Songs: demo recordings and sheet music

These songs were written in my late teens and early twenties, and although some are a bit embarrassing now, I decided to post them (well, except for five) in case they appeal to … someone.

You’ll note that there are demo mp3s for only the first six songs; the demo versions for the others do more harm than good in terms of, well, demonstration.  (The demo versions for the first six aren’t great either, so please imagine professional performance, professional arrangement!) 

Singers, arrangers, musicians: If you’re interested in any of these, please contact me.  I’ll likely want only credit for the composition. 

my love (is like a red, red leech) – perhaps my favourite, a bit punkish (you’ll see I came a long way from Donny Osmond, which is what I grew up with), think ‘duet’ with Bikini Kill and Karen Carpenter

i alone – protesting the compulsory coupling in our culture; ignore the tone of the demo; think, instead, Marianne English or Patti Smith

free people – this one was composed for an Amnesty International competition, if I recall correctly; I like the chorus, but the demo vocals are a hundred times too tame—imagine it belted out in gospel-singer style by some full-throated vocalist (you hear that attempt near the end)

without you – short and sweet

leaving – a mother-daughter duet inspired by The Beatles’ “She’s Leaving Home“; one of a few with an extended instrumental interlude, inspired by Eric Carmen’s “All by Myself” (which I later discovered was Rachmaninoff); the demo’s pretty rough but …

wonder – the key should be lower and the vocals much richer; again, this one has an extended instrumental interlude—imagine a competent performance on piano with amazing orchestration

birdsong – inspired by Rikki Lee Jones’ “Skeletons“

rainbow – think Jane Oliver, “First Night,” “Turn Away“

plea – think Diane Juster, “Les Mots uses,” “S’il le faut,” “laisse-moi“

autumn in her eyes – think Janis Ian, Between the Lines and Aftertones

dry love – I like the keyboard interlude; should’ve turned it into a piano solo; as for the vocals, think Kim Carnes, “Do you love her” and “Waiting for the Pain to Go Away“

half-mad hope – I think I was aiming for Moody Blues here, or maybe even Pink Floyd