thanks guys, it's a kind of true story, but i think that's what a writer does, he watches, observes then writes down what he (or she...sorry) sees. and if the writer is good, people enjoy what they read.

long live the bard

phill

hi lena, it began life as a song about a 19th century sailing ship that gets becalmed in the "doldrums?" i think that's an area of the caribbean? but that didn't really work so i found the fishing line (no pun intended). i was thinking about the cornish fishermen, or any of the south wales fishing ports, but bristol fitted best. i dont even know if you can get becalmed in the bristol channel?

hi geo, yes the water does tend to get very cold in the bristol channel, though it's more likely you'd die of pollution poisoning than the cold or drowning!

hi ark, while i was in spain, i walked along the marina looking for a yacht called coralina....i didn't find one though. maybe next year?

thanks to all

phill

hi C34 and welcome to the chordie poetry section. thanks for this your 1st entry, hope to see more of you and your work. please feel free to comment and advise your fellow members.

nice write

phill

as per your request kenny, you will now find this song on myspace...click left

phill

as it happens tony, i dont play flute either...chuckles

ian anderson has one of the all time greatest voices in my opinion, if i had but a little of his talent...

or for that matter, elton john's, i could go on...but i wont there are so many singers, songwriters and entertainers i admire, i'd be happy with some of their money...any offers?

OK, this is a very simple song:  D-to D add a Db Bass - then D add a B bass - you get the idea?

I recorded this in Eb, as D was too low, I think Eb is also too low! it'll be on My-Space ASAP.

This began on May 1, as I was brushing my teeth ready for bed. The first line came to me, but I was too tired so I wrote the rest next morning. It wasn't meant as a sad song, or as a fisherman's shanty! Story is; early 20th century fishermen (from Bristol?) find themselves becalmed in the Irish sea, they decide to row for home. One lad has got his young lady in the family way, and they plan to marry next day. Sad ending, they meet a steamer coming from Bristol in the fog....

for my part, i'd like to thank everybody. coralina was an easy song to put words to. it's funny how we were both on the same track content-wise with-out actually discussing what path we were taking.

i wrote the words, by the way, as an office dwellers day dream about his sailing yacht somewhere in the caribean...it's not about a woman or sex, though i guess a 30 foot yacht might be a bit of a babe-magnet?

phill

thanks to all for commenting, as always it's a pleasure working with russ, hope you have a nice visit with your sister.

i got the indian vibe when russ first introduced me to the song, i admit i was a little dubious at first, but with some trans-atlantic idea bouncing i think we got a result.

well i'm so shocked, in the first posts (which i unfortunately deleted...ooops!) "magical mystery tour" was mentioned...now ELP and my great favourite, vocally, musically and song-writing-ly(?) ian anderson, along with the lennon/mccartney comparisons....have i died and gone to song writers heaven?

thanks everyone

phill

not knowing how you will use your mixer and speaker (or two?) limits the advice i can give.

it all depends really on what you intend to do with it. if your going to be playing at high volumes at say a large hall, then unless you have a really good set-up then you'll blow the speaker pretty quickly.
if your just going to use it in the front room, then i'd say you wouldn't need a bass amp.
how many other people will be playing through it at one time?

if you get a good PA set-up and you dont go blasting away too much (in your front room) then you can have one or two guitarists and your bass fairly comfortably, with a vocal mic. if you intend to use keyboards as well you may get distortion problems, or worse.

hope this helped

phill

thanks everyone, if it wasn't for ark's original music and ideas i wouldn't have come up with the words. i listened my-self and noticed that there are some dubious harmonies and flat notes vocally!
the vocals are quite low in the mix, but i think it suits the song like that. the meter is out on some lines too, isn't it great when you can criticize your own work?

thanks all phill