ABOUT THE ALBUM
I made my last studio album “Fire and Light” in 1991.
My next album was called “Voice of the Wind“, which came out in 1996. This was not technically a studio album. I recorded the main tracks live, using only piano and my little string pad. I then embellished those tracks with some orchestration, background vocals, etc., to fill the album out a little bit. This resulted in an album of mostly original songs, which most people describe as a worship album.
In 1998, I followed up this album with a sequel called “Evening Shadows”. These tracks were recorded the same way as the tracks on “Voice of the Wind“, and included some leftovers from that album, as well as some new songs.
In 2001, I recorded an album of Christmas songs called “Heart of Christmas“. This also was technically not a studio album, as I played all the instruments and did all the background vocals myself.
Around 2017, a close friend of mine came into a healthy inheritance. He gave me enough money to consider starting another studio album. The whole album was done by contributions. I decided to cut as many tracks as I could with the money that I was given, and worry about mixing and manufacturing of the album later.
By this time I had moved to Nashville. This would be the first album I ever recorded outside of the LA area.
A local studio offered a “package deal“ which included studio, engineer Steve Dady, and a four piece rhythm section. The section consisted of Gary Lunn on bass, Steve Brewster on drums, Dave Cleveland on guitar, and Jason Webb and Blair Masters on keys.
I had demos of many of the songs, some of which were made many years earlier. I used them to show the musicians how the songs went. I told them they didn’t have to follow the demo, but could contribute their own ideas to the songs. They responded very favorably to this. They said that most older guys when they come into the studio with a demo, just want you to do what is on the demo. They were excited to be able to contribute their own thoughts and ideas about the arrangements on the album.
It was a new experience for me as a producer, as the recording environment had changed considerably since the last time I was in the studio. I had to make a lot of decisions on the spot about whether I liked the direction of the tracks. After all, I would be stuck with whatever we came up with. Fortunately, everything turned out beyond my greatest hopes.
When the recordings were done, I hired one of Nashville’s finest mixing engineers, Paul “Salvo“ Salveson. He brought the songs to an even greater level.
The album is quite eclectic. Emotionally the songs evoke pain, uncertainty, hope, failure, exaltation, worship and a range of other emotions. Stuff we all go through as Christians. Even in the darker and sadder themes, I always try to add a note of hope and encouragement.
I don’t know how my audience will receive this album. The tracks are definitely not old-school, LA Chuck Girard of the '70s. They are considerably more refined, and one might argue, sophisticated. I’m hoping that my audience will see the maturing of my art, and not be disappointed.
The working title for the album was “Drifting”. That title had been in place since I wrote the song “Drifting” in 1996. But when it came down to it, I didn’t think this was the best title for this album. At one point, I had played with the idea of starting a website, which I would call the "Swan Project". The last work of an artist is called his “swan song”. This would be a version of a crowdfunding site like Patreon, where people could contribute to my work in my later years and allow me to keep putting out music until I would go to be with the Lord. I had thought at that time of calling the album “Song of the Swan”. When I floated the idea to my wife and friends, they all reacted negatively. They thought it was too fatalistic. In retrospect, it probably would not have raised much money anyhow, and I abandoned the idea.
In the meantime, I had re-established a connection with my best friend from high school, Greg Van Krugel. Greg had gotten serious about his artistic talent in his later years, and has become quite an amazing painter. Going through his portfolio one day, I came across a painting he had done of a lighthouse overlooking the ocean at night, with the moon rising in the back. I loved the painting. After getting permission to use it as the album cover, I realized I really didn’t know how to use it in the context of the album.
There is a song on the album called “Moondance“. I considered that as a title at one point. But some of the voices around me thought that image might have some occult and New Age implications. I looked it up and they were right.
For some reason, I thought of the word “moonrise”, which I remembered from a quirky secular movie. I had not heard the word used ever, apart from that movie title. I looked it up, and it simply meant the same thing as sunrise, except it is when the moon rises. We don’t hear the word much, because we call that sunset, not moonrise. I thought if I called the album “Moonrise“, it would still evoke the idea of the moon rising on my life in my later years, and serve the same purpose as the idea of swan song. The response to this idea was much more positive. Later on somehow, I thought of adding the word “serenade” to the title, and it was decided.
Marketing and promotion is also a new challenge .
We no longer have much analog radio, The current CCM industry is really no longer interested in older artists like myself. Not a complaint just an observation. I understand how progress works in this world. Of course, I will try to get the album out to as many people as I can, maybe gathering some new “converts” as well.
Bottom line, as with all of my albums, it is recorded to please the Lord first. Pleasing man is also important, but is in second place. It is in His hands to do what he wants with this album.
It is my serenade to all of you who will enjoy it.
My next album was called “Voice of the Wind“, which came out in 1996. This was not technically a studio album. I recorded the main tracks live, using only piano and my little string pad. I then embellished those tracks with some orchestration, background vocals, etc., to fill the album out a little bit. This resulted in an album of mostly original songs, which most people describe as a worship album.
In 1998, I followed up this album with a sequel called “Evening Shadows”. These tracks were recorded the same way as the tracks on “Voice of the Wind“, and included some leftovers from that album, as well as some new songs.
In 2001, I recorded an album of Christmas songs called “Heart of Christmas“. This also was technically not a studio album, as I played all the instruments and did all the background vocals myself.
Around 2017, a close friend of mine came into a healthy inheritance. He gave me enough money to consider starting another studio album. The whole album was done by contributions. I decided to cut as many tracks as I could with the money that I was given, and worry about mixing and manufacturing of the album later.
By this time I had moved to Nashville. This would be the first album I ever recorded outside of the LA area.
A local studio offered a “package deal“ which included studio, engineer Steve Dady, and a four piece rhythm section. The section consisted of Gary Lunn on bass, Steve Brewster on drums, Dave Cleveland on guitar, and Jason Webb and Blair Masters on keys.
I had demos of many of the songs, some of which were made many years earlier. I used them to show the musicians how the songs went. I told them they didn’t have to follow the demo, but could contribute their own ideas to the songs. They responded very favorably to this. They said that most older guys when they come into the studio with a demo, just want you to do what is on the demo. They were excited to be able to contribute their own thoughts and ideas about the arrangements on the album.
It was a new experience for me as a producer, as the recording environment had changed considerably since the last time I was in the studio. I had to make a lot of decisions on the spot about whether I liked the direction of the tracks. After all, I would be stuck with whatever we came up with. Fortunately, everything turned out beyond my greatest hopes.
When the recordings were done, I hired one of Nashville’s finest mixing engineers, Paul “Salvo“ Salveson. He brought the songs to an even greater level.
The album is quite eclectic. Emotionally the songs evoke pain, uncertainty, hope, failure, exaltation, worship and a range of other emotions. Stuff we all go through as Christians. Even in the darker and sadder themes, I always try to add a note of hope and encouragement.
I don’t know how my audience will receive this album. The tracks are definitely not old-school, LA Chuck Girard of the '70s. They are considerably more refined, and one might argue, sophisticated. I’m hoping that my audience will see the maturing of my art, and not be disappointed.
The working title for the album was “Drifting”. That title had been in place since I wrote the song “Drifting” in 1996. But when it came down to it, I didn’t think this was the best title for this album. At one point, I had played with the idea of starting a website, which I would call the "Swan Project". The last work of an artist is called his “swan song”. This would be a version of a crowdfunding site like Patreon, where people could contribute to my work in my later years and allow me to keep putting out music until I would go to be with the Lord. I had thought at that time of calling the album “Song of the Swan”. When I floated the idea to my wife and friends, they all reacted negatively. They thought it was too fatalistic. In retrospect, it probably would not have raised much money anyhow, and I abandoned the idea.
In the meantime, I had re-established a connection with my best friend from high school, Greg Van Krugel. Greg had gotten serious about his artistic talent in his later years, and has become quite an amazing painter. Going through his portfolio one day, I came across a painting he had done of a lighthouse overlooking the ocean at night, with the moon rising in the back. I loved the painting. After getting permission to use it as the album cover, I realized I really didn’t know how to use it in the context of the album.
There is a song on the album called “Moondance“. I considered that as a title at one point. But some of the voices around me thought that image might have some occult and New Age implications. I looked it up and they were right.
For some reason, I thought of the word “moonrise”, which I remembered from a quirky secular movie. I had not heard the word used ever, apart from that movie title. I looked it up, and it simply meant the same thing as sunrise, except it is when the moon rises. We don’t hear the word much, because we call that sunset, not moonrise. I thought if I called the album “Moonrise“, it would still evoke the idea of the moon rising on my life in my later years, and serve the same purpose as the idea of swan song. The response to this idea was much more positive. Later on somehow, I thought of adding the word “serenade” to the title, and it was decided.
Marketing and promotion is also a new challenge .
We no longer have much analog radio, The current CCM industry is really no longer interested in older artists like myself. Not a complaint just an observation. I understand how progress works in this world. Of course, I will try to get the album out to as many people as I can, maybe gathering some new “converts” as well.
Bottom line, as with all of my albums, it is recorded to please the Lord first. Pleasing man is also important, but is in second place. It is in His hands to do what he wants with this album.
It is my serenade to all of you who will enjoy it.
