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[perkiset]

Merry / Happy
Whatever You
Celebrate This Season!

In the spirit of what many of us have been talking about lately, I figured a most appropriate gift to all of you would be a little of music.

I arranged and sequenced the following pieces almost 20 years ago, when electronic music (or at least non-electronic SOUNDING music) was still pretty new fangled. At the time, my partners and I held on to a telephone number, 1-800-USVI-INFO and we did all the inbound telemarketing for the Virgin Islands, as well as a host of others. I wrote and performed all the hold music for the services because we didn't want to pay ASCAP etc. When Christmas came along, we needed to change the music and my partners asked me if I could do some carols in the spirit and sound of the islands. What follows were some of my efforts. Note that there are no live instruments at all - this was completely sequenced with the digital instruments of the day, which required no small amount of work to get to sound reasonable.

Please note that I didn't test this in any browser other than Safari - with Safari you can simply right click and then select "Download Linked File" to get the MP3 to your machine or just click it and you can play it right from the forum window. If you have troubles getting the files let me know and I'll get them to you.

Little Drummer Boy
Here I imagined a reggae band playing with a classic steel drum band. This one was challenging because the tonalities involved in the tune do not sound "right" played on a steel drum.
Play / Download: The Little Drummer Boy

Winter Wonderland
This was a hats off to Jaco Pastorius, king of the fretless bass (at that time) and a strong influence. I played the melody with a fretless bass patch I'd written and backed it up with the bells and steel drums. This one was the most experimental of these 3.
Play / Download: Winter Wonderland

O Tannenbaum
No suite is complete without the big production number. So here I imagined Gloria Estefan's salsa orchestra playing the classic German tune.
Play / Download: O Tannenbaum

I appreciate and enjoy all of you, and the gift of your time and knowledge here at The Cache.

May the holiday season and turn of new year find you and yours healthy, happy and prosperous.

/perk

[isthisthingon]

    

Thank you perks!!  Same to you

[isthisthingon]

Upon closer inspection, I have to ask: are you into reindeer play too?  Thought I was the only one

[perkiset]

Only sexy blonde reindeer. And they have to come with references.

[jammaster82]

   thanks! now i have four! enjoying the music.

[tomblack]

Thanks perks, Merry Christmas to you too. 

[KaptainKrayola]

That's pretty awesome man - thanks.

[nop_90]

 

[serialnoob]

It's not sound only, it's a video as well when playing OT.mp3. These guys are tuned !! 

Brilliant, Perk, Merry Christmas!

Hard to get these bells out of my mind with Jaco!  Liberty City I guess?

[perkiset]

Jaco retold what a bass could be, IMO. Thanks SNb.

[jammaster82]

I seem to remember hearing that music while waiting for a price on a plane ticket

[perkiset]

You're right, I forgot we did use it there as well

[jammaster82]

Awesome thanks for sharing your music. It is bringing back some awesome memories.. 
 


I mean how could you not have fond memories of working for a company that on your FIRST DAY
OF WORK you were distracted by five hooters girls with 'dollys' and FULL KEGS on each one... followed
by the rest of the girls carrying BUCKETS OF WINGS ...  Yea so everyone drank beer and ate
wings on the clock and i piped up to the tune of 'orphan annie' I know im gonna like it here!  A far cry
from todays workplace..