Simon Mark Smith – Detailed information about the Dangerous Things Album
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“Put simply: this exceptionally unique album is something that you’ll need to definitely hear yourself from front to back. If you’re like us, you’ll need to listen to the album a number of times – not just because it is so different, or has 17 tracks, but also because it’s just simply stunning… Categorizing a splendid, and stylistically revolutionary, song like “Dreams” is almost a futile effort. It stands by itself. Perhaps it was intentional and strategic because at this point in the album it is becoming more apparent that Smith is a musical genius.”
Indie Rock Cafe Review
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“British artist delivers his most diverse, yet intimate, records… As a mirror of wonderful life, “Dangerous Things” is almost perfect.”
From an Album Review in “Let It Rock”
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To play it on Spotify click here or click on a title below to hear it on Reverbnation
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TRACK LIST (Click on a title to stream it)
7 Break It
10 Dreams
11 Not Enough
12 Your Name
17 Neon Sun
Lyrics and individual song details can be found further down the page
Press Release
Has Automation Come to Music?
One of the first albums to feature mainly virtual musicians has just been released, and do you think you can tell a computer played the music?
For decades musicians have been using computers to sample sounds and play patterns of music. Up until recently it has been musicians telling the computer what notes to play, when and how. But in the last few years software has been coming to the market that lets the computer choose which note play when and how it “thinks” best.
Simon Mark Smith has just released a 17 track album, Dangerous Things, in which 12 of the tracks were created using such software. He has had a following of over 120,000 followers on Facebook for his music over the last 10 years, yet they have been unaware that not is he not musically trained but he can’t actually play any instruments because in part, he was born without any lower arms.
“My followers on Facebook wouldn’t know about my arms, I’ve hidden this from them for the last 10 years, but I don’t want to hide it anymore, nor do I want to make it the focus of what I do. It’s hard to find the right balance.”
“I am a singer songwriter but I don’t consider myself to be a musician, I write songs and sing, but when it comes to the music I either get other people to play the music on my songs or increasingly I get computers to do it.”
“What’s strange is, using computers is very similar to working with real musicians,” says Smith, “I tell the computer what keys, chords, tempo and style I want and it comes up with loads of ideas which I then edit to create a song. The difference between now and a few years ago is just how human the music sounds…”
Dangerous Things, crosses genres and styles from rock, to pop, to folk, whilst veering from sounding like The National, to Tom Waits to Chris Isaacs.
Simon Mark Smith is also a digital artist, writer, painter, and photographer. He’s a product of our times; harnessing the power of the Internet to distribute and promote his art. Over the last 30 years he has written hundreds of songs and recorded 4 albums. He already has another album recorded and ready for release later this year, as well as an autobiography in the editing stage. 2019 and 2020 look set to be a busy time for Smith. Prepare to hear more from this prolific artist.
For further information:
Email info@simonmarksmith.com
Artist Information
Label: Independent
Genre: Rock, Pop, Folk,
Sounds like: The National, James Arthur, The Drones, Iron and Wine, Ryan Adams, Robbie Robertson, Kings of Leon, Civil Twilight, Oren Lavie, Jade Everett, Everlast, Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Chris Isaak, Mark Knopfler, JJ Cale.
Influences: Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Chris Isaak, Mark Knopfler, Dire Straits, JJ Cale, Antony and the Johnsons, The The, Bob Dylan, Malcolm McLaren, Pink Floyd, Yellow, INXS, Michael Jackson, Roxy Music, Japan, Tracey Chapman, Kate Bush.
Dangerous Things
Simon Mark Smith’s latest album, Dangerous Things, includes 12 songs out of 17 which showcase some of the most sophisticated virtual musician software currently available. The rich emotional musicality of these songs will amaze you. This is the beginning of the automation era and this album will astound you with just how real current virtual musicians sound.
Music
Video
Biography
Simon Mark Smith has a following of around 120,000 followers on Facebook for his music, yet he can’t physically play any instruments and isn’t musically trained!
“Having no lower arms doesn’t help when it comes to being a musician” he says smiling, “but I want people to focus on my music not my arms. My followers on Facebook wouldn’t know about my arms, I’ve hidden this from them for the last 10 years, but I don’t want to hide it anymore, nor do I want to make it the focus of what I do. It’s hard to find the right balance.”
“I don’t actually consider myself to be a musician, I write songs and sing, but I either get other people to play the music on my songs or increasingly I get computers to do it. This last album has 17 songs on, 12 were made using computers only, they came up with the music and play the solos. What’s strange is it’s very similar to working with musicians. I tell the computer what key, chords, tempo and style I want and it comes up with loads of ideas which I then choose and stitch together to create a song. The difference between now and a few years ago is just how human the music sounds. We seem to have moved in to a new era. The computer takes a sample then twists and moulds it to fit with the song I’m creating or do I mean we’re creating.”
His latest album, Dangerous Things, crosses genres and styles from rock, to pop, to folk, whilst veering from sounding like The National, to Tom Waits to Chris Isaacs. In terms of the songs being immediately accessible, Smith points out in our current world of streaming, if a song doesn’t grab you immediately it’ll probably fall by the wayside, which is a shame because so many of the songs I learned to love were not immediately likable. Some music requires commitment from the listener to give it a chance. I have found that giving my music away for free allows listeners to make it a part of the listener’s music library where they can give it a chance. Even so, some songs on the album are immediately accessible.” He smiles “I’m not that brave” he says.
Simon Mark Smith is also a digital artist, writer, painter, and photographer, who was using computers in his art as far back as 1985 during his degree in Fine Art at the renowned Chelsea School of Art in London. Much of the artwork he does now is created on an iPad using paint type apps and can be seen in the video for the title track “Dangerous Things” (see above).
Simon is a product of our times; he isn’t musically trained but has written hundreds of songs and recorded 4 albums. He already has another album recorded and ready for release later this year, as well as an autobiography in the editing stage, 2019 and 2020 look set to be a busy time for Smith. Prepare to hear more from this prolific artist.
M Rachailov 2019 (CC) UK
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Media Coverage
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Reviews
Album Review: The Stunning Automation of ‘Dangerous Things’ from Simon M. Smith
The future of music may already be here.
That is – the automation of music. With the backlash lately against automation, algorithms and artificial intelligence, it would be understandable if music enthusiasts were skeptical of computer-generated music.
In fairness, for many people, computer-generated music is that which they have heard on cheap apps, games and other tacky mediums.
That’s until you hear Simon Mark Smith‘s near-fully automated music album, Dangerous Things. History may have been made just by the release of this album; but it’s the music that really matters.
The 17-track album is over-flowing with moody, compelling, thoughtful and enjoyable songs. This by itself is a rare accomplishment in our experience. Often times, albums with more than nine or 10 tracks contain somewhere between three to five or more ‘filler’ tracks.
In this case, Smith was obviously deliberate about the placement – not just the creation (which is a whole other amazing story you won’t come across again) – of each song.
At first, one might say: “Oh man 17 tracks?! There’s going to be fat on this baby and we have to figure where to cut.”
But surprise, surprise. Without exaggeration, track after track on Dangerous Things measures up to the very best on the album – as if this was Smith’s greatest hits collection after a decade or more of hits.
But even more inspirational when one thinks of such an accomplishment, Smith was born without arms, a condition called Holt-Oram syndrome. He does not consider himself ‘disabled’ and addressed that subject, h says, in his first album.
That said, Smith completely understands that some people, especially other musicians, are amazed when they learn that his highly inventive, yet also familiar, album was done so largely through automation.
Perhaps most surprising is when one stops to consider that to make just one song, Smith had to first imagine each track first. Then, he had to figure out which instruments he was going to use in a song.
Next, he went about a process of individually programming – one by one – every note for each instrument. After that, he had to mix the tracking of each instrument and listen to them over and over again, making tweaks along the way, in order to get the right sound.
This is incalculably more difficult than a one-man band in his basement who can record each instrument and then (and here’s the key) play along with that recording with a new instrument in order to get the timing right in real-time. Smith had to do all of this the very long way round.
Without the assistance of computers and increasingly automated software programs, Smith may not have been able to achieve the final sound he wanted.
He claims it is “one of the first albums to feature mainly virtual musicians,” asking the question: “Do you think you can tell that a computer played – not just recorded – the music?”
Smith actually created virtual band members, with full identities, in order to delegate their roles more easily. The amount of organization and coordination with himself and his cast of computer-generated band members is impressive.
“What’s strange is that using computers is very similar to working with real musicians,” he remarks; “I tell the computer what keys, chords, tempo and style I want and it comes up with loads of ideas which I then edit to create a song. The difference between now and a few years ago is just how human the music sounds.”
“Driving Me Wild” opens up the album with a classic rock vibe veiled in a bit of theatrical rock complete with a chorus and rapid chord changes.
That smoking opener is followed by the slower, funkier track, “Protected,” that the listener can detect is helped by computers. Smith calls this track, compared to the others on the album, “off the wall.” A heavy bluesy organ, female backing vocals, sexy jazzy sax trills – all packed into one robust track that doesn’t miss a beat.
There is a definite Beck-like vibe to parts of the song as Smith changes it up genre-wise, and overall musically, a few times throughout with stunning effects. Speaking of Beck, another track that sounds like the indie/alt god is the funky, jazzy swing of “Your Name.”
By the middle of the album, the listener is treated to some of the juiciest parts with spectacular, mood-shifting songs like the atmospheric “Break It”, the disco-infused and amazing “Words of Prey” and the funky pop jams of “I Feel You in My Life.”
It’s not hard to see disco-inspired songs like “A Story of Love” being played as dance mixes at a nightclub party.
As Smith rolls out the carpet, he continues to surprise with genre and mood-shifting tracks, introducing songs from an era many decades ago like on the swing/jazz-infused retro hybrid track, “Dreams.”
The more one sinks into the comfortable, dazzling and cinematic album, it becomes more and more apparent to some that the production is more like a movie in which we have the visuals and sounds provided by the music itself.
Categorizing a splendid, and stylistically revolutionary, song like “Dreams” is almost a futile effort. It stands by itself. Perhaps it was intentional and strategic because at this point in the album it is becoming more apparent that Smith is a musical genius.
A little bit like “A Story of Love,” the energetic “Not Enough” is a pumped-up, disco-fueled song on the album that is about all of the things in the world that are “not enough”, he says, with the focus on love. Not enough love: a powerful message at a confusing and tumultuous time.
The title track, “Dangerous Things,” is one of the standout songs on a standout album. It is one of the most emotional tracks on the album with Smith showing off his heart-string-pulling skills.
Smith says about the title track: “This is mainly a song about temptation, but I wanted to focus on the issue that whilst we may feel we are tempted by something, it is the possibility of self-destruction that makes the temptation so powerful.”
Lines like: “This desire/ that guides me/ It’s a long way from home/ But I, I got it here/ it’s in my heart/ It wants to leave me alone” leave the listener intrigued.
“Sometimes I would have dreams about the sea’s waves crashing against my house,” growing up in the U.K.
“When I thought about this I wondered if the sea was my own emotions and desires wanting to smash my own ‘internal’ home down. You might think that would be illogical, but if we have a self-destructive part of us, then that might make sense,” he says.
“Dangerous Things” is one of the strongest compositions on the album. It’s slow-burning, melancholy story, Smith’s heart-wrenching vocals, and the remarkably arranged instrumentations make it impossible to turn away from.
It’d be a killer song in a film or TV sequence. The comparisons that come to mind goes like this: “Think Bowie mixed with Pink Floyd and some Clapton for good measure.” And again, folks, this is all done on a computer – no real instruments. Can you tell?
And that’s where Smith has something truly unique that sets him apart from the vast majority of musicians – it’s automated music.
Take a trip to the 70s with the Gordon Lightfoot-like acoustic track, “Losing Me,” with its touch of Roy Orbison and tinges of country-rock.
The vocals effects and techniques employed here stand out from the music itself, which is by no means a negative (just the opposite) commentary on the music itself, but rather to say that Smith has a mastery of moods and sounds that are largely inspired, it seems, by his vocal intuitions.
He sways from style to style, emotion to emotion, on tracks like the bluesy groove of “Dream Girl” and the somber, heart-wrenching love song, “Fallen Angel,” complete with a cello droning in the background.
The last one-third portion of the album explores more the stories and emotions of love with touching songs like “Our Love Lives Forever” and “Forever Today” – both tracks are obviously thematically aligned.
The acoustic-driven “Just A Friend” marries nicely with the Tom Waits-like closing track, “Neon Sun,” complete with its smooth tropical jazz vibe, a nice end to a wild and amazing sonic ride of sounds, vocals, genres, styles and yes, automation.
Put simply: this exceptionally unique album is something that you’ll need to definitely hear yourself from front to back. If you’re like us, you’ll need to listen to the album a number of times – not just because it is so different, or has 17 tracks, but also because it’s just simply stunning.
Smith’s musical influences are many, including Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Chris Isaak, Mark Knopfler, Dire Straits, JJ Cale, The The, Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, INXS, and Roxy Music.
Album Review: The Stunning Automation of ‘Dangerous Things’ from Simon M. Smith
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“British artist delivers his most diverse, yet intimate, records.”
“As a mirror of wonderful life, “Dangerous Things” is almost perfect.”
From an Album Review in “Let It Rock” (See it in full by clicking here)
Original article: http://dmme.net/simon-mark-smith-dangerous-things/
https://store.cdbaby.com/Artist/SimonMarkSmithAndSteveDumelo
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Television
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Interview on Latest TV
Radio
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Hailsham Radio’s Martina Mercer
Interviews Simon Mark Smith 25/8/19
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LYRICS AND CREDITS
1 Driving Me Wild
It’s a time
It’s a time
I don’t want to be
It’s the curse
It’s the curse
Of the Lycan for me
Load up your silver bullets
I’ll be coming your way
It’s still me darling
But you better pray
It’s your love that’s driving me wild
Driving me wild
It’s your love that’s driving me wild
Driving me wild
But if you say love me baby
Like you say you do
I’ll be holding you tight
When the sun comes in to view
The moon’s full
Of my yearnings
I need you to come my way
It’s so dark
It’s so dark
But I’m gonna
Find you
In the valley of the Valais in the night
Oh, the moon it shines its darkest light
And When I go to sleep
I avoid counting sheep
At least when I come back
I don’t need no more midnight snacks
It’s your love that’s driving me wild
Driving me wild
It’s your love that’s driving me wild
Driving me wild
It’s a little bit maddening
It’s a little bit harsh
It’s a little bit maddening
It’s a little bit harsh
EXTRA LYRICS
When I kiss your sweet lips
Girl they taste so good
And When I bite, I bite you gently
Just like I should
Song length 3:37
Words, Music and Performance: Simon Smith
Backing vocals: Patou Soult and Linda Boakye
2 Protected
Ooh I say
Hits right away
Ooh I say
Don’t you go away
Don’t feel, don’t feel alone
Don’t feel, don’t feel alone
There’s nothing like this in my life
Where’s the needle
Where’s the line
Need to feel it all the time
For all I own
For all I own
For all I own
I’m all alone
I need it
I love it
I just got to have it
Ooh I say
Just want it to stay
I don’t know the things you know
But I’m protected
I don’t know if you should know
But I’m protected
I got it deep
I got it bad
If I fall
I won’t come back
Tick-tock it’s time to play
Tick-tock time away
You gonna ride this ride a long, long way now
You got to ride this ride a long, long way now
I don’t know the things you know
But I’m protected
I don’t know if you should know
That I’m protected
I got it deep
I got it bad
If I fall
I won’t come back
Song length
Music, Lyrics, lead and male backing vocals and production: Simon Mark Smith
Female backing Vocals: Patou Soult
3 Dangerous Things
Dangerous Things
My mind has been lost on a journey on a wrong road
I’ve been high. I’ve been torn, I’ve been low
I’d been walking so long on the right way.
