tag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:/blogs/blog?p=1Blog2022-01-02T16:43:29-06:00clarkplaysguitar.comfalsetag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/68574182022-01-02T16:43:29-06:002023-10-16T09:54:54-05:00Final update on my brutal accident<p>I know this is only the second post about my accident here on my blog, but it seems like I've been posting about it a lot on social media, and talking about it a bunch in all of my recent videos over at <a contents="YouTube" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/user/ClarkColborn" target="_blank">YouTube</a>. I think this will be the last post here which focuses almost entirely on the accident and the ensuing consequences, but it may come up occasionally as an aside in future posts.</p>
<p>Here's a quick recap: on August 27, 2021 I had an accident at my day job that resulted in what the doctors called <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/0286fc44d4728479d77f988437d31a383c635a1d/original/ankle-x-ray.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_right border_none" alt="" />"a substantially traumatic injury." I broke a leg bone, some bones in my ankle, and ripped muscles and tendons in my right leg. It required a three hour surgery to put it back together, and I now sport a metal plate, a bunch of screws, a metal "button" and surgical cord inside my right leg & ankle, holding it all together. I was mostly flat on my back for months, before being allowed to get upright for a while each day. Eventually I progressed to the point that I was able to navigate stairs alone, and I did get back to my guitar. I also managed to make a <a contents="few videos" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/user/ClarkColborn" target="_blank">few videos</a> about recovering my guitar abilities. I did incorporate a little silliness into the videos, but truthfully, that is just me deflecting the brutal nature and seriousness of my injury.</p>
<p>I remained in splints, casts, & surgical "boots" for around four months. You can see pics in my previous post, <a contents="here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://clarkplaysguitar.com/blog/blog/i-had-a-really-bad-accident-not-joking" target="_blank">here</a>. As I write this (January 2, 2022) I am still in a somewhat complex ankle brace, but am able to hobble around without crutches. I'm in physical therapy, and will be for months yet. My therapists are great, and we are making progress but it is slow going. As mentioned in my <a contents="earlier post" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://clarkplaysguitar.com/blog/blog/i-had-a-really-bad-accident-not-joking" target="_blank">earlier post</a>, this put the brakes on my promotional efforts for <a contents="Obscurotica" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://clarkplaysguitar.com/obscurotica" target="_blank"><em>Obscurotica</em></a>, as well as <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/1b23dbcaf98188da0398485a17177ae2f0d1d5a5/original/whobethenewbassist.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_none" alt="" />any attempt to work a new bassist into the live band. Have no fear, drummer extraordinaire Joel Baer and I have a plan.</p>
<p>Naturally, the new variants of Covid that continue to pop up are vexing us and performers worldwide, but we are moving forward with the faith that progress is being made in the battle against the spread of that malevolent disease. We plan on beginning rehearsals in a few weeks, with our first shows happening this coming spring. Make sure to check back here often (or <a contents="join The Secret Club" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://clarkplaysguitar.com/secret-club-sign-up" target="_blank">join The Secret Club</a>) for updates on concerts. It's going to be awesome getting back on stage and bringing you this new material. If you haven't picked up a copy of <a contents="Obscurotica" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://clarkplaysguitar.com/obscurotica" target="_blank"><em>Obscurotica</em></a> yet, please do. Fans are telling me this album makes them feel the excitement of their youth when they crank it up, and I take that as very high praise indeed.</p>
<p>Thanks for dropping by to read this; drop me an email sometime to let me know how <em>your</em> life is going. I'm off to do some ankle exercises, then play my guitar. Until next time, live well & rock hard!<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_none" alt="" /></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/67603142021-09-28T21:12:08-05:002021-10-01T12:52:45-05:00I had a really bad accident. Not joking...<p>In late August, 2021 I had an accident that essentially destroyed my right ankle. I was just getting into very heavy promotion on social media, print reviews, etc., for my new album, <em>Obscurotica</em>, which came out August 6. Of course, all of that came to a screeching halt the instant the accident occurred. A few days before the accident I had been talking with my friend & collaborator, drummer Joel Baer, about recruiting a bassist so we could take the show on the road, so to speak. Naturally, that plan was also stopped dead in its tracks. If any of you reading this post have been wondering why I kind of vanished right when I should have been pushing my new album like crazy, there's your answer.</p>
<p>I'm sure you're all wondering what happened, and I really don't want to go into every little detail, but I will share the broad strokes. Like many musicians, I've had to take a "day job" in order to make ends meet. While at this day job, I fell and landed <strong>very</strong> wrong. The fall completely dislocated my right ankle, tore some ligaments to shreds, and broke multiple bones, including the fibula in my lower leg. I spent more than two weeks flat on my back with my leg elevated, trying to reduce the swelling enough that they could perform surgery. This surgery included putting in a metal plate, screws, pins, and some other hardware. Then another two-plus weeks, flat on my back, waiting for the new swelling caused by the surgery to go down before I got a proper cast. So far I have had three different splints, and now the snazzy new cast that matches some of my guitars. Here are some pictures:</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/32061b777ea82be1473c5ca17485617db8b03a8b/original/first-splint.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_none" alt="" /> <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/886d29ba4fe965ffbc9b1b1e8cac3ffdc6b2d3da/original/red-cast.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_right border_none" alt="" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/a853f4c59335c18d8222d1d59d3677d7f0f95716/original/second-splint.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_none" alt="second splint" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/38fb7822bca33df82cd68f00c863226ea19dc81f/original/third-splint.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_center border_none" alt="" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The difference between a splint and a cast is that the splint has an open seam from top to bottom. This whole thing is then wrapped in a flexible cloth bandage, which allows the splint to expand or contract as the inflammation increases or decreases. The cast is completely rigid.</p>
<p>While they are now allowing me to sit up more and hobble to the bathroom on my crutches, I still cannot put any weight on the right leg. I will be in this mode for around a month, then we will see what the next step is and when it might happen. The doctors are pretty confident that I'll be able to walk normally again, the question is when. Naturally, this uncertainty crosses over into everything with putting the band back together for performing. Which brings me to this next bit -</p>
<p>When I posted about the accident on social media, a few folks suggested I could go the route Dave Grohl and Axl Rose went, and perform from a chair. In the case of Dave, it was an outrageous throne that he had custom-built, which he later lent to Axl. I'm sure the folks who suggested this were kidding, but at least one person was fairly serious. Now, keep in mind that Dave Grohl has a major label behind him, a huge road crew, full time assistants, and very deep pockets. Not to mention gigs that are paying him & his band & crew six figure amounts for each show. I don't have any of that. So you won't see me performing from a throne or chair any time soon. Well, not in person anyway. Now that I can get out of bed, I'm going to figure out a way to get down to my studio and maybe knock out some videos. (My house is a nightmare for a guy on crutches, lol.)</p>
<p>Of course, the new flare-up in Covid numbers is going to affect the timetable as well. I saw in the news that quite a few big acts are postponing their tours again because of this. So, who knows when I'll be back on stage. Not this year, I'm afraid.</p>
<p>So, there you have it. All the latest from my world. While I am deeply frustrated by this, I need to look at it from a position of gratitude; I could have broken my back or neck when I fell, and died or been paralyzed for life, but I didn't. And I am grateful. I have access to amazing medical treatment that will, in time, allow me to return to normal or very close to it. For this I am grateful. I have an awesome, loving wife and two sons who are taking great care of me while I convalesce. I am beyond grateful for them. I have many friends, fans, & acquaintances wishing me well and putting me in their prayers. Again, I am grateful. And naturally, I am grateful for you, those who follow and support my career as a musician. Thank you. So I focus on this feeling of gratitude, and remember what my wife keeps telling me: this, too, shall pass.</p>
<p>I'll talk with you all soon. Until then, live well and rock hard.<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJjb250ZW50LnNpdGV6b29nbGUuY29tIn0=/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_none" alt="Clark's signature " /></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/67601152021-08-06T06:00:00-05:002021-09-28T15:23:10-05:00Available NOW!!<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/302656101bbe0bd8dd7b10cebbfa2f0ecee5f1c6/original/img-20210801-135405386-portrait.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_right border_none" alt="Piles of Obscurotica CDs waiting to be shipped" />At long last, <em>Obscurotica</em> is finally available! Ten tracks totaling just over 52 minutes, this album features everything from rip-roaring high energy tunes that will lift you to the stars, to quiet, beautiful pieces that will touch your soul. Plenty of guitar fireworks for fans of shred, but also full of surprises with piano, mellotron, sitar, sing-along vocals and more.</p>
<p>Order your copy today from any of these links:</p>
<p><a contents="Right here at the ClarkPlaysGuitar store" data-link-label="Obscurotica" data-link-type="page" href="/obscurotica" style="" target="_blank">Right here at the ClarkPlaysGuitar store</a> (CD or download)</p>
<p><a contents="Bandcamp" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://clarkcolborn.bandcamp.com/album/obscurotica" style="" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> (CD or download)</p>
<p><a contents="Apple Music" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/obscurotica/1570477449" style="" target="_blank">Apple Music</a> (Download only)</p>
<p><a contents="Amazon Music" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.amazon.com/Obscurotica-Clark-Colborn/dp/B097VCZTM7/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=obscurotica&qid=1632860268&sr=8-1" style="" target="_blank">Amazon Music</a> (Download only)</p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/66355102021-05-20T11:37:10-05:002021-05-20T11:37:10-05:00"Obscurotica" has an official release date!<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/2385db439f0785331c58530e9387d223aa297aa2/original/img-20210519-105720211-portrait.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_thin" alt="" />After years of blood, sweat, tears, labor, setbacks, more labor, more delays, and a worldwide pandemic, I am truly thrilled to announce that <em><strong>Obscurotica</strong></em> is finally coming out! It will be available worldwide on August 6, 2021. On that day it will be on my Bandcamp page, on iTunes/Apple Music, Amazon, CD Baby, and many more sites. Naturally it will also be available right here, as well.</p>
<p>Presales and reservations will begin In June, and we'll update you here on my blog. <a contents="The Secret Club" data-link-label="Secret Club Sign-up" data-link-type="page" href="/secret-club-sign-up" target="_blank">The Secret Club</a> will get notified a few days earlier, and will have the first opportunity to reserve or order a copy. (You can be a part of The Secret Club by <a contents="clicking here" data-link-label="Secret Club Sign-up" data-link-type="page" href="/secret-club-sign-up" target="_blank">clicking here</a>!) The Secret Club will also be offered some really cool chances to get some free stuff, discounts on existing stuff, participate in a contest, and more. It's cool, you should join.</p>
<p>This album is full of my typical guitar antics, of course, but also features some things I have wanted to incorporate into my music for years, but just never had the right combination of time, gear, and songs come together until now. There are several vocal tunes mixed into the tracks, and my take on a classical piece that was ignited by my visit to Jimi Hendrix's place in London. I'm really excited for you all to hear this, and look forward to interacting with everyone on our way to the official release date.</p>
<p>Until next time, live well & rock hard!<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJjb250ZW50LnNpdGV6b29nbGUuY29tIn0=/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_none" alt="" /></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/65940042021-04-04T14:52:28-05:002021-04-04T15:26:39-05:00Looking for a Champion<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/011dd288da6ca7b0d48c60b5cbe0241146b636e7/original/trophy.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_none" alt="A trophy with a Marshall amp" />Lately I have been studying the paths that successful bands and solo musicians have followed to get to the pinnacle of their careers, thinking that if I understand what worked for them then maybe I can create a similar path for myself. As a quick aside, let me point out that I do not crave fame for fame’s sake; in fact I don’t crave fame itself at all. What I do desire is an audience that enjoys my music enough to buy my albums and tickets to my concerts, and is large enough that I can afford to make music via recording & performances my exclusive means of income. A certain level of fame goes along with that, naturally, and I’m good with that. So the goal in researching these musicians is to find out how they were introduced to that larger audience, and I have discovered there are two main factors that every single one of these artists has in common. </p>
<p>First, they all had a Champion. Secondly, they all worked their asses off when they were given the opportunity to advance themselves. Let’s talk about what a Champion is for this post. </p>
