The music video. Part II. Choices
Making a music video implies one has music in the first place, no? And I didn’t yet, at least not recorded (turns out music in one’s head doesn’t count). So as I began to search out the help I would need to create the music video for The pinkStardust Blues, I began to ask around about finding someone to sing and record The pinkStardust Blues.
Barbara, a friend I have worked with on many projects, suggested I contact one Saja Butler at Urban Monk Studios in Fort Collins. Best damn advice I could have gotten. And fortunately for me, when I pitched the project to her, she said yes!
Saja sings The pinkStardust Blues like she was born to. During our first meeting I was popping up to use the john when I heard Saja humming the tune in the kitchen. When I returned I said “That’s it! You’ve got it.” Just the sound I was hoping for. She rocks it.
Down to the basement recording studio we went. Saja singing and playing guitar, me voicing the call backs as I call them.
First chorus
Saja singing: “Atom splitting”
Me calling back: “Uranium”
The schematic of a uranium atom (R) printed on the back of Hiroshima Maiden from the Four Enola Geisha – the paintings that will be exhibited in the installation pinkStardust. The back of the painting has been skinned in aluminum foil (matte side out) – part of the nod to Warhol (and Billy Name from Warhol’s first Factory studio) that I give Andy in much of the installation. After all, he’s my main muse on this project.
Saja singing: “Atom splitting”
Me calling back: “Plutonium”
The schematic of a plutonium atom (above ) printed on the back of Nagasaki Maiden from The Four Enola Geisha, on aluminum foil. Images of the front of The Four Enola Geisha paintings will not be shared until exhibited in the pinkStardust installation.
Saja singing: “Atom splitting”
Me calling back: “Currie’s call”
Saja singing: “Atom splitting”
Me calling back: “Oppie’s fall”
OOoooooooo…
As the song The pinkStardust Blues continued to move from conception to existing in our phenomenological world, hearing Saja sing it, playing the guitar while sitting in her basement studio, my excitement grew. Hearing the song come to life has been amazing.
And, as with much of how this project has developed, when I was telling my friend Claire about it over a glass of wine, she mentioned that her hubby Matty plays stand up bass. I love stand up bass! Would he consider playing on the recording? Turns out he would, and did! Mix in my brother Cliff’s playing harp (sent to Saja from Ohio) and oh man am I a happy gal.
Saja’s mixing is perfect. Not fussy, or over produced, it sounds like we are all sitting on the back porch singing the blues about “…our atomic history and where we might be bound” (from the last verse of The pinkStardust Blues).
Thanks Saja!
In the meantime, and during my attending to the recording of the song, I again found the perfect people to create / produce the video. Enter the creative visual folk – Caryn, Joey and TJ.
And, I found the perfect people to join me in ‘acting’ in the video. My daughter Zoe (channeling Edie Sedgwick, thanks to hair and makeup by my sister Robin – yes, it’s a family affair and I am blessed with a very creative family) and her friend Steve (the two referencing Ginsberg and Neuwrith in the Dylan video).
Next posting, I continue to chat about choices made – how they are sometimes informed by both synchronicity and timing and how though one’s creative vision must be maintained, one must not cling so tightly to it that one loses out on the chance to expand, increase, enhance…
Cheers!
carlisle studio 