Hello everyone. Here's a video from us (Me and Tommy the Hat from the forum) again. Tommy's singing just keep on improving and I feel more and more like a sideman. Nothing spectacular in the playing and just a short and restrained solo. I'll love to hear any feedback or comments on playing, recording, mixing or video editing.
...And I hope you enjoy it!
Technical stuff: Harp is a custom marine band in D from harmonica slim II. Second position. Harp mic is a Shure sm58 connected to videocamera. Vocal mic shure sm58, too. Recorded with audacity, I'm not sure what Tommy used to connect mic to computer though. Mixed in audacity. Videoediting in AVS4 YOU video editor. ---------- Pistolkatt - Pistolkatts youtube
Last Edited by on Jan 17, 2013 1:58 PM
Well it's pretty cool I think. Interested because I played this song on the street recently and it was perhaps the most popular thing I played. Your approach is much truer to SBW record than mine though. Because I work mine as a solo harp song it is all harp rhythm and variations which lean heavily on the basic theme. Yours is pretty cool, I never tried to really get that sonny boy sound but if I had yours I'd be pretty happy with it I think. The vocal...I think it's good in its way, but I actually think it lets the song down for me. I think it's lacking something, like urgency, angst...a bit too cool and unbothered for me. I mean, the guy in thd song is in a tight spot. So while I appreciated the craft involved, I didn't really get an emotional kick from the song. But it's a good piece of work alright, I liked thd idea with The movie, but again it didn't "quite" do it for me. Good idea, just not quite the right footage for me. But it actually works really well to add interest. I'm being very picky in my criticism. It's actually great work, about 90% I think. Could be fantastic with a bit more work, but really solid as is. I'd be proud if I made it. ----------
Here is a link to a recording my band did of the song a few years ago. Click Here.
A fun tune, and always a big crowd pleaser. We were inspired by a version of the song from the Robben & Mark Ford band.
The guitar player on this recording is Matt Spinks, a very good young player out of Georgia. Singer is Scott Huntington from Las Vegas. BTW- the drummer is Bruce Collins. This recording was one live take.
Thanks for watching and commenting! @superbee - I just try to follow the riff on the song. SBWII play a LOT less. If we would have been a six piece band i would probably just do intro + solo + a few short fills but as a two-pice with a backing track it'd been silly. Would hav made more musical sense though maybe.
I really dig Tommy's singing here. I think he has got a really good voice and very good delivery here. But that's me :)
The thing with black and white silent movie style is that it makes editing a lot easier. It takes a lot of time ripping video clips and rearranging. And I'm just lazy :)
@ JD Hoskins - I think I have yet to hear the other arrangement :). The backing track is somewhat restricting as far as arrangement goes but I slowed it some in audacity actually.
@ Rick - Killer version! Sound like Allman brothers band. Really enjoy harp and nice guitar solos, too! ---------- Pistolkatt - Pistolkatts youtube
Last Edited by on Jan 17, 2013 1:44 PM
JD: i'll have to hunt that other record down. i'm looking for another Sonny Boy alternate take too, maybe you know it. Checkin up on my Baby was issued on that Real Folk Blues album but i know there is another take which was issued on a collection now out of production.
PistolK: yeah, i think Tommy's voice is great and his singing too... just i FELT he was singing about someone else in that trouble, not him. subjective on my listen, 1 time. i understand you play more than Sonny original, but i thought you played in the spirit of his work really well. i love his stuff...i think his records are really my inspiration for the harp..
I can see your point and as a singer I take it into consideration. It's an interesting point and something I didn't consider. I will in future renditions. Well, if there is one. I love this song but have a difficult time singing it for some reason.
I always try to have a good interpretation of the songs I sing and never really considered the more serious side of this song but it is a valid point. I approach it a bit tongue in cheek. I see the humor in his being trapped and wanting to sneak out the window. Caught with his pants down. But you bring up a good point. Thanks, I'll look into that. I do sing the Allman Brothers version a bit more aggressively but then again that one has a bit of rock influence.
Thanks to all who have commented. ---------- Tommy
Last Edited by on Jan 17, 2013 4:34 PM
Hi Tommy! yeah man you right it is a song with humour and you catch that...my comment is VERY subjective...just a first impression. On subsequent listens i thought, you know, there is really no problem with this, its just different to what i do, probably heaps better, just gives me a different feeling than i have when i do it.
last weekend i performed it to an audience for the first time and its a keeper for my list for sure. but mine is a street version, kind of a different bag i think. im still buzzing from that day...full of myself :0) you guys are cool!
@Pistolcat & dtH. Very cool video. Love the old movie footage and titleing you did. Some good playing - very SB-ish a lot of the time. I hope you are working toward your 'own voice" too. The vocal is raw in a mostly good way, - and has a lot of personality .
@JDH - never heard the pop horns version either, WOW - that's a real surprise. Thanks for sharing it.
The Real Folk Blues was the CD that really turned me on to blues. I still love every groove on it, including the version of 1 way out - it's the 'classic' one for me. I like the raw rocking one too. Very different.
I hate that people now expect the Greg Alman multi repeat gospel vocal ending. I just can't pull that shit off. I can't play like SBII either, - but I don't really try to.
----------
Last Edited by on Jan 17, 2013 11:21 PM
Thanks for those other SBW2 videos. Cool stuff. I had only heard the real folk blues version before.
@bonedog - yes I wanted it to sound sonny boyish but I felt that the solo was a step away... Just perhaps not to the better :). Thanks for listening. ---------- Pistolkatt - Pistolkatts youtube
