dig your guitar playing..sounds great..cool song

Dedicated to some folks in my life who've picked me up along the way, especially through music...

This is one I'm pretty proud of.  Oddly, it's the first time I’ve written a full original song with me singing my own lyrics. I'm joined by the uber talented @TexMex-Shaman, who is wielding the lead electric guitar starting at the first verse through to the end. (this is the second time now where my vocal melody is partly inspired by his magical playing!) He also lends his mastering skillz to great effect here. Thanks TMS for truly bringing this to life with your playing! 
All other instruments are played by me on the keyboard - acoustic guitar, bass, organ, Wurlitzer electric piano, 2nd electric guitar (the higher one in verse 2), horns, drums & percussion, words and voice. The chorus is supposed to sound like a 60's soul song, like Marvin Gaye meets Van Morrison. 
If you play this more than once I'm sorry but I'm afraid you'll be stuck with it in your head all day.  :)

This one's a personal one for me, so thanks for listening, and for picking us up with your music!

LYRICS: 

Verse 1
alone in the corner, that old six string whispers to me
ah but when daddy played, he could set your spirit free 
like the drops in the rain, or a forest tall and green
there's music alive all around
and mamma she told me, you must listen for more than the sound
and hear with your heart

Chorus     
(And then she’d) 
pick me up higher, pick me up higher, pick me up higher
pick me up, lift me up, build me up,  
pick me up higher, pick me up higher, pick me up higher
pick me up, lift me up, build me up, 
pick me up higher 

Verse 2
Now I’m writing my own song… makin’ music with old friends and new
But the joy of my days, are my beautiful daughter and you
And when you play that song, she would close her eyes and sway
all the while as she sings
And man when I hear her, whispered memories they lift me up still
like a bird on the wind

Chorus  

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other credits: 
-second verse sample of 'Take Me Home, Country Roads' (by John Denver), performed by my 9 yr old daughter
-image design by me using Chat GPT
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
here's a link to just the final chorus vocals and horns isolated: 
https://soundcloud.com/user-432503709/pick_me_up_vox_isolated

and here's a link that features mainly the sax solo & horn section:
https://on.soundcloud.com/y1PR8xv69y77n5CY5w
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
here's some pictures I took:
https://500px.com/p/MrMark?view=photos

-mark

Pick Me Up (with TexMex Shaman)

Cast of Characters:

Mistermark – @user-432503709 – Mark – drums, VST upright bass, electric vibraphone, horns, high organ in the last section, percussion (shaker, hand claps), production, editing, mix, and composition

TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen– Fender Custom Shop Tele Thinline electric guitar and mastering

J.J. Terrell-- @j-j-terrell—JJ-- organ, electric piano, synthesizer

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – PRS semi hollow body electric guitar


This song began its life some 20 years ago recorded on Mark's old skool keyboard workstation as a bass line and drum beat, accentuated by a synth melody playing over some electric piano. It sat as that basic version until just recently, when Mark had gotten into horn arrangements, and wanted to try some out, thus creating the impetus for reviving this old tune. Plus, he wanted to get the Eclectic Collective to play the guitar and keys parts on it for a little extra jazzy pizzazz.
  He turned it over to the rest of the EC gang with a pretty clear vision of what he wanted structurally. Stephen was first up, adding his driving guitar to the fist part of every verse. Josh deftly chimed in with the response line in every verse. JJ then came into the mix last and sprinkled his magic electric piano and other keys throughout. After all of our parts were in the can, Mark went to work dutifully editing and mixing what you hear as the final product. Stephen then did his pro mastering work on it to add a little bit more shine.
 This was a lot of fun to put together. It doesn't feature all of the EC, but the other guys will be on many upcoming creations. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it.



Clyde's Glide (Eclectic Collective)

DigiSynthFreestyleByHK2.wav

BRAND NEW official STA track called "As i lose my self again".
This is one will be featured on the upcoming sophomore album of Shock the Algorithm, that will be on Synthwave Rock style from now on!Hope u enjoy the new band profile and Merry Christmas my friends!

Youtube: https://youtu.be/1lXDbsvZ2OQ
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
lyrics:
Hear my body scream, hear my soul is weak, i can't control anymore
i tried to set it free, i tried to tame this freak, but it's up to self control

and i will never learn and trust is hard to earn
as i lose my self again...

Bright lights calling me, neon life sets me free and i am right here to stay
The sun rise up again and i still understand the dues we have to pay
-----------------------------------------
(p) & (c) STA, 2024-25.

