Brain Damage talk about some of their most loved songs. Some memories may not be accurate or true. After each song is a link to hear the song.
BRAIN DAMAGE IS ONLY A NAME
Scott: I really wanted a song where I played trumpet. For me, in 1982, it was a challenge to write a song on piano, then put it in a key that would be comfortable to play on the trumpet. The trumpet is in the key of B flat. I wrote the song in B flat, so it was easy to play on trumpet. I had learnt trumpet in high school and I had not played much since. I'm quite proud of the way it turned out. I'd like to do another trumpet song.
The message of the song is that even though "Brain Damage" sounds like a heavy metal band, with all of the trappings, we wanted our music to be free of swearing, sex, drugs etc. The song does not come across well live. I am proud of the funny chord progression at the beginning of each verse, however. The bridge has chords that were difficult for me to play.
Roy: Scott and I wrote the words to the chorus and I wrote the music to chorus. The rest belongs to Scott. Scott showed me the lyrics he had written at a wedding reception we were at, and we finished the lyrics there. I remember the day we recorded the
vocal track I had a bad cold. For days after that session I could barely talk. The trumpet makes the song. There is a great jazz trumpet player in Memphis Tennessee, Rudy Williams, that does a wild renditions of Scott's trumpet part. It's on the "We're Going To Memphis" DVD.
Scott Voelzing: Piano, trumpet, guitar, lead vocals.
Roy Morrison: Bass, lead vocals.
Albert Cardarelli: Background vocals.
brain_damage_is_only_a_name.mp3
SPIC & SPAN DRY CLEANING BLUES
Roy: I wrote the lyric at work on day in 1984. A lot the my lyrics are written at work. Later on when we started to play this song live, I came up with the verse about "no pension plan or breaks" (second version), to make the song longer.
Scott: Roy came up with cool lyrics, written about our friend Reg Axcell. I wanted something quick, so I came out with the standard 4 chord progression. The original had me playing harmonica. Fun to play, easy to sing. The formula for my song writing is summed up in one word. Simple. This song is an example of that.
Version 1
Scott Voelzing: Piano, drums, harmonica, lead vocals.
Roy Morrison: Bass.
Rick McKay: Drums.
Version 2
Scott Voelzing: Keyboards, lead vocals.
Roy Morrison: Bass, drum programming.
Bruce Magnus: Lead guitar.
spic_and_span_dry_cleaning_blues.mp3
CARCUS HOSPITAL
Scott: Roy wrote words based on a movie we made when we were 14. The words refer to scenes in the movie, so it is probably nonsensical to anyone listening. Once again, it is simple. At the end of each verse where it repeats..Carcus..Carcus.., I threw that in to make it fit. It came across O.K.
Roy: This is one of the few songs I hate. The lyrics are taken from a movie Scott & I made in 1974. It's fun to play it live.
Roy Morrison: Bass, lead vocals.
Scott Voelzing: Piano, drums, backing vocals.
Joe Holmes: Guitar, backing vocals
carcus_hospital.mp3
YOU GIRL
Roy: I wrote this one in April 1979. The song I was thinking about when I wrote it was "I'll Meet You Halfway." A lot of my songs start out that way. I would substitute lyrics to other songs to get a pattern going. There are two version of the song. Version one is on "It'll Hurt Your Head Too" and the other one is on "Playing For Uncle Stunkle". I let Scott sing lead on the first version since he didn't have many lead songs on that first album. I like the version I sing.
Version 1
Scott Voelzing: Piano, drums, lead vocals.
Roy Morrison: Bass, guitar.
Version 2
Roy Morrison: Bass, guitar, drum programming, lead vocals.
Scott Voelzing: Keyboards.
you_girl.mp3
THE M.V. SONG
Scott: I like the words. I wrote about going to Roy's on a Friday nights and included imagery from being 13...his dog, cat, Chinese food, Jeff Woods (a neighbour of Roys'). There's a line about Jed's mother. We had two versions; one that is on the CD, and one we played in the event Jed was present. We did not want to offend. I was amazed how Roy fit the words perfectly into melody. Written in a bar in Low, Quebec, in 1982.
