Music: Red Nose

Red Nose
by Gustavo Lopez, Paul Battersby

[ October 26, 2014 ]

Gustavo wrote this piano part while he had the flu so he called it “Red Nose” because as he said

I have flu… and big red nose…

I heard this piano part, and really liked it. I worked on this slowly, a little bit at a time until I arrived at a full orchestral accompaniment.

Gustavo Lopez	piano composition
Paul Battersby	piccolo, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, 1st violin, 2nd violin, viola, cello, string bass, trumpet, french horn, trombone, tuba, glockenspiel, xylophone, timpani, drums, mixing

YouTube video
Audio only

You might also like: Playing With Autumn Leaves, The Lighthouse

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license.

Walk On Fire
by Tom Tognaci, Paul Battersby

[ June 1, 2014 ]

A Classic Rock style song. Tom let me take his original single guitar and vocals version and turn it into this full band version.

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Walk On Fire
Lyrics by Tom Tognaci

Baby, I’m wanting you
Baby, I’m needing you
I want your touch
But, maybe, that’s not enough….

(chorus)
Where does the passion go
When a storm blows out the fire?
Cold rain is all you throw
While I’m burning in desire

Fan the open flames
Stoke the heart’s desire
Take a walk on me
And you’ll walk on fire

(solo)

Baby, I’m loving you
Baby, I count on you
Babe, before you give up on me,
I hope you’ll think it through…

(chorus)

Do you feel like letting go?
Well, baby, you gotta know
You take a walk on me
You walk on fire

I’m burning in desires flames
While the tempest in you reigns
But, if you’re walking on me
I won’t make it easy
It’s gonna get hot when you walk on fire

Tom Tognaci	song writing, guitar, vocals
Paul Battersby	drums, bass, organ, mixing

Visit Tom Tognaci at SoundClick

You To Turn To
by Kevin Skiles, Paul Battersby

[ May 27, 2014 ]

I’m not sure how to characterize the genre of this song. Kevin was a professional opera singer who now writes folk songs. I guess it’s simply a folk song with the vocal quality of an opera singer.

Kevin Skiles	songwriting, lead vocals, backing vocals, guitar1, guitar2, bass guitar
Paul Battersby	flute, 1st violin, 2nd violin, viola, cello, string bass, mixing

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

Too Little Time
by David Becker, Paul Battersby

[ July 15, 2013 ]

I wanted to take the original guitar and vocals version of the song and grow it into a full production with strings and percussion by the end of the song. I also took the original vocals tracks at the end of the song and used them to create a choir for the big finish.

From David Becker:

This is probably the most personal song I ever wrote, as I usually don’t write based upon personal experience … Dave’s Mid-Life Crisis aside. Back in 2007, I found myself at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina after being diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease. I was given a 50% chance of surviving greater than 5 years. I received a stem cell transplant to combat the disease and I am still hear, doing great, and lived to tell about it. Anyway, during that year, my wife was at my bedside night and day … the most amazing wife and caretaker I could have ever hoped for. This song was written for her and kind of chronicles what was going through my mind at the time. I wrote it only this year after much reflection on these past 5 years, but specifically 2007.

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Too Little Time

Lyrics by: David Becker

Verse 1
Too little time on my hands
I’ve got to start making plans
I’ve got to figure it out
Before i leave this land
I just got the news
Its’ kinda given me the blues
Cause all i wanna do
Is spend some time with you

Verse 2
Too little time on my hands
Makin’ all kinda plans
For the ones that i love
And the one up above
I wanted so much more
Never walked through that door
Never opened my heart
Now its’ torn apart

Chorus
I have tried to live a clean life
I’ve done my best to do what is right
But the hardest thing i’ll ever do
Is say my goodbye – goodbye to you

Bridge
So many nights we’ve spent together
So many moments that we’ve shared
And the pain in knowing that its’ over
It’s the only kind of pain
That i can’t bare

Verse 3
Too little time on my hands
Does he have a plan
Will i fade away
Or live another day
Is it a peaceful end
Will my spirit mend
All the broken hearts
When does the healing start

Chorus
I have tried to live a clean life
I’ve done my best to do what’s right
But the hardest thing i’ll ever do
Is say my goodbye – goodbye to you

