Inside Track

Inside Track http://dsimone.com/blog.cfm Sat, 10 Mar 2012 09:50:00 GMT http://bandzoogle.com THE ROAD TO RELEASE http://dsimone.com/blog.cfm?feature=1545910&postid=1857500 “You went to bed at what time? Are you crazy?” These are two questions I’m often asked after a friend or family member receives an email from me at 3AM. I know most people go to bed before midnight, especially if you have to get up at 6AM and head to the office to manage a sales force…so perhaps it is crazy. If you’re a musician living a double life, though, going to bed at 3AM and getting up three hours later for work, is business as usual. I always have a song playing in my head, and can’t wait to get home, take off my sales manager hat and work on music. Before I know it, the clock strikes 3 or 4AM, and I have to force myself to bed. Over the past 15 years, while keeping this so-called crazy schedule, I’ve been having the time of my life…playing in five different bands, producing records for more than a dozen artists, building three recording studios, and now finally releasing my first studio album, SLEEPWALKING. It’s been a long and sometimes bumpy road, but an amazing experience, and I’m very excited to share it with everyone. The journey started roughly 20 years ago when one of my best friends, Peter Yozell, dragged me to New York to see the band X25 play live in a nightclub. I was living in Boston at the time but was contemplating a move to New York. Let’s just say the events of that evening cemented my decision to move and in many ways changed my life. SLEEPWALKING was recorded in Midtown Manhattan, four blocks from the Empire State Building at a studio/loft I built and lived in for 15 years. During the four plus years I spent recording and mixing the album, I was fortunate to collaborate with many talented musicians, none more so than my father, legendary hit maker, <a target="_new" href="http://www.charlescalello.com/">Charles Calello, who recorded many of The 4 Seasons’ hit records and went on to arrange and produce over 100 top ten records. Having the opportunity to work with my father on this album, at this particular point in my life, was an experience beyond what words can convey. The last time we worked together on music, I was much younger, and I’ll admit, way more stubborn. As my father started to take on the role of producer, I found myself struggling with something I believe most human beings can relate to. There’s a moment when a parent is telling you to do something, and your rebellious, inner child says, “I don't wanna…whaaaaaaaaaaaa!” My father produced the first two songs released from the album…the title track, Sleepwalking, and Desert Rain….providing direction on the the arrangement, instrumentation, singing and mixing. As we worked, I learned from The Master how very subtle changes could make a song go from good to great. Things were moving along wonderfully, and when we finished Sleepwalking and Desert Rain, I was ready to play a new song for him called U R The 1. I was extremely excited about this song, as I had written it about my amazing wife Tanya and felt it would pass the Charles Calello producer inspection test with flying colors. After listening to the song, he said, “It's pretty good, but it’s not finished.” Enter inner child Hulk, “What do you mean it's not finished? It's great just the way it is!” My dad (the producer) said the chorus wasn't really finished, and it needed to go somewhere higher. “I like its simplicity,” I said, and defended my position. He wasn’t convinced, and said the decision was mine, but I should at least try to work on it. For the next few days, I walked around mumbling under my breath, “who does he think he is with his 100 top ten records telling me how to write my song!” Finally, I decided I would give his suggestion a try…write something to add to the chorus. I knew factually he was incorrect, but I’ll try just so I can prove it. At least that was the plan. I played the song up to the chorus, and stopped right where Mr. 100 Hits said the song needed something. There I was, attitude of a four-year old baby with no toy to throw across the playroom…just my piano. So I played and...son of a big hit-making expletive! I played and sang something that made the song so much better that I can’t even imagine the song without it now. He was right! I’m not sure what was more fun, making the song better or the amount of self-ridicule I inflicted over how stubborn and childish I had behaved over changing the song. I learned an important lesson…let the producer produce…even if the man is your father. As I mentioned earlier, SLEEPWALKING bears the marks of many talented musicians…guitarist, <a target="_new" href="http://dsimone.bandzoogle.com/blog.cfm?feature=1545910&postid=951822">Jeff Soriano; bassist, <a target="_new" href="http://dsimone.com/blog.cfm?feature=1545910&postid=1126586">Enzo Penizzotto; and producer, <a target="_new" href="http://www.concentratemedia.com/features/SalineLoftStudio0014.aspx">Tim Patalan, to name just a few. Jeff not only played on nearly every song on the album, he co-wrote Follow and Over My Head. We first met when I was producing an album for his very talented friend, singer/songwriter, <a target="_new" href="http://www.myspace.com/zachmacko">Zach Macko. When I was ready to start playing shows in 2010, Jeff helped me put a together a great band, which at the time included Jeff on guitar, Scott Anderson on bass and Seth Johnson on drums. As luck would have it, though, about three weeks before our first show, Seth got an offer to tour with a band in Europe, so we were faced with replacing him quickly. I ran an ad on Craigslist, and a week later we were auditioning a very talented drummer named <a target="_new" href="http://www.rossennedelchev.com/live/">Rossen Nedelchev. He walked into the first practice with all the drum parts written on music paper and played the songs like he had been playing with us all along. A couple weeks later we played our first show at The Whiskey Bar in Hoboken to a very enthusiastic crowd. Over the next eight months, we played a few shows, shot a couple music videos and had a really great time, but as it often goes with bands, opportunities arise that lead each member in a different direction. I am thankful for the time I had with Jeff, Scott and Rossen, and the contributions each made to my music. In December of 2010, I was just about finished recording all of the music for the album, and started my quest to find new musicians for the live band. I started running ads on Craigslist and one day found an email in my inbox from a guy named Enzo Penizzotto. I Googled him and discovered he started his own band, Speed McQueen, when he was 19 and landed a record deal, worked with engineer/producer, Ed Stasium (The Ramones, Talking Heads, The Smithereens) and had toured with Joan Jett’s band. A few days later we met at my studio and he told me he was looking to get involved in something new. Could I be this lucky? After hearing Enzo play the bass, I knew my album would not be complete without his contribution. I decided to remix with him playing the bass parts and it took the sound to a whole new level. Enzo’s contribution went far beyond his bass playing. A good friend of his was helping the people at <a target="_new" href="http://bks1radio.com/index.php/live-in-the-vocal-booth">BKS Entertainment and the <a target="_new" href="http://www.ywca.org/site/c.cuIRJ7NTKrLaG/b.7515807/k.BE84/Home.htm">YWCA put together a music compilation CD to raise money for victims of domestic violence. Enzo suggested Photograph to them, and we sent the song off for a listen. They liked it and decided to include us on the CD, which I was thrilled to be a part of and support. Enzo felt that Photograph needed a little more work before we delivered it to BKS, and he suggested sending it to a <a target="_new" href="http://www.concentratemedia.com/features/SalineLoftStudio0014.aspx">Tim Patalan, a producer he had worked with in the past. After working with my dad, I knew first hand the benefits of working with a producer, so I was anxious to hear what Tim would do with the song. Tim worked incredible magic on Photograph, truly shaping it into something I could not have done myself and it opened my eyes to new possibilities. I was hopeful Enzo would have time to be a part of my band, but his path led him in a different direction. We rehearsed together on and off for many months, and before parting ways, he introduced me to his friend, Michael Smith, who is now the drummer in my band. With the help of Michael, we added his friend/guitarist, Joe Belle, and through Craigslist eventually found guitarist, Ry Kenny and bassist, Rafal Moskal. On March 14th, we will play our third show at New York’s legendary music venue, <a target="_new" href="http://www.arlenesgrocery.net/">Arlene’s Grocery, and I must say the band is sounding better than ever! Life can take many turns. If I had not met Zach, I would not know Jeff. If I had not met Jeff, I would have never met Scott and Seth. If I had not met Enzo, I would have never met Michael and Joe. My friend Peter…the one that dragged me to New York…also happens to be cousins with <a target="_new" href="http://www.chrisbarron.com/">Chris Barron from the <a target="_new" href="http://www.spindoctors.com/">Spin Doctors. One night when I was hanging out with Chris at a club, he said something to me that, as a musician, I thought was very profound. He said, “One of hardest things is putting a band together. One of the other hardest things is keeping a band together.” These words give me strength at times when it seems like I’m a million miles from standing on a stage. It’s been a long, winding, bumpy road to get from thinking about making my first record, to standing on a stage performing the songs. I’m grateful for the friends I’ve made along the way and excited about the journey, which in many ways is just beginning. As always, thanks for your support. Without your ears to listen, there is no music. ~D Charles Calello and D'Simone From the left: Jeff Soriano, D'Simone, Rossen Nedelchev, Scott Anderson From the left: Michael Smith, Joe Belle, Rafal Moskal, D'Simone, Ry Kenny
Over the past 15 years, while keeping this so-called crazy schedule, I’ve been having the time of my life…playing in five different bands, producing records for more than a dozen artists, building three recording studios, and now finally releasing my first studio album, SLEEPWALKING. It’s been a long and sometimes bumpy road, but an amazing experience, and I’m very excited to share it with everyone.

