"Dear Abby" - John Prine cover by 64Guitars and oldrottenhead

[64Guitars]

Pauline Friedman Phillips (aka Abigail Van Buren) recently passed away and I posted a YouTube video of John Prine's song.

https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?topic=17448.0

It's from his 1973 album "Sweet Revenge", so oldrottenhead suggested that we cover it for 70sFest.

There's just a single stereo guitar track made with my Godin xtSA solidbody and recorded on my BR-864 using its acoustic processor effect. Oldrottenhead then added the vocal track.

written by John Prine
Vocals by Oldrottenhead
Guitar by 64Guitars

Dear Abby, Dear Abby
My feet are too long
My hair's fallin' out and my rights are all wrong
My friends they all tell me that I've no friends at all
Won't you write me a letter, won't you give me a call
Signed Bewildered

  Bewildered, Bewildered
  You have no complaint
  You are what you are and you ain't what you ain't
  So listen up Buster, and listen up good
  Stop wishin' for bad luck and knockin' on wood

Dear Abby, Dear Abby
My fountain pen leaks
My wife hollers at me and my kids are all freaks
Every side I get up on is the wrong side of bed
If it weren't so expensive I'd wish I were dead
Signed Unhappy

  Unhappy, Unhappy
  You have no complaint
  You are what you are and you ain't what you ain't
  So listen up Kiddo, and listen up good
  Stop wishin' for bad luck and knockin' on wood

Dear Abby, Dear Abby
You won't believe this
But my stomach makes noises whenever I kiss
My girlfriend tells me it's all in my head
But my stomach tells me to write you instead
Signed Noise-maker

  Noise-maker, Noise-maker
  You have no complaint
  You are what you are and you ain't what you ain't
  So listen up Buster, and listen up good
  Stop wishin' for bad luck and knockin' on wood

Dear Abby, Dear Abby
Well I never thought
That me and my girlfriend would ever get caught
We were sittin' in the back seat just shootin' the breeze
With her hair up in curlers and her pants to her knees
Signed Just Married

  Just Married, Just Married
  You have no complaint
  You are what you are and you ain't what you ain't
  So listen up Buster, and listen up good
  Stop wishin' for bad luck and knockin' on wood
  Signed Dear Abby

[cuthbert]

I don't know the original, but I recall seeing John Prine albums on the racks in my misspent youth...

Nice minimalistic arrangement - your Godin sounds perty durned acoustic to me, 64G! Another great orh vocal, too. Great folky vibe!

[Oldrottenhead]

cheers 64 for doing this, is a song i've loved and known since i don't know when. so thanks for putting up with me having to learn it all over, despite knowing it well i found it difficult to sing in time, so had to learn it from scratch with lots of coaching and guidance from 64.

[Geir]

Very nice!

This is the way it should be done !

[Greeny]

Love it. I do remember hearing this song back in the mists of time. It has a great melody, and I love the simplicity of how you've done it. Nice change of vocal style by James - really works! Excellent :-)

[Hook]

Really well done cover gentlemen. That guitar really does sound like an acoustic & you nailed the vocal!
Rock On!

[Flash Harry]

The guitar sounds great, I would never have guessed. I assume you have the piezo output plugged into your BR?

I didn't know this song, but I do now.

Great track guys, well played and sung.

[Gnasty]

Ahhh yes, just one guitar and a voice. Very nice sound and playing 64.

 I would have never tried those settings but you got it sounding pure.

Damn awesome vocals ORH. That`s nice honest singing.

[64Guitars]

The guitar sounds great, I would never have guessed. I assume you have the piezo output plugged into your BR?

Yes. The piezo transducers, on their own, sound a lot more acoustic than a humbucker or single coil. But the sound is a bit thin and shrill. The BR-864's acoustic processor effect helps to overcome that by giving it more body and warmth. It's a great combination. Of course, I'd rather have a real acoustic. But since that's not an option right now, I'm really pleased with the sound from the Godin's piezos when combined with the BR-864's acoustic processor effect.

The acoustic processor effect is available on all BRs except the original Micro BR. Some of the available parameters may be different between the different BR models, but they all serve the same purpose and should give similar results. The acoustic processor effect can also be used to improve the sound of an acoustic-electric guitar with a conventional magnetic pickup.

Note that the acoustic processor effect is not the same thing as the acoustic simulator effect. The latter is used with an ordinary solidbody guitar with humbucking or single-coil magnetic pickups. It modifies the sound to simulate an acoustic guitar. The results aren't nearly as good as using piezo transducers with the acoustic processor effect but it's better than nothing (similar to how the bass simulator is better than having no bass at all but leaves a lot to be desired).

[Hilary]

Oh great job boys - the fake acoutic sound great but it's Jim's vocals that steal the show, they are just perfect. I think the balance between the guitar and the vox is slightly off, IMO the guitar's just a bit too loud but then I usually prefer an up-front vocal.