This page points to audio clips of some of my original music compositions and of live performances with the bands I've performed with over the years. I have been struggling for some time to digitize this stuff in a format that does not overrun my available space on the server but also does not sound like chicken scratching. (N.B. The second goal may be unachievable with any format.)
I recorded these songs on 2-track Wollensak (the guys in my band used to call it the "Swollensack") reel-to-reel tape recorder. I can't remember exactly how I tracked self-harmonies over my lead vocals, but I think it had something to do with the fact that the tape recorder was broken. Needless to say, these are not studio-quality recordings. I have resisted the temptation to add echo or otherwise attempt to disguise the raw, ...er whatever contained in these songs.
All songs are in RealMedia format, optimized for 56K streaming.
This is how I spent my 2002 Winter Solstice break: recording a producing a cover of Cat Stevens' But I Might Die Tonight. I have owned a midi keyboard and Cakewalk software for several years and have finally followed through on my intention of learning how to use these things well enough to produce a song. So here it is, my first production ever, But I Might Die Tonight.
Maybe I should have never told anyone I wrote a love song for my wife for her birthday this year, because now I keep getting requests from people who want to hear it. Today I have overcome my embarrassment and made available Its About Time in mp3 format. Warning: Extreme mushiness ahead. Sappy lyrics. Sounds like a dippy love song for a Disney movie. Also, I didn't do enough takes to make the vocals as strong as they should be. Okay, you have been warned. Proceed to Its About Time at your own risk.
My son, Paul, has been working with a local group called the Connelly Brothers. Here is a video of The Sight of the Sun, produced as an audition demo for the 2005 Battle of the Bands. Here is a song the Paul wrote, produced, and recorded in October 2005.
This stuff was also recorded on the Swollensack (see above) in my basement. Distortion was almost inevitable, although we tried to control the volume on the Big Louie tape, a comprehensive legacy created at our last get-together. We also recorded a demo tape of some of Bill McCoy's compositions. He gave the tape to Todd Rundgren at a concert. Todd never called, but I really liked Bill's songs (especially "Belinda Be Mine") and I wish I had a copy of that tape.
The Johnny Johnson Orchestra was the actual name of the band whose members included my grandfather, father, and three uncles. They used to play from the town band stand on Saturday nights. Follow this link to a letter written by my Uncle Hane in which he describes the band's activities. Their influence on me is strictly genetic. I find country music quaint, but rarely listen to it by choice. I used to say that I wouldn't be caught dead playing it, but I have to admit that this music has grown on me, particularly after I produced a CD of the Orchestra's music. This is real foot-tapping, happy music of many genres--ragtime, waltzes, reels, marches, hornpipes, and jigs. Fun stuff.
You can follow this link for a list of songs the Orchestra recorded in 1939 in Canton, Missouri. My father was attending Culver Stockton at that time and was building a broadcasting station as one of his course assignments, so he had access to the equipment at night. Only three members of the band were available for the recording session: my grandfather (violin), my father (mandolin), and my Uncle Hane (guitar). If I had unlimited space I'd make available everything on their set list; but you'll have to settle for one sample--Under the Double Eagle.
Here are some groups whose music has really touched my soul. Unlike some of my colleagues, whose musical tastes seem to be dictated by the strangeness of the group's name, how avant-garde and underground and obscure they are, etc., I seem to be affected merely by the catchiness of melody, harmony, and chord structure. Sad, haunting music is my favorite, although when I am in a good mood I love power pop.
100 years by John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting gives me chills every time I hear it and often brings tears to my eyes. (Music video is in streaming mov format.)
John A. Johnson
1,000,000 broken links fixed and some new things added May 20, 2004. Last update: December 3, 2005