Simon Mark Smith (Simonsdiary.com)

Dangerous Things CD

Home / Dangerous Things CD
Simon Mark Smith – Detailed information about the Dangerous Things Album

 Release Date 1st August 2019
 .
 .


.

“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

.

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”

.

.

To play it on Spotify click here or click on a title below to hear it on Reverbnation

.

.

.

TRACK LIST (Click on a title to stream it)


1       Driving Me Wild 

2       Protected

3       Dangerous Things

4       Losing Me

5       Dream Girl

6       Fallen Angel

7       Break It

8       Words of Prey

9       I Feel You in My Life

10     Dreams

11     Not Enough

12     Your Name

13     A Story of Love

14     Our Love Lives Forever

15     Forever Today

16     Just A Friend

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

.
Media Coverage

.

.

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.

See original article here

Album Review: The Stunning Automation of ‘Dangerous Things’ from Simon M. Smith

.

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

.

.

Television

.

.

Interview on Latest TV

Radio

.

.

Hailsham Radio’s Martina Mercer
Interviews Simon Mark Smith 25/8/19

.

.

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

Photos


Online Links


Facebook

Twitter

Reverbnation

YouTube

Instagram

Myspace

Spotify

Apple Music

iTunes

Amazon

Deezer

Soundcloud