Musicians Collaboration Studio

Virtual Music Studio => Finished Works => Topic started by: PVD on June 01, 2011, 12:05:42 PM

Title: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: PVD on June 01, 2011, 12:05:42 PM
Billy picked this one up and put his spin on my early memories.  A bit of the Boss feel to me, Billy is extremely capable with a broad talent range.
We hope you enjoy it.

North Jersey

Lyric:  Paul Dempsey
Vocal, Music and Arrangement:  Billy Playle


(v1)
Growing up in North Jersey
Neath the skyline of the City
High above the Jersey shores
Leather jackets and greased hair
On the corner posing
Laying claim to what's yours

(chorus)
The streets were hard
Just like the Jersey girls
Always on guard
It was a different world
And there was no mercy
No mercy in North Jersey
And there was no mercy
In North Jersey

(v2)
Living for the weekend
Day trips to Manhattan
Saturday night at a dance
The girls in their teased hair
The boys in knit shirts
And their mohair pants

(chorus)

(bridge)
And in the summer it was always understood
There was a never ending party
From Seaside Heights down to Wildwood

(chorus)
Title: Re: North Jersey
Post by: Dan on June 01, 2011, 02:41:26 PM
Wow this is some great lyrics and Billy is one heck of a good singer. Simply beautiful. Awesome guys.  ;)

Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: PVD on June 01, 2011, 05:57:58 PM
Dan:

Tks for the listen, yes Billy is a good singer despite his denial.

Paul
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: Dan on June 01, 2011, 06:39:00 PM
You're welcome Paul, well he sure is one good singer, that's for sure. ;)
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: jfreed18 on June 01, 2011, 06:46:33 PM
Hi Paul this is a terrific song and you did a terrific job on the lyrics and Billy did a terrific job on the vocals and music. Yep I'm playing this song again  :). You both did a fantastic job! Thank you Paul your friend Jimmy.
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: PVD on June 01, 2011, 07:09:57 PM
Jimmy:

Tks, Billy's interpetation of my misspent youth is amazing considering he is in England.

Paul
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: jfreed18 on June 01, 2011, 07:15:02 PM
Hi Paul Your welcome. I was just playing this terrific song again  :). And I read your great lyrics again to and yep I agree Billy is a great singer. You both did a fantastic job! Thank you Paul your friend Jimmy.
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: soulfrontier on June 02, 2011, 05:34:57 AM
Although Billy is as far as I know a british guy he captured the feeling very well and this song sounds very american. It has a bit of the spirit of the older Bon Jovi ballads but its even better music!

I agree Billy is a very good singer, I'm glad that he sings sometimes!

Congratulations Paul, this is a very nice song and its well produced. Sounds great!
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: Billy on June 02, 2011, 03:04:57 PM
Ok, that's enough gushing for one day, guys  ;D

What would you guys think if I told you I was really trying for a Billy Joel type of thing (him being a native New Yorker). These things have a tendency to morph into something else.

Sometimes it's OK to get nostalgic.... but important to look to the future  ;)

Thanks for listening and for the kind comments. I'm sure I'll be doing more songs with Paul in the future....I hope so.

Billy.
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: Mr. Mom on June 02, 2011, 03:08:05 PM
Jesus Billy!! I was just typing how I thought this reminded me of Bon Jovi singing a Billy Joel song, but you beat me to the punch!  ;D ;D

Really is a nice song and great story.  :) :)
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: PVD on June 03, 2011, 03:14:26 PM
Ok, Billy (Joel) Playle, no more gushing, to me it could be Billy Joel or Bruce S..  Bruce S. was from South Jersey, totally different.

Anyway, I love it.

BTW, You can't be where you are, without being where you were.

Paul
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: stoman on June 05, 2011, 02:53:56 AM
Joshua Kadison meets Billy Joel - that's what I was thinking immediately, and then I read the thread. Mission definitely accomplished, Billy!

Great music, very classy.

Damn, I had planned to write music for this lyric too. But it would never have turned out half as nice as yours. That's the difference between a real musician and a hobby tinkerer ...

