The ARENA Part 4 - Love Potion

Hello folks, back again with some Love Potion - sit back, take a sip, enjoy...

The chorus of this song actually came to me in a dream last year when I was performing a one-month solo residency at a hotel in Thailand. Not that I was falling asleep on stage of course.....in case you were wondering... but in between performances, they gave me this beautiful room with an enourmous double bed, very conducive to dreaming about choruses in fact. Especially after playing a gig for 4 hours in a bar by the beach.

I say the "chorus", but all I got was the line "You make me wanna drink that Love Potion". Where did it come from? Who knows, but there it was. At another time and place, I may have ignored that sort of thing and never really done anything with it, but free from distractions and with a day to kill on the coast of Phuket, I figured it was worth trying to turn it into a song... A few hours later, and after yet another outrageously good all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast, I had the basic gist of where it was going, then it was a matter of refining the song over the next week or so. I wouldn't say there was a whole lot of "refining" going on mind you - just enough to make it sound listenable. This was a song I had started in a dream after all, so I didn't want to be over-complicating it too much. Essentially, I was trying to make it feel like I was almost still asleep - I guess as some representation of where the song first started.

The lyrics themselves I wouldn't say required too much attention - have a listen and you will see what I mean there. In keeping with the overall feel of the song, I tried not to agonise too much over the words, just ran with whatever came to me first (and seemed to fit in). Sometimes I can think for days and even weeks about a word or a phrase in one line of a song. I would do it quicker if I could believe me, but it's purely a personal thing, and I am prepared to play the same line over and over again in my head until the right words come to me. It's always worth it when you get the one you were looking for.

In keeping with the "dreamy" feel of the song itself, I tried not to over-think things with the recording, so it didn't really depart too far from the original acoustic version. I have a special attachment to this song because I started from scratch and created the whole thing myself - not an incredible feat by any means in the overall history of self-produced records, but significant because I was trusting myself to play all the instruments for the first time. In the end, this song probably also gave me the confidence to play more different instruments on other tracks as the recording progressed.

Having said all that, there wasn't really too much to do - once the acoustic guitar was down then I layered a few different percussion tracks (nearly said "Drums" there, although technically not a drum credit because I wasn't playing a "kit"... one day I'll figure that one out...), then the bass, and finally a couple of electric guitar parts that drift in and out in a sort of mock relationship throughout the song. (You might be interested to know that I used one of my mother's old lipstick canisters for the "slide" guitar part - that was the best thing I could find in the house... it really doesn't sound great, but it works... ). I think there is a keyboard in there as well, but it's so low in the mix that I can't remember what I played. As for the harmonies, they are all me too - a Renny overkill perhaps? Well probably, but that's why I got the girls in for the other songs!

Anyway that's it for this week. Next week Crossfire.

Cheers,

Renny

PS - If you listen really closely in the quiet parts, you can here the crickets outside the window of my studio.

PPS - Album Launch is booked in. Check the gig guide for all the info. Would love to see you there.

---------------------------------------------

.. .. .. .. .. .. ....

LOVE POTION....

....

I’m not a soldier, I’m not a saint

And just some combination of these things I’d like to think I ain’t

I’ve spent a lifetime trying to get to know myself

Now I’ve gone and put that person on the shelf

....

Cause you make me wanna drink that love potion

Like it was going out of style

I’d come for you across the greatest ocean

Just to hold you one more time

....

I’m not a loser, I’m not a star

I guess I’m somewhere in between those two but I ain’t ever sure how far

I’ve spent a lifetime trying to work these damn things out

But I could learn to love the middle ground with you about

....

Cause you make me wanna drink that love potion….

One more time.

One more time.

....

Now nothing can hold me down, cause this feeling just hangs around

And I’ve had this dream before, but I don’t wanna sleep no more.

....

Cause you make me wanna drink that love potion…

One more time.

One more time.

....

Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Percussion, Keyboard - Renny

THE ARENA Part 3 - Molly Mae

THE ARENA Part Three - Molly Mae

Well look at that – two songs with girls' names, and I’ve stuck them right next to each other. It seemed only fair that they got to enjoy each other’s company for the rest of time – I’m sure in real life they would be great mates. In comparison to Sarah, Molly Mae was a little less of a metaphor and a little more based on a real person to begin with, although in the final analysis it’s not as specific as I sometimes make it out to be. Really, it’s about that mysterious person that catches your eye – be it on the bus, on the train, at the supermarket, at the bar, or perhaps working at the café down the road – you know what I mean – the type that you never really meet, but who nonetheless warrants a little more attention than the rest. We’ve all had someone like that cross our path from time to time – I guess this is my way of explaining the situation through music.

There is, therefore, an element of fantasy in this song – the thought of “what if you and me could get together one day” - but at the same time there is the inherent realisation that the “fantasy” can exist only as a result of a corresponding defeatist mentality, whereby you are acutely aware that it would never actually happen. I’ve had this discussion with people in the past – the common view is that if your “Molly Mae” (whoever it might be) ever progressed beyond that initial point of admiration, it would ruin the whole experience.

Recording Molly Mae was a real sticking point at first, because I never really knew what I wanted to do with it. The pre-production sessions were basically concentrated on getting the bass and drums right, and not much else. But whereas with the other songs, I had some idea in my mind of how I wanted them to sound in the end, Molly Mae for a long time never progressed passed the point of being a good little ditty – fun to play live, a song people seemed to like, but lacking something production-wise.

In a solo setting, I always found the dynamic of song seemed to work, so I knew I probably didn’t have to change too much when the band came into the equation – it was just a matter of adding something interesting that gave it a bit of “pizzazz” (for want of better term). Enter the organ…

I had borrowed Kent Eastwood’s (fellow Sydney artist) Nord 2 keyboard for a couple of weeks, and I decided to dig up a dirty organ sound and run it through my old Traynor guitar amp. I couldn’t tell you why I made either decision, but once I started jamming the fun began. And the frustration I might add, because I had never really tried to play an “organ” part before, and if the truth be known I had little or no idea what I was doing. But as the hours ticked by, the part began to make sense, and the whole song began to take on a bit of a “novelty” feel. There was a chance I was going too far, but this organ-through-the-amp thing was sounding just crazy enough to be kind of cool, and in any case I was having a great old time getting the part together. As for the next door neighbours, I can’t be sure if they were feeling the love, but in my defence I did go and apologise when I was done.

The backing singers (or the “oooh bop bop” girls as I like to call them) were almost a matter of course once the organ was in there doing its thing. Again, I’m not sure where the idea came from, but in the spirit of trial and error I was all of a sudden running back and forth to the microphone, trying to produce the best “ooh bop” girl I could come up with, and layering up a three-part harmony to run throughout the song. When I had settled on all the parts, I was stoked. It was a bit wacky sure, but even though the ideas were from left field, I was happy that it seemed to have changed the song for the better. In my mind anyway, I’d captured the type of mood that the song evoked when I was first writing it – that playful aspect of the relationship I described above – and I suppose that’s what was missing up to this point. Judging by other people’s first reactions (pretty much everyone I played it to), it could be argued that I had lost the plot slightly, but then again sitting in a little room by yourself for days on end can do that to you. And slowly but surely, they are all coming around to it… Just as I did!

To add the finishing touches, Sarah Humphreys and Sam Buckingham came in to help me re-do the backing vocals (there is still one “Renny” in the Ooooh bob bob girls….), and I dug up my old mate – the Clarinet – to add a final little melody to the last chorus. I may not have lived up to the school’s expectations on the old clarinet, but as it turns out I had learned to play it well enough to put a wacky little part at the back end of Molly Mae, so I suppose I must have been paying attention at some point. Finally, a bit of tambourine seemed to be in order so I've done my best "Oooh Bop bop" girl impersonation with that too... Rumours still circulate that it was on this song that I broke my “clap free zone” rule for this album, but I cannot confirm or deny these reports. No comment.

Anyway, enjoy “Molly Mae”.

