I was at Walmart earlier (where else?) and there was a guy in there wearing a cape! I don't know what his deal was but I was surely not going to get close enough to a guy in a cape to find out.
But that reminded me of seeing Liberace play at our long since gone theater in the round known as The Front Row. It only had 26 rows so every seat was great, and the sound in there was amazing. Plus the stage rotated so every 4-5 minutes you were in the middle of the stage.
So Liberace started his show. We all know he was extremely flamboyant both on and off the stage. His opening outfit was gold lame! He played 3 songs, then introduced the first of 3 guests, a female singer whose name I don't remember. She sang 2 songs, during which he went off stage to change clothes. When he returned he was wearing what amounted to a black jump suit with a red shirt, and a black cape with red lining that matched the shirt. And here's why the cape came into play.
After the first song of that segment he told a story about the IRS disallowing his deduction for his stage costumes. He explained how he debated with the agent that many of, if not all of, his outfits could also be worn as everyday clothing. And the punchline, delivered with that smile and wink that he had, was
"THIS is the outfit I wore to the audit!"
"I got the deduction!"
Sadly, he was a lifelong chain smoker, which depleted his pulmonary and cardiac systems, and that led to his body not being able to combat the effects of HIV later in life. He was a fantastic player. During that show he played a LOT of Chopin pieces, and he really knew how to capture an audience.
Not unlike the guy in the Walmart, who drew the complete attention of everybody he passed!
Yep... I never saw him live, but I do recall more than a few TV shows. He also used a trademark candelabra on the piano. His outfits were certainly "out there"... Cool story about the IRS audit.
Speaking of Walmart.... I saw a guy in there dressed in a Scottish Kilt. Complete with the high socks, military style boots, the scarf or whatever it's called that goes over the shoulder and the leather bag on a rope.... He was totally bald, and had those leather forearm protectors on as well. All he was lacking was a sword and bagpipes. This was in NC... right up the road from me about 5 miles.... I love the people of Walmart. So entertaining.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.
The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
True story about a month into the lock down we had a guy wandering around the neighborhood with bagpipes in a kilt (and the rest of the attire) .. and actually playing. Just walking around playing that awful racket ..
Lasted a couple days, not sure what happened after that. /Honest, wasn't me that put an end to it, by I raise a pint to whoever did
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
True story about a month into the lock down we had a guy wandering around the neighborhood with bagpipes in a kilt (and the rest of the attire) .. and actually playing. Just walking around playing that awful racket ..
Lasted a couple days, not sure what happened after that. /Honest, wasn't me that put an end to it, by I raise a pint to whoever did
Maybe he walked across the bridge into Sarnia. People will do anything to get out of that state!!
True story about a month into the lock down we had a guy wandering around the neighborhood with bagpipes in a kilt (and the rest of the attire) .. and actually playing. Just walking around playing that awful racket ..
Lasted a couple days, not sure what happened after that. /Honest, wasn't me that put an end to it, by I raise a pint to whoever did
Hi Bob, Bad to listen to, worse to record and reminds me of another true story. For about ten years I lived on the Isle of Skye off the west coast of Scotland. One day this pipe major walks into my studio and asks if I'll record a cassette of him playing bagpipes. Never being one to turn down paid work, I said yes and we fixed a booking. Well, it turns out that apart from being unbelievably loud, bagpipes have a frequency range from way down low, to frequencies which only dogs can hear and which are high enough to affect the bias on the tape machine (it was back in those days). I now know why none of the other studios within 100 miles would take the job. The only way I could get any sort of result was to strip out the high frequency with a Klark-Teknik graphic and then flatten the whole thing with a Drawmer compressor. After the recording I put back some brightness with an Aphex. The upshot was that he loved it and for the next few years I became the "go-to" place for bagpipe recordings on the basis of his recommendations. Eventually I fled to England and safety!
Liberace was a fabulous entertainer AND pianist, still enjoy his shows on you tube
ROG, what a great story, I played in Skye twice a week for a few years and loved it. Never tired of the scenery. Not a fan of the pipes either but, I like them when played with other instruments
In one of the yacht clubs that we frequently perform at, on formal nights, one guy dresses up in his kilt and all the accessories (except weapons), and his wife has a matching outfit. On formal nights I wear my tux, which my accountant tells me I can't take as a tax deduction.
And yes, Liberace was a very good pianist and entertainer.
I can't say for sure but I once heard that in China they call that song "Silverware".
Some years back a friend of mine bought a newer upright piano than what he had so when his daughter spent here every other weekend and alternating holidays with him she had a better piano to practice on. When he did that he gave me him.
