he actually live, and if so did he manage to reach America in the 6th century, in a boat made of leather?

Just like other Celtic figures from that time (Arthur) Brendan's historical background is a bit sketchy. His date of birth and death are given with some certainty (c. 484 – c. 577) but other than that the tales are like legends. His journey is first mentioned in the Navigatio sancti Brendani abbatis, of which at one time 125 manuscripts have been counted, scattered across Europe. Debate about which is the oldest manuscript is still going on among Brendanologists.

In our text we came up with a ficticious brother of Brendan who stayed on land while his brother went to sea. The land-brother worked in the forest that produced the mast that the sailor-brother needed to travel.

Picture from Flickr - https://flic.kr/p/fCUHha - part of a manuscript depicting Saint Brendan on the back of a whale.

Brendan's brother


Come sail with us to distant lands
to seek out unknown shores
we aim beyond the mighty waves
where no one's gone before

Brendan can you tell me,
when we'll be turning back
this journey feels like ages
and we are loosing track

The season's right to catch some wind,
we leave from the bay of Clare
our boat is filled we things we need
so join us if you dare

You went out from the Bay of Clare
and took a Western course
The forest tells me your mast is strong
that can stand the mighty force


waiting for the sun or waiting for the rain
coming down from glaciers 
or up from the flattened plain
Brendan I am your brother 
don't forget me yet
the wood that will carry you, 
came from the forest bed

I am his son and so are you
I travel through the woods
while you have chosen for the sea 
I hope it brings you good

our father he is waiting still
on any news from us
the tales of all this travelling
will arouse his wanderlust

Brendan's brother (featuring Kellie Rowley, Mark Hoogslag & ProgrockDan)

This was created to pay tribute to David Bowie.

You can find the video here:
https://youtu.be/6O8JRSHv2X0

You can find the album Songs of the Sea on Bandcamp.
https://oorlab.bandcamp.com/album/songs-of-the-sea

As a group Dick, Mark, and I had already worked on several Songs of the Sea we decided to combine the thoughts.  We identified a suitable tribute in Bowie's journey from the US to Japan on the Oronsay March/April of 1973.

Information on Bowie's maritime journeys can be found here:
http://cruiselinehistory.com/david-bowie-with-a-fear-flying-sailed-on-many-liners-and-cruise-ships/


Mark J. Bennett - backing vocals and lyrics
Dan Lockhart - guitar, bass, chords
Dick Vestdijk - vocals, lyrics, other instruments.

Lyrics:

was it love of sailing
or fear of flying
you took this ship
the man who fell to earth

Oronsay
On the Oronsay
to the rise and fall

Was it stardust
quicksand from which
dreams are woven
or fear of losing
your wits
the man who sold the world

was it a way
in your eyes
or in the papers

Oronsay
On the Oronsay
to the rise and fall

did you dine
at the captain's table
across the pacific
and follow the sun
come back again
to where you begun

reborn
as a Blackstar

Oronsay
On the Oronsay
to the rise and fall

Dine at the Captains table is reference to a film from 1959 in which the Oronsay was portrayed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Captain's_Table

Songs of the Sea can be found here:
https://soundcloud.com/oorlab/sets/songs-of-the-sea

You can find Oorlab music here:
https://soundcloud.com/oorlab

You can find Mark's music here:
https://soundcloud.com/markjbennett



Oronsay (Tribute to David Bowie with Oorlab and Mark Bennett)

morning in the mist  [soundboard tinkerers - original]

http://soundcloud.com/julsy + http://soundcloud.com/orillia-junction started this. Made public on november 11th - anniversary for the publishing of Dylan's Tarantula. and birthday of Orillia Junction. Happiest Bday, Devin!

Violin made by Peter van der Hoeven.
Song written by Ketch Secor from the Old Crow Medicine Show, based on the chorus "Rock me mama" from Bob Dylan's soundtrack for the film "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" (Peckinpah 1973). 


Wagon wheel (Dylan / Secor cover by Orillia Junction, Julsy + Oorlab on violin)

Songster version was a little ‘copla’ about not being able to be with, nor without, a loved person.  As usual, I’ve ‘upgraded’ it, process from which you only get the final result, normally. 

But, following lyrics’ contradictions, I not only serve parts with different levels of (dis)order in heavy rock - flamenco sauce, but raw vs very cooked parts as well, starting with the improvised phone recording of the very first idea I had to develop the song, so please excuse my failures and noises.

Letra  /  Translated lyrics:

Te veo venir (No te vuelvas a ir)  /  I know where you're coming from (Don’t you leave again)

Te veo venir,                                                 /  I know where you're coming from,
cuando vienes con esa carita de pena,        /  when you come with that sweet sad face,
te veo venir,                                                  /  I know where you're coming from,
cuando vienes llorando sin que te duela,     /  when you come crying without any pain,

te veo venir (x3)                                            /  I know where you're coming from, (x3)

Te veo venir,                                                 /  I know where you're coming from,
cuando dices que quieres hablar conmigo,  /  when you say that you want to talk to me,
te veo venir,                                                  /  I know where you're coming from,
cuando quieres estar al lado mío,                /  when you want to be by my side,

te veo venir (x3)                                           /  I know where you're coming from, (x3)

Te veo venir,                                                 /  I know where you're coming from,
cuando vienes con esa carita de pilla,          /  when you come with that sweet sly face,
te veo venir,                                                  /  I know where you're coming from,
cuando vienes con esa sonrisa, chiquilla,    /  when you come with that smile, little girl,

te veo venir (x3)                                            /  I know where you're coming from, (x3)

ER33FI03 RUIZZO©1996 – FRANCÉS RECORDS®2016


Factor Integrante

Te veo venir (No te vuelvas a ir)

voici une ancienne musique que j'ai composé pour un ami que sa femme venait de quitter. Depuis, c'est lui qui nous à quitté...
c'est en hommage à lui que je poste cette musique.
elle est enregistrée par moi même sans mastering.

coeurs Lena : https://soundcloud.com/user-262019520

A Song For Believe

Featuring the delightful Courteney Yeoell: https://soundcloud.com/courteney-yeoell

Instagram: instagram.com/maxwellpowersmusic
Spotify: bit.ly/MaxPowers
Twitter: twitter.com/maxpowersmusic
YouTube: youtube.com/maxwellpowersmusic
Facebook: facebook.com/maxwellpowersmusic
iTunes: bit.ly/JDyhQ5
Download Stems: maxpowersmusic.com/music
Music and lyrics by Maxwell Powers, vocals by Courteney Yeoell

LYRICS:
I’ll meet you
Without a sound
Where the leaves fall
In the underground

Secret secret
Go back to high school
You look like heaven
Fall like an angel
Secret secret
What have you got for me

It doesn’t hurt here 
You won’t feel a thing
As the voices fade 
And our bodies sink

Secret secret
What are you hiding 
You look like the sunshine
Strike the lightening 
Secret secret what have you got for me

Secret secret they’re turning against you
You float like a feather
Fall like the pale moon
Secret secret what have you left for me
Secret secret what have you left for me

Your secrets, I am holding
No regrets, until the morning

Secret secret they’re turning against you
You float like a feather
Fall like the pale moon
Secret secret what have you left for me
Secret secret what have you left for me

Your secrets, I am holding
No regrets, until the morning

Secret Secret - feat Courteney Yeoell

Lyrics and vocals by Mikalyn Hay.
Download it for free or add your Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/track/22WMFp244qvBLGxLkSAPsr

Follow Mikalyn Hay:
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/mikalynmusic
Homepage: www.mikalyn.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mikalynhaymusic
Twitter: twitter.com/mikalynhay
Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/67mhay
Instragram: instagram.com/mikalynhay
ReverbNation: www.reverbnation.com/mikalynhay

Follow Max-Vell
Soundcloud: @max-vell
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MaxvellMusic
Twitter: twitter.com/maxvellmusic
Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/maxvellmusic
Instagram: www.instagram.com/maxvellofficial/
ReverbNation: www.reverbnation.com/maxvell

Free Download

Max-Vell - Alone Again feat Mikalyn Hay

with many thanks to Yoko Ono and others who kept and are keeping this song alive.

