A collection of covers recorded simply, frequently acoustically. No fat tunes about relationships, generally, slow cooked, low and smoked to perfection while we all stew in the juices of loss, uncertainty and hope for a better tomorrow. If you've loved and lost, you know how it goes...

Bar-B-Q 4 Two

Here's a track I had on my list of songs to do. It refers back to a song by the Beatles, on The White Album, called "Sexy Sadie." Clearly the Band Jet (Aussies. right?) was inspired by that tune. This is my own darn take on it, simply delivered with a 50's era Archtop Guitar and a lone voice in one take.  Coffee House-intimate Style. Recorded in my garage for some natural reverb to boot! Humbly done in an attempt to  simply capture a sincere attitude that I liked in the original version. I ran through the song twice before this take was captured on my iPhone Voice Memo App. Far from what you would call a studio production pre- and post- room noise inclusive. It doesn't aspire to be any more than a heartfelt delivery of a modest tune reminiscent of a bygone era in singer-song writer classic rock. A music session partner of mine, Chris Fender, is working on a second guitar/lead part for this...after giving my cover a listen. Not sure if that will prompt a follow-up GarageBand second track to be added to this track or a re-record in his presence...all done on one track. In music "simple as pie" can be quite comforting to listen to, do you think? I hope you feel the honesty I aspired to in this performance.

This track is from my nascent, 2014 debut release: The "Bar-B-Q  4  2" album. 

Comments, likes and shares are most appreciated; thank you, kindly, in advance.

Fool of Everyone <3 Michael Delgorio

Here's a Bryan Adams track re-envisioned as a sock-hop power ballad. I put a 50s slow-rock beat behind it. And, I recorded the song, per usual, as an iPhone Voice Memo demo. It's my intent to get in and out real fast in laying a song down (one take, frequently the first take) to capture the old school rock and roll immediacy in the track. Hey, it's only rock n' roll, right? The guitar used in the recording is a 80s metal axe, Westone HSS pushed through a Vox ToneLab and a 90s Tweed Fender Bronco amp at the end of the chain. The vocals were driven through a Voice pedal to add 1-part harmony and a double of the original vocal. There you go, here it is. Any comments? Please, let me know. Thanks for listening. Sharing is caring.

I Ain't Missing You - Michael Delgorio

Here's a sweet tune, with some dark humor by DeathCab For Cutie. I always thought it was one of their finest, most telling,  sardonic tunes. Here's my own darn version. The lyrics always appealed to me since I'm a former Catholic School Student: The lyric: "...as viscous as roman rule" always reminds me of my first day in school, in the 1st grade. I had an untied shoe lace so I got up from my desk to tie it. The nun ran down the classroom aisle and slapped me so hard that I still had 5 finger marks on my face at 3PM when my older brother came to pick me up from class. She said I needed to be punished since I "put my foot on the furniture." Upon seeing my red face, my 10-year old brother "politely" warned the Nun "never physically discipline my brother again." ...She never did. And my brother is a hero to me to this day. Again, this is a low brow recording, done as a  iPhone Voice Memo in one take and on the first take...early missed chord error, room noise and, all. No pretense or excuses here. Just raw emotion and intensity given the "dark" subject matter and unvarnished truth. After all, were all just passing through. Right?

This track is from my nascent, 2014 debut release: "Bar-B-Q  4  2" album. 

Follow You Into The Dark - Michael Delgorio

Here's a Power Ballad by The Calling from 2001. It always appealed to me...since it was reminiscent of a track in the Jack Black Movie called "School Of Rock." This was a song played by the winning/competing band--in the battle of the bands with the kids--their over-the-top power ballad song sounded like this to my ears. Here's my own darn version of the Calling's fine job. Again, this is an unvarnished track, No apologies. One Man Band Style. You'll find room noise and all, particularly at the end of the track. It was recorded to the iPhone Voice Memo tool. Done in one take, on the 4th take as I was rehearsing the song. Just a guitar, one voice doubled-- then harmony added at the chorus section via a voice pedal in real time. The beat was canned and live to the take. (Sorry, drummers everywhere...you weren't around at the time) There ya' go, here it is. Comments welcome. Any one?

Wherever You Would Go - Michael Delgorio

I rediscovered George Harrison's deep tracks body-of-work about 5 years after his passing. There was a glut of his rally raw demo tapes (bootlegs, I presumed), dropped onto the internet for all to listen to and learn from. There were cuts intended for producers to review prior to studio productions. ...Really rough vocals where his voice was raw and pitchy; there were unadorned guitar accompaniments where he unself-consciously joked that "putting his guitar and his voice in tune" was a great undertaking. And, loose sketches of songs that were just intended as explorations, tests or just ruminations on covers of songs that he used to warm up. In fact, these rough Harrison legacy recordings were so intimate, that I imagined that the only source for these tracks could have been Dani Harrison--simply wanting to get his father's work out there since: a) there was so much of it, and; b) even his raw work had deep emotional/curatorial value to it. This recording of his famed "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is closer to those rough tracks and the solitary "working" track located on the Giles Martin produced Beatles' Cirque Du Soleil CD than on the much, much earlier and famed studio version. However, I thought my own darn version should reference those raw tracks that he left behind, which to me, were simply gorgeous. In fact, those rough recordings inspire me so to leave my tracks posted here on SoundCloud to be "raw" also. On playback, a second inspiration I hear in this track is the early work of David Bowie where he covered Beatle tunes in his own inimitable style. Bowie always liked the theatrical. Our paths crossed ever so slightly on a NYC flight to Barbados when we both were traveling to BlueWave Studios for separate recording sessions in the 80s . The immediacy (and honest faults) in these recordings is part of the realty of this music that I most wanted to share. This track is from my pit-cooked, nascent, debut on the "Bar-B-Q 4 2" album. Your likes, comments and shares are most appreciated for this music exploration experienced here on the robust SoundCloud Platform.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps - Michael Delgorio

Here's a Deep Track from the Stones that always stuck with me. It also reminded me of the Stallions of Rodanthe.  And, as a result, here's my own darn version recorded just for you. I heard Alicia Keyes and Adam Levine do a version of this tune within the past two years and I was so impressed that I had to lay it down, as well. They did a masterful job with it. Mine is a much more humble offering but no less sincere in its intent. Thanks for having a listen. This track is from my pit-cooked, nascent, debut on the "Bar-B-Q 4 2" album. Your comments, likes and shares are most appreciated.

Wild Horses - Michael Delgorio

Collide by Howie Day and Kevin Griffin  Circa 2003 as covered, acoustically by Michael Delgorio.

A guy and girl lives intersect and forever change them. He's been hurt in the past, afraid to start again with someone new. The girl with him has taken his breath away, has taken his heart, and has totally engrossed him. She has fallen in love with him and he knows it, but he’s afraid to let his guard down, and admit his love for her. They break-up, he leaves, and she goes after him and meets him at the train station because she realizes that no matter what, he loves her and she loves him and they should be together. At this symbolic crossroad (think grand central station), she’s hoping that when he gets off the train and sees her standing there, that he'll finally get it, finally understand and basically take her in his arms and they're in love. The dawn is breaking and the remaining lyrics are a precursor to a song recorded by The Civil Wars: Poison and Wine.  Men and women come together: But do they ever really know each other? 

The Collide Story is about hope, confusion and fear associated with relationships. Importantly, the song is about the knowing way the lady in his life has the relationship under control despite his uncertainty. Yet, as the song wraps up, he finds he has to do damage control since she experiences the same residual effect of this relationship collision: 
"Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills your mind
You finally find, you and I collide"


Collide - (remastered) Michael Delgorio

In light of Batman V. Superman...
Have you ever tried to figure out this Five For Fighting (FFF) song from 2009? Obviously, we can all Google the associated Youtube / Vimeo video which offers the original artist’s perception. 

One man’s impression, this song is about what it’s like being a man in America for the new millennium. In me own darn interpretation… 

Men are socialized to be strong, dependable, resolute, and more or less emotionless. It’s a message to America that men are in trouble because they are required to repress their emotions and expected to live up to a ridiculous ideal of what it is to be a man. 

As boys we were often told not to cry or whine because big boys don’t do so. Using Superman in the song is just a simple way to communicate the idea that we feel like we have to save the world each and everyday and never complain about what it cost us. Of course, the metaphor grows as many of us grew up reading Superman comic books and had these role model icons in TV and Movies. 

Unfortunately we are simply not equipped to be him as mere mortals. We’re doomed to fail in the lofty endeavor. So unable to live up to the expectations many of us distance ourselves from our families. Because, we believe that we have let them down. 

In the end all we really want is the love of our life partners and our children. We need to find the better part of what we really are and be happy with that so that we can be good husbands and fathers. The meaning of the line “it’s not easy to be me” is quite often misunderstood. What it actually means is that to be himself he has to fight everything that society tells him to be so that he can be himself. In FFF’s  video, our protagonist lays down with his wife and child .He’s ultimately has decided that this bond is what he wants and he is happy with his decision; he’s found “home.” 

Some men want to be gangsters; others are driven by the desire to make piles of money. Some just want to express themselves through their art which is a form of acknowledgement that the were here on the =is planet and left something positive behind. Some never find happiness. 

Five for Fighting’s other music like ‘100 years’ and the ‘Riddle’ provides a venue to express similar themes, a need/desire for men to be family men first and foremost. Without something to work and live for…we lead lives that don’t deliver “meaningful work”. Sometimes a song helps add meaning to an otherwise conflicted existence.


Superman - Michael Delgorio

The seminal Prince Track that branded him for all time. Here's to you Prince. What a ride you took us on. Gonna' be an amazing jam in heaven.

