Posts filed under 'Chris'
With nine songs already lined up we needed a rest. We had to reach the magic ten, that was already agreed, but as we set out for some food our minds went blank. There was nothing doing. Ideas were coming up yet being knocked back because whilst they were good they just weren’t good enough to complete with the quality from a few hours ago.
There was a piece of retro funk lounge music we still hadn’t managed to find a place for. It was decided that we should follow in the footsteps of Two Turntables and a Lady Bus and produce something with a chunky groove. The most startling aspect of it was probably that Chris’ voice is way louder than mine, so it had to be raised several levels just to compete at an acceptable level. It must be all those years living down South which increased his octaves.
Point blank. Ten was reached, and we wanted more. Hiding somewhere within the internetage was a magical song. We found it and realised the potential almost immediately. Had I not done the finger wiggle dance to expose the raw pop materials to Chris he may not have had a brainwave and write furiously on the subject matter. Lyrics done in about fifteen minutes, with a sweet contribution from me and 1930’s style conversations betwixt the dulcet tones it was ready. Romeo Done.
But what about the title? We drew up a list as we always do and even considered the working titles for Masterpiece. My personal favourites were Going All The Way With… The Papples and The Ever-Expanding World of… The Papples and the stupid ideas we had for cover sleeves. What we settled on though was brought up many hours later, after a pint of sleazy dragon at the local pub establishment, dropped into the conversation like a drop of liquid brilliance.
You will see what we mean. You will hear us and we will be heard.
November 30th, 2011
The morning was broken savagely by Chris waking up and walking into the room. I had hoped for a little more snooze time however when you know you have something to do I suppose it’s hard not to do it. Breakfast was a feast for the eyes and the nose, and then it hit the mouth and all I wanted to do was start over again. I think I may have had too much toast and beans because the rest of the day was fraught with unpleasant sounds.
To the music! Lion Song was already “papped”, it just needed to be recorded. Chris nailed it practically in one take. After a lot of reverb we could continue. We followed up with Dubsteppin’ Across The Border and The Only Problem is You. Using our excellent skills we managed to shoehorn Dumb Kitty, an energetic ukulele song that I’d only written a shaky three chord chorus for, into a hard-hitting piece of music. The same for Hairy on the Go, the legendary missing track from Masterpiece only previously available on bootlegs
Dinosaur Gal, a Phoning It In original, was done in a single take albeit one which required a fake introduction only for me to fluff the very first chord and create the ambiance required to hit the chuffer between the legs. Vocals pitch-perfect, again in one take and some smooth BVs from Chris meant another was in the can.
We were getting close. January was perhaps the easiest to record. All it required was to put the order of the things in the right order. Which took longer than expected. This will make sense when you hear it.
How stupid can we get? Well how about a song using the names of animals to try to put across how much you love someone? That’s where Owl Do Anything comes in. A rough draft was knocked up in ten minutes several weeks before and Chris, with his keen eye for a hearty pop nugget, skimmed and chopped and added until nothing more was required. And then it had to happen, the traditional Papples cover. Crooned all over. If there is a better version of anything by Starship then it remains to be heard.
November 28th, 2011
As it only two 48hrs to write, record and produce the entire album I think it would be silly to drag this into several different entries so I will stick with two singular but quite lengthy and egotistical posts.
I was worried that since our previous album ‘Masterpiece’ we had perhaps lost our touch and that it was going to be a struggle. That was all ripped aside though as I waited anxiously for Chris to pick me up from London Kings Cross; he was running late because he was finishing writing a song. When we got back he sung it and all the worries disappeared. It was clear from this two minute set of pop lovliness about a man being followed by a chorus of lions that we were back in the game and nothing was going to get in the way.
I had come pre-prepared with another “classic” ukulele track with more than two chords this time. It had at least six. Enough to make my hand move enough around the neck of the instrument so I looked like a proper musician (if anyone was watching that is). There were also some lyrics scribbled here and there with which to shoehorn into some music. As it happens the most heartfelt song of the previous album ‘Beefy Tears’ was originally a raw demo torn up and shoved into something else.
The rest of the album would be a mystery. There were songs out there and with some music already picked by Chris it was certain that we were the right people to find them. We ate some pots tatoas. We went for a drink to engage in idle small talk but really our minds were elsewhere. I smoked the rest of my Metro Tabs. Chris actually drank a pint! We retired at a respectable hour.
Just off in the horizon something was brewing.
November 23rd, 2011
I have been doing some serious work now that the impending recording date is merely days away. It’s been all out on my pad of paper. I’ve been meaning to have a bash at some other lyrics for a while now, you know other than the fully-formed songs I wrote earlier on in the year, and it was only yesterday with a cat box sat on my lap on the bus that I found the chance. It wasn’t the opportunity I was expecting but I’m not one to complain much outside of the usual realms of music and sh*t acting.
I think this third effort will be our best yet, taking in many different ideas about love and the world and everything that goes on especially when it involves animals, woodland creatures and inanimate objects. There’s not enough songs about lamps out there and I think we might be the ones to sort that out. Due to the fall of many great heroes this year there also might be room for a tribute to someone very dear to our hearts. If Geno Washington and Princess Diana can get a song then I’m sure he can too.
I feel very moist. There’s a lot of work to be done however you can be assured that it will be done to the highest standard when the Papples are involved. I just hope that we’ve both managed to shift our colds otherwise it will be the chuggiest record you’ve ever heard. Yes, that’s right, I still refer to albums as records. I’m not the only person you know.
Pass me my chugg-o-meter!
(somebody please help me get Let Loose out of my head!)
November 9th, 2011
September 20th, 2011
I have today, whilst carrying a box, decided that a good idea for a short film would be a man carrying a box. Who is that man? I do not know. What is he carrying in his box? I also don’t know. There are many questions that need answering before Man With A Box can come to fruition. I hope that it does though.
I feel as though we need a project to re-energise the beans and re-group the members. After the collective shambles that was moving Chris into his new flat and how we almost destroyed each other I suppose we should return to what we originally did; wasting our lives on film.
I see a low budget. I see flimsy acting and non-existant scenary other than the streets, and everyone knows the streets come for free. I see it lasting only ten minutes and you both editing it in less than a day. The script is practically written.
Leave it to me; I’ve got this!
August 9th, 2011
I have installed an app on my mobile electrical blower called Blogpress which allows me to post things like this to Da Beans without having to visit the website.
So now – even while on the omnibus or while browsing Woolworths or something, I can post things here.
You can, I’m sure, imagine my excitement. Please detail how you imagined my excitement.
July 24th, 2011
I have been told to make a return to Da Beans. So here I am, making a return. I am returning.
I can now add this thing to the list of things I have been told to do. This includes:
- Tidy my room
- Be quiet
- Stop making that face
- Don’t do that
- Please don’t do that
- Stop touching me
- Get your finger out of my drink
- Don’t talk about that any more
- Go sit quietly over there
I have not been told to insert a picture of a dog riding a bicycle, but I am choosing to do this of my own accord, and you can’t stop me.
July 11th, 2011
May 23rd, 2011
This could very well be Mr Christopher Marshall if you squint slightly and turn to the side. I believe that his “big man” genes were stolen from him whilst he was watching television so that they could be passed onto further members of society. In this particular instance they were passed to Pete Lawrie; I’m being honest I didn’t know of him until I saw his Marshall-esque face in a music magazine last week.
It’s either the genes or he stole your look completely, Chris. Science has a lot to answer for. If only we knew a Science Master who might be able to offer an explanation…
May 10th, 2011
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