From about 1985 to 2002, my late wife and I wrote and produced a mixed bag of songs in an attempt to break into the commercial songwriting field. The first songs were adaptations of songs from my musicals, but as time went on, we began to branch out into dance, pop, soul, and even semi-gospel. I would work around an idea of Aileen’s, she would then tweek it until she liked it. In the recording studio I was in charge of the tracks and the vocal arrangements while Aileen handled improv instructions and all the final mastering.
The singers we used were from a group of background singers who were featured on a Mariah Carey album. Since the album was recorded in Emeryville, at Fantasy Studios, we hired the same singers and gave them a chance to shine on their own
Back-To-Back-To-Back: In the late 80’s I got an idea for a song about the LA Lakers and their quest for a third straight championship. I sent a home demo (now long lost) to the Lakers only to discover that the wife of one of their players (James Worthy) had already written a team song.
In 1991, the San Francisco 49’rs were going for their 3rd straight championship. So, we dusted off the song, revised the lyrics, and hired some talent (Larry Batiste among others) to re-do it. I then took cassette copies down the 49’rs camp and used rubber bands to secure them to the windshield wipers of the players’ cars. I was then asked to leave the facility and not come back.
A couple of days later, the team called and said they loved the song, but did not want to release it until the team had won the divisional championship game. The team paid for the boxes of cassettes that sat waiting at the local Tower Records stores. KGO, the voice of the team, played the song on New Year’s Day. What could go wrong?
The Niners lost. Most of the cassettes were destroyed (but I still have a few!) By the way, the trumpet solo in the middle section was played by Aileen!
The Berlin Wall: I think, our very first song. We were working with Ian Crombie, a songwriter/producer who ran the Northern California Songwriters Association. They would host LA producers on song screening nights. Brutal. Play 12 seconds of a song and get a “nah”. I always volunteered to drive the producer, thus guaranteeing at least a 20 second listen.
“The Berlin Wall” came from a musical I wrote in 1988. Back then the song was called “The Angry Young” and it was about a group of adults in the future (2018 reflecting on how they changed the world. Aileen saw a contemporary twist to the song, thus, “The Berlin Wall.”) I think it sounds awesome! For those who remember, this is heavily influenced by Midnight Oil, a spectacular Australian group with a heavy political attitude.
This version is a re-master done by Ian Crombie. Ian is also the lead vocalist.
Can’t Handle It: This is pretty much a straight ahead dance song. Lead vocals by Larry Batiste, improvs by Jeannie Tracy, and background vocals by an East Bay gospel choir, it comes across almost like a religious experience. I imagine that we were marketing the song to an Alexander O’Neal type singer. Check out the synth bass part!
Colors Of Your Heart: A pretty little song sung by Brenda Holloway. I think we produced this in our home studio. I really like the En Vogue style harmonies.
Dekadance A Capella: A truly wonderful mash of a song. Aileen wrote the lyrics and chose the bass line (Stevie Wonder’s Superstition), I did the rest including singing DEKADANCE several hundred times (no sampling). Aileen liked my vocal arrangement so much that she mastered an a capella version.
The lead singer is Dooney Jones with Jeannie Tracy doing improvs. I did the repetitive background parts.
Dexter’s Theme: Around the early 80’s, stations started showing a music video show called CMC, the California Music Channel. Hosted by Richard Blade, it featured some awesome early music videos. I started watching in 1983 while teaching in Southern California. It had a tremendous influence on me, not only because it exposed me to Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson, The Thompson Twins, Bananrama, and on and on and on, but because it also featured some truly amazing instrumentals. I particularly remember Neil Larsen and Carlos Alomar as being just awesome.
Aileen like to rename pieces after the music producer she wanted to impress. Dexter’s Theme is a 6/8 romp from beginning to end. While I did use a drum machine for the basic patterns, everything else was played live. You can even hear my left hand part get “tired” towards the end. Cross rhythms, poly-rhythms, and hemiola are used extensively.
The middle section was supposed to be a flamenco guitar solo, however, Aileen, who could really play trumpet, wanted to play it also.
Do The Rite Thing: Did I ever compose a funkier groove? Aileen’s lyrics are spacey enough. Add a spoken verse with great improvs in the background…oh, and not to mention the battery of interesting percussion. The soul breakdown in the middle is strangely effective. Dooney Jones on lead vocals. This wasn’t for a particular artist. I think that we were actually exploring becoming our own production company.
