It is wonderful when a previously released song has enough potential energy to be released as a new song in a different genre.  So it is with this song first inspired by Thommo last spring in a collaboration with him and Ren Faye called "Dream Catching".  I liked the initial soundscape and guitar parts enough that I wanted to do a separate acoustic release under a different title.  Debra Buesking's definitive artistry entered the picture when we were teasing ideas for another collaboration.  I submitted this to her, she loved it, and now graces it with her superb playing, actually re-inventing the song.  More of her fine music can be heard @debra_buesking 
Imagine a windswept veranda. a couple dancing to distant thunder, passions building and breaking as the storm approaches.  The original is much different, more Celtic and ethereal and can be heard here as well as Thommo's other amazing productions: soundcloud.com/thommo_tunes/dream-catching-feat-david-dunham-and-ren-faye

Dancing On The Veranda (Thommo, Debra Buesking, David Dunham)

The Seer (TL ) - Core

You Complete Me

Music and Lyrics by Jimmy Rivas @j-rivas

Sung by Mark J Bennett

Image of Loch Ness, Scotland by Doug Corrance

I was knocked out when Jimmy offered this beautiful song to me to sing, but then it took me 3 months to build up the confidence and to practice it. Jimmy is one of my favourite singers on SC (or anywhere) and he makes everything sound easy as he is so professional, so I hope you don't mind my take on this. Thank you Jimmy for sharing your skills with me.

You complete me
no matter how I feel
even with my nerves of steel
when the day is done
I know something good has begun
you complete me
when the day is warm
and the blue skies form
we sail on a following sea
far away from big pine key

You Complete Me - J.Rivas & Mark J Bennett

This is a song about those you depend on.

---

I LOOK FOR YOU
(c) JunkHeap Apr 06 2022 / Remixed-Remastered May 2025

Sometimes the days wear me down.  
I'm looking outside,
see my reflection in the window.
Furrowed brow and worrying  
etching its lines.
   
The world it turns and burns,
seems like it'll always be this way.
Hope shines bright through the clouds, 
as we wish for a better day.

I look for you.
I see your face in the crowd. 
Her eyes call to me, 
and we meet and 
hold each other so close. 
I feel your warmth.
See the throngs of people
moving like a wake around us;
in the ordered chaos, 
we save each other from it all.

ch. / break

My pillar of sanity, is you.
I look for you 
to whittle away the time 
on this insane ride.
Laughter and I get you.
We're past the pleasantries.
So many great days behind,
so many ahead.
So many great days ahead.

I look for you.

I Look For You

Special Guest Sergio Parraga... Congas, Recorded in Spain. Georg Boehme...Brass, recorded in Germany. Tracks Recorded & Mastered in Modesto, Ca. Featuring Gibson 335 Electric Guitar solo. Fender Rhodes Electric Piano solo. Alto Saxophone solo. Fender Electric Bass. Roland 880 Synthesizer Bass. Gibson L5 Electric Guitar Rhythm. String section, Viola, Cello, Bowed Acoustic Bass. Trap Drum set. Percussion Congas, Timbales, Cowbell, Ago go Bells, Triangle Partido Alto, Djembe, Shaker, Tambourine.

Still Kickin'

Hermosa

Scotty: guitars, lyrics, vocals
Tommy: bass

Passions Unleashed Dub

Thank you for listening over the last 10 years, for commenting, liking and reposting. Special thanks to those I’ve collaborated with, and those who’ve covered my songs. I’m so grateful to you all, and best wishes for 2023.

Talk To Me (Brian Peters)

Talk to me about trouble
Talk to me about strife
Talk to me about men living 
a double life
Talk to me about hunger
Talk to me about pain
Talk to me about men dying 
and their deaths being in vain
Draw near
Put your lips to my ear 
and talk to me

Talk to me about heartache
Talk to me about loss
Talk to me about men carrying 
too heavy a cross
Talk to me about mercy
Talk to me about truth
Talk to me about forgiveness 
in the kissing booth
Fold me
In your gentle sea 
and talk to me

Talk to me in the whirlwind
Talk to me in the heat
Talk to me in the thunder 
of the city’s feet
Talk to me in the stillness
far away from the noise
Talk to me sweetly 
in that still, small voice
Steal away 
from the cares of the day 
and talk to me
--------------------
[Some unused verses]

Talk to me of the garden
Talk to me of the fall
Talk to me of that valley 
and the prophets of Baal
Talk to me about religion 
and the loss of God
Talk to me about the kingdom 
and that level sword
Stay on 
for the night is long 
and talk to me

Talk to me about beauty
Talk to me about life
Talk to me about the colours
in the rainbow of light
Talk to me about magic 
in a lover’s eyes
Talk to me about music 
in the heart of the night
Lay down 
on this covered ground 
and talk to me

Talk to me in the riddle 
of the spoken word
Talk to me in the alphabet 
from another world
Talk to me about longing 
for the one that we seek
Talk to me of that name 
that no man shall speak
Thrill me 
with mystery 
and talk to me

