This is a remixed version of an older song. While I had lost the .sgu, I was able to find the midi I'd saved in order to embellish this song, which I'd always considered too thin. I also found the original DAW "mix" file which made things much easier.

The original style was:
Style is DRJONROK.STY (Dr. Jon Rock Blues)

I used:
Style MIDI Instruments are : Acoustic String Bass (33), Acoustic Piano (1), Clean Electric Guit (28), MIDI Drums :1 Standard Drum Kit (1)

But I sent the drums through the synth on separate tracks.

For this up-date, I added:
RealTracks in song: 2619:Organ, Rhythm Funk Ev 100 and RealTracks in song: ~2489:Bass, Acoustic, Bowed HeldSimple Ev 110.

The latter became the "drone" asked about in the ever increasingly hilarious thread I started a few days ago. Though it doesn't hold the same note (occasionally jumps up a 5th and down to something), it served the purpose. I raised it an octave in DAW (Acid Pro 8) and applied a delay to it.

Why is it there? I wrote this progression originally for an aborted collab with a didgeridoo player. When that failed to happen, I "restyled it" and wrote this song. One of many great benefits of BIAB. So it's there to accentuate the progression and add a little color in the low mids...or it it the high lows?

[Link no longer valid]

Edit: I agree with most of the constructive comments below, so I did what I should have done in the first place--add the organ and "drone" to the original file to "fatten it up". I could not, however, find a real drum to work over this groove. Here's the link to the new mix.

FRIDA rmx

The lyric is delivered in an ambiguous way on purpose. The original tagline was "Free to do what you want". That morphed to "Frida'll do what she wants". Ultimately, it's somewhere in between, and it matters nothing to me how you "hear" it. But since I have to post the lyric, I'll post the "official" one.

FRIDA

Cherry lipstick smeared in haste
only wears it cuz she likes the taste
She don't need no chi-chi pretty boy like you.

Chorus:

Frida do what she want
Frida do what she want
She do what she wants
and she wants to do just what she wants to do.

Daddy's money should suffice
but that don't keep her from shooting dice
She don't want no button-down dude like you

She loves her Lenin, hits her Marx
She do the Mao-Mao shooting sparks
She don't need no baby bourgeois boy like you.

Other girls paint their faces just to walk down the hall
Frida paints her face on the wall, ya'll

Ratty bookstore, portrait stall
She don't need 'em but she owns 'em all
She don't want no paper MBA like you.

Music and Lyrics Tangmo 2008

I have no love for her politics, but I love this character. She was created from multiple influences.

Yeah!! Love this.

So many great lines! I think my favorite is:

"Daddy's money should suffice
but that don't keep her from shooting dice
She don't want no button-down dude like you"

but they are all good, just excellent songwriting IMHO. Vocal sounds great too!

Nice one Tangmo, I hope you keep posting some of these older songs of yours.

Tangmo,

A VERY cool song. Excellent write.

Your lyrics (often) have a really nice level of "added humor" - just the right amount to embellish without calling too much attention. Nice.

This is well put together. It does, however, have "that MIDI sound" to it. Not "a bad thing", but I would think a re-do with RealTracks would send this through the roof. The John Jarvis or Kevin McKendree piano tracks would kill on this...

Enjoyed!

fj

Excellent tune. I got a little Dr Hook vibe when the song first started. Excellent vocal. Well done. Guitar was cool

An intriguing listen Tangmo, with the cleverest lyrics I've heard in a long while. The guitar lick and odd ending added to the air of mystery and quirkiness.
A fun listen, thanks!

John

What a tune! I thoroughly enjoyed this - it has a really distinct 70's vibe to it. Love the groove, love the piano, and love your vocals. It vaguely reminds of Elton John at points. Not to mention, your lyrics here are really creative and well thought out. As someone else mentioned, this just shows a strong understanding of songwriting.

You should be proud of this one - wouldn't change a thing Thanks for sharing!

Hey Tangmo, fantastic choice of instrumentation on this. The different elements really glue well together and the chord progression is exceptional. Love the vocals too. Great work!

Tangmo, nice one!

RealDrums are crying and waiting for you to solder them into this great tune

Really nice groove

love the write, quirky, catchy, and clever

good recording and vocal,

enjoyed the heck out of it,

Kenny

Tangmo,

What a great sound! Outstanding song and vocal. Great production qualities as well.

Bob

It's a good, good song though the backing seems a little tame.
Your statement that "...it matters nothing to me how you "hear" it." seems a little odd.

Thanks all for the listens and comments.



I was talking about the ambiguity of the lyric/delivery. Of course I care how anyone hears the song as an entity, but I don't care if they "misunderstand" the lyric without a lyric sheet. In fact, if they do, it's part of the reason why I sang it so loosely and with such poor grammar. Let 'em make up their own mind.

I was even reluctant to name the song "Frida" because it skews the perception. "Free ta do whatchu want" is a terrible title, though, and just skews it the other way.

I never once understood Dylan on first listen.

Tangmo,

Thank you for the journey! I liked it

As I listened, in my mind I could hear how you might have incorporated the drone of the didgeridoo. I would have loved to heard the original version.

You entertained me. The lines...


...made me smile. I love the attitude that these captured and the image that they created using so few words. That's skill!

All the best,
Noel

Thanks, Noel. That "Y'all" was ad-libbed at the mic. It made me smile too.

I've put up an alternative mix in the OP. Take your pick. No Real Drums, but more power, I think.

I love the lyrics! Great write! Your opening verse is masterful!

It's got a great groove. Rock with rag-time piano - love it.

I didn't even know BIAB had a Dr. John style.


Consider me inspired!

Tangmo,
That`s a clever, funny write which your vocal delivery captures with the right attitude.The play on words with the title is one of those hidden nuggets which some will discover without explanation.
The backing sounds ok, though I agree with Floyd it could be a lot funkier with RT`s. Must be hard to know when to redo songs you already worked on with older tools, but there`s obviously some gems in the Farfetched vault!

Robert

Much clearer for my poor mind - thanks!

That Dr John midi style delivered the hooky licks in piano and guitar, and none of the sounds are GM stock. All went through the Kurzweil. Midi also played the chords I asked for in this somewhat jazzier blues thing to keep that D prominent.

I don't think this song would be the same completely "re-styled". It'd be a bit like taking Harrison or Richards out of the Beatles or Stones. Sure, there are better players, but their licks made the songs.

Not all styles are so hooky, and I am working on a redo of Mr Jay completely with RT and RD. It seems to be working under the vocals better, but it's harder than Dave made it sound due the way the original was put together.

Really nice songwriting. Enjoyed the lyric the melody and the overall vibe.
Excellent work.

Peter

Tangmo,

Listening to the FRIDA rmx . . . like how you morphed the chorus lyrics from “free to” to “Frida”—gives the song just that extra sound, vibe (not sure how to express it, but it’s just darn good). Everything works for me in this one. Could easily see this killing live. Well done, Tangmo—really good stuff!

All the best,

Deej