And guess what – it’s the first single! (See below for details of the launch).

See you next week for some Love Potion.

Cheers,

Renny

(Against my prediction, it tuns out this was longer than last week. Typical...)

------------------------------------

MOLLY MAE

Oh Molly Mae, you look like a simple girl

I like the way you talk and the way you move

But I hate what you’ve done to my world

I gotta tell you, oh listen babe,

You got me licking all my wounds

Oh what I’d give, if I could put the same spell on you

....

Baby I could use you around, but man I’m such a hopeless clown

If you build me a bridge I’ll probably burn it down

....

Oh Molly Mae, you know I’m just a simple man

Yeah I ain’t that rich and I ain’t that flash,

But I promise that I’d love you just the best that I can

Believe me, I only need a fighting chance,

But please forgive me sweet, I got two left feet

So don’t you try making me dance

....

Baby I could use you around, Oh Molly I could use you know

So build me a bridge and I’ll try not to burn it down

....

Oh Molly Mae I will not do you wrong

Cause girl you know your sweetness wrote this song

I’ll stand in line forever if that’ll take me to the head of the queue.

It’s a damn small price to pay to get to you.

....

Oh Molly Mae, maybe I’m headed for a fall

Yeah but I’m fine with that, I’ll just keep on coming

My heads never been shy of that big brick wall, oh baby

I’m gonna keep banging away

Till that wall starts breaking, the earth starts shaking

And maybe you’ll stop and hear what I’m saying

....

Baby I’ve figured it out, just as soon as that wall comes down,

I’ll build us a bridge we can follow it right out of town

Baby I could use you around, oh Molly I could use you now

So let’s build us a bridge, we can follow it right out of town

I’ll build us a bridge, we can follow it right out of town

Yeah I’ll build us a bridge we can follow

Right out of town.

....

Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Organ, Percussion, Clarinet - Renny

Drums – Matt Field

Bass – Pat Savina

Backing Vocals – Sarah Humphreys, Sam Buckingham

THE ARENA Part 2 - Sarah

Hi again, time for another new song. If the first one didn't scare you off... I certainly hope not, there are still 12 more to go after this. Anyway...

Everyone always asks me the same question about this song. "Who is Sarah"? Well believe it or not, it's actually not about a girl, but about contentment and happiness. I sometimes liken "contentment" in this case (mostly when I am trying to explain it at my shows) to sitting on your balcony when you are 85 years old, smoking a cigar on your rocking chair, staring off into the distance, looking back on your life and thinking "F.... that was good". It's a rough analogy sure, but it's the best I can do, and it's the one that came to me first. And you've got to admit, if you were in that situation, it would feel pretty good!

The song could have been called anything really, it's just that - for whatever reason - "Sarah" was the first word that came out of my mouth when I started writing it. I wondered at the time if there was a reason for that, but I can't say there was. Only problem being - "Sarah, shine your little light on me" seemed to be such a good fit for the opening line, that I didn't want to change that part. And lots of people have songs called Sarah - why should I miss out on the fun?! She seems to be a popular choice...

In one sense then I made the song a bit of a metaphor. I like to think if you listen in the context of Sarah being happiness/contentment that it makes some sense. On another level I suppose it's a bit of a love song - at least based on my idea of love, and the place it comes from. The beauty, and ultimately the simplicity of that emotion. I have often thought of love and happiness as going hand in hand, and maybe that's the best explanation I can give about how this song came together.

Like most of the tracks on this album, I really had no idea how I would make it sound something like I had imagined it should. Being the first time I had produced anything, this feeling of hopelessness was something I was coming to terms with. Fortunately Matt and Pat had laid down some great drum and bass tracks to start with (the same process I used for all the band songs), and the maestro himself Carl St Jaques had given me some beautiful Viola takes to work with. Over time, through a process of trial and error, the music started to make a bit more sense, the arrangements started to come to life, and the whole thing slowly (very slowly) started to sound like something worth listening to. Which is a fairly important part of the equation you would have to say... By the time Sarah and Sam came over to sing the BV's, I was confident I was on the right track.

