I’m really pleased to be able to share PAVEMENT, a song originally recorded in the late 90s as part of my recording project with Ruth Deal – singer in our band, Bagpuss. This version, however, is a nearly complete Redux – read on to find out what that means!
Recently I’ve been working on a new tune, and the drum-beat reminded me of the original version of Pavement – over the days of initial tracking, I found myself hearing Ruth’s original vocal in my head, so I went back and had a listen.
Now, several songs from this period of my songwriting have since shown up in shiny new versions on recent records – notably Oo-whee and Rough Diamonds on Turquoise Cyan Sapphire, and Over The Moon, Brian on Grope. On those versions, I completely reimagined the songs and, obviously, sang them.
But here’s the thing about Pavement – I can’t sing it! Or, if I do, it just sounds odd. And I confess, I LOVE Ruth’s vocal on this track (especially the “You, you say” moments in the verse).
So it was that I dug out the old masters, and imported them into Logic. I only kept Ruth’s original vocals, and went about creating a whole new set of instrumentation, with today’s fingers, soul and muse. I much prefer what I’ve done here than the original.
As for those vocals, Ruth’s performance was good, but we both remember her recording in a makeshift vocal booth (the bathroom in Jane and my place in Hawkinge), so on this version I had to do a LOT of work to EQ out the sonic signature of that space – all hard edges and mirror reflections (they’re still there, of course, but not nearly as strident).
As for the instrumentation, I’d always heard Pavement as a dense, anthemic BritPop prayer – though I didn’t have the gear, tone knowledge, or recording chops to even get close to what was in my head back then.
Now, I do, and I’m really happy with how this Redux turned out – it’s much closer to what I heard in my head all those years ago!
Take a listen, let me know what you think…
Pavement (feat. Ruth Deal)
Click here to get your copy of PAVEMENT
Lyrics
During this period of songwriting, my muse was very much reacting to a growing sense of feeling trapped in corporate life. Many of the songs of the time were songs of hope, of winning against the odds, of staying true to self against strong headwinds – all of the songs mentioned above have these threads woven in their fabric (especially Rough Diamonds).
So it is that Pavement is a prayer, a mantra, an incantation of hope that given the chance our dreams will emerge. Part of me was also in ironic mind, shouting at myself that I should not wait to make my music, that the perfect circumstances wouldn’t ever exist. I’d like to say that this understanding came to me much later, but the truth is that I felt it at the time; I knew the cage I was constructing for myself!
Now, I take the time to reflect on the offer contained within the song: “take a lean on me”. That was me reaching out a hand to myself – it happened a lot in my lyrics – still does.
It’s an offer I’ve learned to accept more and more over the years.
I could go on about other meanings, how the lyrics developed over time but, honestly, who has time for that?!
I hope some part of the words and song touch you and, even better, offer some help in the face of the storm.
PAVEMENT
Give us Pavement
Give us solid ground beneath our feet
Give us certainty
Give us all the food that we can eat
Give us shelter
A chance to get some sleep
Give us all this
and we will bring our dreams
All at once my confidence
seems
I look inside, I look within
to see where it’s gone
You, you say, “Take a lean on me”
You say, “Just relax and breathe”
Give us Pavement
Give us solid ground beneath our feet
Give us certainty
Give us all the food that we can eat
Give us shelter
A chance to get some sleep
Give us all this
and we will bring our dreams
Don’t you know the time has come
when we can sing our song
Take it out of here
Don’t you know the time has come
when we build our dreams on
Strength and not on fear
Give us Pavement
Give us solid ground beneath our feet
Give us certainty
Give us all the food that we can eat
Give us shelter
A chance to get some sleep
Give us all this
and we will bring our dreams
Give us all this
and we will bring our dreams
PAVEMENT
All rights reserved, Tuckwood, 1999
Tech notes
- Recorded, mixed and mastered in Logic Pro X
- Original tracking on Sony MiniDisc Multitrack
- 3 guitars are used across 7 different parts – Fender Telecaster American Deluxe with TV Jones Starwood pickups, Gibson ES-335, Reverend Double Agent W (Solo only)
- All electric guitars are recorded through my Whitney Amplification custom Monkey amp (AC15-type on steroids) via THD Hotplate Load box into Redwirez IRs
- Main pedals are AnalogMan Sunface Red Dot NKT, Xotic BB Preamp Mid-Boost, Hudson Broadcast, MXR Phase 90 (with script mod), Strymon El Capistan, Strymon Flint (Spring Reverb and Power Amp Trem), and Neo Mini-Vent II (Rotary Cabinet Simulator)
- Bass is my Fender P-Bass Deluxe – modified to remove active circuitry, and replace stock pickups with Seymour Duncan Quarterpounders P-J set (such a great drive-train)
- Acoustic is my Cole Clark Angel direct to board through it’s fantastic in-built amplification
- Drums are Logic Pro X drummer – thanks Logan!
