That Will Be That
I don't know whether this applies to other songwriters but I find that I am usually rather obsessed with our latest song. Thus, The Bottom Drawer Sessions No. 1 is filled with a lot of quite recent stuff. And remember, "he writes 'em, I sets 'em" is how we work. The words come first from Big Dave and then I start humming and strumming and, with any luck, magic is born. So, this is a recent one, and I remember that a pal of mine rang up while I was in the process of giving birth, so to speak, and I had to quickly get him off the phone so as not to lose the melody. This one gave me chills as it arrived, which is rare, and may just be a sign that we are on to a winner. But that is a judgement for you...
Is There Anymore Left of the Wine
As close followers of the work of David M Pierce will know, he is very fond of a nostalgic, black and white, late 1940's world and who can blame him for that? I am entirely in agreement and always have to stop and check out any movie made in that golden age when flicking through the TV channels. This, then, is an old one, written, I think sometime in the 1980's, and a real favourite. When Jo and I were recording it, we were discussing the drum part and agreed that we were definitely in an old movie where the band wanted to go home and the waiters were already clearing up. So it had to be real, old style, drumming with real, old style, brushes. One day, maybe someone will make the movie...
Everybody But Me
Written this year, 2014, in a real flurry of excitement as lyrics stared to pour in from David in Paris. Being able to communicate on Skype has been miraculous, particularly as the muse only seems to visit briefly, and without warning, and it isn't always practical to drop everything and rush to France, fun though that might be.
It's All Too Much For Me
Paul Tarry, who does such an excellent drumming job on this one, was fascinated by having three changes of tempo to deal with, something that is not often called for these days. Another new one, in which some might detect a certain world weariness on the part of one DM Pierce. A heartfelt lyric, one suspects.
Made For Each Other
You probably know the story behind John Lennon and Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite. He apparently took most of the lyric straight from an old Victorian circus poster and ever afterwords was rather dismissive of the song. Perhaps he thought it came too easily. David feels somewhat the same about this song, conceived in much the same way, this time from a Barbie calendar, that he had tastefully displayed in his rambling and dilapidated house in Paris. Well, they're both wrong, in my humble opinion. It's an absolute cracker of a lyric, funny and moving at the same time. I see that we cut an extra verse, quite correctly, which took the joke too far..." even then she was a living doll". I guess this has to be one from the mid 90's, and certainly from the 14th in Paris, now all gentrified, but then marvellously scruffy, and filled with characters who might have been painted by Toulouse Lautrec.
It's Just A Matter Of Time
Not written yesterday, but not exactly from the vaults, either. Certainly within the past ten years. A love song, basically. But, as so often with David's lyrics, it's left open as to whether it's really happening now or whether these lovers may one day be able to have this moment at some future time. "Time steals, like a thief in the night. Time heals, everything will be all right". It's just a matter of time. So clever.
For A While There
Sometimes art imitates life and never more so than when quite out of the blue, I get a lyric that absolutely seems to mirror what is going on in my world, this without Big Dave knowing about the details of my life at the time. It happened again recently. Spooky stuff. In this case, yes, there was a gloriously romantic and short lived episode and this song says it all. Also, note the lovely double bass playing by Zoltan Dekany, something of a jazz legend in his own right.
Someday
When on the road in the USA, you can be sure that I will be exploring the country stations. In another life I must have been, as they say, a Hat Act. The danger is that it's quite tempting to try and copy the vocal tricks those country boys use, and then of course you can all too easily sound like some British fool trying too hard. We spent quite a lot of time trying to ensure that didn't happen. Hope it worked...
What's In A Name?
This one's been around for a while, perhaps 15 years or so. Classic seduction technique... just for tonight, let's call it love, baby... Check out the dazzling guitar of my very good friend and guitar whizz, Jo Meacham, without whom there would be no album. Huge thanks and respect.
Another Rainy Day
Another one from this year. I listen to a lot of jazz and swing and it had to come out somewhere. Yes, and Billie Holiday, for sure. Name me another song with the words "don appropriate apparel". The man is a genius.
I Wonder Why
David loves to write about escaping to far away places, almost as in a dream. Those of you who know our early song "Zanzibar Sunset" will recognise this. Actually, I suspect it's something we all share, this longing for a perfect somewhere: Shangri La, Xanadu, Eden. In this case it's where "mermaids meet in the tropic heat to sing their sweet and dangerous song". A song from this year, but the ache is as old as time itself...
Business As Usual
The words say it all. Again, DMP manages to be witty and tell a sad tale at the same time. Another new one, so it had to be included before the shine wore off. There are many more in the same vein still in the drawer.
Get Back, Teardrops
Usually, some words arrive and then there is a fair bit of fiddling around, trying to find the chorus and so on. In this case, Teardrops was on the page, the tune came immediately and not a word or a note was changed. It was astounding and has never happened since. I know where we both were at the time, in LA in about 1986. It's basically a blues, of course. If only all songs came as easily...
Dragon Wanted
This is quite an early one, I think from David's bottom drawer, probably from before we met. Either way, I jumped at the chance to set it and it has occasionally popped up in the live show, to the amusement of all. Some cracking work on the bass from Jo, of course, and a message for all of us chaps about how to really impress a woman. So... does anybody happen to know...?