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Thread: Eagles Tribute Song - Once Upon a Show by Free Verse

  1. #1
    Out on the Border
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    Default Eagles Tribute Song - Once Upon a Show by Free Verse

    Friends,

    I've written an Eagles tribute song in the style of Lying Eyes, titled "Once Upon a Show."

    I've posted a youtube video of me performing it - just me and my guitar. It's at youtube.com/ajmora.

    (There's also a cover of Hotel California on my youtube channel.)

    I've begun producing a full arrangement with drums, bass, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and backing vocals. I think it will take me a few weeks to get it done. When it's done, I'll update you here.

    When it's ready, I'll add it to my CD, titled "From London to LA."

    In the meantime, here are the lyrics, which I hope you like:


    Once Upon a Show


    Copyright 2009, Albert Mora



    Aaah, Aaah

    Once upon a show
    A long time ago
    When I knew a promise would last
    Forever

    Little could I know
    How the winds would blow
    I just knew that we would be
    Together

    Then the walls came tumbling down
    To the ground
    To the ground
    And the rains came pouring in
    Aw it’s a sin
    That a loser never wins

    Aaah
    Never wins
    Aaah

    Sometimes late at night
    I stare at the moon
    And I wonder what lucky star
    You’re under

    Did you find someone
    Who takes care of you?
    And is your love just smoke
    Or is it thunder?

    Or do the walls come crumbling down?
    To the ground
    To the ground
    And do the rains came rolling in?
    Ain’t it a sin?
    That a loser never wins

    Aaah
    Never wins
    Aaah

    Me and my guitar
    Still play them old bars
    Gone a million miles but ain’t got
    Very far

    Play them romance songs
    Lovers singing along
    Then the lights go out and I face
    Another dawn

    And the walls come crashing down
    To the ground
    To the ground
    And the rains come roaring in
    Lord it’s a sin
    That a loser never wins

    Aaah
    Never wins
    Aaah

    Maybe you were wise
    Beyond your years
    Maybe by leaving you saved
    A million tears

    Or maybe I’m a fool
    For letting you go -
    (Slow down)
    Once - up - on - a - show

    (Pick up speed again for ending)

    Aah
    Let you go
    Aah
    Let you go
    Aah

    Repeat and fade

    ================

    To Don H, Don F, Glenn, Bernie, Randy, Timothy, and Joe: Thanks for the awesome music lessons and inspiration.
    Last edited by AlMora; 09-28-2009 at 03:59 PM.

  2. #2
    Border Rebel Lisa's Avatar
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    Default Re: Eagles Tribute Song - Once Upon a Show by Free Verse

    Nice lyric!

  3. #3
    Out on the Border
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    Default Re: Eagles Tribute Song - Once Upon a Show by Free Verse

    Thank you Lisa. As so often happens - I've been working on a different song (titled "Run" for a book I've got for sale on Amazon.com [The Greatest Summer of My Life]) for two months and I'm stuck. In between working on Run, I started poking around with a song titled "One Nine Seven - O" - meaning 1970. The day before I taped my youtube video of the song, I realized that "Once Upon a Show" would be a much better title. Less confusing and more generic so anyone can relate to it. Then late at night, just before falling asleep, I got the idea that the song should also end with "Once Upon a Show" and I got very excited. It's one of my best, maybe my best lyric ever. The full arrangement recording is coming along beautifully. I've stolen every Bernie Leadon chop you've ever heard, and I'm probably using the identical guitar and amp [Gibson Les Paul Custom and Mesa Boogie (which is really a souped-up Fender)] as Bernie did, so my tone is incredibly beautiful. I've finished the drums and bass. I've sung the lead but I'm going to re-sing it many times for the final. My biggest challenge is lead vocals. I have a froggy, wavy voice. But when I concentrate, I think a little frogginess and waviness give it a nice, unique sound. I've got three guitars recorded - two acoustic and one lead. And I've got beautiful, high harmonies in my head. Can you tell I'm excited! Well it's time for me to run! Check out my video and give me feedback - good or bad! Blessings!!
    Last edited by AlMora; 09-29-2009 at 09:43 AM.

  4. #4
    Out on the Border
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    Default Once Upon a Show by Free Verse

    Eagles-friends:

    I've posted a second version of Once Upon a Show at youtube.com/ajmora.

    This version of the recording is around 50%-there. For this video, I didn't perform live. For the video I created a slide show of some landscape photos I've taken over the years. Got some desert, mountains, ocean pier, beach, ocean waves, and horses.