The journey started roughly 20 years ago when one of my best friends, Peter Yozell, dragged me to New York to see the band X25 play live in a nightclub. I was living in Boston at the time but was contemplating a move to New York. Let’s just say the events of that evening cemented my decision to move and in many ways changed my life.

SLEEPWALKING was recorded in Midtown Manhattan, four blocks from the Empire State Building at a studio/loft I built and lived in for 15 years. During the four plus years I spent recording and mixing the album, I was fortunate to collaborate with many talented musicians, none more so than my father, legendary hit maker, Charles Calello, who recorded many of The 4 Seasons’ hit records and went on to arrange and produce over 100 top ten records. Having the opportunity to work with my father on this album, at this particular point in my life, was an experience beyond what words can convey. The last time we worked together on music, I was much younger, and I’ll admit, way more stubborn.

As my father started to take on the role of producer, I found myself struggling with something I believe most human beings can relate to. There’s a moment when a parent is telling you to do something, and your rebellious, inner child says, “I don't wanna…whaaaaaaaaaaaa!” My father produced the first two songs released from the album…the title track, Sleepwalking, and Desert Rain….providing direction on the the arrangement, instrumentation, singing and mixing. As we worked, I learned from The Master how very subtle changes could make a song go from good to great.

Things were moving along wonderfully, and when we finished Sleepwalking and Desert Rain, I was ready to play a new song for him called U R The 1. I was extremely excited about this song, as I had written it about my amazing wife Tanya and felt it would pass the Charles Calello producer inspection test with flying colors. After listening to the song, he said, “It's pretty good, but it’s not finished.” Enter inner child Hulk, “What do you mean it's not finished? It's great just the way it is!” My dad (the producer) said the chorus wasn't really finished, and it needed to go somewhere higher. “I like its simplicity,” I said, and defended my position. He wasn’t convinced, and said the decision was mine, but I should at least try to work on it. For the next few days, I walked around mumbling under my breath, “who does he think he is with his 100 top ten records telling me how to write my song!” Finally, I decided I would give his suggestion a try…write something to add to the chorus. I knew factually he was incorrect, but I’ll try just so I can prove it. At least that was the plan. I played the song up to the chorus, and stopped right where Mr. 100 Hits said the song needed something. There I was, attitude of a four-year old baby with no toy to throw across the playroom…just my piano. So I played and...son of a big hit-making expletive! I played and sang something that made the song so much better that I can’t even imagine the song without it now. He was right! I’m not sure what was more fun, making the song better or the amount of self-ridicule I inflicted over how stubborn and childish I had behaved over changing the song. I learned an important lesson…let the producer produce…even if the man is your father.

As I mentioned earlier, SLEEPWALKING bears the marks of many talented musicians…guitarist, Jeff Soriano; bassist, Enzo Penizzotto; and producer, Tim Patalan, to name just a few. Jeff not only played on nearly every song on the album, he co-wrote Follow and Over My Head. We first met when I was producing an album for his very talented friend, singer/songwriter, Zach Macko. When I was ready to start playing shows in 2010, Jeff helped me put a together a great band, which at the time included Jeff on guitar, Scott Anderson on bass and Seth Johnson on drums. As luck would have it, though, about three weeks before our first show, Seth got an offer to tour with a band in Europe, so we were faced with replacing him quickly. I ran an ad on Craigslist, and a week later we were auditioning a very talented drummer named Rossen Nedelchev. He walked into the first practice with all the drum parts written on music paper and played the songs like he had been playing with us all along. A couple weeks later we played our first show at The Whiskey Bar in Hoboken to a very enthusiastic crowd. Over the next eight months, we played a few shows, shot a couple music videos and had a really great time, but as it often goes with bands, opportunities arise that lead each member in a different direction. I am thankful for the time I had with Jeff, Scott and Rossen, and the contributions each made to my music.

In December of 2010, I was just about finished recording all of the music for the album, and started my quest to find new musicians for the live band. I started running ads on Craigslist and one day found an email in my inbox from a guy named Enzo Penizzotto. I Googled him and discovered he started his own band, Speed McQueen, when he was 19 and landed a record deal, worked with engineer/producer, Ed Stasium (The Ramones, Talking Heads, The Smithereens) and had toured with Joan Jett’s band. A few days later we met at my studio and he told me he was looking to get involved in something new. Could I be this lucky? After hearing Enzo play the bass, I knew my album would not be complete without his contribution. I decided to remix with him playing the bass parts and it took the sound to a whole new level.

Enzo’s contribution went far beyond his bass playing. A good friend of his was helping the people at BKS Entertainment and the YWCA put together a music compilation CD to raise money for victims of domestic violence. Enzo suggested Photograph to them, and we sent the song off for a listen. They liked it and decided to include us on the CD, which I was thrilled to be a part of and support. Enzo felt that Photograph needed a little more work before we delivered it to BKS, and he suggested sending it to a Tim Patalan, a producer he had worked with in the past. After working with my dad, I knew first hand the benefits of working with a producer, so I was anxious to hear what Tim would do with the song. Tim worked incredible magic on Photograph, truly shaping it into something I could not have done myself and it opened my eyes to new possibilities.

I was hopeful Enzo would have time to be a part of my band, but his path led him in a different direction. We rehearsed together on and off for many months, and before parting ways, he introduced me to his friend, Michael Smith, who is now the drummer in my band. With the help of Michael, we added his friend/guitarist, Joe Belle, and through Craigslist eventually found guitarist, Ry Kenny and bassist, Rafal Moskal. On March 14th, we will play our third show at New York’s legendary music venue, Arlene’s Grocery, and I must say the band is sounding better than ever!

Life can take many turns. If I had not met Zach, I would not know Jeff. If I had not met Jeff, I would have never met Scott and Seth. If I had not met Enzo, I would have never met Michael and Joe. My friend Peter…the one that dragged me to New York…also happens to be cousins with Chris Barron from the Spin Doctors. One night when I was hanging out with Chris at a club, he said something to me that, as a musician, I thought was very profound. He said, “One of hardest things is putting a band together. One of the other hardest things is keeping a band together.” These words give me strength at times when it seems like I’m a million miles from standing on a stage. It’s been a long, winding, bumpy road to get from thinking about making my first record, to standing on a stage performing the songs. I’m grateful for the friends I’ve made along the way and excited about the journey, which in many ways is just beginning.

As always, thanks for your support. Without your ears to listen, there is no music.
~D

