A collection of songs by the group of SoundCloud artists known as The Eclectic Collective. Mostly original music (they have a few covers), and definitely an original sound. I’ve had the pleasure to write and or contribute on just a few songs, but mostly I just love hearing what these very talented fellows come up with on a weekly basis!

Graphic art logo design by me  ☺️

The Eclectic Collective [playlist]

This is a song that Steve of Steve's Planet wrote and for which recorded the vocals and acoustic guitar. He then gave it to Ken (K2 and the Three, K2 and the Four) to play with it. Ken added rocking drums and perfect backing vocals. Ken then sent it to me, and I added the bass, organ, piano, and more, high backing vocals. Then we got Tez (Llanpsych) involved to work his magic and mix the beast, which he did masterfully, as usual. This is our first song with Steve, but it certainly won't be the last. We hope you enjoy it.

Better Than Nothing (Eclectic Collective)

This is a song JJ came up with on bass, organ, and electric piano, originally to share with a singer. She declined, and I swooped in to grab it. I really like how it starts very funky, then goes into a Floydy jam. I added some wah guitar, slide, and some tremolo heavy rhythm guitar. At the same time, Ken (K2 and the Three, and K2 and the Four)added the perfect kit drums and the hand drums, which give it a whole next-level dimension. JJ then went in and added the very cool synth lead you hear in the second part. I also really like his electric piano solo in the second part. Of course, we weren't done yet, because someone had to mix the beast. And that someone was the master of the mix, the chairman of the board, Tez (Llanpsych). He is a true life wizard behind the board and with an ax, although we only got the mix out of him on this one. Anyway, we all hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it.

Mayflower (Eclectic Collective)

This is a song that began with Steve (Steve's Planet)writing, playing it on acoustic guitar, and singing it on a stem he shared with Ken (K2 and the Three [and Four]), who added some perfect drums, as always. Ken then shared it with me, who added bass, and Tez (Llanpsych), who added some brilliant, tasteful guitar fills. We then got JJ involved, and he added the great, undulating organ. Finally, we got the master chef involved, Chris (cgmaness), who came up with some killer guitar riffs and mixed the whole thing very expertly. It must've been quite a chore, too, because there are a lot of magicians in this show. We all really feel lucky that Steve shared this song with us, and admire his singing and songwriting. We hope you enjoy our creation!

Romance by Steve's Planet (Eclectic Collective)

This is a song that began as a bass line I came up with on my four string fretless over a looper. I shared it with Ken (K2 and the Three [and Four], Stephen (Tex Mex Shaman), and Tez (Llanpsych) through BandLan, which we're all on. Ken came up with some perfect drums, as always, to prop up the whole thing. Tez added some killer guitar solos, which you can hear more towards the end, with the ripping tone. Stephen then came in and added the talk box guitar and wah guitar that you hear playing the hook more towards the beginning. It's my first song ever featuring a talk box, and I'm amazed with the part he came up with. It's a major line against my minor bass line. I love how it sounds! Stephen also was kind enough to mix the beast for us, which turned out to be a herculean task. But he was up to it, and a fine job he did, too. It was an honor and a pleasure to work with these guys. We all hope you enjoy it as much as we did making it.

High Noon (Eclectic Collective)

This is a perfect song for collaboration that JJ came up with on the keys and bass, based on a really cool drum track that Ken (K2 and the Three, K2 and the Four) gave him. They are both wildly creative, and left the perfect amount of collaborator space, as they do on every song. Then I got a hold of it and added the main guitar, lap slide, mandolin, and some synth. Then we sent it over to Stephen (TexMex Shaman), who added that really cool guitar solo at the end of the first part, and some more guitar to the end. Also, and very importantly, Stephen produced and mixed this for us. Talk about monumental task! It was like we gave him a basket of cats, and he made a cohesive thought out of it. I'm amazed. I can't overstate how much I enjoy making music with these three sorcerers. We hope you enjoy listening as much as we did making this.

Junebug (Eclectic Collective)

This is a song that has been a long time coming. Ken (K2 and the Three [and the Four]) and I have been big fans of Artur (Surfers Like Us) for going on a year now, because of his unique, refined, genre-specific songwriting and excellent playing. We've both been bugging him almost that entire time to share one of his songs with us. So, he finally agreed. This is the result. 
  I posted it and Ken, who added the perfect drums and percussion, was already on board. Then we invited JJ for some dynamic, soulful organ. We then asked Tez to add a lead and mix it for us. He added a killer, tasteful lead, and performed the heroic task of mixing it to all of our liking. I'm on my four string fretless for this one. I wish we could've squeezed Stephen (TexMex Shaman) into this one, but he'll definitely be on the next. We all hope you enjoy it!

