The song, "Like I Du" has been around for a few years. I actually had this song re-recorded by Stu, and wasn't completely happy with his production. I'm not saying what he did was wrong. There were just some parts I wanted to stick with, like the dueling guitars.
I got this idea from Judas Priest, but rather than focus on lead guitar, I focused on weaving two melody lines together, like a good oratorio. I'm no composer, just some guy trying to do art. And I blended this type of idea with the power chords of Cheap Trick.
When I mixed the song, I still felt the guitars should be louder, but mixing is a tricky thing. Anytime I put the guitars louder in the mix, the bass got lost. So, I had to back off on the guitars, let the bass hold the foundation, and use that foundation again at the end of the song, where the guitars drop out completely.
Now, that I listen to the song, I realized I could've added another guitar layer. And I likely will. When I do, you'll get a free download on the new song, so you don't feel ripped off.
The song was inspired by the day I met my future wife, Susan. We met at Copeland's restaurant in Pensacola in the Summer of 2003. I knew it the moment I saw her I'd marry her. She was just so different from anyone I'd met before. Needless to say, I was a complete dork and didn't know how to control myself. She didn't like me like I liked her. She didn't even give me her phone number or email address. And at the time, not only was I part of the civil service, but I was writing music and food reviews for the Northwest Florida Daily News. Money was tight, and I needed to supplement my income (government employees are, on average, paid 33% less than business employees because of the general schedule).
Plus, I was trying to get a band together. So, the line, "Could I be wrong? Are you singing a different song? Baby, tell me the truth, do you feel like I do?" comes as a directly from this time in my life.
Let me digress for a second, here.
The music is loosely based on a song I wrote earlier called, "Outta My Reach" you can stream for free on SoundCloud. The whole story behind "Outta My Reach", has to do with finding a model for the music video, "Gravity" that Phil and I were making. I digress by saying I wanted to hire Kimber Lee, but she wasn't available. We don't see her that much these days, but 10 years ago she was everywhere in Pensacola. And to make matter even more interesting, the Gravity video nearly went viral. It was featured on the comedy channel, where Weird Al called the video "Dork Side of the Moon". (I can no longer find this content on line).
Back to the song.
Not only did I want to link Judas Priest and Cheap Trick, but I wanted the song to really clobber folks over the head, with music that sounded like Hard Rock, but had more of a guitar driven Power Pop sound to it. The problem was I couldn't sing the song.
So, I gave it to Stuart Epps to produce for me. You can find "Like I Do" on Spotify. And even though Stu did a wonderful job, it's not as raw as I wanted it to be. So, I re-recorded the entire thing, remixed and remastered the song.
If you don't know what mixing and mastering is, a crude visual is the image sequence to the right. Scarlet unretouched is the song. After the song is mixed, she looks like a model. Mastering makes Scarlet look like a pin up. What you get when you down load the song on MP3 format is pixelated Scarlet. And that's why if you want the best sonic experience, get a copy of the CD. So to in order to get the most out of the model and pin up, the foundation must be solid. This is what producers look for. And that's why I recommend using a good producer. The problem is they can be expensive, and they get paid before you do. All money is in advance of sales.
So, after listening to Stu's version, which was very good, but not raw enough, I hope you understand why my version is more consistent with what I wanted to do with Bait & Switch.
You see? Scarlet the pin up is an illusion. It's what happens when a producer gets a hold of a good song. What I wanted for Bait & Switch was more of the girl next door going on a date. Approachable, with as little Hollywood as possible, but not just a raw headshot. The Scarlet I was looking for was "after MIX".