PG Music Home Forums General Discussion User Showcase Showcasing the RT artists 4: Back to Basics

Lately I've been posting some pretty arcane stuff: PREDATORS, with Boehm, is not exactly what you want in your ear after a stressful day on the job. MOODY'S MOOD FOR LOVE is real jazz esoterica - putting lyrics to horn solos isn't done any more and it can sound pretty bizarre even to experienced Forum members. Some of them have been thoughtful - and brave - enough to tell it like it is, of course in a civil way. Far from being offended, I'm grateful for such guidance. And I'll second the observation that one of the commentators made about the Forum being such a civil place.

Keeping this feedback in mind, let me first introduce the crew. I really hope you'll visit these links even for just a few seconds to hear how these guys sound on their own.

Keyboards: Jeff Lorber http://www.lorber.com/
Guitar: Dwight Sills http://www.dwightsills.com/live/
Bass: Vernon Barbary http://www.vbass.com/
Drums: Franklin (Third) Richardson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF4nrnQEuwk

Aleck Rand wrote the horn and string arrangements, as well as replacement lyrics, plays rhythm guitar and Rhodes piano (intro only), and does the vocals. Drop a comment if you can identify the original source. And all comments are welcome, especially the truthful ones.

Listen to: FLEET LIFE https://soundcloud.com/aleckrand/fleet-life

Lyric:

Verse (Intro)

I'm still down here on earth, hangin' round for what it's worth
It's not a blessing, not a curse, but that music in the night
Once meant everything's alright, now it's all that's left for me ...

Chorus

I've lived a fleet life, because time goes by so fast
Fleet life, I've go no snapshots of the past
Fleet life, you're stuck in hyper-mode
Fleet life, there [are] no forks in the road

I've got no time to waste, I've had myself a taste
Of nectar of this world, served from a golden bowl
I've never had much school, I'm still nobody's fool
You'll find out when you're old, when your sense of taste's grown cold

(Interlude)

Fleet life, there's one thing that I've learned
Fleet life, no escape from getting burned
Fleet life, no matter how you thrive
Fleet life, no one makes it out alive

I don't let it get me down, I take a ride downtown
[I} watch all the lonely souls, wear their collective frown
I get it when I can, stickin' [a]round's not in the plan
You don't collect much dust, living in a cutthroat town

(Interlude)

Fleet life, you might luck out and be saved
Fleet life, you could escape unscathed
Fleet life, find it and be brave
Fleet life "slow" [is] another word for "slave"

Floor it and get low, don't look back, just go!
Don't slow down and think twice, just take my advice
It's a tunnel, it's pitch black
A tunnel with no track, you'd better not look back
Someone's gaining on you, Jack

(Interlude)

Fleet life, it's my nature to go fast
Fleet life, it's all present and no past
Fleet life, I've satisfied the need
Fleet life, for that extra dose of speed

(Interlude and fadeout: Lorber, Sills, Barbary, Richardson)

Link to the famous original sung by Randy Crawford from the soundtrack of the movie "Jackie Brown" : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH0T0mgE2c8

Sounds good to me! There is no need to credit the realtrack players -- they really aren't actually playing on your song. Those are samples manipulated (in a really good way) by PG Music. I did the same thing at first (every one does), because you just can't believe the sounds coming out!!!

Take a bow! very cool tune.

It is SO nice to see a drummer dancing on the kick like that with a single pedal.....

Some nice jazz. Like Kevin said, cool tune!

Steve

Hi Aleck,

I really enjoyed listening to this it's exactly the kind of jazz that really really appeals to me. I have to hand it to you, you've assembled a top notch arrangement. Very classy! I also found myself captivated by the lyrics. You should be proud of this one.

All the best,
Noel

aleck,

Awesome! Super Cool! Loved everything about this. The opening works really well. The tracks sits so nicely on the ear. Terrific mix. Your vocals sound like one more instrument set perfectly in the mix - what a jazz vocal should be...

The low harmony might be my favorite part! Keep that dude handy!

The lyrics are EXCEPTIONAL! (you should post them here - I think they would be a very interesting read).

The best way "to keep jazz alive" is to make it "accessible". You have done that admirably!!!

Bravo.

floyd

Hi Aleck,

your cool voice alone makes this version unique.
I like the arrangement.
It was a good idea to post links to the musicians. I followed
them all. It was great fun to listen to your song and visualize
the performers.

Guenter

I guess no one has identified the tune yet? That's surprising, as it was very popular in the late 70s. "Street Life" by Joe Sample.

Hi Matt,

I think everybody has identified the tune.

Guenter

Yes, you're probably right - I went back and saw the link at the end of the lyrics. Was that there before?

Anyway, I was responding to the OP when he said, "Drop a comment if you can identify the original source.".

Whoa! Thank you, Kevin, jcspro40, Steve, Noel, Floyd, Guenter. I think Floyd has it nailed with his comment, 'The best way "to keep jazz alive" is to make it "accessible".' Surely I must have known this at some point, but at my age I may have to write it on a sticky note pasted to my forehead to help it sink in.

As requested, I've edited the original post to include the lyrics, as well as a link to the famous original, which I think Guenter has correctly observed would be well known to members.