We All Need (A Little Bit Of Peace)

Episode #122:  All We Need (A Little Bit Of Peace)   (Song starts at 3:02) Hi there. All We Need, song #46, was one of those songs that's been sitting in my songbook, doing nothing. Why? The chorus wasn’t up to scratch. The lyrics were just not right. So I decided to rewrite the lyrics for the chorus. Then, just before I recorded this podcast episode, I thought I’d have some fun and record a demo of 'All We Need'. I think this sort of ‘ahh, what the heck!’ / free sort of feeling I have presently, is partly to do with the fact that I have just opened my Seascape Exhibition (you can view paintings on my recent blog posts: www.petepascoe.wordpress.com). It feels like my every woken moment for the last few months has been spent with a paintbrush in hand. I think this sense of freedom and ‘play’ is so important when it comes to writing a song. How does it feel to write a song?  It feels free - or that's the way it feels to me. I'm not one of those ‘creatives’ that spends hours and hours agonising over the details. I like the initial magic - both at the composition stage and during a recording session. I am big, however, on constantly editing - in a free manner. How it works for me is: I regularly sit at the piano and flick the pages of my song books randomly, picking out songs to sing and play. As I perform the song (and it does feel more like a performance than a rehearsal), I’m completely open to changing the song…the lyrics, the riff, the melody, the chords, the structure & the feel (rhythm / tempo) - and I do. A tweak here and there… I seem to have the ability to remember the most recent version, too, which is handy. I hear the whole band arrangement - including string arrangements - even though I'm playing it on the piano. So with this episode’s song, 'All We Need', I've reworked the chorus. The words: 'if we could have a little bit of peace today’’ popped into my mind. So I went with them. I can always change them again. Nothing is cast in stone - until the song has been recorded and released (and even then you can record another version). I'd just like to add here: I think it's also really important to set yourself a deadline to finish creative work by. Otherwise the years can whizz by quietly and you might find yourself with a pile of unreleased songs (or art). Go for excellence. If you go for perfection, you'll suck the creativity - the magic - out of the process. I'm looking forward to recording 'All We Need'. Guitars would be great - and real drums. Also, at the end of this episode, a piece came to me on the piano. As I improvised/composed the song, it sounded like it could do with some lyrics. I’ll finish this song off one day. So, on this episode you'll get to hear me in the moment, ‘catching’ a melody and some chords for a song as they ‘came through’ for the first time (happens at 29: 26 , just as I was about to sign out). All of this is an endlessly fascinating & rewarding process. If you'd like to hear more about it, sit back and enjoy the show. Here we go.

Om Podcasten

Be entertained with a song and an extended chat, ranging from off the cuff banter/humour to life observations and song analysis. Welcome to Song and a Chat. This is the podcast where you'll have the pleasure of listening to a new song each week - plus, you'll get to step into the shoes of a songwriter : You'll hear about the background of the song, the inspiration, how/ why the song came into being.  After the song finishes, I'll go over the lyrics and finish each episode by looking at the song from a songwriting point of view. If you just want the song and no talk, the time where the song kicks in will be in the title of each episode. Hi, my name is Pete Pascoe. I am a performer and composer - I love lyrics and I love a melody. I play piano and sing. I have a number of albums to my name.  I have written over 800 songs. Of course, not all of these songs I written will make it onto an album. As a songwriter, the first step for a new song is ( or was ) to record a demo. Often you catch something unique in this demo - something that is often not replicated in the studio cut....a certain feeling.  If you're looking to be entertained, like listening to new songs and live recordings, I hope you'll enjoy what's on offer here. I have a stack of demos from which I'm sharing one on a weekly basis. Plus I relate anecdotes about my life as a piano man, from around the time each song was written. I treat each show as a mini intimate concert - with extended chat, which ranges from off the cuff banter/humour to life observations and analysis. The idea is : the song can be listened to for pleasure in its own right, or the listener may choose to also be entertained and informed by the story around the song.  I'm really enjoying recording these podcasts. Each week I look forward to getting behind the mic, setting aside my current musical and artistic projects and casting my mind back in time by focussing on a song I've composed. It's turning out to be a satisfying - and sometimes surprising - time of reflection and discovery for me.  The lyrics and the recordings take me straight back to when the song was written. Gain an insight into songwriting and listen to a series of snapshots of life of a songwriter / performer / artist.  It's a great way for me to archive a song and it's 'back story'. Music is to be shared. What point is there In having five songbooks and piles of demos gathering dust?  I welcome feedback - whether you're tuning in to enjoy music for music's sake, you enjoy finding out about the origins of songs, you're looking for tips on songwriting or perhaps you've got tips for me. Either way, I'll be learning plenty as I go along. Thanks for a having a read. Come on and join me for a listen.