Get Over It: Another one of Aileen’s songs that features a “tough” girl. The opening is definitely like a remix of a Madonna style song. The recording is so well done, I’m pretty sure it was recorded at Fantasy Studios in Emeryville. Nice understated drums with a subtle bass and floating strings. The song is kind of unlike anything else we ever did.
I Remember (A Tribute to Molly Drake and Nick Drake):
This is my cover version of a very wonderful song. You can skip right to the recording, or, read the background (which I really hope is interesting.)
In 1971, I did what I often did with my tip money from the Hot Shoppes Cafeteria, I spent it on albums at the EJ Korvette across the street. Quite frequently I bought an LP based solely on the cover. That’s when I saw the first US release of Nick Drake. That impulse buy was genius. I followed his career until his death in 1974 (age 26). His music has been part of the soundtrack of my life for 50 years. I invite you to take time to explore his work for yourselves.
Now, about this song. This is not by Nick Drake. It is by his mother Molly Drake. Molly was an unpublished poet and songwriter who did record a number of her songs. I’m pretty sure it was my son Parick who first sent me a link to an issue of Molly Drake’s songs. I REMEMBER was an immediate favorite with me. Imagine my surprise when I heard the song at the end of a Ted Lasso episode!
A few people have covered the song, but I figured, why not me. Enjoy!
Love Is Your Reward: Something that Aileen liked to do was use a spiritual in the public domain, and have me “ghost” it. This meant I had to recreate the version she wanted to use, note for note, (Go Tell It On A Mountain) then replace each part with something similar, then start moving things around. What we ended up with was a very familiar sounding song. The singers were from the East Bay community of gospel singers.
Mambo: I am not sure that this song belongs with the others. Oh, it’s good, but it’s origin and purpose was far different than our commercially oriented stuff.
I had a friend/colleague who was getting married and wanted her gift to her new husband to be a song! She asked me to write one. I interviewed her for a while and then she said…”He makes me feel like a mambo.”
I have zero experience writing latin grooves, but I am a quick learner, so I made it happen. Vocals are by my colleague, Aileen, my son Jon, his friend, and myself.
NYE 2023: All I had of this very old instrumental was a very scratchy analog recording. The song was written on New Year’s Eve, hmm, maybe 1988? The original instrument sounds were from the Roland Mt-32, an absolutely miraculous piece of early consumer-level desktop music making. This version is a faithful re-creation using the sound library of EastWest sounds. Again, an unbelievable resource for musicians these days.
PCH 1: The title stands for Pacific Coast Highway 1, and is meant to represent the awesome feeing I got just driving what may be, the most beautiful road in America. Again in 6/8 (a really flexible and fun meter), PCH 1 never goes too far. I’m pretty sure it was inspired by a piece by Neil Larsen titled Alborada.
Peace On Earth: This is probably the finest example of Aileen’s way of putting together a song. It has all her elements. Most important are the singers. She loved gospel singers, and through a connection at her work, we began to work a great deal with some brilliantly talented musicians.
Peace On Earth uses two familiar songs, Amen, and Ode To Joy. The featured singers were Jeanie Tracy and Skyler Jett.
Reggie’s Theme: As I mentioned previously, Aileen liked to rename pieces. I am pretty sure this was originally called Orange Park, after a playground in South San Francisco where I used to take my two sons to play. I think my influence was Carlos Alomar whose “Dream Generator” album was the first CD I ever owned! I played the opening track “Hallucinations” over and over.
Someday, We’ll All Go Home: I had a colleague who opened up about his HIV status. At that time, late 80’s, I considered this tantamount to a terminal prognosis. A number of years earlier, while working at a southern California boarding school, a colleague died of “pneumonia.” While teaching in San Francisco I was present when the nascent AIDS QUILT was first displayed in our church. The quilt included the name and team colors of a player (Washington) I admired, and here it was, on a quilt, that he too had died of “pneumonia”.
This song was a gut reaction. Over the years I have written at least 5 songs about going home. I actually sang this at a chapel service. When Aileen heard it she immediately thought it could be something special.
The arrangement, as one singer told me, was straight out of The Dixie Hummingbirds. The lead singer, Dooney Jones, had a voice that transcended gender, so that the recording is there for all.