<p>A Champion is someone in a position of power or authority or influence who takes a liking to an artist, and helps them out in some way. That Champion could be a manager, record label exec, a radio personality, a promoter, or simply a fan who knows somebody in one of those positions. I used to think that talent, sheer hard work and determination was enough, but I have discovered that every highly successful musician has had a Champion. Take Jimi Hendrix for example. Jimi was doing pretty well as a guitarist, performing as a sideman for some names that would eventually become well known, but he was just playing blues clubs when Keith Richards’ girlfriend saw him. She became a fan, and then she became what I would call an “initial Champion.” She is the girlfriend of a guitarist from a band that is absolutely huge right at that moment (you know, the Rolling Stones, right?), and as such she has connections, credibility by association, and therefore a bit of influence. Well, instead of going to her boyfriend Keith, she goes to another friend she’s made in the world of rock stars, a guy named Chas Chandler, and tells him to check Jimi out. Now, Chas is pretty famous in his own right at that point; he’s in a band called The Animals, and they have had a bunch of songs topping the charts at that time. So Chas has connections, credibility, and influence, which he uses to champion this guy that almost no one has ever heard of: Jimi Hendrix. Chas takes him to London, helps Jimi put together his band, make a record, get some shows, and from there Jimi’s sheer talent and massive work ethic take over and he becomes one of the most influential guitarists in history. Chas was a major Champion for Jimi. </p>
<p>Let’s look at Van Halen. Eddie is another guitarist that has been heralded as globally influential, but he, too, was performing in bars and backyard parties when a guy named Gene Simmons stumbled across the band and became their Champion, paying for demo recordings and lobbying labels & promoters on Van Halen’s behalf. In case you aren’t aware, Gene Simmons is the bassist for Kiss, and they were extremely popular at the point he began to champion Eddie & the band. Now, Van Halen was talented, no doubt, and they worked like maniacs after Gene hooked them up, but their ascent started with him. </p>
<p>Speaking of Kiss, their initial Champion was a guy named Bill Aucoin. Unlike in our previous examples, Bill was not a famous musician when he found Kiss, but he was in the TV and cinema industry, where he had made many useful connections that he used to land them a record deal. As almost everyone knows, Kiss toured relentlessly and constantly made their stage shows more spectacular, and this work ethic eventually put them near the top of the rock music heap. But in the beginning, even with Aucoin’s connections, it was not overnight fame & glory. Gene Simmons said, “The early years of Kiss were far from glamorous. We rode in a station wagon hundreds of miles every day. We would take turns driving and sleeping in the back. We ate burgers at roadside taverns. We stopped and peed on the side of long stretches of a highway when we couldn't find a town anywhere near. We ate beans and franks because we couldn't afford better food as we were on an $85 a week salary!” But while they were out driving around in their station wagon, Bill Aucoin was working behind the scenes to get them on TV shows, bigger tours, etc., and in the end it all paid off. But who knows how things would have turned out if Aucoin had not stepped up to be their Champion. </p>
<p>I could list band after band and their various Champions, but I think you get the idea. With some artists there was a series of Champions rather than a single major one, but in every case there was at the very least an initial Champion, maybe followed by a few stepping stone Champions that paved the path to success. Queen had a guy named John Anthony, who brought in a guy named Roy Thomas Baker, who brought in a guy named Ken Testi. Sometimes the musician sought out their Champion. Steve Vai sent Frank Zappa a transcription of one Frank’s songs and a tape of his band, and Frank hired him. Zappa went on to mentor Steve, who has had an incredible career. Once Steve found himself in a position of influence, he became a Champion for his former guitar teacher, Joe Satriani. Even Dave Grohl had to search for a Champion to bring the Foo Fighters to the world. Dave had his own level of credibility & influence due to his time in Nirvana, but he still carried his Foo Fighters demo around to a bunch of labels before a guy named Gary Gersh became his Champion and signed him to Capitol Records. Oh – by the way, Gersh was also the guy who was Nirvana’s Champion and got them signed to Geffen Records.<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/267bceb23efdcfb0bf7c35660a0503d80226baf5/original/canstockphoto27797151.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_right border_none" alt="Pretty lady shouting into a megaphone about Clark" /></p>
<p>Well, I guess you get the point. No one can do it alone. Every artist needs a Champion, or a bunch of Champions, even. You don’t need to be someone with huge influence in the music industry to be a Champion, really. I think true fans can be Champions, simply by telling other people to check out a musician or band they like. You can be a Champion by sharing links to the artists you like, by playing one of their albums for some friends that have come to visit, by inviting people to go see these musicians perform, and by buying their CDs and merchandise. All of us musicians are looking for a Champion, and truthfully we will need more than one, in all probability. So if you have a band that you love, an artist that you really want to keep producing music for you to listen to, help them out by becoming a Champion. Become their Champion.</p>
<p>That's all I've got for today. Until next time, live well, be kind, stay safe, and rock <em>hard</em>.<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_none" alt="" /></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/65675802021-03-10T01:00:00-06:002021-03-10T10:37:49-06:00What's Up With That Cover Art?<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/e99b351753ccf4aef10ebcb8ffc03af2cf8c261f/original/front-cover-3-10-21.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_none" alt="" />A day or two ago I sent out the newsletter to <a contents="The Secret Club" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://eepurl.com/bhtQJ1" target="_blank">The Secret Club</a> officially revealing the cover art for <strong><em>Obscurotica</em></strong>, which you can see on the left of your screen. In the newsletter I anticipated some of the questions that were bound to come up:</p>
<p><em>"Wait - what? Where are the illustrations of mythical creatures and dystopian landscapes? What happened to the dialogue balloons? Where are the surrealistic photos? Why no controversy spawning pictures of naked people? Shouldn't there at least be some kind of science fiction thing going on?"</em></p>
<p>Here are some answers to those questions and more:</p>
<p>I know some people expect any progressive album and/or metal album to have a highly detailed illustration featuring mythical creatures or medieval warriors, or maybe a surrealistic photo or painting. Why didn't I do something like that? Well... how I could I top (or even match) the many, many excellent covers already using that style? I <em>couldn't</em>. And I just don't want this album to have another "me, too" cover, anyway. This album calls for a straight ahead, bold presentation, and this cover delivers that spectacularly. And it does it with some serious style, at the same time.</p>
<p>The typeface is completely unique, and not like anything else I have seen. It has simultaneously a futuristic feel and a classic, nearly ancient vibe. Blood red on a black background, it is simple yet elegant. It's pretty cool, I think. Some folks are undoubtedly wondering why I went away from the "dialogue balloon" theme that I used on <a contents="Clark Plays Guitar" data-link-label="ClarkPlaysGuitarMusic" data-link-type="page" href="/clarkplaysguitarmusic" style="" target="_blank"><em><strong>Clark Plays Guitar</strong></em></a>, <a contents="Again" data-link-label="Again" data-link-type="page" href="/again" style="" target="_blank"><strong><em>Again</em></strong></a>, and <a contents="Frank Made Me Do It" data-link-label="Frank Made Me Do It" data-link-type="page" href="/frank-made-me-do-it" target="_blank"><strong><em>Frank Made Me Do It</em></strong></a>. Well, originally that <u><em>was</em></u> the plan. I had a design in mind that would incorporate a Rockford, Illinois landmark with a dystopian landscape, featuring dialogue balloons and some "easter eggs" that had meaning to me and a few of my inner circle. After many hours of introspection and cold analysis I decided to pull the plug on that cover. To the public-at-large that original cover would have made zero sense, and it probably would not have created the desire to find out just what this album is all about. Who's to say if this one will create that desire any more or not, but it probably stands a better chance.</p>
<p><em>Why not go with something controversial, like nude photos or graphic pictures?</em> That's a huge risk that can really backfire. <em>If</em> I was already a globally recognized artist with a following that numbered in the millions it would probably be totally worth the risk because of the amount of press it would generate. As a near-unknown it would most likely generate zero press, and simply get me banned from many retailers. So, no, that's not the route for me at this time. Maybe if a major label picked me up, but even then it probably would not go as planned. Besides, I had no statement I was trying to make that gruesome or offensive imagery would underscore. To me, that's the time to use that sort of thing, is when it ties into your beliefs or your story, and right now there isn't anything that really warrants that in my story that is relevant to this album.</p>
<p><em>What about some kind of science fiction theme? Couldn't something like that have worked?</em> I suppose, but since there isn't really anything with a science fiction theme lyrically or musically on this album, what would be the point? It simply wouldn't be relevant, so that takes us back to the blood red ancient-future typeface on a black background. It just <em><strong>fits</strong></em>. When you hear the album, you'll get it.</p>
<p>So there you have it - the inside scoop on the front cover of the CD! Stay tuned for the release date & pre-order info to be announced. I'm going after a label deal, as I mentioned in a previous post, but I have put a time limit on how long I'm going the search go on before releasing at least a limited run on my own label. <em><strong>Obscurotica</strong></em> is coming!</p>
<p>Until next time, live well, be kind, stay safe, & rock hard!<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_none" alt="Clark's actual signature!" /></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/65647672021-03-06T17:10:56-06:002021-03-06T17:51:40-06:00"Obscurotica" is done. Now what?<p>At long last, after an <em>incredible</em> number of setbacks and delays my new album, <em>Obscurotica,</em> is done. It's mixed and mastered, the cover and packaging artwork and liner notes are all finished. So now what? In a normal world I would start the physical manufacturing process, begin the ridiculously time consuming marketing campaign, and start band rehearsals for live shows to support the album. Only it is not a normal world right now, and there are a couple of wrinkles that I need to work out.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/6578aa211705436ff77b5a58d673e943c1924b94/original/hidden-cd-on-pedestal-3.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_none" alt="Cd covered with a cloth to build suspense. Is it working?" />Perhaps the biggest wrinkle is one I have imposed upon myself. I have decided that in order for this album to reach the widest possible audience I need to partner with a good sized label. I released the last four CDs on my own label and pulled together my own PR team to do the promotional work. While we did okay with my extremely limited budget, none of the records really caught fire. This one <em>really, <strong>really</strong></em> needs to catch fire. It is definitely some of my best work, and carries some pretty deep significance for me. I think there are a lot of people who would find a deep connection to some of the songs, and having a label with some clout will allow these people to actually find the album and get themselves a copy.</p>
<p>Having a label will also help with the other wrinkle, which is figuring out how to safely play concerts in our current covid-19 hampered environment. I know musicians that are already out & about, doing gigs, but they are mostly playing small venues, and the show we would present is not really suitable for supper clubs or smaller bars.</p>
<p>At any rate, I'm working on a plan, just in case no record label steps in. I have a release date in mind for putting out a limited run on the Radio Alarm label. If that happens, I'll keep on chasing a label with the idea that we can always do a bigger release with the label. Now, <strong>about that cover art...</strong></p>
<p>Members of <a contents="The Secret Club" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://eepurl.com/bhtQJ1" target="_blank">The Secret Club</a> will be getting an email late Monday or early Tuesday with the cover art reveal. On Wednesday you'll see a new blog post featuring the cover art, and answers to some questions posed in the email regarding the imagery. (Mythical creatures, dystopian landscapes, controversial photos of naked people, and more. I mean, this is some contentious stuff!) Now, if you have been paying attention to anything I have been posting on social media, you probably have a pretty good idea of what it really looks like, but let's play along anyway. So the official reveal will be on Tuesday (at the latest) for <a contents="Secret Club" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://eepurl.com/bhtQJ1" target="_blank">Secret Club</a> members and Wednesday for the rest of the world, and questions about the cover all answered on Wednesday right here.</p>
<p>Until next time, live well, be kind, stay safe, and rock hard!<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_none" alt="" /></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/64929382020-12-06T14:44:57-06:002020-12-06T14:50:19-06:00Behind the Scenes with Obscurotica<p><span class="font_regular">Last month I added a blog post that hopefully brought you mostly up-to-date on the progress of <em>"Obscurotica,"</em> my forthcoming album. In the same spirit, today's post is more on what's happening behind the scenes, as the saying goes.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">In the last post I mentioned the photo shoot we did with Joel's very talented wife, Kait. Today you get to see some of her work. In this first picture, which might be </span><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/7ff6b1ff5d5249e406d89c993ea61ffe879a19bf/original/joel-and-clark-and-skulls-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_right border_none" alt="Clark and Joel and skulls" style="margin-left: 5px;" /><span class="font_regular">my favorite, Kait captured me and Joel looking stoic behind a pile of skulls. I just really dig this shot! One of the things that I really like about it is the way the skulls are arranged. Here's what is really cool about that: they aren't really arranged at all! I brought a garbage bag full of skulls along to the shoot, and Kait just dumped them out on the ground and that's what you see. She did slide a couple of the ones on the left a little closer to the rest so that they would be in the shot, but she left them in the same position as they were when they hit the ground. It just came out <strong>so</strong> cool!</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">Now, I know some of you are cringing because there is a brick wall. For those who don't know why the others are cringing, here's the scoop: once upon a time there was a web site called Rock and Roll Confidential (it's gone now), and it featured the absolute worst of the worst band photos of all time. The site owners absolutely <em>hated</em> band photos with brick wall backgrounds, as they thought it indicated a lack of creativity. They also hated railroad tracks, shots where all the band members are jumping into the air, shots in the woods, shots featuring instruments (other than actual live performance shots), bands wearing their own band t-shirts, and a host of other things. And truth be told, they had some seriously <em>awful</em> band photos. I mean really cringe-worthy, where you can't help but wonder "What in the name of all that is good and holy were they <em>thinking?!?</em>" But - I have talked to professional photographers, PR folks, some semi-famous artists, and here is their conclusion: brick walls are fine in certain conditions. Such as: is the wall itself interesting? (I'd say yes to ours.) Is there something else compelling or interesting about the shots? (Hmmm, well, I think so.) Is the picture well composed? (Yes.) So, I'm <em><strong>good</strong></em> with this shot. I mean, progressive rock royalty King Crimson appeared in <em>Rolling Stone </em>magazine recently, posing in front of a brick wall. Media darlings Daft Punk have posed in front of a brick wall. So, to those of you snickering or thinking rude thoughts because there is a brick wall, get a life, lol. We've got more shots with that wall, and they are <em><strong>all</strong></em> really good. Let's talk about another shot from that day.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/1643fbde255dddbc1f3457221ae639bb16997266/original/clark-and-joel-under-bridge.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_left border_" /></span>I love this next shot because it almost looks like a fun-house mirror illusion behind us. The skulls are laying on the ground, just out of this shot, but will appear in some other shots that we'll look at another time. The way way Kait framed this shot is just so cool, one cannot help but be intrigued by it.</p>
<p>Probably neither of these shots will be in the standard CD release cover art, but hopefully we will do a special edition some day, featuring some kind of booklet with lyrics, more photos, and more info on the making of the album, and maybe even a bonus track or two. I am fairly certain these shots will be used in the promotion of <em>Obscurotica.</em> As to the release date of the standard CD, we're still trying to figure that out. The covid-19 pandemic has left all of us in the entertainment industry in a state of massive uncertainty and we're just trying to find ways to move forward without making career ending mistakes. As soon as my team & I have a plan, we will definitely loop you in.</p>
<p>Until next time, stay safe, live well & rock hard!<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_center border_" /></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/64727722020-11-08T13:34:36-06:002020-11-08T13:34:36-06:00New Album Update! Finally!<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/fb157e3a5e79432cfd0396ef7776a23f6fbac2ed/original/cover-teaser-600dpi.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_right border_" /><span class="font_regular">As promised in my last <a contents="blog post" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://clarkplaysguitar.com/blog/blog/the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it" style="" target="_blank">blog post</a>, here is an update on the progress of <em>Obscurotica </em>at long last. To the right is a bit of the cover art. There is more to do in terms of the back cover, inside the front cover & inside the cover booklet, but it is coming along nicely. A couple weekends back we did a photo shoot for the inside of the booklet. Joel Baer's lovely wife turns out to be an amazing photographer! She got so many good shots that I'm having trouble deciding which ones to use for the CD booklet. We may need to do a deluxe version with a multi-page booklet or an interactive disc or something, just so you guys can see more of her awesome photos.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">The album itself is in the final stages of mixing. (I know, you're thinking I said that a year ago, right?) Maybe you saw my email back in June about a radical move I decided to make regarding the mixing process. (You <em><strong>do</strong></em> <a contents="get my emails" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=c393d9dbd6be1fa57580c6169&id=f4a1419cec" target="_blank">get my emails</a>, don't you?) If not, here's the pertinent part of that email:</span></p>
<p><em>"Anyone that has worked with me in the music industry over the last decade or two will find this first bit of news a little (or maybe a lot) surprising: I am turning the mixing of my new record, Obscurotica, over to someone else. That’s right; I’ve thrown in the towel on doing the mix! With all that has been happening in my day-to-day life finding time to finish mixing has been next to impossible. When I actually got to work on it a little, so much time had passed since the last session that I couldn’t even remember where I left off & what needed to be done. It seemed like many of the songs were close to being done, but finding the time to get that last 20% or 25% wrapped up was simply not happening. Enter Charles (Chuck) Macak of Electrowerks Studios. He has worked with major artists and headed up Tanglewood Studios before opening up Electrowerks, earned gold & platinum records, and he has agreed to mix Obscurotica! </em></p>
<p><em>Being that I have this reputation for being a bit of a control freak when it comes to my music, this is a big move for me. I have complete faith in Chuck, and am actually very excited to have him involved. Together we’ll get Obscurotica finished and released later this summer or early fall."</em></p>
<p>Well, the release date has been pushed back, partially due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and partially due to a string of very bizarre events that affected Chuck's studio. He got flooded, which stopped all work for a week or two. Then a few weeks later a tornado tossed a tree onto the power lines going into the studio, shutting progress down for a couple of weeks more. Then he had some major things to deal with in his personal life, which took precedence, and we let the mixing go onto a back burner. I wasn't worried about it, as we can't perform live or tour to support & promote the album due to the Covid-19 problem. As things settled down, mixing resumed and we are very nearly done. We're in the final stages of revisions, and the tunes are sounding great. I have not decided on a release date, because of the uncertainty that the pandemic has brought to the entire music industry. Probably early next year, at least that's what my team & I are thinking at this moment in time.</p>
<p>I'll continue to share my thoughts & ideas here on the blog, as well as in my <a contents="newsletter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://eepurl.com/bhtQJ1" target="_blank">newsletter</a> and a bit on <a contents="Instagram" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.instagram.com/ClarkPlaysGuitar/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a contents="Twitter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/ClarkPlaysGuitr" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and <a contents="Facebook" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/ClarkColborn" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. Thanks for dropping by & checking this post out. Until next time, live well, rock hard, and stay safe.<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/64679762020-11-01T14:43:09-06:002020-11-01T14:45:37-06:00The End of the World As We Know It?<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/c92bcc57bf3a46b8162f0d764c2520ee447e3b28/original/masked-skulls-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_" />Covid-19. The corona virus. The Pandemic. Whatever you call it, it has wrought havoc on the lives of millions of people worldwide. Regardless of what anyone thinks about its severity or its pervasiveness, its origins, or even if it is real, it is undeniable that it has impacted life as we know it. Forced shutdowns of businesses throughout the USA is causing people to lose so much, in so many ways: small businesses closing up shop forever; families losing their homes because they can't pay the mortgage; some goods and services simply not being available to those who need them, and too many other ways to list.</p>
<p>Even larger businesses like movie theater chains are going into bankruptcy because of this thing, and of course, so are many music venues, small, medium, and large. It's brutal. I read a lot of music industry newsletters & online 'zines, blog, forums, etc., and while they are bemoaning the loss of live music venues, many people are talking about how we artists can turn this lemon into lemonade. Perform online concerts; write, record & release new music; make videos; & on & on. After all, we're all just sitting around the house all day since our day job businesses have closed down, right? Well, not so true for some of us.</p>
<p>My day job has simply become more demanding, and I'm actually working more hours typically now than before the pandemic. So, at least for now, it does not appear that I will be able to perform online concerts. Not enough time to churn out cool new videos or new recordings. In fact, I'm still trying to get <em>Obscurotica</em> wrapped up, and figure out what I'm going to do with it when it's ready to release. (I'll write a blog post about that in more detail very soon.)</p>
<p>So my inner pessimist is really loud right now, shouting me down. I have to admit, when I find time to browse social media and I see all these people posting about how they are recording new music, or practicing their instrument 6 hours a day, or whatever, I'm jealous. Part of me is happy for them, but then that inner pessimist shouts inside my head, railing about how I get hardly <em>any </em>time to practice and generally making me feel pretty hopeless.</p>
<p>When that happens (which is far too often), I take some deep breaths, and focus on all the good things in my life: our home, our good health, my wife & I both having good jobs, my sons and new daughter-in-law, my studio being there for me when things lighten up, friends, fans, pets, musical collaborators, and more. It's all good, and when I think about all of that I stabilize for a while and the inner pessimist shuts up.</p>
<p>If any of you folks reading this have your own inner voices that are messing with you, drop me an email. Maybe I can find some words of encouragement to offer you. Maybe we can buoy each other up a little in this weird time we are in. It may take some time for the world to get back to something close to what we might consider normal, so anything we can do to keep ourselves and those we care about feeling positive is worth doing.</p>
<p>Stay strong. Stay positive. Stay healthy. Be kind. Be tolerant. And until next time, live well and rock hard.<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/61948892020-01-29T00:39:47-06:002020-01-29T00:39:47-06:00ClarkPlaysGuitar.com is dead! Long live ClarkPlaysGuitar.com!<p>What the bleep does <em>that</em> mean, right? Well, in the medieval times, when one king would croak, and a new one took his place the town criers would shout "The King is dead! The King is dead! Long live the King!" This was their way of saying the old King had died, and there was a new one, who they hoped would live a long and successful life. So the overly dramatic headline is my way of saying my old site is gone, and there is now a new & improved ClarkPlaysGuitar.com, which we hope will hang in there for a very long time.</p>
<p>Here's the scoop: </p>
<p>This site has been hosted by a variety of companies over the years. The various moves from one hosting company to another have been dictated largely by technical considerations. My first version of the site was not able to process sales of any sort very easily, and eventually I moved to a hosting service that made that functionality easier. Eventually I changed again because I just could not control the look of the site to my satisfaction, and the next hosting service allowed me to control everything to the tiniest degree. Unfortunately this meant I had to get pretty good at writing HTML, which is a coding language for web sites, and integrate complicated e-commerce software into the site. While this was fulfilling in terms of what my site looked like, it was murder to maintain. </p>
<p>So I moved again, to a musician-friendly hosting service called HostBaby. I've been mostly happy with the results, but HostBaby has decided to close up shop, so to speak. They are selling out to another company called Bandzoogle, but the sites won't all simply transfer over to the new service without a fair amount of tweaking. Aaaand... you know me, I can't just take the easy route, lol. </p>
<p>So, for the past few weekends I have been working behind the scenes to completely rebuild ClarkPlaysGuitar dot com. I'm working on some pretty cool new features, like a section for Secret Club Members only, plus a streaming feature, improved storefront, and a more sleek overall look. As of today (January 28, 2020) the essentials are in place, and I am working on the rest. Since my free time is pretty much limited to a few hours on the weekends these days (see the <a contents="previous post" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://clarkplaysguitar.com/blog/blog/back-from-the-almost-dead" target="_blank">previous post</a> for details on that), I'm not getting much work done on the mix for Obscurotica, but it is nearly done, so I am trying not to worry about that. HostBaby is shutting things down on January 31, which means getting the new site done and ready for you has been my current top priority. </p>
<p>I hope you all enjoy the new site, which has many familiar elements, and yet will feel brand new, because it is! And it is just the first of some cool things happening in 2020. Stay tuned! </p>
<p>Until next time, live well & rock hard!<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/60234922019-09-08T19:00:00-05:002020-01-12T13:30:37-06:00Back from the (almost) Dead<p><span class="font_regular">I have no clue as to whether anyone reads my blog posts, and if so, how many people that might be. Regardless, to all who do read my posts I offer my apologies for my long absence. What little time I have been able to use for posting online has been going to Facebook & Instagram. Even that has been a struggle, and I would like to offer an explanation. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">My last blog entry here was Feb 27, 2018. For a while prior to that post, many months actually, my life was in a state of chaos. Without going into all the uncomfortable details, I will say that there were some very serious health scares for me, and some other very drastic changes in the lives of my wife and myself. As some of you may remember, I had put my live band on hiatus in the fall of 2016. In theory this was so we could enjoy the holidays and then focus on the recording of Obscurotica. Again, without going into needless detail (you'll have to buy my upcoming book for that! lol), the hiatus became something else, and I found myself alone on the project from the beginning of 2017. So, for much of the last 2½ years I was thinking my band was dead; it seemed as if Obscurotica was dead in the water; there were times I thought I was going to be dead soon, literally, and it felt like my career as a musician was already dead. And my career being dead was less of a concern to me than being actually dead because, you know, actually dead is permanent, while career dead may not be. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">Of course, I tried my best to hide all of this from the world. Due to the health issues I had to go to work at a "regular" job with an insurance package, which I have also tried to keep quiet. After all, who is going to take a guy with a day job seriously as a "rock star?" But today, I'm coming clean with you, because it's easier than trying to talk around it and pretend I am still a full time musician. Maybe I'll get back there someday soon, but for now this is where my life is. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">I am budgeting my time very heavily, and this is what is bringing me back from the "almost dead" status of the last 18 or 19 months. I am allowing a small amount of time every day for updating my online presence; a small amount for playing my guitar; some more for mixing Obscurotica, and the rest has to go to my job and obligations as a homeowner and family man. My health is good, most of the obstacles thrown at me and my wife have been dealt with, and there is an excellent possibility of another live band. So life is good, and I am back. Prepare to rock! </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">And of course, an immense thank you to those of you that read this blog and follow my music. Thank you for your patience; thank you for your support; and thank you for your understanding. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">Live well and rock hard,</span></p>
