Back in 1991, I purchased a Tascam Porta Studio. It was the entry level four track cassette version but I pushed it to its limits. It unlocked a creative stream that saw me writing and recording the equivalent of nine albums over then next two years.
I started to record and took the name Rough Spots as my fictional band. It summed up the sound of the music I was recording. Solid but with rough spots. The band had three fictional members, each with one of first, middle or last names.
At first, I had no drums so the songs were mostly acoustic guitar/folky sounding. Then I picked up a used Dr. Rhythm that I programmed to create a virtual Keith Moon, John Bonham or Ringo. Unfortunately, all the music store had was the Electronica
version so all the songs have the sound like the 80s New Wave never went away. A few songs were covers but 98% were songs I wrote, usually in one sitting.
As time went on, I added more instruments. A Chicken Shaker (a plastic egg filled with BBs), a children's harmonium and others. The flood gates opened when I got a Casio synthesizer. Suddenly, I was able to add strings, brass and piano.
So why nothing new in 15 years? Unfortunately, life got in the way, I grew up, had kids and my recording studio became a nursery. It was some time ago and the trade off was well worth it, but those couple years were an incredible learning experience.
With the Tascam being an entry level four track, I really had to learn basic ways of creating additional tracks much like the early pioneers. To add tracks, I would bounce the four tracks to two. I then had two new tracks for additional tracks and vocals.
Sometimes, I would bounce it again, so I ended up with 8 tracks. It was very low-fi as there was no equalization.
Click on the playbuttons to start the Yahoo! Media Player. I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed recording them.
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| Track |
Album |
Recorded |
| Watching The Wheels |
Alewives in the Basement |
03/92 - 05/92 |
| I based this version more on John's demo recording which has a folkier feel to it. I gave it a bit of syncopated bass. |
| Our Lovin' Days Are Through |
Just Wait 'Til You See The Movie |
05/92 - 06/92 |
| The whole song is written because of the Tom Petty style singing in the first verse. It was not intended to be as nasty as the lyrics sounds today. Our lovin' days are through and so are you. Yikes. |
| Lady of the Night |
Rough Spots |
12/92 - 07/93 |
| Song about the BS that is Julia Roberts' Pretty Woman movie and how much of a piece of doo-doo. But how do I really feel about it? |
| Grow Old With Me |
Year |
12/09 - 12/10 |
| Hidden track on the Year album. I recording backing tracks for my version of this John Lennon song that I have always loved. The eve of his 70th birthday, I dropped it into a track on my version much like was done with Free As A Bird and it worked. The key was right and the tempo was the same. I had to make a couple edits but it worked for me. |
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