Welcome again to my verbal nonsense, my inconsequential ramblings, my undisciplined musings … in effect, my songwriter’s podcast! Episode 22, my friends; my word, we’re getting up there. I had a great deal of fun doing this show, ransacking my song archives and generally playing the fool, which I admit, comes rather easily to me.
The show starts with me meeting up with Ray Parker, Jr. in the 8O’s at his studio, when I played keyboards on his ‘Ghostbusters’ smash and, while doing that, played him a song of my own which he loved and wanted his band ‘Raydio’ to record; I’ll play you that ultra rare 8 track demo.
I’ll spin another hidden secret from the vault which allowed me to perform on my unique ‘Project P’ nylon guitar that I had specially shipped over from Japan; it’s a Latin flavored, exceptionally romantic ballad influenced by the life and travails of female painter Frida Kahlo.
You’ll hear me investigating the groove of early ‘hip hop’ in the 90s on an unheard demo that somehow - rather alarmingly - brought back the visuals of a baggy trousered ‘MC Hammer’ leaping frantically about - I became disoriented and dizzy for a while there.
Bootsie, the infamous mascot cat, will again offer his supreme existential wisdom to the world. This time helping a Beethoven classically trained keyboardist who believes his playing is, well… just downright ‘shit’.
I’ll expound upon the time when I had just moved into my first house in California, an old stone cottage. The first song I wrote in that house was a haunting and disquieting experience. It was a song written with Bernie Taupin for a movie about ‘WITCHES!’. There was nothing in the house but my little home studio, which had been set up rapidly in front of an old stone fireplace in the empty living room; we were on a tight movie deadline, so I had started the song immediately, alone, as the sun set - my first night in my new (old) house. Needless to say, writing and singing about witches late into the wee hours in this gloomy unknown setting, was probably not the wisest thing to do. I’ll play you the ‘massively rare’ demo of the song that appeared from that nocturnal session…. creaking old timbers and witches’ cackles, and my perceived fear, all included.
So join me for episode 22 of Radio Owlsnest. Let’s share a few giggles together.
Martin
