Ukulele Guy

So, I think I got a tweet Hillary a week or so ago but I forget how this whole thing started.  I think we were just shooting the shit and then suddenly she dropped that her and some friends have an all-ukulele version of the Duck Tales theme song.  What?!  That freaking reeks of awesome.

So, we get yakking back and forth and I decided the world needs to know more, especially after I heard their covers of "Sweet Jane", "Duck Tales", "Straight Up" and "Who's That Girl".  Not only does the world need to know more, but I need these guys to move to Montana.  I've been toying with the idea of making a ukulele novelty band for a few months now, but finding the right folks is proving tough.  I'd be more than happy to play second fiddle to these badasses.

So, their band is called Pretty Good Musicians.  It's comprised of Hillary O'Keefe, Ian K and Matt Miklos.  Depending on the song, you are gonna hear between 1-5 ukuleles and most likely some hilarious commentary and occasional cursing.  Everybody likes swears, right?  Yup. In the recordings, they play a Lanikai Tenor LU-21T, an Eleuke, a cigar box ukulele and a few other random ukes.  You can tell that they have a blast playing together and recording and that's what it's all about folks.  What is the point of being in a bad if it isn't fun?  These guys get it.

Check out the Pretty Good Musicians Facebook Page if you wanna be a fan.

I noticed that the Facebook page doesn't have some of my favorite tunes, so here ya go:

• Duck Tales - Pretty Good Musicians
• Straight Up - Pretty Good Musicians
• Sweet Jane - Pretty Good Musicians

Oh yeah, and to all of you who might be saying, "Man, I could do this."  DO IT!  Stop talking.  Do it!  The world needs more ukulele bands.  Especially ones who know how to have fun.  The world doesn't need anymore Interpol or Coldplay.  Joy is contagious.

P.S.  If you are already in a hilarious and fun ukulele-powered band, please send me songs and vids!  I don't care if it's recorded on your 4-track or karaoke machine.  (In fact, I almost prefer that).  I want to hear it!

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I wanted to keep my momentum going, so I recorded this little video today.  Before I get into the song, I wanted to bring something up.  See, I guess when it comes to music and art, I'm sort of a Marxist.  By that I mean, if you are telling someone they can't appreciate art correctly unless they know Art History then you are basically saying, "You can't appreciate art because you are poor and didn't go to college".  That's lame.  By the same token, sure if all you can afford is a $20 ukulele, then that shouldn't mean you can't make art with it!

Now, let me get off of my soapbox because I'm pretty sure I just called my song "art".  Heh.  It isn't.  It is, however, a goofy novelty song and that's plenty good enough for me.  I wrote this song for a project with my brothers Colin and Bryan and we were going to call it "Those Damned Hickey Brothers".  But we never practice, so I'm not sure if we're really a band or not.  You know how sometimes you get drunk with your friends and talk about ridiculous things like road trips to Mexico that you are never going to take?  Well, I guess our band is like that.

I'm playing my wife's purple Mahalo ukulele in this video.  I bought it for her because I was already buying two Mahalos for my little boys and she expressed an interest.  For $20, it's pretty much the best Ukulele you can get, if you ask me.  This is especially true if you are buying a ukulele for a younger kid.  Sure, in a perfect world you'd buy Jr. a Kala, Ohana, Pono or other bitchin' ukulele.  But, let's be honest, they are going to break it in like 6 weeks... tops.

So, get them a Mahalo because it's inexpensive and totally playable.

Now... on to the song and possible offensiveness.

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Yeah, say that title three times fast.  I dare ya!  Heh.  Well, I'll let the video do most of the talking on this one since I, apparently, can't record a Ukulele video without talking through half of the damn thing.  I really like the sound of my own voice, I guess?

If you are intersted in the chords or words, I've posted them below.

