This series of blogs (1-14) chronicle my thoughts, whims and history of every song on my newest album “Can’t Get Enough” which took six years to make. I was thrilled to work closely with musical geniuses to make this album a reality. Super producer/engineer/mix artist Vitamin D masterfully led us and was in charge of the overall sonic quality, production and mixing of the album. Music superman and multi-instrumentalist Donyea Goodman’s production skills are featured on over half the tracks on the album. Super producers Jake One and Malay contributed as well.
DESIRE
This song started out as a Vitamin D drum beat. Of course I had this chord progression Fm11-Ebm11-Dm11 already sketched out in Reason. The Reason file is actually on drum beat with three 8 bar segments one of which is the aforementioned chord progression. I played everything in on the Yamaha Motif to his drums. Bass line and keys were done mainly on the Vintage Rhodes patch. Later Malay played bass on it. He may have played a little guitar on it too. Thaddeus Turner played the dominant guitar parts on this song. I had visions of pitching this song to Michael Jackson, rest his soul. Can you imagine how bananas the song would be if Michael Jackson did that s*#t? Anyways I did it and…so there. I almost can’t remember writing the lyrics to this song. It has been so long. I haven’t even seen scribbles on the way to ‘aha these are the lyrics’. I must have done it all in word or on a tablet at the old Pharmacy off Morgan. The bridge or change section in this song pretty much goes back and forth from Dbmaj7-Bbmaj7 and repeats until there is a Bb-7-Dbmaj7-Eb and then back in to the main changes. I actually composed it on the spot as Vitamin D was telling me there needs to be a bridge or change right…..here. It just came out of my fingers, bass line and all. That doesn’t happen that often!
Oh yeah! There is a Bbmin7-Dbmaj7-Eb at the end of the first 8 bars of each repeating section. I hope this doesn’t sound too confusing. If you know at all what I’m talking about and listen to the recording it will be clear.
To me the standout feature of this song is the flute. Bernie Jacobs is the culprit. Ok…I think this is one of the best flute solos EVER recorded. I should issue a public challenge for DJs to come up with one that bests it. The singing and harmonizing you hear being done on the recording are not overdubs. He is singing and harmonizing while playing the flute in real time. WTF?! I didn’t even know you could do that. We were jumping up and down outside of the recording booth (closet) while he was recording. We felt lucky that such a great solo was going on something WE were recording.
A side story. So I donate 25% of the Can’t Get Enough’s cd sales to PATH. (www.path.org) When I was searching for an organization I wanted to support with the album I had a list and which after listening to my heart settled on PATH. When I called their offices a woman named Jan Jacobs answered the phone. Guess what? No bulls*#t it was pure kismet, Jan Jacobs is Bernie’s wife!!! I knew I had made the right decision. The universe works in unforeseen ways.
Anyways I will see if I can post up the original REASON file that this song comes from.
Here are the lyrics….
Open up let me in.
Get this party started I can’t wait to begin.
Give me the release I’ve been searching for.
Release from this wanting, wanting more and more.
It’s so insatiable,
It’s so gravitational,
It’s everything that I need.
I just can’t satisfy it.
I’m so attracted by it.
Following it makes me free.
Ooo it drives me insane.
The way you do it to me.
Haunt all my thoughts
And come alive in my dreams.
Ever pretending that you’re just out of reach
Is there no satisfying this desire in me?
I may be charting a course.
With love as my guide and pleasure my guiding force.
My life as my witness and the ALL as my source.
If I win or lose deep down I know it’s my choice.
It’s so insatiable,
It’s so gravitational,
It’s everything that I need.
I just can’t satisfy it.
I’m so attracted by it.
Following it makes me free.
Ooo it drive me insane,
The way you do it to me.
Haunt all my thoughts
And come alive in my dreams.
Ever pretending that you’re just out of reach.
Is there no satisfying this desire in me?
ENJOY
Tags: critical sun recordings, darrius, darrius willrich, donyea goodman, sweet urban soul