Project 31: Draggin’ The Line
The votes are in and “Draggin’ The Line” has won! We will each create our own version of this tune.
Songs are due March 30.
Draggin’ the Spirit Line in the Sky
By Bill Fricke
I was six years old when “Draggin the Line” came out. I always liked it. Revisiting it for this project, I kept thinking about Norman Greenbaums’ “Sprit in the Sky”. Maybe it was the drumbeat. I also listened to SitS over and over my sisters had the 45 single. I always loved the pick-up switch toggle guitar part. It’s still my favorite part. And, after 50+ years I get to try replicate it!
I had to find out if they could they be combined? The answer is yes. I tried various combinations and finally came up with mashup that I think that works pretty well. Both songs are represented and it seems pretty cohesive.
Draggin’ the Line
By Brian Eveslage
It took me a while to get started on this project. I knew I wouldn't have been able to do the song justice playing it straight. So I decided to change it up a bit and make it more of a rocker. I didn't manage my time very well. So I feel it still needs something to break the repetition up a bit, but still pretty happy with how it turned out.
Draggin’ the Line
By Eric (Czahr) Scott
I don't have much to say about this song or the artist. I am completely unfamiliar with both. I didn't really like the original song when I listened to it for the project, but I took that as a challenge. I actually started this on guitar and then kept adding layers of weirdo noise until it evolved and lost the guitar entirely. It was fun, I like the results, and I even kinda dig the original song now.
Draggin’ the Line
By Daniel Joest
Since I was new to this song I really didn't know what to do with it. I had to listen to it quite often and then it started working out somehow. The shuffling rhythm reminded me of several songs, e.g. Roadhouse Blues by The Doors, Transona Five by Stereolab, and also the Airwolf theme which I first implemented as a solo part instead of where the guitar part is now. So the guitar solo stands on the ruins of the Airwolf theme. It was fun to play around with whatever came into my mind because the song was so unfamiliar to me. But in the end the Rock'n Roll roots still dominate. That's ok.
Draggin’ the Line
By Kelly Duclos
You gotta love two chord songs! This version features a sample from Know by Nick Drake, acoustic bass played with a violin bow and EBowed banjo.
Draggin’ the Line
By Mike Bettison
This project came together quite quickly. I had the good fortune to be able to collaborate with my friend and amazing singer Maureen Mullaney Vu. She sang the lead along with second and third harmonies and they are tight! :-) I also got to collaborate with my buddy George Rothenberger, a wonderful singer songwriter and blue-grass guitarist who brought the bass vocal with a smile. Finally, I had my long time collaboration partner Ryan Brosious sing the main part in the chorus and the "lala's" to give it some beach singalong vibes! Ryan also doubled the bass vocal part featured during the fadeout. I was also inspired by the Goose cover of this song and so decided to insert 32 bars of bluesy little riffs. I really like how it all came together! :-)
Geek stuff: I heavily leveraged Komplete Kontrol sound libraries for the instruments: Abby Road 70s Drummer, Scarbee Pre-Bass Amped, Electric Sunburst Deluxe, 40's Very Own Keys, Vintage Organs, Session Horns, and Electric Vintage. Programmed in Ableton Live and mastered using Ozone 11.
Draggin’ the Line
By Neil Fasen
After missing a few Basement Sketches projects due to time constraints presented by my relatively new job in Florida, I was finally able to preserve a Sunday to work on music and cracked out a version of “Draggin’ the Line.” As you’ll hear, it’s not my most creative endeavor, but it’s a “Neil version” of the song incorporating the things I do… layered vocal tracks, minimal instrumentation, and a little baritone ukulele at a few points. It was a lot of fun to record a song again. I shall do my level best to continue to make time for music despite the demands of these southern employers.
Draggin’ the Line
By Noah Warren
My middle school biology teacher, Mr. Donatel, would play the golden oldies radio station while we did lab work. That's probably where I first heard this song. My challenge was to recreate this song from my memory of it, without listening to the song at all. However, I failed. I had to listen to it to figure out the rhythm of the lyrics. Moreover, I procrastinated, not starting this project until this afternoon.
I wanted to create a Simon and Garfunkel version with a glorious acoustic track and harmonizing vocals, similar to "April Come She Will," but when it came time to record it, I couldn't make it work.
Panicking, I set a timer for 30 minutes to complete each task:
- make scratch vocal track.
- Build melodies and arrangements from that.
- Redo vocal track to make it somewhat less terrible.
- add sfx, mix(?)
Each time the timer would ring, I would reset the timer to 30 minutes and force myself to move forward to the next task. It was a steady march of failures, ascending to the final product you are letting into your ears right now. I just went weird until I ran out of time.
Bottomline: when all else fails, set a timer and go weird, I guess.
Thanks for listening!
Draggin’ the Line
By Tom Stromsodt
For whatever reason, this song conjured a fast casual restaurant commercial jingle in my head every time I worked on it. Thankfully that’s over now.
Rippin’ a Bong
By Ian Royal
Okay, this was my entry into the vote. I'm so jazzed that it became the pick, even though I voted for Symphony \m/.
Anyways, I picked it because this band is great. They have all these songs, that everyone has heard, but never seem to be given the same props as their contemporaries. That, and the bassline. I love it so much. Furthermore, I did start a cover about a year and a half ago, where I did the bass and drums, so on the off-chance this was the pick, I'd have some motivation to finish it. I always planned it as a parody, for my stoner-based Unkempt Muff project. Tempo was slowed to the year of my birth (77) and I played the bass and guitar (rhythm and sax parts). MIDI drums, organ and brass, with a bong rip sample doubling the brass lines. Many things drowned in the mix. Try to guess which ones. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
/rips bong while shrugging