absolutely love this one Phil; that shoegaze guitar and the sweet clean guitars working strum and arpeggio magic left and right, the organ the languid, melancholy vocal, all sitting in lush bed of reverb  --waxing a bit poetic because it's just that good

Sounds fabulous! Makes me wonder what it might be like to mess about with some of my old ones. I tend to abandon them once they are done and posted (or maybe I am just afraid to go back and listen!)

Great cover Phil, enjoyed the pace of this.

Recent Collaborations

Huge thanks to these Valuable Friends:

Mrs J Levinson - Chorus Backing Vocals Choirmaster @janinelevinson
Mr R Medlock - Drums & Master of Rhythm Design @rick-4-1
Mr J Beckenstein - Guitar Solo Past Master @jonathan_beckenstein
Mr P McWalter - The Other Stuff @phil-mcwalter

The home-made shaker: Thanks to Meena Pathak for the glass jar and lentils.

KEEP SAFE

So you point out the sky
The beauty
The money
The jobs
Your dreams may have gone
But you show them the pictures
Painted
In the clouds
It’s hard to tell them
How much you love them
So you just ask them 
To keep safe

We did our best
You build a home
Now they’ll have to do the rest
We did our best
You build a hope
Now they’ll have to do the rest

And loving them
Is loving yourself
Harder than expected
And hard to show
But sort of expected
And not easy
You want them to outrun you 
But you don’t want them to run too fast

We did our best
You build a home
Now they’ll have to do the rest
We did our best
You build a hope
Now they’ll have to do the rest

Don’t miss the last bus
Don’t walk home alone
Saturdays we’d watch the football
We never really watched the football
I’m just imagining we had a better time
Than we did
I’m walking home alone now…

We did our best
You build a home
Now they’ll have to do the rest
We did our best
You build a hope
Now they’ll have to do the rest

But they don’t see it at the time
You build a home
You build a hope
But something’s always going wrong
Going wrong
They don’t see it at the time
They don’t see it at the time


© April 2020 Phil McWalter

Keep Safe

Spotify

Featuring my Valuable Friends who kindly gave their hearts and remarkable skills to this project: Thank you!

@janinelevinson - The Mistral Vocals
@burn-it-smith - The Scirocco Piano and Aeolian Double Bass
@rick-4-1 - The Beaufort Scale Drums 
@phil-mcwalter - The Other Wuthering Stuff

Janine has recorded a wonderful stripped-down version too:
 www.soundcloud.com/janinelevinson/mr-Ps-bag-of-sunshine-mcwalter-cover-with-phil-mcwalter

Vodka and Caviar

I once flew across America
Just holding a balloon
Discovered a buried treasure chest
Full of gold doubloon 
I walked into a hurricane
And found myself back home
On a wild white stallion
Galloping through foam

It’s not the truth
But sometimes you can’t complain
It’s just the wind
Through a window on a distant train
It’s not the truth
But sometimes it aint too far
Just the echoes of days
Of vodka and caviar

I sold my soul to a friendly gecko
Who left it on the bar
I ate a bag of sunshine
That exploded in my car
I flew with the Egyptian gods
And travelled to the stars
And I dressed up like a carnival king
With glitter in glass jars

It’s not the truth
But sometimes you can’t complain
It’s just the wind
Through a window on a distant train
It’s not the truth
But sometimes it aint too far
Just the echoes of days
On vodka and caviar

Some days
Are better than others
Some nights I
Don’t bother…

It’s not the truth
Sometimes you can’t complain
It’s just the wind
Through a window on a distant train

The walled-up dust on a jester’s laugh
For a cask of sherry wine
The smell of sugar cane in the heat
And a woman’s gaze divine
Float around my spinning head
A trail of petalled steps I said
Take me from the tower and sing
My songs around my bed
(Is he dead?)

It’s not the truth
But sometimes you can’t complain
It’s just the wind
Through a window on a distant train
It’s not the truth
But sometimes it aint too far
Just the echoes of days
On vodka and caviar
Vodka and caviar
On vodka and caviar

June 2020 Phil McWalter

Vodka and Caviar

Vodka And Caviar

@rick-4-1 The Perfect Drums
@janinelevinson The Dreamy Vocal Choir
@phil-mcwalter The Other Stuff

I was blown away by the beautiful contributions of these two Valuable Friends; Janine and Rick. How do they do it? Don't ask me...