http://soundcloud.com/julsy
orillia-junction

John Lennon's recordings can be bought at 
http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/john-lennon/id4416594

and Give peace a chance 2010 remaster can be streamed here:
https://open.spotify.com/track/0sUQj8SflMlJrqJE7Z4u9o

Give peace a chance (Collab cover Orillia Junction, Julsy & Oorlab)

Kings of Manguareo Present:
Dee Blue (George Harrison)

Three Owls are:
Mark Bennett: Vocals
Dick Vestdijk: Slide Guitar
Régulo Tortolero: Cuatro venezolano, Bass, Drums

Recorded between February and March 2018 
- Vocals were recorded in Edinburgh, Scotland by Mark Bennett
- Slide Guitar was recorded in Amersfoort, Netherlands by Dick 
   Vestdijk
- Cuatro venezolano, Bass and Drums were recorded in El Limón,                                                                                               
   Venezuela by Régulo Tortolero

Mixed and Mastered at NoHum Studio (El Limón, Venezuela)
Sound Tech: R.T.
Producers: Jack Parrish, Humberto Canelon

Picture taken by kind permission from the Net

You all can also listen to the excellent work of Mark's and Dick's here:

Mark Bennett
https://soundcloud.com/markjbennett

Dick Vestdijk
https://soundcloud.com/oorlab
 
All Rights Reserved ©® 2018

Songs From The Hunger

Deep Blue

Deep Blue (George Harrison)

Small Steps    Love you Mom

Elizabeth Ryan may she rest in peace. March  4th  2020 
Your with Dad now .

The Stairway

;-Envoûtement -;

See also for those who have time to waste the improved version on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/kia8obY7iBM

Romance Hadadi

Original Composition / Performance : Bonetender 
 https://soundcloud.com/bonetender 
Lyrcs / Vox : Chris Dargay
2020

First Breath *ft. Bonetender

I start this new album with better sound by means of one of my more beloved and evolved songs ever, a structured piece with progressing parts.

LETRA   /   TRANSLATED LYRICS:

BIEN, MAL (LLUVIA VIEJA)    /   WELL, BADLY (OLD RAIN)

Sí, no, ¿por qué no?   /   Yes, no, why not? 
estoy pensando que esto no es lo mejor.   /   I am thinkinkg this is not the best.
Bien, mal, ¿tú qué tal?   /   Well, badly, what about you?
de repente me he puesto a pensar.   /   Suddenly I have started to think.

El tiempo esparcido entre mis amigos   /   Time scattered among my friends
 es el más valioso cuando estoy contigo.   /   is the most valuable one when I am with you
Los ratos vividos estando contigo   /   Moments lived being with you
 son reconfortantes cuando estoy perdido.   /   are comforting when I feel lost. 
Tengo que buscarlos entre mis amigos,   /   I must search for them among my friends
tengo que encontrarlos, pero ya se han ido todos.   /   I must find them, but they are all gone already.

Fumando   /   Smoking 
tras los cristales   /   behind the windows
mojados de lluvia vieja.   /   wet with old rain
Recuerdos   /   Memories
 que me llevan flotando   /   carry me floating
 a estar con ella.   /   to be with her

Tengo que buscarlos entre mis amigos.   /   I must search for them among my friends

Tú, yo, ¿qué sé yo?   /   You, me, what do I know?
está lloviendo pero tengo calor.   /   It is raining but I feel hot
Qué, quién, ¡mírame!   /   What, who, look at me !
soy todavía quien empezaste a querer.   /   I am still who you started do love

Soy todavía quien empezaste a querer.  /   I am still who you started do love

ER13PB01 ©1995 E-RUIZZO – ®2013 FRANCÉS RECORDS ;)

Image: "Prickle prick cactus", photo by Ruizzoidman

Bien, mal (Lluvia vieja)

Future Fluctuations

Dear listener, Feel free to leave comments and I'll try to reply.

I've been making music for around 16 years now but because of the wonderfully generous community that is SC, I have learned so much in a short time. I look forward to learning even more by collaborating. 
I suppose my strengths are in lyric-writing and singing. I feel fortunate to have been able to work with some stunning compositions by some very talented SCers.

My very best to you, Mark

Some links to recent Continental Collision streaming sites, etc are available below: