Buganvilla original composition revisited

[dave robinson]

Whilst I have been doing quite a bit of recording lately, I though I would revisit my fifteen year old track 'Buganvilla' and play it as I intended it to be heard and explain why.

https://soundcloud.com/robbo47/buganvilla-lz


Back in 1999 when I was doodling around and this tune came about, I posted it on David Martin's original Shadow Music site and it had a great deal of interest, resulting in my recording it and issuing the BT on my first commercial backing track CD 'LEAD 4'. I played it through my Quad GT on Charlie's Binson #7 patch, using my newly acquired Burns Marquee, fitted with Kinmans.
This resulted in many others playing it and Peter Korving recorded it on one of his 'Seaside Shadows' albums over in Holland. I then had a request from Brian 'Licorice' Locking who wanted to record it and it appeared on his 'Returning Home' album produced by Warren Bennett, albeit slightly re-arranged in a way I wasn't keen on.
That arrangement actually led me to dislike the tune and I largely ignored it for the past ten years, until recently when I heard some friends play it on Facebook.
I'd heard people playing it around clubs too and was aware that some were using the BT from Licorice's version which I hated, so I decided to revisit the track again, my own original that I did in Cubase in 1999 and re-record the lead using my heavily strung Strat with Sliders pickups and add some harmony and the Squier VI to fatten it up a little.
I'm quite pleased with the result and I've managed to capture what I was imagining when I accidentally stumbled across the melody all those years ago. The title was a no-brainier as I had been looking at some snaps from our visit to Lanzarote a few months earlier and the Buganvilla had figured in our holiday, it's slow graceful crossing on usually a very calm Atlantic was seen at least three times a day from the beach and one day we booked tickets and went over to Fuerteventura. The tune describes the mood perfectly , but at one point the water does get a little choppy and the wind suddenly seems to pick up a little and the middle section of the tune reflects the sudden reaction on the vessel - this happens on both legs of the short journey, I guess it may be current related, so now you know why I resented the re-arrangement, because it didn't in any way reflect the experience of being on the ship.

[KurtFroberg]

Very nice tune and a great arrangement, Dave!

Kurt

[tolo]

As you know, I really appreciate an original tune - and the tone on this is lovely Dave. Did you mike the amp or does it have a usb directly into your DAW? Also - is it a harmonizer you are using on the main guitar or double tracked an octave lower (it sounds like there is a little pre delay on there?)

Beautiful touches on the Mid 8.

Tony

[dave robinson]

Thanks Kurt and Tony for listening and your kind comments.
All the guitar parts are played separately Tony, three lead ones in all, two are the Strat doing lead & harmony parts and the third is the Squier VI which I added as and experiment to give depth to the melody (ships engines), the guitars were miked with an AKG C-1000 off a Vox AC-4.
It's a very simple tune and like I said in the description, the middle eight matched the feeling on the ship for a few minutes during the journey where the tides roughen up midway through that particular crossing, then subside again.
The Buganvilla has been replaced with a high speed vessel now so I doubt the feeling in the music would be the same if I were to make the same trip today.

[Beebs]

Ah, now I DO like that one. Simple and uncluttered. Brilliant stuff young Dave ! Beebs

[David Martin]

A good piece of work, Dave... (And great to hear your progress...)

[dave robinson]

Thanks groovers.

Here's The Buganvilla in full flow . . . . .

[dave robinson]

Ah, now I DO like that one. Simple and uncluttered. Brilliant stuff young Dave ! Beebs

I love the 'young Dave' bit, thanks very much.

[Rjanuarsa]

Yes I heard this when you uploaded on the original Msn Shadowmusic website Dave. Great tune, well composed indeed.
Robby

[MikeAB]

Play it all the time - worthy of the great band itself I reckon.