SUMMER of CELLO - full notes
Summer of Cello (2010)
BPM050
I'm glad my childhood was in the 60's. There are a bunch of songs that I just love and never get tired of hearing from back then. These songs are burned into my head and I’m (usually!) glad they are.
There is only cello on this recording, nothing else, and very few and limited effects are used – just a little compression & echo. There are from 2 to 16 celli on each. I did not use a cello group as I was experimenting and arranging as I recorded and not intending to release this at the beginning, so all these celli I played on my own.
Pretty much all the songs are done in full length with all verses and choruses. I think the approach is as if the cellos think they are a rock band - playing the song in full. I also tried to walk a fine line between performing the original songs like a pop band and adding new ideas orchestrally and avoid at all costs any muzak effect! - and that's hard with all strings - I may not have always succeeded, but I did try my best, believe me. I stayed pretty close to the original arrangements in essence, and still some songs have been changed quite a bit.
I had a good time working on this - it's meant a lot to me. I hope you find some fun and something more in listening ...
BPM050
I'm glad my childhood was in the 60's. There are a bunch of songs that I just love and never get tired of hearing from back then. These songs are burned into my head and I’m (usually!) glad they are.
There is only cello on this recording, nothing else, and very few and limited effects are used – just a little compression & echo. There are from 2 to 16 celli on each. I did not use a cello group as I was experimenting and arranging as I recorded and not intending to release this at the beginning, so all these celli I played on my own.
Pretty much all the songs are done in full length with all verses and choruses. I think the approach is as if the cellos think they are a rock band - playing the song in full. I also tried to walk a fine line between performing the original songs like a pop band and adding new ideas orchestrally and avoid at all costs any muzak effect! - and that's hard with all strings - I may not have always succeeded, but I did try my best, believe me. I stayed pretty close to the original arrangements in essence, and still some songs have been changed quite a bit.
I had a good time working on this - it's meant a lot to me. I hope you find some fun and something more in listening ...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Happenings Ten Years Time Ago (3:30)
2 Incense and Peppermints (4:54)
3 Rope Ladder to the Moon (3:21)
4 Laléna (3:20)
5 Ruby Tuesday (3:21)
6 Sunshine of Your Love (4:24)
7 Hello Goodbye (3:37)
8 Surf's Up (4:28)
9 Tomorrow Never Knows / Rain (4:33)
10 Voodoo Chile (5:02)
11 Within You Without You (5:22)
12 Woodstock (7:01)
13 People Get Ready (3:19)
Recorded and mixed by Barry Phillips at Barry’s Cave.
Mastered by Rainer Gembalczyk at Sienna Digital.
© & (p) 2010 Barry Phillips
P. O. Box 531, Santa Cruz, California 95061
BarryPhillipsMusic.com
2 Incense and Peppermints (4:54)
3 Rope Ladder to the Moon (3:21)
4 Laléna (3:20)
5 Ruby Tuesday (3:21)
6 Sunshine of Your Love (4:24)
7 Hello Goodbye (3:37)
8 Surf's Up (4:28)
9 Tomorrow Never Knows / Rain (4:33)
10 Voodoo Chile (5:02)
11 Within You Without You (5:22)
12 Woodstock (7:01)
13 People Get Ready (3:19)
Recorded and mixed by Barry Phillips at Barry’s Cave.
Mastered by Rainer Gembalczyk at Sienna Digital.
© & (p) 2010 Barry Phillips
P. O. Box 531, Santa Cruz, California 95061
BarryPhillipsMusic.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Happenings Ten Years Time Ago (The Yardbirds, 1966)
words & music byKeith Relf, James McCarty, Jeff Beck & Jimmy Page
published by Glenwood Music Corp (ASCAP)
I still love this like the day I first heard it in '66. Jeff Beck's solo is one of the most amazing things I've ever heard - I pretty much can't get used to how free, expressive and amazing it is. I did my best with it, but if you haven't the original please take a listen and remember it was only 1966 at the time - and be amazed!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2 Incense and Peppermints (Strawberry Alarm Clock, 1967)
words & music by John S. Carter, Jr. & Timothy P. Gilbert
published by MPL Music Publishing, Inc. (obo) Claridge Music Company
No song says "hippie" like this one! The song name, the band name - you gotta love it, no, really man, you GOT TO. I took more liberties with this arrangement. I liked this song at the time it came out, but I have come to appreciate it more and more - a really creative song.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3 Rope Ladder To The Moon (Jack Bruce , 1969)
words by Peter Brown & music by Jack Bruce
published by Casserole Music, Inc (obo) Unichappell Music Inc.
