Wednesday 28 December 2016

IT FELL OFF THE ROAD

A FRASER SPIER'S version of the song I'VE WAITED A LONG TIME has been added to ALONE ON THE ROAD as a BONUS track

It should have been included in the original selection and if anyone who has purchased the album would like a copy it can be freely provided via Dropbox = or in some other way?

To hear it and decide if it is worth the bother please visit the link at https://sheilakcameron.bandcamp.com/album/alone-on-the-road-2 and let me know at glalell@aol.com 

Tuesday 13 December 2016

BETTY IN THE BRACKEN

Yesterday an old recording of a Joan Ure lyric appeared from within the mass of unsorted Dropbox files As I say elsewhere, the lyric is one of several which Betty (the name she used when I knew her) gave me to work on - at a time when I was beginning to write my own songs 

Entitled EVERY TIME NOW it has now been professionally mastered to remove extraneous sounds and scratches and has been uploaded as a small single acoustic track on Bandcamp 

The link is https://sheilakcameron.bandcamp.com/track/every-time-now

It will be there because, having been rediscovered, I know how much Joan Ure would like it to be there


Owner unknown - used without permission

Joan Ure was the pen name of Elizabeth Thoms Clark (22 June 1918 – 1978), a Scottish poet and playwright. She was born Elizabeth (Betty) Thoms Carswell on 22 June 1918 in Wallsend, Tyneside, of Scottish parents who moved to Glasgow. Her sister Joan provided the first half of her pen-name. The pen-name Ure was chosen because it sounded more Scottish to her.

ALONE - BUT ON THE ROAD

The release of ALONE ON THE ROAD was unavoidably delayed until December 14th It can now be found on Bandcamp at https://sheilakcameron.bandcamp.com/album/alone-on-the-road-2

The response to MORE LIKE A RIVER has been reassuring (see below)


PS The above review was sent to me some time ago 
It appeared this morning in amongst some previously uploaded images and is being posted while still warm

Sunday 11 December 2016

EARL GREY WITH A TWIST OF LEMON

Anyone familiar with the comments on this blog will know of my delight when an 'inadvertent stranger' hears one (or more) of my songs and has a positive response


And of all the various possible responses this kind takes the biscuit - which reminds me that the song which brought this particular stranger to my door was arranged by 'the biscuits' (aka Mags Russell and John Saich of www.wildbiscuit.com) The song is THE HOUSE WITH THE WINDOWS

Also from 'the stranger' came the title for this post: well not directly from him but from a pal he had invited (not sure if it would be his cup of tea) to have a listen to some of my material And it was the pal who had described it as 'Earl Grey with a twist of lemon'

But that is not all: the stranger (who is becoming less of one every day) first heard the song on the Iain Anderson Show and followed up by contacting the program and saying so And the song may be played again next week 

The link to the show is http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074hkv

The song, which belongs on the small CD MORE LIKE A RIVER THAN A ROAD can be heard on Bandcamp at https://sheilakcameron.bandcamp.com/album/more-like-a-river-than-a-road

Wednesday 16 November 2016

AN IMAGE AND A COUPLE OF PUDDLES

The album ALONE ON THE ROAD is being prepared for release later this year 
It will be the third in the series of re-issues which are intended to illustrate something of the range of material which has been produced since I began trying to write songs - several decades ago

In deciding what images to use on the Digi Sleeve the one below was a candidate It has much in it that I like: not least the puddles. And this has prompted the question - at what age do we decide to avoid rather than explore them? 

And in finding a place for this left out image (it was the fifth in line for inclusion in the graphics for the album) a couple of puddles can also make an appearance

And not to be missed: on the telegraph pole a bald headed eagle can be seen watching over the scene.  It is looking across the water towards a shore line I remember well and which evokes fond and powerful memories of this very special place in my life


The approach to Masset Dock from Masset Main Street 
News of the album will be posted here as soon as I have any

Saturday 12 November 2016

LOVE IN THE BACK SEAT

A few tracks have been hanging around for weeks waiting for me to do something constructive about them Two of them were chucked on to Bandcamp as singles a while ago but they should probably be on there as part of an album - along with a few other tracks of a similar kind 

And I think I do have some others of a similar kind

The two that have been out there as singles are LET'S PUT LOVE IN THE BACK SEAT - FOR A WHILE and DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAN ME (The first of these has recently been played over twenty times on Radio Six International at www.radiosix.com) 

Of the others ANOTHER DREAM has been arranged by Wild Biscuit Music And because the chorus is about a train pulling out of the station just before you get there - it is one of two OH NO tracks


The second OH NO track, called ALL THE WORDS OF LOVE, actually uses the words several times in the song. I may have spoiled the track by using a drum machine when it was recorded but sometimes I need a beat to keep going when I get weary trying to get a reasonable take Unfortunately the track then becomes less workable with by others


The four above mentioned tracks are npw on Bandcamp and the link is https://sheilakcameron.bandcamp.com/album/love-in-the-back-seat 
The intention is to add more until it becomes a full album

A long time ago I found an image for Love in the back seat and I have used it today on Bandcamp The ice skating rink is referenced in the first track 



About the words OH NO: as I was recording the track - and I did enjoy the experience which is rare for me - I became aware of how often I say them in my everyday life And they are uttered most often a few seconds after settling down to read or write at night on finding I don't have my reading glasses with me

Wednesday 14 September 2016

TIREE: A PERFECT LANDING

The official release date for the second in the series of re-issues is September 21st
Entitled A PERFECT LANDING it can be pre-ordered at https://sheilakcameron.bandcamp.com/album/a-perfect-landing-2

It is a selection of fifteen old love songs which includes acoustic only, spoken word with music and professionally arranged tracks They were chosen for this album during a stay on the island of Tiree 

With the exception of THE WATER IS DEEP most of the songs were written, and all were recorded, in Glasgow, Scotland

As previously mentioned, the overall aim of the series is to present something of the range of songs which have been produced over several decades and to have them better dressed for the occasion The images which are being used to achieve this - for this album - are from photographs taken recently on Tiree in Scotland


Front cover image 
For those who are familiar with the material they will not find anything new in the selection although it has been remastered and the order of the tracks will hopefully add to the listening experience The title A PERFECT LANDING has also been used before but using it again was unavoidable 

A list of the songs on the album can be seen on the back cover below 



More information on the song The Water is Deep can be found at https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Water_Is_Wide_(song)

Friday 2 September 2016

TO MAKE NICE - NOT MONEY

The selection of songs entitled OUT THERE SOMEWHERE originally consisted of three tracks The revised selection has ten

The opening and closing tracks are the previously released singles GO ON THEN CONVINCE ME and ON THE ROAD TO HAID GWAII And in-between are eight spoken word tracks Some of these have not previously been 'out there' - although I cannot be completely sure about that 

What I can say - with certainly - is that the above selection and the planned series of re-issues of my material - is not motivated by a wish to make money 

It is, as the title of the post implies, a desire to present it in a more pleasing way - and this includes dressing it up in some professionally designed attire

I would also like to alert those who are interested in the material on Bandcamp that OUT THERE SOMEWHERE has been revised There were two equally demanding ways to achieve this and the one I have chosen requires me to reload the tracks And in consideration of those who purchased the original three track version the ten track selection is free to download 

For anyone interested; below is a link to a wikipedia article on the subject of re-issues https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reissue

Monday 29 August 2016

TOPPED UP WITH SAD STUFF

Well it has to go somewhere and this morning it has 

The selection entitled OUT THERE SOMEWHERE, which has been on Bandcamp since last year, has taken on a few more of the 'unruly' words which I had lying around And having them on there is another part of the consolidation process

The words are either tenuously or directly associated with HAIDA GWAII 

Also, in the text alongside the tracks, on Bandcamp, I have said that they are about loss - and they most certainly are! What I initially forgot to mention there and here is that the selection consists of two songs (the first and the last tracks) and in between them are eight of spoken words

The link to the revised and topped up version of the selection is https://sheilakcameron.bandcamp.com/album/out-there-somewhere



There is mention in the words of 'the roads you walked' and below is one of the roads



There is a sign nailed to a tree on the right of the road It has the word bread written on it and it lets you know that you are about to reach a cafe called MOON OVER NAIKOON

And ending this post with something happier; here is Wendy Bread (as I refer to her) making pizza alongside some of the bread you will find there



PS There was a problem with the tagging on the selection which meant that no one was told of the re-issue This has I think been rememdied

Saturday 27 August 2016

CON SOLLY DATING

This selection of nineteen spoken word tracks entitled IF IT HAD NOT BEEN SO DARK has been on Bandcamp since 2013 They have recently been improved and provided with a new image - see below The link to the words is the same

The title of this post is a reminder to me that I am presently consolidating as much as possible of my accumulated and somewhat unruly material i.e. both songs and words


The proposed next consolidation involving the re-issue of fifteen love songs was overtaken by a revised and topped up version of OUT THERE SOMEWHERE 


Sunday 21 August 2016

THE POETIC STRANGER

Fulfilling the oft mentioned desire to discover that some of my songs had been heard and liked by a complete stranger -  along came Ian D Hall - and this is surely the best liking I could have hoped for!

Below is his photograph and below that is a link to a review for Ian Hall's recently published book Black Book: An Anthology, 2003-2015 




And then there is what Ian D Hall said about MORE LIKE A RIVER THAN A ROAD 

And as it provided so much pleasure I hesitated for only for a few moments before deciding to print it in full 

'It is the voice, the spoken word narrative that entwines itself between the songs on the More Like A River Than A Road mini album by Sheila K. Cameron, that brings out the sparkle in the recording. The pleasure of the songs is enormous but there is something about the spoken word employed to very decent effect by Ms. Cameron that suggests the music is only half the tale, that the grip on the attention of the listener is enhanced by the monologue that weaves like a stream through fields and pastures in the ceaseless search for the ocean.
The road is one that comes from a human desire to shorten the distance between two points, it is efficient, practical, engineered so the flow of the country can be seen as perfect; yet somehow, like a well performed song, the real beauty resides in the course of the river, the turns, the twists and the sense of inner hidden beauty that runs underneath. It is a beauty that Ms. Cameron exploits and develops in this, the first in a series of re-issues of her work.
More Like A River Than A Road sparkles with the light touch, the smallest pebble found on the banks and yet thrown with dramatic force plumb centre into the onward current, it is the shock wave of the pebble that makes the music spread out, the wave spreading outwards and increasing the range in which it is heard and felt. The river is ongoing, it is natural and so is the appeal of Sheila K. Cameron, the resonance in the voice, the authority of her delivery and the songs in which tales she weaves, never once disappoint.
In the passages and songs, Where The Pebbles Grind And ScrapeSomehow (Everything From My Suitcase Has Got Scattered On The Road) and the wonderfully thought out but also daring, The House With The Windows, the feeling of innocence and warmth parade in view but there is also the undercurrent, the pull of the undertow which threatens to take the listener down into the murky depths to see what truly stirs beneath.
More Like A River Than A Road is a release of great emotion, one that cannot be avoided in life, Sheila K. Cameron bridges the gap between vocal and spoken word superbly.'
PS About reviews On receiving several of them for my book BALANCING THE REQUEST TO BE GOOD I realised that they said much more about the reviewer than the book (and by the way that book is probably more worthy of interest than any of the songs and words that I write) And surely this one from Ian D Hall is an example

Monday 1 August 2016

SONG DONG AND THE SON OF THE MAN IN THE TRAM

In May 2015 I posted some comments which can be read using the link below
The title of the post was JONI, THE SAP, THE MAN AND THE TRAM
http://sosaidthesap.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/the-sap-man-joni-and-tram.html

And recently as I was walking down Huntly Gardens in Glasgow I remembered holding the hand of a small boy aged about three who pointed out to me that the word Grosvenor in one of the street signs was the same as in Grosvenor pie 

I knew nothing of the pies then and I knew nothing of SONG DONG until this morning, but they both now belong for me with the son of the man in the tram And if you follow the link below you might work out why

The image belongs with a Grosvenor pie 


And as i was looking around for other connections I came across the following comment 
'I have always wondered how Grosvenor pie is made. Can anyone explain how the egg goes all the way along?"

If I were the head of the Department of Philosophy at a leading university I would insist that the above was a compulsory question on the final examination paper. I would also award first class honours to anyone brave enough to answer it'.

As for a connection with songs it belongs with one word only and working that out should be easier

Sunday 31 July 2016

WHY DO I DO WHAT I DO?

And sometimes I have the answer

For a very long time I had a white painted piano in my apartment and I played it occasionally On one of those occasions I was in the company of Joan Ure 
I had been working on a song called LIKE A SWEET WARM LIGHT and we sang it together, over and over until it had become the song it is now - and until we could sing it no more But we did enjoy the experience and it did provide us both with a feeling of relief And we were both in need of something of the sort at the time There are better words for what the song provided but relief will do for now

Then, this morning, I happened upon the song and decided to test it out with a Crowd Review on Reverbnation Now I know before I receive the comments which will arrive in about five days time that it is likely to achieve a low score This is not difficult to predict Most of what I have put on there (with the exception of Where the Last Tide Runs - for reasons I still don't fully understand) get a low score

So why, knowing this, did I choose to spend US$9.95 on the review? Well, in some ways the review is incidental Having sung along with it myself this morning, and recalling how much pleasure it provided at the time it was taking shape I thought- even if I was paying to get it heard, why not! 

And when the twenty strangers have listened and commented I will post the worst and the best comments here - maybe

Also it was once available on Bandcamp and will be again It was hidden away in a compilation entitled THE BAD GIRL and other disparates which is no longer available on that site So, it has been reloaded with a slightly refreshed image and the link is below

https://sheilakcameron.bandcamp.com/track/like-a-sweet-warm-light-2

Sunday 24 July 2016

THAT IS MORE LIKE IT

Working out how to sell physical CDs on Bandcamp was not as difficult as I had anticipated And there is a lesson for me there What exactly it is will require more consideration than I intend to give it here

My present thoughts are that it was a good idea to get the songs out there properly Properly? Is that the right word? Well it does feel like a proper thing to be doing and my previous haphazard attempts - if not improper - were certainly lacking in the same purpose and intent 

So what was this post supposed to be about? The answer is a simple one 

In doing this I have been taking on myself and taking on the songs And by giving them the best opportunity I can to be heard - perhaps for the first time I am giving them the attention they may deserve

Also I have moved from inserting very small SKC initials in the images which usually accompany the tracks, to allowing the guy who designed the digi-sleeve (thanks Mike), to put my name out there in large easily read letters The image below is on the cover



About my expectations 
Well, I am assuming at least one or two of those who receive the CDs sent out by the PR company will listen to the songs And I am assuming that one or two of those who do listen will like what they hear - or not 

But whatever their response my own position is clear: in getting the songs out there in this more professional way I am doing what I needed to do

These comments will be posted shortly before the re-issue becomes available for download (as it was previously) or to be purchased as a physical CD 
And I am looking forward to that happening with few reservations and some unreserved delight 

A direct link to the album on Bandcamp will be posted on Monday July 25th

And here it is
https://sheilakcameron.bandcamp.com/album/more-like-a-river-than-a-road

Tuesday 19 July 2016

MONEY MOUTH and MUSIC

The date for the re-issue of MORE LIKE A RIVER THAN A ROAD - as a professionally manufactured CD - will be July 25th 2016 

The image on the cover of the digi-sleeve will replace the old one on Bandcamp and I am hoping to find out how to sell physical CDs from that site

It will not be surprising if I fail to do so because after a quick glance it looks rather complicated for my kind of brain

The CD has been priced by those assisting me with this release at £5.99 but my own feeling is that it should be sold for no more than a fiver  That however does not solve the problem of how to sell it And when I have wised up a bit I will come back here to share my new found wisdom with anyone who reads these posts 
And by the way to anyone who does - I really appreciate it

Well, after several hours of seeking to understand more about the direct selling of CDs - and this has included making an unsuccessful attempt to set up a new web site solely for that purpose, I made a weary return to Bandcamp 

What I was eventually able to manage when I got there will be apparent on Monday 25th 

Saturday 16 July 2016

BLUES BUNNY BOOSTER

Whoever writes the music reviews on Bluesbunny http://www.bluesbunny.com/ - and make sure you visit this excellent site - has been very positive in the their comments about some of my material 
And in another possible defensive move should the re-issue of MORE LIKE A RIVER THAN A ROAD pass by unnoticed or be found wanting I am posting their review of the album

Title: More Like A River Than a Road
Catalogue Number: Glalell Music
Review Format: CD
Release Year: 2010


Having only recently become a convert to the musical charms of Sheila K Cameron, it was a surprise to find out how prolific she has been for barely had the ink dried on our review of her "Cut Feet and Empty Shoes" album when her EP "More Like A River Than A Road" popped through the letterbox.
This EP is a subtle thing. Seven songs in less than fourteen minutes would suggest a Ramones style urgency in getting her point across but Ms Cameron instead turns towards poetic elegance with each song seeming a fragment of the whole. Not that all these fragments add up to the whole, of course, for that would be too straightforward, more that she gives just enough in each song to draw you towards the next one. I'm not sure I even get the meaning of a song like "Last Night I Dreamed About Doris Lessing" yet it still exerts something akin to a hypnotic effect. As for "The House With The Windows", you could get a movie script out of that one with all the sentimentality that you would need compressed with economical lyrical beauty into a mere two minutes and fifty seconds.
I know I keep harping on about time. There's a reason. When I thought about it, these seven songs convey the passing of time in concise poetry with the music, and Ms Cameron's voice, being the glue that holds it all together.
Available from CD Baby.


Rating: 4 carrots
Website: www.sheilakcameron.com
Reviewer: Bluesbunny
Review Date: 
November 5, 2011


FOR DANCING REAL CLOSE

The Crowd Reviews from ReverbNation for WHERE THE LAST TIDE RUNS 

Very soft intro with a nice flow of calming music. Peaceful sounds with a calm and soft voice. Vocals are clear and understanding. Loved the changes in the music with the piano. This song has a very pleasant sound to it. Music blends in sequence with the vocals. On beat, good rhythm. Perfect for a easy listening audience. The ending of the song was good with a even blend of instruments together. Piano sounded nice and was tuned in right.

Calming and emotional... The vocals are enticing and unique. This song gives a sense of liberation and follows the structure of folk. This song isn't very consistent but folk is usually not, the undeniable truth is: this song is very soothing. The short duration is perfect for the genre.

I like the smoky, timeless sound of this artists voice. The song is very calming and has nice lyrics. It has an older sound to it back when ballads were popular. I feel this would be best targeted in the 35 and older crowd though. I don't feel that the younger generations could appreciate the soulfulness of this song and the artist singing it. I see this song in a nice little dimly lit piano type bar where couples go to get to know each other and dance real close. I would definitely buy this track.

This is a very and relaxing melody. The lyrics are peaceful which matches the music. The singer has a great, soothing voice, yet it's powerful. I would love to see how they develop and continue to create music in this genre.

This has a good beat and the music goes to together lovely with this woman's beautiful voice. I love everything about this voice as it speaks of the world and how it is. This song is just beautiful with her voice. 5 stars and I love her voice. Everything about this song just sounds beautiful. The lyrics that speak of the world and how it grows are just so fitting is great.

The kick drum gives the song a nice pulse, almost like a heartbeat. The mix of strings, piano, and acoustic guitar make for a really relaxing and soothing mood. The vocal melody works beautifully with the chord progression and again is really soothing. Great voice for this style of music. I could definitely hear this playing on a folk-based or easy listening radio station. It's very calming.

The song was good, and it's relaxing. It could be a relaxing song for movies. It's soothing and it honestly relaxed me. It's different from what songs are played today but it's good. The singer really did a good job of singing this and I really liked it. It could be a hit with young and old generations but the problem is it's really short. Besides that it's a solid eight.

This is by far one of the best songs I've heard on this site. The music is so calming and soothing. The singer's voice is absolutely flawless. I heard this song when I was feeling somewhat anxious, but this definitely relaxed me. It's easy listening; anyone can enjoy it. If you ever need to kick back and relax after a long day, this is the song to listen to! More songs need to be sound like this, incorporating nature elements and invoking clear images that represent beauty and serenity. Two thumbs up!

This song has a peaceful vibe. The singer sounds like a classic star from the 50s. This arrangement is very true to the era that it reflects. This song has a lot of nice natural imagery. It's a song that has a nice emotional quality as well. All the instrumentation sounds excellent and the arranging is brilliant. The song has an incredible melody with moving lyrics. I think this is one of the best ballads I've heard all decade.

The ambient sound mix starting and then the guitar being played in this gentle motion. The singer of the song is well slow and gentle in her voice, sounds a bit over 35 but still sounds beautiful. The rhythm rate of the song is slow and steady. The audio quality is well smooth and defined. The subject matter of the song is about a place that is beautiful, enchanted, peaceful and fully blissful.

Sure a great sounding soft voice for the start the piano is so nice :) lol but this seems like a song to put you to sleep when in a tired mood but I really like it! Very short song though

THIS SONG HAS A VERY CHILL AND MELLOW FEEL TO IT. THE VOCALS COME IN AFTER THE ACOUSTIC GUITAR STARTS AND THE PIANO FOLLOWS THE VOCALS. THE WAY THE SONG BOUNCES OFF THE WALLS IN MY BED ROOM MAKE ME VERY SLEEPY. THE CHORUS HAS A NICE FEEL TO IT AND THE VOCALIST CAN HIT SOME HIGH NOTES, SHE HAS A NICE RANGE AND CAN HIT SOME PRETTY COOL NOTES. I LIK THIS SONG VERY VRY VERY MUCH AND IT MAKES ME FEEL GOOD INSIDE. THE JAIN PROBLEM WITH THIS SONG HOW SLOW IT IS, BUT I MEAN IT IS NOT REALLY A PROBLEM.

This tune has an easy flowing, nice and fluid sound to it. The piano is just beautifully played and it sets the entire harmony of the song. The female vocals are rich and smooth sounding. No real need for any backup vocals in this one. The lyrics are nothing short of wonderfully written. This song has a ton of potential in my view.

Very relaxing piece of music. I starting to daydream about my life about my childhood. It has this very touching melody then reaches into your heart and your soul and opens you up to memories of your life.

Love the instrumentation; it is gentle, but moving. The singer has a lovely voice. It is crisp, clean, pure, soulful, and just a little sad. This is a very moving piece. The lyrics are a little generic. I think they could be better. With so much soul and so much potential, I think that the lyrics draw the song up short. As it stands, it is a beautiful piece, but I do not think it is a hit yet. All the pieces are there, but they are not quite assembled. Give the lyrics some teeth; a little sadness to match that soulful voice, and there won't be a dry eye in the house.

This song was very ambient. I enjoyed it, but at points I got a bit bored. I thought this song needed more elements. The mix was clean though, and it was arranged well. Nothing to complain about, just not my type of music. I prefer music more energetic. Still, great piece of music!

This song had a soft intro which I enjoyed. I liked that this song was soft. The mix of the acoustic guitar and piano allowed the singer to shine. Her voice was strong and you could really feel the song in her voice. She sang as though she meant it. The plaintive rhythm was soft and sweeping. This gave the song a real emotive quality. I think this was a beautiful ballad. It was thought provoking and actually made me quite emotional. I think this song has great potential to be featured on a soundtrack for a movie. The singer had a lovely voice and I would enjoy hearing more of her music. This was a great song with great musical content. I score this a 9 out of 10.

I do not think the singing matches the music. The singing is good though. I think you should consider changing the beat some. Maybe have the singer have a higher pitch too. I think this song needs work for the most part. Good luck.

Classic slows long. Woman singing. Words are cute. Basically someone playing the piano and guitar. It's a very faded song. It will definitely put on the sleep. Not recommended for teens or young adults.. More for older people

This song was chilling to listen to. I was just laying back and listening. It makes me want to go to sleep in a good way. The music in the background is fitting for a night time environment. The singer's voice sounds soothing as well for the night. Overall, excellent song, deserves to be on the radio.




WORTH EVERY CENT

Last Tide was submitted to Reverberation's Crowd Review in May 2014 and received a score of 8.4 The reviews are presented by the site as a means of letting you know if your music is ready for a mainstream audience. 'With descriptive reports and in-depth statistics, Crowd Reviews are a great way of knowing where your music's strengths and weaknesses lie'


How it works
You are advised to purchase a Crowd Review.
The songs are reviewed by an independent group of every day music listeners, and their reviews will be returned to you so that you may improve your music!

And if the ratings by the reviewers give you an overall track rating of 7.5 or above, you will become a ReverbNation featured artist.

It costs US$10 for twenty reviews and I have used it on several occasions for this and other songs Only Last Tide, of all those I have tried, received this score
And as I set out to more professionally present this songs and its pals on the small album MORE LIKE A RIVER THAN A ROAD I am making this information known - perhaps as a defense against any negative responses

Many of the comments in the Crowd Reviews were positive but as indicated above I paid for - and got - twenty That's a lot of text so rather than adding it to this post it is getting a post of its own which will be entitled (using a comment from the reviews) FOR DANCING REAL CLOSE



THAT'S MORE LIKE IT- MAYBE

It could be that I should have done this a very long time ago - but then again perhaps it is happening in its own good time And I would obviously prefer it to be the latter 

In a few days time some professionally manufactured CDs of MORE LIKE A RIVER THAN A ROAD, in professionally designed digi-sleeves, will be on sale for £4.99 (The professionally recommended price was £5.99)) And Although the playing time is only 13 minutes it has been officially designated as an album rather than an EP

Some text (see below) was required for the sleeve and for a flier and this has been kept very simple: see below

This small album is the first in a series of re-issues of the work of Sheila K Cameron (SKC) 

It consists of seven songs which were written and recorded in Glasgow and on Haida Gwaii, British Columbia 

The plan is to follow this re-release with several others when I can afford to do so  More information on these will be posted soon But however the plan unfolds I will be hoping, this time around, that it will be an improvement on what I have managed previously 

In the meantime I have removed some of the tracks from Bandcamp and I will be attempting to rearrange the material into different selections and compilations

Sunday 12 June 2016

GO BUY YOURSELF A SUBARU

This song has had four titles so far but for this post I am using GO BUY YOURSELF A SUBARU

If Janis Joplin could sing about wanting a Mercedes then I can certainly sing about wanting a Subaru - which I do and did. I saw it as a possible remedy for feelings of lost love. It has still to be tried. 

The photograph I used with one of the previous tiles is a very old one It was taken on the first journey I ever made to Haida Gwaii 




And I need to explain that when I wrote the words it was not my intention to advertise Subaru cars  The reason for mentioning 'a Subaru' as indicated above was personal. 

When referring to the acoustic only version in a previous post I had suggested that it would probably be much more appealing to more people if it had a backing And I am delighted to say that it now has one. This was provided by the superb John Saich and Mags Russell of Wild Biscuit Music www.wildbiscuit.com 

The song can be heard on Bandcamp
at https://sheilakcameron.bandcamp.com/track/go-buy-yourself-a-subaru

What now follows is more of the text from the previous post

This song undoubtedly belongs in Canada and it makes reference to Haida Gwaii and the Sea-to Sky Highway The latter is not on the direct route from Vancouver to Haida Gwaii but it would get you on your scenic way north This fact was not a consideration when I wrote the lyric

There are many beautiful photographs of the Sea to Sky Highway and of Haida Gwaii and some of these can be see in the links below 

http://www.gohaidagwaii.ca/

http://www.losapos.com/sea_to_sky_highway

Thursday 2 June 2016

LOVE AND TEXAN ME

With the completion of two new spoken word tracks and eager to put them somewhere - they have been uploaded to Bandcamp where they will be free for a while
The titles are DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAN ME and LETS PUT LOVE IN THE BACK SEAT - FOR A WHILE

The plan is to add to them - with several other tracks waiting to be recorded -until they become part of an album The link is 
https://sheilakcameron.bandcamp.com/album/deep-in-the-heart-of-texan-me

Two images have been used so far 








Sunday 29 May 2016

THE CALL OF THE REAL

The words, the call of the real, were for me just a few of the many which arrive in my head when trying to write and make sense of something incomprehensible 

And recently they got into a lyric I was writing Then, as I usually do, I checked on line to see if the title has been used by others for a book or a piece of music or a CD 

On this occasion - I have no literary background or perhaps the words would have been familiar to me before the search - I came upon the work of Rabindranath Tagore 

If I had known (and some may suspect that somewhere in my brain I did) I would have been alarmed when they appeared in the lyric 

Below is a quotation from his Gitanjali (Song Offerings) 
Rabindranath Tagore received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 


The Stream of Life
The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day
runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures.
It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth
in numberless blades of grass and breaks into tumultuous waves
of leaves and flowers.
It is the same life that is rocked in the ocean-cradle of birth and of death,
in ebb and in flow.
I feel my limbs are made glorious by the touch of this world of life.
And my pride is from the life-throb of ages dancing in my blood
this moment.

And here is a second quotation 'What is Art? It is the response of man's creative soul to the call of the Real.' Rabindranath Tagore

Now what about that!

As for my paltry lyric, I was intending to record it today Sunday May 29th but am not sure now if I can or should  There may be more about this another time

P.S.If you read this you may prefer to make your own enquiries but the quotation above came from the following link which was one of the first I found https://madlyinlovewithlife.com/2014/04/20/rabindranath-tagore-the-stream-of-life/

Saturday 21 May 2016

TRIBUTE TO JOAN URE

More from the never ending sift and sort An old undated newpaper cutting
The link to the recording of the performance is below the image 
And (as a reminder) the words for twelve of Joan Ure's songs can be found at http://joanuresongs.blogspot.co.uk 

Also, on my web site at http://www.sheilakcameron.com/id140.htm there is a photograph of Joan and a link to the article by Jan McDonald entitled  ‘Is it not possible to have a Poem made out of Theatre?’ -An assessment of the dramas and dramaturgy of Joan Ure

The link is also provided below