I’d been true to love, for a long time
Oh, come, oh come, come light
Come, come, light, light
Oh, come oh come light
Oh, come light, come
When I feel you close girl
It’s all so absurd but
But if I knew that it was forever
Then I’d have to hurt you
This desire, that guides me
It’s a long way from home
But I, I got it here, it’s in my heart
It wants to leave me alone
And when you’re here
You get too near
I feel it damn hard
If I had it all
I’d let it fall
Our eyes are not a long way
Not a long way from fear
But I, I can’t touch what I’m not seeing
I want to fly but
My heart’s breaking
And there’s a storm
And the waves are coming strong
Crashing on, crashing on
The home where I belong
Got to be telling you, baby
About the things in my heart
Got to hold, got to hold
Us apart
If you got a lot to give, then be true
If you got a lot to take, then take two
But my heart yearns
And my love’s still
And my tears fall
For the pain I bring
And when you’re close
I sense your skin
But something tells me, baby
It’s a dangerous thing
And if you knew where it’d end
Would you go, or would you do it all again
And when you’re here
you get too near
I feel it damn hard
If I had it all
I’d let it fall
If we hide it
Then the light’s gone
Hard to hold on
Or put the break on
Then all the love’s gone
Though it feels strong
We know it’s wrong
Song length 6:31
Copyright 8th January 2018 UK
Words, music, performance, and production Simon Mark Smith
Plus countless musicians whose music samples I used (legally), thank you.
4 Losing Me
I feel my heart’s gonna break today
I think my gonna break today
Oh, kiss me gently now
Night is drawing in
Be close to me
Before you leave
When you sung
Your love song you were
I could have danced eternally
I was gonna live my life forever now
Gonna take what will be
I left me outside when
I fell in to you
I’m so alone
Without me too
You’re letting our love fade away girl
And I don’t know which way to go
You’re letting our love slip away now
And I don’t know what to do
Oh, I feel you going
Gonna live
Gonna live together
Gonna take what will be
Oh, I feel you going
Have you gone, gone away?
Oh, I feel you going
I left me outside when
I fell in to you
I’m so alone
without me too
I feel my heart is going to break today
Leave my heart to love today
Leave my heart to love today
Song length 3:04
Music composition, Bass and Guitar: Steve Dumelo
Vocal Melodies and Lyrics: Simon Mark Smith
Copyright Simon Mark Smith 2013
5 Dream Girl
Dream girl
I think I know you
I think you’ve shown me
What love should be
Out in the blue
That’s where you’ll find me
Dream girl
I think I heard you
whispering love songs
Out in the blue
Out in the blue
Where I can’t find you
When I finally got to read
Between the story lines
It was only then I saw
That real love was getting left behind
Oh, my heart, my heart it breaks,
When reality mistakes
All the love we’d felt in dreams
Was a love that could never be
Real girl I guess i found you
Looking for a dream boy
Out of the blue
Out of the blue
Didn’t dream I’d find you
Real girl, I guess you’re no dream girl
I guess I’m no dream boy
I guess it’s true
Out of the blue
There comes a truth
Song length 3:36
Music Melody, Guitars: Bob Breakey
Vocal Melody, Drums, Second Bass, Vocals, main backing vocals, lyrics and production: Simon Mark Smith
Bass Guitar and Backing Vocals: Patou Soult
6 Fallen Angel
Oh, my heart
I feel such a pain now you’re gone
I woke this morning
And my world seemed so grey
If you’d seen love
Then maybe you’d stayed
Something to help
With the games, they played
Something to belong
Right here
If you’ve got to live a lie
Then you’re living a wrong way
If you can’t speak your truth
Then there’s nothing to say
It’s hard baby
So, hard baby
Sometimes I feel like this whole world
I feel it, it’s so wrong
Sometimes I feel my life
Sometimes I feel like it’s gone
And in the heart of my dreams
This world is so kind
And all those angels falling
Calling for you
How can you fall
My sweetest angel
When your love’s in my heart
How can you fall
My sweetest angel
When you said we’d never part
It’s hard baby
So, hard baby
Life is on the line all the time
See these tears of a love that’s so pure
And these bad times
They are going away
And the sad times
They’re not going to stay
And all those angels falling
Calling for truth / you
It’s hard baby
It’s hard baby
Life is on the line all the time
See these tears of a love that’s so pure
Song length 4:30
Words, Music and Production by Simon Mark Smith
Copyright Simon Mark Smith 9th September 2017
In memory of Valérie. A friend who left us too early.
We were just friends but I was very saddened to hear of her passing. Before writing this I had been thinking about how bad it feels to be surrounded by people we don’t connect with, how lonely it can feel. From there the song developed as I wondered how bad things must be for someone who takes their own life and how they often can’t see how much they mean to others.
7 Break It
Love, I got to see you
My lover my friend
I got to feel our minds entwine
For all the time
Until the end
Night Time is our quiet time
Dark skies, our friends
If you’re gonna drive this road one day
You got to pull up close but do not stay
Pull down the roof and let me drive
Recline your seat and watch dark sky
But don’t you listen
To the rambling of that old man
Cos it’s the secret code of the night sky
That you should never understand tonight
First you gonna take it
Then you’ll make it
Then you’ll mistake it
Then you’ll break it
Oh, you can’t resist
Got to go
Oh, illusions
Do exist you know
Oh, a secret kiss is there
To show
Truth
What lies below
First you gonna take it
Then you’ll make it
Then you’ll mistake it
Then you’ll break it
Oh, you can’t resist
Got to go
Oh, illusions
Do exist you know
Oh, a secret kiss is there
To show
Truth
What lies below
I’ll be driving on a long road
In a car that’s silent and true
I’ve got that secret code in my eyes
And all I see is “I love you”
Song length 3:38
Copyright Simon Mark Smith 2014 and 2018
Music Steve Dumelo
Vocal Melody and Lyrics: Simon Mark Smith
Percussion Patou Soult
Guitar Steve Dumelo
Vocals Simon Mark Smith
8 Words of Prey
It’s hard knowing what to say
It’s hard knowing what to do
When you got a brand-new love
When you got a brand-new love
Oh, your stars are so much brighter
And your heart there’s a light on
And though this night’s it’s so cold
Put my coat on it’s so lonely
Here’s the words
You don’t want to say
Don’t want to leave me this way
I know a love has come your way
Silence hides your words of prey
If you’re gonna be the one that says goodbye, then it’s gonna hurt
Always
And if you’re gonna be the one that hears goodbye then it’s gonna hurt
Always
But I just can’t get you out of my mind
I just can’t leave you behind
Somewhere in the world you’re someone’s girl
Somewhere in the night you’re holding on tight
I got the feeling that I’m out your mind
I got this feeling that I’m out of time
Sometimes, in a heartbeat
Sometimes, two souls meet
I got the feeling that I’m out your mind
I got this feeling that we’re out of time
Can you feel our love still?