Surf Dance (Surfers Like Us with Eclectic Collective)

This is a song that has been one of my favorites for the last 25 years or so. It's a cover of a cover that Jerry Garcia (guitar, of course), Merle Saunders (keys), John Kahn (bass), and Bill Vitt (drums) recorded live at the Keystone in Berkley, CA, in 1973. It's actually a cover they did (I just found out a few years ago) of a song called Finders Keepers by the Chairmen of the Board, which is definitely worth checking out, too. This version is a more laid back, but it keeps the funk alive. 
  The guys who made this quarter century dream of mine come true are JJ Terrell, who plays the funky clavichord and dynamic organ throughout, Ken (K2 and the Three, and K2 and the Four)who's playing the tight, funky drums and great percussion, and Tez (Llanpsych), who's playing the ripping guitar lead at the end. Tez also mixed and produced this, expertly, as always. I'm on guitar, bass, and the synth lead at the beginning. Can't verbalize how much fun this was for me, and I hope all of us. We hope you enjoy it, too.

Keepers (Eclectic Collective)

This is a song that originated with Steve of Steve's Planet. He came up with a really cool guitar instrumental and the vocals, which he is very passionately singing,  while travelling through the primordial forests of Central Europe and shared it with all of us. I added the bass and the electric piano. Tez (Llanpsych) added the really cool guitar parts that sound like orchestral violins. Ken (K2 and the Three, and K2 and the Four) added the perfectly complimentary rolling drums. Stephen (TexMex Shaman) added the awesome, trippy sitar and pulled the whole thing together as an expert producer and mixer. Tez also mastered it. Hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we did making it.

Bird in the Blue Sky (Steve's Planet with Eclectic Collective)

Cast of characters:
mistermark--@user-432503709--Mark---piano, drums, FX, and composition
Llanpsych--@llanpsych--Tez—electric guitar, production, and mix
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)--@josh-clary-1—four string fretless bass and electric guitar

This originated as just a short piano thing that I (Mark), wrote a while ago after. At the kind request to collaborate on something, I sent it to Josh, who took it into a whole new direction by adding the fretless bass and some delay-heavy electric guitar. That inspired me to add some drums and a few sonic effects. Then we got Tez involved, who added not only the screaming guitar parts in the meat of the song, but also the entire insane 'reverse' coda at the end. Tez also produced and mixed this for us, expertly. This is the first of hopefully many songs I get to do with Josh & Tez - we hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it.

All comments welcome, and don't be shy to be critical or suggest ideas to help me improve. :)

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 
here's some pictures I took: www.flickr.com/photos/mark_boucher/
my best photos on 500px (safe site): 500px.com/p/mrmark?view=photos

Heavy Steps (with Entheogenic Psychonaught & Llanpsych)

Cast of characters:
Steve's Planet--@steve-vervaet—Steve—acustic guitar, vocals, lyrics, composition/arrangement

TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman–Stephen–electric guitar, production, and mix

J.J. Terrell--@j-j-terrell—JJ—organ

K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara–Ken–drums, percussion, and low vocal harmony

Llanpsych–@llanpsych–Tez–electric guitar 

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1–Fender precision bass  


This song began as an acoustic guitar and vocals stem written and performed by Steve. He sent it to me, and I added the undulating staccato bass line, with the help of Ken's always well-suited drums. We went back and forth a couple of times, as is our process, until it clicked. Tez added some really dynamic leads and fills throughout, and Stephen filled in the rest of the electric guitar in a Keith/Ronnie kind of way, which is very tasteful. JJ then added some perfectly complimentary organ. Finally, Ken pleasantly surprised us with the low vocal harmonies, which were spot on. 
  Stephen also mixed and produced this one for us. He's brilliant behind the board, and we're lucky to have him aboard. This one came together in a matter of a relatively short period of a fortnight, which is rare for the Eclectic Collective. But, when something is hot and already put together, it comes quickly. We all hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed putting it together.