Charles Calello and D'Simone

From the left: Jeff Soriano, D'Simone, Rossen Nedelchev, Scott Anderson

From the left: Michael Smith, Joe Belle, Rafal Moskal, D'Simone, Ry Kenny

]]> Sat, 10 Mar 2012 09:50:00 GMT 4FAFBF2C2494E44CEC4A03D8D511DD64 ARLENE'S GROCERY http://dsimone.com/blog.cfm?feature=1545910&postid=1552039 Tuesday night we played our first show at Arlene’s Grocery with our friends from the amazing indie-pop band <a target="_new" href="http://portmanteaux.bandcamp.com/">Portmanteaux. Thanks to everyone who endured the unpleasant sting of the cold rain and wind to make sure we didn’t play to an empty room! It's probably easier to get a taxi on the dark side of the moon than on a rainy night near 42nd street in New York…which happens to be where we were coming from. We quickly realized the utter hopelessness of getting a taxi, so we called a service and were told a car would pick us up in fifteen minutes. Fort-five minutes later we were out on the street in the pouring rain trying to find anything with wheels that would give us a ride downtown to the show. We finally managed to hail a taxi, but halfway through loading our gynormous load of eight small cases…that’s one small case with drum cymbal stands, two guitars, two keyboards and a couple of pedal board cases…the cab driver started to flip out on us, saying we were going to break his axel. Come on now…really! It was a van taxi, which is pretty much the standard now in New York, and could easily handle the weight of our equipment. I’ve seen commercials on TV where they throw one truck on top of another truck and haul it up a giant hill with big rocks and stuff. I think the general point of these commercials is to point out that you can put a ton of stuff in a truck. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the average car/van can carry more than the weight of five skinny rock dudes and their instruments. After a bit of back and forth, our drummer, Michael, managed to convince the driver to let us finish loading all of the gear. Just when we thought we were ready to go, though, he wouldn’t let us all get into the cab. Our equipment fit nicely into the storage area in the back of the van, no fold-down seat required, and there was plenty of room for five passengers, but again, he said we were going to break his cab. I was finally able to bribe him with more money and he agreed to let us all in the cab. That's when it hit me…no keyboard stand. For some reason, the forty-five minutes of waiting for the car service earlier was not enough time for me to figure out I had forgotten one of my keyboard stands in the rehearsal studio! Usually when you are moving equipment for a show, you inventory everything before you load out to make sure you don’t forget anything. It wasn't until we were sitting in the taxi that I realized I didn't see the stand get loaded. I jumped out and told the guys to head down to the club and I would catch up. I went back to the rehearsal studio, and there it was right out in the open. This one tiny, but very critical piece of equipment was going to require me to take a second taxi, which would require another battle out in the rain to find one. One minor detail….my umbrella was in the first taxi! But it’s New York, which means on a rainy night you can't walk more than ten feet down any sidewalk without finding a street vendor selling umbrellas. Within a few minutes I lucked out, got another cab and was on my way. I vowed never to forget the equipment inventory again. (This is both true and important to the overall story…read on.) Once we got to the club, it was great. Arlene's Grocery is a fine establishment. It has an impressive stage and sound system, but perhaps more importantly it has a second bar room with a fireplace…perfect for a rainy night. I was in heaven. My feet and legs were soaked up to my knees, but ten minutes in front of that fireplace, I was warm and dry…and ready to get on that stage. The show was great fun...visit the video page for highlights. It was not only our first show at Arlene’s, but our first show with the new band. Michael Smith on drums, Ry Kenny on rhythm guitar and background vocals, Rafal Moskal on bass and Joe Belle on guitar. These guys are really a pleasure to play with, and I must say I’m proud to share the stage with such fantastic musicians. In addition to our set, which I think was the best show D'Simone has played to date, we had the pleasure of sharing the bill with <a target="_new" href="http://portmanteaux.bandcamp.com/">Portmanteaux, fronted by the truly talented Allan Fox. We plan to play more shows together under the moniker “Bands with French Sounding Names” so please look for more show dates in the near future. To add the perfect bookend to an outstanding evening, Michael, Joe and I hung out for a while and had a few drinks. When we were ready to go home, we called for a car, and the same car company that couldn't deliver a vehicle earlier came through in spades with a brand new SUV! It was like a rock star ride back to the rehearsal studio. I would have called it the perfect end to a great night…adventures in travel, good stories and a great show. But wait…where the @$#&!!!! is my keyboard stand?!!!! Mother said I'd lose my head if it wasn’t fastened on. Well today I guess it wasn’t, and neither was that keyboard stand. Yes ladies and gentlemen…I left it at the club! And continuing my luck, a phone call confirms they still have it, so I will be retrieving it before our next practice, and knock on wood I will never forget it again! As always, thanks for the support. Without your ears to listen, there is no music. ~D Portmanteaux. Thanks to everyone who endured the unpleasant sting of the cold rain and wind to make sure we didn’t play to an empty room!

It's probably easier to get a taxi on the dark side of the moon than on a rainy night near 42nd street in New York…which happens to be where we were coming from. We quickly realized the utter hopelessness of getting a taxi, so we called a service and were told a car would pick us up in fifteen minutes. Fort-five minutes later we were out on the street in the pouring rain trying to find anything with wheels that would give us a ride downtown to the show.

We finally managed to hail a taxi, but halfway through loading our gynormous load of eight small cases…that’s one small case with drum cymbal stands, two guitars, two keyboards and a couple of pedal board cases…the cab driver started to flip out on us, saying we were going to break his axel. Come on now…really! It was a van taxi, which is pretty much the standard now in New York, and could easily handle the weight of our equipment. I’ve seen commercials on TV where they throw one truck on top of another truck and haul it up a giant hill with big rocks and stuff. I think the general point of these commercials is to point out that you can put a ton of stuff in a truck. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the average car/van can carry more than the weight of five skinny rock dudes and their instruments.

After a bit of back and forth, our drummer, Michael, managed to convince the driver to let us finish loading all of the gear. Just when we thought we were ready to go, though, he wouldn’t let us all get into the cab. Our equipment fit nicely into the storage area in the back of the van, no fold-down seat required, and there was plenty of room for five passengers, but again, he said we were going to break his cab. I was finally able to bribe him with more money and he agreed to let us all in the cab. That's when it hit me…no keyboard stand. For some reason, the forty-five minutes of waiting for the car service earlier was not enough time for me to figure out I had forgotten one of my keyboard stands in the rehearsal studio! Usually when you are moving equipment for a show, you inventory everything before you load out to make sure you don’t forget anything. It wasn't until we were sitting in the taxi that I realized I didn't see the stand get loaded. I jumped out and told the guys to head down to the club and I would catch up.

I went back to the rehearsal studio, and there it was right out in the open. This one tiny, but very critical piece of equipment was going to require me to take a second taxi, which would require another battle out in the rain to find one. One minor detail….my umbrella was in the first taxi! But it’s New York, which means on a rainy night you can't walk more than ten feet down any sidewalk without finding a street vendor selling umbrellas. Within a few minutes I lucked out, got another cab and was on my way. I vowed never to forget the equipment inventory again. (This is both true and important to the overall story…read on.)

Once we got to the club, it was great. Arlene's Grocery is a fine establishment. It has an impressive stage and sound system, but perhaps more importantly it has a second bar room with a fireplace…perfect for a rainy night. I was in heaven. My feet and legs were soaked up to my knees, but ten minutes in front of that fireplace, I was warm and dry…and ready to get on that stage.

The show was great fun...visit the video page for highlights. It was not only our first show at Arlene’s, but our first show with the new band. Michael Smith on drums, Ry Kenny on rhythm guitar and background vocals, Rafal Moskal on bass and Joe Belle on guitar. These guys are really a pleasure to play with, and I must say I’m proud to share the stage with such fantastic musicians. In addition to our set, which I think was the best show D'Simone has played to date, we had the pleasure of sharing the bill with Portmanteaux, fronted by the truly talented Allan Fox. We plan to play more shows together under the moniker “Bands with French Sounding Names” so please look for more show dates in the near future.

To add the perfect bookend to an outstanding evening, Michael, Joe and I hung out for a while and had a few drinks. When we were ready to go home, we called for a car, and the same car company that couldn't deliver a vehicle earlier came through in spades with a brand new SUV! It was like a rock star ride back to the rehearsal studio. I would have called it the perfect end to a great night…adventures in travel, good stories and a great show. But wait…where the @$#&!!!! is my keyboard stand?!!!! Mother said I'd lose my head if it wasn’t fastened on. Well today I guess it wasn’t, and neither was that keyboard stand. Yes ladies and gentlemen…I left it at the club! And continuing my luck, a phone call confirms they still have it, so I will be retrieving it before our next practice, and knock on wood I will never forget it again!

As always, thanks for the support. Without your ears to listen, there is no music.
~D

]]> Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:50:00 GMT 39724FBE2B3B43E9AAD5655FA581C0C4 YOU'RE JUST A PHOTOGRAPH http://dsimone.com/blog.cfm?feature=1545910&postid=1126728 Sometime last year when I was working on music for my album, I had a flash of an old song called Photograph that I had started to write on the guitar but never finished. I mostly write songs on the piano now, and while I do play guitar on some of my records from time to time, I would never call myself a guitar player. I sat down to see if I could remember how it went. No luck…it was gone. A trick that I’ve had some success with when trying to remember a forgotten piece of music is to just try and play anything, and see if I stumble over those memories. This time the process didn’t work, but by accident I found a new chord. Turns out it wasn’t new at all…just good old E minor, but the voicing was new too me, and since I was stuck on trying to remember the song Photograph, I just starting singing it over this new chord…and a new song was born. We live so much of our lives through incredible images that only 100 years ago no one had any exposure to. We discover beauty, suffering, laughter and sorrow through the images we see in pictures. Not living any of these moments ourselves, sometimes we can be given whole life experiences. On the other hand, we can capture a moment in our own lives and see that moment frozen in time forever. Photographs are one of the most powerful forces in modern culture...and are what inspired the song. Photograph is one of 16 songs being featured on the Rise Up Against Domestic Violence Music Compilation CD presented by <a target="_new" href="http://bks1radio.com/index.php/live-in-the-vocal-booth">BKS Entertainment to support the<a target="_new" href="http://www.ywca.org/site/pp.asp?c=djISI6PIKpG&b=284783"> YWCA’s domestic violence initiative. When you purchase the CD, a percentage of the sales and proceeds go towards the YWCA’s domestic violence programs across the country. Please visit <a target="_new" href="http://riseupworld.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=12&Itemid=172">RISEUPWORLD.COM for more information and to buy the CD. ~D PHOTOGRAPH Music & Lyrics by D’Simone You’re just a photograph So much more I can see Turn it around photographs lie Frozen in time a picture Just one of a thousand camera angles A thousand eyes It’s just one of those days Where worlds collide And time surrenders in perfect light And everything in frame falls to pieces [Chorus] And now a photograph is all I have The memory is burned into my mind And it will live forever never changing And now I am standing on the outside looking in You’re just a photograph You’re just a photograph I’ve seen it all in pictures Beauty profound ugliness too Just turn the page Life is so complicated You cannot hide behind the camera You are betrayed It’s a split of a second Captured in space A photo finish who won the race When time stands still You never disappear [Chorus] And all I have is just a photograph The memory is burned into my mind And it will live forever never changing But now I’m standing on the outside looking in You’re just a photograph You’re just a photograph You’re just a photograph You’re just a photograph ©2010 Calello Music Group Photograph that I had started to write on the guitar but never finished. I mostly write songs on the piano now, and while I do play guitar on some of my records from time to time, I would never call myself a guitar player. I sat down to see if I could remember how it went. No luck…it was gone. A trick that I’ve had some success with when trying to remember a forgotten piece of music is to just try and play anything, and see if I stumble over those memories. This time the process didn’t work, but by accident I found a new chord. Turns out it wasn’t new at all…just good old E minor, but the voicing was new too me, and since I was stuck on trying to remember the song Photograph, I just starting singing it over this new chord…and a new song was born.