Drift to this...



DON'T ASK ME

Don't ask me
'Cos I don't know
Said don't ask me
'Cos I don't know

On my Roberts radio
On my Roberts radio

It never gets better alone
Oh no
It never gets better alone

Don't ask me
'Cos I don't know
Why ask me
'Cos I don't know

Come in.. Come in... Come in...

Don't ask me
'Cos I don't know
Said don't ask me
'Cos I don't know

On my Roberts radio
On my Roberts radio

It never gets better alone
Oh no
It never gets better alone
Never gets better

Don't ask me...
'Cos I don't know
Why ask me
'Cos I don't know

Don't ask me baby
I don't know I don't know I don't know

©Phil McWalter July 2020

Don't Ask Me Baby

Don't Ask Me

『おれは罪人』
作詞・作曲 / Papyrusたくや

信じたければ信じればいいし
信じたくなければ信じなければいい

新興宗教に蝕まれて
優しくなった親父がいて
何とかっていう通販サイトに騙されて
とても幸せそうなおじいちゃんとおばあちゃんがいるんだよ

お母さんはいつも不機嫌そうな顔をしていた
だけど時々優しいからさ
憎み切れなくて

おれには兄弟がいる
必ず夢を叶えるんだって言って体に刻み込んだ君を
今でも応援してるよ

小さい頃におれが家族から受けたことが虐待だというのなら
安心してね

もう罪なんてどこにもないよ
あなたを裁ける人なんていない
心にひとつだけあるのはおれの罪の意識
それだけ

そう おれは罪人なんだ
そう おれは罪人なんだ

仕事だって続かなければ人付き合いも苦手で
愛想笑いもできないおれだ

15の頃に高校をやめて
それから何回窓ガラスを割って喧嘩をした？
人に迷惑を何度かけた？

この罪をどこまで持ってけばいいんだろう
罪悪感があれば恐い夢を出してしまうっていうけれど
おれはこれから何度恐ろしい夢を見ればいいの？

何度恐ろしい夢を

世間とは個人 夢とは鏡
塗り替えられた世界を今日も生きる
死ぬか生きるか それはおれが決める事
空き缶集めてでも生きて行くさ

生きて行くさ
生きて…

こうやっていつもおれは人のせい
投げやりになってしまうんだ
ゴミ拾いの前に何かできるはず

もう少し
もう少し
もう少し

おれは罪人

!!!PLAY IT LOUDER!!!

@janinelevinson on Soaring Vocals
@rick-4-1 on Pineapple Stealing Drums
@phil-mcwalter on The Other Stuff

SPREAD YOUR WINGS

I’ll give you a minute
Then maybe an hour
But I don’t like the look of you
Or your ivory tower
Are you a candidate?
You don’t smell of the street
The pavement don’t suit you
Trips up your feet

Spread your wings
If you don’t like the darkness
Spread your wings
And you’re afraid of the lights
You’re not safe in your nest
Take the plunge
It won’t hurt for long
Spread your wings

There’s rain in the forecast
There’s time in your eyes
Flags in the furlough
Waived by the wise
The church door was open
Granite and still
The boys went in
And the pigeon came out

I'll give you a minute
It won't hurt for long, oh no
I'll give you a minute

Spread your wings
If you don’t like the darkness
Spread your wings
And you’re afraid of the lights
You’re not safe in your nest
Take the plunge
It won’t hurt for long
Spread your wings

I’ll give you a minute
I’ll give you a minute
I’ll give you a minute
The pavement don’t suit you
The pavement don’t suit you
The pavement don’t suit you

© Phil McWalter Sept 2020

Spread Your Wings

My Number One | Music & Lyrics/Guitars by REKHA - IYERN [Fe] | Sept 26th, 2020

My Number One SONG REKHA's MASTER1 0.0db Ambient STARRY NIGHTS SEPT 26TH, 2020

Electric Guitars, Vocals & Synths: REKHA - IYERN [Fe]