Jack Bruce was a composition student at Edinburgh's Royal College of Music and I think his interest in classical composition shows in this song. I love that he played cello (and really well) on the original recording. I focused on the bass part - I wrote out and replayed his part note for note because it is for me the center of the song - a bass solo through the whole song - and no one plays lines like Jack Bruce. As good as the song itself is, and it's really a fine song, it’s also the stage for the amazing "Bruce-esque" bass part.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4 Laléna (Donavan, 1968)
words & music (c) 1968 & 1996 Donovan Phillips Leitch
published by Peer Music (BMI)
This is simply one of the most beautiful songs ever written. I tried to be fairly true to the original, just did some enhanced harmonies and moving lines. The original string arrangement by John Cameron is quoted a lot here - it has become integral to the song just like all the George Martin arrangements are to the Beatle songs.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5 Ruby Tuesday (Rolling Stones, 1967)
words & music by Keith Richards & Mic Jagger
published by Abkco Music Inc (BMI)
I actually found this one pretty tough to do as a cello ensemble, but I like it too much, kept trying and I think the result is finally good. Somehow I never owned a Stones record, but I always had a song off of every LP happily stuck in my head in those days. This is one of those.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6 Sunshine of Your Love (Cream, 1967)
words & music by Peter Brown, Jack Bruce & Eric Clapton
published by Unichappell Music Inc. (BMI)
Cream was a big influence on me. I was a drummer at the time and doing a Cream song meant I do to try my hand at the Ginger Baker “thing", which takes a minimum of 2 or more hands and feet! I also wanted to recreate a Clapton solo on this record, so again, did my best, was fun, with apologies and thanks to EC.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7 Hello Goodbye (Beatles, 1967)
words & music by John Lennon & Paul McCartney
published by Sony/ATV Tunes LLC (Northern Songs Catalog)
Another tough one to do for cello ensemble. I'm just so totally satisfied with the original so what can you do with that?! This might be THE quintessential “Paul” song, with it's descending bass line and bouncy chords. I performed it a lot like the original – the bass line and the “viola” parts especially – I just made the whole thing a little more busy and explored some alternate chords and sort of took off on the scales thing and put them everywhere.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8 Surf's Up (Brian Wilson/Beach Boys, 1966)
words by Van Dyke Parks (ASCAP) & music by Brian Wilson (BMI)
published by Brother Publishing Company (BMI)
This song, though written and first recorded in 1966 looks ahead to the Sgt Pepper that didn't exist at the time. How quickly (from "Fun, Fun, Fun" just 2 years earlier) Brian Wilson turned "pop" into "classical" and moved the Beatles into Sgt. Pepper - not bad!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9 Tomorrow Never Knows / Rain (Beatles , 1966)
words & Music by John Lennon & Paul McCartney
published by Sony/ATV Tunes LLC (Northern Songs Catalog)
These two “John” songs were at the forefront of the "drone-y/jam-y/Indian-y” pop thing that became so widespread later. Both songs feature backwards recording as well (guitar & voice) - never been done before in serious pop music, so I've got some backwards recorded cellos in honor of that. Some of the cellos tracks are done on my Kolkata made cello that has buzzy sympathetic strings exactly those of a sitar. Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream...
1 Happenings Ten Years Time Ago (The Yardbirds, 1966)
words & music byKeith Relf, James McCarty, Jeff Beck & Jimmy Page
published by Glenwood Music Corp (ASCAP)
I still love this like the day I first heard it in '66. Jeff Beck's solo is one of the most amazing things I've ever heard - I pretty much can't get used to how free, expressive and amazing it is. I did my best with it, but if you haven't the original please take a listen and remember it was only 1966 at the time - and be amazed!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2 Incense and Peppermints (Strawberry Alarm Clock, 1967)
words & music by John S. Carter, Jr. & Timothy P. Gilbert
published by MPL Music Publishing, Inc. (obo) Claridge Music Company
No song says "hippie" like this one! The song name, the band name - you gotta love it, no, really man, you GOT TO. I took more liberties with this arrangement. I liked this song at the time it came out, but I have come to appreciate it more and more - a really creative song.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3 Rope Ladder To The Moon (Jack Bruce , 1969)
words by Peter Brown & music by Jack Bruce
published by Casserole Music, Inc (obo) Unichappell Music Inc.
