How about a glimpse into the evolution of my ‘Free Your Mind’.
At rehearsal our 11 year old keyboard player Daniel Oliver cracked the code of the chorus. Lenky Marsden did in fact simplify my chord changes on the chorus.
I wrote some pretty cool chord changes under that simple and catchy melody, but I’m grateful for everything he did on that song, because his house is full of Gold Records. He could build a house for an impoverishes family of 13 with just Gold records he has played on our produced.
Anthony Cameron said regarding his production and Lenky’s surgical approach to arranging that they moved my guitar around everywhere. These are Pop doctors.
Daniel with some help from Alex George cracked the code. Daniel is actually 21…barely. Alex is a grandfather somehow. I can’t wrap head around it.
Anyway the song sounds even better LIVE now that we’re all playing the same chords.
But Anthony Red Rose, we have manages to avoid the challenge of playing the hit so faithfully that it does not have to impact of the record as it translates to the stage, note for note.
We’re still pondering playing with stems from the recording, which I have never done. But then again I never had a pop crossover HIT.
But regardless of playing to a click, we have added two elements to the live version which kick all kinds of ass Mr Red Rose:
1) We added this intro vamping on Bm which sets up Daniel playing your whistling part. It makes the intro build up to the point we could open or close with the song.
2) Jeremy From-Steel Beans added this guitar break that makes the ending even more of an anthem and gives the song a relevant guitar solo and a reason for one more giant sung chorus.
I don’t know how far this song will go. The fact the video got outrageously flagged by Big Brother overtly sexual and negative is both mindboggling and a set back to us reaching a million people on here. Apparently rated G family oriented dance videos showing as much flesh as Aladdin is a threat to the morals and survival of this heartless machine.
But the stories and the doors this video and song are opening and creating is a blessing.
I gotta keep going. Now I gotta go run 5 k. We have two shows the week after next and we have to prove to an audience and their phones that we can pull this song off LIVE.
Our drummer Tom Wilkinson is doing Sly Dunbar proud. I really want to hear what would happen if he was playing the exact sound of the drums that Sly programmed with a pad and triggers.
Alas, we’ll get there. Seattle is a long way from Jamaica. Europe is even further. But we’ll get there. This song will get there first.
– Musician and writer Davin Michael Stedman has many ventures, such as the AMAZING blog, 100milesofmusic.com. Davin’s new song has become a global earworm and Caribbean dancehall hit. Listen here on Reggaeville: DAVIN MICHAEL STEDMAN & ANTHONY RED ROSE – FREE YOUR MIND FEAT. SLY & ROBBIE WITH LENKY MARSDEN. The video is now available on Youtube: Tuff Gong Television. His single with British band Sherlock Soul is available here.
