Saturday, April 7, 2018

BLUE BAYOU



I'm extremely stressed lately, almost near a nervous breakdown. Nothing's going right. I feel far worse than crappy.

And the weather is beyond annoying. Frigid temperatures. Snow flurries today. I'm freezing my friggin' ass off and can only hope that things will thaw out by August. 

I'm thinking sunny southern thoughts - wishing I were in a warm, carefree place......near a bayou. Maybe a blue bayou.

Is that the cue for a song?

I found this old piano rehearsal tape the other day - which surprised me because I had completely forgotten about it.
It was made when I lived in Texas. The original tape is near an hour long, but I just edited this one song from it.

Poor quality, bad lighting. My face is nearly in shadow - but that's a good thing. I don't want to dazzle you with my beauty.
(the over-sized shirt that I'm wearing was purchased in Mexico).

This is my own piano arrangement of Blue Bayou. I can tell by my mediocre performance that I was in a bad mood when I recorded it. I can sense my frustration.
But that's beside the point.

Blue Bayou was written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson around 1961. I never cared for Orbison's vocal rendition of it.

Linda Ronstadt recorded it in 1977 (I think) and her rendition is by far the very best. I was absolutely in love with Ronstadt back then.

 Siesta
(photo taken in Texas)

22 comments:

  1. One of my favorite songs! I don't usually enjoy when musicians deviate from the original (aka, Linda R.), but this was enjoyable! Do I detect a similar undertone from the sprightly theme from The Sting?
    I'm really sorry you're feeling down in the dumps again. And heck, I've no Arizona sunshine to send your way. It's a damp and dank 50-something here and the dogs regard me like I've condemned them to Hell.

    I think I've mentioned my fondness for this last photo before. Do the rings hold a particular significance?

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    1. The compositions of Scott Joplin were "rediscovered" thank to the movie "The Sting". His piano rag "The Entertainer" was used as the movie theme. I did a recording of that and if I ever find it I'll post it.

      "50 something" would feel delightfully warm to me. Our daytime "high" yesterday was around 30. Fortunately (hopefully) it's supposed to warm up next week. I've never been more disgusted with cold weather.

      I love antique jewelry, most especially rings. One of those (in the photo) is a 300 year old ring from Italy with an amethyst.
      The other ring is a two ct diamond that I got in Los Angeles. It USED to fit on my fourth finger, but now it only fits on my pinky.

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    2. Excuse any typos. I type quickly...and my eyesight is bad...

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  2. this is one of my all-time favorite songs. i like your rendition i loved Linda Ronstadt's too.

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    1. This is one of my favorite songs, too. I listened to it endlessly when Ronstadt's recording first came out. Nobody sings it like her.

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  3. Jon, I've never heard it played better. I love Orbison from childhood and Ronstadt from my 2os. You've done more more than justice to them both. This evening I've been trying to learn how put old poetry readings onto blogs. There are some art gallery recordings that have remained on tape sinc the early '7os and I'd love to get them onto my blog. As for panic attacks working into breakdowns, that's going on as I write. I don't pretend to have a firm grip on my composure anymore. But I'm trying to learn how you get taped sound onto your posts --I think that might help.

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    1. Geo, I thought life would get placid and less complicated as I grew older - - but I was wrong!! I have more problems now than ever (I won't elaborate - it would take too long).

      Admittedly, I know less than nothing about computer technology. Everything I do is hit and miss (with many misses) and trial and error (mostly errors). I try to make it look like I know what I'm doing.

      If your poetry readings are only audio ones, you could use Audacity to transfer them into files on your computer. Audacity is free software that can be downloaded to your computer (it's safe and reliable). I use it to transfer my old piano cassette tapes to my computer.

      If you're playing your poetry tapes on a cassette player (or any similar device), that device can be plugged into the microphone jack on your computer. Then you can use Audacity to save the recording to a computer file. Audacity basically easy to use (it looks more complicated than it is). You press the "play" button on your outside device (like a cassette player). Then you press the "record" icon on Audacity. When you're finished you simply press the "stop" icon. Then you write a title for your recording save the file on your computer.
      Hopefully this makes some sense - I'm not too good at explaining things.

      By the way, Audacity doesn't work on my laptop, because I don't have the correct microphone jack. I always have to use my desktop computer.
      There are numerous Audacity tutorials on YouTube (some are much better than others).
      Also, there are other free software options available besides Audacity - but Audacity is probably the most popular.

