I'll start at random with a video from 2011, from my album Arphus Schmarphus Horkus Porkus. This one's called "Kenji" and is about a young Sumo wrestler who finds his destiny in a very different world than he expected to.
Notes on production: This song took forever to record and mix. I was really just learning how, and getting all the guitars to sit together well on the track was a real challenge at the time!! But I think it worked out. I had some celebrity help on this one...Drums are by Mick Fleetwood, and the Harmonica is by Peter "Madcat" Ruth. Mick was assembled from his component parts, though...I had a collection of loops of his drumming that he graciously made available, and I put together his drum part with the help of the Acid Pro program. This also took forever. Madcat, on the other hand, was kind enough to come to my home studio and contribute his part live. Amazing musician that he is, he did the fantastic harp solo in one take. You may notice that his instrument is highly colored with effects...those were selected by him, and were part of his rig. He rarely uses these but decided that this tune justified them, and I would certainly agree his part is perfect for the song!!
One last note on this tune...the lyrics are about finding what you love and pursuing it, even if the world seems to have other expectations. I had finished the album, and my wife had met a friend in one of her groups that was going through much the same kind of things. Strangely enough, he too was Japanese, and also named Kenji (although he was NOT a Sumo wrestler!). She asked if I might give him an album, thinking that the song and its message might be helpful to him at that point. Apparently it really was, and he sent me a message thanking me for encouraging him in a very difficult time in his life. I've always felt that if I could just help even one person with my music, that all the struggles would be worth it, and it made me feel great that I could make his life a little better. Thanks Kenji!!!
KENJI
Kenji the mighty Sumo
Was a mountain of a man
Many men that came to fight
him
Took one look at him and ran
He was strong and he was
skillful
Beating all his foes with
ease
Like a Nippon high-powered
wrecking ball
Knocking big towers to their
knees
Kenji the mighty Sumo
Was the king of the Budokan
The results of long-term
planning
From ambitious Dad and Mom
He had wealth and power in
his hands
And all that that can mean
But Kenji the mighty Sumo
Had a different kind of
dream
Kenji the mighty Sumo
Had a different kind of
dream
That he got from an old jazz
record
From a place called New
Orleans
And he’d put on that old
record
With a wistful kind of sigh
And sometimes alone in the
dead of night
You could hear poor Kenji
cry
Well, he finally couldn’t
stand it
Took a boat out late at
night
Rode a train across the USA
To the Crescent City’s
lights
Now he plays his harp down
at the bar
And he’s happy as a clam
And the people come from
near and far
Just to hear Big Kenji’s band
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