Dream Lover - cover

Recently recorded cover version of this classic by Bobby Darin.





I have said so many times before that I record for one reason, and only one reason. What do I need to do to make this song work for me. Although, I do record some of my own songs to hear what they sound like ( when I can liste objectively) At my age (71) I have no thoughts of breaking into a new career .

I want to know where I can fit twiddly bits / new chords or even melodic lines in the accompaniment. Is the key really right for my voice, and should I change it.

Sometimes it is so easy to enjoy the performance and forget how to improve it. LOL!

Pudselele - collecting for BBC "Children In Need"

A project specifically aimed at collecting for the BBC "Children In Need" (2017) was put together by our group/club chairman. This arose out of a chance to play at some of the smaller stages at CARFEST North and South. A small group of club members were hurriedly put together with a duo which included a lead player and a vocalist. The name for this "new" group, PUDSELELE , was decided on quite quickly and  sounded just the job.

In the late summer we played a number of gigs, including some popup gigs at the Carfest festivals, North and South. The brain child of Chris Evans, a mixture of music and cars, was supported by The BBC in aid of "Children In Need"


I will possibly include another few videos in the next post, BTW our collecting buckets contained nearly £550 for the Children In Need appeal. A very pleasing amount.

Desperado - An acoustic cover of this great song on the ukulele

I came across this great number quite recently and thought to myself that it would be an ideal song to include in my list of numbers which are not often converted to a ukulele version. Probably the key should come down a little for my comfort but for this trial run I was more concerned with how I would play the backing on the uke. I am still learning but trying to stretch myself a little more with each new song I learn. BTW, sorry for the poor video - but as I said it was only a trial of the song.



The mike stand also intrudes but hey, what are you expecting, perfection? Again, I was concerned that I was only using the built in mike and wanted to try out another; to try and improve the ratio of volume between my voice and the uke. My set-up is very basic and anything to improve it should be trialed. Cash is not something I have a lot to spare for this hobby. Maybe if I ever get to a position where I am more than enjoying myself, I will invest a little cash, but in the meantime enjoy if you can forgive the quality.

Hold Back The River

A few posts ago I suggested that I had found a very modern rock song, Hold back the River by James Bay and suggested it would be interesting to see how it worked on a ukulele.

Well, since then I have started to hear the song on the radio. etc. You know - the way you always see models of the same car you have just bought. Anyway, I have managed to get a rough version together and have surprised myself by how well I think it could work with a little help from my friends.

Here is the version I have posted on SoundCloud




The intro still needs a little work to  make it acceptable but it will come I am sure. The biggest problem with this version is that I have not used a key which matches my voice, using the original key which is just a few semi-tones to low for that verse. Something to sort out for the next run through. Otherwise, not too bad for a first attempt.

If you listen to this, you will find that it runs on to more songs on a playlist, I like to think of these playlists as "albums", which I am building on SoundCloud.

Ukulele: San Francisco Bay Blues Cover

The best laid plans o'mice and men gang aft agley - Burns.

Well I thought that the song I mentioned in my last post would be the next for the YouTube treatment. But I came across this blues number from Eric Clapton - I loved it and as the chord chart was in one of the songbooks from Ukulele Central UK, the club/group I have joined, I decided to make it happen (LOL, Jean Luc Goddard).

So here it is, a first go at "San Francisco Bay Blues" on the ukulele. I used my new Gretch 9120 tenor.



Whilst in the get-up, I decided to replace a video on the Tube which for some reason I do not understand was very unfocused. Focus great now - pity about the vocal.



I will be doing "Hold Back The River" and most probably "Livin' On A Prayer", but later.

My first solo public ukulele performance

Although I have been playing guitar for more years than I care to remember, I have only very rarely played and sung in public. Once or twice at parties and with small groups of friends and once playing Shadows covers at a fan meeting.

Since taking up the ukulele, I have spent a few months jamming with a new club/group (UkuleleCentralUK) which meets every other week. I have found a certain confidence amongst this very mixed ability gathering and even did an open mike spot a few weeks ago. We played a concert of christmas songs in late december for an audience of friends and family and I very much enjoyed it.

For red-nose day this year, we gave our second concert to the same (?) audience BUT we had several solo spots to break up the set list. I even volunteered to perform the song I did at that open mike spot only a few weeks earlier. I was very nervous but put in a lot of practice. (I didn't know That there were so many places where I could potentially go wrong.) And eventually felt confident that I could manage to get through the whole thing without making a fool of myself, especially as at our "dress rehearsal" I had started three times due to making what I thought were bad mistakes.

On the day, still nervous, I felt that I rushed through the song because of those nerves but managed to cope and even get over a couple of errors without the listening audience realising - I hope! It certainly felt good to have done it and got it out of the way. I now feel as if I am ready for more, so am now practising a few "different" songs which are not yet part of the group's repertoire.

The song? It was one which Joe Brown popularised by playing it to finish the Concert For George. Many of you will know, I am sure, that it was "I'll See You In My Dreams". A lovely song written in 1924, with lyrics by Gus Kahn.

See my last post for an early (for me) version of this number.