Update from a deadline walking

It's 5:57 PM just 6 hours from the final deadline to release the March CD in March!

So far I have the artwork done and I'm going over the final mixes.

Here is the NEW final playlist and order...


1. The Crazy Crazy Train Polka Polka
2. The Caboose is Loose
3. Loco Motion
4. Wabash Cannonball
5. Old Train
6. Chugga Chugga Choo Choo
7. Last Train Clarksville
8. Folsom Prison Blues
9. I've Been Working on the Railroad
10. Trains, Trains, Trains
11. The Little Engine That Could
12. City of new Orleans


Bouncing down a revamped version of City of New Orleans as I type (the tempo was sloppy and the vocal needed to be doubled), we recorded the rhythm track for this one live...I hope to post the video soon.

Here is the CD cover...thoughts?

One solo did not work out so I have to record a new one in a few minutes. I'll be right back...

OK, got the solo done, wanna hear it? OK...here it is a cover of Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash. My son and I along with another father son team recorded the main track live into ONE USB mic, MONO! Then I added some stuff. Here it is, hope you like it.

Last day of the month and I'm still not done!

OMG! Tomorrow is the first day of April and I still haven't finished my March CD "All Aboard the Rock and Roll Train"...what gives?

OK, here is where I stand. All the songs are done, but a few need some last minute editing. I started the artwork Thursday night while my daughter roller skated, now I need to scan, color and arrange it. I still need to do the liner notes, other text and supporting graphics.

I went back to hand drawing the cartoons this time, the last CD was all done on the iPad, but I'm not fast enough yet to get it done that way in time to release by midnight tonight.

I have decided to take the rest of the day off from family and business obligations to finish EVERYTHING so I can finish design, mastering and upload to my manufacturer and online distributor in time for the March deadline. The race is on...here we go!

Last Day in Florida

Today is the last day we are performing at "A Day Out With Thomas" here is Parrish Florida. The day stared off with a good rainstorm, but the tent is good and dry.

We've been testing songs from the new CD, Every song we've tried has been a big hit. Today we added The Monkees classic "Last Train to Clarksville" it rocked.

I started working on a cover art idea, it's a take off of a Boxcar Willie CD cover.

Here are the links to a couple of new mixes...one was a lyric sent to me by Dave Kinnion (this guy has done more cool stuff for kids and kids music than anyone else I know, check him out at http://www.songwizard.com). The song is called " Old Train" he sent me the lyric right after it was written while waiting to cross the Mexico/ USA border. It totally rocks!

The other is a very different version of The Locomotion featuring African guitar tracks by Graeme Sacks from African ABC's. Check him out at http://www.africanabc.com/

Thanks for listening, please comment and tell a friend, OK? 

My WiFi Update from a Florida Laundromat

Today is a really big day for CD #3 of 12...all songs are finally done (except for one missing guitar solo arriving by email any second, I hope).

I'm running a week late, but unlike last month I'm not freaking out as this CD is a bit different...way out of my comfort zone.

I recorded all the basic tracks in and around trains at the National Rail Road Museum totally on my iPod. Including two songs recorded mostly live with my son and a friends and his son...very cool.

I took the project with me to Florida to mix and master...finished (except for one) this morning before lunch. I tried to work on the artwork, but I think I'll have to wait until I get home to hand draw the cartoons this time.

Here is one new track called "The Crazy Crazy Train Polka Polka". It has many of the songs suggested by all the folks that read my blog. Now, FYI, I did not get to all of them, but I decided last week that I will continue to record new train CD's every year, much like I have been doing annual library summer reading CD releases.

Anyway, here it is...featuring an awesome fiddle player who I will tell you more about next time. Enjoy...and comment!

Back on the Train Gang

My son and I are currently in Florida doing "A Day Out With Thomas" event. We have the week days off so now I can finish the mixing, mastering and album design...yea!

The Internet is not really good here so I don't know if I will be posting songs or not, but I hope so!

Today I got up around 8 am and started working on the mix for my new Weird Al style train medley called " The Crazy-Crazy Train Polka-Polka", I think it's pretty awesome. We've been doing it everyday here at Thomas to rave reviews. It has classic rock, pop, big band, TV themes and more shoved together at light speed.

I also finished The Locomotion, The Wabash Cannon Ball, I've Been Working on the Rail Road and my original Trains, Trains, Trains.

I'm going to try to post this update here at the library, if I can get a strong enough signal I'll try to post a track today!

The Missing Train!

Did you miss me? I know that many of you have as I have been getting Facebook, Twitter and email messages asking where the train updates are...sorry.

Things are kind of falling apart and moving along at the same time...

I spent the day at the railroad museum on Monday and finished all of the vocals and guitar parts for the songs I have already recorded, but I didn't feel very well so I cut the day a bit short. Not much to see, so I didn't really get a lot of interesting video. I don't want this to turn into home movies, so I opted out of posting a day 6 of 9 video.

Tuesday was a really big day. I put together a father son band with my son Wil (drums) my friend KD (jazzy guitar) and son Brandon (bass). We set up and played live (Beatles "Let it Be") style between the BIG BOY and Eisenhower trains. We recorded tracks for "Folsom Prison" and "City of New Orleans", got lots of great footage I will try to post soon.

Sadly that may have been the last day of recording at the museum as I still don't feel very well, my daughter is sick and I have to leave for a Florida tour TOMORROW!

I will edit, mix, master, do the artwork and graphic design at another train museum in Parrish Florida next week.

Did Davy Jones like this song?

Day 5, the last day of week 1 recording at the National Railroad Museum. Today Taelor (my 12 year old daughter) played drums and we recorded The Monkees "Last Train to Clarksville" in the business car. Did Davy Jones like this song? Who knows, but the song rocks!

I also had the chance to record a live trombone for "I've Been Working on the Railroad". My friend Curt (a drummer) dropped by to do the deed...thanks buddy!

As always, why are you reading when you can be watching...here you go!

What really happened at the National Railroad Museum today?

Day 4 at the National Railroad Museum was a blast! Today I settled on what I think is going to be the final line up, how does this sound?

Trains, Trains, Trians
Wabash Cannonball
The Caboose is Loose
The Loco Motion
I've Been Working on the Rialroad
Last Train to Clarksville
The Little Engine That Could
Folsom Prison
The Crazy Crazy Train Polka Polka
City of New Orleans
The Monkey and the Engineer
Chugga Chugga Choo Choo

"The Crazy Crazy Train Polka Polka" is a Weird Al kinda medley of over 10 trains songs, classic to rock and pop. I spent most of the day working on that and a cover of "I've Been Working on the Railroad" complete with BANJO by the one and only Doctor of Rock and Roll, yeah!

So stop reading and start watching what really happened...

In the News and a Groupon Too!

Whoa! I just got a copy of the De Pere Journal today and guess what...I'M the cover story! No kidding!

If you don't live in the area or can't get to the store you can see it here... http://ow.ly/9xWE3

If you are in the area or plan to visit the National Railroad Museum they asked me to share this Groupon to my friends, fans and followers, so here you go!

http://www.groupon.com/green-bay

What do you get when you mix South Africa, Real Steel and a Restroom?

Q: What do you get when you mix South Africa, Real Steel and a Restroom?

A: The Loco Motion of course!

Yep, that's what I did today. Don't read all about it, watch in now as it happened today at the National Railroad Museum...

Why was I singing in a caboose?

Day 2 of recording was really wild. I started off by writing a new song driving to the railroad museum. I actually performed it at a small show and recorded it, a song about the caboose, IN A CABOOSE!

I got to record some cool kids and chat with Big Bob from the museum too. As of yesterday I have 3 songs done.

See it all here...

Starting work on CD #3, on location with garage band

The first 2 CD's of 12 were recorded in the comfort of my home studio/office. This time I'm taking the show on the road and recording the entire CD on location at the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, WI.

The new CD is called "All Aboard the Rock and Roll Train", all songs about trains and railroad related stuff. Many covers and a few new originals.

I will be using only my iPad a microphone and a few instruments. I am going to do a VLOG (video blog) each day I am there.

Here is the first VLOG, it's about 10 minutes and I think it's pretty interesting, hope you like it too.

I welcome your comments....

Angry Birds song #1 on iTunes for 2 months!

Before I start blogging about my next project, I wanted to take a minute to thank everyone for making my Angry Birds song my biggest downloaded song on iTunes EVER.

Angry Birds is the single from last months CD "Electric Bananas", it was pre released before the CD.

I wrote, recorded, mixed and released the entire thing using only my iPhone 4.


If you haven't heard it, you can check it out at  ow.ly/9u0UB

Are there any other game or apps you think might make a great song? Let me know.

Here are the lyrics:

Angry Birds
© 2011 William Charles Grisack III

This is a song about angry birds, angry birds, angry birds
This is a song about angry birds can’t make ‘em go bye-bye
Angry Birds are everywhere, everywhere, everywhere
Angry Birds are everywhere flying though the sky

Angry Birds want their eggs, want their eggs, want their eggs
Angry Birds want their eggs green pigs better run
Angry Birds set to attack, set to attack, set to attack
Angry Birds set to attack here comes level one

Angry Birds black, red and white, black, red and white, black, red and white
Angry Birds black, red and white fly off in a flash
Angry Birds say their names, say their names, say their names
Angry Birds say their names before the slingshot dash

Angry Birds keep going on, going on, going on,
Angry Birds keep going on to hear their babies cry
This is a song about angry birds, angry birds, angry birds
This is a song about angry birds can’t make ‘em go bye-bye

And the winners are...

The poll is over the winners are in. The next CD topics I record will be about...

• Trains - to be released on 3/23/12
• Movement Songs- to be released on 4/23/12
• People of Character - to be released on 5/23/12
• Animals - to be released on 6/23/12
• Science - to be released on 7/23/12
• Food - to be released on 8/23/12
• Holidays - to be released on 9/23/12
• Math and Numbers - to be released on 10/23/12

I'm not sure what I will want to do in November and December...take a break????

Now you all are not off the hook yet...no, no, no....

Now the real fun begins, I would like your ideas for cover songs or original songs or a song would would like to write with me on any of these topics...let's start with trains first though, OK?