I Need You - Dedicated To The One I Love

[MikeJackal]

As I currently have many hours everyday where I have the time to sit and think about my life and what is truly important, I found myself realising that I spend far too much of my attention on the things I shouldn't, like reading up new songs, trying to expand my blues knowledge or just plain GASsing about guitars.
As some of you may know and other will not, I suffer from Adult ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and on any given day can undertake dozens of projects never completing any of them. All of these distractions keep my mind away from thinking about the most important part of my life, my future wife Heather.
From the day we met my life has been wonderful and she gives me a reason to wake up everyday. Our relationship is anything but orthodox, I am here in Sheffield, England and she is all the way over in Olympia, Washington, USA. I usually manage to get across at least once a year and stay for a month or longer but eventually in the near future we will begin the paperwork necessary so that I can move to America and marry her. Now with that level of distance between us it can be hard work, what with the time differences and work and life commitments but it works for us.
I wanted to do something to show her how much I love her and to apologise for taking her for granted sometimes.

So I recorded this song which I recently discovered, it was written by Kenny Vance and it really struck with me because it's all the things I want to say to her.

I love you Heather, this song is just for you.
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Song Info: I recorded the rhythm guitar with my new Sorrento, the lead and solos with my Les Paul. I had not played with them on the same track before and the tone difference was much more apparent than I previously thought. My Les Paul really sounds sweet with the more twangy Sorrento backing.
And I sang! Yes that is my warbling. I don't have a real recording setup for singing so I used my PC headset plugged into the computer, it is a little crude but I think it worked out ok.
Everything was recorded in one take, thats why there are errors in the rhythm playing and many errors in the singing. In fact this was the first time I had even sung the song fully all the way through.

[VikingBlues]

Played and sung with taste and feeling. I like the mix of tones with the guitars and the sentiment of the song.

It must be so difficult to be so far apart for so much of the time. But there is nothing in life that matches the joy of a perfect soulmate. My best wishes to both of you for your future happiness together.

[Blackhorse]

Nothing to say to this but...Beautiful.

Great job.

[CarolinaEd]

Very nice, vocals were Lennon like and the mix of the Sorrento and Les were just great. I hope you present this effort to her, It should go over well. Cheers.

[doc]

I like your touch on the guitar. It is very tasteful. Cool indeed.

[Blindboy]

Sweet!
Very tasteful arrangement and playing, and your singing was good too. Seems to me, that what you were expressing came through in spades.
Next time you're in the states, swing through the SouthWest... We'll save a hot spot on stage for you... You can sing it to her live with a band backup.

[MikeJackal]

Thanks everyone, this song is probably the most special thing I've recorded so I'm glad it went over ok. I've listened back to it a few times myself and the singing is very suspect in places, but I'm really not a singer and don't really even sing along when I'm listening to music so out of practice would be an understatement.
For some reason I've developed a buzz in my setup, probably an earthing problem, but I don't know where it's coming from because I haven't changed anything. It's hindering me slightly because long sustained notes now start to die and are overshadowed by the buzzing.
I like the unaccompanied sound of the song, but the original has some keyboard on it and really adds a lot to the sound so if I was to record it again I think I would try to add some of that. I'd still do it without drums but maybe some bass would add a richness to the sound because I think it's lacking slightly in bottom end.

And BB, my dad is always pestering me to go down to the open mic at his local pub and play something, even him singing with me playing, but I lack even an ounce of self confidence so never do it. I do plan to head through the SW one day on a road trip that goes through 11 states in 2 weeks including NM passing through Albuquerque on I-40, I know that is only 60 miles from your little town so I will definitely make it down there one day. Of course it would be silly to go all that way and not join in with the world famous Trainwreck Blues Band so I would definitely join in on a jam with you guys, but singing a song by myself live....I don't think so somehow lol.

[HalfBlindLefty]

Very well done, both the singing and the playing.

[MojoJim]

Really good music L77S. I like the guitar work a lot and you voice matches the song well.

When I started listening I thought I heard a lot of influences from the 50s. I heard a hint of Unchained Melody, Angel Baby, something by Santo and Johnny, a little do-wop flavor and a little of a lot of the romantic ballads of the 50s and 60s. I figured it was because I'm old and those are the only things that come to mind. But when I looked up Kenny Vance I found he is a modern interpreter of songs from that era.

You did a really good job of bringing that sound into a contemporary setting and making it sound really good. Nice job!

[MikeJackal]

Thanks HBL and Jim,
Yes the song is very much the standard "Doo Wop Chord Progression", there are a thousand songs with the exact same changes including all the song you mentioned. I recently discovered Kenny Vance after looking on youtube for the Jerry Butler song "For Your Precious Love" (another song in the same chord format). I will post a couple of video links of him because he does some really nice versions of these beautiful oldies.
Here is his version of this song first:
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Then here is a personal favourite of mine, his cover of the Jerry Butler song done "unplugged":
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[Bluez2move]

Nicely played and sung M'Man