We both took the day off work today to have a jam and record some music, unfortunately for Alex he woke up at 4am and never got back to sleep and we had to cut short the recording part.  The jam itself was still pretty funky and we have lots of new ideas for various drum tracks; to be very honest it was nice just having a catch up with Al and just playing some guitar compared to the pressures of recording (oooooh the pressure!!!).

Anyway, today we focused on the faster version of BLICK, the ever-racuous COME ON, and a riff I’d recorded for a song tentatively entitled ‘MARVIN’.  I’d been listening to to Marvin Gaye and I often give things temporary names or something that’ll remind me of my inspiration and any particular mindset at the time of writing.  Don’t knock it, that’s my bag man!

Anyway, we quickly worked out drums and tried various tempo changes which changed it from a groove to funk and then back to groove again.  It seemed to fit rather well, in fact, I felt at the time it felt TOO familiar and it was really bugging me.  The more I kept playing it the more it felt like I’d stolen a riff or something. 

Just before we ground to a halt (Alex was pooped because of his insomnia and just couldn’t find the energy; especially after several cakes during a break) a revelation struck me.  The ‘MARVIN’ riff perfectly fit an old song that Alex had written just as I’d started doing music with him named “BUT I CARRY ON”. 

It’s a favourite of mine and I always did sod about by playing it with a slight Reggae rhythm but originally it rolled on and on like a mantra and had a very funky bassline.  Funnily enough I suggested to Alex that ‘MARVIN’ should be more like a mantra so it was genuinely spooky when I found ‘MARVIN’ fitted perfectly into the song complete with the already established chorus and middle eight.  How weird is that?!?!

So now we have something to really have a go at!  I recorded the basic riff on my webcam the other night (below) and although it’s got a few duff notes and I have my guitar face going on, it’ll give you an idea of how the riff sounds (albeit that it needs to be played at a faster tempo to fit ‘But I Carry on’).

Oh yes, and you’ll see my VERY funky new guitar strap that I bought in Kansas City. It’s nice innit?

The power of the subconscious mind?!??