Do you feel it call?
Can you feel our hearts cry?
Do you feel it all?
If you’re on the highway
If you’re on the road
Look at the sky
And you’ll know
If you’re gonna be the one that says goodbye, then it’s gonna hurt
Always
And if you’re gonna be the one that hears goodbye then it’s gonna hurt
Always
I know our love before
We left behind
But now there’s more love
Than we thought we’d find
And you’ll feel our love still
You’ll feel it call
You’ll feel our hearts cry
You’ll feel it all
Song length 4:58
Music, Vocal Melodies, Vocals and production: Simon Mark Smith
Backing Vocals: Patou Soult
Rhythm arrangements Patou Soult and Simon Mark Smith
Copyright Simon Mark Smith 2017 UK
9 I Feel You in My Life
It’s been hard for a long time
We knew we’d be
Forever entwined
And I remember
I remember it oh so well
Feeling oh so high
Sunlight in our eyes
I hear your song
I know you’re gone
But in my heart, you’re still here
And your soul it lights my life still
Have you heard the word?
That I’m so happy you were in my life?
Just like a summer’s day
I feel you in the night
Sometimes we’re a talking
Still talking away
And your laughter
Drives my tears away
It’s just that look and a
Little smile and
Just the way
We’d laugh
‘Till we cried
You were my light in the
Darkened times and I
Was your light
When you couldn’t
Shine
Just like a summer’s day
I feel you in the night
I may have lost you
But you’ve been found
In the love
That’s all around
You were my light in the
Darkened times and I
Was your light
When you couldn’t
Shine
Just like a summer’s day
I feel you in the night
It’s just that look and a
Little smile and
Just the way
We’d laugh ‘till we cried
It’s just that look and a
Little smile and
Just the way that
We’d laugh ‘all night
You were my light in
Darkened times and I
Was your light
When you couldn’t
Shine
You were my light in the
lonely times and a
friend for life
When I couldn’t be mine
Just like a summer’s day
I feel you in my life
Just like a summer’s day
I feel you in the night
Just like a summer’s day
I feel you in my life
Song length 3:56
Words, Music, Vocal Melodies, Lyrics, Vocals and production: Simon Mark Smith
Backing: Patou Soult
Co-Arranging and some instrumentation in the solos Patou Soult
Copyright Simon Mark Smith 2017 UK
10 Dreams
I got this feeling
It feels so right
I got this feeling
You’re by my side
If you’re feeling alone
You’re not alone
Oh, come my love
We got it strong
The night is here
The night is long
I wish I was on my way
I wish I was near
I wish I could hold you baby
But wishes don’t heal
I used to think that I’d be famous one day
It all seemed like a game we had to play
Used to think success was measured in stars
Money and cars
We’ve all got a dream of love
It’s our love light
I got a guiding light
it’s a love light
I’ve been smoking your cigarettes
Looking at the photos you kept
Star crossed lovers
Found in dreams
Nothing’s ever what it seems
A face forgotten
Goes unseen
But my heart knows you
I used to think that I’d be famous one day
It all seemed like a game we had to play
Used to think success was measured in stars
Money and cars
We’ve all got a dream of love
It’s our love light
I got a guiding light
it’s a love light
I wish we could see our love
I wish we could try
But it’s so hard to find
And you’re so hard to find
But if that’s all you’ve got
Then it’s all
Then it’s all
Song length 3:33
Music, Vocal Melodies, Lyrics, production and vocals: Simon Mark Smith
Copyright 24 September 2017 Simon Mark Smith UK
11 Not Enough
Not enough money
Not enough love
Not enough ideas coming from above
Not enough info
Not enough food
Not enough people seeking the truth
Not enough love comes to me
Not enough love comes to she
Not enough love for the Lord
Not enough love for us all
Not enough interest
Not enough pay
Not enough people working today
Not enough thought
Not enough clothes
Not enough people willing to flow
Not enough people coming
Not enough people willing to go
Not enough music
Not enough film
Not enough TV to fill me in
Not enough feelings coming my
Not enough poetry to make me stay
Not enough love comes to me
Not enough love comes to she
Not enough love for the Lord
Not enough love for us all
Not enough people coming my way
Not enough people willing to pay
Not enough
Not enough
Not enough for you
Not enough love for me and you
For me and you
For me and you
For me and you
Song length 3:40
Music, vocal melody, lyrics and production: Simon Mark Smith
Main vocals: Simon Mark Smith
Backing Vocals: Rebecca Saxton
Copyright Simon Mark Smith 2010 UK
12 Your Name
There’s a world
That goes unseen
Between the adverts
In magazines
Sometimes you find a fleeting feeling
Sometimes you find the way
If you’re seeing a lie
Then someone’ll pay
Are you taking the night train baby?
