Podcast appearances and mentions of bill demain

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with singer-songwriter David Mead for a wide-ranging conversation about singing, record-making, fatherhood, and the changing place of music in our culture.David takes me back to his earliest experiences as a singer, from hearing his mother sing around the house to studying with vocal teacher Norris Brandstrom. Those lessons began to make sense when David heard Jeff Buckley and discovered how classical vocal technique could open the door to a more adventurous, expressive way of singing.We also get inside the making of January San Fernando. David explains how working with musicians such as Larry Goldings and Val McCallum helped him relinquish some creative control, trust the instincts of the people in the room, and recognize the energy that can live in an early take.  He also shares news of another record made with the same core group of musicians.Some of the most meaningful parts of our conversation are about family. David reflects on how becoming a husband and father changed his relationship with ambition, identity, mortality, and creative work. We close by discussing his beautiful version of Michael Jackson's “Human Nature,” the childhood memory behind it, and how a low-pressure recording project became the album Indiana.Key TakeawaysDavid is grateful that he learned to sing, play guitar, and write songs before music became inseparable from today's constant flow of digital content.Vocal teacher Norris Brandstrom helped him understand that singing and speaking are extensions of the same natural process.Hearing Jeff Buckley gave David a contemporary context for the classical vocal technique he had previously resisted.While making January San Fernando, David deliberately gave musicians such as Larry Goldings and Val McCallum room to follow their own instincts.He prefers the energy and discovery of early studio takes, especially when working with musicians who have not spent too much time studying the songs.Fatherhood helped David separate his love of music from the pressure to define himself through a recording career.His version of “Human Nature” grew from a powerful childhood memory and the creative freedom surrounding the making of Indiana.Music from the EpisodeNashville - David MeadBedtime Story - David MeadIndiana - David MeadHuman Nature - David MeadAbout the PodcastThe Bandwich Tapes is a podcast about music, creativity, and the people who devote their lives to making sound. I sit down with musicians, songwriters, composers, producers, engineers, and other creative artists to explore their work, their influences, and the experiences that continue to shape them.Connect with the ShowQuestions, comments, or guest suggestions:contact@thebandwichtapes.com

Bill DeMain has been creating and evolving for decades. A prolific songwriter, music journalist, walking tour guide, and one half of the pop duo Swan Dive, he's still not slowing down. In fact, during the pandemic, he added yet another career to his résumé: cartoonist.

Was Elvis the real phantom of the Opry? Bill talked about songwriting with artists over Zoom, writing for Mojo, the Brill Building in 1961, confederate ghosts, Crowded House, Jill Sobule, Tin Pan Alley, and finding inspiration in artwork & cartoons. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Bill DeMain, a successful author, songwriter, journalist, tour guide, and musical historian who has been on the podcast previously for episode RSR200. As one half of the pop duo Swan Dive, he has released ten acclaimed albums with his singing partner Molly Felder, enjoying several Top 5 singles and tours of Japan, Thailand and Korea. He's also written songs for and with many other artists, including Curtis Stigers, Marshall Crenshaw, Teddy Thompson & Kelly Jones,  David Mead, Bleu, Kim Richey, Jill Sobule and Boo Hewerdine. His songs have appeared on TV shows like Sons of Anarchy, Private Practice, Felicity and The L Word, and in commercials for Laneige Cosmetics, Unicef and Sky Mobile. Bill is also a much-published music journalist, who's written for MOJO, Uncut, Entertainment Weekly and Classic Rock. He has written five books, including 2017's Amazon best-seller Sgt. Pepper At 50, and two of collections of interviews with noted songwriters such as David Bowie, Stevie Nicks, Ray Charles, Dolly Parton, Barry Gibb, Kate Bush and Smokey Robinson.  In addition, he is the owner of the music history walking tour Walkin' Nashville, a radio correspondent for BBC Glasgow and a cartoonist whose work has been published by Reader's Digest and Funny Times. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! http://UltimateMixingMasterclass.com https://www.adam-audio.com https://www.native-instruments.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off! https://www.izotope.com/en/deals.html iZotope RX 11 is here! https://www.lewitt-audio.com/ray https://gracedesign.com/ https://RecordingStudioRockstars.com/Academy  https://www.thetoyboxstudio.com/ Listen to this guest's discography on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7bB32vult4uY4TTaLa6X08?si=6fafbae7c9834d61 If you love the podcast, then please leave a review: https://RSRockstars.com/Review CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AT: https://RSRockstars.com/456

