Go Ahead!"

Notes on each song:

Falling In Love
I wrote these words to Angela Falco’s wonderful melody on the very night that she gave me a cassette demo with piano flute and synth strings. As soon as I could, I got Sue Mammarella to sing the first demo to that track. That recording is included in this web site because as unique as the live recording was there was something very special about Sue’s first demo... I’m not sure if it was her harmony track or the just the simplicity of that version but some how it was special enough to include for everyone to hear as well. As in years gone by, this first track on the CD was recorded live in AIPH’s Studio 705 with 17 musicians and singers. Every note of music here was performed in the same room at once except Chris Farr's Soprano sax that was in an isolation booth. Vocals were attempted live in other isolation areas but later replaced by Carla Benson in less than 2 hours.

Not Gonna Be Lonely
While working on Angela’s album "Unforgotten Toys", she brought this melody and I said, "This sounds like a pop tune to me." She replied, "But I don’t write words." I said "Would you mind if tried?" She said, "Go ahead!" This was our first collaboration and an instrumental version ended up on "Toys" anyway!

You Used to Tell Me
This was the next collaboration that followed "Lonely". I wrote it and produced it as a duet. All the other duets on the CD are duet mixes which were never planned to end up that way and therefor have male, female and instrumental versions of each other duet on the CD. Suz and Jeff contributed fantastically to this recording with great vocal arrangement ideas. Thanks you two. Btw, an acquaintance of mine close to Whitney Houston kept telling me she wanted to hear Whitney do this and was going to play it for her. I don’t think she ever did.... Anyone else who can? I’d appreciate it! I bet she would like it too.... Any guesses who I think would be the partner for her in the duet? (Jack’s guitar and the voices are all that’s not programmed.)

Trust In Love
I have always said I had been writing this song since I was a youth in college. I got my first guitar my sophomore year in college (I’m ashamed to say how many years ago) and had written the chord changes to the verses. Flash forward two or three lifetimes and I met Pam. Then I wrote the chorus and all the words. As Dan Levinson and I were programming this version he said that it needed a bridge and I said, "Go ahead!" Within a week he wrote the music to the "C" section and the night I hear it for the first time I wrote the words. Kelly recorded her vocal immaculately one night at Dan’s house and I could not be there. I only ever have spoken to her on the phone. Thank you again Kelly for being a beautiful part of this wedding present to Pam my wife of ten years next June. Thanks also to Darrel Hawes the brother of my dear friend Bruce Hawes who sang the song at our wedding for us (look for a video taste of that moment here in the web site). Darrel of course moved on to bigger and better things as a member of Az Yet on LaFace records...Maybe both of brothers will rejoin me on the disc on that Gospel song I wrote (called "Lift Up Your Hearts" look for it on the next CD).... Bruce played piano on the Billy Paul demo.... Anyway, the title track is all about the love of my life - Palmina Mammarella. "Grow old along with me..."

All Along the Way
Jim Imbesi brought the melody to me on a cassette and bang words were pouring out. As we were programming in the beginning of this production (I think every instrument was replaced eventually by the real thing except Angela’s piano which I never quantize or anything anyway...). Dan said once again that he thought it needed a bridge. Jim and I said, (you guessed it didn’t you) "Go ahead!" Jim never heard this final mix for years for which I again apologize but I think he approves. The sax was played by someone that Joe Kraus knew from Temple University and we never wrote down his name and now no one can remember... Sorry fella, if you hear or see this contact me and I can at least update the web site! That’s my parents in the graphics for this song. What a long and amazing "way" they traveled!

Turn It Around
I really did write these words on a plane riding back to LA into a sunset in around 1987. In 1994 I gave them to Jack Klotz and said that I always thought the hook could be a simple 3 chord kind of pop/rock thing said "Go ahead!" and forgot about it. 3 or 4 weeks later the Jack Klotz vocal demo appeared and Wow! I loved his melody and we dragged a bunch of friends into the studio at the University of the Arts to fill a night in one of my night workshop classes there. Jack and Joe Kraus recorded Lucy when I was in London the week I got to visit Abbey Road Studios... Thanks Lucy you really nailed it!

Desire (Slow version)
This was the second time I produced this song I wrote all by myself. Brian who did the last track on the CD also did an acoustic version that Pam still thinks is the sexiest version yet. This was how I heard it "sexy". Thanks again Lucy I know you love that one little part in Jack’s solo as much as he loves that little sigh of yours in the middle of the second verse....

Long After Midnight
Anyone who ever paced a floor, thinking about something they shouldn’t have been thinking about, can relate to this song, I think... If not, relate to April’s fantastic vocal (so cool I never have done a male version) and her man Dave’s "lightning" lead guitar work! Hey, you guys really ARE cool!

The Means Don’t Matter
Tom on drums and 705’s room sound and the raging guitar work of Stephen’s leads.... One night I heard the 2 solos both together at one time (he did not listen to one as he played the other amazingly!) I never took either out again! That night Jack realized how much fun rock could be... And Gordon sang rock like he had never done before!

Thin, Thin Line
What a great time we had cutting this track! We had the whole band live in the Omniplex studio: drums, bass, 2 electric and 2 acoustic guitars, percussion (thanks Leigh) and a ref vocal (by our master bass player Mr. Lime I think, (they never tell...) of Lemon/Lime, Bob Karsch). We later added the dynamic duo of April and Dave again and topped it off with Mark for yet another duet in absentia. Btw Bob, you kept saying you wanted to produce a Lemon/Lime version. Please do! Or perhaps I should say, "Go ahead!" I want to produce a version of Mr. Lemon’s tune "Lost Along the Way" anyway…

Not Lovers Anymore
Maybe this production is the tightest somehow? Simple approach, only an organ overdub, and again Lucy... This is the only song I almost let myself play on.... I almost doubled the rhythm guitar on the right but realized I really didn’t need to... This might be my fav mix on the CD too…

Days Go By
Kudos here to Shawn Colvin and John Leventhal for their fantastic song and Grammy winning Record of the Year: "Sunny Came Home". I was so happy when they won that Grammy I jumped up and down and acted in such a manner that Pam looked at me like I was nuts or something. I love that song so much it inspired me to write this song. As we were recording the background parts in Stephen’s old Turtle Studios location (not insolated) there was this terrific storm going on outside and thunder directly over the house was so loud that the mic picked it up... Later of course because of the third verse and the cool nature of the coincidence, I added all the rest of it. This song was later picked up by a very talented jazz singer from the D.C. area, Changamire. She recorded it at Turtle Studios and her version is on her first CD and you should read the review of the CD and what was said about this song by clicking here and be sure to visit her website: http://www.whensunnygetsblue.com

December Rain
This is the only Vinyl Room production on the CD. I love my sister-in law Sue’s voice and sometimes the simplest frame makes the picture the most appreciated. I hope you know how much I appreciate you, Sue, singing all the songs for the first time and even through that cathartic song I wrote after my Mom died... I am blessed to be in a family (see photo in "Turn It Around" because mine sure did when I met them!) like ours where love is an unconditional gift that bonds us all...

Desire (Rock version)
This is the first production I did of this song and the way I heard it as I wrote it. When we finished this version I said thanks to Brian and he said, "Go ahead exploit me all you can!" I want to cut it yet again for the Temptations with some of the musicians I used to work with back at Sigma... And I mean a real soulful, straight up R & B version next. You guys still up for it? When do you want to "Go Ahead!"

This CD was created over some 9 or 10 years in my "spare" time without having spent a single dollar. Every singer, musician, engineer and artist involved has given their work free on the "Trust in Love" we have for our various art forms and ourselves. If ever I place a song or a production from this effort, everyone involved with that song, will get their reward before I get mine. That promise and a handshake made this album possible.

Last thought: just imagine what we all could do with a budget!