| Home recording and general music post from the archived Yabb Recording Website Message Board. Some of the info here may be outdated but many of the audio recording and home studio tips are still good. Note: The only tags I made and attempt to convert are italics, bold, center and underline. So if you see some gibberish surrounded by brackets, just ignore it.
Recording Website Archived Yabb board Post
Febuary 2001 Yabb Message Board Archive
Subject: Hound Dog Blues
by Bud Tower | 06/11/01 at 23:08:41
Hello Y'all:
Nice to find this squeaky brand new site.
Here's the latest noodle.
Bud
"Hound Dog Blues"
©Copyright 2001, Bud Tower. All rights reserved.
(1st verse)
Hello operator, classifieds please.
What section? Well, I guess it’s fleas,
Or maybe hunks for sale or lease,
I can hold on, but hurry up please.
Hello Harold, are you my man?
Take this ad, effect this plan.
Enough’s enough, it’s got to end.
Type this up, fast as you can.
(chorus)
I’ve got the hound dog blues.
Take this dog and take my husband too,
Free to a good home,
Housebroken, doesn’t chew.
(2nd verse)
Hello Harold, did you get it down?
No Sir, I’m not foolin’ around.
Buck’s a dog and Blue’s a hound,
I’d shoot ‘em, but the law would take me down.
Ducks every winter, chicks every spring,
Those boys hunt for every thing,
I’m alone with this diamond ring,
Read back what I’m advertising.
(chorus)
I’ve got the hound dog blues.
Take this dog and take my husband too,
Free to a good home,
Housebroken, doesn’t chew.
(bridge)
I may be lonely,
I know that it’s true,
My bed will be empty,
Without Blue
But, a girl’s gotta do,
What a girl’s gotta do.
It’s time to get rid of you,
And the fleabag too.
(instrumental break)
(outro chorus)
I’ve got the hound dog blues.
Take this dog and take my husband too,
Free to a good home,
Housebroken, doesn’t chew.
Yea, free to a good home,
Housebroken, doesn’t chew.
I've got the hound dog blues.
Subject: Re: Hound Dog Blues
by Liana | 06/12/01 at 05:22:59
Hi Bud, long time no-see ...great to come back with such a beauty :)
Minimal nits, In the chorus because you're talking "two", perhaps you might be able to say :Both Housebroken, both dont chew?
In the later verse might I suggest: I might get lonely, without them two? And you can always call the husband Lou, as you tried to rhyme but if you're still talking to the operator you would be saying you to him :) nice work...smoooth
Subject: Re: Hound Dog Blues
by Bud Tower | 06/12/01 at 09:23:37
Hi LLana:
Nice to be back. I have been away for awhile learning how to write songs. Went down to Key West for a Nashville Songwriters Festival.
Participating were Chuck Cannon ("How Do You Like Me Now," "Getcha Some," "Dream Walking," Etc., all performed by Toby Keith); Mark D. Sanders ("Just Dance" w/LeAnn Womack); Brett Jones (Little Past Little Rock also w/LeAnn Womack);
Jeffrey Steele and Al Anderson (Unbelievable w/Diamond Rio); Tim Johnson (Thank God for Believers w/Mark Chestnutt); and Ralph Murphy (Talking in Your Sleep w/Crystal Gail). I learned a huge amount about how to write for Nashville, just listening to these guys.
Last week, I attended a songwriters' workshop in New Orleans. We have a Nashville Songwriters Association International chapter here ("NSAI"). They brought Tim Buppert (Another Nine Minutes" - Yankee Grey) and Jerry Vandiver ("For a Little While" - Tim McGraw and many many others).
I can't possibly pass on everything I learned from these guys, but here are a few pointers (keep in mind that all of this is pretty applicable for country and may not be so for pop or other genres):
1) Don't bore us, get to the chorus.
2) Two verses are usually enough, especially if you have a bridge or break or lift (or whatever you want to call it) and the chorus repeats after it. This was a real revelation to me. I listened to country radio all weekend after the seminar. You do the same and listen carefully to the song structure for contemporary country and you will see that they are right. Listen carefully to Toby Keith’s current smash "Don’t Kiss Me Like This if You Don’t Mean it Like That." It has one verse, a chorus, a bridge, then three chorus repeats!
3) Demos: Simple guitar or piano and voice or full band? Tim and Jerry were somewhat split on this. Jerry said simple, Tim said full band. Tim’s reasoning made more sense to me. He put it this way. When you submit a demo to a Nashville publisher (in person, forget mailing it in), if they like it, they may want to pitch it. If it is not demoed with a band, they will have to do that first. If they have an appointment that day (with say Tony Brown—Garth Brooks’ manager), your great song gets left behind and somebody else’s gets taken. In other words, by providing a first class demo, you remove one obstacle for the publisher. From now on, I’m doing it!
As to "Hound Dog," thanks for the input. Here’s my take, I think it's unspoken that I am referring to both of them as housebroken, etc. and the "Lonely without you" and then referring to Blue rather than her husband is a tongue-in-cheek joke. Re-read and see if you don't get it!
Bud
Subject: Re: Hound Dog Blues
by glenray2000 | 06/13/01 at 11:21:33
I do not know how you do this song.But I put my own music to this...This is a Damm good song...Some country female artist should do this....it has drive to it and is cachy....Thats
what make a good song..GlenRay
:) :) :) :) :) :) 8) 8)
Subject: Re: Hound Dog Blues
by chadg | 06/19/01 at 04:22:38
Hey Bud -
I agree - this could be quite catchy - I thought the bridge worked very well.
So - you're really rubbing some shoulders recently - that's great!!
Someday I want to say "Hey, I know who wrote this!"
take care
chad