I'm heading to the upstate tomorrow to perform for my Aunt's literary club, and whenever I'm up that way, I always take a little trip down memory lane. I always seem to find a station playing songs from the '70s and '80s that take me back to my youth, and I bet I'll hear this one made famous by the Naked Eyes in the Summer of 1983.
Researching the song, I was surprise to find that the song had been penned by none other than Burt Bacharach back in the '60s. I'd always wanted to do a guitar cover of it, but could never quite wrap my head around all of the synth work that the Naked Eyes put into their cover. It seems they used every key on their synthesizer to produce everything from church bells to game whistles, but I chose only a couple of effects for my version. The muted tone comes from a technique I learned from Phil Keaggy that involves weaving thin plastic strips into the strings right at the bridge. I also use a touch of reverb and delay, and of course, my trusty G7th capo. I chose these effects for no other reason than I like the sound and feel they give to the piece.
I can still remember hearing this song back in '83. It most vividly recalls to mind my first trip out of the country to Alberta, Canada, for the Boy Scout World Jamboree, but tomorrow I'll be driving through my old hometown of Spartanburg, SC. At every exit, backroad and neighborhood there's certain to be always something there that reminds me of days gone by. #NakedEyes #BurtBacharach #FingerstyleGuitar
23 сен 2019
