Martha My Dear

When I started this blog back on 9-9-09, writing about how I would be recording the White Album for the next 270 days, I didn’t consider that I might get sick between now and then. This week, I bring you the “I’ve had a sinus infection for the last 5 days” arrangement of Martha My Dear. I don’t say this for sympathy. I know I’ve apologized too many times already on this blog. I can proudly say that I persevered, over came, upheld the integrity of this blog, whatever, and completed the recording last night around midnight. So, if I sound a bit sleepy, it’s the Sudafed…and lack lack of sleep.

I love Martha My Dear. I think it’s a beautiful song and the horns and strings and piano are perfectly and sweetly arranged around Paul McCartney’s lovely melody. I love the fact that he was inspired by his dog, Martha, to write this song. It’s great to know that I’m not the only one that writes songs that are inspired by furry flat mates. They all end up sounding like love songs, so no one really knows the difference. What’s wrong with writing your cat a love song? That sounds like another blog and another 270 days.

In case you’re new to this blog, let me just say that I play the drums, bass, guitar, piano and sing, clap hands, whistle and shake eggs and tambourines on various recordings. I do not play a violin, cello, tuba, flugelhorn, trumpet or baritone saxophone. If any of those instruments were laying about my house, I would gladly molest them until I was able to make a tune ring out, or until my husband told me to shut it. Unfortunately, for me, there are many of the above named instruments all over The Beatles version of Martha My Dear. Sometimes I change a song arrangement by substituting my trusty Casio SK-1 for proper clarinets and trumpets. That can require some creativity and time. Due to lack of time and an infected sinus cavity, I used the Kurzweil K-2000 and it’s many fake sounding instrument samples to flesh out this song. It sounds a little funny to me. I hope it makes you smile.