Reputation: I threw everything in! From here and now, it kind of sounds like the Thomson Twins remixed a Madonna. Again with the insanely gated snare drum. The xylophone sounds pretty cool. I love the breakdown near the end. And of course, a nice measure of Pet Shop Boys.
I remember having an issue with one specific line in Aileen’s lyric…”He’s a Romeo, every girl’s his Juliet.” Romeo is a good image! It didn’t fit the song’s message. But when we asked women about the use of the name “Romeo” they universally gave it a negative connotation. Romeo = Player. So the lyric stayed.
Someone Who Believes In Me: A pretty nice power ballad. I particularly like the key changes which, all in all, seem very natural. The singer is Jeanie Tracy. As in many of our songs, Aileen has taken a contemporary thought and wrapped it in a Gospel feel.
Listening to the song again, I actually think it may be the best recording we ever did. Everything sets up so nicely: understated drums…synth bass…background vocals…all good.
Starting All Over Again: I didn’t like the title, but now I get it. This song is another attempt at a Babyface groove. I think the best thing here is the singer. If I recall, this was the first time we worked with the incredible Skyler Jett. …such a smooth voice.
About this time I started to think that I could really arrange vocals. The chorus still sounds really nice. Really cute moment when the song seems to end, but, then, it starts all over again!
Stronger: Aileen had a friend in New York who was looking to start a career as a Cyndi Lauper/Toni Basil/ Jane Wiedlin style singer. She asked me to co-write two contrasting songs. Our friend, Lu Push wrote the lyrics. I sent the MIDI files to her producer and they recorded the tracks. I’m not sure I like what they did but they are part of our songwriting legacy.
Tell Me What I’ve Got To Do: When we were just starting, we kept getting the same advice…know who you’re writing for. So somehow we were able to connect this song from a musical with, maybe, uh, Whitney Houston?
The song is a ballad from a musical adaptation of Animal Farm. It’s original tile was Snowball’s Lament, sung by poor Snowball who just can’t get Napoleon to play by the rules. With a little tweaking we made into a respectable ballad, even including a musical quotation from a Whitney Houston song! I believe it is Brenda Holloway singing. The gated snare really…really dates the song….and those electronic tom-toms…oh my! The song does have one of my favorite lines…”I’m so tired of being right, and alone.”
U Can’t Fight Fate: A straight ahead dance song featuring Skyler Jett. The sound is right out of the Motown/Philly vibe, particularly Poison by Bell, Biv, Devoe. That’s Aileen singing the background part in the chorus.
We Ain’t What We Was: A Capella Version: Aileen wanted to write a tribute song for MLK day. She asks me if there was a song that we could use as the basis. I mentioned “Wade In The Water” and off we went. The title comes from a speech Dr. King gave several times, including in the very church/school I worked in. We found the audio of the quote and plugged it in. Of course we were aware of the ramifications of using material without consent, but our idea was to get consent once the MLK’s estate heard the song. And it is a really cool song.
The a capella version features just about every singer we worked with. Aileen loved to work with the engineer to make over-the-top mixes. The B-section is a re-working of a shoe commercial, but for the life of me I can’t remember which brand. The full version has a really lovely, calm section after Dr. King’s speech.
What Comes Next: I really had not listened to this song in years, but I was really surprised by some of the very good work here. While the instrument sounds are quite dated, the chords, beat, and melodic lines are nice. How about that little piano solo? The song is a look at Babyface’s “Tender Lover”.
I believe that this is Brenda Holloway singing.
Wired: This was the second track I wrote for Aileen’s New York friend. It is a pretty obvious take-off of Jane Weidlin’s “World on Fire“. I normally don’t ghost songs this literally but this is what she wanted.
You Can’t Fool Me: Aileen was from Queens, NY, and always saw herself as a tough street kid. She made it a point to incorporate contemporary slang and phrases in her songs. It drove me crazy. To me, shoddy grammar was just horrible. But, that’s where we differed.
My contribution on this track is a really cool muted pick guitar part. Aileen’s contribution is a build-up of vocals that leads to a break down with a whole bunch of parts going on. Here we were writing for a Paula Abdul style of performer with a Babyface grove. The moan you hear in the background is me.
I once told my brother that when a song fades out, it means the song writer/producer didn’t know how to end it. Yea, well.
Sean Breen 