<p><br><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: times, serif;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6OTR4ODQiXQ%3D%3D.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="84" width="94" /></span></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/60234912018-02-26T18:00:00-06:002020-11-29T21:47:09-06:00Studio update: Recording the "Fading Away" solo<p><span data-mce-mark="1" style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">Hi everyone. New posts have been a little slow coming lately, as life has been kind of challenging over the last couple of months. Lots of things happening that need to be dealt with, and the end result is that I have had very little time to practice my guitar, let alone work on the new album or make videos. I have managed to get enough things under control that I was able to lock myself away and put in some very intensive practice, with the intention of putting down a couple of final guitar tracks on two songs.</span><br> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><span data-mce-mark="1" style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">Somewhere in the middle of the process I decided that getting video of the recording sessions might be cool. Now, keep in mind that I am not in some state-of-the-art, large, fancy studio! I'm just slugging away in my very small, very humble studio, all by myself. So I set up the video camera, explained what the plan was, and let it rip. Kind of...<br><br><iframe align="right" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="247" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k2ZYciJIbfE" width="439"></iframe></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">I'm recording the guitar solo for <span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;"><em>"Fading Away,"</em> a song that will be on my upcoming album "<em>Obscurotica</em>." I have a couple bits worked out, but I am improvising the rest. </span>The first couple of attempts were not good. In fact, they were <em>embarrassing</em>, so I edited it all away. Then, as you'll see in the video, I'm about to do a new take and a text message comes in on my phone, totally messing with my focus. All in all, I think I did four or five bad or mediocre takes, which I cut out of the video. But I did get one take that I am happy with, and you'll see it in the video. </span><br> </p>
<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">The sound on the video is just from the mics on the camera. The previously recorded tracks are playing through my studio monitors, fairly loudly, so that you could hear what I was playing along to, and my guitar is coming out of my amp. I had headphones on, with the recorded tracks and my guitar being fed into them. There isn't any processing or effects on the guitar in the video, but when the track is mixed there will be a little reverb, delay, maybe some EQ, and probably some compression. But you'll get the general idea of how the song will go from the video.</span><br> </p>
<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">Forgive my messy looks; that's just how it is on recording days! Maybe for the next video I'll dress up a little! Anyway, I hope you find this video kind of fun and entertaining.</span><br> </p>
<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">Until next time, be kind, live well, and rock hard!<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6OTR4ODQiXQ%3D%3D.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="84" width="94" /></span></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/60234902018-01-30T18:00:00-06:002018-02-01T06:36:35-06:00Quitting the business sale!!<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">Wait, you say? What do you mean by “quitting the business” you ask?<br><br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;" data-mce-mark="1">Well, at least for now, I am quitting the <strong>t-shirt</strong> business. And this means <strong><em>you</em></strong> can get a deal. I’m going to let you rake me over the coals, if you choose, and get the remaining t-shirts from my stash at truly below-cost prices. Yeah, I’ll <strong>lose money</strong> on each shirt sold. (Unless you opt to pay more than the minimum listed, which would be cool, but isn’t required.) Find the shirts <a href="http://www.clarkplaysguitar.com/t_shirt_sale" target="_blank">here</a>. Four pretty cool designs.<br><br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">For those of you who want to know more, here’s why </span><a href="http://www.clarkplaysguitar.com/t_shirt_sale" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/3e18f02b3908e9f14bc75a850b4d4154b5288f00/original/selling-t-shirts.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MzgzeDIwNSJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_right border_" alt="GNR sells t-shirts" height="205" style=" margin: 5px;" width="383" /></span></a><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">I am getting out of the t-shirt business: As you may know, the music business has not been kind to most musicians who are not mega-stars over the last decade or two. Many music business “gurus” preached to those of us not earning a living from our music sales and gig income that we needed to “get with the future of music” by designing and selling cool merchandise, beginning with t-shirts. Over the years I have had <a href="http://www.clarkplaysguitar.com/t_shirt_sale" target="_blank">several pretty cool designs</a> produced, and typically sold them at my live shows. Let’s just say that isn’t working out so well for me. I have spent money on graphic designers, then spent more money to have several dozen of each design printed up, then spent money on cool signage for the merch booth (oh yeah, I spent a bunch of money on a really nice, professional & portable merch booth setup, too), and honestly, people just aren’t buying t-shirts at the places I’ve been playing. (It’s not just me; every band at every gig we’ve played in the last 5 years has told me they can’t sell many shirts. And <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/cd8cc1c4eed69ab037dcf228d443bc00a7036541/original/skull-proof-t-shirt.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MTUzeDE0NiJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="Cool skull t-shirt" height="146" style="margin: 5px; " width="153" />some of them had super-awesome designs!) It’s not some giant, faceless record company financing this stuff, it’s me. So it is time to cut my losses, get rid of the <a href="http://www.clarkplaysguitar.com/t_shirt_sale" target="_blank">shirts I have left</a>, and get out of the t-shirt business. I am willing to take a loss on what I have left (but I hope I can at least break even) just so I can reclaim some space in my home and get back a little bit of the money I’ve spent.<br><a href="http://www.clarkplaysguitar.com/t_shirt_sale" target="_blank"><br></a></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">The shirts are being sold through Bandcamp, with my actual cost of manufacture listed for each design. Bandcamp allows the buyer to either pay the minimum price (which will be <em>less than my cost</em>), or to pay whatever you like. There will be a small shipping fee, and the actual cost of shipping will be within pennies of this.<br><br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">More ways <em>I’m losing money</em> on this: Bandcamp takes 10% off the top; PayPal<a href="http://www.clarkplaysguitar.com/t_shirt_sale" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/64b5483cb9a7c53961b9f275fa094483f6dbeca3/original/2015-skull-tshirt.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MTUweDExMyJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_right border_" alt="another cool skull shirt" height="113" style="margin: 5px; " width="150" /></a> takes 2.9% plus 30 cents for each transaction; and the Tyvek envelopes used to ship the shirts cost me about 60 cents each (yeah, I found someplace to get them cheaper since that purchase, but oh well…). I’m telling you all this because you should have an accurate idea of where your money is actually going. I got the idea from Amanda Palmer, who is possibly the Queen of DIY, Indie music. She was once on a big label, and built a fan base there, but has since left and gone the “do-it-yourself” route. She tells her fans what it costs to produce her music and merchandise, and her fans are generally quite generous, which has resulted in her not needing a day job in order to finance her art and pay her bills. She began doing it because people seemed to think that making music has no costs associated with it, and she wanted her fans to have an accurate idea of what it actually costs to make an album, get it manufactured, and get worldwide distribution. In other words, she was showing everyone that she wasn’t getting rich off her efforts. I’m not only <strong>not</strong> getting rich from this sale, I’m probably going to end up losing money in the long run. On the bright side, <strong>you</strong> will have a cool and rare t-shirt! <a href="http://www.clarkplaysguitar.com/t_shirt_sale" target="_blank">Get yours now</a>, while you can!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/60234892017-12-29T18:00:00-06:002017-12-30T08:37:21-06:00So long, 2017!!<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;" data-mce-mark="1">Well, another year zipped by. While I managed to be absurdly busy pretty much every minute of every day, it kind of feels like I didn't get much done over the course of the year. Turns out, I actually did quite a bit. I kind of resist the "years-end" lists, but I'm playing along this year. Here are the highlights:<br><br></span></p>
<h3><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;" data-mce-mark="1">The Music Bits</span></h3>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;" data-mce-mark="1">Collaborated with the amazing Melissa Ridgeway on "<a href="https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/melissaridgeway" target="_blank"><em>Ramona's Prayer</em></a>," <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/7d24f07d35d647a8e1bf436bfa132119fb4aa023/original/ramonasprayermedium.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MTI1eDE0OSJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_right border_" alt="Ramona's Prayer cover art" height="149" style=" margin: 5px;" width="125" />which was released as a single and featured in a short experimental film. Piano, violins, and no guitars! Full story <a href="http://www.clarkplaysguitar.com/blog/the_whole_story_about_ramonas_prayer/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;" data-mce-mark="1">Collaborated with singer-songwriter Jerry Dale Harrison an acoustic version of David Bowie's "<em><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/lazarus-single/1214676733" target="_blank">Lazarus</a>,</em>" which spawned "The Colborn Harris Project." More on the tune <a href="http://www.clarkplaysguitar.com/blog/david_bowie_jerry_dale_harris_and_me/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;" data-mce-mark="1">Performed several concerts as the sometimes acoustic, sometimes acoustic + electric duo "<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Colborn-Harris-Project-329818554083121/" target="_blank">The Colborn Harris Project</a>."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;" data-mce-mark="1">Worked as co-producer and engineer on several projects with Jerry Dale Harris</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;" data-mce-mark="1">Began cleaning up old recordings of my old band Cheater, with an eye towards releasing an album eventually</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;" data-mce-mark="1">Began serious recording for my next full length album, "<em style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">Obscurotica</em>."</span></li>
</ul>
<h3><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;"><br>The Non-Music Bits<br></span></h3>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">Traveled a <strong>lot</strong> with my wife, and some with her and the kids <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/113ea7e2c049b790cbe76cbb087afd7eb7065b54/original/stonehenge.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MTI1eDk0Il0%3D.jpg" class="size_orig justify_right border_" alt="Stonehenge" height="94" style=" margin: 5px;" width="125" />(New Mexico, Colorado, England, and more)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;" data-mce-mark="1">Upgraded a bunch of things in my recording studio (with the associated learning curves)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">Quit Facebook. <a href="http://www.clarkplaysguitar.com/blog/why_i_left_facebook..._updated/" target="_blank">More here</a>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">Sort of came back to Facebook.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">Joined <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ClarkPlaysGuitar/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">Wrote quite a few blog posts <a href="http://www.clarkplaysguitar.com/blog/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">Made some videos, most of which are in the blog posts</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">Produced a limited run of <a href="http://www.clarkplaysguitar.com/t_shirts/cheater_t_shirt/" target="_blank">"Cheater" t-shirts</a> & sold out of them</span></li>
</ul>
<h3><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;"><br>Miscellaneous Bits</span></h3>
<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">Naturally, there was much more in my life due to being a husband, father, brother, and homeowner. All of that takes up time, too. In addition to all the previously mentioned things, I started to write a collection of short stories, and did some work recovering & re-digitizing all the materials I have related to my old band, Cheater. I also roughed out an outline for a book (booklet, maybe?) on my time with Cheater, which I hope to publish with the release of the recordings. <br><br>So, that's my year in a nutshell. I got a <span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;"><strong><em>lot</em></strong><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;"> done on the recording of "<span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;"><em>Obscurotica,</em>" which I hope to have done for you guys and available by mid- to late spring. Drop by here for updates, or Instagram, and I suppose, even Facebook. ;-) Feel free to drop me an email, too, anytime you're wondering what's happening in my world or to fill me in on your world. </span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;"><br>Until next time, be kind, live well, and rock hard!<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6OTR4ODQiXQ%3D%3D.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="84" width="94" /><br></span></span></span></span></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/60234872017-12-29T18:00:00-06:002021-04-30T11:09:00-05:001969 Gibson SG Junior<p><iframe align="right" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y2x0ZGU_kmo" style="float: right;" width="425"></iframe><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">Well, it's a little late in arriving, but here you go: that first video about my guitars. I shot some of this a couple weeks ago, but had real issues with the editing, which required a complete change in video software. I also had to re-shoot a couple shots. Anyway...<br><br>This video is about my 1969 Gibson SG Junior, which I got brand new as a kid. It is equipped with the original P90 pickup, the original tuning machines, and other than the strap buttons, original everything! What a cool guitar, it is very near & dear to my heart.<br><br>I hope you get a kick out of the video. Until next time, be kind, live well, and rock hard!</span><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6OTR4ODQiXQ%3D%3D.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="84" width="94" /></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/60234862017-12-08T18:00:00-06:002020-01-11T16:35:46-06:00The First MXR Pedal with an LED?<p><span class="font_regular"><span data-mce-mark="1" style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">Here's a few pictures of my MXR DynaComp comressor pedal, which I bought in late 1979 or early 1980, and a true story about it. I loved what this pedal did in terms of sustain and making my legato phasing pop, and for a long time, this was my <strong>only</strong> effects pedal. <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/4f513710aa84a04863c18fb379a4638eab916a50/original/mxr-1.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MTkweDI3NSJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_right border_" alt="Top view of vintage MXR pedal" height="275" style=" margin: 5px;" width="190" />I did have a complaint, though. I would sometimes step on the switch and not be certain if the pedal was on or off because I couldn't feel the "click" through my thick-soled stage boots. (At this point in time no pedals had LEDs on them, as hard as that is to imagine today.) The other thing was that I ran through 9 volt batteries like crazy. So in late 1980 I decided to modify the pedal.</span></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><span data-mce-mark="1" style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">Now, keep in mind that this was during pre-internet times, so I had to figure this out on my own. I found a phone number for MXR and just called them up. I told whoever answered the phone that I needed to talk to an engineer about the Dyna Comp, and they just put me through to someone. In those days, these kinds of things happened. When this guy came on the line I told him I wanted to add an LED light as an on/off indicator, and add a jack for an external power adapter. I was pretty certain of what I was going to do for the power adapter, but needed some help on the LED. I do not remember this guy's name, but he was super cool. He said that he thought an LED on/off indicator was a brilliant idea, as was the power adapter jack. He said he would need to think on it a little, and if I called back in a day or two he would give me a list of parts I would need to add the LED. My plan for the power jack was sound & did not require any tweaking, he said.</span></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><span data-mce-mark="1" style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/b889adc983a7747cd20b8f9750b29170e118dd26/original/mxr-2.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MjEweDE0OCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="side view of vintage MXR pedal" height="148" style="margin: 5px; " width="210" />I called him back in a couple days, got the list of parts, and ran down to a local electronics store to get them. If I remember right, I had to replace the switch to do this modification, as well as add a resistor in with the LED. (Any die-hard stompbox geeks will notice that it is not the original switch in the pics, this is why.) In any event, I got the parts, called him back, and he walked me through what I needed to do as I was doing it. I had spread an old towel out on my dining room table, had my tools & soldering iron there, and had the cord for my </span><span data-mce-mark="1" style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">wall-m</span><span data-mce-mark="1" style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">ounted land line stretched to its limit from where it hung in the kitchen. It only took 10 or </span><span data-mce-mark="1" style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">15 minutes, and the mod was done. We talked about music and gear for a while, and he repeated that he thought my two mods were absolutely brilliant. He said he was going to see about having the company add </span><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">those both to MXR pedals as standard features. By mid or late 1981 all of the MXR stompboxes had a 1/8" power adapter jack and LED on/off indicators. This is all true! So, to the best of my knowledge, I have quite likely the <em>first ever</em> MXR Dyna Comp with an LED and AC power adapter jack!<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/92b86eebf94d05c8b995a432fd0e1b8887005b94/original/mxr-3.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MTU3eDEyNSJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_right border_" alt="side view of vintage MXR pedal" height="125" style="margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; " width="157" /></span></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">You'll notice the knobs are covered in duct tape. That tape has been there for decades. When I was using this pedal on stage I was also using heavy, coiled cords by a company called Whirlwind. Their coiled cords were really heavy, and I actually used two of them, connected by a double-female 1/4 inch coupler, taped beyond belief in order to keep the cords from separating. When I would move around the stage (which was a lot, in those days) those heavy coiled cords would sometimes drag across the knobs and change the settings. Since I never changed the settings, I <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/291140ac085b656e6ada24b31b3b52b215ea8592/original/mxr-4.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MTk2eDEyNSJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="bottom view" height="125" style=" margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px;" width="196" />just taped the knobs in place and called it good. When using only this one pedal, my roadies (RIP Kenny Moore, head roadie) would the tape the thing to the stage floor so that I wouldn't be dragging it around the stage during my antics. Eventually I added a couple more pedals, and then I added heavy duty velcro on the bottom (which you can still see in one shot) to all of the pedals, and just attached them to my pedal board that way.</span></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">Over the years this pedal and I did more than two thousand shows together. I retired it around 2003, as it is now some kind of collectors item, I've been told. By then, the power jack had been disconnected for some reason that I do not remember, and the foam insulation inside the pedal had nearly dissolved, which could cause damage if I were to put a battery into it or reconnect the AC jack and plug it in. The original flat-headed screws holding the bottom in place have all gone missing, with two round-headed replacements taking their place. I'm not certain what I am going to do with it; it is really no longer a useful tool in my gear collection, but I have so many memories attached to it that I am reluctant to sell it to a collector.</span> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="font_regular">For now it is going to set on a shelf as a reminder of simpler times, and in some ways, better times. Maybe that is as good of a purpose as anything.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="font_regular">I hope you enjoyed this story and the pictures. Until next time, be kind, live well, and rock hard!</span><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6OTR4ODQiXQ%3D%3D.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="84" width="94" /></span></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/60234852017-11-29T18:00:00-06:002017-11-30T05:51:19-06:00Woof. More Facebook Gripes!<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">I know, I know! I complain about Facebook too much, lol. As you may know, I totally </span><a href="http://www.clarkplaysguitar.com/blog/why_i_left_facebook..._updated/" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/18bb079a8df9843e23587cc5e51b2f0ee0954378/original/no-fb.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MTQxeDEzMiJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_right border_" alt="" height="132" style=" margin: 5px;" width="141" /></a><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.clarkplaysguitar.com/blog/why_i_left_facebook..._updated/" target="_blank">bailed on FB</a> a while back, and although I eventually returned, the time I spend there is very limited. I generally do not scroll through the news feed, I just post something I hope somebody will find interesting, then I log off. When I tried to post today, it took about four minutes for the page to load, and whatever I tried to type did not show up on the screen until a second or two <em>after</em> I typed it. I call this the FB Sludge, and it happens about 10% of the time when I try to post.<br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">Another symptom of the FB Sludge is that only one or two posts will show up in my news feed, and today the only one that popped up was an ad. Sigh... so it seems that I am not meant to be a Facebook star, or even a Facebook regular. If you are a Facebook fan, please do not take this as an insult to you. I just have to work with the tools that work for me, and for whatever reason, FB is not one I can rely on. (Which makes me crazy, because I know a couple folks who have built pretty good followings using FB.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">I am trying to post here more often, and also on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ClarkPlaysGuitar/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/clarkplaysguitr" target="_blank">Twitter</a> when I can. Join me on those social media sites, or here, and if you want to get the very rare newsletter, special offers, and first access to new music, join the Secret Club. I won't tell anyone.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">Anyway, here's all I was trying to post today: in the next week or so I should have a couple new videos for you; one about my vintage Gibson SG Jr. guitar, and one about a new tune called "3<em> Minute Funk</em>" from my upcoming album "<em>Obscurotica.</em>" </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">Until next time, be kind, live well, & rock hard.<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6OTR4ODQiXQ%3D%3D.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="84" width="94" /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;"></span></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/60234842017-11-18T18:00:00-06:002017-11-19T06:10:24-06:00Behind the Scenes of "Obscurotica" (video)<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">Hey folks, here's another quick peek behind the scenes during the recording of <em>"Obscurotica."</em> Today's </span><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;"><video width="320" height="240" style="float:right;" src="//s3.amazonaws.com/content.sitezoogle.com/u/392097/fac87939ab50ce9a0d2ad6ac8ff391b6b5651c01/original/behind-the-scenes-of-obscurotica.mp4?0" poster="http://www.clarkplaysguitar.com/img/SCAN0047.JPG" preload="auto" controls="controls"><object style="float: right;" width="320" height="240" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="5"><param name="src" value="http://www.clarkplaysguitar.com/dashboard/js/tiny_mce-3.5.8/plugins/media/moxieplayer.swf">
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<embed style="float: right;" width="320" height="240" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.clarkplaysguitar.com/dashboard/js/tiny_mce-3.5.8/plugins/media/moxieplayer.swf" flashvars="url=/files/Behind_the_Scenes_of_Obscurotica.mp4&poster=/img/SCAN0047.JPG" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="true" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="5"></embed></object></video>video shows how I keep track of all the different things that go into recording the songs, and addresses the question about the hat. I also have a question for you about my guitars.<br><br>Progress is definitely being made on <em>"Obscurotica."</em> Unfortunately, we have missed the original release date, and the rescheduled release date, <em>and</em> the re-rescheduled release date. (lol) I've touched on the reasons for the delays in previous blogs, and new things pop up on a weekly basis, but this album <strong>will</strong> see the light of day in the relatively near future. I am digging in with everything I have, and as I make progress my resolution grows and my efforts are redoubled. Thank you all for your patience regarding this new album!<br><br></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;"> Until next time, be kind, live well, and rock hard!<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6OTR4ODQiXQ%3D%3D.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="84" width="94" /><br></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;"></span></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/60234832017-11-02T19:00:00-05:002017-11-19T04:54:02-06:00Choosing a tone for the bass (video)<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">Hey folks, here's another installation of the recording series. Today I'm trying to find a good tone for the bass guitar tracks. It can be tricky, because a bass tone that sounds </span><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;"><video width="320" height="240" style="float: right;" src="//s3.amazonaws.com/content.sitezoogle.com/u/392097/b3f9e29179f177a62d8976e5c7440033aa136ae3/original/bass-tone-review.mp4?0" poster="http://www.clarkplaysguitar.com/img/Blog_pics/IMG_31991.JPG" preload="auto" controls="controls"><object style="float: right;" width="320" height="240" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="5"><param name="src" value="http://www.clarkplaysguitar.com/dashboard/js/tiny_mce-3.5.8/plugins/media/moxieplayer.swf">
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<embed style="float: right;" width="320" height="240" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.clarkplaysguitar.com/dashboard/js/tiny_mce-3.5.8/plugins/media/moxieplayer.swf" flashvars="url=/files/bass_tone_review.mp4&poster=/img/Blog_pics/IMG_31991.JPG" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="true" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="5"></embed></object></video></span><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">awesome on its own may not sit well in the mix due to clashing frequencies with drums, guitar, or keyboards. This is especially true when the guitars are tuned much lower than a standard tuning, as with this tune. <br><br><br></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">I hope you find these little peeks into the studio entertaining. Until next time, be kind, live well, & rock hard!<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6OTR4ODQiXQ%3D%3D.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="84" width="94" /></span></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/60234822017-11-01T19:00:00-05:002017-11-02T08:25:50-05:00Recording progress update 10-31-17<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">Hey everyone, here's a little peek into what I was doing in the studio a couple of days ago,</span><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;"><video width="320" height="240" style="float: right;" src="//s3.amazonaws.com/content.sitezoogle.com/u/392097/617f7a0d14b02b0c7fd1577d710056ef42d28ec4/original/baritone-session.mp4?0" preload="auto" controls="controls"><object style="float: right;" width="320" height="240" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="5"><param name="src" value="http://www.clarkplaysguitar.com/dashboard/js/tiny_mce-3.5.8/plugins/media/moxieplayer.swf">
