beccajhames
WHY RED OCTOBER ?
Mar 5, 2008
When I wrote RED OCTOBER there were several emotions I went through as I chose the title and the words and the music. By chance I saw a news report about the severe drought in the southern states and was astounded at the implications of the heat wave and the water shortage that was effecting several states. Tremendous growth in that area combined with bad planning and lack of precipitation created a series of events that is threatening the way of life for people in the south. Emotionally it hit home in different ways for me. My elderly mother lived through the dust bowl in Oklahoma and I remembered hearing the stories about crop loss and walking on dry cracked river beds and dry drinking wells from her. I watched her reaction to the story and saw the tears of pain and the sympathy she felt for our southern neighbors. For me I remembered how I felt when I visited my childhood home in southern California only to find every last orange grove was gone. My memories were taken because of progress, still I hurt knowing my children would never know about the lush groves I grew up in or pick an orange and experience the sweetness of a tree ripened fruit. So with these emotions flooding upon me I could only imagine what might happen to people in the south if they too lost their precious things. Things make each region of the country special to different people. What would you be willing to sacrifice if it came down to having drinking water or preserving crops or trees or flowers? Of course your life would come first but you would mourn the loss of all you held unique or pleasurable in your life. So when the news reporter dubbed the extreme heat wave combined with the drought conditions of October 2007 as a Red October, my heart and mind gave birth to the song Red October. I'm sure musically the song could be greatly improved upon, but lyrically I hope in a small way I got it right for all the folks effected in the south. I hope when you listen you will think about your precious things in life and protect them from extinction.
TODAYS ARTIST MENTION IS: THREE FRIENDS AND FRIENDS and the song is..."WHITE BIRD." Talk about nostalgic, this song certainly brings back memories. This comes from another time in history when songs made a statement and listeners expected it. The harmonies are so well done on this cover song and convey an innocent feeling. The original band must have wanted to convey their outlook on life because they called themselves A BEAUTIFUL DAY. So go take a listen and then have a beautiful day!
ENJOY!
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IS THERE A SONG IN THIS ??
Feb 5, 2008
Well I feel like I've been away so long I can't remember my log in name. Turmoil hits everyone and I am no exception, the economy has been unkind to us and my husband lost his job right after the new year started. We have been planning to make changes in our life style for a long time but it seems now we have been kicked into action. Getting rid of unwanted items and letting go of old memories are what I wake up to these days. I keep trying to sing through it all, the blues do come in handy and I just know there has to be a good song come out of all of this mess. Guess that's the beauty of writing. I've said it before and I'll say it again music is my therapy. So on I go into a new chapter of life unfamiliar to me but as long as I can take my keyboard with me and can find an electrical outlet to plug her into I'll be fine. Who knows maybe the blues will be good to me an I'll be inspired to write a hit that even I didn't expect. Is there a song in all of this?? You bet!
TODAYS ARTIST MENTION IS... E. WRIGHT and the song is... "MIDNIGHT WITH MAGNOLIA". Again the song title caught my eye because Magnolias are a favorite blossom of mine,. and you will find out how true that is in an upcoming song of ours. I was very pleased with the song once I heard it. Very relaxing and contemplative. I particularly loved some of the harmonics the artist did with his guitar, it's the type cord movement that makes me tingle when I hear it. Go listen and relax.
You can find it on my BECCA JHAMES STATION.
ENJOY!
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SONG TITLES THAT GRAG ATTENTION
Jan 4, 2008
You know the saying you can't judge a book by it's cover? Well the same principle can apply to songs as well. I am very attracted to songs with odd or unusual titles. I don't know why, maybe it is just that I appreciate clever marketing techniques, or I hope that the title reflects the songs content. All I know is different song titles cling to you like static on clothes right out of the dryer. Think of some titles, does it make you wonder what it is about or does the title make you think you know what it is about? Don't be fooled because sometimes the title is not linked to the meaning of the song at all. Take a look around Soundclick and be entertained by some of the unique original
titles. I have found some so puzzling or so funny I just had to check it out. I'm glad I do this because there are some pretty awesome songs disguised under some strange titles. Try listening to a few songs based on the title and not necessarily if the artist is known to you. You may find a gem you otherwise may have overlooked.
TODAYS ARTIST MENTION is.....DON DALEY and the song is WOLVERTON MOUNTAIN. If that title doesn't make you sit up and pay attention I don't know what will! This is an old old country song and the cover he does is fantastic. I remembered the song the minute I saw the title and a flood of memories came rushing back to me. A good tune will do that to you every time.
You can find it on my new BECCA COVERS COUNTRY
STATION.
ENJOY!
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WHEN A WORD IS NOT JUST A WORD
Dec 27, 2007
I have always been in love with the human language. Even as a child I was fascinated by words, not only how they sounded but what they meant. Try saying a word or your name over and over real fast. Weird isn't it? I love the ability to use words in ways not anticipated. Every writer uses words to convey a thought or emotion but part of the ability to do that effectively I believe is directly linked to what we know about a word. My family and friends sometimes think I'm a bit daft because I will sit and read a good thesaurus for hours but I am hooked on finding replacement words, something you wouldn't expect to be used when I write a song. I like people saying to me what is that word?? I like even better saying look it up you'll be surprised. I don't think it my job to educate people on the use of words but if I can grab a person with a word or phrase they are unfamiliar with then I am satisfied. The fun thing about writing to me is the freedom to place words at odds with themselves. I really don't care if I have a dangling participle or I am redundant. If it fits, if it sounds good I use it. Truthfully I don't want to understand some parts of grammar, I don't want it to disagree with what I write! So..when you finally are able to listen to some of my songs, do just that. Listen not only to the melody but the words. They may confuse you, they may inspire you, they might make you laugh or cry. If that or any other experience finds it's way to you because of something I composed, then I did something right. That's the moment a word becomes more than just a word!
TODAYS ARTIST MENTION is...RICK MILLER and the song is "SOMETIMES." A perfect example of how words can effect the mood of a song. Coupled with the melody which is outstanding this song is very much worth a listen or two or three.
You can find it on my BECCA JHAMES STATIONS.
ENJOY!
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