F
The plowhorse went lame
Gm
the wheat crop failed
F
when the well went dry
A#dim (0202)
I knew that the rest was sure to follow
Bb                     C
looks like the pretty life we planned yesterday
A7         A     Bb
gonna turn to dust tomorrow
Bb                              C              A7
and the day after that is gonna be more of the same
Bb                              C
Well you said that it wasn't my fault
A7         Dm
but I know that was a lie
Bb                              C              A7                      Bb
it's just that you couldn't bear to let all that pain and sadness back inside
Gm                C
You just couldn't admit
Gm                C
that maybe it was wrong
Gm                         C                  F
to fall for a guy cause he wrote you a pretty song.

F
The roof still leaks
Gm
The Barn's collapsed
F
It hasn't rained for weeks
A#dim
and I know that the worst has yet to get here

Bb           C
You said youy'd stay with me forever
A7            A          Bb
but we both know that's not right
Bb                              C              A7
Why you and the children run off the farm tonight
Bb                              C
Well you said that it wasn't my fault
A7         Dm
but I know that was a lie
Bb                              C              A7                      Bb
it's just that you couldn't bear to let all that pain and sadness back inside
Gm                C
You just couldn't admit
Gm                C
that maybe it was wrong
Gm                         C                  F
to fall for a guy cause he wrote you a pretty song.
Gm                  C
So baby, if this is it
Gm                  C
If this is the very last so long
Bb                            C                 F
I'm still glad it was me what wrote that pretty song

P.S.  This video was made with my Lanikai CK-TEQ Tenor Ukulele.

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So, today I felt like I needed to do something special for my wife, Erika.  I stayed up super late playing poker and maybe drinking too many beers and I slept in too late, etc.  She's the center of my world and I knew I needed to remind her of that today.  So, what did I do?  Well, I covered some Magnetic Fields, of course!

Maybe this doesn't make sense to everyone, but Magnetic Fields are pretty much a touchstone for us.  Hell, our youngest son's middle name is Merritt for heaven's sake.  We're pretty rabid fans.

But, this song is something special for us.  A fantastic Missoula band, The Oblio Joes, played on our wedding day and they played this song as "our song".  I actually sang it with them (although, I guess I probably should have been dancing with Erika, right?) and it sealed this song in time, as ours.

Then several years later, The Oblio Joes played their last show ever in Caras Park in Missoula.  Well, this last show took place on the anniversary of our wedding.  So, as a surprise to Erika, I jumped up on stage and sand Strange Powers with the Obes for the last time.

Well, today I had to do it without the Obes, but I did as best as I could.  There are 11 tracks in this song and they are:

1. muted strumming on a Tacoma acoustic guitar
2. muted strumming on a Rogue baritone ukulele
3. muted strumming on a Lanikai CK-TEQ tenor ukulele
4. bass on my Applause acoustic bass
5. guitar on my Tacoma acoustic guitar
6. ukulele on my Lanikai CK-TEQ tenor ukulele
7. vocals
8. backup vocals
9. tiny hook on my Kala Pocket Ukulele
10. weird harpsichord (?) part on my Lanikai CK-TEQ tenor ukulele
11. synth electric guitar sound from my Eleuke

Oh yeah, and I recorded it on my MOTU Traveller interface.  I love it!  And I used an AKG C 2000B Microphone.  But, enough of all that tech jibber jabber.  This one is for my baby.  I hope you like it, Erika.

Strange Powers (Magnetic Fields Cover) - by Ukulele Guy, for Erika

P.S.  I need a windscreen for my mic.... I know.  I'm buying one today as well as new Aquila strings.

P.P.S. I'd love to make a video for this song.  You know one of those rad videos that shows me playing each of the instruments as the part comes in for the first time.  But, that seems like a ton of work and I'm not really sure what software to use.  Does everyone do those with Adobe Premier?  It seems like it has a steep learning curve (and costs about a million dollars).  Any other suggestions?

P.P.P.S  Crap.  I just realized that I muffed the lyrics in a few spots.  Hopefully Stephen Merritt never hears this because I'm not sure I could stand up to his sardonic comments and cool stare.

