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Description:
A starry-eyed trip at incredible rates!
Jack will be adding some narrative here about how this song came to be. It has been a fun endeavor. Our second offering on the Miller-Schletty label. First, on the road, now off into space!
[From Jack: "Chords and melody are from a song sketch that has been sitting on my computer for a few years. I made a demo with no lyrics (just singing the melody with "da,da,da's) and sent it to Rich and said, "Go ahead and write some lyrics. It's a fun kind of song." Well Rich was in a funk and sent back lyrics more fitting for a funeral dirge... So, I wrote back, "Lighten up dude, this is a fun, summertime nonsense kind of a song." Rich responded with a grand slam home run set of lyrics. Kudos Rich.
We didn't know what we were going to do during the instrument break. I had the idea of a kazoo. In the demo I just did a "lip trumpet." Rich added his own 'lip instruments." Finally I added the kazoo. Then Rich and I had a "fight" over the kazoo (of all things!). He wanted to drop it an octave to mimic a space alien. I wanted to keep it in the original octave. We ended up doing both and it is mostly likely the best outcome. LOL.
Special thanks to Dave Thomas (perceptualvortex) for jumping in and adding some really great drums.
And David Gomez, thank you for initiating your wonderful flourishes and additions and sending them to Rich... beautiful."]
© 2008 Music and lyrics Jack Miller (dadai) and Richard Schletty (rschletty). Vocals: Miller, Schletty. Guitars: Miller, David Gómez Sanz (magullo). Bass, synths, bells, steel drums,kazoo, and jangly things: Miller. Drums: via Drums on Demand, David Thomas (perceptualvortex). Mixing: Schletty.
Lyrics:
Lighten Up Now
Light up your face, gimme the nod
Think of a place where no one has trod
Ain't no place like space, our getaway home
We'll find us a gale to give us a bump
Giggle and wail, go thumpity thump
Let's sail along the silvery foam
[chorus]
We're takin' a ship to an outer space isle
where everything's hip, where the aliens smile
A starry-eyed trip at incredible rates (oh yeah)
Lighten up now, your sunbeam awaits
[break]
[chorus]
Lighten the load, baggage adrift
We caught the next dimensional rift
We're in the groove between our temporal lobes
Frequently flying high as the night
Living and dying way outta sight
Who needs the warmth of a changing globe?
[chorus]
© 2008 Music and lyrics Jack Miller and Richard Schletty
Hardware:
Schletty: Audiotechnica 3035 microphone, MBox, G4/500MHz/1 GB SDRAM, lips.
Gomez: imac with Podx3 by lexicon omega, Paul Reed Smith electric guitar.
Miller: Ovation/Applause EA148-5 guitar, Yamaha psr 293 keyboard, SM57, kazoo, MacBook 2.4, M-Audio MobilePre.
Software:
Logic Express 7.2, GarageBand 4, Logic Basic
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This reminds me... &mdash 07/31/08 - 06:32:59 PM
of something Moody Blues-ish...the vocal treatment is very much like Justin Hayward-John Lodge
I loved "Hittin' the Road", I love this one just as much if not more....
you nailed it again [ Reply to This ]
Nice to hear from you &mdash 07/31/08 - 07:17:16 PM
LIghten Up Now &mdash 07/31/08 - 06:58:36 PM
just a fabulous colab singin playin and recording
uplifting and very much light hearted and I like that
I just love you colab ..you sound great togther !!
thnx alot for sharin !!!! [ Reply to This ]
light hearted, yes... &mdash 07/31/08 - 08:47:07 PM
Feter, thanks mate. This is just a fun summertime song to lift one's spirit for a moment in time and give a smile.
much thanks...
Jack [ Reply to This ]
That was a lot of fun. &mdash 07/31/08 - 08:02:42 PM
Jangly things... &mdash 07/31/08 - 08:45:25 PM
LOL... thank you Char. I love the jangly things too.
Thanks for chiming in...
Jack [ Reply to This ]
A fun trip, and well done at that &mdash 07/31/08 - 08:33:53 PM
This is just great guys. It's easy to see you were having a lot of fun doing it, it comes through in the music and the lyrics, which are great.
The kind of song my grandkids would fall in love with right away. I can see it now, a youngsters TV show about adventures out in space comes on the TV and this song opens the show.
Great track, great vocal and great music. What else could you want.
Way to go Jack, Richard, Thomas, and David
Ed [ Reply to This ]
grandkids... &mdash 08/01/08 - 09:28:09 AM
Funny you should mention this song as a good one for the grandkids. I had just sent an email with the song link to my 3 daughters telling them "here is a song for the grandkids to dance to."
Hopefully there is a little bit of the "child" in all of us no matter our age.
Thanks Ed. The song, indeed, was fun to make.
