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Deep Water

from Deep Water by Allan Thomas

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about

about this track:

The writing: Turning back to the summer of 2008. I was traveling back and forth between Kauai and the west and east coasts, doing a tour of small gigs behind the release of the 'Making Up For Lost Time' CD. While on the southern west coast leg of the tour I'd fallen madly in love with a woman I'd known but hadn't seen in 19 years. It had been a long while since I'd visited this kind of all-out emotional territory, and was quickly swept away by the powerful currents that lie therein. It didn't take long for the seed of this song to be planted, and as soon as I got back to Kauai I got the gist of it written, finishing it back on the mainland. Thanks to LH for the inspiration.

The Recording: I built this track in the usual way of late - starting with a nice stereo RMX drum loop, this one made by Danny Gottlieb, playing a very cool brushes groove with fills and all. Real drums would be last. I recorded my Collings OM3 cutaway acoustic guitar next, followed by my vocals. Then began the fun stuff: finding some intriguing subtle colors to add to the track with that water theme in mind. Once again reaching into the RMX sound bag I found the tamboura, the ghost pad, and a sparkly rhodes. I whittled them into shape and place and was ready for the man.

Longtime musical collaborator and keyboard specialist Michael Ruff is who I'm referring to, and I drove the 20 miles to his home studio in the Wailua Homesteads zone for our session, which is the usual case in our recording scenario. After discussing what instruments might work for the song, he would get the sounds and levels and give me control of the record button while he proceeded to Ruffinize the tune with piano, fender rhodes, and organ. I always ask for some extra takes, which he gladly obliges me with, up to a point, and we both know when we reach that point. Back at home I would have the enviable yet heavy-weighing task of sorting through all his magic takes, choosing what parts I thought worked best for the song, then editing till it feels just right. This usually takes me a week or so, but I'm not thinking how long it's going to take because it's all engulfing and big fun. After incorporating Ru'ff's great stuff, the tune was ready for the next layer: bass.

There is something in the way Jimmy Johnson plays bass that really connects with my music. He played his Alembic bass on the entire 'Making Up For Lost Time' CD, - in one day actually - and once I found out he had assembled a new recording rig at his home in southern California, I asked him to play on the 'Deep Water' CD. Connecting back with JJ was a major boon as I could send him the tracks as files over the internet, and didn't have to leave the shores of Kauai to record bass. I could trust JJ to know exactly what was needed and he delivered in spades. Over time I was fortunate enough to have Mr Johnson record bass on the remaining 5 songs as well. I never once provided Jimmy with a sketch of what he should play on any of the tunes, and most of the time I didn't even give him a chord chart of the changes either, knowing it would be best to leave it up to him to figure it out. And yes, he always managed to find the absolutely best notes for the song at hand. Once or twice throughout the recording of the six songs that he played on, I would suggest something in the way of how I might like to hear a different approach on a couple of notes. He would instantly "get" what I wanted to try, record it, and have it back to me in no time, perfectly edited in place, clean, and mean! How can I tell you of the joy of hearing for the first time his bass singing on this song, and feeling like yeah that's it, gluing the whole arrangement together, and making the track ripe and ready for drums.

Los Angeles fusion guitarist Jeff Richman, and I go back to my LA days in the late '80's, and the recording of 'The Island'. Jeff wrote the chord charts of the tunes for the band. We've stayed in touch over the years, and while visiting Kauai Jeff managed to drop by Black Bamboo Studios and play a scorching electric guitar part and solo on 'Soldier Of Misfortune'. While visiting, and on the phone, we had many conversations about possible drummers for the record - as I'd had, over time, with Michael Ruff, and Bryan Kessler as well. Jeff highly recommended LA based Joel Taylor, for the first two tunes, 'Deep Water' and 'Homegrown'. Both required versatility with brushes. I listened to some tracks on Jeff's albums where Joel had played, and also sussed out a great YouTube video of Joel playing with Jeff and EVI player Judd Miller, and was suitably impressed. As Joel had his own home studio and was proficient in rock, jazz and everything in-between, I felt I should give him a go. Mr Taylor would wind up playing on another four songs on the record, and as you can hear, he was definitely the right choice for the those songs.