Purple Rain - MIchael Delgorio

Here's a little demo we recorded in the summer of 2014 on an iPhone voice memo. It was captured in one take using an EDM and a processed guitar signal (on a Vox Lab). We also used a ElectroHarmonix Vocal-G harmonizer for the vocal chorus. Surprisingly the track received hundreds of file downloads when we posted is to Twitter the 1st time around. It must have hit a chord with Imagine Dragon followers. The Imagine Dragons Charitable Foundation twitter manager Favorited it.
This track is from our nascent, 2014 debut release: The "Bar-B-Q 4X2" album.
In May of 2016, we remixed it with a few more parts and Mastered the new arrangement on eMastered.com. We hope you like the new spin on it.


Demons - ReMix - Michael Delgorio - eMastered

We heard The Bacon Brothers Cover Version of this song not long ago and, said: "Hmmm, Isn't That Nice?" Then, we did a bit of research to realize that this nugget was part of the original score for the "Hair" Rock Musical way back in the day. 

So, we had to try our hand at it. We recorded this tune on a 1950s Kamico Archtop Guitar that was picked up off Craigslist in the summer of 2014. The guitar belonged to a recently departed Westchester County, NY grandfather. His granddaughter put it out on his front porch with bags of his clothes for a Goodwill donation pickup. When we showed up, to pick up another guitar she posted, a Gibson Acoustic, she said we could take the arch top for $5...for repair...or whatever. 

We were convinced this very old guitar would make music once again. However, humble, this is that effort...recorded with no pretense as a simple acoustically-picked guitar and a solitary, sincere and impassioned voice of reason. It's a social commentary and, perhaps a protest song. When we played it back, we imagined this to be a Hair Musical audition tape from a cast member hopeful who, for whatever reason, simply didn't make the cut.

Postscript: In May of 2016, we ReMixed this nugget an eMastered it.
This track is from our slow and low, pit-cooked, nascent, debut on the Barbecue 4X 2 playlist.


Easy To Be Hard - ReMix - Michael Delgorio - eMastered

Here's a track that was brought back to our attention by the more recent Mumford and Sons version. Great tune from the start made contemporary by M&S. That, plus the lyrics: "...in the quiet of a subway station, running scared." reminded us so much of being a slender, long haired 17-year-old on our way to the very first day at a Jay Street college in Downtown Brooklyn, So, that said, here's our own darn version. The tune means a lot to us (thanks, Paul Simon!) and we hope we did it no harm in light of the awesome luminaries who have recorded it wonderfully before us. Your comments, likes, shares are most welcome and appreciated. Recorded, humbly, as a iPhone Voice Memo demo in one take; we believe we had four takes before this unedited "final" version of the guide track.
This track can be found on our nascent, debut, slow cooked: The "Barbeque 4X2" record.
Post script: Though the guide track was recorded in June of 2015 in was remixed and master, via eMastered.com in June of 2016


Barbecue 4X2

The Boxer

The Boxer - ReMix - Michael Delgorio - eMastered

3rd Take, no edit iPhone Voice Memo Demo intended to spin the Wilco country-tinged classic on the Fox Trot Hotel record in a darker, harder boiled version. Nora Jones did a fine job with this along with her cohorts in Puss N’ Boots…albeit in a soft rock version. 

When we initially posted the spare guide track demo of Jesus, Etc. to our Twitter Account, we received hundreds of full file downloads on our ADrive storage account… as a result of the initial social media post. Its Soundcloud streaming run as a voice, EDM and Guitar guide track only enjoyed a tepid organic engagement.

Since #NoraJones was tagged in the original Tweet as well as #Wilco, we suppose there was curiosity about yet another version. Somehow it took off on Twitter. It's a whole lot raunchier that the fine performance by Ms. Jones. But, none-the-less we tried to keep it I the vain of that whisper singing style that launched a genre of smoky vocal delivery tunes.
This track is from our nascent, 2014 debut release: "Barbecue 4X2". 

However, in June of 2016 the tune was ReMixed with more instrumentation to add depth and a bit of gravitas. You decide. The myriad downloads of the original raw track are readily "out there" in the netsphere for thorough comparison. Also, credit is attributed to the capable folks at eMastered.com who did their usual Grammy award-winning mastering magic on this remix. Thanks eMastered. Thanks Collin. And, thank YOU for listening and sharing.


Jesus, Etc.

Jesus Etc - ReMix - Michael Delgorio - eMastered

Everyone loves a good story. We've enjoyed telling them in words, pictures and music. 

Please follow MichaeldelAard here and on twitter @MichaeldelAard. We've long been moved by the rough cuts, bootlegs and demos by storied artists both past and present because they show pure emotion, high creativity unfettered by auto-tune and over-production. The elimination of anything that could remotely resemble anything but a perfect track is not part of this stream. This project is more about spontaneity. You'll find perfectly human imperfections and, spare (lean and mean)demo productions throughout. On occasion, though all tracks were recorded ultra-simply on an iPhone's voice memo app, we would pull a track into GarageBand to add a track or sound effects (as in several of the originals, herein)...but all in all these are low-fat productions that reflect our most basic love for music and storytelling. Nothing more than that. Should a track tickle your ear, we'd be most grateful to here about it. Thanks for the opportunity to share with you. Follows, comments and shares are welcome.