Tag: inspiration

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Honoring Love: A Tribute to ‘I’ll Never Find Another You’


The Seekers are an Australian band formed in 1962. The Folk and Gospel group achieved the zenith of their popularity in the mid ’60’s with several hit songs. Their most memorable chart-topper is a song titled “I’ll Never Find Another You.” It reached #1 on the UK charts in 1965, making the Seekers the only Australian band with a #1 hit song outside of Australia. The song reached #97 in the United States, quite a feat in itself. The group has continued to perform to standing ovations around the world into the 1990’s.

I am dedicating this song to my wife of 37 years, Bonnie Erens-Gittlin. Without exaggeration, every word in the lyrics applies. I am grateful to have spent my adult life with this woman and the beautiful daughter we have raised. Here’s my cover.

Listening to the Heart Brings Peace and Harmony into a Life

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acoustic guitar artist profiles Arts & Entertainment folk guitar Folk Song Covers inspiration love songwriting

Cat Stevens and Alun Davies: A Musical Journey


In this song, Cat Stevens is singing to a woman he yearns for in a Human form. On another level, he may be singing, aware or unaware, to the Divine Feminine. In either case, the object of Stevens’ love is unattainable in the present. Yet, I believe, the admirer (Stevens) continues to yearn for his beloved in the hope that he will, one day, meet his perfect love, in either or both Human and Divine forms.

There are many interpretations of “How Can I Tell You.” In my view, the song is hopeful rather than despairing. However one interprets “How Can I Tell you,” I feel the song is filled with incredible beauty that cannot help but shine through.

Stevens first met Alun Davies as a backup musician in a recording session. He liked what he heard. After another session, Stevens recognized that Davies was an exceptional talent. In a following private session, Stevens played something like fifty of his original songs for Davies, whereupon Davies decided Cat was also an exceptional talent. He agreed to accompany Stevens on an upcoming tour. After the tour, Davies became Stevens’ permanent 2nd guitar until Stevens stopped playing music with his conversion to Islam in 1977. When Stevens began performing again in 2003, the two artists reunited.

Here is a new version of “How Can I Tell You” with me playing and singing Davies’ now famous second guitar part.

Solo Version

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acoustic guitar artist profiles Arts & Entertainment electric guitar love music relationships songwriting

Heartfelt And True: “Everything I Do” Cover


A movie studio commissioned a composer to write a song for Kevin Costner’s Film, “Prince of Thieves.” He wrote the music for “Everything I Do.” Bryan Adams, with his producer Mutt Lange, wrote the lyrics, bridge, arrangement, and outro. Adams used a line from the movie for the song title.

The studio did not like the instrumentation in the finished product. They buried it midway in the credits, not anticipating what a huge hit the song would become.

“Everything I Do” is one of the most successful singles of all time, selling over 3 million copies. It was #1 for 16 weeks in England and seven weeks in the United States.

Enjoy my cover with background instrumentation by Giovanni Egusquiza. 

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acoustic guitar Arts & Entertainment electric guitar folk rock love relationships songwriting

“Heaven” 2.0 With Digital Backup


Here’s my cover, produced with an incredible guy I’m working with to create unique recordings of beautiful music written by masterful artists of the past 60 years.

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artist profiles Arts & Entertainment folk rock love music relationships songwriting

“Heaven”: The Story Behind The Song


Previous to this writing, I had never heard of Bryan Adams. I am in the minority because Adams has created a number of beautiful, chart-topping hits that most people besides me are familiar with. “Heaven” is another song that came into my mind from someplace I can’t define. When I heard Boyce Avenue’s stirring performance of it, I fell in love with the song immediately. On July 15, 1985, “Heaven” reached #1 on the Billboard Chart. Paradoxically, it was written for a movie that flopped.

Bryan Guy Adams was born in 1959. As a teenager, he played in bands and in local studios.  In 1978, he met drummer and songwriter Jim Vallance, and together they formed a partnership that lasted for decades.  Their early collaboration helped Adams strike a deal with A&M Records for a reported one dollar.  His debut album was released when the folk-rock genre exploded in the early eighties.  The album was good enough to earn Adams a second one with A&M. It helped establish Adams as an artist on the rise.  His third album, 1983’s Cuts Like a Knife, proved to be the singer-songwriter’s breakthrough effort, including three Top 40 hits.

Later that year, while working on his fourth studio album, Reckless, Adams considered including “Heaven” on it, but initially felt it didn’t live up to the quality of the rest of the album. At the last minute, however, Adams changed his mind and added “Heaven” to the Reckless tracklist.