We live so much of our lives through incredible images that only 100 years ago no one had any exposure to. We discover beauty, suffering, laughter and sorrow through the images we see in pictures. Not living any of these moments ourselves, sometimes we can be given whole life experiences. On the other hand, we can capture a moment in our own lives and see that moment frozen in time forever. Photographs are one of the most powerful forces in modern culture...and are what inspired the song.

Photograph is one of 16 songs being featured on the Rise Up Against Domestic Violence Music Compilation CD presented by BKS Entertainment to support the YWCA’s domestic violence initiative. When you purchase the CD, a percentage of the sales and proceeds go towards the YWCA’s domestic violence programs across the country. Please visit RISEUPWORLD.COM for more information and to buy the CD.

~D

PHOTOGRAPH
Music & Lyrics by D’Simone

You’re just a photograph
So much more I can see
Turn it around photographs lie

Frozen in time a picture
Just one of a thousand camera angles
A thousand eyes

It’s just one of those days
Where worlds collide
And time surrenders in perfect light
And everything in frame falls to pieces

[Chorus]
And now a photograph is all I have
The memory is burned into my mind
And it will live forever never changing
And now I am standing on the outside looking in
You’re just a photograph
You’re just a photograph

I’ve seen it all in pictures
Beauty profound ugliness too
Just turn the page

Life is so complicated
You cannot hide behind the camera
You are betrayed

It’s a split of a second
Captured in space
A photo finish who won the race
When time stands still
You never disappear

[Chorus]
And all I have is just a photograph
The memory is burned into my mind
And it will live forever never changing
But now I’m standing on the outside looking in
You’re just a photograph
You’re just a photograph
You’re just a photograph
You’re just a photograph

©2010 Calello Music Group
]]> Sun, 24 Jul 2011 21:30:38 GMT 272131210DADD5B24058262E004642B3 D'SIMONE & ENZO http://dsimone.com/blog.cfm?feature=1545910&postid=1126586 Last October, while searching for musicians to join my live band, (which, by the way is still in progress), I met a pretty amazing bass player. I had posted a few ads on craigslist but wasn’t having much luck finding the right musicians. Then, after a few weeks of frustration, I got an email from a guy named <a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/people/Enzo-Penizzotto/100001986490011">Enzo Penizzotto (cool name…right). So I Googled him and discovered he started his own band, Speed McQueen, when he was 19 and landed a record deal, worked with engineer/producer, Ed Stasium (The Ramones, Talking Heads, The Smithereens) and had toured with Joan Jett’s band. VERY, VERY COOL!!! Needless to say, I called him right away and we made plans to get together. I was still in the process of recording songs for my debut CD and I asked Enzo if he wanted to play on one. I played him a bunch of tracks and the one he really connected with was Photograph, which also features some pretty incredible guitar playing from Jeff Soriano (who also played on most of the tracks for the CD). Usually when I record a musician, I’m prepared to spend an hour or two getting the right sound and a good performance. So when Enzo showed up to record, my expectations were to finish the one song. I plugged his bass into the console so I could start adjusting things, but it sounded so AMAZING I really didn’t have to do much! I queued up Photograph and hit the record button. One take and four minutes later we were finished. An hour later, I had recorded Enzo on seven more songs. The impact that his bass playing made was monumental, but it was also just the beginning of what was about to happen. After Enzo played on Photograph I mixed the record. It now had more than 20 guitar tracks, and through the contributions of Enzo and Jeff the song had become bigger than I had ever imagined. I was thrilled with the finished product and couldn’t imagine it getting any better. But you know what they say…”never say never.” A few weeks after I had finished working on Photograph I got a call from Enzo. A good friend of his was helping the people at <a target="_new" href="http://bks1radio.com/index.php/live-in-the-vocal-booth">BKS Entertainment and the <a target="_new" href="http://www.ywca.org/site/pp.asp?c=djISI6PIKpG&b=284783">YWCA put together a music compilation CD to raise money for victims of domestic violence. The CD was going to be called Rise Up Against Domestic Violence and feature music from a variety of artists and genres. Enzo suggested Photograph to them, and we sent the song off for a listen. They liked it and decided to include us on the CD, which I was thrilled to be a part of and support. Enzo felt that Photograph needed a little more work before we delivered it to BKS, and he suggested sending it to a <a target="_new" href="http://www.concentratemedia.com/features/SalineLoftStudio0014.aspx">Tim Patalan, a producer he had worked with in the past. For most of my music career I’ve recorded and mixed my own records, but I’ve been very fortunate to have a father (<a target="_new" href="http://www.charlescalello.com/">Charles Calello) that is a record producer! My Dad has an amazing talent for making records and I’ve seen/heard the transformation of my music through the work I’ve done with him over the years – most recently on the two singles I released last year, Sleepwalking and Desert Rain. So when Enzo suggested working with Tim, I knew the impact it could have on the song. Timing didn’t allow us to record live with Tim, so we settled on a re-mix. We only had a few days, though, as the record was about to be mastered and pressed. Tim not only delivered, he blew us away! When I heard his re-mix for the first time, I could not believe I was listening to the same song. It’s hard to explain in words what Tim did exactly – the best way to describe it would be how Dorothy felt in The Wizard Of Oz when she woke up and everything that was black and white was now color. After delivering the song to BKS Entertainment for the Rise up Against Domestic Violence CD, I sat down and listened to it for about a month. As a record maker, I went back to my original mix and tried to emulate what Tim had done. The experience was humbling. To say that I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to work with Enzo, Tim and Jeff in the making of this record is an understatement. Photograph has grown to become one of my favorite songs, and I’m honored it was chosen for the Rise Up Against Domestic Violence music project. I hope you join me in supporting this important cause by purchasing a copy of the compilation CD at <a target="_new" href="http://www.riseupworld.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=12&Itemid=172">RISEUPWORLD.COM or <a target="_new" href="http://www.cdbaby.com/AlbumDetails.aspx?AlbumID=riseupagainstdomesticvio">CDBABY.COM. ~D PHOTOGRAPH Music & Lyrics by D’Simone You’re just a photograph So much more I can see Turn it around photographs lie Frozen in time a picture Just one of a thousand camera angles A thousand eyes It’s just one of those days Where worlds collide And time surrenders in perfect light And everything in frame falls to pieces [Chorus] And now a photograph is all I have The memory is burned into my mind And it will live forever never changing And now I am standing on the outside looking in You’re just a photograph You’re just a photograph I’ve seen it all in pictures Beauty profound ugliness too Just turn the page Life is so complicated You cannot hide behind the camera You are betrayed It’s a split of a second Captured in space A photo finish who won the race When time stands still You never disappear [Chorus] And all I have is just a photograph The memory is burned into my mind And it will live forever never changing But now I’m standing on the outside looking in You’re just a photograph You’re just a photograph You’re just a photograph You’re just a photograph ©2010 Calello Music Group Enzo Penizzotto (cool name…right). So I Googled him and discovered he started his own band, Speed McQueen, when he was 19 and landed a record deal, worked with engineer/producer, Ed Stasium (The Ramones, Talking Heads, The Smithereens) and had toured with Joan Jett’s band. VERY, VERY COOL!!! Needless to say, I called him right away and we made plans to get together. I was still in the process of recording songs for my debut CD and I asked Enzo if he wanted to play on one. I played him a bunch of tracks and the one he really connected with was Photograph, which also features some pretty incredible guitar playing from Jeff Soriano (who also played on most of the tracks for the CD).

Usually when I record a musician, I’m prepared to spend an hour or two getting the right sound and a good performance. So when Enzo showed up to record, my expectations were to finish the one song. I plugged his bass into the console so I could start adjusting things, but it sounded so AMAZING I really didn’t have to do much! I queued up Photograph and hit the record button. One take and four minutes later we were finished. An hour later, I had recorded Enzo on seven more songs. The impact that his bass playing made was monumental, but it was also just the beginning of what was about to happen.

After Enzo played on Photograph I mixed the record. It now had more than 20 guitar tracks, and through the contributions of Enzo and Jeff the song had become bigger than I had ever imagined. I was thrilled with the finished product and couldn’t imagine it getting any better. But you know what they say…”never say never.”

A few weeks after I had finished working on Photograph I got a call from Enzo. A good friend of his was helping the people at BKS Entertainment and the YWCA put together a music compilation CD to raise money for victims of domestic violence. The CD was going to be called Rise Up Against Domestic Violence and feature music from a variety of artists and genres. Enzo suggested Photograph to them, and we sent the song off for a listen. They liked it and decided to include us on the CD, which I was thrilled to be a part of and support.

Enzo felt that Photograph needed a little more work before we delivered it to BKS, and he suggested sending it to a Tim Patalan, a producer he had worked with in the past. For most of my music career I’ve recorded and mixed my own records, but I’ve been very fortunate to have a father (Charles Calello) that is a record producer! My Dad has an amazing talent for making records and I’ve seen/heard the transformation of my music through the work I’ve done with him over the years – most recently on the two singles I released last year, Sleepwalking and Desert Rain. So when Enzo suggested working with Tim, I knew the impact it could have on the song.

Timing didn’t allow us to record live with Tim, so we settled on a re-mix. We only had a few days, though, as the record was about to be mastered and pressed. Tim not only delivered, he blew us away! When I heard his re-mix for the first time, I could not believe I was listening to the same song. It’s hard to explain in words what Tim did exactly – the best way to describe it would be how Dorothy felt in The Wizard Of Oz when she woke up and everything that was black and white was now color. After delivering the song to BKS Entertainment for the Rise up Against Domestic Violence CD, I sat down and listened to it for about a month. As a record maker, I went back to my original mix and tried to emulate what Tim had done. The experience was humbling.

To say that I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to work with Enzo, Tim and Jeff in the making of this record is an understatement. Photograph has grown to become one of my favorite songs, and I’m honored it was chosen for the Rise Up Against Domestic Violence music project. I hope you join me in supporting this important cause by purchasing a copy of the compilation CD at RISEUPWORLD.COM or CDBABY.COM.

~D

PHOTOGRAPH
Music & Lyrics by D’Simone

You’re just a photograph
So much more I can see
Turn it around photographs lie

Frozen in time a picture
Just one of a thousand camera angles
A thousand eyes

It’s just one of those days
Where worlds collide
And time surrenders in perfect light
And everything in frame falls to pieces

[Chorus]
And now a photograph is all I have
The memory is burned into my mind
And it will live forever never changing
And now I am standing on the outside looking in
You’re just a photograph
You’re just a photograph

I’ve seen it all in pictures
Beauty profound ugliness too
Just turn the page

Life is so complicated
You cannot hide behind the camera
You are betrayed

It’s a split of a second
Captured in space
A photo finish who won the race
When time stands still
You never disappear

[Chorus]
And all I have is just a photograph
The memory is burned into my mind
And it will live forever never changing
But now I’m standing on the outside looking in
You’re just a photograph
You’re just a photograph
You’re just a photograph
You’re just a photograph

©2010 Calello Music Group
]]> Sun, 24 Jul 2011 19:30:00 GMT FAD12D046ECA9A7230EB5CFC6F7DFB5E THE PERFECT LOVE STORY http://dsimone.com/blog.cfm?feature=1545910&postid=951822 Over the years I’ve collaborated with many musicians, and there’s always a bit of tug-of-war that develops during the creative process. “Can we take that section out…I think this part should be the chorus…what if we make this section half as long" etc., etc. It can be a very painful experience! So you can just imagine how excited I was when I wrote a melody and lyrics for a piece of music composed by my friend/former bandmate, Jeff Soriano, and he didn’t want to change a thing. He had emailed me a demo of the music he recorded with guitar, bass, drums and piano, and asked if I’d be interested in writing lyrics for it. I listened to the music, and while I know I have claimed this almost never happens, within just a short time, 10 or 15 minutes, I wrote a completely new song to Jeff's music. The words and melody fit perfectly with the music and required not one single note to be changed…truly a first in my experience. The song is entitled Follow, and it will be featured on my upcoming debut CD. The song’s lyrics tell a tale of storybook love…the kind you are willing to go to the end of the earth and back for. For those of you who don’t know me very well, I was pretty much born a romantic. When I was a kid, I loved to play King and Queen with my grammar-school heartthrob, Debbie. I still have a picture from one of my birthday parties with Debbie sitting next to me, and I was pretty sure at the time that we were going to be married and grow old together. Well, that of course didn’t happen, but I never stopped believing in the perfect love story. Throughout my life I’ve been in many relationships I thought might be “the one,” but time and again, I found that I was still, as Neil Young says so profoundly, “Searching For a Heart of Gold…and I’m getting old.” When I finally met my wife, Tanya, I was in a very good place in my life….living in New York City in a really cool loft, making a good living, and in the best physical shape of my life. When I fell in love with Tanya, I didn't think this is “the one”…I just knew it. I never meant to test that certainty, but in the first few years of our relationship, I suffered from a physical injury, which created a number of challenges, and Tanya was there for me in a way no person has ever been. As time moved on and other challenges surfaced, she continued to support me, always there by my side. When someone believes in you like that, it changes how you see the world. “No one ever took a chance on me. The chance you took, has set me free.” The video for Follow came together almost as easily as the song. A friend of Jeff's, Jenifer Hahn, is a filmmaker and offered to donate her talents to concept and produce the music video, which co-stars Tanya, along with our scene-stealing cat Kiki. Jenifer’s concept for the video portrayed the song's references to distance and struggle as a soldier’s struggle, which gave the song a whole new meaning. When I wrote Follow, I saw myself as the follower. When I watched the finished video, I realized the song was as much about how Tanya had followed me – “through virtual hell and the real one as well.” For Tanya, there is truly “no place I won't go.”  ~D D'Simone and Jeff Soriano ~ September 2010 FOLLOW Lyrics by D'Simone Music by D'Simone & Soriano I've got a faded pocket picture of you It keeps me sane when I can't be close to The one thing in this world that I have seen That makes me think my black heart could come clean I see the question mark behind your smile For some to trust it takes a long long while But time and circumstances crumble walls It's not too late for you to call If I could tell you I would tell you now The words have lost their meaning anyhow So I will be a soldier for your war And if I die I'll know what for [Chorus] A heart of gold that kept my soul from going cold Where you go I follow Forever and tomorrow Through time warps and black holes There's no place I won't go This trip has taken me a million miles But I'm made new each time I see you smile A thousand churches inspire some But in your eyes I come undone I've become jaded from this cruel world I don't believe anything that I've heard No one ever took a chance on me The chance you took has set me free [Chorus] How far could someone go for somebody they love Through battlefield clashes And frozen high passes Where you go I follow I'd like to think I could be good for you I give you anything you ask me to And if you find yourself over the edge I will be there to bring you back again [Chorus] Where you go I follow Forever and tomorrow Through time warps and black holes There's no place I won't go Through battlefield clashes And frozen high passes Through virtual hell And the real one as well I follow ©2010 Calello Music Group Follow, and it will be featured on my upcoming debut CD.

The song’s lyrics tell a tale of storybook love…the kind you are willing to go to the end of the earth and back for. For those of you who don’t know me very well, I was pretty much born a romantic. When I was a kid, I loved to play King and Queen with my grammar-school heartthrob, Debbie. I still have a picture from one of my birthday parties with Debbie sitting next to me, and I was pretty sure at the time that we were going to be married and grow old together. Well, that of course didn’t happen, but I never stopped believing in the perfect love story.

Throughout my life I’ve been in many relationships I thought might be “the one,” but time and again, I found that I was still, as Neil Young says so profoundly, “Searching For a Heart of Gold…and I’m getting old.” When I finally met my wife, Tanya, I was in a very good place in my life….living in New York City in a really cool loft, making a good living, and in the best physical shape of my life. When I fell in love with Tanya, I didn't think this is “the one”…I just knew it. I never meant to test that certainty, but in the first few years of our relationship, I suffered from a physical injury, which created a number of challenges, and Tanya was there for me in a way no person has ever been. As time moved on and other challenges surfaced, she continued to support me, always there by my side. When someone believes in you like that, it changes how you see the world.

“No one ever took a chance on me. The chance you took, has set me free.”

The video for Follow came together almost as easily as the song. A friend of Jeff's, Jenifer Hahn, is a filmmaker and offered to donate her talents to concept and produce the music video, which co-stars Tanya, along with our scene-stealing cat Kiki. Jenifer’s concept for the video portrayed the song's references to distance and struggle as a soldier’s struggle, which gave the song a whole new meaning. When I wrote Follow, I saw myself as the follower. When I watched the finished video, I realized the song was as much about how Tanya had followed me – “through virtual hell and the real one as well.” For Tanya, there is truly “no place I won't go.”

~D

D'Simone and Jeff Soriano ~ September 2010

FOLLOW
Lyrics by D'Simone
Music by D'Simone & Soriano

I've got a faded pocket picture of you
It keeps me sane when I can't be close to
The one thing in this world that I have seen
That makes me think my black heart could come clean

I see the question mark behind your smile
For some to trust it takes a long long while
But time and circumstances crumble walls
It's not too late for you to call

If I could tell you I would tell you now
The words have lost their meaning anyhow
So I will be a soldier for your war
And if I die I'll know what for

[Chorus]
A heart of gold that kept my soul from going cold
Where you go I follow
Forever and tomorrow
Through time warps and black holes
There's no place I won't go

This trip has taken me a million miles
But I'm made new each time I see you smile
A thousand churches inspire some
But in your eyes I come undone

I've become jaded from this cruel world
I don't believe anything that I've heard
No one ever took a chance on me
The chance you took has set me free

[Chorus]
How far could someone go for somebody they love
Through battlefield clashes
And frozen high passes
Where you go
I follow

I'd like to think I could be good for you
I give you anything you ask me to
And if you find yourself over the edge
I will be there to bring you back again

[Chorus]
Where you go I follow
Forever and tomorrow
Through time warps and black holes
There's no place I won't go

Through battlefield clashes
And frozen high passes
Through virtual hell
And the real one as well
I follow

©2010 Calello Music Group

]]> Thu, 05 May 2011 22:10:00 GMT AE61D52674EA3029D6A65E522CC2BEFB BAR EAST ROCKS! http://dsimone.com/blog.cfm?feature=1545910&postid=596423 Thanks for coming out to hear us play Saturday night…and a special thanks to Paul at Bar East…awesome place to play!! Check out the <a href="./photos.cfm">photo page for highlights from the show. Thanks for coming out to hear us play Saturday night…and a special thanks to Paul at Bar East…awesome place to play!! Check out the photo page for highlights from the show.

]]> Wed, 24 Nov 2010 08:40:00 GMT 0CA060FF540FECD377EBE92D1E73D1A4 THE TRUTH IS SIMPLE http://dsimone.com/blog.cfm?feature=1545910&postid=561609 When I first started writing music, sometimes I would labor over the melody for weeks on end, and finding the right words often took longer. Once in awhile, a song would come together in a few days. On a rare occasion, it pops into my head and practically writes itself. Desert Rain is one of those songs...it was created in just about 15 minutes. I was playing guitar and the chords, melody and words seemed to come together without much thought or effort. It was an amazing experience...and feeling. When I wrote the song, I was thinking about the journey that life takes us on, and how it can transform who we are. Many years ago I met this Jamaican artist, and he left quite an impression on me. He was sanding a metal door to give it the appearance of wood grain. Sparks were flying all over the place, and in between loud bursts of electric sanding he would tell me a thing or two. One thing he said that really stuck with me was, “The truth is simple.” That statement is where I start with Desert Rain. I’ve made a mistake or two in my life–“things have a way of happening,” but along the way I feel like I’ve gotten smarter. One of my favorite quotes is from Morris Day, lead singer for The Time, “You don't want some young guy...you want an old guy with experienccccccce.” But experience comes with a price. The sky looked bigger when I was twelve. Everything was mysterious...”I’ve seen too much I am afraid to ever feel that way again.” One of the things about the time we live in that haunts me the most is how much we’ve all learned to turn a blind eye to the hard truths. It’s easier not to get involved. But I believe we are all part of the problem and part of the solution–no matter what we do, we are a part of it...”And if I don’t get my hands dirty I’m an innocent bystander.” It seems to me like the world is in a state of deep disorder. Sometimes I wonder if I am just seeing it that way, or if that’s how it really is. I also wonder if there was a way I could make the future certain and discover that feeling I had when I was a child, would I take that road? ~D PS~We just released the video for Desert Rain...read the post entitled <a href="http://dsimone.bandzoogle.com/blog.cfm?feature=1545910&postid=497617">"The Show Must Go On" for an inside look at the making of the video. <a target="_new" href="./desertraindownload.cfm">Click here for a free download of Desert Rain. DESERT RAIN It seems like the simplest solution Is always the best answer I don’t too know much about the weather But I thought I knew what I was after But things have a way of happening Three turns on a road to nowhere now I’ve seen to much I am afraid To ever feel that way again Did you trade Your heart to be free Did you think that it would Come so easily [Chorus] Desert rain fall on me Wash away everything Make me new like I was born yesterday Oh, oh desert rain And if I don’t get my hands dirty I’m an innocent bystander But how can I sleep with this tonight My eyes are open now I know Some things get better with time But some things just tear you apart And if I had hands that could heal I’d heal this broken heart But don’t wait I might take my time Because this is not your walk This is mine [Chorus] Desert rain fall on me Wash away everything Make me new like I was born yesterday Oh, oh desert rain Tied up in chains I made myself I feel a hard wind blowing A heart that burns with pure desire I am consumed by the fire Oh desert rain Oh desert rain [Chorus] Desert rain fall on me Wash away everything Make me new like I was born yesterday Oh, oh desert rain Desert Rain is one of those songs...it was created in just about 15 minutes. I was playing guitar and the chords, melody and words seemed to come together without much thought or effort. It was an amazing experience...and feeling.

When I wrote the song, I was thinking about the journey that life takes us on, and how it can transform who we are. Many years ago I met this Jamaican artist, and he left quite an impression on me. He was sanding a metal door to give it the appearance of wood grain. Sparks were flying all over the place, and in between loud bursts of electric sanding he would tell me a thing or two. One thing he said that really stuck with me was, “The truth is simple.”

That statement is where I start with Desert Rain. I’ve made a mistake or two in my life–“things have a way of happening,” but along the way I feel like I’ve gotten smarter. One of my favorite quotes is from Morris Day, lead singer for The Time, “You don't want some young guy...you want an old guy with experienccccccce.” But experience comes with a price. The sky looked bigger when I was twelve. Everything was mysterious...”I’ve seen too much I am afraid to ever feel that way again.”

One of the things about the time we live in that haunts me the most is how much we’ve all learned to turn a blind eye to the hard truths. It’s easier not to get involved. But I believe we are all part of the problem and part of the solution–no matter what we do, we are a part of it...”And if I don’t get my hands dirty I’m an innocent bystander.”

It seems to me like the world is in a state of deep disorder. Sometimes I wonder if I am just seeing it that way, or if that’s how it really is. I also wonder if there was a way I could make the future certain and discover that feeling I had when I was a child, would I take that road?

~D

PS~We just released the video for Desert Rain...read the post entitled "The Show Must Go On" for an inside look at the making of the video.

Click here for a free download of Desert Rain.

