“I Will:” Proving a jam can actually lead somewhere – from Les

Following the “Download of the Month” release, members of MBG will share their thoughts about that song in subsequent blog posts. We hope it’ll give you a greater appreciation for the tune and all that went into writing and recording it. Enjoy!

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What started out as a typical Monday night MBG practice ended up being my first “real” attempt at songwriting. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve always dabbled in it. Sometimes with my guitar in hand, but most of the time just words with a funny melody to transmit the message. My daughters will attest to the fact that I make up songs all the time – typically something goofy and intended to poke fun or embellish a moment in time. I’ve always done it. I recall that my brother did it too. I believe it runs in the family. Honestly, my dog Tate has countless tunes written about him. So it wasn’t too farfetched to think I could write a “real” song. That takes me to the story behind the first MBG original release “I Will”.

There comes a time at almost every MBG practice when we have a few minutes to jam. You know – make up something on the fly without any forethought. Ours typically occur when someone takes a bathroom break or grabs a beverage from the refrigerator. This is our chance to break into impromptu collaboration. It only lasts a few minutes, there are no rules and there isn’t time for lyrics to be added. It’s just a good way to relax without putting down the instruments. If you miss a chord, play the wrong fill or tweak the tempo up and down, no one cares.

However, on the night “I Will” took flight, a couple of the guys were unable to make practice. Determined to stay on our weekly practice schedule, Jerry, Steve and I met at the warehouse (a.k.a. the Bat Cave) and worked on a few tunes we sometimes play as a three piece. Honestly, we were jamming more than practicing. I remember Steve kicking off an upbeat progression on the acoustic guitar, and Jerry and I followed along with the rhythm section. It sounded pretty good to me, so I started adlibbing lyrics. Honestly, the crux of the lyrics, and most of the song itself, was written on the spot that night. We played it couple of times and then recorded our rough take on Steve’s iPhone. You can check out the first super rough take from Jerry’s blog last week.

So, we had it – the foundation of our first original MBG release. Gary and Doug were not at practice that fateful night to add their personalities to the first take, but they helped by contributing to the final polished version and development of a bridge that fit nicely with the foundation. If you haven’t already, I hope you will download the final version and check out what resulted from the original iPhone version. Admittedly, Doug Davis is a master at recording. He, along with Jerry and Steve, are both great at critiquing arrangements and adding subtle nuance to any song. Doug came up with the idea to add the horn parts and called in a couple of friends of MBG to give it the added punch that really fit well with the vibe. Jerry, Steve and Doug all have a true gift for writing and recording music and, as a guy who loves to play drums, sing and write songs, they are great guys to know and partner with in MBG.

So, that’s it. Nothing too complicated and no long hours critiquing the arrangements. Yes, it took a while from start to finish to release the finished product but not because we belabored the tune. Everyone has multi projects at any given time, and there was no need to rush it. It happened the way originals should come together. Seemingly effortless. Now on to the next one (or 20), and I’m sure there will be a story behind each one worth sharing. Thanks for supporting MBG!