A year ago yesterday, I was 48.
Today I’m 50.
What the hell happened?
I’ve always had a thing for dates.
I don’t know why, but I can NOT forget them.
Unless, of course, I do forget them, then I’ll never know that I forgot them, so forget about it.
Huh?
Anyway, where was I?
Oh right.
As I walked into the studio the other day (May 24th) to finish the new MPB record, I noticed that it was twenty five years ago, to the day, that I walked into Sumet Studios in Dallas, Texas, to finish recording my first album “Songs From A Northern Town”.
I was 24 years old.
Less than a week from my 25th birthday.
I was convinced that the BIG TIME was right around the corner.
There was no stopping me.
I was on my way.
But, if you ever want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.
But, if you ever want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.
I’d been climbing the Music Business mountain for years
and years
and years.
and years.
and years…
Eventually in 2003, I’d had enough.
I couldn’t find my way.
I got fogged in.
I couldn’t see where I was.
Nothing made sense anymore.
So I walked away from everything.
I often wonder if I was closer to my dreams than I realized.
I guess I’ll never know.
Eventually, I found my way back to the foot of the mountain and started climbing again, though I never really got out of basecamp.
Anyway…
Back in July 2015, I got a phone call from my friend, Jim Dorie.
He told me that he’d just been dealt a losing hand and that we should probably arrange a visit.
I read between the lines and made the proper arrangements.
Then I picked up my guitar and started writing “My Old Friend”.
I wrote the first verse in the amount of time it takes to listen to it.
A couple weeks later, I flew to Nova Scotia and had a visit (my last) with Jim.
“Ring the bell, Jimmy, would you please!”
While the inspiration for the song “My Old Friend” stemmed from that phone call with Jim, back in the summer of 2015, there are bits and pieces of countless friendships from over the years in every single word.
Lately, I think that “My Old Friend” might be a song about me finding the younger me again.
Because over the last six and a half months of working on this record, I’ve found a bit of who I was (and what I was) back in 1993.
“I never will forget, how we’d smoke cigarettes out behind the school.”
“It sure is nice to see you again, my old friend…”
I am vividly aware that, as of today, I’m halfway to one hundred.
I don’t even buy green bananas anymore.
I mean, why take the chance and waste all that money?
So this is the first song on the new album.
25 years since the first album.
Did I, career wise, think I’d be further down the road?
Yep, of course I did.
But would I change anything?
Nah.
Not really.
It’s ok.
God only knows what’s around the corner.
I’ll just keep moving along one foot in front of the other.
One chord after another.
Hey, there’s a song idea right there.
Gotta go.
Mike
Thanks for sharing these stories. I think most of us feel like we’re still in “basecamp”….another great song ideal.
All the best
MY wife and are are sitting in the door of the garage listening to 8:30 drinking a beverage of choice. We saw you in London, Ontario back in February, first time and your blew me away.
I’m moving to Perth New Brunswick soon, be sure and you some home soon.
Thanks for the great music