Jack Bruce was a composition student at Edinburgh's Royal College of Music and I think his interest in classical composition shows in this song. I love that he played cello (and really well) on the original recording. I focused on the bass part - I wrote out and replayed his part note for note because it is for me the center of the song - a bass solo through the whole song - and no one plays lines like Jack Bruce. As good as the song itself is, and it's really a fine song, it’s also the stage for the amazing "Bruce-esque" bass part.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4 Laléna (Donavan, 1968)
words & music (c) 1968 & 1996 Donovan Phillips Leitch
published by Peer Music (BMI)
This is simply one of the most beautiful songs ever written. I tried to be fairly true to the original, just did some enhanced harmonies and moving lines. The original string arrangement by John Cameron is quoted a lot here - it has become integral to the song just like all the George Martin arrangements are to the Beatle songs.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5 Ruby Tuesday (Rolling Stones, 1967)
words & music by Keith Richards & Mic Jagger
published by Abkco Music Inc (BMI)
I actually found this one pretty tough to do as a cello ensemble, but I like it too much, kept trying and I think the result is finally good. Somehow I never owned a Stones record, but I always had a song off of every LP happily stuck in my head in those days. This is one of those.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6 Sunshine of Your Love (Cream, 1967)
words & music by Peter Brown, Jack Bruce & Eric Clapton
published by Unichappell Music Inc. (BMI)
Cream was a big influence on me. I was a drummer at the time and doing a Cream song meant I do to try my hand at the Ginger Baker “thing", which takes a minimum of 2 or more hands and feet! I also wanted to recreate a Clapton solo on this record, so again, did my best, was fun, with apologies and thanks to EC.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7 Hello Goodbye (Beatles, 1967)
words & music by John Lennon & Paul McCartney
published by Sony/ATV Tunes LLC (Northern Songs Catalog)
Another tough one to do for cello ensemble. I'm just so totally satisfied with the original so what can you do with that?! This might be THE quintessential “Paul” song, with it's descending bass line and bouncy chords. I performed it a lot like the original – the bass line and the “viola” parts especially – I just made the whole thing a little more busy and explored some alternate chords and sort of took off on the scales thing and put them everywhere.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8 Surf's Up (Brian Wilson/Beach Boys, 1966)
words by Van Dyke Parks (ASCAP) & music by Brian Wilson (BMI)
published by Brother Publishing Company (BMI)
This song, though written and first recorded in 1966 looks ahead to the Sgt Pepper that didn't exist at the time. How quickly (from "Fun, Fun, Fun" just 2 years earlier) Brian Wilson turned "pop" into "classical" and moved the Beatles into Sgt. Pepper - not bad!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9 Tomorrow Never Knows / Rain (Beatles , 1966)
words & Music by John Lennon & Paul McCartney
published by Sony/ATV Tunes LLC (Northern Songs Catalog)
These two “John” songs were at the forefront of the "drone-y/jam-y/Indian-y” pop thing that became so widespread later. Both songs feature backwards recording as well (guitar & voice) - never been done before in serious pop music, so I've got some backwards recorded cellos in honor of that. Some of the cellos tracks are done on my Kolkata made cello that has buzzy sympathetic strings exactly those of a sitar. Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream...
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10 Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) (Jimi Hendrix, 1968)
words & music by Jimi Marshall Hendrix
published by Experience Hendrix LLC (ASCAP)
My brother and I set up chairs at the San Jose Fairgrounds the summer of 1969 and were paid with tickets to the San Jose Folk and Art Festival that included a Hendrix performance --- I'm glad for that. I snapped a few snaps with my "instamatic" camera that day...
photo©1968 Barry Phillips
10 Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) (Jimi Hendrix, 1968)
words & music by Jimi Marshall Hendrix
published by Experience Hendrix LLC (ASCAP)
My brother and I set up chairs at the San Jose Fairgrounds the summer of 1969 and were paid with tickets to the San Jose Folk and Art Festival that included a Hendrix performance --- I'm glad for that. I snapped a few snaps with my "instamatic" camera that day...