I immediately went to all the salvage store places in my area and bought up every candelabra I cold find. I must have had a dozen of them. He sent me a pic when the delivery people delivered it. When I got home I sent him another pic with all of those things on it. That was like 9 years ago, and that piano is long gone, but he still has that picture.
Years ago, when I was in Columbus, Ohio, late one Friday night, around midnight, I go into a United Dairy Farmers store...you know kinda like a 7-11 these days.
Standing in line, there is a guy a few customers ahead of me. This guy is dressed in a purple velvet suit with bell-bottom pants with a bright canary satin shirt with collar points that spread out to his shoulders. He has a wide brim purple velvet hat on with a big yellow canary ostrich feather sticking out.
Everyone was starring, not knowing whether to laugh or smile for fear of getting shot. Anyhow, when he gets up to the checkout, he tells the checkout girl "Give me a pack of what I am....Kool!
Years ago, when I was in Columbus, Ohio, late one Friday night, around midnight, I go into a United Dairy Farmers store...you know kinda like a 7-11 these days.
Standing in line, there is a guy a few customers ahead of me. This guy is dressed in a purple velvet suit with bell-bottom pants with a bright canary satin shirt with collar points that spread out to his shoulders. He has a wide brim purple velvet hat on with a big yellow canary ostrich feather sticking out.
Everyone was starring, not knowing whether to laugh or smile for fear of getting shot. Anyhow, when he gets up to the checkout, he tells the checkout girl "Give me a pack of what I am....Kool!
I'm guessing it wasn't Liberace, but was instead, a local [*****]. (Uhhh OK.... essentially a "brother" who runs a business with certain ladies of ill-repute, and is known for dressing outrageously. )
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 01/10/2109:45 AM.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.
The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
We’ve expanded the Band-in-a-Box® RealTracks library with 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 449-467) across Jazz, Blues, Funk, World, Pop, Rock, Country, Americana, and Praise & Worship—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Blues & World (Sets 449–455):
These RealTracks includes “Soul Jazz” with Neil Swainson (bass), Mike Clark (drums), Charles Treadway (organ), Miles Black (piano), and Brent Mason (guitar). Enjoy “Requested ’60s” jazz, classic acoustic blues with Colin Linden, and more of our popular 2-handed piano soloing. Plus, a RealTracks first—Tango with bandoneon, recorded in Argentina!
Rock & Pop (Sets 456–461):
This collection includes Disco, slap bass ‘70s/‘80s pop, modern and ‘80s metal with Andy Wood, and a unique “Songwriter Potpourri” featuring Chinese folk instruments, piano, banjo, and more. You’ll also find a muted electric guitar style (a RealTracks first!) and “Producer Layered Guitar” styles for slick "produced" sound.
Country, Americana & Praise (Sets 462–467):
We’ve added new RealTracks across bro country, Americana, praise & worship, vintage country, and songwriter piano. Highlights include Brent Mason (electric guitar), Eddie Bayers (drums), Doug Jernigan (pedal steel), John Jarvis (piano), Glen Duncan (banjo, mandolin & fiddle), Mike Harrison (electric bass) and more—offering everything from modern sounds to heartfelt Americana styles
And, if you are looking for more, the 2025 49-PAK (for $49) includes an additional 20 RealTracks with exciting new sounds and genre-spanning styles. Enjoy RealTracks firsts like Chinese instruments (guzheng & dizi), the bandoneon in an authentic Argentine tango trio, and the classic “tic-tac” baritone guitar for vintage country.
You’ll also get slick ’80s metal guitar from Andy Wood, modern metal with guitarist Nico Santora, bass player Nick Schendzielos, and drummer Aaron Stechauner, more praise & worship, indie-folk, modern/bro country with Brent Mason, and “Songwriter Americana” with Johnny Hiland.
Plus, enjoy user-requested styles like Soul Jazz RealDrums, fast Celtic Strathspey guitar, and Chill Hop piano & drums!
With your version 2025 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Or upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
The 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 33 new RealTracks and 65+ new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 29 new RealTracks and 45+ new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 20 new RealStyles.
Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana
Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes
MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano
Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7
Playable RealTracks Set 4
RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark
SynthMaster Sounds and Styles (with audio demos)
128 GM MIDI Patch Audio Demos.
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyles,
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster,
Instrumental Studies Set 23: More '80s Hard Rock Soloing,
MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster
Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8
RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Mac!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Mac!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Windows!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Windows!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: VST3 Plugin Support
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® now includes support for VST3 plugins, alongside VST and AU. Use them with MIDI or audio tracks for even more creative possibilities in your music production.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Macs®: VST3 Plugin Support
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: Using VST3 Plugins
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.
Norton Music
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean