Only Three Days Left...Really?

Where did the time go? 

Didn't I just start this crazy adventure?

What...it's been a year?

Now I only have three days left and a half dozen songs to record...I don't even know what the last three are going to be.

I couldn't sleep last night so I did something that has needed to be done for a while, I re-mixed and mastered CD's nine and ten...yep, NEVER DID IT. The files have been sitting on my computer. CD eleven is not mixed or mastered yet and CD 12, well...I'd rather not talk about that now.

If all goes well I should be able to get nine and ten up and ready to distribute/sell today. If I'm not too tired I might be able to get CD eleven up and sometime before the ball drops on New York finish recording, mixing, mastering and uploading CD 12. I can do that, right?

Well I could...IF MY COMPUTERS DIDN'T STOP WORKING AND DESTROYING MY FILES! Not one, but both my MacBook and PC are being very difficult. The MacBook went belly up and took a whole song with it last night and the PC is eating files...NOT GOOD TIMING. 

HULK SMASH!

OK, I feel better now. It's been a few hours since I wrote that Hulk thing, back to normal now.

I just texted Mary Lynn Maestro, got off the phone with Dave Kinnoin and Marla Lewis, after chatting with them I have finalized the playlist for my final CD, here it is...

1. With a Little Help From My Friends
2. Worlds Lamest Superhero
3. Together Again
4. Wipe Out Wil
5. Just Ducky
6. Barbie Girl 
7. Cleaning Up the Table 
8. They're Never Gonna Play This Song on the Radio 
9. Swimming With Dolphins
10. I Don't Want an Easy Life
11. Girl Power
12. Why Can't We Be Friends

The songs in black are finished, the songs in red are in various states of production, but I think they will all be done tomorrow (if the computers hold up).

This CD is all about collaboration and oddly enough this is the CD I have written the least amount of songs for! I have written exactly one and TWO half's of the songs. But I feel like they are all mine in some way (Shhhh...don't tell Paul McCartney!).

I want to leave you with another song from the CD today, speaking of McCartney, here is the (sort of) title track from the CD, "With a Little Help from My Friends", enjoy and share!

Football, Friends and Finishing...Not

I am having a total blast today. I am recording and mixing tracks for the new (and final) CD of the year, while l; listening to the Green Bay Packer football game live on my iPhone. I've never done that before.

I have no idea who that kid is with the Packer shirt and guitar, but it's a cool pic, right?

As I am listening to vocal after vocal that was sent to me I've been getting goosebumps! Really, just blown away. Getting to mix all you these wonderful singers, my friends and family, I feel like this is the best Christmas present anyone could ever get!

BTW-SHUT THE FRONT DOOR - Packers are kicking butt.

I love having the radio on while recording and blogging, I might do this all the time!

Have you heard of  The Sugar Free All Stars? Of course you have (just go with it, if you really have no idea what I'm talking about click here). Chris sang and also play some excellent organ parts, plus he just looks so darn cool on the cover! OH, what a voice! Sugar...wow. It's getting so hard to mix this, I can only use very small parts of each vocal, right now I just want to release like 7 or 8 different versions with different lead singers and BTW, I haven't sung a note yet...maybe I shouldn't? 

As I work on this CD, a project that I am driven to get other people to "shine" I am beginning to realize that my recently departed mother was right, perhaps my real destiny is to be a great producer, like Phil Spector (without the guns) or Sir George Martin (without EMI and Apple studios...maybe someday). I have always loved being a director, facilitator, mover and shaker...mmmmmm.... 

A great big THANK YOU to China White and Forest Field guitarist, mutli instrumentalist and all round great guy from the Netherlands Peter Cox. He did ALL the basic music tracks for this song...drums, bass, guitars and various keyboards. I could never have done this without him. I plan to do a lot of recording for him in 2013. 

OH, just took a cookie break because right when I was done and doing some mixing on this song I think I pushed my poor little OLD MacBook to the limit. It just kinda sat there, staring at me, not playing, not restarting...BAD. So I took a break and just turned it off, now I'm re-booting. Let's see what happens next, shall we? IT WORKED! Sounds great, just needs hand claps...I really do feel like Phil Spector! MORE DRUMS, MORE SINGERS, MORE REVERB, MORE RONNIE SPECTOR, MORE EVERYTHING!!!

 Adding shout outs to everyone who played and sang on the CD, tearing up here. Missing people that aren't with us any more that would have loved to hear this. It's been a long day, this is pretty much all I got done. I don't think the CD will be done by Christmas eve, but here it is for you and your loved ones to share. Please share it, happy holiday. Love Billy.

Make the Last One Count!

Yesterday was a disappointing Apocalypse...no I'm not complaining...I like it here. It's just there was a bit of hoopla, a few movies and stuff. So I guess the most exciting thing to happen in 2012 was my attempt to record and release 12 new CDs in 2012. Here's where we stand.

I have, I think eight CDs available on iTunes and CD Baby (and other places), all the rest are done (except for one, #12)  but I haven't had time to send them to the record manufacturer or distributors. They all are sitting on my computer just waiting.   

The last CD, "A Little Help From My Friends" is in HEAVY production right now. 

Against all the advice I have gotten from many fans, friends and family to take it easy, be happy with what I have or do a simple CD with already recorded songs, I decided to make this one the most difficult and challenging I could.

The CD is a celebration of teamwork, togetherness, character, the golden rule, the global village, networking, togetherness...I could go on and on (and I probably will), basically I have opened up the last CD to anyone who whats to join in and sing or play. And the word is out! I have had so many song submission, vocal tracks and instrumental tracks sent in that I feel this will be something special.


To really visualize the vibe I am creating a virtual band photo for the CD cover. Betting photos from all the wonderful people that have contributed to the music on CD 12. The picture at the top is what it looks like so far (I still have many more things to add). Here are some of the original photos and changes I made along the way...(oh and there are TWO songs at the bottom for you, one featuring my son and the other featuring my daughter!)

Take a sick day? NEVER.

I am sick.

Really, I slept in, made the kids take the bus, no breakfast cooking or podcast recordings for me today, nope.

But I have pulled myself out of bed to try to finish CD # 11, there are now only 13 days left to finish this project. I have redid the playlist yet again and this is what is left to accomplish, today(?)...

Happy and You Know It - final mix of the voices I have. I was hoping to get two more, but other people have lives too and can't drop everything for me. MOSTLY DONE!

Overworld (Mario Theme)- my song arranged and recorded most of this. I tried to add guitar last night but as I said, I don't feel well so I asked Clark (the rock guitarist)Colborn to do it and he said YES! MOSTLY DONE!

Bing, Bang Boom!- a cool song about my daughter by Dave Kinnoin. I am recording this today and I hope to have Taelor play drums on it later this evening. NOT STARTED.

I Go Bananas for Bananas - the very first song I picked for the CD by Monty Harper.I hope I get to it and my voice holds out. NOT STARTED.

I can't remember if I have a song for you today or not...OH YEAH I DO! This is a remake of a song I did way back on the "Batteries Not Included" album. It's a twist on the old kids tune "BINGO" about a drummer from a very famous band called "RINGO". I first heard a version of this by "Andy the Music Man" a long, long time ago. Hope you like it...

One of those days...months...years...

I must admit it, I am REALLY officially overwhelmed and have no freaking idea what I'm doing. There are only 14 days left until the new year. I have not finished CD 11 yet. I'm not sure what songs I am going to use...I have a ton to choose from and I'm starting to think that my big plans for CD 12 are too big and  nearly impossible...but, I'm committed (or should be).

I keep switching songs from CD 11 and 12 around, I want the last project to be all duets and collaborations so any song I have on deck that has duet or collaborations built in by default are going on CD 12. I moved a few more around today.

As of right now, here is the playlist for CD 11, "Another Bunch of Electric Bananas"

1. Another Bunch of Electric Bananas 
2. I Love My Mother
3. Happy and You Know It 
4. Funky Hu  
5. James the Racecar Kid
6. Valentine, Valentine
7. I Go Bananas for Bananas
8. Party Like a Rock Star
9. A Monkey, Monkey, Monkey, Monkey, Monkey, Monkey Tale
10. Swimming With Dolphins
11. RINGO!
12. ?

Before the end of the day it'll probably change again!

I have a bunch of songs to share with you today. last week Wil and I had a marathon recording session in our living room we streamed the whole thing live on uStream, I think you can still see it here at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/mrbilly23.

Out the the session came three new songs, "Another Bunch of Electric Bananas", "James the Racecar Kid", A Monkey, Monkey, Monkey, Monkey, Monkey, Monkey Tale" and "Party Like a Rockstar".

Here they are, hope you like 'em.

PS- Please blog about what I am doing or post the songs and tell the story on your FaceBook page, OK? Thanks!

This is how I get myself into trouble

Today I am supposed to be starting CD recording project #11, the sequel to my amazingly popular "Electric Bananas" CD called, "Another Bunch of Electric Bananas" (clever huh? Yeah right!). I now only have 21 days to record two more CDs, better get to it...

BUT NO...I I not happy with one of the tracks on the last CD. "My Flying Car". A nice little waltz by Dave Kinnoin. Great tune, but not really my speed...actually really not my speed...too slow. My vocal is not right either...I just can't release this, so instead of starting the next CD, I re-recorded that song this morning...this my friends is how I get into trouble! Do you remember when I re-recorded an entire CD earlier this year?

Yes I am nuts...or BANANAS! Get it? I crack myself up!

Anyhoot...I redid it, I love it and now I can more on. Here it is (at the bottom of this post) I hope you like it.

Now as far as the new CD goes here is the working playlist (totally subject to change and mad mind boggling revisions)...

1. I Go Bananas for Bananas
2. James the Racecar Kid
3. Happy and You Know It
4. Party Like a Rockstar
5. Just Ducky
6. Bing, Bang Boom!
7. Mario Theme
8. Funky Hu
9. Monkey, Monkey
10. Feet, Feet
11. TBA
12. Another Bunch of Electric Bananas

Recording Happy and you know it right now. This is going to be another attempt to use many different languages, it was my daughters idea...and a good one! 

And now for the updated "Flying Car" song...

Science or Fiction, You Decide

Yesterday was a great day. I finished three songs and did a bunch of other stuff (including the showers!).

Judging from the comments and emails I have received I looks like many of my followers were a bit disappointed that I didn't actually show you "how I do it". I really would love to do that, I'm just worried that it might take too much time, unless I do a live feed. Mmm...what do you think about that, would you like to actually watch me in the studio for a song or a day...maybe a marathon recording session? Let me know about that.

As I mentioned I did finish all three songs. The one that sounds the simplest, "Science or Fiction" by Dave Kinnoin was the hardest to do. This is a FANTASTIC tune. I LOVE IT (how many caps can I use in one sentence?). But to be honest every time I get a demo from Dave or his son Oliver I dread recording the vocal...mostly because these guys are like, vocal Gods...really. Me? I'm just a songwriting rock and roll guitar player that sings because as a solo artist, I kinda have to. BUT, let me say I think that working with great singers has really improved my vocals.

"Science or Fiction" is a perfect example of my new confidence and ability as a vocalist. It was a tough one to sing, the music is minimal, but overall I think it works. Check it out below.

Today I plan to FINISH this CD. I will be recording a song called "Dogs in Space" by Wayne Potash and "Flying Cars" by my most prolific buddy Dave Kinnoin. The last song on the CD is a remix of a classic Mr. Billy song called "30 Minutes or Less" from my 3rd CD "Playground". Wish me luck and spread the word!

How the Heck Do I Do It???

Over and over people always ask me how I get so much done. To be honest I've been wondering the same this. So today with deadline looming (25 days to finish 3 last CDs) I have decided to take you with me...all day. Maybe we can both learn something...ready?

5:30 - Alarm goes off (that's 5:30 am for all you musicians out there). Keep hitting snooze over and over and over.

6:00 am (guess I should put the AM and PM in, huh?) - Drink coffee and hang out with my wonderful wife till she has to got to work...what? She can't find her keys???

6:30 am - Record my "Mad Music Marketing Podcast" at the kitchen table on my iPhone using the Spreaker app.

6:45 am - Spontaneously write and record a short silly song of the day about St. Nick on the living room piano and post it up to Shout-)-Matic (again on my iPhone).

7:00 am - Make breakfast for me and my daughter.

7:30 am - Try to drive kids to school while arguing with my "usually very awesome" son about taking stuff into the house first...after a long staring match I finally get them to school, almost on time. I WILL NOT pick them up today, no way.

8:00 am - Ready to record. Ooops, the computer is a little cranky and I don't have the files I need downloaded, OK, lets update the booking calendar and send a email newsletter to my fans while I wait.

9:00 am - Newsletter done, took quick shower (TMI?) ready to record.

9:15 am - Working on a track Oliver Kinnoin sent me, I like his demo so much I am keep much of the music and ALL of his vocals. I am adding drum, keyboards, guitar and my vocals. The song is called "Weightless".

10:45 am - dome recording...wow I guess I do record fast huh? Take another shower (TM, TMI? Sorry I get very hot and sweaty when I record stuff)

11:00 am - write this blog post while uploading the song to SoundCloud.

11:15 am - Here is the first song I recorded today, I plan to do three, but we'll see...


11:30 am - More coffee. I think I'll start another song before lunch. What to do...how about "Peanut Butter and Jellyfish?" I just got this demo from Monty Harper and Dino O'Dell late last night. Yeah, let me get the words and demo up...after I check my email...faceBook...OK, gotta stop that, back to work...

12:07 pm - Get all the guitars, drum loops and bass done and recorded in GarageBand on my little cheap used MacBook (not a Pro...anyone wanna donate?). Now I need to edit and arrange the tracks so I can do my vocals...getting hungry and the phone has been ringing...better check that...

12:49 pm - While recording my vocals Cathi (Mrs. Billy) called during her lunch break. Almost done with the vocals! I think I'll finish and then have lunch!

1:15 pm - After the phone call took a nice little cat nap (why do they call it that?), now to finish the vocals, the song and have lunch!

1:30 pm - DONE! Sounds awesome. Saving and uploading now. Time for lunch. But first, here comes the post...



2:15 pm - OK, I'm back. Had some soup and crackers while I listened to the ESPN Football Today podcast (For some reason football stuff is the only think that totally takes my mind off of music and business stuff...weird). Now I need to decide what I'm gonna do next...another song? Let's see what I have on the to do list...

2:35 pm - While trying to pick the next song (I did) I got a call from a library and book a summer reading concert! Had to update schedule, website and make a contract. Kids are coming home from school in less than an hour, things usually grind to a halt when they get home.

2:51 pm - OK I picked the song I want to do next but I have to play piano on it. Problem is I don't have my midi keyboard hooked up to my MacBook (option 1) or a way to record the piano in our living room (option 2). I tried doing it on the keyboard of the iPad (I do a lot of my keyboard parts on that, but this one is real piano stuff). So, I have to see which option will actually work.

3:00 pm - Off to the kitchen to set up a keyboard and try to record it.

4:05 pm - Getting a bit tired now, should take a real nap before I have to go to parents night at my kids school. Oh, I did have to leave in the middle of recording to pick up my daughter...she got too cold walking home..in shorts...in winter...oy.

I have gotten the piano and some other keyboards done on the song, but I don't think I like it, I wish I had a real piano player play it on a real piano...dreamer that I am. I'm gonna take a stab at the vocal before I call it a day.

5:01 pm - Well I did it. THREE songs done! The piano stuff sounded great as an electric piano with some stings way in the background. VERY HARD TO SING! I am saving it now one now, but I don't think I'll be able to upload or post it tonight, I have to be at my kids school in about 25 minutes.

So, there you have it a day with Mr. Billy in the studio and around town...from 5:30 to about 5:30! Any questions?

Clones are People Two!

OK, CD #9 is in the bag, here comes CD #10...

SENSATIONAL SONGS ABOUT SCIENCE...FICTION?

Note the question mark, the idea is not to do a traditional science CD for kids (something that is all the rage these days), but a near future "what if" romp of wild imagination.

If all goes well there will be songs about robots, aliens, food (the science way), flying cars, weightlessness, space, Bigfoot, The Loch Ness Monster, Roswell and CLONES!

The first song I recorded is a remake of an old classic rock songs called "I Think We're Alone Now" with new words by Weird Al renamed, "I Think I'm a Clone Now". Very funny. Fun to record.

I only have 28 more days. Many of my friends and family are pitching in to help. Dave and Oliver Kinnoin are writing/ co-writing and producing some stuff and my son Wil (AKA POD PERSiN) is producing and writing  3 new tracks!

One called "Vacation in Roswell", another titled "What If?" and another with Dave Kinnoin doing lyrics called "My Robot Army". This is not the first time Wil has written songs of recorded instruments other than drums on one of my CDs, but the first time he's produced the music. I'm a proud dad.

OK, here is the first track from the new CD, I hope you love it...leave a comment. Thanks!

My next CD is a bit out of my comfort zone

"A Boy and His guitar", the CD that I'm finishing hopefully today, was supposed to be a simple little in and out collection of acoustic guitar and voice songs. Something to help me get back on track after my non-stop crazy summer.

But the old Mr. Billy slowly began creeping in and I started to overproduce the tracks adding extra guitars, harmony vocals and even (gasp!) percussion parts! This was not the manifesto for love next step in my musical madness marathon.

You see, even though there are a lot of people out there that say they like my voice and think I'm a good singer, frankly my singing kind of frightens me. I like it just fine when there are many distractions, like cool guitars, big drums, sound effects and…autotune! But once I striped all that away my insecurity came back with a vengence.

Honestly, it wasn't until I played my cover version of the Beatles, "Blackbird" (which my daughter, the ultimate Beatles fan absolutely hated!) That I realized I had gone too far.

Today, I'm looking back at the tracks that are recorded and I'm tweaking and fixing them, simplifying things and... recording the last new tracks, one traditional tune and two songs by members of the Kinnoin songwriting family (they are so cool!).

Here's my final version of "Blackbird" (daughter approved), I hope you don't hate it too much. Was this CD adventure a bad idea? What do you think? Gentle comments...pretty please? 

12 CD's in Just 12 Months, am I Crazy or What?

Hello everyone, here we go. Today is the big day. Today is the day I start my new project...recording and releasing 12 new CD's in just 12 months. Can I do it?

Join me here and follow my progress. Make suggestions, cheer me on.

The plan...

1. Decide what the CD theme will be
2. Write (or find) awesome songs and record them in 2 weeks or less.
3. Mix and master the music
4. Do the artwork
3. Have the digital version available on sale world wide
4. Have the physical CD available for sale on CD Baby and my web site shortly after
5. Rinse and repeat 11 more times.

Wish me luck. Comments?