Music and events that happen in Key West as observed by Chris Rehm. "What Happens in Key West Stays in Key West" Wrong! Everyone wants to know what's happening in Key West!
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Monday, December 12, 2016
Happy Merry Christmas From Key West
Happy Merry Christmas From Key West was
written in 2015 by Dani Hoy, Bobby DeVito and Key West Chris Rehm,
Everyone wrote the lyrics for their own
verse in the song, and likewise sang their own verse.
Chris wrote the chords and melody for
the verses and Dani and Chris together wrote the bridge.
The final verse was sung by Dani and
Chris together.
The recording was made at The Conch
Rock Shanty, on Thomas St in Key West. It was a complete Key West
party atmosphere, with a cast of Key West characters including
Schmegly and our dogs, Cajun and Tooloulou all whooping it up in the
background.
This little ditty is designed to make
you feel good, smile, and hopefully even laugh! If you're not here,
but love Key West, step into an authentic Key West party, from Key
West! Have some fun vicariously with us, for a three minute romp into
a party in paradise!
The song was recorded and produced by
Chris Rehm, Dani Hoy, and Bobby DeVito, in Key West.
Mastered by Dan Simpson, Private Ear
Studios, Key West.
At $.99 it blows those $5 stores on
Duval into the weeds!
To purchase “Happy Merry Christmas
From Key West” Click here!!!
The continuing story which follows the
making of album“Jump Into de FiYa!!!!”
(See bottom of blog for links to Parts
1 and 2)
December 4th 2016 recording
session at Ian Shaw's Warmfuzz Studio, for the current three songs in
the hopper, was nothing short of superb.
The concentration was on two songs,
Dockside Bar and 21st Century Girl, which actually wasn't
my plan at all. The plan had been to get “Yeah, A Harbour”
further down the road. However, the plan for that was sidelined when
fate intervened.
For starters, our band,The Shanty
Hounds, had played at Grunts Bar the previous Thursday, December 1st.
(Illustration by Dani Hoy)
Two years ago, Dani Hoy, Bobby DeVito, and myself co-wrote a
Christmas song “Happy Merry Christmas From Key West”. We decided
to do the song for the first time this holiday season at the gig.
Bobby was in Chicago, so as a prank I called him on the phone, laid
the phone down when it started ringing, and we kicked into the song.
When we were done I picked the phone up and realized that, although
it was still connected to Bobby's phone, it was on message. The thing
apparently doesn't have a time limit! Who knew?
On Friday, Dani bumped into our friend
Terri, who told her Bobby and his girlfriend Chrisie were in town!
During this time my friend Bruce sent
me a text to say he was coming down from Miami.
A bit of background on both of these
characters. BruceTurkel and I have been friends for around twenty
years, or so. Way back then, he had been taking harmonica lessons
from a mutual friend, David Leicht. David suggested to me that Bruce
and I would make a good musical pairing. We got together and played a
lot and in doing so, became fabulous friends.
This was in my Miami/Dade years, and we
played as a duo around Coconut Grove, and southern Miami/Dade County
for several years. In 2000 I was fortunate enough to get published in
Nashville and Bruce suggested that we start a band to showcase my
songwriting. We started a Blues band, “Chris Rehm and The Rabble
Rousers”. We had a blast with it! A boatload of talented, fun
people passed through that band, which disbanded in 2008 when I moved
down to Key West.
Chris Rehm and The Rabble Rousers at Tobacco Road, Miami
About a year before I moved here, Bruce
and his marvelous wife, Gloria, bought a second home here in the
Keys, so it's been easy to stay in touch with them, as they're down
fairly often. Bruce would often sit in wherever I was playing when he
was down, as well. I wanted to have him on my first album. However,
Bruce is a very busy guy and is often flying around the world in
business. Regretfully, the timing didn't work out.
With Bobby DeVito, I originally had
heard a lot about him from our mutual friend, Gary Ek. When we met,
it was instantaneous. We got along as though we knew each other for
years. That was 2009. Since then Bobby's been a roommate twice, and a
house guest numerous times over the years. He also played on eight
songs on my album “Shanghai'd And Marooned In Key West (things
could be worse)”.
Way back, Bobby and I had a duo. “The
Offending Culprits” , which Bruce sat in with a few times at
Captain Tony's
With that as a backdrop and the stage
set, lets move to the time at the moment in question here.
So, all of the sudden, it turns out
that both Bruce and Bobby are in town again for the weekend! For me,
there's no question about it. They have to be on the album.
I called Ian Shaw, the producer and
engineer, who fortunately had an open afternoon at Warmfuzz Studio!