Lyrics:
Fallin’
Wandering aimless
Couldn’t shoot straight
No ability
Not much to say
There was no sign of me
Good times, bad times
Leaving out the sad times
Easily
That’s what they’re telling me
Mend or break
Looking over rooftops
Coming to a full stop
Suddenly
On a sad height
Raging endlessly
Breakline, beeline
Picking up the freeline
Easily
Follow my way
Leavin’ the fast lane
My- My mind is fallin’
When I think about, losing out
There’s no doubt, you started fallin’ x2
And I – I’ve been going my way
One more time, only today 2x
My- My mind is fallin’
When I think about, losing out
There’s no doubt, you started fallin’ x2

Fallin' (Steve's Planet with Eclectic Collective)

Cast of characters:
Mysterious Decibel--@themysteriousdecibel --MD—lyrics and vocals

TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman–Stephen–foundational guitar in first half, solo in the coda, mix, and production

J.J. Terrell–@j-j-terrell– piano and composition

K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara–Ken–drums and percussion

Llanpsych–@llanpsych–Tez–guitar solo and fills in the main section

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1–mandolin, four string fretless bass guitar

This latest Eclectic Collective song was probably the most collaborative in a true sense as we've yet released. The song began with Josh trying to piece together a couple of ideas that he'd come up with on the piano. He sent his ideas to JJ, who took out a connecter section that Josh had no intention of making anything of, and turned it into the body of the song. He returned the song to Josh complete with a signature JJ Terrell climactic coda. Then Josh added the bass to JJ's piano, with some help from the always solid drums from Ken. The way it usually goes is that Josh comes up with a scratch bass line to accompany the song, then Ken adds drums, then Josh goes back and adds the bass to fit the beat. Sometimes they go back and forth, but not this time so much. 

  Then, Stephen added the foundational guitar in the first section, and came up with the idea for the coda. Josh added some mandolin to the coda, too, after which Stephen redid the guitar in the coda to make it very dynamic and part the clouds. Tez finally came along and added the fiery solo and the charming fills in the main section. Most of this time, MD had been working on the narrative lyrics and refining his melodic vocals. Finally, Stephen put it all together for us and mixed it in his expert fashion. 

  We hope you enjoy the thrill of the climax, and also get a chuckle out of the lyrics, which are included below. 

  Let me tell you 'bout a dancer yeah!
A mysterious one
She dances to the decibel
She's a A shape shifter from the stars
She doesn't cast no shadow
The light makes things bizarre
She'll mold a new soul in you
And get your grandmother too
She'll bleed you from afar


It's an Early time and a late night
On a mothership deep in flight
Yeah!
It's an Early time and a late night
When the grays are seeing white!

Yeah, you know what I'm talkin' about 

Oh baby you caught me off guard I think it's gonna be a early time and a Late night

Hubba bubba max
Hubble space snacks
I'm playing galaga 
Waiting for climax
It didn't take long
A few setbacks

One and done in the black hole
With the Shape shifting of my gun
The time was short but the blast quaked
It was all over before it begun
The frown Came over her like a storm cloud dropping down torrential rain
The frown came over me some time later when the little fetus from Mars slopped onto the terrain

It's an Early time and a late night
On a mothership deep in flight
It's an Early time and a late night
When the grays are seeing white

{Get that thing away from me
Stay on your home planet}

Just One minute altered my universe
My reputation outside of the earth
Flys away in a hearse
Now I'm just the minute man of the cosmos
With an infant out there somewhere they call him... space Frankenstein that's what she knows

It's an Early time and a late night
On a mothership deep in flight
It's an Early time and a late night
When the grays are seeing white

Early Time, Late Night (Eclectic Collective)

Cast of characters:
Mysterious Decibel--@themysteriousdecibel --MD—lyrics and primary vocals

Steve's Planet-- @steve-vervaet --Steve--vocals

TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– sitar

K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara -–Ken–drums and percussion

Llanpsych–@llanpsych–Tez–guitar solo and fills, production, mix

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1 –- Electric Piano, four string fretless bass guitar

  This is a song that Josh wrote on the piano during JJ's hiatus back in August. He got Ken to play the drums, very competently, as always. After Josh had a solid beat, he added the bass. Then he asked Stephen to play some sitar, and add his magic to the brew. Then, we asked MD to come up with some vocals, which he did in his very original, unique style. Finally, after MD had added his vocals, Tez put on the finishing touches with his flaming guitar. Tez also mixed and produced this one for us, expertly. 