DESERT RAIN

It seems like the simplest solution
Is always the best answer
I don’t too know much about the weather
But I thought I knew what I was after
But things have a way of happening
Three turns on a road to nowhere now
I’ve seen to much I am afraid
To ever feel that way again

Did you trade
Your heart to be free
Did you think that it would
Come so easily

[Chorus]
Desert rain fall on me
Wash away everything
Make me new like I was born yesterday
Oh, oh desert rain

And if I don’t get my hands dirty
I’m an innocent bystander
But how can I sleep with this tonight
My eyes are open now I know
Some things get better with time
But some things just tear you apart
And if I had hands that could heal
I’d heal this broken heart

But don’t wait
I might take my time
Because this is not your walk
This is mine

[Chorus]
Desert rain fall on me
Wash away everything
Make me new like I was born yesterday
Oh, oh desert rain

Tied up in chains I made myself
I feel a hard wind blowing
A heart that burns with pure desire
I am consumed by the fire
Oh desert rain
Oh desert rain

[Chorus]
Desert rain fall on me
Wash away everything
Make me new like I was born yesterday
Oh, oh desert rain
]]> Mon, 08 Nov 2010 22:50:00 GMT D7B7B3364D683F3A2A329C9912D22773 ARE YOU WIDE AWAKE OR SLEEPWALKING? http://dsimone.com/blog.cfm?feature=1545910&postid=541968 When I was a young boy, I took piano lessons from a woman who was a third generation student of Beethoven. Her name was Natale Barrent, and she was a Polish immigrant who had survived imprisonment in a concentration camp during World War II. She was an amazing piano teacher, but I was a kid at the time and of course didn’t realize it. Every week as I struggled through one of Beethoven’s sonatas, Ms. Barrent would scold me, “Vhy don't you pdrractice Chals…I don’t understand” (My sad attempt at typing with a Polish accent). I didn’t have the heart to tell her that the reason I didn’t have time to practice was because I was too busy listening to Elton John songs and trying to figure out how to play them on the piano. So technically, I’m a fourth generation student of Beethoven, although you would never know it if you watched me try and play a sonata. Funny thing is that when I first starting writing music I did it on a guitar, not a piano. I had never taken guitar lessons, so I really didn’t know how to play, but for some strange reason it inspired me in a way the piano didn’t. So much so, that the majority of the 100+ songs I’ve written were composed on the guitar…that is until a couple of years ago when I made the decision to take a break from producing other artists and focus on my own music. For the first time in my life, I was suddenly inspired to write music at the piano, and Sleepwalking was one of the first songs I wrote. I think Ms. Barrent would be very happy. The song was actually inspired by my sister, Gina. She appeared to be living the perfect life…married to a great guy, successful career, house in the suburbs, two vacation homes, boat, cars…you get the picture. One day she tells me that it all means nothing if she’s just a slave to a life of material things with little time for family and friends. Since the quest to find the meaning of life is a central theme in much of my music, I was deeply touched that my sister, who had conquered all the trappings of the “American Dream,” had opened her eyes and realized what was truly important before it was too late. ~D SLEEPWALKING You work so hard to get it right? But what is right I don’t believe you know? The picture perfect I can see? Has holes that sink the ship down far below?? Stand or fall It only matters if you try? You’ve got the rest of your life?? So maybe you can just forget? What it was like when you first lost your mind From where you are it seems so real The steps that you were born to take you find?? Lead to someone else Long before you see yourself? You’ve got to open your eyes? [Chorus] And wake up? You’re drowning in the haze Tomorrow came but it was just too late? So wake up? The day is breaking Are you wide awake or? Sleepwalking?? Time is measured time is sold? Everything is such a rush of time And it’s so hard to figure out And everywhere another screaming sign?? You better buy it now? Before you have a chance to live? They will take what you give? [Chorus]? So wake up? You’re drowning in the haze? Tomorrow came but it was just too late? So wake up The day is breaking? Are you wide awake or? Sleepwalking
Funny thing is that when I first starting writing music I did it on a guitar, not a piano. I had never taken guitar lessons, so I really didn’t know how to play, but for some strange reason it inspired me in a way the piano didn’t. So much so, that the majority of the 100+ songs I’ve written were composed on the guitar…that is until a couple of years ago when I made the decision to take a break from producing other artists and focus on my own music. For the first time in my life, I was suddenly inspired to write music at the piano, and Sleepwalking was one of the first songs I wrote. I think Ms. Barrent would be very happy.

The song was actually inspired by my sister, Gina. She appeared to be living the perfect life…married to a great guy, successful career, house in the suburbs, two vacation homes, boat, cars…you get the picture. One day she tells me that it all means nothing if she’s just a slave to a life of material things with little time for family and friends. Since the quest to find the meaning of life is a central theme in much of my music, I was deeply touched that my sister, who had conquered all the trappings of the “American Dream,” had opened her eyes and realized what was truly important before it was too late.

~D

SLEEPWALKING

You work so hard to get it right?
But what is right I don’t believe you know?
The picture perfect I can see?
Has holes that sink the ship down far below??

Stand or fall
It only matters if you try?
You’ve got the rest of your life??

So maybe you can just forget?
What it was like when you first lost your mind
From where you are it seems so real
The steps that you were born to take you find??

Lead to someone else
Long before you see yourself?
You’ve got to open your eyes?

[Chorus]
And wake up?
You’re drowning in the haze
Tomorrow came but it was just too late?
So wake up?
The day is breaking
Are you wide awake or?
Sleepwalking??

Time is measured time is sold?
Everything is such a rush of time
And it’s so hard to figure out
And everywhere another screaming sign??

You better buy it now?
Before you have a chance to live?
They will take what you give?

[Chorus]?
So wake up?
You’re drowning in the haze?
Tomorrow came but it was just too late?
So wake up
The day is breaking?
Are you wide awake or?
Sleepwalking
]]> Sun, 31 Oct 2010 07:40:00 GMT 84FE7CFBDEA052F8575F7E06BEFB826E THE SHOW MUST GO ON http://dsimone.com/blog.cfm?feature=1545910&postid=497617 A few months ago I was watching TV and came across a show called Live From Abbey Road...the legendary studio in London where the Beatles recorded many of their amazing hits. I later learned the show was actually a documentary series and throughout its three seasons featured over 100 artists recording live performances. It was really well done and very cool, and I thought to myself, “hey, why can’t I do that?” Gina and I had been discussing what to do for the next D’Simone video and a live performance video seemed like a great way to share the music with a larger audience. I found a couple of the videos on YouTube, emailed the link to Gina and we started mapping out a plan. I immediately thought of my friend John Songdahl to handle the recording end of things. John and I met in Boston while I was attending Berklee, ended up being bandmates and roommates, and made many great records together over the years. He had been talking to me about doing a remote recording project, so he jumped on board immediately. After coordinating schedules with everyone, we settled on a shoot date of Saturday, September 18th. Bringing studio equipment on location to record a live performance is no small task. Bands such as Coldplay do this with multi-million dollar recording studios they build into rigs and transport to concerts...sort of like Close Encounters of the Third Kind meets the Starship Enterprise. But since we are just regular Joes trying to pull a rabbit out of a hat, we had to come up with another way to make this happen. Using his recording knowledge and the amazing collection of equipment he had collected over the years, John worked nights and weekends to assemble and build a massive rack of live recording equipment at his home in Massachusetts, which included an incredible collection of microphones and vintage one-of-a-kind recording devices. The rack was so heavy...600+ pounds...that in order to transport it, he would have to load all of the equipment into a rental van to drive it to New York. While John assembled the recording equipment, Gina coordinated the video shoot, pulling together a team of volunteers that could help bring our vision to life...Jennifer Hahn, <a target="_new" href="http://www.thelibraryisonfire.com/press.html">Steve Five and Melissa Murray. (gotta love New York...it’s filled with so many talented people!). Jennifer is a very talented filmmaker, who is also producing another D'Simone music video that she concepted for a song entitled Follow, which we hope to release sometime next year. We were very fortunate to have her help! Steve is a musician/audio engineer who shoots videos on the side, and Melissa is a film student. Back to the making of our Abbey Road-style music video... By early September, everything was falling into place. The equipment was assembled, the songs chosen, and the shots/camera angles meticulously detailed. We even had the perfect venue. A good friend of mine was kind enough to let us use his photography studio for the day, which served as an amazing backdrop for the video. Finally, it was the night before the shoot, and John arrived with all of the recording equipment. Still not sure how we managed to get the 600-pound rack out of the van (or how John got it in there), but somehow between me, John and Rossen, we got all of the equipment into the photo studio. That night, John and I worked until 3AM unpacking and organizing the equipment. Saturday morning everyone arrived at 10AM to start setting up. While John worked on wiring the recording equipment, Gina and crew set up the lights and cameras. It was quite an incredible sight. By 2PM everything was in place, but we were having technical problems with the recording equipment. At that point we had spent four hours setting things up and frustration was starting to set in. We agreed we’d give it another two hours, and if we couldn’t get things to work properly, we would proceed with shooting the video sans the live recording....as disappointing as that would be. When the clock struck 4PM and the recording equipment was still not working properly, the room fell silent. We all knew we had to proceed with the shoot, but the level of disappointment was overwhelming. It was heartbreaking to say the least...especially for John. But as the saying goes...the show must go on...and with that we all put on our game faces and keyed up Desert Rain to pump through the headphones. We ended up shooting a good old-fashioned music video, but we had a blast doing it and shot some really great footage. When you see the video, you will notice an incredible amount of equipment and wires all over the floor. Even though it wasn’t working properly, it sure looked cool and gives the video the feel of a live recording. Look for an email in the very near future on the release of the video. It’s in the final stage of editing as I write this post and I am very excited to share it with all of you. Couple behind the scenes photos below...many more in the <a target="_new" href="./photos.cfm">Photo Gallery. ~D Live From Abbey Road...the legendary studio in London where the Beatles recorded many of their amazing hits. I later learned the show was actually a documentary series and throughout its three seasons featured over 100 artists recording live performances. It was really well done and very cool, and I thought to myself, “hey, why can’t I do that?” Gina and I had been discussing what to do for the next D’Simone video and a live performance video seemed like a great way to share the music with a larger audience. I found a couple of the videos on YouTube, emailed the link to Gina and we started mapping out a plan.

