Virtual Tourist

hcrates

Eddie. Just need to tell you how much I dig this tune. I have it in my fakebook and always get looks from the other guys when I pull it out.

They do not get that it is Django Reggae and provides a nice break from the usual swing tunes and most always a crowd pleaser.

Nick Lehr had been playing the tune with me for weeks and arguing over the "feel" (he's a purist). When I mentioned MangoFanDjango wrote the tune he suddenly he yells out -OH Archtop Eddie...Why didn't you say so..Lets do it! ugh.

best of luck.
-Cratis Giatis
sf bay area.

Archtop Eddy

Wow, I'm honored that you fellas are playing it! Yep, it's not your normal Gypsy jazz (or reggae) song, that's for sure.

Let me tell you a quick story about how that song came about. When we were recording the CD, we got in the usual stressful situations arguing about song selections and mixes, etc. One evening Gerard, my bass player, decided to unilaterally remove a tiple solo I recorded on a song, and we had a few words about never changing a mix until we all had a chance to voice our opinions. Later that night, I had this dream...

I go to the studio and Gerard is there. He saying, "Hey, you'll never guess what I did... I changed ALL the songs!!" Before blowing my top, I thought I'll listen first and -- then blow my top!

Gerard starts up the recorder and everything is swirling and strange. Suddenly, I hear this "new intro" to one of our songs, and it catches my ear.

I suddenly wake up.

Years before I'd conditioned myself to bring things back from dreams. You can't bring back gold coins and sports cars, but you can bring back ideas -- and songs!

The trick is that you have to record or document what you bring back, otherwise your inner consciousness won't bother waking you up the next time.

So, I drag myself out of bed. I find a tape recorder and I mutter this little ditty into the mic.

The next morning I get up and I think, "Hey, I recorded a song last night." I play back the recorder and here's this sleepy voice singing what would become the little Gypsy reggae tune: Virtual Tourist.

We'll we record the song, and you'd think that's that... but it's not.

A few weeks later when we've finished the project, Gerard gives me the "master copy" of our CD. I take it home and at the end of the CD is this other version of Virtual Tourist with whistles and echoes and children talking; a kind of Beatles Number Nine version of Virtual Tourist.

When I see Gerard the next day, he is all smiles and asks what I thought of the "new" tune. I laugh and he asks if I was surprised by it. I told him,

"No. not really...

That's what the dream was all about."


Again, thanks for digging the song and letting me know.

A.E.