  Josh didn't know what to do with this one because Steve gave it a shot, but we couldn't get the idea to gel together. We thought it would be relegated to the shelf, until Miller agreed to give it a whirl. If you're not a lyric reader, I suggest you start with his songs, mainly on his page, but here, as well. However, we did keep Steve's intro vocals, which you hear at the very beginning. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we did making it. 

Lyrics:

Get High!

Just listen to the sound of it all
Here's your wake up call
Jolting the receptors as
They parade the dance hall

Here's a treat for you
A little green nug to get you through

Smoke it
Numb this
All hit
no miss
Smoke it
Numb this
All hit
No miss

So You can sit there on planet earth
While I'll be head first in Saturn's girth
Still Trying to get to the point of rebirth

So sing me a song
A song that sails away
To the shores of the green
Where there's nothing in between

I'll Flick the lighter
When everything is black
Things might get brighter
Or I'll just observe the plaque

Maybe I'll cut me some slack
And melt on the couch with the big Mac
Or maybe even the Mighty Taco pack
With my Feet to the sky, I'm laying back!

Smoke it
Numb this
All hit
No miss

Smoke it
Numb this
All hit
No miss

Smoke it
numb this!

All hit 
No miss!

All Hit No Miss (Eclectic Collective)

Cast of Characters:
J.J. Terrell–@j-j-terrell –piano, synth, and composition
mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark—synth effects, synth strings and flute, lyrics, and vocals
TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– electric and acoustic guitars, production, and mix
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara -–Ken–drums and percussion
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1 –-four-string Fender P bass
--------------------
This is a song that JJ created late one Saturday night on the piano, drums, bass, and guitar. He then presented it to the rest of the Eclectic Collective so we could do our thing with it. Josh replaced JJ's rough bass with his interpretation of the line as soon as Ken replaced the drums with his interpretation of the beat. Interestingly, Ravel's Bolero had a lot to do with the inspiration for the second part of the song. After the rhythm section was done, we turned it over to Stephen, who came up with some really subtle, yet much needed guitar lines. 

 We then turned it over to our relatively new collaborator, Mark, who came up with the lyrics and vocals. This is a lyrical and vocal songwriting debut for Mark, who was inspired by his very first listen to JJ's rough draft. Thus, this song is extra special for him.  

Mark's lyrics are about our Earthly relatives in the far distant future. At that point life on Earth will have just about reached its limits, and so mankind embarks on a journey through space to find another place to call home.

We all hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we did creating it.
--------------------
LYRICS:
Part 1:
All you know, all you love is here today
Feel the sun, see the flowers embrace her rays
And you know, all we are must fade away
And now its time to go… away…

Part 2:
Here we are, flying high, flying high above the moons of Mars
And beyond another sunrise greets a world once again,
a million miles from where we are
To embrace the flowers of Jupiter, once again…

On and on we sail away, searching for another day,
the universe an endless sea
And you know that somewhere out there,
a brand new world, for you and me….

--------------------
Credit: Sample at 1:14 is from original Star Trek tv show theme ("Where No Man Has Gone Before") written by Alexander Courage

All comments welcome, and don't be shy to be critical or suggest ideas to help me improve.   :)
----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 
here's some pictures I took: www.flickr.com/photos/mark_boucher/
my best photos on 500px (safe site): 500px.com/p/mrmark?view=photos

Flowers Of Jupiter (with The Eclectic Collective)

Cast of Characters:

TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen–acoustic and electric guitars, mix, and production

J.J. Terrell–@j-j-terrell –piano, synth, composition, vocals, and lyrics

K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken–drums and percussion

Llanpsych–@llanpsych –Tez–electric guitar

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1–five-string fretless bass and lap steel


  This song began its life as a composition that JJ wrote one evening on the piano and synth. He also wrote the lyrics and sings this one. He was very excited to share it with us, so he invited me, Ken, Stephen and Tez into the project immediately after finishing. However, we couldn't make the thing work at first, so JJ went back and retooled it, streamlined it, and gave it back to us. We all really liked the Floydiness of the groove, and his signature psychedelic coda ending. 
  After Ken had laid down his inspired, foundational  drums, I laid down my bass part with my big monster five-string bass, which is good for really low tones. Then it was Tez's turn. He came up with something very Gilmore-esque, with his always exciting leads throughout the first section. Stephen then added some brilliant, filling acoustic guitar to the first section. He, along with Tez, also added some trippy electric guitar to the coda. Finally, Josh just thought it needed something to push the coda over the edge, so he added the slide at the end, too.
  Then, of course, we asked Stephen to produce and mix it for us, which he did in his always expert way. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it. Also, we wish a very happy New Year to everyone! 
JJ's lyrics:

PUSHED AND PULLED AND SWUNG THE CLEAVER
MY TIME IT RAN AWAY.
FOOLISH HEART AND SOME DECEIVIN’
DIE TRYIN’ TO STAY AFRAID

DESERT CHILL IS WHERE IM SLEEPIN’
HARD NIGHT TURNED INTO DAYS
BETTER GO AND FEED THIS FEVER
TWICE BLINDED BY THIS FAITH

SHOULD’VE KNOWN WHILST IN THE SEASON
BEHIND BLIND BRAVEITY
TRUTH COMES HOME TO ROOST THE RAVEN
FIVE STEINS MADE OF JADE

TREASURED HILL THE SUNS RETREATIN’
CARD PLAYED YOUR HANDS AN ACE
LET IT GO THIS BIRD IS DREAMIN’
DICE LANDED AT THE TRAIN

COULD’VE SHOWN MY HEART’S REATREATIN’
BLIND SIDED BY THE SEA
PLEASURED TONE OF THE BALLADEER
FIND A HIGH AND LONELEY PLACE

SEED IS SOWN THIS HEART’S STILL BEATIN’
FIVE LIONS IN THE DEN
GETTIN’ COLD THE BEAST IS LEAVING
SOUTH BOUND IT ALL THE WAY

Red Sun (Eclectic Collective)

Cast of characters:
Tea R. Sea @tea_are_sea -- Terry – Synthesizers, beats, composition, production, and mix
The Mysterious Decibel -- @themysteriousdecibel – MD – First vocals and lyrics 
Llanpsych–@llanpsych –Tez–Electric guitar
TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– Electric guitar, mix, and production 
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken–drums, lyrics, and vocals at the end
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1–five-string fretless bass

This song began with Terry sharing an intriguing Eastern sounding synth and minimal beat with Ken, who added a really solid beat to bring out the strong rhythm of the song. Once they had a solid foundation and skeleton, they shared it with the rest of the Eclectic Collective. I added my five string fretless bass in a dubby line that was inspired by Tez's hot skank part. Then JJ poured his magic into it, too. Stephen came up with the shocking dynamic lift towards the end, and Tez piled on to light it up. 
  Then MD got a hold of it and wrote and sang some of his trademark, fun lyrics and vocals in the first part of the song. Ken, not to be left out of the melodic experience, added the vocals at the end. 
  After we all had everything in the can, the Texas Tea combo of Stephen and Terry produced and mixed the whole thing down. This wasn't their first rodeo mixing a project together, and it really shows in the end quality. They also have several duo projects up on both of their pages that are worth checking out.  
  We think the end result is reminiscent of Massive Attack and Thievery Corporation, two big influences on a few of us. We all hope you enjoy listening to this song as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Lyrics by MD:
Time again and on, and on, and on, we fall in slumber
Dreams never wait
Ashes to ashes we all fall down 
Ooooo Circles break
Ashes to ashes we all fall down
When we wake
When we wake
Is this a new Simulation?
When I wake
When I wake

Lyrics by Ken:
Feed the flame or the fire flames out

Coherent Fire (Eclectic Collective with Tea R. Sea)

Here it is! A highlight reel of Eclectic Collective's greatest moments in the year 2023. This medley includes short interviews with group members, interspersed with their music. Special thanks to Jeff (StonerJazz) for hosting the Q&A, and to J.J. for assembling the medley. 

The Eclectic Collective (EC) is a very loose band of musicians who collaborate over the internet and communicate via email only. I'm honoured to have worked with the EC on a few songs, and look forward to playing with them again soon! Hope you enjoy listening!