Are you going away?
Oh, it feels light
In the morning
Oh, it feels right
in the day
When you’re kissing me hard
You’re kissing me long
She was a mystical girl
Shaded in light
If I follow me home
Is it a long way?
I’m writing these lines while
You’re riding those lines
If you’re seeing the light
It ain’t always day
Are you taking the night train baby?
Are you going away?
Oh, it feels light
In the morning
Oh, it feels right
in the day
When you’re kissing my heart
I go insane
Turn the dial FM
Turn the dial FM
Someone’ll play
And if we could fly
Would we fly away
I hear the night train calling
It tells me to stay
I hear the night train calling
It tells me to stay
I feel your name
Song length 3:21
Music, vocals, lyrics, and production. Simon Mark Smith
Backing Vocals Patou Soult.
Copyright Simon Mark Smith 2017 UK
13 A Story of Love
If you got peace on your mind
And your heart’s out of time
You may feel the touch of love
Free your soul or tightly bind
You keep that dream strong
When the light’s gone
You keep that dream strong
A long, long time
Could be a red sign
Playing on your mind
Could be the best crime
For the rest of your time
If you want it
But don’t need it
Then you’ll love it
Then you’ll leave it
There goes a story of love
There goes a story of love
Some people want to stay
When they go away
For some it’s hard to find
A love that’s truly kind
If you buy it
You might need it
If you try it
Then you might leave it
There goes a story of love
There goes a story of love
So, keep our hearts strong
When the light’s gone
Keep our love strong
A long, long time
If you want it
Then you’ll need it
If you love it
You’ll never leave it
There goes a story of love
There goes a story of love
There goes a story of love
There goes a story of love
Song length 3:05
Music: Simon Mark Smith, Patou Soult and loads of software.
Vocal Melodies: Simon Mark Smith
Backing Vocals: Patou Soult
Copyright 24 July 2017 Simon Mark Smith UK
14 Our Love Lives Forever
Cold rain
I know it’s right
I got you on my side
We were lost
But we don’t want to be found
Loving all this light of love that lights my way
Loving all the light of life that lights my day
We’re riding the waves
Travelling headstrong
A journey that’s life long
Our life
When I get to feel that you’re going away
Our love will live for ever
That’s what you say
We’ve seen the sun at night
And the moon in the day
Through the calm and storms
We must find our way
Kiss me
Kiss me life
Oh, give me time
We’re living our lives
We’re loving heart strong
Live long
My Love
When I get to feel that you’re going away
Our love will live for ever
That’s what you say
Song length 3:48
Original chords and composition by Simon Mark Smith and Patou Soult
Arrangement, Vocal Melodies, Vocals and Production: Simon Mark Smith
Copyright Simon Mark Smith 2018
15 Forever Today
It doesn’t matter if you’re leaving
Take that drive away
But come back tomorrow
Or come back today
It don’t matter if you drive away
Or you get the train
As long as I get to feel you in my arms again
When you said you’d love me for ever
I didn’t think you meant today
Didn’t think your love would go away
I don’t care if you’re going
As long as you don’t stay
I don’t care where you’re going
As long as you come back my way
I was yours and you were mine
Breathless nights in the summertime
I didn’t know you were going then
It was just pretend
I don’t care where you’re going
As long as you come back my way
On my own
On my own
On my own
On my own
On my own
On my own
Song length 2:04
Melody, lyrics, vocals, keyboards, and production: Simon Mark Smith
Music, Bass and Guitars: Steve Dumelo
Piano and percussion: Patou Soult
Copyright Simon Mark Smith 2007 and 2018
16 Just A Friend
Sometimes you meet someone
It feels to you as if they are the one
That’s how I felt
When I found you
Now I don’t know
What I’m gonna do
If I tried to tell you
What I want to say
I would lose my way
I’m in love my friend
And I know it must end
It’s too late
Sometimes when you’re lonely reaching out to me
I’m not the man you thought I’d be
Sometimes when you’re crying
Reaching out to me
Just a friend I cannot be
I’m in love with you
It’s so hard to be true
It’s too late to hide
All these feelings inside
It wasn’t what I wanted
It wasn’t what I planned
It’s one of those things
I hope you understand
I’ll be walking out your life
Now truth has had it’s say
Unless you tell me to stay
I’m in love with you
And these words are true
Is it too late
Oh, Stay
Song length 3:10
Music, Vocal Melodies, Lyrics, Vocals, Piano: Simon Mark Smith
iPad: Acoustic Guitar and Bass
Copyright Simon Mark Smith 2013
17 Neon Sun
The sun is falling
Behind a neon sign
Oh, do you feel it
My lover, my love, my life
And when you’re near me
I want to stay
And in your heart, you know
I’ve been searching for a long time
It’s so hard to find
One touch
Might be too much
But too much might be fine
I’ve been a thinking
About you all my life
In my heart and my mind
[Break]
My love can be found
In the neon sun
I was, I was,
Losing time
Finding time
One touch
Might be too much
But too much might be fine
It’s been a hard but a beautiful road
One touch
Might be too much
But too much might be fine
Song length 3:06
Music, Vocal Melodies, Lyrics, Vocals and production: Simon Mark Smith
Initial chord progression: Simon Mark Smith and Patou Soult
Copyright 12th May 2017 Simon Mark Smith UK
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONGS
1 Driving Me Wild
As I’ve got older I’ve become far more aware of just how much of what drives us is nature in action. That is not to say we don’t have control of ourselves, but to be aware of what really is behind much of what we think and feel helps us to know ourselves better.
