this is so fantastic, i'm caught up in the moment of this listen...absolutely love this <3

You make some of the classiest posts on SC. Clever and so pro! Those harmonies and sweet arrangements, so unbelievably well done. Everyone should hear this one. Thanks for sharing all of this skilled breathtaking work Roger

Related tracks: Out there, somewhere . . I'm Still With You - ŞöļäçėŠțřëęț (+ltp)

PS Perkins: Guitars, bass, lyre, vocals
Ron Thomas: Autoharps, Drums

Production notes:
---------------------------------------------
Very early on we wanted to use autoharps on this song to create a sort of swirling backdrop, reminiscent of the harps in Indian/Bollywood soundtrack songs of the seventies.

Right away there were challenges because the song is in B flat and is not wholly diatonic to begin with, utilizing a chord built on the augmented lydian scale in the choruses. So rather than transpose the song to a more amenable key (since the chromatic bits weren't going to work no matter what key we used) we instead re-tuned the autoharp. Moving through the strings one by one we tuned them either up or down a half step where applicable to bring them into key. Where the augmented chord hit in the choruses, we excluded those notes so that the autoharp was filling the diatonic parts of the chords and omitting the accidentals. It took us several tries to get it right. In the end we arrived at a chord progression that could be strummed on the autoharp and the modified chords could be played with existing dampers.

We also tuned the lyre so that the top half of the strings included the chromatic augmented notes while the lower register of the lyre was tuned using the diatonic, so the lyre could play the melody all the way through both parts of the song.

The inspiration for this song was essentially fourfold:
--------------------------------------------------------
First, H.P. Lovecraft's terrifying necromancer Joseph Curwen (from "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward") who masked his true identity in order to thwart suspicion from his fellow townsfolk. He has many secrets lurking in his underground catacombs where he performs acts of necromancy most foul, extracting the "salts" of the dead in order to raise them at will and learn the secrets of ancient eldritch deities.

Second, a poem by Rudyard Kipling titled "En-Dor" which was a warning against the rise of spiritualism and the cost of communion with the dead in the early 20th century.

Third, the biblical Saul who traveled in disguise to visit a witch at the city of Endor in order to summon Samuel from the dead and garner advice on defeating the Philistines, but who only prophesies doom for Saul. Saul dies later the next day in the battle of Gilboa.

Lastly, the story of Odysseus communing with the underworld where he enlists the help of Tiresias to have a chat with the dead and secure for himself a safe journey home.

They all seek communion with the dead for one purpose: to gain knowledge which only those who have crossed over between realms might possess. 

Lyrics:
-------------------------------------
A mask may reveal what it’s meant to conceal
From those who are standing beside us
Armor of pride, so we learn to abide
By the monsters which hide deep inside us
The monsters which lurk deep inside us
Oh, how they scratch and they bite us
The monsters which lurk deep inside us

Only to know what the professor knows

Eating black bread, wearing clothes of the dead
The soil soaked in honey around us
For fear if we failed, leave the ogre unveiled
And it’s back in the grave where they found us
Back in the grave where they found us
Freed from the ties which had bound us
Back in the grave where they found us

Only to know what the professor knows

In the catacomb vaults, we extracted the salts
From cadavers to lengthen our youth
Chanting the names at the edge of the flames
And a mirror to show us the truth
A mirror which speaks only truth
See how it seeks not to soothe
A mirror which speaks only truth

Only to know what the professor knows

In the underworld maze, in the night of no days
Concocting the plan we’re devising
Much to endure on the road to En-Dor
And to snatch from Elohim arising
To snatch from Elohim arising
Snatch from Elohim arising
Snatch from Elohim arising
Snatch from Elohim arising
Snatch from Elohim arising

BARDS:Of The Shimmering Seraphs

The Professor

Such a great buzz to reconnect with my good friend, ŞöļäçėŠțřëęț, and receive this newly inspired lyrical / vocal flow, to a piece of improv guitar I posted a while back. Dedicated to a very special person.