Roy: I remember singing the lyrics that Scott wrote one day and when I found out what I was singing, it turned out to C Am F G. This chord progression is in a lot of early rock and roll songs. I had the idea to put in the sound clips of the movies Scott and I made. I think the clips ties in great to the feel of the time we were singing about.
Scott Voelzing: Piano, electric piano, drums, lead and backing vocals.
Roy Morrison. Bass, lead and backing vocals.
Joe Holmes: Guitar, backing vocals.
the_m.v._song.mp3
R. O. H.
Roy: For those who don't know it, R. O. H. stands for Royal Ottawa Hospital. It's a hospital that Jed went to once. If he hadn't of gone there, this song wouldn't have been written. Scott, I think, came up with the music first. His vocals as a crazy person makes the song. We made a video to go with the song, but never finished it. Years later I edited the song down so I could use what we had of the original footage. A great dance track, if you like dancing crazy.
Scott Voelzing: Piano, drums, lead vocals.
Roy Morrison: Bass.
r.o.h..mp3
MRS MAXWELL
Roy: This song is a little silly but I like it. I love the video for the song, though I'm not in very long. The vocal track could of been done better, but I think Scott didn't want to waste too
much time on this song.
Scott: An embarrassment.
Scott Voelzing: Piano, lead vocals.
Roy Morrison: Bass.
Rick McKay: Drums.
mrs._maxwell.mp3
THE EVIL JED EXEL
Roy: The song I used for inspiration is Del Shannon's "Sister Isabel". The chords for the bridge was taken from part of The Beatles "I Saw Her Standing There".
Roy Morrison: Bass, drum programming, lead vocals.
Scott Voelzing: Keyboards.
Bruce Magnus: Guitar.
the_evil_jed_excell.mp3
WE CAN TAKE YOU FAT
Scott: Albert was upset. He thought he was gaining weight. I came up with the words and music. The message is "you're
gaining weight? So what!" It wasn't really about Albert, just inspired by him. He'll be glad to know that.
Roy: This song is basically all Scott's. I took one verse he wrote and turned it into the a bridge. I think he wrote about Albert.
Roy Morrison: Bass, guitar, lead vocals.
Scott Voelzing: Keyboards.
we_can_take_you_fat.mp3
NINETIES LOVE SONG
Scott: A good example where we each contributed. I had the first line and Roy took it from there.
Roy: Scott wrote most of this song. He played the music first, then he gave me ton of lines to write down. I then edited them down into verses, adding words / deleting words where needed and I added the verse about "It's easier to forgive, than to forget". That verse was part of song I started, but never finished, around the time of "Dying Inside" and "Let Him Go". I think this is one the greatest songs we have written.
Roy Morrison: Lead vocals.
Scott Voelzing: Keyboards.
nineties_love_song.mp3
THE TRUTH IN HER EYES
Scott: Roy's lyrics are poignant and heavy. I felt they deserved better than my usual for chord schlock. If the music was in minor keys, the song would be too depressing. I'm fairly pleased with the results, although Roy thinks it is too fast. I think if it was slower, it would be a funeral dirge. It was recorded in Memphis, Tennessee at the Sam Phillips Recording Studio. Roy didn't like that in the last verse I played an octave higher. Tough. That is the way I wrote it. I put the strings on it when we returned to Ottawa,
Roy: Probably THE heaviest set of lyrics I have ever written. The words came very easy to me. I wrote about ten verses, but I had to cut it down or the song would drag forever. Scott did a great job with the music. This is also one of the greatest songs we have written.
Roy Morrison: Lead vocals.
Scott Voelzing: Keyboards.
truth_in_her_eyes.mp3
TU ES LE SOLEIL
Roy: I think this was Scotts' first and only try at writing a love song. Not bad. Lyrics were a little weak in the second verse.
Scott: Written for my ex-wife.
Scott Voelzing: Piano, drums, lead and backing vocals.
Roy Morrison: Bass, guitar.
tu_es_le_soleil.mp3
I CAN'T LIVE WITH YOU (YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT ME)
Roy: Scott played me the music, December 23, 1983. The next day I wrote the lyrics, inspired by a couple that I know. Scott and I got to act out this couple is the music video we made for the song. One of my favourites.
