Here's they are:
T.W. asked me to write a little bit about how I recorded the song forrequest #129. Here's more than anyone could ever want to know:
The request was simply for a song about, "How David Bowie is awesome."
For me, one of the main things that makes Bowie awesome is that he givesteenagers who are weirded out by themselves a chance to embrace thatawkwardness, try on wacky outfits, and generally be drama queens.
Trying to imagine a song that would capture that quality, I was remindedof "Lady Stardust," Bowie's own tribute to Marc Bolan of T. Rex.(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkReR89J-gk ) I tried to use that song asa model for tone and arrangement. I even appropriated the lines, "Oh, howI sighed when they asked if I knew his name," as my lyrical startingpoint.
From that initial inspiration, I tried to adhere closely to the basicformula for a glam song that I've worked out over the years:
0. Lyrics = Glam Mad-LibsGRADE: B. I tend to overwrite songs, but as my pal Stryker once pointedout, T. Rex lyrics are basically Glam Mad-Libs, and I think that holdstrue for most glitter rock. I think I managed some relativelytossed-off-sounding lyrics.
1. Make it catchy.GRADE: B-. I think the song turned out modestly catchy, mostly just theinstrumental bits. The beginning of the chorus is sort of a non-event,sadly.
2. Emote.GRADE: B+. I'm out of practice, but this vocal was fairly overwrought.
3. MOST IMPORANT: Use the minor four chord a lot.GRADE: PASS. I leaned on that G-minor chord pretty hard.
My attempts to ape '70s sounds were limited, as I'm not a skilledengineer, but I did put my wallet on my snare drum to try to deaden thesound; I remembered those old Bowie records having the hardest, tubbiestsnare sounds in the world. I used two overhead mics on the drum kit whichI panned hard to either side. I notice now that the crash cymbal has alittle bit of phasing going on. I think that's because I put theoverheads at two different heights above the floor; I think that'stechnically a no-no.
In retrospect, my drum and lead guitar parts may owe more to T. Rex thanto Bowie, and my bass part isn't nearly nimble or groovy enough. The songisn't a masterpiece, but I hope it's a fun bit of nostalgia and anon-embarrassing tribute.
Enjoy,
D. E. Healey
Enjoy the song here:
