Mr K-Tel's music downloads

 

'Walking To Paradise' (© Kelvin Fleming 1987) was originally done on my trusty 4 track with a click track. At the time I was playing in'Frank Jones and The Whole Town'about 1987). The band actually included the instrumental in it's song list. Some time later the drummer from the band, Greg Martin, popped around and I invited him to put some drums on the tape, which had to be done on one track to replace the click track. Later I re-mastered the tape and added a couple of extra bits. Because the original recording was good, the result was excellent I thought.

'Tube Screamer' (© Kelvin Fleming 2006) from a couple of years ago. All digital recording featuring a variety of sparkling guitar sounds. Guitars used were a '52 reissue Tele, a '57 type strat and an Epiphone Crestwood for the meaty bits. It has lashings of the nutty professor in me I think...

A recent home recording of one of my favourite Beatles songs, George Harrison's 'Something' It has two finger picked, and one strummed acoustic guitars; arpeggio Telecaster with Resly tone warble to give a bit of a Hammond effect. Topped off with some lead on a 'L' Strat and a vintage Les Paul. I don't sing much so......there it is!

In the early '70s, Hank Marvin brought out a solo album. One of the tracks was called 'Sacha'. It caught my ear at the time. A few years ago I did a version at home using a crude drum track generated on an ordinary sound card. The result was pretty, O.K. and I even sampled (and sped up) the original Hammond organ intro from the vinyl record. So here it is: 'Sacha' (© Hank B Marvin)

Here's a rollicking little number also from a few years ago.

'Country Practice' (© Kelvin Fleming 2005)

My first and only foray into extended mixing. I had this idea of a reggae style groove number. Having done the rhythm track, my friend Wayne Burt dropped around about something and I had just finished re-fretting my '57 style 'Buddy Holly' Strat. I handed him the guitar and he chuckled to himself whilst putting down some of his inimitable guitar playing. At the end of it I decided to do various mixes and cobble them together to make a cruizy groove. I call it 'Cruizin On The Indian', 'cos Wayne is a bit of a bike man.... It will take a while because it's about 14 Meg.

'Cruizin On The Indian' (© Kelvin Fleming 2007)

An unfinished project of my favourite ever Shadows instrumental 'Atlantis'. It was penned by the mandolin player Jerry Lordan who was responsible for their best tunes. A melody as inspired as it is grandiose, which I never tire of.

'Atlantis' (© Jerry lordan)

'The Simpsons Theme' - doing this as a project in part for a music student of mine. She was playing some of the melody on the bass one day. I thought "let's do this as a thing..." Took on a life of it's own. Classic '60s style Nelson Riddle key changes typifying cinematic film scores to my ear. It isn't finished by any means ....needs some corny organ or 'Stylophone' I reckon. It's fun!!!

'The Lonely Bull' by Herb Alpert V1'' - Great melody by Herb Alpert. I got a terrific sound on the lead guitar bits using my old 'L' Strat played through a little Vox DA5 modelling practice amp. I wasn't totally happy with it because the lead bits were a little bit hesitant and stodgy, so I revisited the multitrack and had another go using my Japanese non-export '57 repo Strat. It was also my debut on a five string bass.

'The Lonely Bull' by Herb Alpert V2' - with the maple neck '57 style Strat.doing the lead guitars, and double tracked as well (Hank B Marvin often used to do that at Abbey Road to get a big sound). Gets a really piercing wiry sound. I like both versions!

'Rockywinkle'  (© Kelvin Fleming 2012) Here's a newie featuring my indisputably eccentric nutty professor guitar playing. It's a rough & ready job. This one is with a 5 string Jazz bass. All the guitars were done using my little Vox DA-5. Great but a little 'buzzy' in tone. Can't beat valves but is convenient I guess.

'Study in C'  (Fernando Sor 1778 - 1839) I play Classic guitar as a hobby. This is a simple composition my favourite classical guitar composer Fenando Sor. I thought it lent itself to a bit of a rollick with bass and a few different guitars. Give it a spin ...

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Vintage Analogue Home Recordings

 

 

In the old days (I first got my TEAC A3440 in 1983 I think) I used a cheapo Roland drum machine usually put through a valve guitar amp to try and fatten it up. I used a lot of compression on my cheap 'NEXT' guitar pedal compressor, particularly on the bass, which was all done on my very old Maton short scale bass. I bought this bass off a friend for $30 in the Seventies, and after a while I realised how good it really was. Being made out of solid Queensland maple, it "taught" me how to play bass because it had such a rich sound. People used to laugh when I pulled it out of the case but laughter gave way to astonishment when they heard the sound I could make with it. It raised the hackles of some rather audacious recording studio people on occasion... It was perfect for recording.

 

 

I didn't own an acoustic guitar at all in those days so I concocted all sorts of weird rhythm guitar sounds using reverb and compression etc. These days I prefer recordings to sound airy and more natural. I think it is an age thing - younguns love compression! I do use some overall digital compression when I put stuff up on this web site however just to make it a bit more 'present'.

'Duane Train' (© Kelvin Fleming 1982) was my first ever multi-track recording, made on my brand new TEAC A3440 machine. I made the bass and drum machine recording initially by dubbing between a cassette deck and a recording Sony Walkman. When I got the TEAC, I dubbed the rhythm track down and did the rest. I was chuffed that it was so easy...... After spending years in and out of studios, watching so called 'producers' crucify recordings in the name of their egos, it was refreshing to realise that the process was not mystical at all, and was the result of a musical approach, a down to earth understanding of technical things and a good ear. It is as simple as that.

Closely following 'Duane train' was this bit of fun. Obviously inspired from the same genre of twang. 'Barbeque Fiasco' (© Kelvin Fleming 1982). I usually named my instrumentals after I had recorded them depending on the images they invoked...

Some more vintage stuff:. 'The Rise & Fall of Summer Holidays'; recorded around 1984/85 on my TEAC 4 track. Inspired by Cliff and the Shadows with references to 'Summer Holiday' and 'The Rise & Fall of Flingel Bunt':- 'The Rise & Fall of Summer Holidays' (© Kelvin Fleming 1984)

A later 'hybrid' version done on a TASCAM 38 8-track reel to reel recorder. I dumped it onto an average quality PC sound card and tweaked it a bit. I had only just bought the machine and discovered later that it was completely out of electrical alignment (courtesy of the high profile service agent who shall remain nameless), causing the sound to be very edgy for reel to reel. I remedied this and used it for a while before selling it. It has some redeeming features I think but I prefer the old one above...'The Rise & Fall of Summer Holidays V2' (© Kelvin Fleming 1984)

'Telegraph Poles' (© Kelvin Fleming 1992) - a bit of inspired Hankish stuff but with an Aussie lilt I suppose. That wiry guitar sound always reminded me of wire stretched between tin cans when I was a kid playing telephones. That simple technology has always appealed to me I think.

'Apache' (© Jerry lordan) (my own home version) just is a must of course. It will just add to the thousands of others out there...

'Dance of the Barstools' (© Kelvin Fleming 1983) is basically a Jeff Beck inspired tune, as counterpoint to a funky bass melody.

'Bus Stop at Ceduna' (© Kelvin Fleming 1987) I wrote whilst in Frank Jones's 'The Whole Town' in the late '80s. I think the band played at gigs too. It's a rough recording but I like the melodic lilt...

'Rock a Pot-Billy' (© Kelvin Fleming 1990) A bit of fun with this genre. I played my Maton bass to a click track slap style, and the stereo mics picked up quite a bit of the acoustic sound of the bass being played this way - sounding uncannily like a stand-up.

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