It was now time for some icing on the cake, and that icing would be in the form of a visit from one of Kauai's most compelling voices, Anjela Rose. She paid me the honor of singing on two of the songs on the 'Making Up For Lost Time' CD, and I was anxious to hear her sweet and soulful voice with mine again on 'Deep Water'. As fate would have it she also wound up singing on 'It All Comes Down To Love' as well. I love how Shipley and Brian W mixed this song, and especially how they panned Anjelas backing vocals hard right and left at times. They also blew me away and totally surprised me with some new and very tasty backing vocal riffs in the tag that they created out of our parts. This is one of the many reasons why I turn over the reigns of my record after recording to someone I trust like Mike Shipley and Brian W to take it to the next level in a way that I never could. It isn't easy handing over you're baby of over two and a half years, and it feels harrowing at times as you wait, and then listen, to a mix for the first time. You're used to listening to it panned and eq'd the way you had last heard it, and now everything is changed. Ah, but after a few listens the method to their mixing madness begins to seep in audio-wise and feel-wise, followed by the knowing smile of the stoked artist.

After Anjela's sweet backing vocals I still felt the track needed something more, not a lot, but something. After a little thought I decided to give 'The Island' CD alumni Judd Miller a ring. It had been twenty years since we had worked together, but that didn't mean a thing. Judd was part of a cadre of musicians I knew when living in southern California in the mid to late '70's and early eighties. The man is a specialist at what he does, and has worked on many major movie scores, plus worked with one of my tenor sax heros - Michael Brecker - on his recordings. Feeling like maybe muted trumpet might be just the thing, I talked with Judd and made arrangements to send him the tracks. With Judd, who plays EVI, or Electronic Valve Instrument - a trumpet like mouth piece attached to a synthesizer device with a giant pallet of sounds - I knew he would devise the perfect parts for the tune upon hearing it, and sure enough he filled that space as I knew only he could. Plus he added what he called 'glass pads' which was more glue-like ambient tones mixed into the overall liquid sound of the song. Perfect! You have to reach a point where you know that's it, no more needed, and the song had now arrived at this juncture.

lyrics

Deep Water

words & music Allan Thomas


Sure didn’t plan on getting lost
Lost in your sweet love
Now I’m below the surface
Thanking the heavens above

And the view on this journey
Is one not to be missed
You think you’ll drown sometimes
But it’s always worth the risk

* I’m diving into deep water from the highest cliff
Diving down into deep water
And it started with that first kiss

You’ll need an ocean of courage
If you’re gonna take that leap
Helps to make a solemn promise
Cause this time might be for keeps

* I’m diving into deep water from the highest cliff
Diving down into deep water
And it started with one little kiss
Oh that first kiss

What A taste of bliss
I was done you were the one who started this
With that first kiss
You know the one

A swift current pulls you under
Like a boa it carries you along
To some unknown destination
That’s right where you belong

* Diving down into deep water
Damn all the what if’s
High diving into deep water
And it started with one little kiss oh that first kiss

Now I’m in deep deep water yes I am
Deep deep water just look at me now
Deep deep water I'm in deep deep water yes I am



©2011 Black Bamboo Music - BMI

credits

from Deep Water, track released October 18, 2011
Allan Thomas - vocals, acoustic guitar, tambura, ghost pad, rmx rhodes
Anjela Rose - backing vocals
Michael Ruff - piano, organ, fender rhodes
Judd Miller - glass pads, muted trumpet
Jimmy Johnson - fretless bass
Joel Taylor - drums

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Allan Thomas Hanalei, Hawaii

Aloha and welcome to my Bandcamp Music Store home page. Here you can listen to full-length samples of all seven Allan Thomas albums and three singles. Also to be found are credits, photos, stories and lyrics for all songs. Dig in...

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