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<embed style="float: right;" width="320" height="240" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.clarkplaysguitar.com/dashboard/js/tiny_mce-3.5.8/plugins/media/moxieplayer.swf" quality="high" flashvars="url=/files/Baritone_session.mp4&poster=/dashboard/pages/blog/post/" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="true" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="5"></embed></object></video></span><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;"> and a slight preview of one of the new tunes. It's just drums & a dry run on the rhythm</span><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">guitar, but you'll get the idea.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;"><br>Until next time, be kind, live well, & rock hard!<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6OTR4ODQiXQ%3D%3D.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="84" width="94" /></span></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/60234812017-10-26T19:00:00-05:002017-10-27T12:18:05-05:00Recording progress update<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">As I have mentioned previously, I have had to make some new plans in order to complete <em>Obscurotica</em>, and once again those plans have had to be reworked. With the new plans in place, I am once again hard at it. So, I've decided to occasionally post short video updates, starting with this one. This is a very short bit of the Mellotron sounds going into a tune called <em>Resignation.<br><br></em></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">On this same day I added the piano track. The next day I did some guitar work, and changed out a section of the bass track, which was recorded earlier this week. Stay tuned for future updates!<br><br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">Until next time, be kind, live well, & rock hard!<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6OTR4ODQiXQ%3D%3D.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="84" width="94" /></span></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/60234802017-10-18T19:00:00-05:002021-05-01T17:34:07-05:00Staying Positive<p>A friend of mine had a saying, something like “You can’t drag someone across the finish line.” He wasn’t talking about a race, or literally dragging someone, but about working with someone who was not willing to put a solid effort into their job; someone whose <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/dbe42893d0a99b2d6eac20b58c76ae175efefa77/original/dragged.jpg/!!/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_right border_none" alt="Guys dragging dude across a finish line" />actions (or inactions) were detrimental to the forward movement of the company or the team. You might say they have a “negative attitude.” </p>
<p> For years I have tried to embrace the "PMA" philosophy in life. That is "Positive Mental Attitude," and many, many motivational speakers and life coaches use this as a foundation to their teaching programs. I discovered Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie & Zig Ziglar while still in my early twenties, and much of what they said made sense to me. Now, of course, the whole "self-help" thing has become an enormous industry, and much of what is being put out there is pretty silly. That said, I still believe in trying to be optimistic and positive. Life is certainly more enjoyable for me when I have a positive outlook. </p>
<p>I find being around negative people and complainers to be draining. Sure, we all need to vent once in a while. And true, looking at potential ways things could go wrong (or really wrong) can be useful for planning. Unfortunately, at times I have been surrounded by people that seem to want things to go poorly. They were so pessimistic that they were not even willing to make a minimal effort at doing something new. I would try to infect them with “PMA” and coax them into giving a solid attempt at whatever idea I was promoting. On occasion they would agree to try, but when it came down to actually doing something they would drag their feet, complain, and in the end they would actually torpedo the project with their actions (or lack thereof). </p>
<p>Sometimes I felt they were doing it deliberately, just so they could say “I told you so.” But I would try again. And again. Yeah, often with these same people. I was trying to drag them across the finish line, which is foolish. You need a team that is going to work with you instead of against you if you want to meet your goals. It’s okay if someone sees problems, as long as they are willing to work on solutions for the problem. </p>
<p>In my many bands over the years I have tried dragging a lot of folks over the finish line. It has often had a negative effect on my “PMA,” as have life events that no one could control. These last couple of years have brought many challenges for me as a musician and as a person. I have been trying to channel the adversity into new (and hopefully interesting) music. In the process I have come to realize how much of my energy has been spent trying to drag other people across the finish line, and how that has been crushing my positive attitude. Sometimes I find myself thinking “What’s the point?” I have to admit, it began to happen a lot around the end of last year. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/24b6e3d97ab7a5504179574e7f4784d2327b2a3f/original/positive-negative-clark.jpg/!!/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_none" alt="positive Clark and negative Clark" />I am trying to snap out of it, and go back to the “PMA” lifestyle by doing several things: surrounding myself with positive, “can-do” types of people; avoiding the negative & hateful posts on Facebook & Twitter; not complaining to myself silently or verbally to others; setting small goals for each day and focusing on them, rather than the seemingly insurmountable long-term goals I’ve set; exercising; and taking time to spend with my family. It’s working. I like Positive Clark way better than Negative Clark. As a result, the recording process for “Obscurotica” is back on track, and while it may not be released by the end of the year, it will be out soon after. </p>
<p>So, to all my friends & fans: thanks for sticking around. Stay positive, be kind, live well, and rock hard!</p>
<p><br><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6OTR4ODQiXQ%3D%3D.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="84" width="94" /></span></p>
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<p> </p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/60234792017-10-08T19:00:00-05:002021-05-04T10:48:43-05:00The Crazy Things I Do...<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: large;">About 2 years ago I stumbled across a video of<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/7b895e3888f9eb66d5476cef0e4765d18bee6149/original/handelsheetmusic.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MzMxeDQzOCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_right border_" alt="" height="438" style=" margin: 2px 4px;" width="331" /> a couple of young ladies playing the Handel-Halvorsen Passacaglia on violin and cello. I had forgotten about this tune, even though I had been exposed to it many years ago, and hearing these ladies just rip through it so impressively was a really pleasant surprise. There are some <em>blazing</em> passages on both instruments, and I thought "Hey! Maybe I should learn some of that on guitar!" Well...</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: large;">Quick backstory on the piece: In the year 1720 George Frideric Handel published the "harpsichord suite in G minor (HWV 432)," which is, of course, written for the harpsichord (a piano-like instrument). Then in 1894 Norwegian composer Johan Halvorsen published an arrangement of the last movement of Handel's composition for violin and cello. It is considered a virtuoso piece for both instruments. Fast forward 122 years (2016), and you find me floundering about, trying to learn some of the violin parts. Like I said, it is considered a virtuoso piece, and it was truly kicking my butt.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: large;">So, I decided that maybe I had bitten off more than I could chew and let it go. A lot was happening in my life, and days of four-to-eight hour woodshedding sessions were a thing of the past. Now fast forward another year, and I'm standing in Handel's home in London. (Well, Mayfair technically.) Handel and Jimi Hendrix lived in the same building, centuries apart from each other, and both homes are now museums. Jimi once claimed to have seen Handel's ghost, and he decided to buy a bunch of recordings of Handel's music while living there.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: large;">This whole experience re-inspired me to tackle the Handel-Halvorsen Passacaglia again. And for some reason I have decided to record my arrangement of it for my next album. As of today, I don't know if I can pull it off, but I am giving it my best. I'll keep you posted!<br><br>Until next time, be kind, live well, and rock hard!</span><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6OTl4ODkiXQ%3D%3D.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="89" width="99" /></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/60234782017-10-02T19:00:00-05:002017-10-05T05:57:08-05:00Why I Left Facebook... (updated)<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">Well, today I posted on <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Hatebook</span> Facebook that I was leaving,<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/18bb079a8df9843e23587cc5e51b2f0ee0954378/original/no-fb.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MjM3eDIyMyJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_right border_" alt="" height="223" width="237" /> and may not be back for days or weeks, maybe forever. This has been building up for a while, but the strange reactions after Tom Petty's death and the tragedy in Las Vegas have really pushed me over the edge. Many will say that I should stay on FB and engage in healthy debate, but, as Shakespeare said, therein lies the rub. There is no debate, on Facebook, or in much of our society. If I make a statement of fact, and it does not agree with someone’s world view, I will be shouted down as a racist or a traitor to my own race or an islamophobe or a sympathizer or a homophobe or a redneck or a libtard or a bleeding heart or a blood-thirsty gun nut or any one of a thousand other insults, depending on what fact I bring up. And if I offer an opinion - watch out for the flames! We have become a nation of “tribes” with no desire to try to understand the other guys’ points of view. And simple disagreement apparently is no longer an option; each “tribe” seems to hate anyone not of their tribe, and wish awful things upon them while calling them names like a six year-old. Tribes might be democrats or republicans; gay or straight, or simply for or against gay rights; they might be racial groups; ethnic groups; different religions; religious or atheist; climate change believers or not; anti-vaxxers or those who choose to vaccinate their kids; divided on immigration; divided on any one of ten thousand things. Many of the topics focus on tolerance, yet many of those fighting for some specific tolerance fail to have any for those that do not share their views. It has been beating me down for many months. Then, Tom Petty died and Las Vegas happened.<br><br></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">Even before Tom Petty died, I was seeing hateful, intolerant comments when someone would post something along the lines of "praying for the hurricane victims." People were saying things like "Quit talking to your invisible friend and go help" or "Stop pushing your superstitions on us and do something actually helpful like send money" or similar things. And the religious posters would tell the atheists how they would burn in hell for all eternity. After he died this type of thing seemed to escalate to absurd levels. A friend got ripped for saying "R.I.P. Tom Petty," seriously! If you are an atheist, fine, just let the religious or spiritual folks do their thing; it doesn't diminish you in any way. And religious folks need to stop telling the atheists how to live their lives, as well. Just stop hating each other because they believe differently than you.<br><br> My heart goes out to every single person killed or injured in Las Vegas, and their families. It truly does. It is a horrible, unfathomable thing. This thing has everyone shouting mainly about gun control. That wasn’t where <em>my</em> brain went when I read the news. My first thought on learning about this massacre was “<em>What kind of hate and anger filled these people to do such a thing?</em>” I did not have a knee-jerk reaction about the tool used to commit the atrocities, or laws governing those tools. My reaction was geared towards the person committing the crime, and how our country, even our world, has devolved into killing those with whom we disagree.<br><br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">When Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel drove a 19 ton truck into the crowds in Nice, France on July 14, 2016, and <strong>killed 86</strong> people and <strong>injured another 458</strong> the focus was not on “truck control.” It was on the hate-filled ideology that made this maniac commit his horrific act; as it should have been. When a group of suicide bombers & gunmen launched a coordinated attack on the Bataclan Theater and other areas in Paris, <strong>killing 130</strong> and <strong>injuring 413</strong> others, very little was said about gun control in France. That’s because <em>essentially all guns are illegal in France already!!</em> And it did <strong>nothing</strong> to stop the maniacs from killing and maiming. Newscasters spoke about the hate-filled ideologies, again. Timothy McVeigh bought fertilizer and fuel oil and some other easily obtained items, put them in a truck, and blew up some government buildings in Oklahoma City, <strong>killing 168</strong> people and <strong>injuring over 600</strong>. No one said “we need common sense fertilizer control.” They focused on what drove a former soldier in the American army to kill fellow citizens.<br><br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">That’s where <em>I</em> was at emotionally when I saw the news about the shooting in Las Vegas. Yet Hatebook was filled with people laughing at the deaths of the country music fans, saying they were probably Trump voters; probably gun-owners; probably Republicans, and <em> therefore it was okay</em> that they were dead. “Oh, the irony” was the theme for many of them. Others were essentially screaming that anyone who owns a firearm was “in the room” with the shooter, because of their beliefs in the Second Amendment, and therefore just as guilty as the guy pulling the trigger. One woman posted that she wished all gun owners were dead, another posted that she wished everyone that voted for Trump was dead!<strong> Come on!