Bill DeMain has been making his mark in the music world for over thirty years. As one half of the pop duo Swan Dive, he has released ten acclaimed albums with his singing partner Molly Felder, enjoying several Top 5 singles and tours of Japan, Thailand and Korea. He's also written songs for and with many other artists, including Curtis Stigers, Marshall Crenshaw, Teddy Thompson & Kelly Jones, David Mead, Bleu, Kim Richey and Jill Sobule. His songs have appeared on TV shows like Sons of Anarchy, Private Practice and The L Word, and in commercials for Laneige Cosmetics, Unicef and Sky Mobile.DeMain is also a much-published music journalist, who's written for MOJO, Uncut, Entertainment Weekly and Classic Rock. He has written five books, including 2017's Amazon best-seller Sgt. Pepper At 50, and two of collections of interviews with noted songwriters such as David Bowie, Stevie Nicks, Dolly Parton, Barry Gibb, Kate Bush and Smokey Robinson. In addition, he is the owner of the music history walking tour Walkin' Nashville, a radio correspondent for BBC Glasgow and a cartoonist whose work has been published by Reader's Digest and Funny Times.https://www.facebook.com/p/Swan-Dive-100063301053463/https://www.instagram.com/bdmcartoonshttps://www.walkinnashville.com/Host - Trey MitchellIG - treymitchellphotographyIG - feeding_the_senses_unsensoredFB - facebook.com/profile.php?id=100074368084848Sponsorship Information  -  ftsunashville@gmail.comTheme Song - The Wanshttps://www.thewansmusic.com/https://www.facebook.com/thewansmusic/https://www.instagram.com/thewans/?hl=en

Of all the tunes we do, none is more evocative than “Autumn Leaves.”Joseph Kosma's post World War II composition quickly became a jazz standard in America from the 1950s right up to today. “Autumn Leaves” actually is the tale of two torch songs,” music journalist Bill DeMain notes. “The original, written in French as “Les Feuilles Mortes” (meaning, “Dead Leaves”), was a dark lament of lost love and regret. “The translated version,” DeMain says, “ touched on the same theme, but in a gentler, more wistful way.”Poetic BirthIt started as a poem written in 1945 by screenwriter and Left Bank intellectual Jacques Prévert as part of the script for a ballet called Le Rendezvous. Two years later, when director Marcel Carné made a film of the ballet, Kosma entered our story, setting the Prévert verse to music. “Maybe because the words weren't conceived in song form,” says DeMain, “it took on a slightly unwieldy structure. Kosma interpreted it as 24 bars of introductory verse containing two distinct moods and melodies, followed by a 16-bar refrain (half the length of a traditional Tin Pan Alley song).”Carné's film was a flop, but the song had a life of its own. The movie's lead actor, a popular young singer named Yves Montand, made it his.But it was French chanteuse Juliette Greco — the perpetually black-clad “Little Miss Existentialist”— made perhaps the most memorable French version.In 1950, when the song was translated into English with Johnny Mercer lyrics, only a small part of the original opening verse survived (and is rarely sung today). “Mostly,” notes DeMain, “it became about featuring the catchy, spiraling 16-bar refrain. … In effect, this was a completely different song from the rambling elegy Prévert and Kosma had created. While the original was about an all-consuming passion, this was more about a fleeting attachment. More nostalgic than angst-ridden, more bittersweet than bitter.”Coming to AmericaFive years later, Nat “King” Cole took it to No. 1 on the hit parade, making it a nightclub standard for everyone from Frank Sinatra to Tony Bennett and Eartha Kitt.In 2012, jazz historian Philippe Baudoin called the song "the most important non-American standard." "It has been recorded about 1,400 times by mainstream and modern jazz musicians alone,” Baudoin said, “and is the eighth most-recorded tune by jazzmen.”Notable versions have been recorded by Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Chet Baker and Erroll Garner, by Ahmad Jamal, Duke Ellington and Cannonball Adderly, by John Coltrane, Chick Corea and Stanley Jordan.Our Take on the TuneThis song has those marvelous Mercer lyrics, as Floodster Emerita Michelle Hoge demonstrates whenever she's in the room. But when she's not here to sing it, the song also is an extraordinary vehicle as an instrumental. Here from last week's rehearsal, Danny Cox lays down that lovely melody, then his old friend and our guest for the evening — Bob Murnahan, in town for a visit from his Colorado home — takes a couple of choruses to mine gold in all those cool chords. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 1937flood.substack.com

