SurlyMac's One Man Band

We had some fun with this one, entertaining Pete (the Cat) AND my next door neighbor...

If we're not all nuked (or starved) today is the first day of Spring Training for Major League Baseball.

John Mayer’s 2006 album “Continuum” is one of my favorites - here’s a presentation of “I’m Gonna Find Another You” (track 12). I found a karaoke version of the song (owned by Platinum Karaoke Sing Along) on YouTube , changed it to the key of G and recorded the vocal + some Seydel C blues harp in Logic Pro 10.5.1 on my recently purchased refurbished iMac. I simply moved my new audio tracks onto the Platinum Karaoke video. My old computer gave up the ghost when the SSD I’d installed crashed and burned; getting the (slightly) newer machine was cheaper than tearing up the old one and it runs a more modern macOS/Logic Pro X. Of course, that means the 32-bit Logic Pro plugins I’ve used for years no longer function so the vocal effects are a work in progress.

"Waiting On The World To Change" - Inspired by Taj Mahal and Keb ‘Mo (original song by John Mayer, released 2006) Me and my friends We're all misunderstood They say we stand for nothing And there's no way we ever could Now we see everything that's going wrong With the world and those who lead it We just feel like we don't have the means To rise above and beat it (* - +back-up dudes…) *So we keep on waiting, yeah Waiting on the world to change * We keep on waiting, Waiting on the world to change It's hard to be persistent When we're standing at a distance *So we keep on waiting, yeah Waiting on the world to change (megaphone guy) Now if we had the power To bring our neighbors home from war They would've never missed a Christmas No more ribbons on their door And when you trust your television What you get is what you got 'Cause when they own the information Oh, they can bend it all they want *That's why we're waiting, yeah Waiting on the world to change *We keep on waiting, yeah Waiting on the world to change Not that we don't care We just know that the fight ain't fair *So we keep on waiting, yeah Waiting on the world to change Harp break (plus non-sensical, censored scat-man…) And we're still waiting, yeah Waiting on the world to change *Keep on waiting, yeah Waiting on the world to change One day, the younger generation Is gonna rule the population * So we keep on waiting, yeah Waiting on the world to change (Keep on waiting) yeah Waiting on the world to change Waiting on the world to change Waiting on the world to change Waiting on the world to change

In January of 2013, roots dude Ben Harper and blues+ harmonica master/guitarist Charlie Musselwhite released an album called, “Get Up!”. The album’s final track (#10) is “All That Matters Now”, written by Harper & Jason Mozersky. (If you’ve ever heard the theme song for the cable TV series, “The Wire”, you’ve heard the harmonica of Charlie Musselwhite.) I love making music with my harmonicas, etc. so I decided to cover the song on a 2016 suggestion by an Australian musician I knew from the Ukulele Forum - I’ve remixed it here. As I witness the total collapse of civility, common sense and Western civilization, the lyrics for “All That Matters Now” seem particularly poignant these days. This is sort of my, “End Times Song”.

I’ve been privileged to create internet music with some fine folks, but my all-time favorite collaborator has been Charles “Cholly” Nachman… you can visit his Rumble Channel here: Cholly's Music Cave - https://rumble.com/c/c-685143 “Little Darlin’” is perhaps my favorite collab of all time - the song is such a great example of happy, late 1950’s rock with “doo-wop” galore. I sang lead and did bass, rhythm uke, keyboard and percussion stuff; the project REALLY came to life though when Cholly came on board with his amazing harmony backup vocals, solid rhythm guitar and sparkling lead guitar tracks. (This version is a slight remix to bring out the lead guitar a bit.) Thanks, pal! 😎

I downloaded this cool karaoke setup from Rob Landeros Gravity - John Mayer karaoke cover (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2vDQwonRTw) . I changed the key (to E) sang a couple of tracks and added a bit of blues harmonica in the instrumental break section. Lots of fun with a song lyrics that really speak to me in these troubled times.

This is a collaboration with my Australian friend, Nathan Lippiatt. Nathan’s a fine guitarist, vocalist and performer who - like many of us - has sort of disappeared into the Pandemic-Blackhole; but please visit his YouTube channel, here: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=nathan+lippiatt “Terraplane Blues” is a terrific example of the music created by Mr. Robert Johnson in the mid-1930’s. Nathan & I share the singing duties on this recording but ALL of the great guitar work is his. I do the other junk.

Here's me and my Pono Tenor uke from a few years ago... I can think of NO better advice to folks in 2021. 😎

New music from Surly-Mac's One-Man Band: a mash-up of J.J. Cale's classic song and our own original. "Call Me The Breeze" Key:E They call me the breeze, I keep blowing down the road They call me the breeze, I keep blowing down the road I ain't got me nobody, I ain't carrying me no load Ain't no change in the weather, ain't no change in me There ain't no change in the weather, ain't no change in me I ain't hiding from nobody, nobody's hiding from me I got that green light, baby, I got to keep moving on I got that green light, baby, I got to keep moving on I might go out to California, might go down to Georgia, I don't know -------------------------- THE Boys in the Band sing “When the Money’s All Gone…..” by Surly-Mac When the money’s all gone…. You got nothin’ left but this old blues song When the money’s all gone… When you’re left all alone… When you’re left all alone… Your old cat has died and there’s no one to phone When you’re left all alone When your heartbeat grows weak (gets tired…) When your heartbeat grows weak Take strength in Jesus’ name Take strength in Jesus’ name When the money’s all gone and you’re weak & alone Take strength in Jesus’ name

Great Randy Newman song that turned into a wonderful Neil Diamond recording... basic karaoke track & vocal + some Eb Seydel harmonica. Remixed to open the sound stage a bit ("widening" the backing track) and to bring out the harmonica part. Originally recorded in late 2017 when I was just a "pup" of 70 years... 😎

Here’s a remix of “Let’s Go Get Stoned” (based on the Ray Charles #1 R&B hit from 1966) that I recorded a few years ago. I started with a karaoke track, changed the key to B so that I could play along with my Lucky 13 Bass Harmonica - key of E - in second position. Then I croaked out the lyrics. Since I forgot to turn on my camera and video the vocal portion, I added the beginning part of the video. The blues harp playing was recorded in real time. This is a classic blues song, written by Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson, and Josephine Armstead - the Ray Charles recording has always been my favorite version. It’s a great song… and I sure miss Mr. Charles, bless his soul.

This is a remix of a great Bill Withers song - “Use Me” - that I recorded in October 2017. I originally posted this to (the evil…) YouTube using my internet handle of “Surly-Mac” and “Surly Mac’s One-Man Band”. I started with a KaraFun backing track, changed the key (I think)… added some Seydel blues harp, a bit of cowbell and hand claps then sang the song. The text info in the video has not been updated since 2017; we lost Mr. Bill Withers from heart complications in Los Angeles on March 30, 2020 at age 81. He was always a class act and, from all accounts, a true gentleman.

I’m an old man; an old American Patriot. I carried a rifle for US Marine Corps in combat situations and pistols for the San Francisco PD during the ’70’s… again, in combat situations. I mention that to demonstrate; I’ve got a lot of “skin in the game”. This music video is for those Americans who love our Constitutional Republic and demand that our unique Citizenship be respected via free & honest US Elections. "SMOMB" is Surly-Mac's One-Man Band - arranging, creating & mixing music/vocal tracks is my Old-Age Hobby. Here we use MIDI bass, organ, etc. + sticks, brushes, shaker, bongos, cajon & hand claps to create a background for vocals and a bit of blues harmonica on a version of "Stand By Me". Great song and lots of fun to produce!😎