A Protest Song...

DaveKell · #1 08-02-2013, 01:56 PM

This is a song I wrote yesterday as I was contemplating how no protest songs are being written anymore. I posted it on Facebook and got comments from Randy Handley, who is a prolific Nashville songwriter. Another Nashville guy chimed in as well with approval, Pete Wasner who has written a number of Vince Gill's well known tunes. I'm stoked. I MUST add the disclaimer that after lung scarring from 18 major surgeries I can NOT sing anymore, so cut me some slack. Randy said that handicap gives the song more veracity. https://soundcloud.com/david-kellems...r-the-founders
This is a raw recording in need of a lot of refinement. I just posted it as a demo to see if it was worth anything in people's opinions. Shocked at the positive responses.

DaveKell · #2 08-04-2013, 10:00 AM

Wow, closing in on 50 views so far here and no comments. Never had that happen before. A famous Nashville songwriter put it out in their community to see who might step up and record it. I can't see a country music song being made of this, unless possibly Toby Keith took it on. Okay, I'm gonna stop dreaming now. I just find it amazing all the private messages I've had so far about how much a Nashville guy likes this song. Man I wish I could still sing. Scarred lungs makes it hard to control breath!

Bob1131 · #3 08-04-2013, 03:19 PM

Nice writing with a classic sound, Dave. Thanks for sharing it here!

Ranger1964 · #4 08-05-2013, 10:18 AM

Nice song and sentiment Dave. Yeah, Toby is one of the few independent enough to put this out there. Without getting too far in the weeds, the politics of this one are about 180 degrees from the "typical" protest song. My ear sort of wanted to hear a bridge somewhere. Enjoyed it.

DaveKell · #5 08-07-2013, 09:31 PM

Got this reply to a posting of this song on another forum:
"It's got the right tone, it recycles themes and builds on them the way it's supposed to, it links in to traditional patriotic themes so it invites all listeners to agree with it. In fact, except for the "guns" verse, it would be hard to characterize its political stance --- and that's exactly the way a protest song is supposed to work. Politics are time-bound while "the American way" is timeless. And --- I agree with Randy entirely about your voice --- it's like it was meant for protest songs. So: good job all around!

Of course. being a college professor during the 60's, I was up to my neck in the folk movement and I was fortunate to hear and see and meet many of the important folks in more or less intimate settings. I was however pretty vague abut politics, not really interested, so I can't ever remember singing or even singing along with a protest song. Strange."

That's two people who have said my voice is suited to protest songs. Looks like I might have spent a lifetime missing my calling! Instead of having a job all my life where I felt like I was being paid to have radical fun I could have been giving Dylan a run for his money! Oh well, Harlan Sanders didn't become the Colonel of chicken fame until after he retired. Maybe there's still time.

DaveKell · #6 08-15-2013, 06:42 AM

On Wed of this coming week I will be going over to a friend's house to have this professionally recorded. He is going to add bass, drums and a Hammond B3 organ to emulate the old Bob Dylan/Al Cooper vibe. He, like a poster in here, suggested I write a bridge as well. This is my first song I've written. Can anyone give me some pointers on a bridge? Is it basically a separate thought from the main themes of the song that somehow tie in with it? Lastly, where does it appear in the song? Thanks a bunch.

mick o'regan · #7 08-15-2013, 12:05 PM

Nice song. I like it. Not many protest songs written these days.
I also wrote one recently. It's called HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WOODY - you can have a listen here if you get a minute or two.
https://soundcloud.com/mick-4-4/happy-birthday-woody

Got a link to any more of your stuff?

Ranger1964 · #8 08-15-2013, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveKell

On Wed of this coming week I will be going over to a friend's house to have this professionally recorded. He is going to add bass, drums and a Hammond B3 organ to emulate the old Bob Dylan/Al Cooper vibe. He, like a poster in here, suggested I write a bridge as well. This is my first song I've written. Can anyone give me some pointers on a bridge? Is it basically a separate thought from the main themes of the song that somehow tie in with it? Lastly, where does it appear in the song? Thanks a bunch.

The bridge can appear anywhere in the song but usually it is in the second half toward the end. In a 3 verse song it is often between the second and 3rd verse or before the final chorus. It can appear more than once also. Melodically it is to give the song variety. Thematically I use it to eithe "turn The tables" in the story or more often to make a point usually mine are very powerful truths in the song. I have always prided myself in my bridges. If you go to my soundclick page listen to This Twilght and Lies I Tell those are 2 of my favorite bridges.

mick o'regan · #9 08-15-2013, 12:45 PM

Some songs, of course, don't need a vocal bridge. There are other ways to vary the song - modulation, an instrumental bridge, etc...

