Funny how things work.
February 3
I share a birthday with my Hunni. While this makes it unlikely I’ll ever get a surprise party, it does make for a fun time of year when we co-party, and occasionally, have a co-party. This was such a year. On the way home from BJs, I hear Funk Flex blasting off on a SICK remix of Sounds of Silence. Dope. Stopped me in my tracks! “Now this,” I said to myself, “is some issh I would /could/should have done.” Man it was good. Hard hitting drums, little bassline here and there, dropouts, buildups.. Well done! (I still don’t know who did it, and I looked, and I never look, but repect due.) So now, in the back of my mind, I now have a new wheel turning. Gotta find me a similarly styled old school, non-R&B-per-se joint, and get my Manny Faces on! I thought briefly about what song would be good to work, but nothing came to mind. So, like a billion other things, I filed it away for future reference.
February 11
Me, Hunni and the Faces youngens go to Wendy’s for dinner, and are devouring dollar menu items, filled with tasty glee. Fast-food muzak is playing, though muted, over the restaurant speakers, as always. There, softly wafting to my ears, is a classic rock song that we all pretty much have heard. I stop chewing, right side of my brain wrenching control from the left (or whatever area controls eating). I turned to Hunni, who probably didn’t care much, and said, “I should work that!”… She nodded “Ok.. Whatever.” So I turned to the kids, who probably cared even less, and said “I’m going to work that!”… They nodded, “Ok… Whatever. Can we get ice cream?” I didn’t mind. I had made my Babe Ruthian prediction, pointing to the music bleachers, proclaiming my intent. I was going to hit an audible home run. You’ll see.
February 11 – Later 
Crap! I have schoolwork to do. (This online go-back-to-college-thing is hard!) But the juices were flowing. The heat, was not. It was cold. Very fitting for the song. (I also grasp the logo-irony that I was inspired in Wendy’s). I feverishly worked the ‘first round’. (There are usually 3-4 before I get close to being done). A couple of off-the-top choices of drums, sounds, etc., worked out great! That is a nice omen when that happens, as opposed to trying out 32488 different things before something clicks. You start to lose the vibe. Bartender remix was like that. The first beat in the vault I tried, ended up being the winner. Love when that happens. This process was more complex, had to chop up the song a lot, since it was originally live, the tempo varies, and I had to sync it all nice so it would work alongside more rigid drum programming. There’s more, but that is either a) boring, or b) production secrets. But by 2:30am or so, I had a rough draft. And oh what a great idea for a verse to throw it!! This just might be kinda sorta hot.
February 12
I started listening over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over. As I always do. Listening for imperfections, different arrangement options, levels, etc. Oh how I liked how the verse comes in. I was sweating myself kinda hard. This is gonna be a good one.
February 12 – Later
Back at the lab, I snuck in a little touching up between homework and reading. I really worked this one fast. Careful not to sacrifice quality, but I had to get back to schoolwork or I’ll be in deep educational debt doo-doo. I saved a mixdown and dished it to a couple of confidants. They would tell me how it sounds, and be honest about it.
February 13
Feedback started coming in. Couple things. I took note, plus had a couple of my own tweaks in mind. During the work day, I go to the back, and my co-worker has classic rock playing through Sirius. Guess what song is on? This is definitely an omen (because of course, my remixes are part of an ongoing divine intervention…. Don’t worry. That was sarcastic. But I did think it was a very very cool coincidence). I can’t wait to get home to finish it!!!
February 13 – Later
Back at the lab again. Man if it weren’t for a “real job” I’d get things done much quicker. Anyway, made the final tweaks, listened another 235 times, and threw together an email blast. No time to lose. It was Thursday, I don’t like sending out stuff on the weekend and the urge to get it out and hear what people think was strong. Around 10pm, e-blast-off! Back to reading U.S. History and Physics, and waiting for the feedback to start trickling in.
February 14
Feedback is 99.9% great!!! I love it when a non-plan comes together!
And now, if you haven’t already come across it:
The Mamas and the Papas (featuring Tupac) – California Dreaming (Manny Faces Remix)
Click here for non-Tupac version.
Hope you enjoy! Let me know.