Hey guys, Frankie and I found this fun competition online and thought we'd give it a go.
From the Studio 360 site: W.C. Handy was called ?the father of the blues? ? he gave himself the title and put it on his letterhead. It wasn?t an idle boast. The son of former slaves raised in a log cabin, Handy became a major force in music publishing. He was the first to publish a body of songs identified as blues, based on lyrics and melodies he heard in black Southern communities. If he didn?t father the blues, he took it under his wing, introduced it to the rest of America, and made it a star.
Two of his biggest hits, ?St. Louis Blues? and ?Yellow Dog Blues,? were published in 1914, making the year a turning point in the history of the blues. In honor of the songs? centennial, your assignment is to create your own version of ?Yellow Dog Blues.?
The deadline to be considered for our challenge is Monday, June 16 at 11:59pm ET.
thanks, Pan! I have to say, this is really the best thing we could have done at this point in time with a song that seemed to not really click, initially... just getting to do something like this, separated by an OCEAN, is already a win!
I "heart" you all back - thank you! I know it's a hassle to sign up for a new site and it's something neither of us adequately anticipated either... a bio (ugh), a picture (ugh), a track description (enough already!!). It's nice to know you all would take the time to go through all the trouble. Weenies are best!
It's hard to tell from the entries what might actually get the interest of the judge, but at the very least, I'm happy to have had a part in contributing something I'm proud of and think represents what we can do... THANK YOU!
Yes, great performances from both of you; I'll be very surprised if your version isn't among those they choose to feature on air, and if they pick a single "winner," I think you've got an excellent chance. (So far, it looks like you're in the lead in the competition for "likes," for what that's worth.)
O'muck - I've had that guitar for years and I don't think I've captured it any better. Some heavier strings really brought it to life after a crack repair, that's for sure, and it sounded nice just playing it... but after I recorded it and heard it back, I was amazed.
Todd - I think there's just ONE judge, so who knows what that person will like... maybe a lot of "likes" will count against us? who knows! I've never really entered a contest just to win, but am happiest playing to my best - and I think we both did!
Speak for yourself! It's a shame they extended the deadline after we posted - I'd have like to have more time trying to sing that - it's not easy competing with such a good accompaniment!
Great stuff, once again. Guitar's sounding great, there's nothing like 12-string slide. And Laura, your vocal nails it, evoking the period without being a slavish imitation of anyone, except maybe yourself.
You guys ought to put together one of those Bandcamp albums like Frankie has done.
I was really happy with what we submitted, even if it seemed to not make a dent in the consciousness of the judge (or the editors, for that matter). Thanks everyone for the support!
I was really happy with what we submitted, even if it seemed to not make a dent in the consciousness of the judge (or the editors, for that matter). Thanks everyone for the support!
[feisty]that's a consciousness that would be hard to dent. I love the comment on the article link!! [/feisty]