Scott: Good words written by Roy, music by me. The music again is simple...4 chords. I had just learned Floyd Cramer's country piano style, so I used it on that song. As well, the Beginning of each verse has a country piano phrase I had learned. Again, the original had a harmonica solo. We did a video for the song in 1985. It's a time capsule.
Version 1
Roy Morrison: Bass, guitar, lead vocals.
Scott Voelzing: Piano, drums, harmonica, backing vocals.
Version 2
Roy Morrison: Bass, guitar, drum programming lead vocals.
Scott Voelzing: Keyboards, backing vocals
i_cant_live_with_you.mp3
TENNESSEE CHRISTMAS
Roy: Totally Scott's song. No matter what time of year it is, we always get a request for it when we play live.
Scott: Simple again. I wanted a song that conjured up images of Tennessee from when I went there one Christmas. There were in fact black Santas. While Ottawa was frozen solid, the first thing I saw when I reached Memphis was the Mississippi with boats buzzing around on it. Elvis's house was indeed deck out in Christmas lights, ones that he owned himself. There was a Nativity scene on the front lawn that was pretty neat. I also drank Southern Comfort there. This song is curiously one of the favorites when performed live. Albert does a good job on vocals
Scott Voelzing: Keyboards, lead and backing vocals.
Brian Voelzing: Backing vocals.
Christina Voelzing: Backing vocals.
Jonathan Morrison: Backing vocals.
Kristy Morrison: Backing vocals.
tennessee_christmas.mp3
THE QUEBEC SONG
Scott: I wrote both words and music. I am quite proud of the words. I conveyed what I felt about the political climate in Canada. Unquestionably, politically incorrect, I am self conscious playing this live. So much so, that I would like to change the title and chorus to perhaps, I Love Quebec. Look for it at the next live performance. At the time I wrote this, I had been listening to "Herod's Song" from Jesus Christ Superstar. The music is written in a similar Scott Joplin rag, with a tap dance in the middle. In Herod's Songs, Herod is doubting Jesus' place as the son of God. At the end, he orders him taken away; quite serious and foreboding, but the music is lively and jaunty. An interesting combination. I wanted Quebec to sound the same, a serious message with light music. Fun to play and as you can image, lots of audience participation.
Roy: Brain Damage getting political, in a humorous way. My favourite lyrics by Scott. I wrote the verse that starts "Stop your threats..." I know people from Quebec, and French, that love this song, so I hope Scott doesn't change it. Somehow I think if we sang "I love Quebec" we wouldn't get the same response to the song. Years late we made a video for the song, but didn't want to release under the Brain Damage, so we used I Romantici, the band name Royal Albert and the Collection uses when they played an Italian gig.
Scott Voelzing: Keyboards, lead and backing vocals.
the_quebec_song.mp3
NO YEAR END RAISE BLUES
Roy: I wrote the words shortly after receiving my envelope at work telling me I wouldn't be getting a raise that year. This was the first time in five that they were giving out raises, but as the song says "my salary was too high". I wanted Scott to sing it like Louis Armstrong. Great job. The chords are the standard blues progression.
Scott: This song was a filler. Roy wrote the words and I used much the same chords as Spic and Span. I sound like I have a cold on it. The brass turned out O.K. I would like to do a jazz tune. I would probably need help in coming up with the right chords and style of play.
Scott Voelzing: Keyboards, lead vocals.
Roy Morrison: Bass, drum programming.
no_year_end_raise_blues.mp3
JED EXEL TURNED FORTY
Roy: The last song I will write using Jed as the subject. Scott and I were talking one day when we realised that Jed was turning forty that year. The Buddy Holly references were because Jed likes Buddy's music. The musical inspiration is Buddy Holly's "Peggy Sue Got Married". We changed the lyrics when Jed turned fifty....then sixty. Its timeless.
Scott: The best song we do. Both words and music were written by Roy. The words, I think are spectacular. The way he blended Buddy Holly's titles in the song is pure genius. The message is good; none of the words are filler. Albert's and my background vocals are great, I must admit. I would like to do more of this kind of harmonizing. Also, it's refreshing not having any piano on this song. Sounds good live too. By far, my favorite.
Roy Morrison: Guitar, bass, drum programming, lead vocals.