</strong> Do you see the irony here? These kinds of posts are the very thing (<em>hate</em>) that powers the belief system of the Las Vegas shooter (or shooters) and allows them to feel alright with inflicting death and pain on complete strangers! <strong>What is wrong with our society?<br><br></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">I can totally understand that some folks might think gun control laws would have prevented this, but the harsh truth is that it probably would not have made a difference. The killers likely would have obtained them illegally, like the Nice, France killers, or they would have gone the route of Timothy McVeigh or the Paris maniac and used another method. The problem is <strong>hate</strong>. I’m sure we’ll see news accounts about what kind of hate drove the Las Vegas killers, but it will be a minor aside to what kind & how many guns they had. <strong>HATE</strong> is the real problem here, and Facebook is full of it. I cannot stomach the terrible sentiments expressed by so many people there, and anything I say will have no effect on these people. If anything, it will simply make them hate me, and people like me, even more.<br><br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">So, I am done with <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Facebook</span> Hatebook for a while. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Please realize that the unbelievable online behavior regarding Tom Petty's death and the Las Vegas slaughter is just the final</strong><strong> straw.</strong></span> All the hate and arguing about politics, religion, race, immigration, climate change, and even music has taken its toll on me, and I need to be away from the hate and negativity.<br><br>I will make a herculean effort to post new items on this blog as often, or even <em>more</em> often, than I used to post on Hatebook. I’ll post on Instagram as well; probably not so much to Twitter due to the level of stupidity that seems to also infect much of that realm.</span> <span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">To those of you who have read this and are willing to stick with me: thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, one and all. I make every effort to keep politics and other touchy subjects out of my life as a public figure, but today called for an exception. I urge you all to use logic, and to keep open minds regarding everything you see in the mainstream media in our current times. Be tolerant, but not so tolerant that you give the farm away. Gather facts from many sources. Give people second chances. Use wisdom when you choose who gets a second chance. Be kind. And remember, music is inexpensive therapy.<br><br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">Thanks for reading this whole thing. Until next time, be kind, live well, and rock hard.<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MTExeDEwMCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="100" width="111" /> </span></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/60234772017-08-06T19:00:00-05:002017-08-07T14:02:12-05:00Have you heard this guy?<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">So, I have a friend named Shawn Williams, and he has a new project which he calls The Core. Last week I had the opportunity to go see him live. Well. Let me tell you, this is the type of thing that makes teenagers want to be rock stars. A seamless blend of technical mastery and visual impact,<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/536e5bfb026641f3818e866464820d2fcee769fc/original/shawnwilliams.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MjU5eDE5MyJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_right border_" alt="" height="193" width="259" /> The Core is what live music should be: it’s entertaining. The science-fiction inspired visual aesthetic is emphasized through fog and lasers (which are synced with the music, by the way), and the shred-laden guitar will thrill guitarists. Anyone with a pulse will appreciate the hard rocking, melodically driven tunes in a typical performance. From Depeche Mode to Joe Satriani to originals, Shawn brings his own touch to it all, and every minute of it rocks. There’s no dead air; the action never stops. Go see him when you get the chance.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">Until next time, live well & rock hard!<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6OTV4ODYiXQ%3D%3D.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="86" width="95" /></span></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/60234882017-03-29T19:00:00-05:002017-12-30T07:25:15-06:00David Bowie, Jerry Dale Harris, and Me<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">As you all undoubtedly know, mister David Bowie passed away recently. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/8e7ae4724a9526a957615ee59383510669332ae6/original/lazarus-cover-art.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MjAweDIwMCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_right border_" alt="Lazarus cover art" height="200" style=" margin: 5px;" width="200" /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">One of the last tunes he released was called "<em>Lazarus.</em>" My friend, singer-songwriter Jerry Dale Harris decided he </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">wanted to record an acoustic version of the song as a </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;">tribute. I suggested he record it at my studio. To make a somewhat long story short, we ended up doing the recording as a collaboration and released it under the name "The Colborn Harris Project." <br><br>We are both extremely pleased with the way it turned out. This is not my typical "tear-your-face-off" sort of tune. It is a laid back acoustic guitar, Jerry's heartfelt vocals, and some "decoration" from me on electric guitar, taking the place of some of the sax work on the original. You can find it on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/lazarus-single/1214676733" target="_blank">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lazarus-Colborn-Harris-Project/dp/B06XJYQ7VQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1494034263&sr=1-1-mp3-albums-bar-strip-0&keywords=Colborn+Harris+Project" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, and a host of other online retailers. Please check it out.<br><br>If you like it, please do us a favor and spend the 99 cents to download the track, rather than just streaming it. That way we can cover the costs of licensing (royalties to the Bowie estate and his publisher) and the costs of getting the tune set up on all the various online retailers. That would be so cool if you helped us out that way. Thank you in advance.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;"><br>Until next time, be kind, live well, and rock hard!<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6OTR4ODQiXQ%3D%3D.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="84" width="94" /><br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times, serif; font-size: medium;"></span></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/60234762017-03-17T19:00:00-05:002017-12-30T08:41:46-06:00The whole story about "Ramona's Prayer"<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">A while back I mentioned that I was recording a song for a movie, and I thought I would finally make time to tell you the story.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">The movie is a short form, experimental film being written & directed by a young woman named Irena Weaver. The movie is about a woman confronting her painful experience with sexual assault. Irena asked if I could compose something for her, and I said yes.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">Now for the back story: Irena’s mother, Ramona, and my wife were best friends growing up. Following college, Ramona joined the Navy and became a Pediatrician. Ramona was stationed in Okinawa and the wedding date my wife and I chose was based on when Ramona could get leave, return to the states and get back to Illinois. She traveled back to be our Matron of Honor with her first child, Erna’s godson, who was a toddler at the time. Talk about brave! After she left the Navy Ramona & her husband settled in California to raise their four kids together. Then Ramona was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Just before Christmas of 2003 Ramona lost her battle, despite everything she had endured in efforts to beat it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">During her illness Ramona wrote a prayer, one that was very meaningful to her and her family. Now, Ramona’s daughter Irena thought her mother’s words were fitting for one of the more intense scenes in the movie she was making. Irena says about the prayer, “I think she wrote it for self preservation during the tough times, to remind her of the qualities and values she cared about most as her health was deteriorating.” Irena asked me if I could compose a melody for her mother’s prayer. I agreed to give it a try. Irena wanted something soft and serene, yet somewhat melancholy.<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/5a12a48c945350440d74dca7e8a04e95aedae9b4/original/ramonasprayer.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MjI1eDI2OCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_right border_" alt="Ramona's Prayer cover photo" height="268" style=" margin: 4px;" width="225" /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">Once I began composing “Ramona’s Prayer,” it became clear the song needed a female voice. Naturally, my first choice was Melissa Ridgeway, who sang the lead on my version of “Superstition,” and contributed awesome backing vocals on my EP “Frank Made Me Do It,” as well as singing on some unreleased tracks we did together. Luckily for me, and for everyone who ever gets to hear this tune, Melissa said yes. We spent a few hours recording, and Melissa poured <em>everything</em> into it. You can hear the raw emotion in every note. The combination of Melissa’s heartfelt interpretation, Ramona’s beautiful words, and everyone’s understanding of the back story brought forth something really special. Melissa was inspired by Ramona’s words, and wrote some additional lyrics to give the song a second verse.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">When you hear this song you will probably be surprised. There are no guitars, no bass, and no drums. Although I wrote it on guitar I felt that piano and a small string section was what was needed to support the melody and Melissa’s voice. I’m very happy with the results. Arranging the strings was a new thing for me, and was tremendously enjoyable. The most important thing, though, is bringing Ramona’s prayer to life, and letting it provide comfort & solace for people that all of us involved in the making of this song will never meet. My wish is that through this song Ramona is able to touch the lives of many, many people.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;"></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;"></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;"></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;"></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">("Ramona's Prayer" will be available at all major online music retailers on Monday, March 20, 2016. A portion of all profits <strong>will go to charity</strong>.) <em><strong>UPDATE:</strong> </em>Here are links to "<em>Ramona's Prayer</em>" on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/ramonas-prayer-single/1216545781" target="_blank">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ramonas-Prayer-Melissa-Ridgeway-Colborn/dp/B06XPCGKFZ/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1514673652&sr=1-1-mp3-albums-bar-strip-0&keywords=ramona%27s+prayer" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, and <a href="https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/melissaridgeway" target="_blank">CD Baby</a>.</span></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/60234752017-02-12T18:00:00-06:002021-04-30T11:21:00-05:00Talk about burying the lead...<p><span style="font-family: 'Droid Serif',serif; font-size: small;"><span class="font_large">I took up guitar in 1967, when Lyndon Johnson is president, gas is 33¢ per gallon, Sean Connery is James Bond, 911 systems do not exist, no place in the world has a law requiring you to wear a seat belt, the hand-held calculator has not yet been invented, the BBC still broadcasts in only black & white, the Andy Griffith Show is the number one television show, and “Strangers in the Night” by Frank Sinatra is the Grammys song of the year. A first class stamp was a nickel, Federal minimum wage was $1.40 an hour, a brand new VW bug was about $1,800 and you could buy a pretty decent house for $25,000.</span><br><br><span class="font_large">We had not yet sent a man to the moon, there were no cell phones, and computers filled entire rooms. There were no VCRs in homes anywhere; no answering machines, phones in homes used dials, and booths with pay-phones in them were everywhere; pop-top drink cans hadn’t been invented yet, and the Big Mac was still not on the menu at McDonald’s.</span><br><br><span class="font_large">A lot has changed since then, as you can see, including how recorded music is <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/c0aa2b9c5b15e9816dcb22399fd8c95cc1c21d01/original/singles.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MjE4eDE0OCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_right border_" alt="" height="148" style=" margin: 4px;" width="218" /></span><span class="font_large">“consumed” by music fans. In 1967 virtually everyone that bought recorded music bought vinyl records, either in the form of a 45rpm single or a 33⅓rpm album. Singles cost 39¢ or 49¢. (They were called a “single” because they had a single song per side, although the “A” side was usually the song that was being played on radio. This was the “single” that people were buying, and the “B” side was often a “throw-away” track.) Albums cost $3.98 to $4.99 normally, and had between 4 and 6 songs per side. In 2017 dollars a single would be $2.86 to $3.60 and an album would be $29.21 to $36.63. But our habits and expectations as music consumers has changed – a lot.</span><br><br><span class="font_large">We had 8-track tapes, cassettes, then CDs, then MP3 downloads, and finally streaming. Vinyl is making a comeback of sorts, at least for albums, but the prices tend to be in the $20 to $25 range for most releases, rather than the inflation-adjusted price range, although some are nearly $50. But not everyone is buying vinyl. Some are still buying CDs & MP3s <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/13ab610ebdafb9c562fd4255bb8e0203c691171a/original/albums.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MTg2eDE0MCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" height="140" style=" margin: 4px; border: 3px solid black;" width="186" />(average $10 per album), but most folks now want <strong>unlimited</strong> streaming at $10 per month or less (you know - free). While this seems to be great (at first glance, anyway) for listeners, it is not so good for the musicians. With most streaming services the artist and/or record label get a fraction of a single penny for each stream, and this means that a million plays will bring in just under $5,000. Sounds like a good chunk of change until you realize how hard it is to get a million plays, and the cost of making the recording.