Writing songs in the middle of nowhere...

Playlist

Loscil - Equivalents

Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen (Neuhold)

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue

Various Composers - Vivaldi Mozart Schubert by Menuhin Oistrakh Quartetto Italiano Cherkassky

Otto Klemperer: Philharmonia Orchestra - Mahler: Symphony #7/Klemperer Symphony #2, String Quartet #7

Santana - Borboletta

Monteverdi - Selva Morale E Spirituale

Britten - String Quartets #1 & 2, 3 Divertimenti

Lutosławski - Symphony #1, Chantefleurs Et Chantefables

Lene Marlin - Another Day

Goldner Quartet - Szymanowski: String Quartets, Stravinsky: Concertino

Concordia - The Glory Of Venice

Feldman - Early Piano Pieces

Einaudi - Doctor Zhivago

Medtner - Piano Works, Vol. 5

Various Artists - Trojan Dub Rarities Box Set

Capital Models - 2019-08-18

Cloudland Blue Quartet - Twentynineteen Live V4
Taylor Swift - Lover

Up with the larks, although I didn't hear them, and to recording and uploading the podcast - 2/3rds classical this week so we'll see how that works out...

Packing and a quick breakfast and ready to leave around ten...

We were heading "up North" and, half way there, stopped off at Callander...

A wee wander about, including a look round a car boot sale, which included one stall with a large suitcase full of brand new, still in heir packaging Golliwog dolls...

Hmmm...

Along the main street, plenty of charity shops for your correspondent to take a shifty through...

I did not buy this, although I sent a pic to Count Brodski...

In the mid 70's, we worked at Edinburgh Department Store, Goldbergs, on a Saturday...

One day, a folk duo were hired to appear...

We asked our boss, Mr Downie, who they were...

"I think they're called Gaaber-lunzzz-aayy" came the response...

It lives on with us...

I did, however, buy these...

...for 50p each, the second actually had a further CD of African music secreted inside it - no cover of course...

The EP had a fruitless look around the outlet of Rogerson shoes - I actually tried a pair on - but we left without partaking...

Onwards and we arrived at Glenorchy just before 2...

Nine chums were already here, some having come up yesterday, to celebrate old chum Jim Igoe's 50th birthday...

...in beautiful surroundings...

Here's birthday boy Jim, with lovely wife Sheena in the background...

and John and Ali of Impossible Songs...

Sheena, the Exec Producer and Malcolm, recorder of all things both visually and sonically, were the only "non-musicians" in the party...

In the afternoon, Norman Lamont led some song writing exercises...

First, in pairs, one played a simple chord sequence on acoustic guitar, the other sang whichever words were on a random page of one of the random publications on the table in front of us...

Around the table were Jim, Malcolm, Norman, Ali, John, Big Jim, Matthew, Miss Fi and your correspondent...

The second exercise was to write down ideas triggered by the senses - we ventured outside to write stuff down...

I quickly made a few observations...

I don't recall what the chord sequence here indicates - I think it may have been the one I played in the"random lyrics" exercise...

We then had to put together ten possible song titles...

Which I did...

...and then we had to quickly write a song, based on the chord sequence shown - the F was allowed to be used once anywhere in a sequence...

I wrote mine, choosing always to have a sequence of three chords, which meant my verses had various different combinations of chords (i.e. D Bm Em / G D Bm / Em G D / Bm Em G) but sticking to the overall order of chords as set out in the "rules"...

In the end I discarded the last two titles but the other observations and titles on the two pieces of paper became the lyrics...

I quickly recorded it and gave the EP a listen as she sat reading...

She liked it and suggested a slightly different ending...

Then, we reconvened and everyone sang their song, while Malcolm recorded the event...

Ali used the keyboard...

Light-hearted discussions ensued...

Some amount of cheating was evident re the use of the F chord and repeats within the stipulated chord sequence but hey ho...

Like me, Big Jim changed how the chords were played rather than the order...

Of course it was difficult to remember your own newly written song having listened to everyone else's...

Maybe one day, mine, called, I think, "The Traffic in the Distance" will be released into the wild...

We tidied everything up and Malcolm, also acting as chef for the evening, set about cooking a huge veggie curry...

While the rest of us had a few drinks and chatted...

New arrivals The G and Scott Renton had joined the fray by now...

Post dinner, a long leisurely and enjoyable affair, the guitars etc came out again and a huge sing along to various covers took place...

..the highlight being The G juggling with lights while singing T Rex and David Bowie songs...

  

Late on, some requests for original songs kept things going into the early hours...

I think Jim enjoyed the party...

To bed around 1:30 am - a very good day...

Highlight of the Day : Celebrating a birthday...