Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Song #21: Don't Stop Me Now (1980)


This is last of the songs from my "burn in" time at Skyline Recording. We had allocated three days to test the newly installed equipment at the studio, by recording five songs I wrote with Damon Leigh.
Day one was devoted to recording the basic rhythm section (tracking), day two was for overdubs and vocals, and day three was for the final mix.
I wasn't confident skilled enough to engineer and produce myself while trying to perform with the band, so a prominent engineer/producer had been recommended to me.

He definitely had the credentials, and seemed amiable enough when we first met before the sessions, but the three days we spent working together were a stereotypical rock and roll nightmare.
O.K. during the daylight hours, but in the evenings, fueled by drinks and drugs, he became a monster.

I chalked it up to a life lesson, not realizing at the time that the music business was full of monsters, and maybe I was to become one too...
Time has a way of giving healing and perspective to life, and this is especially true when it comes to creations of art. The "monster" engineer/producer cleaned up his act and has a successful career, and what seemed to me at the time to be a simple passionate love song, now sounds (through a Tarentino lens), kind of "date-rapey".

Still, I still love this song. Damon's beautiful lyrics portray a more innocent time without cynicism or skepticism or scrutiny. A time when you would profess your love and passion in a song without hoping it would be re-Tweeted or posted on Reddit.


Don't Stop Me Now

After the party you came up to my room
No need to plead innocent
You lit a fire and I sang you this tune
Isn't that how it went

Juiced and seduced by the look in your eyes
Just take me as you are
Don't stop me now where there's no compromise
This time you've gone too far

No don't stop me now
Now that I've found you
There's nothing to lose
And no way around it 
No don't stop me now
Fly by the light until night is gone
Come on

Just let it go
And forget your implication there
Here for an hour or two
Don't give me reasons that I won't understand
Give me you

It's all I can say
You know what I've needed
And if you will stay
You'll come to believe it
So don't stop me now
Now that I've found you
There's nothing to lose
And no way around it
No don't stop me now

Britt Bacon: vocals, piano
Teddy Zambetti: drums
Dean Groves: bass
Alan Morse: guitar
Jamie Sheriff: synthesizer
Written by Britt Bacon and Damon Leigh
©1980

Source: 1/4" analogue tape 15ips

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