Get Flash to see this player.
Description
I owe so many thanks to Gail60 for this I don't know where or how to begin. When I first learned of her and some of her piano pieces, in particular "Don't tell me you're sorry" I knew that she had serious talent. If you haven't checked out her stuff look at:
http://www.macjams.com/artist/gail60
Her music is not for everyone but it is deep, soulful and performed exquisitely. She doesn't even have the benefit of cool software and performs her stuff direct to a sampler. In effect her performances are just short of live.
I've always had a soft spot for female vocals. Something about the female voice is just wonderful to listen to and Gail is right there at the top of my favorite female vocalists. It is a shame that she can't sing and play professionally. Like most of us, she has another life, family, etc. I guess if I was rich I'd find away to let her play, sing, and compose for her living.
I knew right away I wanted her to sing something we could work together on. But as you read on (if you will) you'll find that for me composing is hard. Often I find myself trapped in endless loops of songs I've heard. Coming up with new and fresh material is difficult.
But I knew I wanted to find out if Gail and I could do something one day together. So I sat down with my guitar and etched out these words, this basic melody and I managed to do it in about 15 minutes. It is not top rate composition by any means. It was simple but to the point.
I figured this would be a trial effort. Gail and I would ping-pong it back and forth and end up with something fun, or not. I imagined it with guitar, piano, vocals, bass, maybe even strings. So I recorded a very rough version, quickly with me singing and playing a simple guitar part.
I packaged it up in an email with the words and chords below and told Gail... This is an experiment... Lets have fun with it and see what we can do. She told me she was very busy and I said, "Hey Gail... if it takes months then it takes months... just when you have the time and more importantly when you want to!"
After I had sent her the song I was actually embarrassed as my performance was so bad. I could imagine her crinkling her nose and grimacing as she listed to my weak vocals and lousy guitar work, but I promised myself that I'd get past all that and just let it all hang out and see what happened.
A few days went by and DavisAmerica (awesome artist to say the least) posted "1am with Gail60" for the Woodstock festival and after listening to that I felt even worse. DavisAmerica is another serious heavyweight with major talent and he took Gail and massaged her into a wonderful and fun piece. I sat back and thought... wow... I'm seriously outclassed here in a big way! I considered asking Gail to delete the song and forget it... I'd try again with something better.
But I kept reminding myself that I was not into music these days for the votes, the recognition or anything at all like that. I'm into it for the pure pleasure of the sound and exercising what little creativity I have. So I let it ride. Part of me expected her to let it drop, another part didn't know what to expect.
Just a few days after DavisAmerica and "1am with Gail60" was posted my mailbox was suddenly filled with a message from Gail60. She had attached an mp3 and and the subject read: "First try Mediocrity". In the text she said:
"I hope you will still be speaking to me after you listen to this."
Unfortunately work was busy and I couldn't listen right then. I was dying to... but some of you know how it goes... I finally got back to it later in the afternoon. I put my headphones on and clicked play and sat dumbfounded as Gail's amazing voice and piano had taken my lousy little creation in a direction I never could have imagined. I laughed when I read the words in her email again... The acronym ROTFLMAO comes to mind!
I know that on MacJams there is some serious talent and many can and will find faults with this song and performance. However none of you but Gail and I know how it started and how rough and really terrible the first rendition was. In my humble opinion, Gail came up to bat as a pinch hitter after I messed myself up on my first swing and hobbled off to the dugout. She proceeded to then knock the ball right out of the park.
I've listened to this a number of times trying to think of what I could add to it and frankly... I can't think of a thing! If anything Gail took what I imagined as a ping-pong effort and simply eliminated the weak artist and took him out the equation. There is nothing I could nor want to add to this gem.
So I hope after this long read that you will still give the song a listen. Gail did an amazing job on it and I'm very touched she took the time and made the effort on such a feeble little song. It just proves to me that any song, no matter how simple or stupid can be made into something wonderful when the right artist is behind it.
The subject of this song was something that has haunted me all my life, something my father predicted many years ago...
At one point in my youth I was frustrated that I could not kick, run, throw or for matter do anything better than everyone else. Oh I was good but never great and my father sat me down and said to me: "Kid you are a generalist... You'll be good at many things but not great at any one."
And his words have rung true in everything I've done.
http://www.macjams.com/artist/gail60
Her music is not for everyone but it is deep, soulful and performed exquisitely. She doesn't even have the benefit of cool software and performs her stuff direct to a sampler. In effect her performances are just short of live.
I've always had a soft spot for female vocals. Something about the female voice is just wonderful to listen to and Gail is right there at the top of my favorite female vocalists. It is a shame that she can't sing and play professionally. Like most of us, she has another life, family, etc. I guess if I was rich I'd find away to let her play, sing, and compose for her living.
I knew right away I wanted her to sing something we could work together on. But as you read on (if you will) you'll find that for me composing is hard. Often I find myself trapped in endless loops of songs I've heard. Coming up with new and fresh material is difficult.
But I knew I wanted to find out if Gail and I could do something one day together. So I sat down with my guitar and etched out these words, this basic melody and I managed to do it in about 15 minutes. It is not top rate composition by any means. It was simple but to the point.
I figured this would be a trial effort. Gail and I would ping-pong it back and forth and end up with something fun, or not. I imagined it with guitar, piano, vocals, bass, maybe even strings. So I recorded a very rough version, quickly with me singing and playing a simple guitar part.