In the final analysis, there are still some things I could have done better, but the end result was an improvement on what I had expected. And whatever imperfections there may be, they are all worth it for the final chorus - which I think is my favourite section of any song on the whole album. A big call maybe, but it was the first time I had a "yes yes yes - there it is, there it is!! (fist punches the air)" moment in my studio, and maybe for that reason I will always have a special attachement to it...

Lyrics below. Have a listen and see what you think.

Next week - Track 3 - Molly Mae. (I can't imagine the description will be as long as this....)

Cheers,

Renny

(In case you're wondering, I will leave the songs up for two weeks at a time. So they'll still be there if you miss a week. Cheers!).

----------------------------------------

SARAH

Sarah, shine your little light on me
I’m waiting in the garden, I’m wandering through the trees so aimlessly
Can we lay down just you and me so I never have to leave

Sarah, come speak your sweet language to me
Come and whisper in my ear so the words you say are clearer than my dictionary
Can we lay down just you and me underneath the willow tree
If I found you here with me, you know I’d never have to leave

If you sing by yourself I won’t hear you
I can live by myself, but it’s better to be near you.
Oh Sarah can we walk, through the fields, by the stream
Sarah can we walk, just the two of us
The way it was meant to be

Sarah, shine your little light on me
Come find me in the garden, you’d fit here in the trees so perfectly
Can we lay down just you and me so I never have to leave

If you sing by yourself, I won’t hear you.
I can live by myself, but it’s better to be near you.
Oh Sarah can we walk, through the fields, by the stream

If you sing by yourself, I won’t hear you
I can live by myself, but it’s so much better with you
Oh Sarah can we walk, through the fields, by the stream
Sarah can we walk, just the two of us

The way it was meant to be

You know I’d never have to leave


Vocals, Acoustic Guitars, Piano, Keyboards, Percussion, Glock – Renny
Drums – Matt Field
Bass – Pat Savina
Backing Vocals – Sarah Humphreys, Sam Buckingham
Violas – Carl St Jaques
Violas arranged by Renny Field and Carl St Jaques

THE ARENA Part 1 - Iron Will

If you've logged on for the first time and you are wondering what this is all about, then best to check out the previous blog and that will give you a bit more info.

As mentioned, I'll be posting a track each week from the new album "The Arena". A bit of a preview before the record is released in October.

IRON WILL:

Iron Will, the first song on the album, is also the oldest song on the album. I wrote it 5 years ago in fact - at a very different time in my life, but it still remains one of my favourites. Unfortunately I came up with some obscure tuning for this song, so I don't often play it live because I figure people don't really need to hear me tuning the guitar for ten minutes every show... And it's the only song I ever really play in that tuning. Those of you interested, its D-F#-D-E-A-C#. How it works, I am not exactly sure...

I wanted to start with a solo track on this album because essentially that's how all the songs started off - just voice and guitar. Me in the bedroom. In recent years I have really tried to make a point of writing songs that work on their own, because often I am touring around just solo with my guitar. Whereas a lot of the other songs however have really come to life with the band, this one is a little unique - every time we have ever tried playing it with the band it hasn't really worked. I am not sure why that is, perhaps it will one day. But for the time being, I am happy playing it by myself, and it was a nice fit for the opening track.

As an aside, I figured out just the other day that when I was recording this song my guitar was not actually IN tune. Relative to itself yes, but relative to the rest of the world of tuning not really... An odd mistake on my part you would have to say... I must have picked up the guitar at home and figured it sounded ok, so I ran with it. Hey it was very late at night, and I didn't want to take too long in case I woke up the next door neighbours. For those of you with perfect pitch, this might be annoying to listen to... For the other 99.9% of the population (myself included), I think it still works.

Thanks to my brother, who pretty much insisted that I put this song on the album. It didn't make the cut for the last CD - funny how things work out...

Next week - "Sarah".

See you then.

Renny

-------

IRON WILL:

Iron will, you think that’ll get you through

Drink your fill, there’s no more that you can do

Rest your frame on me.