I once told my father that I’d done something a bit rash, to which he said “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”. We both laughed at that thought. So, when I wrote this, even though it’s a dark song in many ways I wanted there to be some humour too. There is something at the heart of our friendships with others that accepts each other through laughter.
Even though, the lust and love we experience is exciting, and at the time one can’t imagine a life without it, with age I have come to be happier not being so involved in it all. So, the line “It’s a time I don’t want to be” seemed an apt way to start.
It’s also a song about love, about realising that the essence of someone remains even in the darkest heart and that through finding each other we can get past our more destructive sides.
2 Protected
I spent a few years working in substance abuse centres, mainly as a teacher, but would sit in on group discussions with the clients. When I first started working I would be taken aback by the varied walks of life that the clients would come from, there didn’t seem to be any that were off limits. I had also worked in homeless resource centres and would sometimes be dealing with people who were out of it. There’s something a bit scary about dealing with people who seem to have detached themselves so far from reality. That’s probably why we find someone who is in love with us a bit worrying too (we recognise they might not be that connected to reality at that point in time, especially if they idealise us), unless we’re in love with them too, in which case it’s all ok.
I wrote the music for this first, I was playing around with some synth software I had and the song came about out of that process. The disjointed sections of music probably triggered thoughts about people’s minds becoming disjointed too so I decided to write from the perspective of someone who is addicted, who feels protected, yet not from themselves. If in some way substance abuse partly is linked to sidestepping painful feelings, it’s also a process that allows our darker sides to be manifested. There are probably many reasons why people become addicted to things but I wanted to focus on the duality of feeling protected whilst at the same time becoming more self-destructive. Likewise, the line “But I’m protected” also refers to someone who might have joined a gang to feel protected, yet at the same time they have become vulnerable to people who will put the rules of the gang ahead of their well-being.
3 Dangerous Things
This is mainly a song about temptation, but I wanted to focus on the issue that whilst we may feel we are tempted by something, it is the possibility of self-destruction that makes the temptation so powerful.
“This desire, that guides me
It’s a long way from home
But I, I got it here, it’s in my heart
It wants to leave me alone”
Sometimes I would have dreams about the sea’s waves crashing against my house. When I thought about this I wondered if the sea was my own emotions and desires wanting to smash my own “internal” home down. You might think that would be illogical, but if we have a self-destructive part of us, then that might make sense. Some people believe we hold ourselves as hostage in order to say to those who we believe damaged us, “See, see what you did to me?” Maybe one of the main ways to stop that from happening, and therefore to set us free from that process, is to try to find a way to forgive. But, of course that is far easier said than done.
4 Losing Me
It took me some time in my life to realise that in relationships it’s so easy to lose oneself for fear of losing someone we have become attached to. The problem is, for a relationship to work, it requires that we are true to ourselves. It’s quite easy to recognise this on a cerebral level but to keep to this takes a lot of work, and in some ways bravery, one has to be prepared to lose a relationship in order take the risk no losing ourselves.
5 Dream Girl
Someone I had met at a friend’s place told me they played guitar so he came over to have a jam. I pressed the record button, he played a few chords and this song pretty much appeared there and then. We then had to spend the next month rerecording it and adding bits here and there, but sometimes it just happens like that. The lyrics are self-explanatory, but even though we all know that dream love and real love are very different, it’s an issue that many of us will have to contend with through all our lives. In a way, real love requires seeing the essence of someone and loving them with all their faults, whereas dream love requires not seeing the other person, but instead remaining within the dream for as long as possible. Of course, even when we tell ourselves not to get hooked in to our romantic illusions it’s still hard not to sometimes.
6 Fallen Angel
Someone I knew had reached out to me, it wasn’t anything serious, but I hadn’t made much effort to communicate with them. A while later they committed suicide. I doubt my lack of communication had anything to do with it, but still one never knows what would have been. I was deeply shocked by her suicide, it felt like such a waste. She was a lovely person to me. So, this song is dedicated to Valerie.
7 Break It
The title of this song relates to breaking a secret code in life and the code is the notion that most human actions can be seen as a call for love. If you keep that in mind you can see things differently.
Back when I had a convertible car I would sometimes drive up the nearby hills where the stars are clearer, put the roof down and look up at the night sky. I didn’t have a silent car, at that point the idea of a silent car was eerie whereas now there are many electric ones that are so. I expect in time the significance of that line will be lost.
In the song there’s a tension between all the participants, it is mainly about revealing the truth through illusion (is that what much of art is about?), or even deliberately telling someone not to look in order to protect them from the truth of who we are.
8 Words of Prey
We often sense when a relationship is coming to an end, and whilst we try to deny what’s coming we know that at some point the words we are dreading will be spoken. These are the words of prey, waiting to swoop down on us, end the life of our relationship and cause immense pain. Being on the other end of the dynamic is painful too, so having to release the words of prey on someone else can feel devastating too. It’s also possible that after this moment both parties will go in to a state of denial. One will believe the connection is everlasting and haunted by their love whilst the person leaving may also deny that indeed, some strong feelings still exist about their love, but in order to sever the connection they can’t focus on such feelings either.