photo©1968 Barry Phillips
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11 Within You Without You (Beatles, 1967)
words & music by George Harrison
published by Sony/ATV Tunes LLC
It's fairly ridiculous to try any new version of this song!, but it is a pivotal song for me and for the whole history of all pop music and I just wanted to do it. I’ve tinkered with this, off and on, for over 8 years, till this is the final result. All the parts are played on my Indian cello, so there's a lot of buzzing (probably not your speakers!). I decided I needed to add harmony, so here you go ... thanks George!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12 Woodstock (Joni Mitchell, 1969)
words & music by Joni Mitchell
Published by Sony/ATV Tunes LLC (obo) Siquomb Publishing
For someone that did not attend Woodstock, it's amazing what the amazing Joni Mitchel did in writing this song and summing up a festival, a big feeling, and a generation. A song and a voice from heaven.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13 People Get Ready (The Impressions, 1965)
words & music by Curtis Mayfield
published by Mijac Music (obo) Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI)
An anthem in so many ways for so many people. Great song. Just had to do it....
11 Within You Without You (Beatles, 1967)
words & music by George Harrison
published by Sony/ATV Tunes LLC
It's fairly ridiculous to try any new version of this song!, but it is a pivotal song for me and for the whole history of all pop music and I just wanted to do it. I’ve tinkered with this, off and on, for over 8 years, till this is the final result. All the parts are played on my Indian cello, so there's a lot of buzzing (probably not your speakers!). I decided I needed to add harmony, so here you go ... thanks George!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12 Woodstock (Joni Mitchell, 1969)
words & music by Joni Mitchell
Published by Sony/ATV Tunes LLC (obo) Siquomb Publishing
For someone that did not attend Woodstock, it's amazing what the amazing Joni Mitchel did in writing this song and summing up a festival, a big feeling, and a generation. A song and a voice from heaven.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13 People Get Ready (The Impressions, 1965)
words & music by Curtis Mayfield
published by Mijac Music (obo) Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI)
An anthem in so many ways for so many people. Great song. Just had to do it....
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks to all the original writers and bands - this music has meant so much to me!
I play three different cellos on this recording - a 1850’s Mittenwald lion’s head cello, a sympathetic cello made for me in Kolkata by Krishna Mondal 2008 (5 playing, 11 sympathetic buzzy strings), and a probably German & probably @ 1900 student cello that I retrofitted for 5 strings (CGDAE).
© & (p) 2010 Barry Phillips - P.O.Box 531, Santa Cruz, California, USA 95061
Back cover photo by Russell Martin (2009). Inner B&W photo by Jeff Sielaff (1970-ish).
Spin & drip art by Barry Phillips.
Thanks to my cello students for wanting to play 60’s tunes - Graham, Rachel, Rio & Rogan - you're an inspiration! And to Shelley, Nathan, Jesse & Todd for inspirational encouragement and excellent harassment. Special thanks to my parents for driving us to gigs when we were still to young to drive.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I play three different cellos on this recording - a 1850’s Mittenwald lion’s head cello, a sympathetic cello made for me in Kolkata by Krishna Mondal 2008 (5 playing, 11 sympathetic buzzy strings), and a probably German & probably @ 1900 student cello that I retrofitted for 5 strings (CGDAE).
© & (p) 2010 Barry Phillips - P.O.Box 531, Santa Cruz, California, USA 95061
Back cover photo by Russell Martin (2009). Inner B&W photo by Jeff Sielaff (1970-ish).
Spin & drip art by Barry Phillips.
Thanks to my cello students for wanting to play 60’s tunes - Graham, Rachel, Rio & Rogan - you're an inspiration! And to Shelley, Nathan, Jesse & Todd for inspirational encouragement and excellent harassment. Special thanks to my parents for driving us to gigs when we were still to young to drive.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recorded and mixed by Barry Phillips at Barry’s Cave.
Mastered by Rainer Gembalczyk at Sienna Digital.
© & (p) 2010 Barry Phillips
P.O.Box 531, Santa Cruz, CA 95061
BarryPhillipsMusic.com
Mastered by Rainer Gembalczyk at Sienna Digital.
© & (p) 2010 Barry Phillips
P.O.Box 531, Santa Cruz, CA 95061
BarryPhillipsMusic.com