I packaged it up in an email with the words and chords below and told Gail... This is an experiment... Lets have fun with it and see what we can do. She told me she was very busy and I said, "Hey Gail... if it takes months then it takes months... just when you have the time and more importantly when you want to!"
After I had sent her the song I was actually embarrassed as my performance was so bad. I could imagine her crinkling her nose and grimacing as she listed to my weak vocals and lousy guitar work, but I promised myself that I'd get past all that and just let it all hang out and see what happened.
A few days went by and DavisAmerica (awesome artist to say the least) posted "1am with Gail60" for the Woodstock festival and after listening to that I felt even worse. DavisAmerica is another serious heavyweight with major talent and he took Gail and massaged her into a wonderful and fun piece. I sat back and thought... wow... I'm seriously outclassed here in a big way! I considered asking Gail to delete the song and forget it... I'd try again with something better.
But I kept reminding myself that I was not into music these days for the votes, the recognition or anything at all like that. I'm into it for the pure pleasure of the sound and exercising what little creativity I have. So I let it ride. Part of me expected her to let it drop, another part didn't know what to expect.
Just a few days after DavisAmerica and "1am with Gail60" was posted my mailbox was suddenly filled with a message from Gail60. She had attached an mp3 and and the subject read: "First try Mediocrity". In the text she said:
"I hope you will still be speaking to me after you listen to this."
Unfortunately work was busy and I couldn't listen right then. I was dying to... but some of you know how it goes... I finally got back to it later in the afternoon. I put my headphones on and clicked play and sat dumbfounded as Gail's amazing voice and piano had taken my lousy little creation in a direction I never could have imagined. I laughed when I read the words in her email again... The acronym ROTFLMAO comes to mind!
I know that on MacJams there is some serious talent and many can and will find faults with this song and performance. However none of you but Gail and I know how it started and how rough and really terrible the first rendition was. In my humble opinion, Gail came up to bat as a pinch hitter after I messed myself up on my first swing and hobbled off to the dugout. She proceeded to then knock the ball right out of the park.
I've listened to this a number of times trying to think of what I could add to it and frankly... I can't think of a thing! If anything Gail took what I imagined as a ping-pong effort and simply eliminated the weak artist and took him out the equation. There is nothing I could nor want to add to this gem.
So I hope after this long read that you will still give the song a listen. Gail did an amazing job on it and I'm very touched she took the time and made the effort on such a feeble little song. It just proves to me that any song, no matter how simple or stupid can be made into something wonderful when the right artist is behind it.
The subject of this song was something that has haunted me all my life, something my father predicted many years ago...
At one point in my youth I was frustrated that I could not kick, run, throw or for matter do anything better than everyone else. Oh I was good but never great and my father sat me down and said to me: "Kid you are a generalist... You'll be good at many things but not great at any one."
And his words have rung true in everything I've done.
Leave a Comment
You must be registered and logged-in to comment.
Lyrics
Mediocrity
MRH 2008
G Em
Since I was very small
Am C D
There have been things I can't do at all
G Em
Even though I tried my best
Am C D
I wasn't half as good as all the rest
C G
And it often made me wonder
Em Am D
Would I always be this way?
C G
Mediocrity as my brother
Em Am D C
Guiding my soul through each day
At 15 father said
life as a generalist will be led
And everything that you do
Must be good enough only for you
And it often made me wonder
Would I always be this way?
Mediocrity as my limiter
Keeping my soul at bay
As the years came to pass
My life was predicted from my past.
Every word he said was true
There nothing special I can do.
And it often made me wonder
Would I always be this way?
Mediocrity as my keeper
Limiting each and every day.
Now my life is mostly through
I've found his words to me were quite untrue.
There is one thing that I do
Maybe better than the most of you.
And it often makes me wonder
Will I always be this way?
Mediocrity as my purpose
Setting the pace for me each day
I finally see it clear
Mediocrity is why I am here
It lets me focus on my life
Not being hung up on achievement hype
You see I never have to worry
if I still am at the top.
Never been there before
Mediocrity is my door stop.
C G
My life is still open
Bm C
To being what I can
C G
But I'm really very happy
D C
Mediocre is what I am
MRH 2008
G Em
Since I was very small
Am C D
There have been things I can't do at all
G Em
Even though I tried my best
Am C D
I wasn't half as good as all the rest
C G
And it often made me wonder
Em Am D
Would I always be this way?
C G
Mediocrity as my brother
Em Am D C
Guiding my soul through each day
At 15 father said
life as a generalist will be led
And everything that you do
Must be good enough only for you
And it often made me wonder
Would I always be this way?
Mediocrity as my limiter
Keeping my soul at bay
As the years came to pass
My life was predicted from my past.
Every word he said was true
There nothing special I can do.
And it often made me wonder
Would I always be this way?
Mediocrity as my keeper
Limiting each and every day.
Now my life is mostly through
I've found his words to me were quite untrue.
There is one thing that I do
Maybe better than the most of you.
And it often makes me wonder
Will I always be this way?
Mediocrity as my purpose
Setting the pace for me each day
I finally see it clear
Mediocrity is why I am here
It lets me focus on my life
Not being hung up on achievement hype
You see I never have to worry
if I still am at the top.
Never been there before
Mediocrity is my door stop.
C G
My life is still open
Bm C
To being what I can
C G
But I'm really very happy
D C
Mediocre is what I am
Feter
woooooo ...sweet Amarillo Gail ..this is so magical
the theme so awesome and sure the singin so angelic
as always...i love it ..I love it !!!