Steven Briggs
03/25
I’m still not very comfortable referring to myself, the singer-songwriter, as ‘Steven Briggs’… I think I still prefer ‘The artist formerly known as Stephen Ellis’. But anyway...
We’ll see what happens here. Hopefully some output which is liberated and unconstrained. And thereby more rewarding, for me at least.
Into Space
03/26
My attempt to fill every frequency in the spectrum. At full volume.
Also a frank and unapologetic assessment of the current state of play.
(Note - I can no long be bothered to spend eons of time trying (and failing (repeatedly)) to get a mix that works on all devices. But you’re welcome to come round to my house and listen on my studio speakers - where it sounds Gr-r-reat!)
Maybe
07/25
"Maybe I'm in love with just being in love, or maybe I'm in love with you?"
The melody and lyric of "Maybe I'm in love with just being in love, or maybe I'm in love with you", came to me in the shower about 20 years ago. Back then I wasn't even writing songs. It came out of nowhere. This isolated lyric and melody seemed so perfect to me that I figured I must have heard it somewhere else, but I couldn't think where... It played over and over in my head. It swept me away me with a full orchestra of sound. It was Sinatra singing 'I've Got You under My Skin'. It was Tony Bennett singing 'I Left My Heart in San Francisco'.
"with you, with you, with you"
All I had at this point was a melody and a few words, but anyway there was nothing for me to do with this idea because I wasn't writing songs at the time and even if I was, how on earth would I bring this big-swing jazz number to life!? In addition, this was an out-and-out love song, and if ever I was going to write a song again, surely it wouldn't be a love song!?
So time passed by... But this little melody and little lyric would still fill my mind on occasion - sung in a grand swinging croon and backed by full brass section and strings. Even later, when seb_7 appeared and I started writing songs again this song felt untouchable, unachievable, 'not me', something to turn over in my mind, but not to work on.
"cos maybe I'm too old, to fall in love again?"
More years passed, but then I met Debbie... Driving up the M6 in heavy traffic and equally heavy rain, this song reappeared in my head. I sung it aloud and suddenly it seemed very relevant indeed. I decided that if there was ever a time to bring this song to life then surely it was now!
Lyrically the love song was entirely new territory, but at least now I had some immediate and pressing experience to draw upon! But the chords, harmony and arrangement still evaded me - this was jazz and I didn't have a clue!?
"My sleepy heart has spent so long in hibernation, now it's awake and it just wants to sing!"
So even more time passed, but eventually my patience wore out and sheer dogged perseverance, along with large doses of pragmatism saved the day. I finally battled through and arrived at a very simplified version in comparison to what was in my head, but hopefully still one with a certain elegance and swagger.
The intro needs strings I think, the piano is too brazen. But that's tomorrow's problem. For now I need to let this song rest a bit - it's been a long and interesting journey.