Post #578085 by tiki mick on Mon, Feb 28, 2011 11:24 AM

That kookaburra is very famous, also appearing on the Hula Girl’s album! It's the same one we caught outside the recording studio, next to the Cherry Pit bar where Dominic Tucci made us drink Patron' silver shots!

I love the kookaburra….nothing says “Hollywood Jungle movie from the 50’s “ quite like it, and considering the Kookaburra is from Australia, and not even from the Jungle…I find it totally hilarious!

For that song, “light on the water”, like everything it begins with an inspiration. In this case, sitting alone at the Navy Yacht club sipping a Mai-Tai that was surprisingly accurate. The Yacht club was cool, in that a lot of retired navy sailors and officers hung out there. This was not a “hip” place that other guys my age (I was 19) liked to go to, so often I had the place almost to myself and got to hear interesting stories about the way Pearl Harbor was back in the day. The lights of nearby Aiea and pearl city made a cool reflection over the dark waters of Pearl at night, and that combined with all the bamboo décor and nautical stuff in the bar made for the basis of this song, which started in my head and which I brought back to the mainland with me!

There was a warrant officer, and older guy who was working with us and had been called back from retirement due to a rare skill he had. This guy was someone I talked to a lot about Honolulu back during the 50s and 60s. He was a major fan of Lyman and Denny, and was surprised that I knew who they were…REAL surprised, considering that this was the “metal years” and everyone my age was into either metal or the first rap music.

So, he is in the song as well!

Technically, I already knew how the melody went so I started with the piano chords, using the (soon to be copied-now that I am revealing how to do it) “spread piano” effect, which is one chord played two octaves apart. That gives it the “cocktail” sound. I recorded these chords along with a metronome, which I later erased. If there are strings in there, that would be a synth string section with me layering a real violin (probably 2 or 3 tracks bounced) over the top so that it sounds more realistic. Then I started adding in percussion…Djembe, talking drum, congas, bongos, shakers, finger cymbals, Guiro, then the bird calls (I won’t reveal my source, ha ha!) and last but not least, bass…recorded with one microphone only. Unfortunately, (Or fortunately) I have to “bounce” many parts, due to the limitations of my equipment, and that results in reduced clarity, but overall, makes it sound “old” which I actually like! The vibes in this case are indeed fake…but I do actually play real vibes…having played them in the JC stage band for two years, and having played Marimba in concert band in high school…funny side story, but a few years back I was lucky to go to the NAMM show, and I am sitting in a corner taking a break and who should I run into but Lucky Designs! Weird, since the place is so freaking huge what are the odds? Anyway, we spent the rest of the day together checking out equipment, and I surprised him by playing “yellow bird” on the vibraphone (the messner booth) so he can probably vouch for the fact that I can play them…and would if I had 4000 bucks!

Anyway, stay tuned for more stuff to be released soon…..I have some very evil ideas brewing in me!