The past two months I've been working on a total revision of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Playing Guitar. The original publisher (Alpha) has joined forces with DK Publishing and is re-launching the Complete Idiot's Guide Series under a new format which will make the books a lot more like DK's line of books. Lots of photos. And, in this case, lots of music.
Spent the past two days in the studio with our esteemed Nick Torres, working out arrangements for the more than thirty "study songs" that I've written for the book. Towards the end of the session we were doing "Buffalo Gals," which is done in as an example of open D tuning. The arrangement takes a lot of inspiration from Dylan's "Simple Twist of Fate" and is a lot more laid back than you'd think. So I told Nick to try to sing it seductively. This is what I got:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=838768&songID=12234425&showPlayer=true
Anyway, you'll hopefully get a lot of fun out of the latest book. Should be out late summer, possibly earlier. I'll post more news as soon as I hear about a specific release date.
And, as always, my heartfelt thanks to all the readers of Guitar Noise. I wouldn't be doing any of this writing without the support and encouragement that you've given over the past fourteen years.
Peace
Hmmm. Sort of the Barry White version of "Buffalo Gals."
Congrats on your continued book writing. I certainly got a lot out of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Art of Songwriting." I confess that I haven't looked at any others.
Renee
I had a wonderful time. Thank you so much David.
So...by the time you are through 28 of the 32 songs, late on day 2, you start to get a little punchy. So when David said "seductively" this was all that came to mind. The verse in the real version has something about "hole in your stocking" and I kind of riffed on that. I'm not sure I'm aware I was doing it, or that it was being recorded, but when we had a quick listen the engineer, David and I were laughing like only exhausted, crazed musicians can.
The book will be wonderful. I got a sneak peek. The guitar playing David does for the examples is exquisite and I did my best to make all the vocals listenable and different.
Wait until you hear David's new song he wrote for the book. It is amazing!!!
Since I have been recently working on Dylan's "'Lay Lady Lay" upon my big brass bed" (a good exercise in alternating E major and minor type barre chord transitions), I couldn't help compare the attempt at seduction.
I must say, Nick's comes in as rather comical. But I'm not surprised as this is one of Nick's finer characteristics.
Dylan? I'm sure he scored with his attempt.
It's the rock that gives the stream its music . . . and the stream that gives the rock its roll.
Buffalo Gals - Sexxxy version is now #15 :shock: on the Acoustic General charts at Soundclick!
Have a listen if you haven't, have another if you have. Could it be a top 10 song? maybe...
Sounds like a fun arrangement to me! :-)
Ummm, pardon my ignorance, but who did the original? Does not ring any bells here....KR2 mentioned "Lay Lady Lay," and I'm getting the same sort of laid-back Dylan vibe - dunno whether it's the open tuning, the vocal, or a combination of both, but definitely Dylanesque to my ears.
Loved it!
:D :D :D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Hmmm. Sort of the Barry White version of "Buffalo Gals."
.
thats the same thing that I thought. Very cool, and fun.
Paul B
Hi Vic,
It's an old standard so I don't know who did it originally, but most on this side of the pond will know it as the song Jimmy Stewart sings with Donna Reed in "It's a Wonderful Life"
It has been covered by artists like:
-Alvin and the Chipmunks for their 1962 album The Chipmunk Songbook.
-Homer Simpson sings "Buffalo Gals" in Moe's Tavern
-Springsteen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Pi4xwctX_o
The real lyrics go like this:
BUFFALO GALS
As I was walking down the street
Down the street, down the street
A pretty girl I chanced to meet
And we danced by the light of the moon
Buffalo gals won't you come out tonight
Come out tonight come out tonight
Buffalo gals won't you come out tonight
And we'll dance by the light of the moon
I danced with a gal with a hole in her stocking
And he knees was a-knockin' and her shoes was a'rockin'
I danced with a gal with a hole in her stocking
And we danced by the light of the moon
Buffalo gals won't you come out tonight
Come out tonight come out tonight
Buffalo gals won't you come out tonight
And we'll dance by the light of the moon
I danced with a gal with a hole in her stocking
And her knees was a-knockin' and her shoes was a-rockin'
I danced with a gal with a hole in her stocking
And we danced by the light of the moon
Buffalo gals won't you come out tonight
Come out tonight come out tonight
Buffalo gals won't you come out tonight
And we'll dance by the light of the moon
A new book or a new edition is usually a synonymous of "lots of work" but it is always a fascinating adventure. Congratulations!