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When I first started this blog (sometime in September '09, I think?) I used to post an original Ukulele Song on every #MusicMonday on Twitter.  Well, that pretty much went off the rails after like 10 weeks or so.  But, I still want to share some of my songs with you guys, so I'm trying to force myself to get back into it.

I especially needed to record a rough draft of this song because, in two days, Gus won't be two years old anymore and I'll need to come up with a new chorus.  So today I jotted this little number down so I won't forget it.

I keep saying Rough Draft but my guess is that this is how the song stays.  I generally like to think up a song and record it as quickly as I can with every intention of flushing it out and adding parts, but, honestly, it's more fun to make up unfinished songs than it is to finish songs.  So, I guess I'm a "sketch artist".

Anyway, when I put the boys to bed, I usually sing songs to them to help them fall asleep.  One night I just started making up this song for Gussy (his given name is August, but we almost never call him that) and it sort of stuck.  The lyrics are all pretty particular to Gussy and  his quirks so I'm not sure how well it'll translate if you don't actually know him.

Actually, that's something I've been thinking about a lot lately.  I keep meaning to get into the studio (Club Shmed studios, here in Missoula.. they rule) and record a kid's record (I even was given some studio time from my wife, as a gift) but I've been putting it off because so many of my songs are really specific to my kids and my wife.  But, driving home from a Volumen show the other night, I decided that I'm actually going to go the other direction.  I'm going to record a kid's record of songs ONLY about and inspired by my family.  No offense to the rest of the world, but they really are at the top of my list.

Anyway, when/if I ever do that, this song will be on that CD.  It's for my son, Gus, who turns three on Sunday.

Gus Hickey is Picky...

Lemme know if you need the chords, but I'm sort of doubting that you want to learn a song about someone else's kid.  Heh.

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I found another great Ukulele songbook (in pdf format) and apparently I asked the fellow if it would be alright if I were to link to it. I honestly don't remember that, so it must have been some months ago. Well, Stewart finally got back to me and he's cool with it. So, check out his great songbook at stewartgreenhill.com/blog/ukulele/. There are 48 pages of Ukulele tab goodness here, so it's definitely worth your while. Two songs that immediate jumped out were "Elanor Rigby" by the Beatles and "Turning Japanese" by the Vapors!
Honestly, what Ukulele play could resist a chance to play an early 80s proto-ska song about masturbation, right? It's practically MADE for ukulele.

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So, everyone was so psyched by that Ukulele Beatles site that I figured I'd try to find some more free ukulele tabs.  It didn't take too long before I found The Big Muffin Serious Band.  These guys are a busking band from New Zealand and they have two ukuleles in the band.  They've been around since 1983?!

Well, anyway, they have a section on their site with over 100 pdf files of ukulele songs.  Here are some of the highlights:

• Apache
• Benny Hill Theme
• Blackbird - The Beatles
• Hot Rod Lincoln - Commander Cody
• Mama Mia - Abba
• Ziggy Stardust - David Bowie

Alright, now you know what to do, right?  Get to work!

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So, I think I tweeted this link before but I wanted it on the site as well so folks could find it.  The site is called Ukulele Beatles Fun! and it's basically a bunch of (64!) flash pages for different Beatles songs.  What's great is that it plays a version of the song and then shows you chord shapes while the song is playing.  You can stop it, rewind, etc.  Heck, you can even tune your ukulele and check out all the lyrics.  Basically, it rules.

I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for The Beatles and also this site because it was the first page I found after I got my first ukulele (a Lanikai CK-TEQ).  In fact, I used this site to learn my first song on Ukulele, "She came in through the bathroom window".  But, in case you too are just starting out, I wouldn't recommend that song, it has some pretty tricky chord shapes and moves.  But, I guess it's a testament to learning songs in this way that I was eventually able to stumble through it.

Anyway, best of luck to ya!  Now, get out there and learn some Beatles!