David Becker	songwriting, lead vocals, backing vocals, guitar 1, guitar 2, guitar 3
Paul Battersby	1st violin, 2nd violin, viola, cello, string bass, bass guitar, drums, choir, mixing

Visit David Becker at Reverb Nation

Jared’s Song
by David Becker, Paul Battersby

[ June 11, 2013 ]

This is a song Dave wrote about watching his son grow up. Sort of like Harry Chapin’s ‘Cat’s In The Cradle‘, but not as sad

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Jared’s Song
Lyrics by David S. Becker

Verse 1
Well, I remember when I was much younger
I’d gaze up at the sky and wonder
What I did
To deserve this kid

Verse 2
Well somewhere along the line I must have
Shined a little light while
God had looked my way
I’ll never forget that day

Pre -Chorus
The day my son breathed life
And I looked at my wife
Holding this newborn tyke

Chorus (ages 1 – 8)
And it’s 1,2 … You stand on your own
3,4… You tell us your name
And the years fly by
Right before my eyes
And it’s 5,6 … “Dad can we play”
7,8 … You’d talk so much
I was so amazed
At every word you’d say

Verse 3
So much time has passed since then
Stupid fights and “where ya beens'”
Don’t matter none
You’ve just begun

Verse 4
And you’re off to school and on your own
I think about how time has flown
Your soul has soared
The eyes of a child have roared … You’ve gone to …

Pre-Chorus
To live your life
I pray we taught you right
I pray your light shines bright

Chorus (ages 9-16)
And it’s 9,10 … Your’re stayin’ with friends
11,12 … You’re scorin’ a goal
I scream “that’s my boy”
You were my pride & joy
And it’s 13,14 … Another game
15, 16 … More of the same
You were a rising star
You had come so far

(solo)

Bridge
And the years keep rollin’ by
That’s no child before my eyes

Chorus variation (ages 17-20)
Well it’s 17,1,.19,20
“Can I borrow the car, can I have some money”
“I’ll be home real late”
“Don’t stay up and wait”

Bridge
And the years keep rollin’ by
That’s a man before my eyes … You’ve gone …

Pre-Chorus
To live your life
I pray we taught you right
I pray your light shines bright
Tonight and every night

David Becker	song writing, vocals, rhythm guitar, lead guitar
Paul Battersby	drums, bass, mixing

Hear the original version on soundcloud.com

Promise
by Sean Simmons, Paul Battersby

[ March 28, 2013 ]

(New video added Jun 25, 2017)

This was originally a 1 minute piano piece by Sean Simmons. He posted the song encouraging anyone to do whatever they wanted to it, so I did. I started by doubling the length of the piano part and creating a new ending. Then I began adding other parts to it.

Jun 25, 2017 update:: this song was originally completed on Mar 28, 2013 but was reworked in Jun 2017 to use the new Virtual Playing Orchestra sample library which is also when the video was added.

Sean Simmons	Original Piano Composition
Paul Battersby	Modified Piano Part, Added Drums, Bass Guitar, 1st Violin, 2nd Violin, Viola, Cello, String Bass, Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone, Glockenspiel, Harp, Mixing

YouTube video
Audio only

Yesterday Was A Good Day
by Tommy Collins, Paul Battersby

[ March 19, 2013 ]

Tommy posted this Rock song and commented that he thought something was missing. I offered to add some drums and then later had the idea to add a few more parts to it.

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Yesterday Was A Good Day

Lyrics by: Tommy Collins

Carry a bag of mixed emotions
Hearts in heaven, souls in hell
Does anyone hear when I yell?

Woke up with a new attitude
Done with you & the things you do
This fresh air now fills my lungs

(chorus)
Yesterday, I swear I heard your heart beat
Think I even heard angels sing
Yesterday as you were leaving me
My heart broke open, my soul flew free
Yesterday was a good day
Oh, yesterday was a good day

For way too long, walked on eggshells
Worrying ’bout how you’d feel
Guess you thought I had nerves of steel

All them days just ran together
Minutes seemed to last forever
Now I like how the fresh air feels

(chorus)

(bridge)
Can’t live for others I realize
It only ends in goodbyes
No matter how hard you try
Gotta catch your breath some times

(chorus 2x)

Tommy Collins	song writing, vocals, guitars, bass guitar, mixing
Paul Battersby	1st violins, 2nd violins, violas, cellos, drums, organ, mixing

Visit Tommy Collins at Sound Cloud

The Dream
by David Becker, Paul Battersby

[ January 26, 2013 ]

This is a mellow song that Dave wrote during a time when friends and family were dealing with illness. I liked it as soon as I heard it and with Dave’s permission, I contributed some tracks of my own.

