The Laptop Sessions Cover Songs & Original Music Video Blog

By Jim Fusco:

Hello everyone to another special edition of the Laptop Sessions music video blog!  I’m happy to officially announce that my new album, “Those Around Us” is now available on iTunes and on CD!  If you’d like the album on CD, you can purchase it on my website at http://jimfusco.com/albums/those-around-us.html.  If you’d prefer to download the album on iTunes, you can get that by clicking here!

“Those Around Us” features twelve new original songs.  I hope you’ll go and check out my website for the full write-up on the new album.  I honestly believe it’s my best effort to date and I’m proud to bring this new album to you.

As you see from the album cover above (which looks AMAZING, by the way), I was able to secure Ben Quesnel (at http://bqartstudio.com) to paint the cover for me.  As you may know, Ben painted the “Halfway There” cover.  I couldn’t be happier with the results of both album covers!

On January 13th, 2012, I had a big CD Release Party with my closest friends, family, and co-workers.  Words cannot describe how honored and humbled I was by the great turnout.  The crowd loved the seven new songs I played acoustically for them and everyone had a great time.  I even got to play a special encore cover song of “Two of Us” by the Beatles with my fellow Traveling Acai Berries member, Steve.

I recorded the entire show in multi-track audio and mixed and mastered it for all to hear.  You can listen to the entire CD Release Party concert for free on my website!  That’s right, just go to http://jimfusco.com/albums/those-around-us.html and click on the music player in the middle of the screen.  I’m really happy I had the opportunity to record it with my multi-track recorder because I was able to mix and tweak it after the fact.  I tried to record the show on video, as well.  But, something went wrong with the tape and I was only able to salvage the last song I played, “Good Enough”.  But, I made the most of that short video and put it on YouTube to show (even for just a few minutes) what a good time we all had at the CD Release Party.  I’m presenting that video for you here on the Laptop Sessions music blog, too.

I sincerely hope you’ll go and at least listen to “Those Around Us” on my website and on iTunes.  I know you’ll love the album, especially if you’re a fan of the cover songs I play here on the Laptop Sessions cover songs blog.  I think you’ll notice the influence of the bands I love and the music that inspires me.  As always, I’d love to hear what you think!  Write a comment here on the blog, tweet me @jimfuscomusic, or visit my Facebook page at http://facebook.com/jimfuscomusic!

By Jim Fusco:

Boy, this doesn’t feel like a Thursday.  Having tomorrow off (plus Monday, as well) is AWESOME and it feels like a weekend night!  I’ve had a chance to relax and get some stuff done tonight, so I’m looking forward to a long weekend with some great weather here in Connecticut.

Let’s get right to tonight’s acoustic cover song music video!

I was reacquainted with “Lightnin’ Strikes” by Lou Christie last month when I heard it on my favorite Thursday radio show, “Rockin’ With Wayne” on WHUS UCONN Radio.  Of course, I knew it from years passed listening to the local oldies station, too.  Turns out this song was a Number One hit for Lou Christie in the mid-sixties and I can see why.  It’s catchy and features Lou’s great falsetto.  Of course, I wasn’t the only one who always thought it was Frankie Valli, but let me tell you- there’s a big difference.  Lou Christie was actually a songwriter!  He wrote “Lightnin’ Strikes” and that’s pretty cool, in my book.  Plus, I’m excited to add Lou Christie as yet another new artist to the vast array here on the Laptop Sessions acoustic cover songs music video blog!

One thing I never noticed was the lyrics in this song.  Go ahead- name some other lyrics besides, “Lightning is striking again.”  Well, when you listen to the words, this song is incredibly chauvinistic!  Basically, he’s saying: I found you and you’re the best.  I’m going to marry you someday.  But, until I do, I’m gonna be with a whole bunch of other people- basically anyone that asks.  And, that’s gotta be okay because you, “know the nature of a man”.  Wow, not sure I agree with that one!  Talk about subject matter that really wouldn’t fly 45 years later.  And, on top of it, I think he co-wrote the song with…get this…a woman!  Heh, I knew it- he’s Italian!

I love singing these songs with the high parts.  This one is fun because you can really belt it out.  So much so, in fact, that I woke Becky up while recording this video.  Oops.  I can’t really take a lot of the blame, though, as there are very few moments I have to record other than when she’s already asleep.  If I record while she’s just going to bed, she can’t fall asleep.  And then I can’t get the take right because I’m always so nervous that I’m keeping her awake.  This is one of the reasons why I can’t wait to get our basement finished.

I guess I’ll cut things short tonight at that- I won’t make a very “personal” post tonight and hope to kind of move-away from that format now.  There’s just some people out there that you don’t want knowing everything about your life and feelings anymore.  Until next Thursday night, I hope you have a great Easter weekend and opening week of baseball!

By Jeff Copperthite:

I get to kick off a specialty week here on laptopsessions.com.  If Jim & Chris haven’t hyped it up enough, it’s New Bands Week version 2.0 starting tonight!

Our first new band is, to be honest, a band I don’t know all that much about.  Matter of fact, I didn’t even know this song was by this band until it was played on The Complaining Show on WCJM way back when.  It was also featured prominently in the movie “The Wedding Singer” before Adam Sandler had his lights punched out.

I think I don’t match the voice of John (not Jerome) Geils that well, but the acoustic cover is an interesting one for sure.

Hey, it was either this or “Freeze Frame”.

This is probably among the more interesting songs I have covered.  Hopefully the rest of the year my song selection will start to make sense much more often.

Tomorrow Jim will be here to bring another new band to the table.  I can’t wait to see who it is!

“Wishful Thinking”
Wilco

D     F#m     Bm     E     G     D     G

Em                                 D
Fill up your mind with all it can know;
G                                      Em
Don’t forget that your body will let it all go.
Em                                    D                             G
Fill up your mind with all it can know…
D                         Bm              G                   D
What would we be without wishful thinking?

F#m     Bm     E     G     D     G

D                                          F#m
Chambers of chains with red plastic mouths,
Bm                             E
The inside of outside… No one has found
G                              D                        G
How to unring the bell, it’s just as well.

The turntable sizzles, the casting of spells,
The pressure devices… Hell in a nutshell.
Is any song worthy singing if it doesn’t help?

Fill up your mind with all it can know;
Don’t forget that your body will let it all go.
Fill up your mind with all it can know…
‘Cause what would love be without wishful thinking?

Open your arms as far as they will go.
Take off your dress; an embarrassing poem
Was written when I was alone in love with you.

I shook down these lines to shine up the streets,
I got up off my hands and knees to thank my luck stars
That you’re not me…

D                         Bm                G                D
What would we be without wishful thinking?
Am                      Em                G                D
What would we be without wishful thinking?
Am                      Em                G                D           Bm
What would we be without wishful thinking?

Am     Em     G     D     F#m     Bm     E

** These chords and lyrics are interpretations and transcriptions, respectively, and are the sole property of the copyright holder(s). They are posted on this website free of charge for no profit for the purpose of study and commentary, as allowed for under the “fair use” provision of U.S. copyright law, and should only be used for such personal and/or academic work. **