Jack [ Reply to This ]
Lightening &mdash 07/31/08 - 08:45:11 PM
EEFliess nailed what I was trying to think of earlier... it reminds me of the Moody Blues. I think it's the vocal harmonies. Jack and Rich, this sounds great; I'm glad I could be a part of this tune. I like the way the party with the aliens turned out (kazoo and lip trumpet and all) Catch you on the next dimensional rift. [ Reply to This ]
dimensional rifting... &mdash 08/01/08 - 04:49:42 PM
Dave, thanks again so much for joining in with us. Amazing how real the drumming sounds... great touch, maestro.
It was a lot of fun, and Moody blues references are always welcomed!
cheers,
Jack [ Reply to This ]
Like Dave says &mdash 07/31/08 - 09:45:28 PM
there is something of a Moody Blues sound. Vocals and chord progression and the sweeping synth's are probably the guiding factor to it.
Great tune all in all.
The lippy solo was a real trip and a bit of a cool surprise! [ Reply to This ]
No longer the old hipsters, but.... &mdash 08/01/08 - 04:52:26 PM
the old lipsters! LOL. Thanks Vic. You're right. All those elements are signature marks of the Moody Blues songs. I didn't intend that reference, but this isn't the first time someone has said one of my songs had a Moody Blues flavor. Certainly not complaining. ;)
thanks,
Jack [ Reply to This ]
Catchy! &mdash 08/01/08 - 02:00:25 PM
Fantastic work, guys. Love the flow and upbeat nature of the song. And the kazoo is an interesting choice. :) This song is sure to be stuck in my head for days.
Best,
-=ez [ Reply to This ]
EZ comment &mdash 08/02/08 - 07:30:22 AM
Wow, a miller -Schletty page! &mdash 08/01/08 - 06:06:02 PM
And David Gomez and Dave Thomas, too! Where have I been? What a fun song this is. :-) I'm glad you left both kazoos in, and that the lyrics are happy. Real nice harmony, guys. I really enjoyed this. [ Reply to This ]
Kazoos required... &mdash 08/06/08 - 05:02:51 PM
i.e. if one is going to lighten up ;)
Glad you found us Roxylee.
cheers! [ Reply to This ]
At First... &mdash 08/01/08 - 08:01:44 PM
At first I thought this might be a serious song with light hearted lyrics. Then the kazoos and other strange instruments came in. You really mean what the title says :)
Thanks
Bill [ Reply to This ]
Cool &mdash 08/02/08 - 11:20:20 AM
This is a really fun song, with excellent lyrics (including my favorite line - "We're in the groove between our temporal lobes") and warm vocal performances - a perfect summer song. Nice recording too, although the hi-hats sound a little brash, especially on the chorus. Just a nit, though, and possible partly my speakers! Nicely done, gents. Thanks for sharing. Peace. [ Reply to This ]
Blame &mdash 08/02/08 - 03:37:39 PM
Blame the mix on me. I should be mastering with a good set of speakers. Instead, I master with Sony MDR-V2 headphones. Yes, the hi-hats are a little harsh. I wish I had an analog recording studio with warm glowing vacuum tubes!
. [ Reply to This ]
Comment from Birdman Wayne &mdash 08/03/08 - 02:42:08 PM
Birdman Wayne (Yeman A. Al-Rawi) asked me to post this comment for him:
"I'm just so glad to have the chance not to miss the great new song from you. One of the best journey songs ever posted at MJ. A deep bow to everyone here, such a fine excellent stuff which I really enjoyed! I love it and thanks for sharing." [ Reply to This ]
kazoo? &mdash 08/03/08 - 02:43:20 PM
Cool, surely fun song for the light summer days:) It's a delight to listen to your song. Seems to be fiiled with energy and your good mood:) [ Reply to This ]
kazoo! : ) &mdash 08/07/08 - 02:37:50 PM
That says it all... a song for a moment of light enjoyment...
thanks Thor.
Jack [ Reply to This ]
LIghten Up Now (Dadai-rschletty-perceptualvortex-David Gomez) by Miller-Schletty &mdash 08/04/08 - 07:49:14 AM
Fanulous! A brilliantly atmospheric yet fun chorus as well which provoking visual images! Nice job on the lyrics as well! Very springy and happy!
Wow!
Keep it up! The mainstream really needs a dose of this song right now! [ Reply to This ]
Outward bound &mdash 08/05/08 - 12:56:24 PM
Lighten Up Now &mdash 08/05/08 - 06:52:21 AM
I love this song!!
it sounds really good. Love the singing. A really fun tune.
Brilliant music and what a wonderful collab, Great job.
The Moody Blues are one of my all time favourites. But I cannot hear any likeness myself though.
Having said that this is a real winner in my book. Thanks for sharing.
Peace Dee. [ Reply to This ]
Sorry I'm &mdash 08/05/08 - 03:59:01 PM
so late to this, only just discovered this great new partnership.
I can really hear the way you have bounced off each other with this. Great fun listen.
Cheers
Len
[ Reply to This ]
:) &mdash 08/07/08 - 02:45:39 AM
Escape velocity achieved &mdash 08/22/08 - 01:47:05 PM
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I loved "Hittin' the Road", I love this one just as much if not more....
you nailed it again
[ Reply to This ]