We first recorded Bruce on the song
“Dockside Bar”, a song I wrote in 2006 about the things I saw in
various bars on the water, in the Keys.
Although I wrote it in 2006, we never
played it. Bruce had only heard the song once or twice from the
recording we had already had and that was on Saturday, the day before
the recording.
The song itself is in the key of G,
although parts of it wander into G's relative minor, Em. Bruce
actually would switch between harps (slang for harmonicas) during the
recording! Amazing!
(Sorry, the song Bruce is playing is
only audible through the headphones in this part)
When Bruce put a track down, Ian would
ask Bruce for something a little different, maybe a little behind the
beat in one part, or right on it in another. Other times, he asked
for something more assertive. Bruce delivered every time. He
obviously has a lot of studio time under his belt. He was just
incredible!
Bruce Turkel at Warmfuzz Studio, KW
Before he was finished, I asked him to
put a drone-type harmonica at the very beginning of “Yeah, A
Harbor”. The song is in the key of E, but his E harmonica started
at too high a note than I was looking for.
Ian to the rescue! “Do you have a G
harp? I can change the pitch to E”
Listening to Bruce play the G against
the solo guitar in E was like hearing cats fight, or fingernails on
the blackboard, it was the worst! However, when Ian played it back,
everything was in the key of E and sounded perfect! Ian then had him
do it again, this time with a bit of a warble to the drone. Turned
out great!
Bruce was done for the day, I thanked
him, and he was off to Miami. We were disappointed because he had to
go back, and hence, couldn;t play Grunts with the Shanty Hounds that
evening. One of these days!
Thanks Bruce!!!
Next up was Bobby D. Now Bobby has
played in studios for over thirty years. He knows his way around the
block like he knows the back of his hand. Sunday, December 4th
was no exception to that rule.
The song 21st Century Girl,
was a bit of an enigma for me, speaking honestly. I knew the feel I
wanted. The song played on my guitar parts, is an up stroke rhythm,
in a certain type of Cajun rhythm. I wasn't sure what to add to this.
My initial thought was an accordion.
Ian heard something different however.
While we both heard the Cajun part, Ian was thinking of something
more along the lines of Eric Clapton's “Lay Down Sally”, which in
turn had a big J.J. Cale influence.
Bobby came over to my house, just
before we headed to the studio. He listened to the song for the first
time and said “I'm thinking something like a Mick Taylor era
'Stones feel, in a way”
Well he played it that way on his first
take. It sounded fantastic! Ian however mentioned the Lay Down Sally
feel, and Bobby said “No problem” and went right for it.
The song is actually quite faster than
Lay Down Sally and has a lot more energy. Lay Down Sally is a laid
back song, while 21st Century Girl is get up and go. Ian
of course realized this from the start, long before anything Bobby
added took place. However, in conveying that to Bobby, and Bobby just
falling in with it, produced something magical!
Bobby DeVito laying tracks at Warmfuzz Studios KW
To start with, Ian set up the guitar
amp and effects for the tone he was looking for, while Bobby went for
the position 4 pickup option on the Stratocaster. There were
naturally some adjustments and accents locked into for the electric
rhythm tracks. Ian saying “Give me a little more accent here”, or
“I'm thinking something a bit different than what you're doing,
maybe like on the beat, and some Bah Bah Bah! In this part” Bobby
would then say “Oh! I have something for you!” and depending the
part, would give him exactly what he was looking for, or if it wasn't
a specific request, throw something entirely different at a specific
part, and Ian would give a big thumbs up!
After the first electric guitar track
was added, Ian adjusted the tone of the guitar and the same process
was repeated on the lead guitar track.
With 21st Century Girl, I
now have a better idea of where to go with the recording from here.
With the quicker tempo, the song doesn't sound like Lay Down Sally at
all, but that was Ian's intent. This song now has a better Musical
identity and definition. It... ROCKS!
At the end of two and a half hours, we
were done. Turned out fantastic. It's truly an honor to be working
with these guys!
Lets see where the next stage takes us!
We still have a ways to go on all three of these songs, but the light
is at the end of the tunnel!
I hope you're enjoying this series!
If you'd like to help with the
production of these songs, pick up some of my other music! The
proceeds are going directly back to financing this recording! Thank
you in advance for doing so!
Also, please check out my book “Bar
Stories”. It's a fun book about various bar situations I've seen,
witnessed, or participated in over the decades. If you're looking for
a depressing book, you're in the wrong place!
This book is FUN! Additionally,
purchasing this book also is helping me write the three other books I
am currently working on: “The Absolute Best Bars in the Florida
Keys”, “Living On A Tropical Island” (also known at this point
as “Island Living”), and “Time Traveler”. Bar Stories is only:
