How to go about and select your demo songs

Background
With a gig a month or so away, the Aces were arranging a practice and deciding what new and old tunes they needed to spend time on. And with a website on its way, they wanted to record some demo songs to put on it. They decided to vote for their favourite songs - the top four would be the choice.
The following are excerpts from the Aces’ emails leading up to the practice, the voting and the recording session.

From: Robin
Subject: Tooons
Date: Thu 7 Sep 2006
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Just a quick thought as I've been torpedoed again but the following should perhaps be taken out of the cupboard and dusted down:
Your cheating heart
Good bye Joe we gotta go or whatever it’s called - Colin
The one Jennie does - Gold heart and chain or whatever
Muirsheen durkin
Roses on my grave - Stones - Colin

And for the sake of insanity could some brave soul investigate the chording of
Is that the way to Amarillo.

I have worked out a suitable arrangement I think for Parting Glass.
Plenty to work on.
His horrendible highness emeraldness on emeraldness floating on the
golden thread Robin.

Finally just leave the 15th Oct as hotspot. I will speak to Garry and confirm so that’s the autumn tour sorted. Somalia here we come. I have emailed Bob Marley’s son to see if he will do a benefit gig for us – I may well need the help in my old age.
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From: Nigel
Subject: Re: Tooons
Date: Thu 7 Sept 2006
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Robin,
Your wish is our command.
One observation (and this is a personal view I know):
I would favour spending more time on choosing Jennie’s songs, making them work and trimming down the instrumentation if necessary to get balance and feel. I will show obeisance and subservience by chording Amarillo (tell me what key) but definitely think we need to look more sensitively at the Jennie numbers, which I really enjoy doing.
Cheers and see you soon
Nigel
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From: Robin
Subject: Re: Tooons
Date: Thu 7 Sep 2006
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Nigel you are as always quite right and we shall. I did speak to Jennie today briefly on that subject. Amarillo is really beneath your dignity - I think - but if you can D might fit. Doesn't matter as I could transpose it very quickly. I don't have the record or anything to go on but have seen the video. Will only do it for fun. I have slightly re-chorded Parting Glass mainly at the start to do it as I feel it will suit and I'll type out for you all by next week.
Suggest Tues 12th at pub for next practice and Jennie is sorting and will advise.

Did you know my name means bright and shiny? No? Well there you are and now
Irish lesson 1.
Am codlata anois – bedtime now
sla'n agat – goodbye (' is an acute accent which I don't know how to type.)
Ta'tart orm; an bhfuil aon leann sa teach – I’m thirsty; is there any ale in the house?

There you are, all more knowledgeable than before.
It’s no wonder they gave up on it all and became a modern country.
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From: Colin
Subject: Loose ends
Date: Sun 10 Sep 2006
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Friends, Aces, Countryandwesternmen:
Looking forward to Tuesday, and can make the 26th. I could also make 3 October, if we decided we might usefully get together without Kiff.
Did we decide on a recording session on 23 Sept?
Here's my calendar, for what it's worth.
Practice 12 Sept
(Robin away 15-20 Sept)
(My brother's soul band is in the Gun on Saturday 16 Sept)
Recording 23 Sept?
Practice 26 Sept
(Bassless get-together 3 October?)
Harvest Home 6 Oct
(Kiff away 7-11ish Oct)
(Robin's significant birthday 9 Oct)
Hotspot 15 Oct
Ivy House 21 Oct - also Trafalgar Day and Nigel's birthday

Songs:
Robin has mooted dusting off:
Jennie's stuff, including Gold watch and chain
Your cheating heart
Jumboliar
Muirsheen Durkin
Dead Flowers
(A propos, Dead Flowers is about taking drugs. Is it really a good enough song to transcend its slightly sordid lyrics? Sweet Virginia suffers from the same problem, plus the chorus contains the s-word. And there are more suitable C&W-ish songs by the Stones, if we want them on our playlist.

His Emeraldacityness has also suggested:
Amarillo
Parting Glass
Rockin' all over the world

The song that makes most sense from an Irish band's point of view is Parting glass, and there's already been some discussion on a three-part harmony. It's going to take some time to get I right, I suspect, because it's not an instinctive or intuitive part of Kiff's or my inbuilt songlist.

It occurs to me that it would take nanoseconds to put together an EA signature version of Singing in the rain, but that's probably a little bit more long term than most.

Anyway, enough of this
See you all on Tuesday
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From: Jennie
Subject: Re-arranging practice !!!!!!!
Date: Mon 11 Sep 2006
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Hi Guys,
Unfortunately Nigel can't make Tuesday 12th Sept!  Can you all make Thursday 14th Sept instead?
Can you please confirm asap!
If we go ahead with the revised date there may possibly be a change of venue but I will let you all know tomorrow.
Will await your replies
Cheers.
Jen x
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From: Nigel
Subject: Re: Re-arranged practice confirmation!!!!
Date: Mon 11 Sep 2006
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Fellow musos (and mus-ette)
Apologies for being a flouncing ninny and for washing my hair, mincing around in sling-backs, watching Emmerdale and doing my nails on Tuesday.
I look forward to seeing you all on Thursday at Ruskin House.
Cheers
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From: Colin
Subject: RE: Re-arranged practice confirmation!!!!
Date: Mon 11 Sep 2006
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A-ha! So that's what you're up to.
Blimey. Busy night.
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From: Jennie
Subject: RE: Re-arranged practice confirmation!!!!
Date: Mon 11 Sep 2006
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Hi Guys,
Practice re-arranged for Thursday 14th September but at Ruskin House. Unfortunately Eileen can't accommodate us at the Harvest Home on that night.
Not sure if we will be in Room 1 or basement but we can sort it out on the night.
Let us know if any of you can't make it, otherwise see you all then.
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The practice took place and over the next few days the voting reached fever pitch…

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From: Nigel
Subject: Oiro-vision
Date: Sat 16 Sep 2006
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Dear all,
Here are my votes for the 2006 Oiro-vision recording contest

Streams of Whiskey
Dirty Old Town
Fields of Athenry
Woolly Bully
Leaving of Liverpool
Munster Hop
Oklahoma Home
Patsy Fagan

Have now had Robin's votes, remember 10 pence from every call goes on cheap wine for my Saturday night booze up.
Keep 'em comin'
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From: Colin
Subject: Saturday afternoon frenzy
Date: Sat 16 Sep 2006
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Chums:
I'm very happy with Nigel's choice:

Streams of Whiskey
Dirty Old Town
Fields of Athenry
Woolly Bully
Leaving of Liverpool
Munster Hop
Oklahoma Home
Patsy Fagan

And if we wanted a soft/country/gentle/easy one there's always 40 Shades of Green
See you all soon
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From: Kiff
Subject: RE: Oiro-vision
Date: Sat 16 Sep 2006

Bonsoir Paris
Ici est les nominations de monsieur le bassman

Leaving of Liverpool
Munster Hop
Woolly Bully
Oklahoma Home
Patsy Fagan
Katy Daly
Dirty old town
You got Gold

Au revoir
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From: James
Subject: RE: Oiro-vision
Date: Mon 18 Sep 2006

Los emerals bien del compañero, mi selección son

El irse de Liverpool
Salto De Munster
Bully De Woolly
Johnny venida últimamente
Patsy Fagan
Katy Daly
Vieja ciudad sucia

Usted consiguió el oroÉse es el resultado del jurado español
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From: Kiff
Subject: RE: Oiro-vision
Date: Mon 18 Sep 2006

Folks
Just wanted to say that “Johnny venida últimamente” cracks me up…
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From: Colin
Subject: RE: Oiro-vision
Date: Mon 18 Sep 2006

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Fantastico!
Wish I'd made more effort now...

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At this point, Colin does make more effort. He goes back to his previous list, changes the font to Greek characters and sends it again:

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From: Colin
Subject: Voting Fever
Date: Mon 18 Sep 2006
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Check this!

Streams of Whiskey
Dirty Old Town
Fields of Athenry
Woolly Bully
Leaving of Liverpool
Munster Hop
Oklahoma Home
Patsy Fagan

And that concludes the voting of the Athens Jury.
Thank you London and goodnight.

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Unfortunately the font doesn’t survive the email journey, and – with only one exception (see later) – everybody receives exactly the same list as before (as above).
Needless to say, they do not get the joke.

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From: Nigel
Subject: Re: Oiro-vision
Date: Mon 18 Sep 2006
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Jaimes,
Gracias por vostros sugerencias,
Buenas noches a todos
Nigel

This has to be the best vote-return of the lot and make carry extra weight with the judges I think...
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From: Nigel
Subject: Re: Oiro-vision
Date: Mon 18 Sep 2006
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Thank you Athens
And may I say on behalf of the judges,
"Heth eth, eth, heth, eth, eth-eth-eth" (meaning good choice old chap)

Boutros Boutros-Ghali
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From: Nigel
Subject: Re: Oiro-vision
Date: Mon 18 Sep 2006
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Dear Aces,
Here is the outcome of the voting. Your Humble Servant does not wish to tamper with the electoral process so am just giving the results, in descending order. Someone needs to make a decision, ie we are going to do these six songs so mug them up by Saturday.
We could go with the top six I believe but not my decision

Results of Emerald Aces Songathon

Leaving of Liverpool 6
Dirty old town 6
Patsy Fagan 5
Munster Hop 5
Woolly Bully 5
Streams of Whisky 4
Oklahoma Home 3
Katy Daley 2
Johnny Come lately 2
Fields of Athenry 2
You got gold 2
Country Honk 1
McAlpine’s Fusiliers 1
Say you love me 1
United we stand 1
Country Roads 1

Notes:
Top 6 highlighted in emerald
Robin cast a total of 7 votes (hence they add up to 47 not 48)
Colin suggested, short of voting for, 40 Shades of Green, which made we want to vote for it too but didn’t somehow.

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The apparent nonsense of the Athens jury’s vote unfolds.

