Sunday, August 31, 2008
Death by Kokomo
It would happen that I managed to marry a man who has more musical talent in his little finger than most of us have crammed into our iPods (Yeah, I'm talking to you, Bestie. I know what's on your iPod.). I knew this, though. We first met in 1998 singing our little freshman/sophomore hearts out at an a cappella concert with our respective groups. We shared a first-ish kiss over a grand piano in the music building at William and Mary (that I believe we entered by means somewhat suspiciously similar to breaking and entering. I don't know. It was a long time ago, he knew the way in and I was a few jello shots past sober.) while he serenaded me in the middle of night. Years later when we decided to make a go of "us" long distance, he used to set the phone on the piano during our long, late night phone conversations and play me love songs, namely Simon and Garfunkel's "Kathy" just to let me know he was thinking of me. He plays a hell of a piano, sings in just about any range comfortably, has perfect pitch, an unmatched ear for hearing-it-then-sitting-down-and-playing-it, owns a great air guitar and set of air drums and plays them proficiently. In short, I marvel at the man's talent. He continues to awe me with what comes out of his mouth when he sings and what his fingers can do to ivory keys.
And so it really came as no surprise when his CEO tapped him to arrange and record a promotional song for the company's 10th anniversary trip next year to Grand Cayman where every company member and guest (read: me) will be charter flown to Grand Cayman for a 4 day weekend at an all expenses paid resort. No wonder they were named as one of the Washingtonian's Great Places to Work.
The plan was for the Mister to record lyrics about the company's trip to the tune of the Beach Boy's "Kokomo". Then, I believe, a music video is going to be made of different employees lip synching to the Mister's vocal track. The whole piece will be shown at the company Christmas party this year to get people amped for the trip -- and where each employee will be gifted with a CD copy of the Mister's vocal stylings.
At first I wanted to stab my eyes out. "Kokomo" is on a short list of songs that could really make your skin crawl (a few of the other offenders on that list, and I'm sure you'll agree, were: The Pina Colada Song, Don't Worry, Be Happy..). Did you know, incidentally, there is so such place as Kokomo? Totally made up. There's a Kokomo, Indiana, but is that really where you want to get there fast and then take it slow? While it is the quintessential beach song, hearing the Mister arrange it on his computer note-by-freaking-note had me on the brink of insanity, man. My Bestie and I sat on the downstairs couch listening to the first few notes play out on the keyboard, "dah duh-duh" (sing: Aruba..)... A pause.. some scribbling... "dah duh-duh"... Another pause.. All night. We lovingly dubbed the experience, "Death by Kokomo".
Yesterday the Mister headed to a professional recording studio to "lay it down" as they say in the biz. And sitting on the couch with the studio guy at the sound board, me waiting for my Death by Kokomo, my Mister recorded an amazing tribute to his talent. Let me brag here: the man didn't start this process with sheet music. He totally rearranged it for himself. Not only did he rearrange the song for him to sing, but he arranged a four part voice harmony that he sang as well, and was recorded on top of each other so that it sounds like 4 different people -- namely, the Beach Boys -- when played back.
The song is cheesy. The lyrics were penned by the higher ups to be corporately appropriate. But I believe the Mister turned the whole project into something of such quality that even the CEO wasn't expecting in the end.
On the way home from the studio I had the Mister play the original "Kokomo". I mean, it's okay. Then I asked him to play me his version. Which I much prefer:
And so it really came as no surprise when his CEO tapped him to arrange and record a promotional song for the company's 10th anniversary trip next year to Grand Cayman where every company member and guest (read: me) will be charter flown to Grand Cayman for a 4 day weekend at an all expenses paid resort. No wonder they were named as one of the Washingtonian's Great Places to Work.
The plan was for the Mister to record lyrics about the company's trip to the tune of the Beach Boy's "Kokomo". Then, I believe, a music video is going to be made of different employees lip synching to the Mister's vocal track. The whole piece will be shown at the company Christmas party this year to get people amped for the trip -- and where each employee will be gifted with a CD copy of the Mister's vocal stylings.
At first I wanted to stab my eyes out. "Kokomo" is on a short list of songs that could really make your skin crawl (a few of the other offenders on that list, and I'm sure you'll agree, were: The Pina Colada Song, Don't Worry, Be Happy..). Did you know, incidentally, there is so such place as Kokomo? Totally made up. There's a Kokomo, Indiana, but is that really where you want to get there fast and then take it slow? While it is the quintessential beach song, hearing the Mister arrange it on his computer note-by-freaking-note had me on the brink of insanity, man. My Bestie and I sat on the downstairs couch listening to the first few notes play out on the keyboard, "dah duh-duh" (sing: Aruba..)... A pause.. some scribbling... "dah duh-duh"... Another pause.. All night. We lovingly dubbed the experience, "Death by Kokomo".
Yesterday the Mister headed to a professional recording studio to "lay it down" as they say in the biz. And sitting on the couch with the studio guy at the sound board, me waiting for my Death by Kokomo, my Mister recorded an amazing tribute to his talent. Let me brag here: the man didn't start this process with sheet music. He totally rearranged it for himself. Not only did he rearrange the song for him to sing, but he arranged a four part voice harmony that he sang as well, and was recorded on top of each other so that it sounds like 4 different people -- namely, the Beach Boys -- when played back.
The song is cheesy. The lyrics were penned by the higher ups to be corporately appropriate. But I believe the Mister turned the whole project into something of such quality that even the CEO wasn't expecting in the end.
On the way home from the studio I had the Mister play the original "Kokomo". I mean, it's okay. Then I asked him to play me his version. Which I much prefer:
# posted by Cathy @ 6:48:00 PM 