Make the most of someone else’s company.

No-one’s gonna judge you.

....

Will of steel, staring at the ocean in front of you

How does it feel when you’re camped out on the rocks

Watching the tide come in to get you

If you don’t articulate what you’re thinking

How you gonna stop yourself from sinking

Let it all go. No-one’s gonna judge you.

Let it all go. No-one’s gonna judge you.

....

Why would you settle for this, like it was meant to happen

You should be shaking your fists, not pretending it doesn’t matter

I know it feels safer inside, but what’s the use in living with something to hide

....

How can you keep that same face, like you have no emotion

I want you to feel my embrace, but you’re numb from your magic potion

You don’t need to hurt any more

So do yourself a favour, let someone in the door

No-one’s gonna judge you.

....

Iron will, you think that’ll make things better

Quiet still, not happy with discussing the state of the weather

But this cloud will rain like any other

And an iron will won’t give you any better cover

....

Let it all go, no-one’s gonna judge you

Let it all go, no one’s gonna judge you.

....

....

Vocals and Guitar – Renny

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Random Touring Story - As promised...

The Locomotive Hotel, Junee. Sat 25th July 2009.

(This is true. No I did not make it up. It really happened...)

After a mad dash up the Olympic Highway to Junee (the game of golf in Albury took a little longer than expected), I arrived in Junee for my second show at the Locomotive Hotel. Aptly named - it is right beside the train tracks. But then again, everything is right beside the tracks in Junee - that's was the main industry in the town for many years. Railroads.

Anyway, as I enter the pub, it's quite clear that trains are the last things on anyone's mind. The local rugby league team has returned from their match in the afternoon - a draw against Narrandera. So there's not the celebratory "get wasted" vibe that accompanies a victory, there's not the down-hearted "get wasted" vibe that accompanies a loss, instead there is the "get wasted for the hell of it just because it's a Saturday night and what else would we do anyway" vibe that accompanies a draw. If you hadn't figured it out, they don't mind a beer in Junee. But I suppose that's not so different from most small towns.

The country pub gigs are interesting, but I love them because there's always some amusing tales that you end up with at the end of the night. Each venue has it's own "magic" about it. In Junee, I set up below 4 TAB screens (actually 3 TAB and a Fox Sports TV), which get turned down to a low volume whilst I am playing, but they are not COMPLETELY off. So there is just enough noise to remind you that certain patrons are probably more interested in the greyhounds. But that's cool - they are paying me.

The last time I played in Junee, every 5 minutes someone would request "Flame Trees" by Jimmy Barnes. This is a great song, but I didn't know it. Which I kept telling them of course, it's just that they REALLY wanted to hear it. So on this occasion, I had prepared "Flame Trees", and gave it my best effort. Twice at the pub, and 5 times at the house part I went to afterwards (I am getting to that - that's the good bit).

You've always got to be careful at the "Loco" (by name, by nature?), because there is no "Stage" so to speak - you are on ground level with everyone else. So when I am playing a particularly well known cover song, and various Juneeans decide they would like to dance, I always have to keep an eye out for the odd stray arm or leg that flies into my microphone stand, thus thrusting the microphone itself straight towards my mouth. If it weren't for my lightning reflexes, it's very possible I may have left Junee without any teeth. But hey that's all part of the fun.

So, if you're up for a character-building exercise, and a good laugh, then I thoroughly recommend going to play a show at The Loco in Junee. They even put your name on the big poster out the front. It's awesome.

On this particular night, the fans of Flame Trees apparently wanted to hear more when it came to closing time, so they invited me back to their house to play for a few more hours at the after-party. Having given up the alcohol, this is an interesting proposition. I am stone cold sober, and I have been asked to go to a house at 12.30am to play cover songs for a few more hours to a room full of wasted people. However, there is a cash incentive on offer, and I figure I haven't got much to lose - at the very least it's another story to tell. And really the people in Junee, wasted or otherwise, are a pretty good crew - it was worth giving it a go.