    For the final version of the song, I will:

    * Re-play the lead guitar, making it more simple

    * Add background vocals

    * Clean up some tiny things on drums and bass

    * Sing the final lead vocal while filming live for the final youtube video, without playing guitar, to try to really put my heart into it. This could be the first youtube video of an artist recording the lead vocal of an original song in studio.

    I'll keep you updated.

  5. #5
    Out on the Border
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    Default Update

    Eagles-friends,

    I have worked on the recording some 20 hours over the past three weeks or so and I feel I'm less than 50%-done. My goal is to make a recording as perfect as I am capable, and better than any of my previous recordings. For me that is a tough challenge. I will continue to work on it when I can, and I will not stop until it is done.

  6. #6
    Out on the Border
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    Default Update

    Friends, I'm going to do some recording tonight. I have changed the instrumentation and backgrounds on tape and in my head hundreds of times. I now hear someone whistling very pretty but very sad at the intro and between verses. This one's going to take time, but it's worth it!

  7. #7
    Out on the Border
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    Default Once Upon a Show by Free Verse Completed

    Eagles-Friends,

    Last night I finished recording the studio version of Once Upon a Show.

    This weekend I'll videotape myself singing it live and post the video on YouTube. If by some miracle I sing it better live in one take than I did in studio, I'll make that recording the "master" for my CD. I really really hope I can pull that off because I think that is a hundred times more interesting for the audience to see than either a weaker version than the studio or a lip sync.

    When I've decided on a master I'll add to to my CD.

    My CD has been titled "From London to LA" for years now. Each time I write a new song, I remove what I think is the weakest old song to make room for the new one.

    But now I think it's time to rethink that strategy.

    Within the last few months I finished recording another new original, "All I Have" and this weekend we're going to re-record "End of Christmas Day."

    I think I'm going to create a new CD title, add these new recordings, and bring back some old stuff. It'll be fun to come up with a new title and art work for the new CD.

    As for "Once Upon a Show" at first I had an Eagles arrangement in mind. Smooth. Lots of backgrounds. Pretty guitar solos.

    That is not what I ended up with. I tried lots of backgrounds and guitar licks. The backgrounds were pretty. The guitar licks were awesome. But they did not capture the mood of the song and did not support my wailing lead vocal. So I quit trying to be the Eagles and ended up with an extremely simple, naked recording. So now instead of calling this an Eagles "Tribute" song, from now on I'm going to call it my Eagles "Inspired" song. There's no doubt there's still a strong Eagles connection because the song has a country flavor, especially the fluid guitar strum and lightly honkey tonk bass line and drums. It ended up being a bluesy Tequila Sunrise. I don't think it's a stretch to say that.

    I'll announce here when I've posted the new video on YouTube.

    Have a great Friday!

  8. #8
    Administrator sodascouts's Avatar
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    Default Re: Eagles Tribute Song - Once Upon a Show by Free Verse

    I'm going to move this to the "Singing for the Sake of the Song" forum as it doesn't have much to do with the Former Eagles but it is about music.

    Always in our hearts, Never forgotten

  9. #9
    Out on the Border
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    Default Final Lyrics

    Here are final lyrics, which are slightly different from those I posted before:


    Once Upon a Show
    Copyright 2009, Albert Mora

    Aaah, Aaah

    Once upon a show
    A long time ago
    When I knew a promise would last
    Forever

    Little could I know
    How the winds would blow
    All I knew is we'd be
    Together

    Then the walls came tumbling down
    To the ground
    To the ground
    And the rain came pouring in
    Aw it’s a sin
    That a loser never wins

    Aaah
    Never wins
    Aaah

    Sometimes late at night
    I stare at the moon
    And I wonder what lucky star
    You’re under

    Did you find someone
    Who takes care of you?
    And is your love just smoke
    Or is it thunder?

    Or do the walls come crumbling down?
    To the ground
    To the ground
    And does the rain came rolling in?
    Ain’t it a sin?
    That a loser never wins

    Aaah
    Never wins
    Aaah

    Me and my guitar
    Still play them old bars
    Rolled around the world but never got
    Very far

    Play them romance songs
    Lovers singing along
    Then the lights go out and it's another
    Lonely dawn

    And the walls come crashing down
    To the ground
    To the ground
    And the rain comes roaring in
    Lord it’s a sin
    That a loser never wins

    Aaah
    Never wins
    Aaah

    Maybe you were wise
    Beyond your years
    Maybe by leaving you saved
    A million tears

    Or maybe I’m a fool
    For letting you go -
    (Slow down)
    Once - up - on - a - show

    (Pick up speed again for ending)


    Aah
    Let you go
    Aah
    Once upon a show
    Aah

    Repeat and fade

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