audio: CHRISTMAS DOWNLOADS 2004
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Hi Everybody-

Well, it’s nearly that time of year, when a gift is a gift and the eggnog starts flowing. This has certainly been a fine one for me, not in the least because of your attentions. So I thought it would be the least I could do to supply you with some new music for the holidays. I have combed through the archives and found six pieces that I would like to make available to you all to say thank you for making 2004 such a pleasant period of time for me.

The MP3’s will be posted for download on mineandyours.com (another round of applause Craig Smith), two per week leading up to the big day. For starters there are two Christmas songs. As for the rest, well, you’ll just have to wait and tear off the virtual paper and ribbon as they come available. Please keep in mind that they are all unmastered, free, and solely for the purpose of your personal enjoyment (or disdain.. whatever... did I mention they are free?). I hope they add to your holiday merriment in some small way.

Merry Christmas Everybody,
DAVID

downloads

A GIFT FOR YOU ALL
I LIKE CHRISTMAS ‘CAUSE YOU FEED ME REAL GOOD

Welcome to the first installment of the 2004 Christmas Downloads.
Here, for your enjoyment, we have two selections from a very limited run Christmas EP I recorded a few years back in my little home studio on 13th Street. I think it has made it into a couple of friends yearly rotations, but, for the most part, has dwelled in holiday obscurity. Feel free to pass these around and make them into classics. I know you can.

CLAWS
JONATHAN BARNUM, TALK OF THE TOWN

Two outtakes from The Luxury Of Time sessions, recorded in 1999. Trying to remember why these didn’t make the album is a little difficult; I can only assume that the tolerance level for variety might have been already been stretched too much to include a song about a sexually confused girl with long fingernails and a account of an irresponsible rogue leaving his bride at the altar to the sounds of a musical overture without a musical. I really love these now, however. "Claws" probably displays my affection for the first Rufus Wainwright record a bit obviously, but it has a lot of good intention to it that makes me grin. Jonathan Barnum features rousing performances by Pete Langella and the Pisapia brothers (Joe and Marc), my former band mates in Joe, Marc’s Brother. Both tracks were produced by Jason Lehning and Peter Collins; Jason more than Peter in this case, since I do recall Peter remarking, in his clipped Etonian accent, that they were both ‘a bit much.’

COMFORT (ORIGINAL DEMO)
VENUS AGAIN (ORIGINAL DEMO)
ATTITUDE

Two home demos for songs that finally ended up on Mine And Yours, one outtake from the upcoming Wherever You Are EP (Dropping Spring 2005, by the way). "Comfort" is in its original form here, before Adam Schlesinger recognized its potential to be something more universal and worked his production magic. "Venus Again" was recorded at Paul Deakin’s house in Nashville during a post-breakup residency I had there before I moved to New York. It features my only released drumming performance to date. Be afraid. Attitude is one of my pet songs from the Wherever You Are sessions; I don’t think we ever got the arrangement or the mix quite right, and working through the red tape and locating the funds to correct them at this point would probably be very difficult. Bass and rhythm duties were handled by everyone’s favorite boogie duo, Whynot Jansveld and Ethan Eubanks; it was produced by Stephen Hague. I hope you can see through the slight imperfections and enjoy it for what it is, if not for what it could have been.

It should be about time for Christmas. Whoopee! I wish you all many of your own memories to supply you with plenty of nostalgia to cushion the coming years.

Love,
DAVID