My Number One - Music & Lyrics by REKHA - IYERN [Fe] (Still Under Editing)

Intro - Vocal Improv

Ha, Oh- Ah, Ah
Ah, Ah, Eh, Oh
Ahn, Wo-Oh
Wo-Ho-Ho-Ho
Ah, Oh Uh Oh Oh Oh

Babe you and me
We were born to be free
Babe you and me
We were born to be
To be, to be toge-(ee)-ther
Forever

You and me
Oh, Oh
Beautiful it is 

But Baby you're in my soul
You're a part of me
And so much more
Ah, Ah, Ah, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh
Ah, Ah, Ah, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh
Oh, Oh
Oh, Oh, Oh
Oh, Oh, Oh
Ho, Ho, Oh, Oh-Ho
Oh, Oo, Wo-Oo

Roses are red
Maybe better said
You and I we'll never die...hai, hai hai

You and I
We were meant to be
So sparkly and more

You are in my heart 
In my soul
Baby you are
Baby you are

My number one
You are, you are, ha-are
My number wo-oo, wo-oo, one
Love, Love, Love
Love, Love
Love, Love, Love
Only Love
Wo, Oh-Oo-Ho
Na Hoo, Oo, Oo, Oo, Oo
Oh...Oh
I love you so

Roses are red
Maybe better said
The colour of love
Ha, ha-ha, ha-ove
So Divine
You are mine
Angel

Music & Lyrics by REKHA - IYERN [Fe]

Cover Art: Photo & Graphics by REKHA - IYERN [Fe]
Music

Music Composed & Produced, Recorded & Performed, Mixed & Mastered by REKHA -IYERN [Fe] at IYERN [Fe] RECORDS in CANADA

My Number One

Buy on BC

My Number One | Music & Lyrics/Guitars by REKHA - IYERN [Fe] | Sept 26th, 2020 | ROCK Soul Ballad

A little tune for those in the Autumn of life who may have lost a spouse or maybe never married but have found someone very special and find themselves "falling again" in love.  
Annie @annie-smart-1 loved this tune and asked to collaborate on it which can be heard on her Cloud by following the link.  It is lovely in every way, and I am so honored by her collaboration.

Falling Again (Guitar Instrumental)

Music & Lyrics: Jan Schonander

A little experimentation going on here with timed echos, ringshift and the like.

In the United States, habitual offender law (commonly referred to as three-strikes laws) were first implemented on March 7, 1994, and are part of the United States Justice Department's Anti-Violence Strategy. These laws require both a severe violent felony and two other previous convictions to serve a mandatory life sentence in prison. The purpose of the laws is to drastically increase the punishment of those convicted of more than two serious crimes.

Twenty-eight states have some form of a "three-strikes" law. A person accused under such laws is referred to in a few states (notably Connecticut and Kansas) as a "persistent offender", while Missouri uses the unique term "prior and persistent offender". In most jurisdictions, only crimes at the felony level qualify as serious offenses; however, misdemeanor and/or wobbler offenses can qualify for application of the three-strikes law in California, whose harsh application has been the subject of controversy.

The three-strikes law significantly increases the prison sentences of persons convicted of a felony who have been previously convicted of two or more violent crimes or serious felonies, and limits the ability of these offenders to receive a punishment other than a life sentence.

TO HEAVEN

As a young boy I didn’t follow the rules
Stole cookies from the jar
Told sad stories about my brothers
Played sad tricks on all of my teachers
A playground bully stealing cheating fighting 
From school to school playing the fool

I still want to go to heaven
To heaven
To heaven
I still want to go to heaven
To heaven
To heaven

Missed a chance to change my way
Borrowed a car and drove astray
Made good friends with Jack Daniels
Had a laugh with the keeper of the reefer
Street corner boss using driving pimping
From hood to city not dealing in pity

I still want to go to heaven
To heaven
To heaven
I want to go 
To heaven
To heaven

A grown man I went from bad to worse
It’s my own personal curse
Honed my trade many years ago
Sadly it’s all I’ll ever know
Two time felon thieving smuggling dealing
From open skies, then punished for my lies

It doesn’t matter what I do
Next time I’ll be through
Three time felon facing life
Three time loser with a knife

It doesn’t matter what you do
Next time you’ll be through
Three time felon you’ll pay the price
Three time loser I’ll roll the dice

And I still want to go
To heaven
To heaven
I want to go
To heaven
To heaven

Mmmh….