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From: Colin
Subject: The Athens Jury
Date: Wed 20 Sep 2006
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Mes amis
The whole point of the list from the Athens jury is that it was all in Greek characters - I typed it up, then changed the font. Looked good, some of it vaguely recognisable, all of it quite silly. It's occurred to me, having opened the email on another computer, that the Greek characters may not have survived the journey. If that's the case, the whole thing may have seemed a little strange, given that it was the same list I'd circulated a couple of days earlier, viz and ie Nigel's list. So there you are. My one attempt at faux erudition, and it's entirely likely I fauxed the whole thing up.
See you all on Saturday.

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James rubs it in. Spanish before, now Russian and German:

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From: James
Subject: RE: The Athens Jury
Date: Wed 20 Sep 2006
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Erudición del faux, ?? ???????? ???????
Spät, vermißten Sie den Spaß
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From: Colin
Subject: RE: The Athens Jury
Date: Wed 20 Sep 2006
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Woo!
Get you!
(I'm only saying that because I haven't got a clue about what you sent.
Is spa-ess-tset (or its umlaut-laden equivalent) the German for craic?
See you Saturday
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From: Robin
Subject: FW: RE: Hot spot
Date: 21 Sep 2006
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Colin
Could you do a bit of blarney - not in Greek – it did make the trip by the way - be back in touch re Sat as soon as I get organised.
Obviously missed an exciting vote - such linggits...
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From: Kiff
Subject: RE: The Athens Jury
Date: Thu 21 Sep 2006
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Mon cher ami
Thank goodness!  I didn’t understand at the time and naturally assumed I was missing something too subtle…
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From: Nigel
Subject: This I know
Date: Fri 22 Sep 2006
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But two things,

1 James’ votes were without doubt the best and funniest, we should use those names in the act, especially Johnny Venido ultimultimentally

2 I would like to volunteer to list all of the Aces songs complete with an agreed key and send out to any bugger who wants it. For my part I remember chord relationships reasonably but am rubbish on actual keys so it would be of use to me.

If people think useful, and I do want to check that no one has this done already, people could send me any lists that might exist with last known key/dental record for easy identification etc. Just a thought. Look forward to the get-together tomorrow and for the kind of recording that scholars of Celtic/country/doo-wop will fight over in vinyl shops decades from now....
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From: Colin
Subject: RE: This I know
Date: Fri 22 Sep 2006
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Blimey.
What a nice person.
What's a key?
See you tomorrow
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From: Nigel
Subject: Re: This I know
Date: Fri 22 Sep 2006
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Remember Stevie Wonder's Keys in the Song of Life?
Well that's what they are I think.
See you at Emerald Studios.
I'll be the one with the flask and packed lunch
Cheers
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From: Colin
Subject: Re: This I know
Date: Fri 22 Sep 2006
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Nigel
Phew. For one moment I thought they might be something to do with Key Dorsey, Gerry's brother.
See you at Casa Esmeraldo
Colin
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From: Kiff
Subject: Re: This I know
Date: Sat 23 Sep 2006
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Strewth!
Bloody good bloke!
A list of songs and keys would be fair dinkum.
I use my key to open my golf club locker - is there another use?
I hope you all noticed that last Wednesday was "International talk like a pirate day"?
You can have me affidavit on it

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And finally, the clue to all James’ unlikely scholarship

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From: Robin
Subject: Practice 26/9 Harvest Home
Date: Mon 25 Sep 2006
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Slight change to timing, in that due to my incompetence Kiff is coming over to redo bass track on recording.
That means we shall meet up and practice at 8.15 pm.
I hope that is not inconveniencing anyone.

Jennie we shall try Muirsheen Durkin and I'll tell me ma plus the bits we did last time but could you find and bring the words. Thanks.

Babel fish – James - that’s cheating. Clever though.

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Babel fish. It’s a website that will translate anything from one language to another for you. The title comes from The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy – you put a Babel fish in your ear to be able to understand any language…

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From: Nigel
Subject: Re: Practice 26/9 Harvest Home
Date: Mon 25 Sep 2006
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Robin,
I suppose you were re-doing the horn section and marimbas so hopefully not too much more work.
New timing is fine for me, easier in fact.
Cheers
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Meanwhile, in a parallel universe:
The band records six songs on Saturday 23 September. They record six songs live, then re-record individual instruments and backing vocals. The session is not an unqualified success: the bass needs redoing (not loud enough!), and lead vocals, banjo and mandolin still need to be recorded. Kiff goes back to the studio and redoes the bass; Robin (recording himself, himself) nails vocals, banjo and mandolin. He spends a great deal of time getting the best out of the session, but the result is largely a compromise. Robin circulates a CD, his disappointment obvious. Clearly, the band will be recording the tracks again. Live. In the meantime, the flat-sounding demos will have to do in the short term – they are the only thing the band has to put on the website. Nigel – Mister Squeezebox, Fingers himself - is tasked with cutting the demo songs to a reasonable size for downloading. The world waits. Bated breath ain’t in it…
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