Tobe Fare

– history

I wrote Time and Again back in the mid 80’s. The original version was dark, and rocked hard. It also didn’t quite match the sound of Modern Logic (from the opposite end of the spectrum as Later Today,) so even though often played live, it got cut from the Rain Dance sessions. It was and is still, one of my most autobiographical songs.  

During the Cowgomoo years, TaG completely morphed into a hard rock/funk feedback-a-thon, complete with vocal special effects and dramatic feedback intro. We generally opened the set with TaG, especially when we really wanted to grab peoples’ attention in a multi-band showcase or benefit show.

When Tobe Fare (at the time BiG!) began as an acoustic duo, we were very focused on the Blues, and I was jonesing on capturing that type of feel (at least) throughout the catalog. TaG was no exception, although I had to re-phrase the lyrics to match the straight blues riff that we came up with. As the most Blues-based of BiG’s songs, TaG will actually be returning to its “roots” and the Tobe Fare recording will be with the original chord progression and melody. The Cowgomoo version was used to create Brand New Day.

I mentioned autobiographical, because of the day that I returned home from a short tour to that “bombed out building” that had been ransacked in a fit of--something. It took a while to figure out and to reconcile what had happened.

– Recording

Originally recorded live acoustic for the acoustic album with me and JR set up in the main room of Studio 607. “Places in Time” does exist, but was put on infinite hold to make way for the much louder, raucous electric “small” recording by the full band.

All of the “small” sessions featured the one room paradigm. After a couple of passes, we had the basics done (drums and bass). The nature of the song and the simplicity required that we not spend much time getting it “perfect” – rather than raw and loose, and well, bluesy.  

Wall of guitar day was super fun during this song, using the phenomenal selection of amplifiers (all set to “11”) supplied by Studio 607, set up in the main room, and my PRS. All guitar parts were done in real time, in just a couple of passes, with no punches or overdubs, to keep the raw, live, loose feel and to allow the errors to flourish in the “blue zone”

All vocals were also done in the main room, with JR doubling me to emphasize certain phrases throughout, a trick that we have done live since the beginning.  The Chorus (as it is) needed the extra shout power of JR and Mac to add to the power of the message.