<br><br>It is possible to spend $5,000 to get a really good sounding recording of a single song, if you want it to complete with the majors. But let’s say we can get it done for $2,000, it’s totally possible. A million streams would give us a nice profit, right? Well… there is the cost of promotion to try to get those million streams. These days it’s called “playlist payola” and unlike radio payola, it is not governed by any laws. The typical cost is around $2,000 per song to get on a playlist with tens of thousands of fans, and up to $10,000 per song to get on the most-followed playlists. This simply is not possible for the vast majority of musicians. So, the power of a great song is not enough. (I’m not certain it ever was, but there are many who will argue there was time when a great song was all you needed.)<br><br>So many, many songs that might be truly enjoyed will go undiscovered, and the artists that created them will stop making music because they cannot even break even on their music career, let alone pay their bills. Some will argue that these artists should get a day job and make music as a hobby. Some musicians will do just that. Most will not. Even pursuing music as a hobby is a vastly time consuming endeavor, and trying to do that while having a day job, a family, maintaining a home, and staying healthy will simply be not worth the effort for many musicians. And <em>that</em> is where it becomes not-so-good for the listeners. Maybe they love a certain musician’s one and only release which absolutely touched their soul, but they never bought the MP3 or CD because they could listen to it all the time for free or even as part of a paid streaming service. The listener is <em>craving</em> more music from this artist, but it never comes. The listener might say “Well, I would’ve gone to see them in concert if they had just come to my town. I might have even bought a t-shirt. Why didn’t they tour?” Because touring is expensive, and requires a lot of money up front. Money the artist did not have because they never had the “magic million” streams, or even if they did they were in debt from the PR (payola) campaign. Money they didn’t have because no one bought CDs or downloads, which have at least a little profit margin.<br><br>Oh yeah, some “DIY” punk band is going to say “We toured for a year in a $700 van, sleeping on fans’ couches or on our amps, eating Ramen noodles, and would only shower when it rained…” or some such nonsense. Good for them, but the vast majority of people cannot live like that, nor should they have to exist in such a way. Some might try touring like this (most won’t) and after a short time decide that they’re better off stocking shelves back home, or answering phones or selling insurance, or whatever. They may try to do music on the side, but time with the family, time to mow the lawn (can’t afford a service with what they’re spending on the new recordings), and time for recreation will be so rare that they will have to give something up. It will be music. It will be music because there is no return-on-investment. Not a financial return, nor an emotional return, but the exact opposite. It will have been a drain both financially and emotionally for so long they will gladly give it up and never look back.<br><br>Granted, there will be few that can balance it all, but it should be an option rather than mandatory. Yeah, there will be the rare few that get noticed by a mega-label and turned into superstars and household names, but that artistic middle-class is essentially gone. That’s where the vast majority of music that I truly loved came from, when I first discovered music. Those working artists, not stars but able to pay the bills, they made the <em>best</em> music for me, and I supported them by buying their recordings. I still do. I seem to be in the minority.<br><br>So that’s what all of this verbiage is about. 1,182 words (more now!) to ask you to support the musicians and bands you like by buying their music. And please go see them live, even if it is a venue that you’re not overly fond of, because with your support they might be in a cooler venue next time. Buy a t-shirt. And most importantly <strong>tell your friends</strong> to do the same. You have a band or musician you like? <strong><em>Tell people!!</em></strong> That is an awesome form of support and it costs you only a few seconds of your time. Thanks.<br><br>Until next time, live well & rock hard.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Droid Serif',serif; font-size: small;"> <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MTAxeDkxIl0%3D.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="91" width="101" /></span></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/60234742017-01-12T18:00:00-06:002017-02-13T05:44:14-06:002016, the Good, the Bad & the Ugly<p><span style="font-size: small; font-family: 'Droid Serif',serif;">Hi folks, this post went out as a newsletter a couple weeks back, and it seems like a good blog entry as well. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small; font-family: 'Droid Serif',serif;"><br> I typically try to avoid end-of-the-year recaps, because I like to look towards tomorrow, rather than dwell on the past. I’m a firm believer in making things happen <em>today</em> and planning for the future. But sometimes it is good for the soul to look back and see if I actually got anything done recently. So I’m going with the flow, and doing a little recap of the year for me, and in general. I’m breaking it into three sections, as implied in the title.<br> <br> First, the Good: 2016 was a year that produced a lot of musical ideas for me, and offered me some really cool new opportunities. One of these was being asked to write the music for a short form movie, using lyrics written as a prayer by my wife’s best friend. There’s way more to the story, which I’ll share on another day, but I do want to say that the result exceeded my own expectations. In a large part, this is due to the magnificent interpretation of my melody by the awesome Melissa Ridgeway. She set the melody soaring & imbued every note with pure emotion, and I am very excited about sharing this with you all in 2017. And get this – the recording features <strong>no</strong> guitars! I played piano, & added viola, violin, cello & double bass (kind of a giant cello) via some studio magic. Way outside of my normal wheelhouse, but <strong><em>so</em> </strong>much fun to do.<br> <br> I also renewed some old friendships, expanded some new ones, and had many offers for collaboration. I saw some of my favorite guitarists & bands on tour; saw some great musicals; visited some great cities; and spent time with my family. I added some cool new stuff to my guitar rig and studio setup. I got a new van, which has been a huge help in both my musical life and my home life. My wife and kids are all healthy and happy, and that’s the best thing of all.<br> <br> Lots of good things happened in <em>the world</em>, too, if we just take the time to see them. There is now a vaccine for Ebola that is 100% effective; pandas and manatees and green sea turtles have been removed from the endangered species list; Cubs fans think the Cubs winning the World Series is a pretty good thing; renewable energy is providing more energy than ever; a solar powered plane flew around the world; malaria is down 60% globally; too many medical technology leaps to list; and charitable donations are up dramatically. There’s more, lots more, but you get the idea.<br> <br> Now for the Bad: 2016 threw me some curve balls. I had some life-altering health scares. (I’m okay, but it took some work.) Bookings were <em><strong>way</strong> </em>down due to so many different reasons I don’t know where to start. Changes in the personal lives of everyone in the band created roadblocks; some venues closed, & others changed their formats and stopped booking original bands. Agents that had told us they could put together small tours would suddenly change their stories about dates and compensation, forcing us to turn down shows because we would end up losing too much money. In the end we only played a handful of shows, some of which were pretty cool, and some were not. On the recording front, the new album didn’t get recorded. Many of the same roadblocks that occurred for bookings interfered with getting anything done in the studio. We got demo versions of two songs done before things crashed completely. And speaking of crashing, the hard drive that contained those demos (and a bunch of other stuff) crashed, taking hundreds of hours of work with it. “What about your backup?” you ask. Well, the backups are all corrupted. Unusable. As I write this a data recovery service is trying to pull what they can from the crashed drive. Some hard lessons learned there.<br> <br> In the world, of course, celebrity deaths were rampant; the election campaigning was a nightmare; and exploding phones and other strange things made for a very tough year. But let us not dwell on any of it – go back and reread the good stuff. March into 2017 with a positive mindset that <strong><em>you</em></strong> are going to help make the world a <em>better</em> place. Support local musicians, give to charities, volunteer, and commit random acts of kindness. Do it.<br> <br> Now for the Ugly. This is just some strange things from the past year that I can’t really say are bad, but they definitely aren’t <em>good.</em> Like the “promoter” that contacted me, set up a gig, and never <strong>promoted</strong> it! He didn’t say he was a “booker,” he specifically called himself a <em>promoter.</em> He never posted a thing on Facebook, Twitter, his website, or anywhere else. How is he a “promoter” then? Next is the “live sound engineer” that did not know what a stage plot is. In case he sees this, here’s an explanation: a stage plot is a chart that shows the sound engineer how many microphones are needed and where they should be placed on the stage. It’s so simple. But he threw it on the ground saying “I don’t know what that is. I’ll figure it out.” But he didn’t! We ended up short one vocal mic, because he “never heard of a singing drummer.” Sigh… Other Ugly stuff: I used to be in a band called Cheater. I’ve been told we were kind of a big deal for a while, and I thought it might be nice to put out some kind of material for any of our old fans that were interested: demo recordings, live recordings, a book with photos & posters & stories of those days from former members. Well, that drive that crashed also contained most of my digitized files related to this project. Ugh. Close to a hundred hours of work, gone in an instant. Luckily, all the source material is still in my possession, so if the data recovery service can’t save it, I can just start over. But that will be ugly.<br> <br> Enough of the Bad and the Ugly! Let’s talk about the Good some more. I also updated my <a href="http://clarkplaysguitar.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c393d9dbd6be1fa57580c6169&id=5aac659cbc&e=5485f17640" target="_blank">web site</a> and <a href="http://clarkplaysguitar.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c393d9dbd6be1fa57580c6169&id=356143b43b&e=5485f17640" target="_blank">web store</a>; released a hand-made, solid oak <a href="http://clarkplaysguitar.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=c393d9dbd6be1fa57580c6169&id=f6c0e4e238&e=5485f17640" target="_blank">box set</a> with all four of my CDs; lost weight; and had my master bath completely remodeled! (I now have a shower big enough for me, yay!) I’m certain there are a bunch of other Good things I’m neglecting to mention, but that just means it <em>was</em> a good year. I’m going to look at many of the allegedly bad things as opportunities, and this coming year will see the release of <em>“Obscurotica”</em> as my fourth full-length album, along with the release of <em>“Ramona’s Prayer”</em> and other collaborations in both live and studio settings.<br> <br> I hope you all have an awesome 2017! Thank you all for your support and interest in what I do. You truly rock!<br> <br> Until next time, live well and rock hard,<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6OTl4ODkiXQ%3D%3D.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="89" width="99" /><br></span></p>clarkplaysguitar.comtag:clarkplaysguitar.com,2005:Post/60234732016-03-01T18:00:00-06:002016-03-28T09:01:12-05:00Astounding 6 year experiment has ended<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">ClarkPlaysGuitar dot com has been around for 15 years this month. Wow. It's crazy how time flies. Over this decade-and-a-half the internet has changed a lot, and I’ve tried to keep this site in step with the “world wide web” as things changed. This has meant different web hosting services, different content management systems, and different analytics methods, all of which are mostly “behind-the-scenes” kinds of things. For visitors to this site those alterations made very little difference to their experience. Some changes were for cost savings; some were to increase functionality, some were to make it easier to maintain; but all changes were made to ultimately enhance your visits. <br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">About six years ago I became very frustrated with the limitations of my hosting service’s integrated content management system and decided to move to a new host and rebuild the site from scratch. I wanted to have <em>complete</em> control over every aspect of how my site looked, how it functioned for visitors, how the menu functioned, and more. I wanted my own built-in store where I could sell t-shirts, posters, CDs, & anything else <em>directly</em> to my fans. I wanted to be able to have secret pages that you could only find if you had a link, fun things for visitors to “trip” across. But to do this I would have to learn a <em>ton</em> of coding, purchase e-commerce software, and spend <em>weeks</em> putting it all together. And so I did. As time passed I had <span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">to re-code it to work perfectly on tablets & smart-phones as well as on a desktop computer.</span><br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;"> I spent <em>hundreds</em> of hours creating the new ClarkPlaysGuitar dot com, convinced that having this slick, super-functional, great looking web site with all these unique features would increase fan interaction & engagement, improve bookings, increase site traffic, and help with media relations, too. Well… results have been mixed. During the six years that I’ve been running the site this way I have averaged about ten hours per week working on it. The very few positives that resulted from my efforts are simply not enough to justify that kind of time investment, so I’m calling it a six year experiment, and ending the experiment.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">Now, the only thing visitors might notice is a new look, and that some of the things which were on this web site during those six years are now gone. All the important things are still here, of course. With the changes I’ve made “under the hood” I should get an extra 8 or 9 hours per week to work on writing new music, recording, and performing. This new version of the site should work fine on mobile devices, too. There are some other trade-offs that will probably only matter to me, but the time gained is totally worth it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">The biggest change that you <em>might</em> notice is my old blog posts are gone. And going forward, there will only be important news posted on the blog. Hopefully this extra time will help me to get more new music written, recorded, and out to you. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">There you have it. Welcome to the “new” ClarkPlaysGuitar.com. Again. Still. Some more.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;">Until next time, live well & rock hard,<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/392097/ecef44f2f578b099ce4d5bfbe707fd5d33bc683d/original/white-signature.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MTAzeDkzIl0%3D.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="93" width="103" /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: medium;"></span></p>clarkplaysguitar.com