Scott Voelzing: Keyboards, backing vocals.
Albert Cardarelli: Backing vocals.
jed_exel_turned_forty.mp3
I HATE WINTER
Scott: I find winter too long. I wrote the words and music a couple of winters ago. The original version had Roy playing guitar. It was quite good. The version on the C.D. is not very good. I don't like the sound of my voice and the lack of useful percussion. I also think the lyrics are redundant and silly. Reggae can be an interesting form of music. Too bad this one hadn't turned out better.
Roy: I remember the original version we had it all record and a couple of years later we realized the intro was exactly like the intro to Brown Eyed Girl, so we rerecorded it.
Scott Voelzing: Keyboards, lead and backing vocals.
i_hate_winter.mp3
ODE TO A CIVIL SERVANT
Scott: Written in the winter of 1984, it is still relevant, although the Tories came in and out since the time it was written. It has only been played live a couple of times. In the spring of 1985, we played it at the RA Centre Talent Night. Afterwards, people asked to see the words. I think anyone working for the government can relate to this song. I would like to resurrect it. Look for it at the next performance. I wrote the words and Roy wrote the music. Roy will tell you that he had to rework the words to make them fit. I know that what is there is exactly what I wrote, word for word. A good demonstration of Roy's writing ability.
Scott Voelzing: Organ, lead vocals.
Roy Morrison: Guitar.
ode_to_a_civil_servant.mp3
I'LL BE WAITING
Roy: This song was written in the fall of 1981. I remember hearing the Badfinger song "Without You" and I wanted to write a song like that. At the time I was in another band The Daralyx, with James Cook and Tom Potvin, and we were recording an album. I wrote the lyrics but didn't have any music. At the same time Tom had music he had written but no lyrics. The lyrics for I'll Be Waiting fit perfectly with Tom's music and we recorded it for the Daralyx album. Brain Damage rerecorded the song for our "Playing For Uncle Stunkle" CD. Both version has me playing piano on it. One of the rare occasions that I play piano on a song.
Roy Morrison: Guitar, keyboards, bass, drum programming, lead vocals.
Scott Voelzing: Keyboards
ill_be_waiting.mp3
Scott: I really wanted a song where I played trumpet. For me, in 1982, it was a challenge to write a song on piano, then put it in a key that would be comfortable to play on the trumpet. The trumpet is in the key of B flat. I wrote the song in B flat, so it was easy to play on trumpet. I had learnt trumpet in high school and I had not played much since. I'm quite proud of the way it turned out. I'd like to do another trumpet song.
The message of the song is that even though "Brain Damage" sounds like a heavy metal band, with all of the trappings, we wanted our music to be free of swearing, sex, drugs etc. The song does not come across well live. I am proud of the funny chord progression at the beginning of each verse, however. The bridge has chords that were difficult for me to play.
Roy: Scott and I wrote the words to the chorus and I wrote the music to chorus. The rest belongs to Scott. Scott showed me the lyrics he had written at a wedding reception we were at, and we finished the lyrics there. I remember the day we recorded the
vocal track I had a bad cold. For days after that session I could barely talk. The trumpet makes the song. There is a great jazz trumpet player in Memphis Tennessee, Rudy Williams, that does a wild renditions of Scott's trumpet part. It's on the "We're Going To Memphis" DVD.
Scott Voelzing: Piano, trumpet, guitar, lead vocals.
Roy Morrison: Bass, lead vocals.
Albert Cardarelli: Background vocals.
brain_damage_is_only_a_name.mp3
SPIC & SPAN DRY CLEANING BLUES
Roy: I wrote the lyric at work on day in 1984. A lot the my lyrics are written at work. Later on when we started to play this song live, I came up with the verse about "no pension plan or breaks" (second version), to make the song longer.
Scott: Roy came up with cool lyrics, written about our friend Reg Axcell. I wanted something quick, so I came out with the standard 4 chord progression. The original had me playing harmonica. Fun to play, easy to sing. The formula for my song writing is summed up in one word. Simple. This song is an example of that.
Version 1
Scott Voelzing: Piano, drums, harmonica, lead vocals.
Roy Morrison: Bass.
Rick McKay: Drums.
Version 2
Scott Voelzing: Keyboards, lead vocals.
Roy Morrison: Bass, drum programming.
Bruce Magnus: Lead guitar.
spic_and_span_dry_cleaning_blues.mp3
CARCUS HOSPITAL
Scott: Roy wrote words based on a movie we made when we were 14. The words refer to scenes in the movie, so it is probably nonsensical to anyone listening. Once again, it is simple. At the end of each verse where it repeats..Carcus..Carcus.., I threw that in to make it fit. It came across O.K.
Roy: This is one of the few songs I hate. The lyrics are taken from a movie Scott & I made in 1974. It's fun to play it live.
Roy Morrison: Bass, lead vocals.
Scott Voelzing: Piano, drums, backing vocals.
Joe Holmes: Guitar, backing vocals
carcus_hospital.mp3
YOU GIRL
Roy: I wrote this one in April 1979. The song I was thinking about when I wrote it was "I'll Meet You Halfway." A lot of my songs start out that way. I would substitute lyrics to other songs to get a pattern going. There are two version of the song. Version one is on "It'll Hurt Your Head Too" and the other one is on "Playing For Uncle Stunkle". I let Scott sing lead on the first version since he didn't have many lead songs on that first album. I like the version I sing.
Version 1
Scott Voelzing: Piano, drums, lead vocals.
Roy Morrison: Bass, guitar.
Version 2
Roy Morrison: Bass, guitar, drum programming, lead vocals.
Scott Voelzing: Keyboards.
you_girl.mp3
THE M.V. SONG
Scott: I like the words. I wrote about going to Roy's on a Friday nights and included imagery from being 13...his dog, cat, Chinese food, Jeff Woods (a neighbour of Roys'). There's a line about Jed's mother. We had two versions; one that is on the CD, and one we played in the event Jed was present. We did not want to offend. I was amazed how Roy fit the words perfectly into melody. Written in a bar in Low, Quebec, in 1982.
Roy: I remember singing the lyrics that Scott wrote one day and when I found out what I was singing, it turned out to C Am F G. This chord progression is in a lot of early rock and roll songs. I had the idea to put in the sound clips of the movies Scott and I made. I think the clips ties in great to the feel of the time we were singing about.
Scott Voelzing: Piano, electric piano, drums, lead and backing vocals.
Roy Morrison. Bass, lead and backing vocals.
Joe Holmes: Guitar, backing vocals.
the_m.v._song.mp3
R. O. H.
Roy: For those who don't know it, R. O. H. stands for Royal Ottawa Hospital. It's a hospital that Jed went to once. If he hadn't of gone there, this song wouldn't have been written. Scott, I think, came up with the music first. His vocals as a crazy person makes the song. We made a video to go with the song, but never finished it. Years later I edited the song down so I could use what we had of the original footage. A great dance track, if you like dancing crazy.
Scott Voelzing: Piano, drums, lead vocals.
Roy Morrison: Bass.
r.o.h..mp3
MRS MAXWELL
Roy: This song is a little silly but I like it. I love the video for the song, though I'm not in very long. The vocal track could of been done better, but I think Scott didn't want to waste too
much time on this song.
Scott: An embarrassment.
Scott Voelzing: Piano, lead vocals.
Roy Morrison: Bass.
Rick McKay: Drums.
mrs._maxwell.mp3
THE EVIL JED EXEL
Roy: The song I used for inspiration is Del Shannon's "Sister Isabel". The chords for the bridge was taken from part of The Beatles "I Saw Her Standing There".
Roy Morrison: Bass, drum programming, lead vocals.
Scott Voelzing: Keyboards.
Bruce Magnus: Guitar.
the_evil_jed_excell.mp3
WE CAN TAKE YOU FAT
Scott: Albert was upset. He thought he was gaining weight. I came up with the words and music. The message is "you're
gaining weight? So what!" It wasn't really about Albert, just inspired by him. He'll be glad to know that.
Roy: This song is basically all Scott's. I took one verse he wrote and turned it into the a bridge. I think he wrote about Albert.
Roy Morrison: Bass, guitar, lead vocals.