Talk To Me

I know that we shared the girl
but I am not the boy that  you once knew
and if if you were in trouble
would I still look out for you

oooh ooh

and if if I was to live
throughout this whole life again
I yeah I have come to doubt
whether I would even call you friend

or would I just sit right there and rue  the day
I'd ever seen your bloody face before

and if if you were cold would I offer you my coat
and if say one day you were lost
would I show you where to go

or would I just sit right there and rue the day
I'd ever seen your bloody face before

I know things are strange
not the way they used to be
sometimes we all change

what Became of you and
what Became of you and
what Became of you and me
what Became of you and me
what Became of you and me 


sometimes I like to remenisce
think back on all the places
where we used to go
Jukebox purple hearts and questions
but how the hell am I supposed to know

remember when we used to venture South
closing time and they're gonna throw us out
but we we just wanna stay
and re-live all our yesterday's today

or would I just sit right there and rue the day
I'd ever seen your bloody face before

 would I just sit right there and rue the day
I'd ever seen your bloody face before

I know things are strange
not the way they used to be
sometimes we all change

what Became of you and
what Became of you and
what Became of you and me
what Became of you and me
what Became of you and me 



What Became Of You And Me

(Free WAV Download available here under '••• More'; and eventually, as part of a future solo album)

Happy Sunday my SC friends. I’m having a great time revisiting my favorite books and movies, trying to find inspirational material for these liner notes. The author I want to share today is one of my greatest influences in life (and one many of you know as well)… Ram Dass.

I’ll be sharing some of my favorite quotes of his momentarily. But before I do that, I would like to mention why he was so inspiring to me. 

What makes Ram Dass a unique esoteric/spiritual voice is that he actually started out as an Atheist. But he openly struggled with not knowing the answers to life’s most profound questions, and he was willing to pursue alternative ways of thinking, and update his beliefs based on his direct experiences. 

While he was still Dr. Richard Alpert, he began his explorations through the use of psychedelics while teaching at Harvard University. He joined Timothy Leary in these studies; but Harvard wasn’t thrilled with this potentially scandalous exploration, and fired them both. He then decided to take his spiritual explorations to India. This is where he had a perspective shifting, unexplainable first encounter with Neem Karoli Baba (who later became his guru, affectionately known as Maharaj-ji). He was given the name Ram Dass (servant of God) by his guru; and after spending several years at Neem Karoli Baba’s ashram, he became one of the leading voices of the 60s counter-culture movement. 

For me, his is a voice of love and humor and acceptance. And when I read his books and hear him speak, the feeling I get is ‘Hey, I don’t have it all figured out just yet. But I’m willing to put in the daily practice, and see if I’m a better person tomorrow. Do you want to join me on this adventure, fellow traveler?” And that is so refreshing when you just need the gentle, loving voice of a compassionate friend. 

Here are some of my favorite thought provoking quotes (many from his book, One Liners):
_______

“In most of our human relationships, we spend much of our time reassuring one another that our costumes of identity are on straight.”

“You can’t be free if in any fashion you’re holding the hand of fear.”

“It is important to expect nothing, to take every experience, including the negative ones, as merely steps on the path, and to proceed.”

“Treat everyone you meet like God in drag.”

“At the moment when there’s nothing more to lose, the Ego breaks open—and then we see who we are behind who we thought we were.”

“A feeling of aversion or attachment toward something is your clue that there’s work to be done.”

“To materialist eyes, India is a developing country; to spiritual eyes, the United States is a developing country.”

“If you think you’re enlightened go spend a week with your family.”

“Our journey is about being more deeply involved in life, and yet less attached to it.”

“Everything changes once we identify with being the witness to the story, instead of the actor in it.”

“We’re all just walking each other home.”
_______

Those are just a few of my favorite quotes. If you enjoyed those, you’ll love his books and recorded lectures (easily found on YouTube) as well. His voice has been a kind and gentle presence for me since my teens, and his passing back in 2019 was a sad day for me. But it’s like he said, “When someone we love dies, we get so busy mourning what died that we ignore what didn’t.” His ideas will live on in my heart for the rest of my life, and that is a priceless gift. I hope you enjoy ‘Upgrading My RAM So DASS Will Launch’. :)

WTF! The Musical

Upgrading My RAM So DASS Will Launch

This is a song I'm very proud of because it's a musical family photo of the first time my son Marshall and I ever played string instruments together. He had just turned 9, and had only been playing the fiddle for about two months. I told him to hit an open D and the E for four beats of two measures, only I didn't say it like that. I just played it for him and he was able to keep a good rhythm for about four minutes! Originally, this song was just him on violin and me on mandolin, but I went back and added some bass, too. I really hope you enjoy my Fathers Day treat. I told him I'd let him know how many people listened to it, and show him the comments. He's come a long way since then, about 7 months ago, but this recording is very special to me, and I really wanted to share it with my SoundCloud family. Thank you so much for giving it a listen, and happy Fathers Day to everyone who is or has a father!

First Ever Marsy-Daddy Fiddle Mando Jam

A tale of resilience for our troubled times
Mick on vocals & sticks, Rob on guitar, banjo & backing vocal

I've Endured

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:

You Complete Me - J.Rivas & Mark J Bennett

markjbennett