To Heaven

Your Love is Contagious / Paploviante November 2020
Vocals: Megan from www.Ghosthack.de
Paploviante Music, Bass, Picture, Mix and Mastering

Your Love Is Contagious - Paploviante

I like to have a good time (yeah)
Every night
It's my kryptonite (baby)
I'd like to write you a love song every day
From my heart and from my soul
Straight from the bloodstream
Straight from the bloodstream
I'm pulling you in like the tides
Into my dreams
Into my schemes

I only miss you
Once the scars have healed over
Absolved of all joy 
and all order
A thousand love songs
From my heart, from my soul
Straight from my bloodstream
Straight from my bloodstream
Straight from my bloodstream
I will drag you down
Into my dreams
Into my dreams
I'd write you a thousand love songs
I'd throw all them all away
But, this is the one that I saved...

Bloodstream

Huge thanks to my Valuable Friends who partied hard!

@janinelevinson - Dance invites and vocals
@rick-4-1 - Funkin' it up for the dance floor
@phil-mcwalter - Sausage rolls and other stuff


PARTY BACK AT MY HOUSE

Party back at my house
Party back at my house
Party back at my house
Everybody's gotta come!
'Cos you're wonderful
Ooh Lord, we think you're beautiful
And we wanna hear you talk
We wanna see you walk
We wanna hear you shout
Have fun
Back at my house

Party back at my house
There's a party!
Party back at my house
There's a party!
Party back at my house
Everybody's gotta come!
'Cos you're wonderful
Oh Lord, so beautiful
We wanna hear you talk
See you walk
Hear you shout
Have fun
Back at my house

"BE the party" (Theresa May)

"Let's just get wastey-pants" (Nicole 'Snooki')
"Wow! What a ride!" (Hunter S. Thompson)
"I wanna see you dance" (Janine Levinson)
"Party Sleep Repeat" (Rick Medlock)
"Remember when we could?" (Jack Nicholson)
"Is this a cocktail party?" (Jimi Hendrix)
"Is this my party?" (Phil McWalter)
"Hell yeah!" (Clarence Clemons)

© Phil McWalter Oct 2020
[Photo by Emma McWalter @emmam-7]

Party Back At My House

2019 collaboration with Gina Wood recovered from the dark archives. 

Synth: Gina Wood https://soundcloud.com/gina-wood-837506330
Piano, electronica, bass, percussion: Jan Schonander

With a Roman Catholic upbringing I learned that one should forgive 70 times 7 times. If you are wronged 491 times...

Unforgiven

Unforgiven | Gina Wood & TheGat(s)

I have always loved this song by Robert Palmer, but I always imagined it at a slower tempo to allow the words to resonate a little more. Rather fun perfecting a perfectionist, I hope Robert doesn't mind, in fact I wish he'd come back and do the vocal. So, anyway, here's my lockdown cover, accompanied by my Valuable Friend, Rick Medlock - The King of Rhythm.

@rick-4-1 - Running around The Drums
@phil-mcwalter - Looking for certainty in The Other Stuff

JOHNNY AND MARY

Johnny's always running around
Trying to find certainty
He needs all the world to confirm
That he ain't lonely
Mary counts the walls
Knows he tires easily
Johnny thinks the world would be right
If it could buy truth from him
Mary says he changes his mind more than a woman
But she made her bed
Even when the chance was slim

Johnny says he's willing to learn
When he decides he's a fool
Johnny says he'll live anywhere
When he earns time to
Mary combs her hair
Says she should be used to it
Mary always hedges her bets
She never knows what to think
She says that he still acts like he
Is being discovered
Scared that he'll be caught
Without a second thought
Running around