CAST OF CHARACTERS (including interview start times):
Hosted by: StonerJazz on.soundcloud.com/6qwFQ
(1:32)    J.J. Terrell - keys, synth, organ on.soundcloud.com/ivM1E
(4:30)   Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary) - bass, lap slide guitar @josh-clary-1
(7:03)    K2 and the Three - drums, percussion @k2andthe3
(9:02)    Llanpsych - guitar, effects on.soundcloud.com/xehCe
(11:06)  TexMex Shaman - guitar, effects @texmex-shaman
(18:20)  MisterMark - piano, synth strings, vocals, effects on.soundcloud.com/qMWgp

Not interviewed in this piece, but a big thank you from all of us goes to:
Artur of Surfers Like Us @user-411502040
Mysterious Decibel @themysteriousDecibel
Steve of Steve’s Planet @Steve-Vervaet
Chris Maness @user-419254289-15129531

No animals were harmed in the making of this medley. ;)

(logo design my MisterMark)

Eclectic Collective Rockumentary - 'Bits of Hits'

Cast of Characters:
mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark-- VST sax solo, harmonica solo, organ, tremolo guitar (synth), composition, arrangement, mix
Mysterious Decibel--@themysteriousdecibel --MD—lyrics & vocals
TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– second electric guitar solo, and mastering
J.J. Terrell–@j-j-terrell –piano and electric piano solo
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara -–Ken–drums and percussion
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1 –-four string fretless bass, first electric guitar solo, rhythm guitar comping 

This song originated with a slower more Jazz oriented track Mark had previously written ('1 For The Money, 3 For The Blues' https://on.soundcloud.com/BtSS4). However, he wanted a more 'suped up' version with solos turns, so he turned to The Eclectic Collective (EC) to fill in the pieces by replacing some of his solos with their own. Mark had some lyrics in mind too, however, once he heard The Mysterious Decibel's excellent lyrics and vocals, the song totally changed the direction and the vibe, for the stellar. 

   Once we had a basic structure, Ken, as always, came up with the rhythmic foundation for the song, allowing Josh to add his version of Mark's bass line. Then, after MD gave us the vocals, we got down to adding the solos. As more EC members jumped on board with new parts, Mark kept lengthening the song, moving the solos & vocals around until it's final current arrangement. JJ opens the song with his thrilling piano solo, as well as the electric piano solo where he joins Mark on VST Sax right after the first singing verses. Then Josh added a melodic and very clean toned guitar solo with a very clean tone - the first of the two guitar turns. After that, Stephen added his fiery guitar solo with a more overdriven tone. After one more vocal verse from MD, Mark stepped back in to close it out with his nasty harp solo at the end. After Mark handled the mixing on this song, we turned once again to Stephen to take care of the final sound production and mastering, which he fulfilled expertly.  

  We hope you enjoy this jazzier side of the EC as much as we enjoyed making it. MD's lyrics are about a psycho killer artist who hides clues about his murders in his paintings. 
-Original Lyrics by The Mysterious Decibel:

Some might say he's crafty and planned
With a shade of black and a brush in his hand
Some might say the world is his oyster
But no pearl lays inside just a conjuring blur

He'll paint you a murderous scene
With the blending of  sin all between pigments of green
He's a shady fella who hides behind the canvas!
I spy something with my little eye
This art might show just where he died

Will you find it?
The secret
Some freak shit
are you so sure you'll really wanna Keep it ?
The secret
Are you so sure you'll really wanna keep it?
Ahhh a little secret
Are you so sure you'll really wanna keep it?
It'll haunt your mind like it does him too
He's a swifty one he'll come for you!
The secret
The secret
The secret
Are you so sure you'll really wanna keep it?

I spy something with my little eye
This art might show just where he died

His art might show
might show
might show
just where he died 

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
Side Note:
This past Tuesday, we released a fun little series of interviews over a 20 minute medley of some of our favorite musical moments. If you want to hear our voices and some of our thoughts about music, check it out! You might really enjoy it, especially if you follow us, and have been for a while. It's a celebration of all of our work over the past almost year together in various forms. This song was supposed to be a showcase of all of our skills to accompany that medley, except Tez isn't in on this one. He'll be on the next one, though, for sure! 
Thanks for listening!

----------------------------------------------------------
All comments welcome, and don't be shy to be critical or suggest ideas to help me improve. :)

Mark's Album (post-2020)

'A Brush With Death' Blues (with The Eclectic Collective)

Like most of the guys playing parts on this song, this one's a pretty special one for me, because of my dad's love for country music and being an amazing guitarist who was a big influence on me to play music. Thanks to Josh for reaching out to invite us along for this one, and to all the guys for putting their hearts into the performances here!

Dedicated to Dad.

Cast of Characters:
mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Lead and harmony vocals, synth guitar intro, auxiliary percussion, mix, arrangement, and production
TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– guitar, banjo, and mastering
Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – mix and production
J.J. Terrell–@j-j-terrell –piano 
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara -–Ken–drums and vocal harmonies
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1 –-four string fretless bass, mandolin, and lap steel

This song began when Josh asked the rest of the guys if they'd be willing to put together a couple of songs for his father as a Christmas present. His dad is from West Virginia, and Josh was born there, too. The original version featured his son, Marshall, singing the lead with him, and hearing his grandson sing a song about West Virginia really meant a lot to elder Clary. Of course, everyone was enthusiastically generous in giving their time, effort, and skill to Josh's family for the holiday. This song also has special meaning for JJ and Ken in relation to their fathers, as well. JJ's dad has had a rough year with his health. He also is a musician who inspired and encouraged JJ to play music. His dad also likes this song, so it was fun for him to present it to him, as well. Ken, who's father never really supported his decision to be a rock-and-roller, loves this version of the song we did, and made Ken know how proud of him he is in regard to it, which really meant a lot to Ken, too. Another cool connection Ken has to this song is that whilst attending elementary school, he was in the same school choral cohort with the Maria Carey. He actually sang this song with her when they were kids. Also, we feel like we should acknowledge Artur's dog, even though Artur isn't in on this one, his dog loves country music and responded enthusiastically to this one.
 
 The story of the song itself is a little convoluted. After Josh asked for everyone's help, Ken laid down a rudimentary beat, to which Josh started the tonal part with the bass. Stephen added the guitar and banjo soon after, and Josh added the mandolin shortly after that. JJ inserted his piano around this time, too. We pretty much had it working enough for Josh and his son to sing it for his dad. Tez mixed that version perfectly suited to the occasion. 
  After presenting Josh's dad with the present, it sat for about a month, until we asked Mark if he'd get in on it, too. Mark not only sang it better the John Denver, but also arranged it so there is an instrumental break now. He also added the guitar lick around the beginning. Ken took the opportunity of having Mark's great vocals to sing against to add his cunning harmonies. Mark threw down a harmony line as well during the verse, and one of the 2 high chorus harmonies. Then Mark, being the perfectionist that he is, noticed that the slide part was missing from the second verse. So, Josh added it. Mark also mixed this version, with Stephen doing some mastering at the end. 
  We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed putting this personally meaningful piece together.

All comments welcome, and don't be shy to be critical or suggest ideas to help me improve. :)

(song written by Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert, and John Denver)

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
here's some pictures I took: www.flickr.com/photos/mark_boucher/

my best photos on 500px (safe site): 500px.com/p/mrmark?view=photos

Take Me Home, Country Roads (cover - with Eclectic Collective)

Cast of characters:
Surfers Like Us– @user-411502040 –Artur–composition and foundational rhythm guitar
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen–guitar solos choruses, mix, and production
J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell –electric piano, synth, and intro composition
K2 and the Three [and the Four]-- @k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken–drums
Llanpsych– @llanpsych –Tez–Guitar solo in the verses
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –four string fretless bass guitar
 
This song began with Artur composing the entire skeleton, and recording it against a mechanical beat. He presented it to me, and I immediately shared it with The Eclectic Collective. Ken first replaced the metronomic beat with a real, rocking drum sound. I promptly added my four string fretless bass to it, to complete the rhythm section. Soon after, JJ added his electric piano magic, including a short solo, to the stew. Once the rhythmic framework was laid down, Stephen got to work on the choruses, coming up with solid, melodic lines for them. Then, it was Tez's turn to light up the verses with his monster guitar. When we had it mostly completed, Artur asked JJ if he'd do an intro to it. JJ came up with the whole psychedelic intro in response. 
  When it was finished, we asked Stephen if he would mix it for us, which he did with his typical mastery and attention to detail. We all really enjoy making music with Artur, and have been fans of and collaborators with him for almost a year now. If you like the sound of this song, you would do well to go check out his page, too, as he has a bunch of gems on there. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Tell Me the Truth (The Eclectic Collective with Surfers Like Us)

Cast of Characters:
Llanpsych– @llanpsych –Tez–bass, composition, mix, and production
J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell –electric piano, synth
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –synth
Beats by YonkomoFlaction123 via Looperman
This is really a creation of Tez, who put it together from a mix of JJ's and my parts on the high end. He was kind enough to share it with JJ and me, and have us be a part of this psychedelic whirlwind. Tez gave JJ and me a bass line attached to a house beat. We both came up with parts that were wildly different than what you hear. But that's just one example of Tez's magic. He can bend sounds and parts to his will and create something totally different from the original, new and exciting. We all hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed making it.