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    2. To get the poetry readings onto your blog, I suppose you could make a YouTube video. It doesn't actually have to be a "video". You can just put one still picture or photo on there for the duration of the reading.

      I would suggest using Soundcloud - but I THINK it's only for music - not readings (I occasionally use it for my piano recordings).

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  4. I am still in love with Ronstadt. There, I have said it. So has Governor Brown. He had 2 blue Pymouths at his disposal in the '70s --you remember--and one was often parked at her house. One was found 20 years later in Nevada. Make of it what you will. I say she was worth it. The song itself is an anthem of affection and appreciation of our country's southernmost coasts, and will always call for an Orbison/Ronstadt duet in my sentimental mind.
    As for "...almost near a nervous breakdown...", over the past month, ENT specialists have found "suspicious cells" in my pharnyx. As one who's worked around asbestos, smoked and suffered asthma throughout 35 years of laborer-gardening, I wake up freaked for the first 3 hours of every day. Evening brings peace and calm, though. Here it is midnight and I feel fine. Don't worry about what's in the mail tomorrow. Ignore the news. Collect yourself in confidence (for me that's about 3 p.m.) and let me know how you're doing because I care.

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    1. I remember when Ronstadt and Brown were an "item". It doesn't seem so long ago.

      I can fully sympathize with your ailments. It's unnerving to know that you worked around asbestos, and undoubtedly smoking compounded your problems.
      When I lived in Southern California (for 30 years) the smog was always a huge problem. And I was continuously plagued with lung infections, asthma, sore throats, and ill health. When I moved away, most of these physical ailments disappeared.
      Unfortunately I now fear that stress will do me in...

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  5. I worry someone might have come along and tipped you over!!!!

    When in doubt or stress music always seems to help. Blue Bayou was always a calming song.

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    1. I'll probably eventually be murdered by marauding hillbillies...or mauled by Bigfoot. The cats will eat my remains, and my bones won't be found for 200 years. The joys of life in the wilderness....

      Music always soothes the wild beast in me.

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  6. Sending happy thoughts your way, take care!

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    1. I need all the happy, positive thoughts I can get. Many thanks!

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  7. Jon,
    Sorry to hear that you're in the depths. This weather doesn't help. Very cold here too. Always something going wrong. Just this morning an guy in the parking lot at Food Lion told me my right brake like is out. Always something going wrong. I would to go for a few weeks with something not going wrong. Hopefully good weather is on its way. And sunny days for us all.
    Ron

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    1. Ron, I can't tolerate much more of this cold weather. I'm almost ready to head for Palm Springs....We can be neighbors. It was only 30 degrees yesterday and dropped into the teens last night. All the spring blossoms are destroyed.
      And you're right - - there's always something going wrong. The problems never end.
      Take care.

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  8. I loved Linda Ronstadt, too. This song became haunting when she sang it. As usual, you are too hard on yourself. I sure hope that things start to feel better for you soon. Been a rough winter for you and me, both! :)

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    1. I definitely agree that I'm always too hard on myself. I think I took up where my father left off when he died...

      I never expected to have long, cold winters in Tennessee (and this frigid, damp house makes everything even worse). I was undoubtedly spoiled in California and Texas - where April is nearly like summer.

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  9. Weather is warmer here but still have about 18 inches of snow in the yard. We also have a small mountain where the plow guy shoved snow from the driveway.
    Saw Linda Ronstadt at the Palomino Club (I think) in 74 or 75. Not sure if she was still with the Stone Ponies or not. And, didn't she actually live with Jerry Brown when he was governor the first time? I thought she was ensconced in the governor's mansion. She seemed to disappear for a time but I remember reading that she was focusing on her Hispanic heritage and recording their songs.
    Hope the sun shines giving you warmth and that you feel better soon.

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    1. Wow - 18 inches of yard snow in April! Suddenly Tennessee doesn't seem too bad. The eternal dampness here intensifies the cold (and so does this drafty house).

      I remember when Ronstadt and Brown were an "item" - and I think she did live in the governor's mansion for awhile. That's back when Jerry Brown had a very spartan and frugal lifestyle (I don't know if he still lives that way).

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  10. If you want eternal dampness come to Britain this Spring. It is leading the world in this. I never liked Roy Orbison, and VERY much prefer your version of Blue Bayou!!

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  11. If Britain is the world leader in dampness, methinks Tennessee is a close second.
    To be brutally honest, I never liked Roy Orbison, either.

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