PG Music Home Forums General Discussion User Showcase Train Surfer: collab with JosieC and her friend Peter Geech

Joanne Cooper (JosieC) gave me her rough idea for this song, words by her friend Peter Geech, and wrote "I think it could do with some “Gibsonizing” ". So I ignored her rough version and gibsonised it as she requested! She then came up with some beautiful vocals.

It is all BIAB.
vocals me and Joanne.
Train Surfer
Video by Joanne Cooper
Thanks Peter for the great poem and thanks to Josie for thinking of me.

It is also a free audio download
on this page

Train surfer up on high
Why’d you playing with that fire
You must have been high on the wire
You know you’ll land up in your funeral pyre

I seen you up on that roof and your body begins to morph
Riding that rickety snake as it rattles towards the big smoke
Street teen I see you lying back on your hips
And watching that coil of blue flash by
Always daring, never expecting that a change of tempo
Will ruin your death defying dance

Train surfer up on high
Why’d you playing with that fire
You must have been high on the wire
You know you’ll land up in your funeral pyre

And now the platform approaches and your fun and games are over
Others have been watching and they’ll be hoping to cuff you down
Your dismount happens to be the most dangerous part of your act
Your heart is pumping and your head is still dizzy
As you struggle to find a foot hold
As you climb down through the window
And there’s a jolt and a change of pace
You’ve run your race for too long now
The wheels of steel are waiting
As the train surfs in
Surfing in without its rider

Train surfer up on high
Why’d you playing with that fire
You must have been high on the wire
You know you’ll land up in your funeral pyre

RealTracks in song: 2149:Bass, Electric, NewOrleansBoogie Ev 165
RealTracks in song: 1293:Bass, Electric, TexMexCountry Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 2021:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm CountryBalladJohn Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 1726:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm HonkyTonkJohn Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 602:Harmonica, Soloist Train Ev 130
RealTracks in song: 2110:Horn Section, Background, R&B Ev16 110
RealTracks in song: 2407:Synth, Rhythm JazzFunkPlucky Ev 110
RealTracks in song: 1935:Synth, Rhythm, EuroDance EnergyStab Ev16 120
RealTracks in song: ~~591:Banjo, Bluegrass Doc Ev 100 (Soloist)
RealTracks in song: 691:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming AcRockBright Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 607:Guitar, Nylon, Chet Train Ev 130
RealTracks in song: ~2201:Guitar, Nylon, Background CountryBrent Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 410:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm Country Cowboy Ev 165
RealTracks in song: 580:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm Blues Roadhouse Ev 120
RealDrums in Song: NewOrleansMardiGras8ths^01-a: Snare Groove , b: 4 and Hat
RealDrums in Song: RnBClassicUptempo^04-a:HHSnr, b:RdSn
RealDrums in Song: BossaBrushesPerc^1-a:Congas, No Kit , b:Congas, Shaker, Triangle, No Kit

enjoy
Alyn, JosieC and Peter.

The story behind the song. In South Africa there are a whole bunch of youths who surf the trains in Soweto. Life is cheap for them. There is a video here It's a bit long at 33 minutes but flippin' heck![u][/u]

I like this song.

Great result from the collaboration.

Nice sound

Sergio

Crazy! Just plain crazy what these guys are doing (I saw the video). Alyn, JosieC and Peter you guys were very creative on this song. I think that you captured the essence of what these guys are risking their lives doing. Great collaboration on all fronts. I of course did not hear the rough draft but it appears that Alyn polished this diamond with his crafty skills. Great job guys!
Sonny

Alyn/Joanne/Peter -

Cool project. Watching those guys scared the hell outta me...

An interesting subject to write a song about. Both the music and the lyric had a "dangerous train" kind of feel to them.

Alyn - I don't think you used enough RealTracks... nice job on the vocal! All mixed together well...

The BGVs were cool!

Cool stuff.

floytd

Great collaboration. Wonderful subject for a song. Love the chorus.
The rhythm of the verse throws me a bit but certainly sounds train like.
Enjoyed hearing Joanne sound more funky.
Good one. Cheers.

Really a wild ride!! Love the driving train feel of the music. The groove is pretty addicting. Arrangement and production are wonderful. Particularly loved the BG vocal sound. This is extremely creative and interesting. Great job, great collab!! Love it guys! Take care. Greg

Thanks Sergio, we are all glad you liked it

Alyn

Thanks for the praise Sonny, I'll pass it on

Alyn

Yeh there are a few RTs not all running at the same time tho' as I made loops out of some of them. And then the old slice and dice
Glad you liked the mix tho' as that was the hardest part.

Alyn

Until the this moment I'd never heard of train surfing.

Catchy collab!

The rhythm in the verse was meant to be edgy to try and portray the danger.
Yeh Funky Jo really got down with her vocals
glad you enjoyed

Alyn

Very cool collab everyone. A gibsonisation and and Josie C- section. Now that is a unique subject and a unique production. That sure is a lot of real tracks. Very very entertaining. A very creative effort by all three. Tom

Interesting topic and nicely done. Thought the harmonica fits really well. Bu the stand out was the vocal phrasing - getting those words to fit Alyn was very clever.

Hey team.

Great rolling backing with excellent vocals and a super video.

Never heard of train surfing but it sounds like fun.

Can't wait to try it.

ROG.

Thanks all for the comments about this collaboration. Alyn really did an absolutely wonderful job of this production. Thank you Alyn!

I just wanted to add a little to the story of how this song came about

We were having a lovely family spring break in Groot Mario in August and I was strumming away on my guitar (as usual). Pete was inspired by my recent collaboration with John C Gull on "Cecil the Beautiful". Pretty soon after the weekend, Pete drove over to my house and presented me with two hand written poems scratched out in long hand on plain A4 paper. One was titled "Train Surfer" and the other was titled "Toxic Surfer".

I took "Train Surfer", put a blues progression to it, modified a few lines, molded a chorus and then did a very rough recording. I also did some investigation to see if I could secure some train surfing footage. I was depressed to learn that it would cost a gazillion dollars per second to use bona fide train surfing footage and obtaining the footage myself was near impossible. So I filed the song away for another day.

Then Alyn posted "Old man rapper" which I absolutely loved and had the idea to ask Alyn if he would like to collaborate on Train Surfer. Alyn, in true spirit, jumped right in hands and feet. Some mp3's and wav files flew back and forth between Wales and South Africa and after some very hard work from Alyn, this song was produced.

Thank you Alyn and Peter. What a wonderful rendition!

Btw the youths in Soweto don't have money for hanggliding so they take up train surfing instead.

Hi Alyn, Joanne and Peter,

what a great collab! A very interesting topic.
The music transports that "rhythmic danger" very well.
Very interesting arrangement. Liked the vocals and the background vocals.

Guenter

Hi, Alyn, Jo & Peter !

What a fun song so superbly
executed tune both vocally
and instrumentally !

I enjoyed this really much !!!

Cheers
Dani

A great collaboration and a great production by the entire team. Excellent vocals - perfect Gibsonizing -

Terrific backing vocals

Smiled all the way through this song. Very original idea. Most entertaining.
I do hear a touch of Trex Im sure.
Rob

I had heard of it happening in India, what a fun hobby....NOT

glad you enjoyed

Alyn