I've been in the studio with a musician, of all creatures, working on an arrangement for Pop Down The Years. I thought I needed a real musician to help me. I think these guys believe they get paid by the note. After two sessions I gave up.

I am reminded of David Bowie's 50th birthday concert at Madison Square Garden ... where his guitarist Reeves Gabrels turned Robert Fripp's magnificent, timeless 3-note guitar figure for "Heroes" into a 6-note monstrosity ... the beginning of the end of their partnership, I believe.

In any case, I'm scrapping everything we've done. Writing the proper arrangement on my own - as it should be - an homage to the songs of the golden era of pop music - and then back into the studio to rerecord guitar and vocals.

Like I should have done in the first place.

Here, you can download the original, just me and my gr-33. 

*"Knox," you ask, "what do you mean 'perfect?'" And my reply is,"Child, Pop Down The Years is my favorite song of ALL my songs [today] and I wouldn't change a thing on this particular rendition. Therefore I like to think of it as the perfect love song to the music of my youth, and to a girl, of course."

But then you might just say,"Bongos, Knox, it needs bongos."

And, jeeezus, you might be right.

That's right kiddies ... from now until the end of the month, the 28th, National Tooth Fairy Day ... or, if you prefer ... National Inconvenience Yourself Day, you can get a free ringtone from three songs off the the Flight of the Atombee* cd.

Three tones available right now are:

1. Atom Bee and Birdie
   
2. Serenity Applicator
3. Molecule Men 

Click here to go to Sun Pop Blue Ringtone Store and download a FREE ringtone! 

Now, on the first of March, or thereabouts, we will be adding a bunch more analogue synthesizer ringtones, mostly serge, of course. But they will be for sale. Not free anymore! So get yours while supplies last! And tell your friends!

Who loves you, baby?

*official soundtrack to Flapping.

Well ... what are you waiting for?

A few years back, when I was hiding out in Hollywood, I got to a point where it seemed as if the jig was up. I was staying in a friend's place.

I was in a near-suicidal state of depression. Nothing was going according to plan. All the Hollywood bullshit (promised investors, etc.) had become painfully apparent. I was broke, living off a few sales of HoneyBun kits to distributors, and borrowed money.

I had convinced the company that made HoneyBun Spanking Kits to put out a massage kit, with the idea of breaking out of the adult novelty industry and onto the shelf next to Dirty Girl Soap, where the money was.

They wanted to make a soft-core massage video to go with the oil. I said that was too tacky for HoneyBun. I proposed a relaxation cd. They agreed.

So I did what I have done so many times: I went down below to where the music is. Whatever storms rage above the surface cannot touch me down there.

I can only assume other artists know of which I speak, or anyone who has perhaps submerged him/herself in meditation, or prayer, or focused labor, which, now that I think about it, seem to be the main components of my creative process.

In the time that followed, about three weeks, I composed four songs. When I came out, these are the songs that had flowed through, each about fifteen minutes long:

1. Summer of '68
2. Autumnal Sun
3. Winter Blue
4. Isle of Islay Revisited

Isle of Islay Revisited is the only song I have ever done composed entirely from samples: gongs, chimes, birds, water, guitar, and so on. The title refers to an incredibly sweet and sad ballad by Donovan, on his album Gift From a Flower To A Garden, released in 1968.

I have since reworked the first three songs, taking them from the pastels of the original versions into more technicolor realms. The label I am discussing releasing the cd with insists I redo Isle of Islay Revisited as well. I am in the process of composing a very different piece, although I hope it will have the same placid flow as the original. The label insisted I not have any of the original pieces available on the web (you can hear an excerpt of Winter Blue at my myspace page, however), but since there are issues with samples,etc., on this piece, I think it safe to offer to you for download.

Download Isle of Islay Revisited