I immediately thought of my friend John Songdahl to handle the recording end of things. John and I met in Boston while I was attending Berklee, ended up being bandmates and roommates, and made many great records together over the years. He had been talking to me about doing a remote recording project, so he jumped on board immediately. After coordinating schedules with everyone, we settled on a shoot date of Saturday, September 18th.

Bringing studio equipment on location to record a live performance is no small task. Bands such as Coldplay do this with multi-million dollar recording studios they build into rigs and transport to concerts...sort of like Close Encounters of the Third Kind meets the Starship Enterprise. But since we are just regular Joes trying to pull a rabbit out of a hat, we had to come up with another way to make this happen. Using his recording knowledge and the amazing collection of equipment he had collected over the years, John worked nights and weekends to assemble and build a massive rack of live recording equipment at his home in Massachusetts, which included an incredible collection of microphones and vintage one-of-a-kind recording devices. The rack was so heavy...600+ pounds...that in order to transport it, he would have to load all of the equipment into a rental van to drive it to New York.

While John assembled the recording equipment, Gina coordinated the video shoot, pulling together a team of volunteers that could help bring our vision to life...Jennifer Hahn, Steve Five and Melissa Murray. (gotta love New York...it’s filled with so many talented people!). Jennifer is a very talented filmmaker, who is also producing another D'Simone music video that she concepted for a song entitled Follow, which we hope to release sometime next year. We were very fortunate to have her help! Steve is a musician/audio engineer who shoots videos on the side, and Melissa is a film student.

Back to the making of our Abbey Road-style music video...

By early September, everything was falling into place. The equipment was assembled, the songs chosen, and the shots/camera angles meticulously detailed. We even had the perfect venue. A good friend of mine was kind enough to let us use his photography studio for the day, which served as an amazing backdrop for the video.

Finally, it was the night before the shoot, and John arrived with all of the recording equipment. Still not sure how we managed to get the 600-pound rack out of the van (or how John got it in there), but somehow between me, John and Rossen, we got all of the equipment into the photo studio. That night, John and I worked until 3AM unpacking and organizing the equipment.

Saturday morning everyone arrived at 10AM to start setting up. While John worked on wiring the recording equipment, Gina and crew set up the lights and cameras. It was quite an incredible sight. By 2PM everything was in place, but we were having technical problems with the recording equipment. At that point we had spent four hours setting things up and frustration was starting to set in. We agreed we’d give it another two hours, and if we couldn’t get things to work properly, we would proceed with shooting the video sans the live recording....as disappointing as that would be. When the clock struck 4PM and the recording equipment was still not working properly, the room fell silent. We all knew we had to proceed with the shoot, but the level of disappointment was overwhelming. It was heartbreaking to say the least...especially for John.

But as the saying goes...the show must go on...and with that we all put on our game faces and keyed up Desert Rain to pump through the headphones. We ended up shooting a good old-fashioned music video, but we had a blast doing it and shot some really great footage. When you see the video, you will notice an incredible amount of equipment and wires all over the floor. Even though it wasn’t working properly, it sure looked cool and gives the video the feel of a live recording.

Look for an email in the very near future on the release of the video. It’s in the final stage of editing as I write this post and I am very excited to share it with all of you. Couple behind the scenes photos below...many more in the Photo Gallery.

~D

]]> Wed, 13 Oct 2010 10:45:00 GMT 265FE154A1A9FB31A300F631C54A95CF GETTING STARTED http://dsimone.com/blog.cfm?feature=1545910&postid=478596 Hi everyone, D’Simone here...aka Charles, Charlie, Chuck, Chaz. Been wanting to start a blog for a while now but couldn’t decide what to talk about first. The other day someone asked me where the name D’Simone came from...a question I get asked a lot...and the answer seemed like a good place to start. For as long as I can remember, I’ve dreamed of having a career in music, but until recently I never put much effort towards making the dream become a reality. A couple years ago I decided to take a break from producing Indie artists and focus on writing and recording my own music. I’ve been writing songs since I was a kid in high school, and I’ve always enjoyed the process, but I wasn’t prepared for what was about to happen. Songs started coming to me faster than I could get them down on paper and in a matter of a few months, I had written enough material to fill two albums. One of the first songs I recorded–Sleepwalking–was inspired by my sister, Gina. (will save the story behind the song for another blog post) She thought the song was so amazing she immediately emailed it to my father...veteran music arranger/producer, <a target="_new" href="http://www.charlescalello.com/">Charles Calello, who has worked with some of rock ‘n roll’s biggest names – Bruce Springsteen and Eric Carmen to name just a couple. He told her the song was great and felt it was the best I had ever written. He wanted to co-produce it and release as my first independent single. He also wanted me to have a unique persona and suggested D’Simone (which is my late mother’s maiden name). My sister loved it, and the rest as they say is history. :-) With the help of my father and sister, a lot has been accomplished in the last eleven months–released two singles, Sleepwalking and Desert Rain, shot our first music video in January, and launched dsimone.com in February. I also put together a stage band so I could play the music I create/record in the studio on a live stage and share it with the public–Jeff Soriano on guitar, Scott Anderson on bass, and Rossen Nedelchev on drums. In April, we played our first show at The Whiskey Bar in Hoboken, NJ to an enthusiastic crowd of family and friends. It was a very special night and one I will remember forever. Things are off and running, and it’s a very exciting time. We recently shot the video for Desert Rain and will be releasing it in the very near future...so stay tuned for more music...and the stories behind it all. Thanks for all the support. Without your ears to listen, there is no music. ~D January 2010 ~ With my Dad at his home in Florida a couple days after the Sleepwalking video shoot.
D’Simone here...aka Charles, Charlie, Chuck, Chaz. Been wanting to start a blog for a while now but couldn’t decide what to talk about first. The other day someone asked me where the name D’Simone came from...a question I get asked a lot...and the answer seemed like a good place to start.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve dreamed of having a career in music, but until recently I never put much effort towards making the dream become a reality. A couple years ago I decided to take a break from producing Indie artists and focus on writing and recording my own music. I’ve been writing songs since I was a kid in high school, and I’ve always enjoyed the process, but I wasn’t prepared for what was about to happen. Songs started coming to me faster than I could get them down on paper and in a matter of a few months, I had written enough material to fill two albums.

One of the first songs I recorded–Sleepwalking–was inspired by my sister, Gina. (will save the story behind the song for another blog post) She thought the song was so amazing she immediately emailed it to my father...veteran music arranger/producer, Charles Calello, who has worked with some of rock ‘n roll’s biggest names – Bruce Springsteen and Eric Carmen to name just a couple. He told her the song was great and felt it was the best I had ever written. He wanted to co-produce it and release as my first independent single. He also wanted me to have a unique persona and suggested D’Simone (which is my late mother’s maiden name). My sister loved it, and the rest as they say is history. :-)

With the help of my father and sister, a lot has been accomplished in the last eleven months–released two singles, Sleepwalking and Desert Rain, shot our first music video in January, and launched dsimone.com in February. I also put together a stage band so I could play the music I create/record in the studio on a live stage and share it with the public–Jeff Soriano on guitar, Scott Anderson on bass, and Rossen Nedelchev on drums. In April, we played our first show at The Whiskey Bar in Hoboken, NJ to an enthusiastic crowd of family and friends. It was a very special night and one I will remember forever.

Things are off and running, and it’s a very exciting time. We recently shot the video for Desert Rain and will be releasing it in the very near future...so stay tuned for more music...and the stories behind it all.

Thanks for all the support. Without your ears to listen, there is no music.
~D

January 2010 ~ With my Dad at his home in Florida a couple days after the Sleepwalking video shoot.

]]> Thu, 07 Oct 2010 07:00:00 GMT E4867C4035D11E58A4AD11E972E363C1