I happen to still like "Perfect Stranger." Loved the music video, but being able to play the song in my car just makes it soo much better. Right now, it's my favorite ever, being that it just has this "Disco/Funk" quality to it that makes me want to get back into breakdancing.
You gotta be careful with that in the car, though -- I've been known to drum mercilessly on my steering wheel because of the music I'm listening to -- drive safely.
We had a desire to do a _real_ disco song. If you knew how much Nico and I LOVED old disco you'd probably be shocked. He perfers the instrumental stuff, while I am really into the typical pop songs. I grew up in a reallllly disco home. Saturday Night Fever was played a LOT, as were groups like Tavares and The Jacksons and EWF. I was young so I didnt know the difference between one type of music and another, I just loved the energy and the harmonies of the massively orchestrated disco songs.
So yeah, there we are, also listening to Canned Heat, by Jamiroquai, as this was really the tempo and groove that Nico had in mind. I brought out a chord progession that was at least 15 years old, which had failed to become a hit for Lisa Stansfield, Chaka Khan, and everyone else that I had hoped would call me up and ask me for it. (Bitches!!)
That chord progression got transposed to as different a key as it can go (from C#m to Gm) and became the chorus of PS. This song is a great example of Nico and I working together--note the three chords of the verse (Nico) and the many chords of the chorus (me). Nico thinks that the three chord thing is "simpler"--I find it much more difficult!
The guest musicians on this song really bring it to life, I think. The string parts are written by me and then played by Wendy Mittelstadt, who you all know as a former member of Trocadero. Wendy is awesomely talented in so many ways, not the least of which is the ability to play my string parts and then record them 20 times so that it ends up sounding like a string section. Believe me, it would have been SOOOO much easier to just use sampled strings, but we love the real thing. The song would be so boring and lifeless without the strings. A few people have mentioned ELO when they hear this song, and for me, well, I can die now, and you can write on my gravestone "Once made a song that made someone think of ELO, so he wasn't completely worthless."
Then, one day, this buddy of mine shows up at the studio with another guy. At some point this other guy picks up a bass and I can see immediately that he is a great bass player. "Adam Popick," I say to him (his name is Adam Popick, otherwise that would have been a really weird thing to say), "check this song out!" I put up PS and give him a chart and before we know it, he is recording the bass part, in the grooviest of ways. Good show, Mr. Popick.
Oh, maybe the best part of the whole song is the French intro by Nico. If you knew the blackmailing I had to threaten to get that recorded........
i must ask, i don't have a great deal of smarts in the music aria, i listen because i like it and it makes me feel good, so here is the Q, What does ELO stand for, or who is ELO
HAHAHAHA!! Blackmail i wonder what you would have over him so he would do that, +1 funny
ah well, i have been listening to the uggos recently in my car on the way to work (40 min drive so there is time for a few songs) but i seem to find myself pressing the repeat button on Icebox Blues, Thank You & Tell me, i just relay relay like those songs (but i also listen to crazy zoo, and perfect stranger as well, they are good to :D)
anyways thanks for the info on the song, its always nice to know how things came to be :D
Have a good 1 all, now i need sleep 14 hour days are not fun :(
You've certainly named my top favorite Uggos songs. However, I notice that "Cure That Ill" is missing from your list of repeat-songs, and I insist that it be added.
Thanks jtmitchell87 that is much better, (ps, HAHAHAHAHA ELMO!! +1)
and michygeary "Cure that III" is good as well, if you insist that it be added to my "repeat" section so be it :D , there all good songs anyways so no loss on my part, :D Thanks for your comment (+1 cool) :D
indeed it was, that was amazing how he drew all that,
and if your a tight ass, you can purchase the MP3's from RT as well for a dollar or 2 savings i don't know what it it is (i really haven't looked) but its better to have the CD, is somthing you can hold, and admire,
ah well, thats my comment for the moment, i relay have nothing better today, Happy easter All :D
Hey, for those of you who missed the latest news post -- Trocadero will be playing some Uggos/Strangerhood songs, so if you're in the general area of Boston..... come check it out.