LD finishes the tragic story of Sam Cooke and talks about the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death. Sources: Sam Cooke articles/ abkco.com / biography.com/ You send me, the life and Times of Sam Cooke by Daniel Wolff / history-of-rock.com/ allmusic.com/ performingsongwriter.com by Bill DeMain/ thefamouspeople.com/The weekly view by Al Hunter/ Imdb mini bio by D. G. Balazs / The Two Killings of Sam Cooke - Remastered documentary (Netflix)/ 10 things you didn’t know about Sam Cooke on americanbluesscene.com by JD Nash Support the show (https://rockandrollheavenl.wixsite.com/mysite)

This week, LD spends a little time with Sam Cooke in our first of two episodes on his life and tragic death.  Sources: Sam Cook articles/ abkco.com / biography.com/ You send me, the life and Times of Sam Cooke by Daniel Wolff / history-of-rock.com/ allmusic.com/ performingsongwriter.com by Bill DeMain/ thefamouspeople.com/The weekly view by Al Hunter/ Imdb mini bio by D. G. Balazs / The Two Killings of Sam Cooke - Remastered documentary (Netflix)/ 10 things you didn’t know about Sam Cooke on americanbluesscene.com by JD Nash Support the show (https://rockandrollheavenl.wixsite.com/mysite)

My guest today is Bill Demain a Nashville songwriter, producer, author, and even self started walking tour guide of downtown Nashville. As one half of Swan Dive, Bill DeMain has released ten acclaimed albums over the past 15 years with his singing partner Molly Felder, and were huge in Japan, Thailand and Korea.   He’s also written songs for and with many other artists, including Teddy Thompson & Kelly Jones, Marshall Crenshaw, David Mead, Bleu, Kim Richey, Jill Sobule and Boo Hewerdine. His songs have appeared on TV shows like Sons of Anarchy, Private Practice andThe L Word, and in commercials for Laniege Cosmetics, Unicef and Sky Mobile.   Thanks to our sponsors! OWC - Other World Computing: https://www.OWC.com JZ Microphones - https://usashop.jzmic.com/ Summer Sale: (up to) 50% Off All Microphones at JZMic.com Right Now! RSR Academy: http://RSRockstars.com/Academy Want to learn more about mixing? Get Free mix training with Lij at: http://MixMasterBundle.com Hear more on Youtube If you love the podcast then please Leave a review on iTunes here CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES AT: http://RSRockstars.com/200

A guided tour to the many sides of songwriter, Grammy-nominated rock journalist, and Nashville tour guide, Bill DeMain.

This week, Barney, Mark and Jasper listen to excerpts from Bill DeMain's 1997 interview with the wizard, the true star that is Todd Rundgren. Subjects include "online music delivery" and the challenge of originality in songwriting. They then move on to the week's free feature, about Orange Juice and Postcard Records. Danny Goldberg, former manager of Nirvana, is the featured writer for the week, so the boys discuss '70s pieces on Alice Cooper and Led Zeppelin and a memoir of attending high school with the late Gil Scott-Heron. Highlights among the new RBP library additions include pieces on Gerry & the Pacemakers, Yoko Ono on saving John Lennon from chauvinism, Depeche Mode, Foo Fighters, Lenny Waronker and the Stooges. Jasper rounds out the selection with discussion of Mel C, Clipse and Lauryn Hill. Produced by Jasper Murison-Bowie Pieces discussed: Todd Rundgren audio, Edwyn Collins, Hope & Despair, Postcard Records, Alice Cooper, Backstage with Led Zeppelin, schooldays with Gil Scott-Heron, Gerry & the Pacemakers, Alice Cooper live @ Shrine, Yoko Ono, Joy Division, Depeche Mode, Foo Fighters, Lenny Waronker, The Stooges, Stones for Glastonbury, Mel C's Reason + Clipse's Lord Willin', Cheryl Cole's shoulder and Lauryn Hill live

Teddy Thompson and Kelly Jones talk about the writing of their excellent album Little Windows as well as tracks from their solo catalogues like 'Love Her for That', 'I Should Get Up', 'In My Arms', 'The One I Can't Have' and 'There Goes My Baby'. The pair also speak about collaborating with their co-writing partner Bill DeMain, and producer (and former Sodajerker guest) Mike Viola.

Bill DeMain talks about Wings’ six week stay in Nashville in 1974, Buddy Killen stories, staying at “Junior’s Farm”, Curly Putnam stories, McCartney at The Grand Ole Opry, hanging with Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner backstage at the Opry, McCartney… Continue Reading →