'Central Casting' - Original by Ted for EMU fest

[Ted]

im thinking more 10cc , but that's only if your making comparisons , otherwise it's Ted Wailer & the Testicals

I've got to register that domain ASAP: http://www.tedwailerandthetesticles.com

And I very much doubt there has ever been (or ever will be!) a song with the words 'rainbow coloured testicle the size of a country ham' in it, lol.

Maybe for good reason. I'll be presenting this song to my monthly song circle in about an hour. I'm trying so hard not to worry about how that line will be received. My two biggest allies won't be there tonight. It was one of these friends who told me of this quote:

The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter--'tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.

I think of that quote every time my insecurity tempts me to self censor.

I'll let you know how it goes.

is there a jew harp somewhere? sounds like!

At first I couldn't think of what you could possibly been hearing, but I think it's the echo/delay on the bass. Interesting observation.

Satchwood: Glad you like it. I can't solo worth crap, but the DS 10 brought a little Satch out of me.

Willie: Now your piPod has testicles. How do you feel about that?

[Ferryman_1957]

Ted, this is great fun and a bit different. Synthy 10cc is kind of what springs to mind but I love the sounds you have used here. Lovely spacey mix with nice syncopated rhythm, it all works really well.

No idea what you are singing about - these tired ears can't make it out, this talk of testicles has me intrigued (the vox are a tad low IMO). Any chance of some lyrics?

Cheers,

Nigel

[Ted]

No idea what you are singing about - these tired ears can't make it out, this talk of testicles has me intrigued (the vox are a tad low IMO). Any chance of some lyrics?

I've updated the song info with the lyrics, God help me.

Did 10cc ever do a reggae song? Dreadlock Holiday refers to reggae, but IMO the rhythm of that song is disco.

I presented this song, on acoustic guitar, to the song circle last night. For the first time ever, women outnumbered men. They seemed to like the song--testicle and all. Whew!

[Vanncad]

Must be a freaking coincidence.

I just ripped Bob Marley's "Legend" CD to the pink IPod I inherited from my daughter, and I had smoked ham for supper last night (sans testicles).

Damn Ted - good tune man.
I love the way you write songs. The metaphors are insane.
I think you would be a very fun guy to have a beer with.

P.S. - That "Song Circle" thing sounds pretty cool.

[Bluesberry]

Fully realized, fantastic song...for me the part that does it is the "And our eyes meet.
Our eyes meet."..it goes kinda introspective, that really grabs me...it is like the songwriter steps out from behind the song and addresses the listener straight on...I don't know, that part really grabs me.  and that fantastic dark brooding kaosillator-style solo there at 2:20, that is really effective, really does it for me.  This is one completely fantastic song Ted.  It has a kind of melancholy about it that i like, kinda Reggae blues with a dash of the prog for spice.  I really dig this.  Really well done.

[Ted]

Hey Canadians! I'm glad you both like it.

It has a kind of melancholy about it that i like, kinda Reggae blues with a dash of the prog for spice.  I really dig this.  Really well done.

Thanks BB: You not only rescued the song from page 2 for me, you took the focus off the testicle and moved it to what I like most about the song: its melancholy. This song is based around a throwaway line that might never have seen the light of day, and I'm pretty satisfied with it. Maybe too satisfied with it.

I think you would be a very fun guy to have a beer with.

Let's have a beer sometime, and you can find out. Bluesberry likes beer too, and I'm sure the two of you are neighbors. So let's invite him.

The first reggae album I ever heard was War Inna Babylon by Max Romeo & The Upsetters. After that was Babylon by Bus, by Bob Marley & The Wailers. Both albums belonged to my older sister. She was exploring reggae when I was just discovering punk.  So I reckon maybe I was exposed to "real" reggae a bit before it was infused by some mainstream rock acts like 10cc. I kinda thought that everyone was exposed to this stuff, so that's why I was initially mystified by the comparisons to 10cc and Dire Straits. Now I understand what's really the case is that I have a very cool sister.

[Gritter]

So I reckon maybe I was exposed to "real" reggae a bit before it was infused by some mainstream rock acts like 10cc.

I think probably 10cc heard some "real" Reggae before recording Dreadlock Holiday as well. The Police heard some "real" Reggae, Paul Simon did, UB40 (maybe  )...I really don't hear Dire Straits though. For some reason Dire Straits are the most referenced band on this site next to the Beatles. I don't get it.

Having said that, you do sound like a pop or rock act doing Reggae. There's nothing wrong with that. I listen to a lot of Roots Reggae too. But we are what we are and this is a cool song regardless of style or genre.

[Ted]

So I reckon maybe I was exposed to "real" reggae a bit before it was infused by some mainstream rock acts like 10cc.

I think probably 10cc heard some "real" Reggae before recording Dreadlock Holiday as well. The Police heard some "real" Reggae, Paul Simon did, UB40 (maybe  )...

I should probably rephrase that. Reggae had certainly influenced rock before I had much awareness of the genre: The Beatles' Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, Paul Simon's Mother and Child Reunion, and Clapton's cover of I Shot the Sheriff and others. All of these predated my discovery of reggae directly via Romeo and Marley via my sister, which was about 1977. It was shortly thereafter when I made the connection between reggae and some of the music being done in Punk and New Wave, by acts like The Police, The Clash, Elvis Costello, The Slits, etc.  To me, it seemed like I'd discovered reggae first, and my new favorite bands followed.

C'mon, I was 15.

But these comparisons to 10cc and Dire Straits make me think that my fellow rock fans are primarily familiar with co-opted version of reggae (such as this song of mine), and somewhat unfamiliar with the primary sources. And there's nothing wrong with that.

[Gritter]

I image Googled rainbow nutsack and this came up.

Click to view image which may be inappropriate in some situations (work, family, etc.)

 

[Ted]

I image Googled rainbow nutsack and this came up.

You're a brave man, Gritter. I'm sure that's not the only image that came up.

I'm at work now, so I'll have to look at it later.