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Verse 1
Well I’m Walking
Down a narrow road
I’m Carrying
Such a heavy load
I’m losing my breath
Trying not to fall behind
I’m Struggling
To Stay within the lines

Verse 2
A weight it lifts
No more need to fight
A blast of air
And a radiant light
I’m for once at ease
As the air it fills my lungs
The pain is gone
My body and mind go numb

Pre-Chorus
But I can’t escape
From this nightmare
Why must I have to wake
This existence I’d forsake
I’ve survived too long
In this hospice
In my dream I’m set free
It’s where I want to be

Chorus
I want to go home
Home
There’s nothing here for me
But pain & misery
Home
I need to go home
Won’t someone set me free
Take these shackles off of me

Bridge
Well I have a pulse
My heart’s beating
I can take a breath
I’m breathing
But the pain it’s never easing
And to suffer there’s no reason

Verse 3
I am sleeping
With a peaceful ease
No bitter cold
Just a soothing breeze
There’s a voice that’s faint
Shouting “stay with me”
A shock to the chest
Why can’t they let me be

Repeat Pre-chorus
Repeat Chorus

David Becker	song writing, lead vocals, harmony vocals, guitar tracks x 3
Paul Battersby	flute, piccolo, 1st violin, 2nd violin, viola, cello, drums, bass, mixing

Fly Like A Bird
by Joel Sattler, Kevin Skiles, Paul Battersby

[ December 28, 2012 ]

When I first heard this song I liked the melody and the instrumentation of the original version but what really got me was the style of the vocals. Apparently Kevin (the singer/guitar player) sang Opera for 30 years but likes to sing Folk now.

This song presented a particular challenge for me in that I wanted to use full orchestra for it but it just wasn’t sounding right and the instincts that I was fighting, gave me the feeling that what I mostly needed to add was strings playing chords but that just seemed too plain to me. Then I remembered what I read as I was researching tips on creativity years ago and one tip was to limit yourself to a subset of instruments. Sometimes that adds focus rather than having too many choices. Once I chose to restrict my instruments to strings and a solo flute (and stop fighting my instincts), I knew I was on the right path for this song.

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Fly Like A Bird

Lyrics by: Joel Sattler

How many times have I heard you say
All you want is your life all you ask for each day
Is to fly like a bird never to fall
To be free as the air to climb over every wall

And if I could I would give you the sky
I would stand on the ground and I’d watch you fly

And if you flew a way never seen a gain
I would stay here for you as your for ever friend

Fly little lady fly like a bird
Fly may be fly like a bird

(instrumental)

But you’ll never soar and you’ll never fly
No matter the wish, no matter the try
We are rooted to earth, we are creatures of land
To live on the soil, and be buried in sand

But if somehow, you could spread your wings
And take to the sky, I would sing as you sing
So never the less, no matter the end
Whatever occurs, I’m your forever friend

Fly little lady, lady do fly
If you fly like a bird, don’t ask why

Joel Sattler	lyrics
Kevin Skiles	vocals, guitars
Paul Battersby	1st violins, 2nd violins, violas, cellos, string bass, flute, piccolo, mixing

YouTube video
Audio only

You might also like: When I Get Over You

Note: the above, is my own personal mix of the song. You can listen to the mix Joel and Kevin created (that also includes my tracks) by clicking here

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

Playing With Autumn Leaves
by Gustavo Lopez, Paul Battersby

[ December 9, 2012 ]

This is a beautiful piano piece by a composer in Belgium who was looking for someone to add some orchestral accompaniment. To quote Gustavo:

Do not have kids, but if I did wish I could play with them in the autumn leaves.

Note: this initially starts out very quiet but it gets louder.

Gustavo Lopez	piano
Paul Battersby	flute, oboe, clarinet, 1st violins, 2nd violins, viola, cello, string bass, trumpet, french horn, trombone, tuba, harp, percussion, glockenspiel, mixing

YouTube video
Audio only

You might also like: Red Nose, The Lighthouse