tuesday songs

performed by Kai Widmann

It's been my new year's resolution for 2011 to spend more time making/recording/mixing music. To force myself into doing so, I decided to put up this page and post one song I recorded every tuesday.
After eight months I couldn't go on with this. Having a stressful job and a family leaves not enough room to post on a weekly basis. But I will continue posting songs every once in a while. If you don't want to miss a song, you can follow me on SoundCloud or subscribe to my RSS-Feed.

Since 2021 I'm part of a band again, Fahmi Friedrich Widmann, check our LinkTree page to see what we're up to.

Feel free to leave comments. And please share!

[newer posts]

Song 25: Closer To Fine (Indigo Girls)

23 June 2011 - It has become a bad habit to post those tuesday songs late. Maybe I should call them "someday songs". Well, I have a profssional life as well and that's drawing all my attention recently. Anyway, this week it's at least not just another recording from the archive. I mean it is, but not just. I added a recorder (Blockflöte) that I wanted to have in that song ever since I recorded it more than nine years ago. Back then the song had to be finished for a birthday present, I didn't have the time to record another track and I never got around to work on it again. Not until today. So now this song is finally complete, no longer missing something in the instrumental part. And the new mix sounds better than the old one as well.
Here you go, some nice country / americana. Enjoy.

Kai Widmann: vocals, guitar, recorder

recorded 28 January 2002 and 23 June 2011, mixed 23 June 2011

written by Emily Sailers

originally released on Indigo Girls - Indigo Girls (1989)

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Song 24: Sad Songs And Waltzes (Willie Nelson)

15 June 2011 - All right, this week it's a wednesday song again. I'm way too busy.
There's a new Cake album out (Showroom of Compassion) and it's quite good. And this is a cover of a cover by Cake. The song was written and originally performd by Willie Nelson, but the Cake version is far better for my taste. So I tried to stay close to this. But I must admit I'm no way as cool as John McCrea (singer of Cake). Hope you'll like it anyway.

Kai Widmann: vocals, guitar, melodica

recorded 2006

written by Willie Nelson

originally released on Willie Nelson - Shotgun Willie (1973)
Cake's great cover version originally released on Cake - Fashion Nugget (1996)

Comments

Philipp - 16 June 2011, 07:36:32

Another smelly song (see Claudia, week 22). This time it would be grass and charcoal. That's hard to beat in terms of coolness.

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Song 23: The First Time (U2)

7 June 2011 - After my holidays I have a lot of work to do at the office. I worked too much yesterday and I will continue to work too much for the next two weeks or so. No time for new recordings. So here's an old one.
I never really was especially fond of the original version of "The First Time" by U2, but since it is easy to play I gave it a try some years ago and quickly started to like playing it. So I recorded this version for my wife's christmas CD in 2006.
New material or remixes as soon as possible.

Kai Widmann: vocals, guitar

recorded 2006

music by U2, lyrics by Bono

originally released on U2 - Zooropa (5 July 1993)

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Song 22: We Cry (Die kaputten GØTTER)

31 May 2011 - This year marks the 25th anniversary of my first band "Die kaputten GØTTER". To celebrate this I want to post new mixes of some of the old songs from our final tape "Spuren der GØTTER" (which was later relabled as first tape of the follow up band Hey Nonny Nonny) every once in a while when I'm away from Berlin or don't find the time or mood to record something new. I'll start the series with the first song on the tape. "We Cry" was recorded first, in March 1989, while the rest of the tape was recorded in one session in the summer of 1990. This is a special recording, 'cause for the first time a decent drummer played with us (Maik Hahn of Shyboy) and we recorded on 8 track tape for the very first time. Luckily I still have that tape, so I could digitize it some time ago. Now "We Cry" sounds as good and as fresh as never before (at least I hope the mix turned out ok, I had to do it on mid price in ear phones and some computer speakers - not the best mixing gear!).

Kai Widmann: vocals / Holger Geißler: electric guitar / Jura Kojetinsky: acoustic guitar / André Richter: bass / Maik Hahn: drums

recorded 11 + 12 March 1989, mixed May 2011

music by Holger Geißler and Kai Widmann, lyrics by Holger Geißler

original mix released on Die kaputten GØTTER - Spuren der GØTTER (1990)

Comments

Claudia - 31 May 2011, 22:09:35

It smells like beer and smoke from three days ago. I would say it is the typical Schwimmbadclub smell of the time. And I see sparklers, but I do not really trust my memory on that part. (to make it short -- very nice to have this song back)

Holger - 31 May 2011, 22:22:29

Wow! Digital is amazing! I'm sure it didn't sounded that perfect when we recorded it. You really can hear the large stairway where most of the instruments were recorded. Sounds better as always before!

Mac - 01 June 2011, 01:48:08

Hey! That sounds fresh and much better than the tape I got from you back in 1994 or something like that.
For the first time I could appreciate Holger's guitar on it - my old tape was really noisy.

This song takes me back to "my old self" going back home with my old Sony Walkman. hooooo!!! That was long ago.
Let me play it again. ;)

Holger - 01 June 2011, 19:20:26

Mac, your are right: The guitar always sounded out of tune. And even that is better thru the magic of Kais hands and probably a lot of magic software.

Kai Widmann - 01 June 2011, 21:55:28

Holger, there was no magic software involved. There's just some equalizer and reverb. Well and some amp simulations on your guitar ;) But no auto tune or whatever, only stuff that could have been done back in the 80s as well with the right equipment. I think the most important improvement is that this is not a copy of a copy of a copy from an original tape made on some cheap tape decks ;)

Mac - 02 June 2011, 19:02:11

Holger, I don't really think I have any record from HNN with out tuned guitar and believe me I have quite some songs from you guys. ;)
By the way, now that I have the change to say so: You have quite a unique DNA when playing guitar. I believe I could recognize you playing guitar in a any circumstance. I wish I could be there in one of your concerts. ;)
I'll stop now otherwise it will make Kai's page looks like a forum. :)

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Song 21: Magic (Ben Folds Five)

24 May 2011 - After my last recording (Taken By A Stranger, see week 19) I had to go back to the basics, back to my boring self ;) So this week it's just guitar and vocals.
I always wanted to do a cover of a Ben Folds song. Now I did a cover of a song from his band Ben Folds Five, but the song was written by the drummer Darren Jessee, the guy who also wrote the very first tuesday song "Blue Always Finds Me" (see week 1). So Ben Folds is yet to be covered.

Kai Widmann: vocals, guitar

recorded 23 May 2011, mixed 24 May 2011

music and lyrics by Darren Jessee

originally released on Ben Folds Five - The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner (1999)

Comments

Sunshine - 24 May 2011, 22:42:24

Love your version of Magic by Ben Folds Five. You really did it justice. It's really beautiful! <3

Mac - 25 May 2011, 02:49:37

"Magic" is one of my favourites Ben Folds song. When I saw that on your page I thought "well, too bad! It's impossible to play something I like". Then again you came with a new proposal on a very different perspective. Actually, your perspective, your touch which is me somehow. In the end, I liked it.

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