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Friday, February 18, 2011

337. "Rain" by The Beatles


Another cover that ended up miles from where it started. "Rain" was the song Miranda was learning on bass for her lessons this week. It also happens to be my very favorite Beatles song ever, being that one Revolver song that isn't actually on Revolver every time you listen to it. Last night Eden was doing a uke performance at the intermission to a poetry reading (just because, okay, no need to make a big deal out of it) at Burbank Music Academy. It was just her and Miranda and myself, and while we were waiting for things to get started, Miranda decided to work on the song with one of the Academy's basses. I ended up picking up a guitar and working on it with her, and Eden hopped in on uke, and it was all good.

So I was going to use that framework as a springboard, inasmuch as one is allowed to use frameworks as springboards, to a version of "Rain" with Miranda and Eden also performing a rudimentary string arrangement on cello and viola. I worked up most of the track you hear on the final version, coming to realize along the way that this really should be a purely wood version of the song, which is why the mandolin snuck in in place of the guitar lead. Miranda laid down her bass part and Eden did the uke, and then we sat down to dinner, at which point Eden pretty much bailed on playing the viola. Which made Miranda's planned cello part a moot point and left me with a track I never would've arranged this way if not for the string parts that now weren't going to be on it. As I sat down to record the vocal, Gen, who hadn't been thrilled with her vocal on "Waterloo Sunset" mentioned that she'd once sung the song in one of her bands and offered to do the lead vocal. Which saved it, but left it resembling my original concept in almost no way whatsoever.

Anyway, tomorrow's a day off of school for the kids... I'll get my string arrangement out of them yet!

Personnel:
Gen Broome ~ Lead vocal
Rex Broome ~ Guitar, mandolin, backing vocals
Miranda Broome ~ Bass
Eden Hain ~ Ukulele

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