| 1.
Panama City Laid Back |
Sorta like a Jimmy Buffet song. Most of
the Nortunes take poetic license to describe what may have been
inspired by reality but are fiction. This one describes an actual
experience. Many song writers get inspired and start writing words
and phrases at unusual times. This one was actually written on
napkins at the "Hoof and Fin Diner" in one of the great beach
destinations of the world. |
| 2.
Midnight Plans |
There's a lot of humor in this one
related to a "fledgling wanta be songwriter". This one was
winner of a regional
Kentucky Fried Chicken songwriting contest many moons ago.
This one is all fiction inspired by "Third Rate Romance Low Rent
Rendezvous". |
| 3. Forever Yours |
Inspired by an ice cream bar |
| 4.
Chitlin' Strut |
Yep that's
the old Tele with finger picks
on. This is a song about the Salley, SC so named festival which is a
long time CSRA/southern tradition. The song was written on a lark
after going to the "Strut" several years in a row. There's a lot of
humor as we participated in the "talent contest". Normally the
Mayor's grandaughter was assumed to be the most talented. If you
ever saw the Seinfeld episode where Kramer joined the karate class
you can understand what it felt like as an adult to participate. The
judges deliberated a long time before they picked the
biggest goober. There are pictures
hidden somewhere but.... |
| 5.
Hearts Full Town |
A nice metaphor. |
| 6.
Saluda Truck Stop |
Dedicated to memory and honor of the Mama Leigh
truck stop on highway 121 in Saluda, SC as well as Marianne Blaine, A. Nathan Youngblood, Jim Autry and
all the many musicians and singers who went back and forth to gigs
on the "Woodpecker Trail". |
| 7.
Fantasy Come True |
"A zillion angels dancing on the
universe". Nothing better than walking hand in hand on the
Carolina coast. This song describes a trip to Hilton Head to see
Haley's Comet, an event extraordinaire starting with a 4:30 am wake
up call and lasting a little beyond sunrise. There was another group
staring at the sky with adult beverages who came from the other side
of midnight. Having seen a presentation at Augusta University from a
scientist from NASA I was happy to zone them in on the spot. I'm
sure some of those folks saw two comets. It looked like an upside
down Q-tip near the horizon among the full clear sky of twinkling
angelic stars. And then there was sun rise, waves rolling, dolphins
swimming, shells crunching and the music of nature adding to a great
memory. A senator's wife once told me the song was depressing but
geez I find miracles joyous. |
| 8.
Catfish Stew |
Dedicated to grandpa C.L.Battle, Ben
Barnard and the boys in the Oxford Nights, my other brothers and all
the other folks who've fished for cats on the Ogeeche River or Briar
Creek. My "little" brother said I sounded like a goober on this one
and I told him it was just a character I was doing in a theatre
musical. On second thought it was just me the goober. |
| 9. Are You The One |
"The reason for the madness".
There's no way to explain this one. |
| 10.
Civilized Alligator |
Another twanging
Tele song. "I
come from the swamp land near a fine ole southern town". So this one
is semi-autobiographic. I actually learned twice about the "needing
a day job" concept. The
first was when I started out on my own with wife, baby (Marisa),
house, conversion van (oh boy), and etc. The other time was about midway
along the journey was when I decided I could be a professional song
writer. There are many funny stories about what quickly led me back
to the day job but this song describes the bad move when I said "see you
later". |
| 11.
Champions Every One |
Dedicated to the currently defunct Augusta
Regatta. Lets hope we can get it back. A team from Bulgaria came
the year the song was written and produced. We made a cassette tape
for each of the crew who were very appreciative as it preserved what
I'm sure was a great memory for the team. |
| 12. Grab A Hold To Lovin' |
Gotta grab something. |
| 13. Lollipop Angel |
Dedicated to Marisa. |
| 14. Love Me 'Til I Fall Apart |
Done fallen. |
| 15. No Stoppin' Now |
Nice lead break. |
| 16.
Oh Jimmy |
Jim
Autry was a great sax player, friend
and musical brother. He was there for our entire Oxford Nights run.
Jim was a great front man in addition to Ben and always helped work
the crowd. He played tenor, alto, and bari sax as well as flute.
While not playing sax he played congas and whatever other percussion
he could find. I can't even estimate the amount of miles we put on
his old red Comet. We were also in Sammy O'Banion and the
Features together. After the Oxford Nights he and I played in
Georgia Rain and Godfather. Jim went on to play in Buford one of the
best bands to ever come out of Augusta. Like me he never stopped
playing and continued with many of the well known party bands in
Augusta including Burrell Bates and the Tony Howard Show. I had the
chance to sing in the Trinity-on-the-Hill choir with Jim's wife's
mother. My first conversation with her was the inspiration for this
song. |
| 17.
Princess Augusta |
Dedicated to about 100
trips on the river boat that Angie Morris brought to Augusta. The
Morris family has been one of the great families of the area. I will
forever be indebted to Angie for my wonderful experience as a "one
man band" on the river boat. |
| 18. Pheramones |
Dedicated to pig sweat. The
only Nortunes demo without guitar. Along with the sequence I played
synthesizer and sang to create the master recording. |
| 19. Tenderly |
From a vision beyond the
Nortune quadrant. |
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