Reckless went on to sell 12 million copies worldwide, becoming the most successful album of Adam’s career. Here’s my cover of “Heaven.” 

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acoustic guitar artist profiles Arts & Entertainment country music love music relationships songwriting

Nanci Griffith’s ‘I Wish It Would Rain’: A Musical Treasure


Despite its somewhat foreboding title and subject matter, this Nanci Griffith song is upbeat and fun to play. “I Wish It Would Rain” was released by MCA in 1988 on Nanci’s 6th album titled “Little Love Affairs.” I hope you enjoy listening to the song as much as I enjoy playing it. I’m including a video of Nanci Performing in the late 1980’s. Just look at her beautiful smile. Here’s my cover.

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acoustic guitar artist profiles Arts & Entertainment country music songwriting

‘Born to Run’: The Country Music Version


While searching for a video of Bruce Springsteen playing his iconic hit “Born to Run,” I stumbled upon a video of Emmylou Harris singing “Born to Run.” Now, here’s the fascinating surprise: Emmylou is singing an entirely different song written by Paul Kennerly. And this song really rocks. Released in 1982 as the second single from Harris’ album Cimarron, “Born to Run” reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

Emmylou Harris sings like an Angel. She is a Country Music Hall of Fame inductee. I put Emmylou into my Hall of Fame alongside other Angels by the names of Eva Cassidy, Nanci Griffith, Linda Ronstadt, and Kate Wolf.

Here’s my cover of Paul Kennerly’s “Born to Run.”

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acoustic guitar artist profiles Arts & Entertainment inspiration songwriting

The Hopeful Essence in Cat Stevens’ Lyrics


In this song, (Yusuf) Cat Stevens is singing to a woman he yearns for in a Human form. On another level, he may be singing, aware or unaware, to the Divine Feminine. In either case, the object of Stevens’ love is unattainable in the present. Yet, I believe, that the admirer (Stevens) continues to yearn for his beloved in the hope that he will, one day, meet his perfect love, in either or both Human and Divine forms. There are many interpretations of “How Can I Tell You.” In my view, the song is hopeful rather than despairing.

However one interprets “How Can I Tell you,” I feel that the song is filled with incredible beauty that cannot help but shine through.

And thank you, Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), for your always beautiful, wise, and inspiring music.

Here’s my cover.

With Digital Instrumentation Enhancement

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Arts & Entertainment children Climate Crisis environment Folk Song Covers music songwriting

Environmental Concerns In The Song ‘Where Do the Children Play?’


Many of Yusuf/Cat Stevens’ songs convey underlying messages about childhood and the relationships between children and adults, such as ‘Father & Son’ and ‘Oh Very Young,’ to name a few. “Where Do the Children Play?” is no exception. It becomes increasingly timely with each passing day, given the environmental crisis we are facing.

The song refers to the destruction of natural spaces caused by overdevelopment and industrialization. It asks a fundamental question: What future awaits our children when the spaces where they play are increasingly paved over and polluted? 

“Where Do The Children Play” prompts us to consider the inherent features of the ‘progress’ we are making, as well as Humanity’s impact on planet Earth. Essentially, this beautiful and simple song begs for a balanced relationship between Human Beings and nature.

Typical of a Cat Stevens song, the rhythm is quite unique. Here’s my cover.
 

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Arts & Entertainment folk guitar folk music Folk Song Covers inspiration songwriting

Exploring Life’s Meaning in Cat Stevens’ Lyrics


Far from old age, Cat Stevens wrote “Oh Very Young” when he was twenty-five. The wisdom in the song surpasses Stevens’ chronology with lines like, “You’re only dancin’ on this Earth for a short while.” Stevens contracted tuberculosis when he was nineteen, and it almost killed him. After that experience, Stevens kept an eye on the Big Picture.

Always the explorer, Stevens sought the meaning and purpose of life, as illustrated in his songs like “On the Road to Find Out.” He eventually converted to Islam in 1977. Around the same time, he permanently left the world stage as a singer and songwriter. In his relatively short career, Cat Stevens left us with a body of music that is still relevant today and, to millions around the world, extremely enjoyable.

Originally, I played this song using a picking method, and then I switched to strumming. I watched a video of Stevens performing the song with a strumming method. I thought, I’ll never be able to play it that fast. To my amazement, I wound up playing the song as fast as Stevens when I strummed it. Interesting. Here’s my cover.

In case you’re interested, here’s the finger-picked version.