Regards,
  Steffen
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: soulfrontier on June 05, 2011, 07:56:17 AM
That's the difference between a real musician and a hobby tinkerer ...
;D

off topic:

my first read was "Hobby Trinker" (hobby drunkard) :o  ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: NickT on June 07, 2011, 11:59:25 PM
Man that was a nice trip.  8)

I remember Wildwood in the summer. Getting a bucket of clams and some cheesesteaks.  I remember heading into NY to the Winter garden theater to see Beatlemania! I think that was '76.

Great job guys!

Nick
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: docmidnite on June 08, 2011, 06:59:54 AM
Another gem!!!!!!!!!!
Wonderful!! :)
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: PVD on June 08, 2011, 11:22:58 AM
Nick/Henry:

Tks for the listen and comments, Billy did a great job.

Nick, the timeframe in my mind for this was around the mid 60's.  But Jersey doesn't change so much over the decades anyway.

Paul
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: kindafishy on June 08, 2011, 01:15:07 PM
Chimes are the new cowbell.

Good set of pipes. Very nice music. Good mix. Sounds really good all around. I see Bon Jovi singing Billy Joel being thrown around here. Great description. I was thinking along the same lines, but I couldn't put my finger on it. It really has that late 80's (almost) metal kind of power ballad vibe. Poison. Bon Jovi. Whitesnake. Classier though :).

Nice one.
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: PVD on June 08, 2011, 04:29:31 PM
KAF:

Thanks for the listen and comment, appreciate it.

Paul
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: AndyG6508 on June 09, 2011, 10:13:17 PM
Paul and Billy,

You two made a great team on this one!

Meaningful quality lyrics coupled with Billy's excellent arrangement, not too mention lovely vocal---perfect!!

I can imagine this been sung at a little club tucked away on 52th Street (The Billy Joel allusion ;)).

Another gem indeed

Andy
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: detune on June 09, 2011, 10:36:57 PM
I was curious how Billy would handle this.  The piano ballad works amazingly well for the material.  You guys did a great job, and it's cool to hear a song about my home (well, about that OTHER side of the state :))

Mark

Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: Paulo on June 10, 2011, 05:58:23 AM
Great song, beautifull.
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: PVD on June 10, 2011, 09:32:04 AM
Andy:

Tks for the listen, I have really come to like this one, Billy did it right.

Paul
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: PVD on June 10, 2011, 09:33:47 AM
Mark:

Tks for the listen and comment, as you know Jersey is quite different from area to area.  It's always in the shadow of NY.

Paul
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: PVD on June 10, 2011, 09:34:25 AM
Paulo:

Tks for the comment.

Paul
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: Donna on June 15, 2011, 04:57:25 AM
Really fine, reflective lyrics, Paul. And a beautiful musical/vocal treatment by Billy.
I like the effects at the beginning as well.

Great collab.  :)

Donna
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: PVD on June 15, 2011, 08:27:38 AM
Donna:

Tks for the listen, you know Billy, he always does a great job.

Paul
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: Stoney on June 18, 2011, 05:08:18 AM
Haha Billy would never admit to his vocal talents  ::) This is a great track guys both musically and lyrically

A great listen

Ian
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: Captain fantastic on June 18, 2011, 06:48:33 AM
This evokes a different era,good
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: PVD on June 18, 2011, 05:12:19 PM
Ian:

Tls for the listen.

Cap:

Tks, just it was a differnet era.

Paul
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: CosmicDolphin on August 03, 2011, 02:46:47 PM
Wow really nice Ballad.   :)

I like the simplicity, and the unexpected gear change  >:D

CD
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: PVD on August 03, 2011, 04:57:16 PM
CD:

Tks, you're on a roll today.

Paul
Title: Re: North Jersey (Billy Playle)
Post by: CosmicDolphin on August 03, 2011, 06:04:58 PM
CD:

Tks, you're on a roll today.

Paul

Yeah I had 4 months to catch up pn  ::)