As I Lose My Self Again

“Symphony for Chamber Orchestra - 4th Movt: Finale” was completed in January 2025 in Fairview, TX. Performance time is about 10.5 minutes. Printed and electronic copies of the score and parts will be available soon from www.CreativeSpiritOnline.com.

About this recording:
The present virtual recording was produced using Finale 27.4.1 and the Garritan Personal Orchestra 5 virtual instrument library. Mastering was done by EMastered. For the best listening experience, high quality headphones are recommended. 

Instrumentation:
Flute. Oboe, Bb Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn in F, Trumpet in C, and Strings

Performance notes:
• Tempo, expression, and dynamic markings should be strictly observed.
• There is no key signature. Accidentals apply to the end of the measure or to the note or notes tied over the measure, and only to notes of the same pitch class, in the same octave.
• Hairpin pairs (e.g.: mp <>, mf ><) indicate a temporary volume change of one dynamic level.
• Passages marked fff or ppp indicate playing as loudly and as quietly as possible, respectively.
• Double-bass “C-extension” is required.

Contact information:
Robert John Brooks, Fairview, Texas USA
Email: robtjbrooks@yahoo.com
Web: www.CreativeSpiritOnline.com
Web: eMastered.com/profile/robtjbrooks

Engraving by the composer
Artwork by the composer
Copyright 2025

Symphony for Chamber Orchestra - 4th Movt: Finale

A song about a ride to the inside.

The vid:  https://youtu.be/hFIlBoQGReE

Just Downstream On That River

Greetings to the SoundCloud community! Gratitude to you all for your artistry and culture of kindness. 💕 

Due to life circumstances, I've had to step back from singing, but have decided to pull this song from the vault. 

I've been sitting on this one for more than a year, held back by the usual crippling perfectionism. I've decided life's too short to waste time hiding art, when it might possibly bring joy to someone else, so here it is in its imperfect glory. All vocals sung by myself - but I take no credit for the wonderful writing and arranging - please see credits below:

This is an amazing SATB choral arrangement of "I Love You" by Billie Eilish. Credit is due to both Billie Eilish O'Connell and Finneas O'Connell for the words and music, as well as Julia Dollison and Kerry Marsh for the choral arrangement. I came across it years ago, while working with a (fabulous) high school jazz choir. I fell in love with the crunchy harmonies, but had trouble deciding what colours I wanted for the instrumental part, which is part of the reason why it's sat in the vault for so long. 

In this particular choral arrangement, the instrumentation calls for piano, but here, I split it into a digital electric bass line, and electric piano. I kind of liked the funky, ethereal sound of it, but I wasn't sure if there was something else that might sit better against the SATB vocals. I'm curious, and open to hearing suggestions for other instrumentation options. Folks who know me know that I've got some experience with singing, but I am out of my league when it comes to arranging and recording, so I know there's always room for improvement.  

In this era of auto-tune, I would encourage listeners (and myself!) to embrace the imperfection of real, un-corrected vocals. Art doesn't have to be perfect to have value... right? I hope to convince myself...  🙃

Lyrics: 

It's not true
Tell me I’ve been lied to
Crying isn't like you, ooh
What the hell did I do?
Never been the type to
Let someone see right through, ooh

Baby, won't you take it back?
Say you were trying to make me laugh
And nothing has to change today
You didn’t mean to say "I love you"
I love you and I don't want to, ooh

Up all night, on another red-eye
I wish we never learned to fly
Maybe we should just try
To tell ourselves a good lie
Didn't mean to make you cry, ooh

Baby won't you take it back?
Say you were trying to make me laugh
And nothing has to change today
You didn't mean to say "I love you"
I love you and I don't want to, ooh

The smile that you gave me
Even when you felt like dying

We fall apart as it gets dark
I'm in your arms in Central Park
There's nothing you could do or say
I can't escape the way I love you

I don't want to, but I love you
Ooh

I Love You (Billie Eilish cover - SATB choral arrangement)

STANDING ALONE
Like putting down a lame horse
An act of kindness
No longer do I walk
In betrayal’s blindness
Can’t penetrate your walls
The bridge you burned
Tell me, Brother
When did your heart turn?

CHORUS
You left me standing
Alone
You left me standing
Alone
You left me standing
Alone
No way home

Oooh-oooh-ooh, Oooh-oooh-ooh, Oooh-oooh-ooh

Through the years I cried
Waiting on your call
Through the tears I woke
Like catchin’ my fall
You made the decision
To close the door
Brother, I wish you well
But I’m not waiting anymore

Now, all that’s left to do
Is walking away
As much as it hurts my heart
Got no more to say
‘Cuz when you can’t look in the mirror
You’re bound to crack
Til you pick up the pieces
No comin’ back, ‘cuz

You left me standing
Alone
You left me standing
Alone
You left me standing
Alone
No way home, yeah-ee-yeah

You left me standing
Alone
You left me standing
Alone
You left me standing
Alone
No way home, no way home..


