Friday, November 21, 2014

Passing Time: Music, BOTB Update, and Harold Ramis

(Image from Wikimedia Commons)

Music 


It seems lately, I get very little free time, so I'm never at a loss for finding ways to pass the little time I'm given. One of my favorite ways to pass the time is playing my guitar and making music.  I used to pass a lot of time at the excellent jam track site, Wikiloops, but I hadn't visited since July -- there have just been many other things that have commanded my attention.

www.wikiloops.com/backingtrack-jam-27740.phpLast night I had some free time to pass, so I decided to remedy that long absence and do some jamming.  Looking through the wide selection of jam tracks, I found an older track of drums, bass, and keys and decided to add some guitars.  I call the result, "Passing Time".  Click on the images to the left or below, or on the link in the following paragraph to check it out (and I'd LOVE to be able to embed it somehow within my blog post like a YouTube video, but no such luck).


www.wikiloops.com/backingtrack-jam-27740.php
"Passing Time"  was a fun piece to do, and I hope you enjoy it.

Lately, I've passed most of my time musically either learning new songs and practicing for the worship team I serve with at church, or making a recording of my own with a lot of detailed tracks.  This wikiloops track was a return to the old, fun, off-the-cuff jam mentality.  I downloaded the mix by "MrAdam OnDrums" and "Bass-By-Face," played through with it twice to learn the melody line, and then added a rhythm guitar and a lead, both recorded on the first pass.  It was refreshing to be in the moment and let the results stand, and not worry about redoing tracks to tweak them.

Sometimes, time seems to pass best when you're focused on being in the moment, and not looking back or looking ahead.

BOTB Results


Almost a week of time has passed since my last Battle of the Bands (BOTB) post. I featured "Who's That Lady" by the Isley Brothers -- both their 1973 version and their little-known original version from 1964.  I also threw in a version by Santana.

Although Santana did get a vote, I hadn't expected that version to win and actually worried that it might not get ANY votes.  Still, it was such an interesting version of the song I wanted to include it.

But I do think that both the Isley Brothers versions are very good. I'd always loved the 1973 version and really enjoyed the 1964 original once I discovered it. I thought the battle would be tight, and that the original version might even win.

Turns out I was initially right, but then -- as time passed -- I was wrong.  The battle started out neck-and-neck, but then the 1973 version ran away with it.  Myself, I'd really like to vote for the 1964 version -- the sound is smooth, cool, and soulful and I love the organ and guitar, along with the horn break. Against many other songs, I'd definitely vote for the 1964 version of "Who's That Lady?" But in this battle, it would mean voting against the 1973 version, and there's just no way I can do that!  So chalk up another vote for the classic 1973 version with the awesome guitar by Ernie Isely:

Final Tally: Isley Brothers (1973), 8; Isley Brothers (1964), 3; Santana, 1

Oh, and also, in passing, here's an interesting aside:

In that last BOTB post, I started with a reference to Beverly D'Angelo since her birthday was November 15th.  I also managed to find some connections between her and The Isley Brothers, using the National Lampoon movies, "Vacation" and "Animal House." And Harold Ramis was the common link.

Well, guess what?  Today is Harold Ramis' birthday.  Yep -- he was born November 21, 1944. 

But the sad thing is that while we may still be able to pass our time with all the great movies and other work he left us with (like the classic SCTV), Harold's time of passing has regretfully already passed -- he died earlier this year (February 24th).

So let me help pass some more of your time by remembering the passing of his passing. There are several "Harold Ramis Remembered" videos out there that I found to do that with, but here's one that I liked:


Spend some of your passing time, passing the time by watching some of Harold's work.

And afterwards, if you've passed some much time passing time that you wonder if your time of passing has passed, here's another Harold Ramis "Moe Green" SCTV clip to help you out:




Thanks for visiting and passing some of you time with me! I really appreciate it!

12 comments:

  1. I'll always remember him best from Stripes.
    I think I was that lone Santana voter.
    Nice riff! You know how to channel the Sachman.

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    1. Yeah, Stripes was a very funny movie. And you were the lone Santana voter -- but being an independent thinker can be a good thing. And thanks!

      Delete
  2. GcC ~
    Hey, I liked 'PASSING TIME'. You've got a great tone that really appeals to me and I dug that sort of staccato picking you started doing right at the 1:01 mark. I don't know what that's called - there's probably some technical music term for that sort of thing. Don't tell me it's called "staccato picking" - it otter be a term Greek-er than that.

    Sorry I voted outside my box last time, but I don't never wanna become too predictable.

    Harold Ramis - I loved the SCTV stuffs, and I probably could have wound up rich and working for him if...

    Circa 1982, a really good friend of mine shows up at one of our house parties with his new girlfriend. I didn't even know he had a girlfriend until I see them together in the garage, near the keg. So I walk over there and start talking to him and within about a minute she says something derogatory to me.

    I should have figured out right then that she was attracted, and she'd just dipped my pigtails into the ink well.

    Anyway, over the next couple years, she and I became friends but not "that" way. She was going to film school and asked me to write the screenplay for her 20-minute final project. I write this little story about 'A Day In The Life Of Jim Morrison'. This was years before the Val Kilmer movie. Then she talks me into playing the Morrison part one night while we're driving up and down Sunset Boulevard with a keg in the backseat of her VW Bug and the dispensing tube running up to us in the front seats. (The mother of all "Open Container" charges!)

    I didn't really want to act in the movie but... she caught me in a weak moment... drunk... on Sunset Boulevard... with a keg in the back and the nozzle in the front.

    So, we shoot the movie. She graduates. Turns out she had been Harold Ramis' babysitter. He hires her after film school and she goes on to work as a credited editor for him in all his projects. ('Groundhog Day' must have been fun to edit.)

    Looking back on it... I should have gone to Tijuana with her that night she wanted to go on the spur of the moment. And I should have done anything else she wanted me to do.

    Oh well, live and learn... and cry because I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it.

    ~ D-FensDogg
    'Loyal American Underground'

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    1. Thanks you! Glad you enjoyed it.

      SCTV was a classic show that I really enjoyed back in the day.

      And interesting story! Who knows? It could have worked out. But don't beat yourself up about it. It just wasn't your night, kid. But it's not just you. It's the whole stinkin' system that forced you to take that dive. You want to know what's wrong with our waterfront? It's the love of a lousy buck. It's making love of a buck, the cushy job, more important than the love of man! Some people think the Crucifixion only took place on Calvary. They better wise up!

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  3. I'm continually impressed by your music.

    'You might already be dead.' Ha, ha, ha!

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  4. Listening to 'Passing Time' and thinking muy buen sabooor which means 'very good flavor' in my special brand of bastardized Spanish.

    Also, diggin' the comments people are leaving on there. You need to always make time to jam, Chris. Good stuff. Tell MrAdamonDrums I'm enjoying the subtly industrial quality of the percussion on this one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Also:

      'It was refreshing to be in the moment and let the results stand, and not worry about redoing tracks to tweak them.'

      That's what I'm talkin' 'bout.

      Delete
    2. AH! I had to come back. I logged off and went to tidy up my daughter's room after she left to go play with a friend and I was whistling your riffs on 'Passing Time!'

      Had to share ...

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    3. Well, muchas gracias, bella dama!

      I'm very pleased you enjoyed it!!!

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  5. "Passing Time" is awesome. It's stuck in my head now, and that is hard to do because I'm surrounded by guitarists at my house.

    Harold Ramis was one of a kind and he leaves a huge void. That was one writer/director that I loved. Dern.

    Hey, happy Thanksgiving, brother!

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Don't be shy -- feel free to comment. I really appreciate your thoughts.