Roulette
Song created at practice on May 27, 2009
090514 Practice Notes
Involved
Tom Ray
Mark Whitcomb
Scott Beardsley
In the back warehouse at DNA Studios working on an idea for a song.
Video
090514-lorenzo-practice
Practice of a song idea at DNA Studios in the back warehouse.
090530 Practice Notes
Involves
- Tom Ray
- Mark Whitcomb
- Scott Beardsley
- Cliff Hammer(?)
Audio recorded from my EEEpc distorted but sounded cool so we overlayed it to the main track. Working recording has Mark's vocal idea on the first verse.
Audio
Lorenzoteur - without distorted guitar or vocals
Lorenzoteur2 - distorted laptop guitar and marks vocal idea
090822 Practice Notes
Involves
- Tom Ray
- Mark Whitcomb
Worked on lyrics for first verse and chorus as well as a chorus melody.
There is a muted piano line in the protools file that might be a good horn line.
Added a "Dub-like" bass line to the chorus.
recorded Tom's vocals on the chorus part.
Mark laid down an idea for a harmony part on the chorus
Lyrics
Verse 1
When I was younger i had the chance
to change my mind and make it right
but i
didnt take the time
x2
now im left the sound changes
And tom felt my own rage
is said to feel like a grain outside.
dime a rate the fine line days of mine, did you know high enough finally I caught on for a ride ride, ride
Dont make it right
Dont make it right
Chorus
Go on
go out
get out
come on
gonna spin that ride
dont know
what it
gonna
be like
but i'm gonna get that life
*-- random leftover typed thoughts from the session --*
would'a grab you some take your own
2 sylable phrase
different perspective
stand point
spin that ride
Audio
091118 Practice Notes
Involves
- Tom Ray
- Mark Whitcomb
Tom and Mark in the main room at DNA Studios.
Listening to the track so far, decided to rework the chorus guitar with a new part. It wasn't working with the new bass and keys.
Tried a few ideas but nothing was jumping out. Decided to look for inspiration and Tom pulled up the song "Mountain to Sound" by Spoon, liked the driving strum on the song and tried something like that.
After a few passes, went for a more broken "strummy" line and recorded it.
Mark laid down a second guitar track with it that was more single note based to draw attention away from the rhythm.
Listening back to it didn't like the sound of the black Les Paul that Mark was trying out for this recording and switched back to his red Gibson 135 guitar.
Found the old original bass line for the chorus later on the mix and liked the way it worked with the new guitar part but it didn't match with the chorus vocals. Liked both parts and made the new part with the bass an ending and changed the vocals to do what the bass line was doing in the main chorus.
Tom re-recorded the main verse to double Marks original lines. Then redid his chorus line. On the new bass line part at the end he did a lazy version of the chorus line that was more of an up/down note hold. After that Mark had mentioned it should be a round. So Tom told him to run the tape and sang the second part of the chorus lyrics harder in between the lazy vocals that were there.
Mark liked the lazy vocal effect and added his voice singing it on the main chorus. As they were listening back to the new ending had hummed and "ooooh oooh" line into the mic. Decided to do that over the ending and Tom said the whole song should fade out at that part and the "ooohs" stay the same volume until the end.
After this was all done they had realized that they never finished writing the second verse which is where they left of the last time :)
Photos
photos were taken during this session
Video
Lyrics Version 2
Verse 1
When I was younger i had the chance
to change my mind and make it right--
but i
didnt take the time
x2
now im left the sound changes
And tom felt my own rage is said to feel like a grain outside.
dime a rate the fine line days of mine, did you know high noon finely caught if i dont die --don't die
Dont make it right
Dont make it right
Chorus
Go on
go out
come on
get out
come on
gonna spin that ride
dont know
what it
gonna
be like
but i'm gonna get that right
repeat
Audio
100512 Practice Notes
Going over the song live in the studio
Involved
Tom Ray
Mark Whitcomb
Cliff Hammer
Eric Brusewitz
Scott Beardsley
Chorus starts on snare
Stick the drum beat
Out of the chorus kick and snare beat
2 don't make it's vocals
Verse 2
Keys don't come in till 2nd part of verse
Afert vesrse full line with band then one with distorted guit
Chorus after 2nd chorus cliff changes his bass line.
Sax will cover end 2nd guitar line
100526 Recording notes
Involved
Tom Ray
Mark Whitcomb
Mark wants to find places to pull out the distorted guitar Tom disagrees
re-record the chorus part. think we could do better
maybe make a new set of lyrics for the second verse?
Tom thinks we could fade out the end a lot quicker its seven now ohhs come in after 2 of dont know part cut 5 6 7 8 and the fade will just start
revisit guitars on the ending chorus too with the new sound set up.
100630 Recording Notes
involved
Tom Ray
Mark Whitcomb
Cliff Hammer
Eric Brusewitz
Scott Beardsley
Had Eric mimic one of the melody background guitar lines of the chorus on the Wurlitzer.
Talked about re-writing the vocal melody for the chorus' as well. Not sure what yet just wanted to explore it to see if there might be a better way to do it. Tom and Eric like the way it is. So it was up for debate.
100707 Recording Notes
Involved
Tom Ray
Mark Whitcomb
Redid the chorus vocals. Mark wanted something more "punchy". He said they sounded lazy. Tom tried "ah" before each line to make it hit more. ex: ah go on ah go out...
100714 Recording Notes
Involved
Tom Ray
Mark Whitcomb
Bryan Elliott
Scott Beardsley
Adding horns to the song, Brian recorded a low and loose horn line in the realm of a Morphine part. The ending held notes with a double note skip starting them out. Scott felt they should start a beat earlier and just be one note. Mark and Tom liked it starting earlier but felt it should keep the double note skip in the beginning.
100730 Recording Notes
Involved
Mark Whitcomb
Tom Ray
Worked on re-writing the second verse.
Mark had a lyric idea for it that he was kicking around and laid a scratch vocal of it. He thought it was too wordy but we could listen back and rework it to fit.
Then Mark recorded a scat rhythm idea and we worked from that instead.
Watched the final russian roulette scene in the Deerhunter on you tube for reference to the underlying story for the album.
after re-recording the second verse we liked the flow and mixture of the vocals without the effect on the verses better than the original and re-recorded them.
Mark sang his part with his ears plugged cuz it made him sing more staccato and broken.
Lyrics
Verse 2
Before I said it cannot be like it did, did like it then for sometime*fast*
didn't make it right
Before I said it cannot be like it did, did like it then (ah) for sometime
it didn't make it right (*go down on last word instead of up like the others*)
If were to lie, I di-d say!, get in the game, one shot away
is that what you want, that what you say
I'm a wreck, the fine line,
did you know, days of mine behind me
finally thought if I don't die, won't die
Don't make it right
*Lines we referenced from "The Deer Hunter" scene*
one shot
get in the game
is this what you want
Song title was changed to Roulette after this session.
Audio
http://www.archive.org/details/100730LorenzoPractice-Roulette
100831 Recording Notes
Involved
Tom Ray
Mark Whitcomb
We both thought the ending fade out was too long so we cut it to a 2 times through rotation and kept the end "like" accent.
Lorac 091118 — Re-worked Chorus and added a new ending
Lorenzoteur Chorus — Added chorus idea. Lyrics and melody
Lorenzoteur No Vox — Version of the song with no vocals
Lorenzoteur - original — Original I version created from practice with Tom, Mark and Scott
Lorenzoteur - vox idea — Version with distorted laptop guitar and Mark's vocal idea