Bob Ferguson Blog 12th October 2011

Two albums recording project as of now.

Well here I am finally well on the way to recording my first two solo albums of my own music.

Well actually if I speak the total truth, really I am working on three solo albums. I will explain!

A few months ago, I decided to record a solo album of al the songs I had recorded with Beggars Row and some other songs. I planned to totally re-arrange them so they would be different to the original. On this project, I am setting no time. I am experimenting totally with the arrangements and its sounding good. However, it will not be ready until probably spring 2012.

In the meantime, I have the two solo albums of my own songs I am working hard on every day just now. If you could feel my throat, you would believe me. It’s only tired end of each day.

The two albums just now started with a list of about 80 of my own songs and I need to get that down to about 30 songs and then 24. That will be two Cds of 12 songs on each.

Now I have 19 songs short-listed (and one poem) and by Friday, I should have the short list of 30 songs.

To find these final 24 songs, I am singing every song and working on arrangements as I go. Testing different ways of singing them, experimenting with the melodies, changing them where needed. The main aim is to get them sounding good enough to perform solo before I add other instruments and vocals to them.

In doing this I have had tremendous fun. One of the big advantages of doing something solo is that I can put my stamp on everything, I can do crazy bits, funny bits, anything I like and don’t have to get agreements from any band members who are not as crazy as my imagination ha ha.

Not for the first time this week have I burst into fits of laughter when finding new experiment with a song that works. Indeed some of the songs in the list of 19 now, I never thought would be anywhere near good enough. Why did I put them in? Wild cards! I like to throw some of those in, one it lets you measure how good your final songs are, and two, sometimes it makes you stretch your imagination to get them to work, gives you something very different from what you had planned.

To find the final songs, I set up one Microphone on a mic stand in middle of studio. I position it at a point somewhere between my mouth and guitar. Wearing headphones and with a touch of reverb in the sound. I experiment with the songs, listening to the sound in my headphones only. This saves my voice some and helps me learn how I can use the mic distances to shape the vocals of the song.

The songs in the list of 19 so far:-

EVICTED -fast powerful song about the eviction of farmers in the 17th century in Scotland to make way for sheep. I am also considering this one for Beggars Row.

SHIELD OF LIGHT -gentle song about the need for the protection of a loved one who is seriously ill. In this song, it was about my wife and me during her cancer.

SAME OLD GLASGOW CITY -A song about Glasgow where I was born and about leaving it 

I HEARD THE WIND BLOWING -seems this first list of songs is about sad things-there’s happy ones coming. This song is about someone whose partner has passed away. During these times, all sorts of feelings come into a grieving mind. In this instance, the surviving partner has children that they have to carry on life for. Standing outside somewhere private, they talk to heir lost partner and imagine they hear an answer in the wind.

OOLLEE ALLEE AY -Ina sad little town an old roving man appears in the main square and plays music that makes everyone happy again.

IN THE SHADOWS OF THE NIGHT -Accapella probably! A man is approached by a beautiful lady of the night. He finds her the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. There is an instant attraction between them. He refuses her because of how and what she is. At the end, her tears weaken his resolve and he gives in to her.

O WHERE ARE YOU MY LOVE -happy gentle song. I plan this one to be sung by the girls in my other band CELTIC HEARTS. A young woman waits eagerly at her door and windows for the return of her husband. He has been away from home for a long time and she longs for him and smiles, as she see’s him returning.

I AM EASY -This song is about the moment that someone knows they are over something that caused them great grief. For me it was the death of my mother. For you it could be anything tragic. I am easy =I am okay. Funny it’s the one thing we never really say after something like that.

DON’T YOU REMEMBER -Funny little song about a musician who has spends a couple of days with another musician. Years later, he hears her singing one of his songs on the radio and it’s a big hit. Had she stole it from him? He gets in touch with her but she pretends she doesn’t remember him.

THE BOYS FROM BONNIE SCOTLAND - Happy up-tempo song about Scottish musicians love of life and parties. Ha ha

DANCE ACROSS THE ROOFTOPS -recorded this song on JOHNS TREE album by BEGGARS ROW. This new arrangement. The song is about a champion Scottish fiddler coming to a town to court the most beautiful and famous Highland dancing girl in Scotland.

HEAVE IN HAUL AWAY -A song of fishermen leaving home never to return again.

SCOTTISH AMERICANS -Up-tempo song about Americans of Scottish descent and their right to claim their Scottish heritage.

LET’S KEEP THE WALLS DOWN -Up-tempo and very happy song about peace and friendship.

GLASGOW BOYS - similar theme to The boys from Bonnie Scotland. Very up-tempo and happy.

CAULD THE WINTERS NIGHT -A sad song about a Young Scots mother whose husband is killed fighting for Scotland. Her struggle to survive and provide for her baby.

MADAME BOUCHET- one of my wild cards, song about a true story of one of our friend’s daughter. She had to take drastic action to defend herself with a bucket! Song is funny one.

P H U C K O P H song.-This song is about a young Glasgow man who gets wrongfully arrested for supposedly shouting that famous phrase and police which means - Go away- he is released by the judge on condition he never gets caught saying these two words ever again-however he has a plan that goes terribly and funnily wrong ha ha.

WHERE THE DEAD MAN LIVES -Children have a strange way of seeing things as in this funny song a traveller finds out when he asks one for directions.

This is it so far-tomorrow I will have some songs added to that list.

I will also be uploading blogs about CELTIC HEARTS, and CELTIC CRAZY CLAN soon. Much is in the planning with them. I am also hoping to have a parody man CD released by January 2012.

In the meantime, also look out for at least 40 more Scottish traditional songs uploaded to my Reverbnation and LastFM websites for free download.

See you all soon

Cheers

Bob Ferguson