Scott Voelzing: Keyboards.
we_can_take_you_fat.mp3
NINETIES LOVE SONG
Scott: A good example where we each contributed. I had the first line and Roy took it from there.
Roy: Scott wrote most of this song. He played the music first, then he gave me ton of lines to write down. I then edited them down into verses, adding words / deleting words where needed and I added the verse about "It's easier to forgive, than to forget". That verse was part of song I started, but never finished, around the time of "Dying Inside" and "Let Him Go". I think this is one the greatest songs we have written.
Roy Morrison: Lead vocals.
Scott Voelzing: Keyboards.
nineties_love_song.mp3
THE TRUTH IN HER EYES
Scott: Roy's lyrics are poignant and heavy. I felt they deserved better than my usual for chord schlock. If the music was in minor keys, the song would be too depressing. I'm fairly pleased with the results, although Roy thinks it is too fast. I think if it was slower, it would be a funeral dirge. It was recorded in Memphis, Tennessee at the Sam Phillips Recording Studio. Roy didn't like that in the last verse I played an octave higher. Tough. That is the way I wrote it. I put the strings on it when we returned to Ottawa,
Roy: Probably THE heaviest set of lyrics I have ever written. The words came very easy to me. I wrote about ten verses, but I had to cut it down or the song would drag forever. Scott did a great job with the music. This is also one of the greatest songs we have written.
Roy Morrison: Lead vocals.
Scott Voelzing: Keyboards.
truth_in_her_eyes.mp3
TU ES LE SOLEIL
Roy: I think this was Scotts' first and only try at writing a love song. Not bad. Lyrics were a little weak in the second verse.
Scott: Written for my ex-wife.
Scott Voelzing: Piano, drums, lead and backing vocals.
Roy Morrison: Bass, guitar.
tu_es_le_soleil.mp3
I CAN'T LIVE WITH YOU (YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT ME)
Roy: Scott played me the music, December 23, 1983. The next day I wrote the lyrics, inspired by a couple that I know. Scott and I got to act out this couple is the music video we made for the song. One of my favourites.
Scott: Good words written by Roy, music by me. The music again is simple...4 chords. I had just learned Floyd Cramer's country piano style, so I used it on that song. As well, the Beginning of each verse has a country piano phrase I had learned. Again, the original had a harmonica solo. We did a video for the song in 1985. It's a time capsule.
Version 1
Roy Morrison: Bass, guitar, lead vocals.
Scott Voelzing: Piano, drums, harmonica, backing vocals.
Version 2
Roy Morrison: Bass, guitar, drum programming lead vocals.
Scott Voelzing: Keyboards, backing vocals
i_cant_live_with_you.mp3
TENNESSEE CHRISTMAS
Roy: Totally Scott's song. No matter what time of year it is, we always get a request for it when we play live.
Scott: Simple again. I wanted a song that conjured up images of Tennessee from when I went there one Christmas. There were in fact black Santas. While Ottawa was frozen solid, the first thing I saw when I reached Memphis was the Mississippi with boats buzzing around on it. Elvis's house was indeed deck out in Christmas lights, ones that he owned himself. There was a Nativity scene on the front lawn that was pretty neat. I also drank Southern Comfort there. This song is curiously one of the favorites when performed live. Albert does a good job on vocals
Scott Voelzing: Keyboards, lead and backing vocals.
Brian Voelzing: Backing vocals.
Christina Voelzing: Backing vocals.
Jonathan Morrison: Backing vocals.
Kristy Morrison: Backing vocals.
tennessee_christmas.mp3
THE QUEBEC SONG
Scott: I wrote both words and music. I am quite proud of the words. I conveyed what I felt about the political climate in Canada. Unquestionably, politically incorrect, I am self conscious playing this live. So much so, that I would like to change the title and chorus to perhaps, I Love Quebec. Look for it at the next live performance. At the time I wrote this, I had been listening to "Herod's Song" from Jesus Christ Superstar. The music is written in a similar Scott Joplin rag, with a tap dance in the middle. In Herod's Songs, Herod is doubting Jesus' place as the son of God. At the end, he orders him taken away; quite serious and foreboding, but the music is lively and jaunty. An interesting combination. I wanted Quebec to sound the same, a serious message with light music. Fun to play and as you can image, lots of audience participation.