Ukulele Beatles Fun! - http://beatlesite.info/

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Well, once again Steve Berryman (steveberryman on twitter) hooks a brother up with some free Ukulele Songbooks.  As you might remember, last time Steve pointed us in the direction of London Uke Festival's Songbook.  This time it's SIX (count em, six!) ukulele songbooks from the Taunton Ukulele Strummers Club.  This fun-loving bunch hails from Somerset (in the UK) and if you want to hear some recordings of them performing some of these choice numbers, then check out the music section of their site.

I've give you the links and brief summary of each of the books.

1. Book One is 14 pages and it has a wide variety of songs.  There are old standards like "Sweet Georgia Brown" and classic favorites like "In the Summertime" by Mungo Jerry.  There are also some modern tunes by Coldplay and George Michael, so it's a pretty diverse mix.
2. Book Two is 28 pages of goodness as well.  There are some songs from "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?", some Duran Duran, some Donovan, "King of the Road" and even "I wanna be like you" from the Jungle Book.
3. Book Three is 13 pages and the emphasis is the 60s.  So, you've got The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Dusty Springfield and more.
4. Book Four is a whopping 36 pages of variety.  There's some Jack Johnson in here, some Elvis, "Dizzy" by Tommy Roe, Abba, Bananarama and even the Spin Doctors.  (Although I could have done without that last one.. heh).
5. Book Five is 44 freaking pages!  That's enough pages to have at least three Bon Jovi songs!  There's also some INXS, Madonna and even "500 Miles" by The Proclaimers.
6. Book Six is just in time for the season.  Ukulele Christmas Songs!  Classics like "Frosty the Snowman" and "Let it snow" sit right alongside of "Blue Christmas" and "Do they know it's Christmas".

I know what you're thinking.  How much will I have to pay for these six songbook collection?  $29.99?  $39.99?  What if I told you that you could have it all for 3 easy payments of nothing?  Yup.  It's all free.  Enjoy!

Taunton Ukulele Strummers Club Songbooks

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Alright, so in the last 12 mondays, I've given you 11 original songs. Today is number eleven! I have to admit that when I woke up this morning and remembered that it was #MusicMonday on Twitter, I got a little frightened.  I didn't really have an idea of what song I was going to do for you and then suddenly one popped right in my brain.  I think this might be my first #MusicMonday original song that was actually written on the day I posted it.  So... that's fun, right?

There just aren't enough Xmas drinking songs, either, so maybe I can be the guy that fills that little niche.  Also, unlike my other original song posts, I'm actually giving you the chords for this one.   Usually I just promise to do it and then promptly forget.  So, check out the chords below the video if you are interested.  I'm not 100% married to this arrangement yet and it prolly needs another verse, but who has time to polish, right?  I'm too busy make the rough outlines of songs.

Santa Claus Needed a Drink
by Ukulele Guy
C&P Ukulele Guy 2009

Am
well I stayed up real late
   G
on Christmas Eve this year
Am
I was waiting for Santa
               C7                  G7
cause I didn't believe that he was real
Am
So it came as a bit of a shock
        G
when he walked through my front door
        A      C                 G
moaning nobody believes in me no more

G7
yup Santa Claus needed a drink
Am
well who was I to stop him
      C7
so we grabbed a bottle of bourbon
                            G
and we drank til we hit the bottom

G7
so don't be surprised on Christmas day
          A9 0102
if your presents don't appear
    A                          C             G
see Santa Claus is pretty damn hungover this year

Am
Well I slept in a little late
   G
on the morning of the day of Xmas
Am
there were daggers behind my eyes
            C7                  G7
and I could barely keep down my breakfast
Am
I clutched my head and stumbled around
     G
just trying to remain upright
                    A                 C                        G
when I tripped over Santa Claus, I  guess he the spent the night

G7
yup Santa Claus needed a drink
Am
well who was I to stop him
      C7
so we grabbed a bottle of bourbon
                            G
and we drank til we hit the bottom

G7
so don't be surprised on Christmas day
          A9
if your presents don't appear
    A                               C              G
see Santa Claus got pretty freaking hammered this year

Chords:
A 2100
Am 2000
G 0232
G7 0212
C 0003
C7 0001
A0 0102

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