Half an hour later, I had packed up my things, found the house, and I was sitting in front of the fire with the aforementioned room full of wasted people playing a whole bunch of requests - songs I don't really know but I can do a good enough job of figuring out. Including Flame Trees of course. It's a really great song - did I mention that?

At some stage of the night, and I can't remember when exactly, it became apparent to me that most of the people in the room had stepped outside for a cigarette. An interesting observation, because we weren't in the pub any more, so there was no real need for anyone to go outside, but they did anyway. A polite gesture for a wasted rugby player you would have to agree... But I digress...

So yes - most of the people were outside. In fact, there were just 4 audience members remaining. And me playing one of the classics. A one hit wonder of some sort I am assuming - I can't really remember. I wish I could, but perhaps I have erased it from memory on account of the circumstances that unfolded.

Anyway I am about half way through the song, and one of these blokes decides, in all his wisdom, that to simply dance and sing along is not enough, and the experience would be so much better with his pants around his ankles. Not the full monty fortunately - just the jeans.

So there I am - playing a cheesy cover song to 4 blokes dancing and singing along - one of whom has his jeans around his ankles... In itself, probably the most bizarre gig experience I have ever had. What I wasn't prepared for was the next part.

The other 3 followed suit!

You

have

to

be

kidding

me...

So now - if you can picture it - I am singing a song in a random house in Junee. In the wee hours of the morning. In a room with 4 blokes dancing and singing along with beer in hand. All with their pants around their ankles. This is surely something that could only happen in Australia. Come on.

I would say I was speechless, but somehow I managed to finish the song, at which point the jeans were pulled back up and the four of them all left the room like nothing had ever happened. And shortly after, the rest of the party returned, and everything was back to "normal". I played for another hour or so, threw in a triple encore of flame trees, said my thankyous, then took off back to Wagga where I was staying.

I remember looking around whilst "the incident" (shall we say) was taking place, just to check if there was anyone else around who was witnessing the situation. But I never saw another soul. It's like everyone else at the house had vacated the room just so me and the four dudes with their jeans around their ankles could have our special moment together. On reflection, I am not exactly sure why I kept playing. Was it the old "Show must go on" mentality that kept me going? It's hard to say. In any case, I don't imagine I will ever have another gig experience quite like it.

Well here's hoping anyway. I think once is enough...

Then again, if they were the Miss Australia contestants....

OK that'll do me.

Anyone for a trip to Junee next time round?

Introducing THE ARENA

Hi Everyone. I am still alive.

Well I honestly wasn't sure if I'd ever make it to this point but my third Album, "The Arena" is pretty much ready to go. A few bits and pieces to sort out before it gets pressed up, but as far as the music is concerned, my work is done! It's a big relief after what has been an extremely challenging year trying to self-produce for the first time. Holed up in my home studio at Avalon, I did often wonder if I would ever emerge... What's it like? Well I reckon it's ok. Here's the first review in fact:

"Enough highs to make it interesting. Not enough lows to make it crap."

Renny Field.

In truth, there are moments where I can't believe how good it sounds, and there are moments where it hasn't quite ended up the way I intended it to, but it all comes together to create something I am proud of. And I suppose that's the most important part.

"The Arena" will be out through MGM distribution in October, and to promote the release I will be putting up one new track each week on myspace. There are 14 tracks in total - that will take us through to the start of the launch tour in November (dates to be announced soon). I suppose it's like a sneak preview, although that always sounds a lot grander than it actually is.... In any case, it's a chance for you to have a listen to some songs you have never heard. And some others you might have heard, but which now sound a lot different to the solo versions that have been in circulation to this point.

Together with the music, each week I will post the lyrics, along with a bit of information about the song, where it came from and how it was recorded. It might give you some idea of how the album came together, and what it's all about. Something to look forward to at the start of each week? Well I guess that depends on what you think of it...

Hope you enjoy "The Arena".

Stay tuned for more updates and info in the coming weeks.

And a few stories... It's been a while since my last touring tale...

Cheers,

Renny