Sci-Fi Song #19: The Transformers Theme

Sci-Fi Song #19 is my cover of "The Transformers Theme" from the 1980's animated show. The metal band Lion and the indie-rock band Mute Math have both done excellent renderings of this tune. I tried to incorporate elements of both versions into my interpretation. In the end, I think that my version sounds like a mixture of folk singer/songwriter, electronica, and progressive rock. I had a great deal of fun putting this together and I hope you enjoy it.


John Anealio
twitter.com/JohnAnealio


Related Posts:

1. Sci-Fi Song #18: Cylon #6
2. Sci-Fi Song #16: Mr. Roboto (Styx Cover)

Here are some of the tools that I used to record this track.

1. Yamaha Acoustic Guitar in Drop-D Tuning
   
2. Rode NT-3 microphone for the vocals, acoustic guitar, and xylophone
   
3. Apple Logic Pro 8 recording software
1. Logic's included compressor, delay, distortion, EQ, pitch-shifting, and reverb plug-ins
2. The sounds of the violin and cello parts come from Logic's EXS24 Sampler
3. The synthesizer sounds were created using Logic's ES2 & EFM1 software synthesizers.
   
4. The percussion parts were created using Logic's Ultrabeat Drum Synthesizer and Jam Pack drum loops

Sci-Fi Song #15: Leodora

Leodora.mp3

Sci-Fi Song #15 was inspired by the Shadowbridge/Lord Tophet duology by Gregory Frost. This song is sung from the point of view of Diverus, the main character's musical accompanist. To learn more about Shadowbridge and Lord Tophet, check out these great reviews at the following blogs:

• OF Blog of the Fallen
  
• Fantasy Book Critic
  
• Neth Space
  
• Graeme's Fantasy Book Review

Leodora
by John Anealio

Diverus is my name, we're here to entertain you

I play the shawm while Lea works her puppets

We perform our show everywhere we go

But we're running from the agents of Lord Tophet

Can we live happily ever after walking span to span?

Leodora, don't cry.

Leodora, don't walk away.

Leodora, don't cry

Leodora, don't walk away from me now.

Bardsham was her father, Leandra was her mother

but Soter raised her since she was a baby

She wears a painted mask, she says her name is Jax

now she's the only woman who can save me

Can we live happily ever after walking span to span?

Chorus

Here are some of the tools that I used to record the track:

1. Martin Acoustic Guitar in Standard Tuning with a Capo at the 4th Fret for the strummed parts and the backwards arpeggios in the first verse, in Drop D tuning with a capo at the 4th fret for the finger-picking part in the second verse.
   
2. G&L ASAT Telecaster-style Electric Guitar in Standard tuning with a capo at the 2nd fret.
3. Fender Stratocaster for the backwards guitar solo.
4. Gibson Les Paul Studio Electric Guitar in open A tuning (EAEAC#E) for the slide guitar solo.
   
5. Washburn Bass Guitar
6. Rode NT-3 microphone (to record the acoustic guitar and my vocals)
7. Apple Logic Pro 8 recording software
   1. The EXS24 Sampler and EVB3 software instrument plug-ins for the piano, organ, and choir sounds.
   2. Logic's included compressor, delay, and reverb plug-ins
   3. The electric guitar parts were recorded through Logic's Guitar Amp Pro plug-in
   4. The drum parts were created using Beta Monkey's Drum Werks V loop collection

Related Posts:

1. Sci-Fi Song #5: Sarene: inspired by Brandon Sanderson's Elantris
   
2. Sci-Fi Song #6: Rachel Rosen : inspired by Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep

Sci-Fi Song #2: Page 123

Page 123.mp3

This week's song was inspired by a meme that has been circulating through some of the book blogs that I read regularly. Here it is:

1. Grab the nearest book
2. Turn to page 123
3. Write down the fifth sentence. (Go ahead, try it!).

I figured that it would be fun to try and write a song based on this meme. The nearest book for me was Wikinomics by Don Tapscott and Anthony Williams.


Here are some of the tools that I used to record this track:

1. Martin Acoustic Guitar in Drop-D tuning: DADGBE
2. Rode NT-3 microphone (to record the guitar and my vocals)
3. Apple Logic Pro 7 recording software
   
• EXS24 sampler for the drum, bass, and wurlitzer electric piano sounds
• EVB3 software instrument for the organ sound
  
• Logic's compressor, tremolo, and reverb plug-ins

Are you a blogger who tends to participate in these types of memes? If so, do you have any suggestions for a meme that might make a good song?

Special thanks to the following blogs for the inspiration:

1. Graeme's Fantasy Book Review
2. Fantasy Cafe
3. Fantasy Debut
4. Realms Of Speculative Fiction
5. Fantasy Book News & Reviews

Thanks,
John

Here are the lyrics:

I'm staring at my laptop screen
Scrolling through the feeds
I'm subscribed to a hundred blogs
but there's still nothing to read

While clicking tabs in Firefox
A theme seems to repeat
Grab a book from off your shelf
and find page 123

So turn to page 123
and write the fifth sentence that you see
So turn to page 123
Cause that seems to be the latest meme

So I take "Wikinomics" by Don Tapscott
and Anthony Williams
I open to page 123
and do what must be done

It reads "Firms will still need to invest resources
in internal R & D
to be able to recognize
a commercial opportunity"