Tales of the Uke – Part Seven

Posted on by

There has been an interlude since my duet with Trevor in the late spring. That shouldn’t be mistaken for a lack of playing. The new songs I’ve been learning have been more complicated by new techniques and longer lengths. One of these is finally ready for presentation!

In 1970 a trio of U.S. Air Force brats, based in London, formed a band they named, America. (Clever!) The group had a number of hits, including 1975’s Sister Golden Hair, which was a number one song on the Billboard  Hot 100.

It’s a fairly bleak relationship song with mangled English. That said, it’s uptempo, has a happy feel to it, and is radio friendly. Go figure. A look at the lyrics:

Well I tried to make it Sunday, but I got so damn depressed
That I set my sights on Monday and I got myself undressed
I ain’t ready for the altar but I do agree there’s times
When a woman sure can be a friend of mine

Well, I keep on thinkin’ ’bout you, Sister Golden Hair surprise
And I just can’t live without you; can’t you see it in my eyes?
I been one poor correspondent, and I been too, too hard to find
But it doesn’t mean you ain’t been on my mind

Will you meet me in the middle; will you meet me in the air?
Will you love me just a little, just enough to show you care?
Well I tried to fake it, I don’t mind sayin’, I just can’t make it

Well, I keep on thinkin’ ’bout you, Sister Golden Hair surprise
And I just can’t live without you; can’t you see it in my eyes?
Now I been one poor correspondent, and I been too, too hard to find
But it doesn’t mean you ain’t been on my mind

Will you meet me in the middle; will you meet me in the air?
Will you love me just a little, just enough to show you care?
Well I tried to fake it, I don’t mind sayin’, I just can’t make it

This song was a favorite of mine to play during my radio jock days. It was fun to learn and translates well from guitar to ukulele:

Yes, the percussion was in there by design! Lisa gave me finger cymbals last year at Christmas. I attached them to my big toe to give the song a little kick where needed.

I’ll see if I can get another video up sooner than this one. My next piece is a classic Hawaiian song from Queen Lili’uokalani.

2019 Pacific Northwest Summer – Part One

Posted on by

With our move last summer, we didn’t do much traveling around the state on weekend adventures. That meant no videography detailing trips with our toddler daughter as in 2017. It’s a new summer, though, and we’re back on the road!

For the first installment of 2019’s adventure series we head to what is called the crown jewel of the Oregon State Parks system, Silver Falls. There are 10 waterfalls here. In this video we spend our time at South Falls. Aria is now able to hike down and up the looped trail, so it’s a bit more enjoyable than just walking around the top:

Here is a fun look at our first trip to Silver Falls in 2017. Aria is growing up, and the changes are noticeable:

We’re looking forward to our next adventure. Wherever that may be…

Tales of the Uke – Part Six

Posted on by

We’re leaving an oceanfront lanai on Kauai (my deepest apologies for that) and heading to a darkened Los Angeles nightclub for a song I’ve always liked. Folk singer Lori Lieberman was the first to record Killing Me Softly With His Song, which was released in 1972 as a simple singer-guitar accompaniment. There is a dispute over the origin of the song. The songwriters, Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox say one thing. Lieberman says another. Read the short version of the controversy here. (My money is on Lieberman having a much bigger role than Gimbel and Fox are willing to admit.)

What there is no arguing over is that Roberta Flack made the song an iconic hit in 1973, for which she earned three Grammy Awards. Her version added more instruments and a backbeat. It’s also the record that is best remembered.

I’ve worked on Killing Me Softly With His Song  for a few weeks. I always take the sheet music melody as a base and then work up a song from there. Trevor made some suggestions, including how to make up an intro, and I stumbled across ways to make the song more interesting just by practicing. It’s an emotional piece:

I heard he sang a good song, I heard he had a style
And so I came to see him to listen for a while
And there he was this young boy, a stranger to my eyes

Strumming my pain with his fingers
Singing my life with his words
Killing me softly with his song
Killing me softly with his song
Telling my whole life with his words
Killing me softly with his song

I felt all flushed with fever, embarrassed by the crowd
I felt he found my letters and read each one out loud
I prayed that he would finish but he just kept right on

Strumming my pain with his fingers
Singing my life with his words
Killing me softly with his song
Killing me softly with his song
Telling my whole life with his words
Killing me softly with his song

He sang as if he knew me in all my dark despair
And then he looked right through me as if I wasn’t there
But he was there, this stranger, singing clear and strong

Strumming my pain with his fingers
Singing my life with his words
Killing me softly with his song
Killing me softly with his song
Telling my whole life with his words
Killing me softly with his song

In last week’s lesson Trevor grabbed his guitar and accompanied me. It was the first time I played with anyone, and it was so much fun that I brought my video camera this week so we could record ourselves doing it again. It’s only two verses, but after minimal rehearsal time, I think it turned out well:

One of Trevor’s goals going forward is to have us do more of these songs together, as it requires a different skillset than playing solo. But I did that, too, going with the darkened nightclub vibe:

Coming up next, a number one hit from 1975…