Check out his consistently amazing music here: https://soundcloud.com/solacestreet

Lyrics, vocals, atmospheric flow ~ ŞöļäçėŠțřëęț
Guitar ~ learningtoplay

Out there, somewhere . . I'm Still With You - ŞöļäçėŠțřëęț (+ltp)

@belialpelegrim production and artwork
COtu Production and Mix

Lobster

Lobster  --- COtu + Belial Pelegrim

Then She Reaches For The Gun was a one off project, bringing together more than 50 artists from across the globe, releasing an album in late 2022 nomatesensemble.bandcamp.com/album/the-…ely-future But it was so much fun we are back for more. In defiance of the usual 10 piece band approach of this project this track is just Johnny Python providing the historically accurate   text and voice with myself making  unneeded backing noise : )

Then She Reaches For The Gun - Their Stage Set Up At That Time Was Amazing

16 By 9

Words and music by Roger Whittlesey. Guitars by Massimo Primiero. All other sounds by Whittlesey. 2024.

A rocker in which I hit an E5 and F5 at the end. Hang in until the end to hear it.

Many thanks to Massimo for his atmospheric guitar work in the bridge and outro sections. The YouTube video will arrive soon. In the meantime please visit my YouTube channel and subscribe if the spirit moves you. https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCI-QbxkOHwReMj69quyaOEQ

There are new videos of new songs released almost every week. 

Thanks, 

Roger

Caught in the Moment

SOFT PORTAL-Snake kitten

This is a brand new song that I wrote with Lillian Mareddy last week. It's a rock break-up song from the guys point-of-view. Great lyrics by Lilly with a nice groovy riff by me. A good rock singer could have a hit with one! The video, which looks fantastic btw, will drop on Nov 6th on YouTube.

VIDEO - https://youtu.be/awTWjY0vvfc

  I don't know why but every time Lilly send me a lyric, I want to rock out with it! I'll be writing more ballads with her in the future. So this is for all you guys out there that are "Free To Fly" or think you're "Free To Fly"! Let's be real!😂👍😎✌🏼

“FREE TO FLY”

I DON’T GO OUT HOPING TO SEE YOUR FACE,
IN THE SAME OLD BAR, THAT SAME OLD PLACE,
AIN’T NO COLD SIDE OF THE BED FOR ME,
NO EMPTY BOTTLE OF HENNESSY, OH, OH, OH,             
     
I DON’T MISS YOUR VOICE ON THE OTHER LINE,
I’M NOT SITTIN’ AROUND WASTING MY TIME, 
AIN’T GONNA WAKE UP AND START TO WEEP, 
YOUR FACE DOESN’T HAUNT ME WHEN I SLEEP, NO, NO,

BECAUSE THERE AIN’T NEVER BEEN A YOU, YOU, YOU,
NO HEARTBREAK I’VE EVER BEEN THROUGH, THROUGH, THROUGH,
AND I DON’T NEED ANOTHER ROUND, ROUND, ROUND,  
DON’T HAVE A MEMORY TO DROWN, DROWN, DROWN,
NO HEARTBREAK FOR ME,
CAUSE I’M FREE TO FLY,
     
NOW I’M DOING FINE, IT AIN’T NO LIE,
NOBODY EVER MADE MY DUMB-ASS CRY,
NEVER BEEN ONE TO LET LOVE GET ME DOWN,
I AIN’T FEELIN’ BAD CAUSE YOU AIN’T AROUND, NO, NO,

[LEAD]

BECAUSE THERE AIN’T NEVER BEEN A YOU, YOU, YOU,
NO HEARTBREAK I’VE EVER BEEN THROUGH, THROUGH, THROUGH,
AND I DON’T NEED ANOTHER ROUND, ROUND, ROUND,  
DON’T HAVE A MEMORY TO DROWN, DROWN, DROWN,
NO HEARTBREAK FOR ME,
CAUSE I’M FREE TO FLY,
FREE TO FLY, FREE TO FLY, FREE TO FLY, FLY, FLY,
I’M FREE TO FLY,   
FREE TO FLY, FREE TO FLY, FREE TO FLY, FLY, FLY,
I’M FREE TO FLY.   

BY JIM VALDES & LILLIAN MAREDDY © 2024

ODDS & ENDS

"FREE TO FLY" (Feat. Lyrics By Lillian Mareddy) [Video -https://youtu.be/awTWjY0vvfc]

Really wanted to have a strong emotional guitar, so I a found a couple chords I liked and did some finger picking trying to emphasize the base note. I listened over and over once I had got the sound out of the guitar I wanted and tried to fit lyrics in that would give it a unique and relaxing sound. Hope you enjoy!

Lyrics:

Open your eyes
See the darker sides
Of me

Don’t be afraid
I won’t bite
Today

But if you need
Something from me
I would give it to you

Because
You’re just
So Beautiful

My brain Can’t
Comprehend this
I don’t know if
I can’t stand this

Pain
So much pain


Pain
So much pain
I can’t refrain
Close your eyes
See the brighter sides
Of us

I know I can
Cause fear
But please 
I need you near

But if you need
To run from me
I would understand

Because 
You’re Just
So Fragile

My Mind Can’t
Contain this
I just know that 
We should end this

Pain
So much pain
Pain
So much pain
I can’t refrain

So Much Pain

So... this is a story about a lonely puppeteer named Pietro who has spent his whole life dedicated to his craft... and yet he yearns for a companion... someone to share life that he has left to live. And so Pietro decides to  one day create himself a maiden...  As he is working away in his shop, he dreams of his creation coming to life and the times they will share... while contemplating his life thus far..

The Lonely Puppeteer's Dream

Here is the revised version of Ann Clark's PUMPING by A.M.W.S. 

Automatenfall - PUMPING -Ann Clark- (revisided version).m4a

Soft-rock instrumental. Remaster 2011. Theme, all musical instruments - LeoMReznik,

Gray Wounded Wings

Gray Wounded Wings. (Remaster 2011)

Take

Shorty Rockin At The 86

Shorty Rockin at The 86

The Sapphire Album-Gospel Blues

Truth Arrives in Pieces

This is the first version of the jim manser track the human condition
[you can hear the other version on my Jim Manser soundcloud page
Notes
I recorded three different versions of this track and thought rather than remix it for this page i would put on the first version i wrote and recorded i hope you enjoy it

Psychedelic world presents [THE HUMAN CONDITION ]expanded and alternative version

There are times when we must step back and recognise certain events are beyond our control or influence. Rather than waste energy railing against this unalterable fact,we must learn to accept what we cannot change and find new ways of adapting. Although I say this,I struggle too. I'm a slow learner.
Some slide action to be played appropriately loud!


Don't be angry with the sun that sets
Or the wind and rain that blow
Nothing's gained by fretting
What you can't control

Don't get tight with things not right
Just let it all unfold
You can make it better
Just by letting go

Life is tough and treats you rough
If you swim against the tide
You can make it better
Let it all just slide

Let It Go

Heavy Punk Rock 'n' Roll band turns into Synthwave nowadays! Brand NEW album "Ultraviolet Cosmos" available NOW!

** Subscribe and see 190 original music videos!! https://www.youtube.com/c/RogerWhittlesey

Roger Whittlesey is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter from the Boston area. He often composes and records pop music with intricate harmonies and deceptively sophisticated chord changes. Many songs spring from his 60s, 70s and 80s influences, but his music is original and unique. Whittlesey often collaborates with instrumentalists and singers from the world of jazz, folk, and pop to create a hybrid form.

Thanks for visiting this channel!!

Caught in the Moment

Roger Whittlesey

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