MAB,
May I suggest for anyone posting, the font size that will automatically show up is an 8 size (this is extremely small and we can barely read). If you look at the bars of options at the top of the comment section (before you type in your comment) and click on "font size" you can increase the size of the print (which is much easier to read). I like the third one down; or the 12 size font.
What man or woman wouldn't prefer a 12 size over an 8???
(font size girlfriends.......... font size).
Hey MAB, that upright bass in my photo is exactly what lead to the "Daddy's Upright Bass" song. Mine is a modern Englehardt Bass M-1 that is an exact replica to the Kay M-1 bass Bill Black played. Englehardt bought out Kay and continued building the bass to exact Kay specifications. They are both a 3/4 scale model just because the full size bass is much larger and harder to haul around. Bill put tape on the outer edges of his Kay M-1 and painted the tape white. Paul McCartney, liking that look, later had a white binding put on the bass to protect the edges and keep the Bill Black look, shown on photo's and early Elvis albums.
To repeat the story behind our "Daddy's Upright Bass" song. Former SongRamp member and MAB's Forum poster Greg Powers posted a lyric in the Ramp writing room about a guy that had a factory job he hated and a boss that constantly gave him grief. It was almost like another "take this job and shove it" type song.
The story behind Greg's song was the guy found peace and comfort by visiting a club (after work) and listening to the soft sounds of the upright bass being played in the band.
That got my attention, as a bass player, and I approached Greg about another direction the story could take. We went back and forth a little with ideas; until I remembered an article my Army buddy sent me about Nancy Black (the daughter of Bill Black, Elvis's original bass player) and how she tracked down her father's upright bass that was bought by Linda McCartney as a birthday present for her husband and Beatle bass player Paul McCartney in the seventies.
Now, the rest of the story is a lesson on co-writing and seeking help from a more experienced writer than ourselves. We wrote the lyrics around the story of Bill Black's daughter and the story of Paul ending up with the bass.
Greg gave me credit for being a more experienced songwriter and taking the story and lyrics beyond what he was capable of. I then sent our lyrics to MAB for tweaking and requested MAB add a melody to fit the lyrics. The MAB improved our lyrics and chorus and put a fantastic Elvis feel to the melody. Greg later commented that the idea and lyrics went from his hands to a more experienced songwriter (me, in his opinion) and I brought in another songwriter more experienced than the two of us combined....... The MAB.
You (The MAB) then took the song to be recorded at Jay's and the boy's in the studio got into the song because they all grew up being influenced by Elvis and loving that sound.
For me and Greg, we got to be a part of a great song. The main story behind all the co-writers involved, proved how co-writers can greatly improve on a song idea, especially if we are fortunate enough to write with better writers and artist's than ourselves.
So the lesson is; it started with an idea by an inexperienced songwriter. That led to a collab with a slightly more experienced songwriter; which led to a great product with the help of a pro songwriter and artist.
MAB would probably never have thought of that song and it's approach without the story idea and lyrics from me and Greg. I would never have thought of the idea; nor the story of Nancy, had Greg not written some lyrics of an upright bass and a guy trying to escape the stress of work.
I recall Greg wanting to drop out of the write because he didn't feel he added anything, in the way of lyrics to the verses and chorus. However, the song would never have been written and performed had it not been for his idea. Sometimes the idea behind a song is everything.
RiDawn Raelette, I would consider signing over my songwriting credits on that song; if you would agree to snuggle up with me on the plastic covered sofa, as we admirer the Elvis felt paintings and end up on rolling on the orange shag carpet listening to The MAB perform his "Daddy's Upright Bass" song. Just sayin.....
OD