Johnny feels he's wasting his breath
Trying to talk sense to her
Mary says he's lacking a real
Sense of proportion
So she combs her hair
Knows he tires easily
Johnny's always running around
Trying to find certainty
He needs all the world to confirm
That he ain't lonely
Mary counts the walls
Says she should be used to it

Johnny's always running around
Running around

© 1980 - Robert Palmer

Johnny And Mary

Johnny And Mary (Dream Remix July 2022)

A Dream Named Wolf
Written by TJG November-December 2020
Dark songs for dark nights ;-)

From the shadows of the subconscious comes a sonic tale that prowls and pulses. A Dream Named Wolf is more than a track—it’s a moodscape: burnt orange skies, midnight tremble, and longing caught in howl-form.

Mix 1: Dec 14, 2020 
Mix 2: Jan 13, 2021 output transformer engaged on tape machine.
Thanks so much to Andrew, Rene, and Kevin for comments on an early draft!

Technical Details
Recorded at Princeton Studio

Guitars
Rhythm 1: Guild DV52
Rhythm2: Les Paul Standard
Lead1: Les Paul Standard
Bass: Fender Squire
Effects: an overabundance of a phaser (sorry)

Mics: Neumann TLM 67 and AGK C414 XLS
Drums: arranged by TG
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. 

Lyrics 

Verse 1
There’s another fork in the road
Wish I could decide....
Feels like a wolf is tearing at my side

Interlude 1: 

Verse 2
Sometimes you hit the wall
You can’t bridge the divide
Feels like the heat will never subside

Interlude 2: 

Refrain 1
Feels like I’m walking alone at night
Feels like a wolf tearing at my side
 
Verse 3
A full moon is begging to rise
Wish I could fly....
Feels like a wolf is tearing at my side

Interlude 3


Refrain
Feels like I’m walking alone at night
Feels like a wolf tearing at my side
Feels like a wolf tearing at my side

A dream named wolf

Blood Abacus

To Everything There Is A Season 
January 2021
Duration: 3:00
For strings, pianos, woodwinds, vitrual instuments and percussion

From Ecclesiastes, written c. 450–200 BCE, one of the "Wisdom" books of the Old Testament: 
To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

To Everything There Is A Season

!!!HOT NEWS!!! New Valuable Friends vinyl album and CD available! ALSO 2nd Deluxe Vinyl & CD+Booklet "Songs That Mean Something" See links below. 

Composer/Guitarist/Producer

Songs: We find them unpainted in our hands, throw them up into the air of our imagination, turning them in the colours we see after we close our eyes until they feel just right, and sometimes we catch them perfectly, without blemishing them...

My music is on most platforms for your ease.

Wow!!  417K+ plays and 4,000+ valued followers and friends on SC alone, that provide lots of wonderfully helpful comments that fuel the next track! Really big thanks to the SC community for listening and providing such brilliant feedback and support. It means so much to myself and my collaborators - huge thanks.

I work in different styles, as the inspiration, dreams or bubonic plagiarism comes! I use Logic Pro X on Mac.
 
I write, produce and play all my own stuff (unless otherwise stated), play vintage Tokai Strats mainly, PRS Torero, Steinberger, Gretsch G2627T, Classical, Fender Dreadnought, Yamaha and Rickenbacker basses, keyboards and sax. I use Native Instrument's Komplete, Omnisphere 2 and my own organic samples.

I mix on Sennheiser HD 280 Pro's and HD 650's (closed and open headphones) when not making a bigger noise through my Yamaha HS8 studio monitors. I use Focusrite Clarett 2Pre ThunderBolt and Apogee audio interfaces, Neumann & iSK condenser & AKG dynamic mics. 

Hardware: Feb 1978 Marshall JMP 50W Combo, BOO & BOSS stomps

I love collaborating with other musicians and will compose with, play guitar for, produce, arrange, master or even just hum along with other SC musicians. Please ask!

P.S. I am a long standing member of the Performing Rights Society and PPL through my old TV and theatre work as well as my record and publishing deals.

Johnny And Mary (Dream Remix July 2022)

Phil McWalter

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