I wanted to end the song on a more hopeful theme so whilst the music cuts back and forth between hopeful and more sombre, ultimately it ends on a happy note. Being able to keep in mind that there are pastures new, and different relationship and adventures to pursue is one way to help ourselves through such difficult times. To keep in mind a nostalgia for the future is a gift worth giving ourselves.
9 I Feel You in My Life
As time’s gone I’ve sadly experienced a few friends pass away. After a while one feels the residue of their being within us. Like the heat of a sunny day continuing through the night. As I wrote this I felt quite tearful as I thought about a few friends in particular who I had laughed with so many times and who’d been there through times when I needed supporting or the other way around too. Whilst this is a sad subject I wanted to balance it with a happy side too. So, in a way it’s a celebration of friendship and love. I had been thinking about 60’s artists like Georgie Fame and wanted to touch on the energy and hopefulness of that era, so that’s where the direction for the arrangement came from.
10 Dreams
I’ve written a few songs over the years about dream love, but a few years ago I had a dream in which I met someone who I felt love for but I couldn’t see their face. The significance of this was that firstly in our daily lives we may well feel things about someone, but our love stems from another relationship that that person somehow connects with in our mind, secondly that if we can’t see who it is we really feel this depth of love for, then do they lose out because we can’t make the connection and thirdly does this relate to more mystical ideas?
I also touch on the other kind of dreams we have, ambitions and material wealth, but deep down we all know what’s really important.
11 Not Enough
There’s a notion of “relative poverty”. A millionaire may feel poor next to a billionaire, someone who is very poor in the UK will seem to be living like royalty compared to someone is a much poorer country. I didn’t want to denigrate people who are suffering but I do think it’s important to keep some kind of perspective when viewing our own situations. So, this song set out to point out that no matter what we have it’s very easy to feel we haven’t got enough.
12 12 Your Name
“She was a mystical girl
Shaded in light
If I follow me home
Is it a long way?”
Once again this song deals partly with the idea of us having a dream love. Someone who is enigmatic (shaded in light). But it’s also about us trying to understand ourselves, and through that becoming more aware of the deep dreams that drive us in so many ways. The idea of following ourselves home relates to us becoming more self-aware and suggests that it’s a long journey (probably a lifetime’s length.)
I called it “Your Name” because so often our search for a dream lover can easily result in us asking people we feel might be that person, their name, but in reality, the dream lover will not be any of them.
13 A Story of Love
The starting point for the lyrics of this song had been an Internet meme that said something like “If you want peace then avoid love affairs”. As much as I could relate to that I felt that when it comes to relationships, hope springs eternal, and that we can’t avoid the story of love that is built in to our psyche. I also wanted to touch on some of the paradoxes of relationships, for instance the feeling of loss once the early stages of a relationship have passed, as well as the dual feelings people may have of wanting to stay as well as run away.
14 Our Love Lives Forever
I was tempted to call the album “Dreams”, because so many of the songs revolve around such themes, but in a way, I wanted to make it more about being alerted to the danger of dreams as well as the comfort we take from them too.
But this song, whilst it might suggest it’s about love is also very much to do with life and appreciating what time we have. It’s about the importance of love and care, which when I nearly died a few years ago, became a focal point to me. There are those who genuinely either care about others or at least choose to be on the side of helping others in the world and there are those who do not feel that way. They are the cold rain that falls upon us, the storms that threaten us and the destructive parts of ourselves, the emotional waves within us, that can beat upon ourselves too. But they all accentuate the importance of those we are connected to and care for, as well as us learning to love and care for others and ourselves too.
In some ways, it doesn’t matter that love possibly doesn’t last forever, it’s the feeling that it does that touches us to our core, and maybe when we feel love we find a moment feels as it if it will stretch on forever.
15 Forever Today
This was a song from the archives. I’d written it about 12 years ago with Steve Dumelo. It’s partly about coming to terms with the idea that things and relationships probably won’t last forever and part of helping ourselves to cope with reality might mean accepting that not only is everything transitory, but people are often fickle and weak too. So, when people let us down, when what was meant to be forever comes to an end on day, then we are better to let it go than to try holding on desperately. It’s hard to do, but worth keeping in mind in those situations.
16 Just A Friend
Whilst the lyrics of this song are pretty much self-explanatory, the original idea came about as I played around with Garageband on the iPad, it’s a music recording program. I think the guitars on this recording came from the original version from the iPad. The sound of the song brought to mind songs from the 1950’s, especially by people like Dean Martin. This song doesn’t get to the heights of such musical prowess, but I didn’t want to abandon this song either so it’s been left on as an “extra”. There are many songs that get written but are not good enough so get written off. But sometimes, when listening back through ideas I can often hear potential and in this instance, I wanted to give it a chance. As for the subject matter, it’s more written about people I know. From the age of about 14 I realised it was better just to tell someone if I fancied them, (if it was appropriate to do so), life’s too short to waste not telling people how we feel.
17 Neon Sun
I did think of the Sun studios where Elvis Presley recorded his first songs when I started writing this, but it was more to do with a feeling of heat and the ending of the day. I was also interested in the contrast of a neon sign against the sun as a metaphor for the shallowness of much of what we experience even though deep down we know what it is we need. It’s a long road we travel along, surrounded by beautiful neon signs, but all the time the sun and the stars are shining on us too.
THANK YOU
Thank you for taking the time to read this and for listening to some of my music if you did. To create all this was a joy for me and even more so to know that somehow I may well be connecting with others whose names I may never know, but even though we may possibly never meet, I kind of felt your presence even so.
Thank you
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