Roy: Brain Damage getting political, in a humorous way. My favourite lyrics by Scott. I wrote the verse that starts "Stop your threats..." I know people from Quebec, and French, that love this song, so I hope Scott doesn't change it. Somehow I think if we sang "I love Quebec" we wouldn't get the same response to the song. Years late we made a video for the song, but didn't want to release under the Brain Damage, so we used I Romantici, the band name Royal Albert and the Collection uses when they played an Italian gig.
Scott Voelzing: Keyboards, lead and backing vocals.
the_quebec_song.mp3
NO YEAR END RAISE BLUES
Roy: I wrote the words shortly after receiving my envelope at work telling me I wouldn't be getting a raise that year. This was the first time in five that they were giving out raises, but as the song says "my salary was too high". I wanted Scott to sing it like Louis Armstrong. Great job. The chords are the standard blues progression.
Scott: This song was a filler. Roy wrote the words and I used much the same chords as Spic and Span. I sound like I have a cold on it. The brass turned out O.K. I would like to do a jazz tune. I would probably need help in coming up with the right chords and style of play.
Scott Voelzing: Keyboards, lead vocals.
Roy Morrison: Bass, drum programming.
no_year_end_raise_blues.mp3
JED EXEL TURNED FORTY
Roy: The last song I will write using Jed as the subject. Scott and I were talking one day when we realised that Jed was turning forty that year. The Buddy Holly references were because Jed likes Buddy's music. The musical inspiration is Buddy Holly's "Peggy Sue Got Married". We changed the lyrics when Jed turned fifty....then sixty. Its timeless.
Scott: The best song we do. Both words and music were written by Roy. The words, I think are spectacular. The way he blended Buddy Holly's titles in the song is pure genius. The message is good; none of the words are filler. Albert's and my background vocals are great, I must admit. I would like to do more of this kind of harmonizing. Also, it's refreshing not having any piano on this song. Sounds good live too. By far, my favorite.
Roy Morrison: Guitar, bass, drum programming, lead vocals.
Scott Voelzing: Keyboards, backing vocals.
Albert Cardarelli: Backing vocals.
jed_exel_turned_forty.mp3
I HATE WINTER
Scott: I find winter too long. I wrote the words and music a couple of winters ago. The original version had Roy playing guitar. It was quite good. The version on the C.D. is not very good. I don't like the sound of my voice and the lack of useful percussion. I also think the lyrics are redundant and silly. Reggae can be an interesting form of music. Too bad this one hadn't turned out better.
Roy: I remember the original version we had it all record and a couple of years later we realized the intro was exactly like the intro to Brown Eyed Girl, so we rerecorded it.
Scott Voelzing: Keyboards, lead and backing vocals.
i_hate_winter.mp3
ODE TO A CIVIL SERVANT
Scott: Written in the winter of 1984, it is still relevant, although the Tories came in and out since the time it was written. It has only been played live a couple of times. In the spring of 1985, we played it at the RA Centre Talent Night. Afterwards, people asked to see the words. I think anyone working for the government can relate to this song. I would like to resurrect it. Look for it at the next performance. I wrote the words and Roy wrote the music. Roy will tell you that he had to rework the words to make them fit. I know that what is there is exactly what I wrote, word for word. A good demonstration of Roy's writing ability.
Scott Voelzing: Organ, lead vocals.
Roy Morrison: Guitar.
ode_to_a_civil_servant.mp3
I'LL BE WAITING
Roy: This song was written in the fall of 1981. I remember hearing the Badfinger song "Without You" and I wanted to write a song like that. At the time I was in another band The Daralyx, with James Cook and Tom Potvin, and we were recording an album. I wrote the lyrics but didn't have any music. At the same time Tom had music he had written but no lyrics. The lyrics for I'll Be Waiting fit perfectly with Tom's music and we recorded it for the Daralyx album. Brain Damage rerecorded the song for our "Playing For Uncle Stunkle" CD. Both version has me playing piano on it. One of the rare occasions that I play piano on a song.
Roy Morrison: Guitar, keyboards, bass, drum programming, lead vocals.
Scott Voelzing: Keyboards
ill_be_waiting.mp3