DaveKell · #10 08-16-2013, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mick o'regan

Nice song. I like it. Not many protest songs written these days.
I also wrote one recently. It's called HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WOODY - you can have a listen here if you get a minute or two.
https://soundcloud.com/mick-4-4/happy-birthday-woody

Got a link to any more of your stuff?

Very cool song bro! You have a very "commercial quality" voice as well. Think I'll have my friend add some harmonica too when I have this professionally recorded. Great job.

DaveKell · #11 08-16-2013, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ranger1964

T If you go to my soundclick page listen to This Twilght and Lies I Tell those are 2 of my favorite bridges.

Incredible. Your voice has a slightly discernible John Denver vibe to it. This gave me ideas on how to rearrange the lyrics a bit and I get the bridge idea now. Thanks. Just as an aside, my friend who has the recording studio in his home has two daughters he has raised to be very talented all around musicians/singers. Here's a link to his youngest daughter's live performance of a song she wrote, played all the instruments on, and recorded herself in her dad's studio. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L1PgEMx28E. When the camera pans to the audience her dad is the proud looking guy you see first with the blonde hair.

mick o'regan · #12 08-16-2013, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveKell

Very cool song bro! You have a very "commercial quality" voice as well. Think I'll have my friend add some harmonica too when I have this professionally recorded. Great job.

Thanks.

Ranger1964 · #13 08-20-2013, 05:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveKell

Incredible. Your voice has a slightly discernible John Denver vibe to it. This gave me ideas on how to rearrange the lyrics a bit and I get the bridge idea now. Thanks. Just as an aside, my friend who has the recording studio in his home has two daughters he has raised to be very talented all around musicians/singers. Here's a link to his youngest daughter's live performance of a song she wrote, played all the instruments on, and recorded herself in her dad's studio. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L1PgEMx28E. When the camera pans to the audience her dad is the proud looking guy you see first with the blonde hair.

Thanks Dave. I'm a big JD fan. Glad the ideas for the bridge helped. On a side note that young gal sure can write, and sing and play! Wonderful talent!

DaveKell · #14 10-24-2013, 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveKell

This is a raw recording in need of a lot of refinement.

Well it's finally getting the refinement. After two Nashville heavy hitter songwriters commented that my voice made the song believable, I asked a friend with a pro level recording studio if he would arrange and produce a recording of the song. I told him I wanted an early Dylan/Al Cooper vibe with guitar and Hammond B3 organ sound. My friend, Guy Landrum, can play any instrument used in western music. His soon to be famous singer/songwriter daughter might be brought in for some harmony vocals as well.

Last Saturday I layed down the guitar accompaniment tracks. I was amazed to hear myself played through a professional mix and high quality speakers. I couldn't believe it was me! Guy said "that is without any processing too". This Sat we will add the vocals and then Guy will work on the accompaniment with the Hammond organ, harmonica, and guitar and vocals from his daughter too. I should end up with a great version of this song that has gotten me lots of compliments from guys in the Nashville community. I don't know what I'll do with it except for give away copies to friends and family. I don't see anything big happening with this, although one of the Nashville writers put it out there for consideration. I don't see any current Nashville artists who would record a protest song with any believability to the effort?

Any suggestions of a long shot I could employ to do something memorable with this effort? Best I could come up with is mail a cd to Rush Limbaugh to see if he might play it on his radio show. I've heard him do things like this before.

Ranger1964 · #15 10-24-2013, 06:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveKell

Well it's finally getting the refinement. After two Nashville heavy hitter songwriters commented that my voice made the song believable, I asked a friend with a pro level recording studio if he would arrange and produce a recording of the song. I told him I wanted an early Dylan/Al Cooper vibe with guitar and Hammond B3 organ sound. My friend, Guy Landrum, can play any instrument used in western music. His soon to be famous singer/songwriter daughter might be brought in for some harmony vocals as well.

Last Saturday I layed down the guitar accompaniment tracks. I was amazed to hear myself played through a professional mix and high quality speakers. I couldn't believe it was me! Guy said "that is without any processing too". This Sat we will add the vocals and then Guy will work on the accompaniment with the Hammond organ, harmonica, and guitar and vocals from his daughter too. I should end up with a great version of this song that has gotten me lots of compliments from guys in the Nashville community. I don't know what I'll do with it except for give away copies to friends and family. I don't see anything big happening with this, although one of the Nashville writers put it out there for consideration. I don't see any current Nashville artists who would record a protest song with any believability to the effort?

Any suggestions of a long shot I could employ to do something memorable with this effort? Best I could come up with is mail a cd to Rush Limbaugh to see if he might play it on his radio show. I've heard him do things like this before.

Social media! Join Facebook! I would do it as a performer Like Dave Kell Musician to separate it from anything personal. You'll attract both positive and negative opinions on the content and you don't need that in your personal life. Find conservative groups and share your song to those pages. Perhaps there will be somebody there who hears it but also has music connections.