© 2025 Renee La Chapelle – All Rights Reserved



STANDING ALONE

I am anything but a pessimist. I am not depressed either. However, the world is in such a sad state that, when I look for song lyric topics, I can hardly find anything positive or fun. Instead of singing, you just want to cry. Or scream.

I wrote the following song in memory of the immeasurable pain and incredible will to survive of the Ukrainian people – neither as a lament nor as a protest song, just as an almost normal love song.

Although I don't know the basics of the Ukrainian language, I also decided to write this Ukrainian version too with a customized arrangement and the help of DeepL because this language sounds so extra beautiful – one special of so many diamonds of Europe's cultural diversity.

Image: Dmytro Kotenko who died on the third day of the Russian invasion. He was 21.

Music, lyrics, vocal prompt and production by ©Hans-Michael Albers. Vocal performance by suno4.5

Lyrics translation by DeepL:

Will I ever see you again?
Just once more?
Wandering through worlds, spaces and dreams.
No matter where, no matter when.

Losing all time forever
as if we were music.
Only us and nothing else anymore.
As if there were no war.

Coming together like two halves of a whole.
Barely able to breathe with happiness,
Your heart beating as loudly as mine.
In this moment.

Gazing at you silently as you sleep so beautifully.
So indescribably close,
I've never seen anything more beautiful.
And it was all true.

Why can't this continue?
Why are you a ghost?
Will I ever see you again,
Before it tears me apart?

Will I ever see you again,
Before it tears me apart?

Чи побачу я тебе ще колись? (Werd ich dich jemals wiedersehen?)

© 2025 All Rights Reserved Trad Arr B. Merritt, J. Merritt & P. Fulham
Black Dust Blues (Public Domain worldwide) was written and performed by Ma Rainey in 1927. She was a remarkable woman and artist and worth your time to read about.
Janice Merritt: vocal and arrangement
Peter Fulham: guitar and arrangement 
Bud Merritt: lyric tweaks, arrangement, mix, mastering and photo

It was last year, when my troubles began
Lawd it’s been a hard year since this hex on me began
It was all cause a woman said I took her man

She sent me a letter, said she′s gonna turn me round
She said I was evil and she's gonna run me into the ground
She′s gonna fix me so I won't chase her man around

The next day I found black dust round my door
I was out that morning, black dust was all round my door
Soon I was feeling so bad, worse than I ever had before

I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep, had trouble with my feet
In the middle of the night I could hear my own heart beat
It was cold outside but all I was feeling was heat 

Black dust in my window, black dust on my porch mat
I tried to get dressed up but black dust was even in my hat
I didn’t care nothing bout her man, no, I ain’t like that 

I got my own, don’t want her man
I ain’t      like     that

Black Dust Blues

¡¡ Warning: very old track with very LO-FI sound !!

Stop the world and try this little prog rock piece, starting slowly up to a fierce gallop.

Os invito a parar el mundo un momento y dejaros llevar por esta pequeña pieza de rock progresivo: primero suave, luego al paso, al trote, ¡¡hasta un galope feroz!!, echar a volar... y aterrizar suavemente. (26-27 de diciembre de 1993).

Lyrics/Letra:

Eres la imagen bruja que nunca pude ver,
eres el mundo extraño que nunca exploré.

Eres la única chica que me hizo temer,
eres la misma chica que me paró los pies.

Pero sé que esta noche, algo cambiará esta noche...
Pero sé que esta noche, algo cambiará esta noche...
Lo sé........... lo sé...........

Eres la chica más bonita de mi cuento, 
nunca pensé que me ataría tanto a ti.
Tan sólo quiero que te muevas a mi lado, 
y quiero que me pidas más... más... más... ¡ más !

Tan sólo quiero conseguirte... 
Sólo enseñarte cómo es y dónde duele...
Quiero moverte hasta que todo el sexo duerma...
y quiero que me pidas más....... ¡ más !

Eres la imagen bruja que nunca encontré.

Imagen bruja (Quiero que pidas más)

Just another nobody who's not here to be somebody.  I write songs because I can't help it, and it helps me.  If I add them here, I'm less likely to keep mixing them.  Creativity is a stream with many tributaries, and sometimes one runs through us.  The stream is more creative when tributaries meet, and I'm grateful for the collaborative efforts of others.

Just Downstream On That River

Marty Straub

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