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Written by Shauna

September Release - "I Can See Clearly Now"

“I Can See Clearly Now” was written and first recorded by Johnny Nash with a June 1972 release. After making modest chart advances for a month, the single unexpectedly took only two weeks to vault from No. 20, to No. 5, to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, remaining at the top of that chart for four weeks

This song has been on our “possibles” list for many years, with no impetus to pull the trigger on production. Enter Jack and Tony. I was blessed with the opportunity to be a guest at the first TOTL Recordings’ school and recording session last May. I happened to be sitting next to Tony at dinner one evening when Jack sent him a link to the Karen Peck version of this song. I immediately fell in love with it and was totally bummed that it was in Tony’s hands. I jokingly picked up my phone as if I was logging into the producer’s “clearing house” and said to Tony, “Chic reserves ‘I Can See Clearly Now.’” Tony, being Tony, asked if I really wanted it. I honestly told him that it had been on my list, but I hadn’t pulled the trigger yet. Having heard this new version, I would LOVE to cut it. He replied “it’s yours.”

Since the text came from Jack, I suggested to Tony that maybe I could steal Jack for the vocal. A few text messages later, and Jack was on board. He took the rough track for a lot of test drives (I even got to hear one and sing some harmony in Evansville), and then he gave us a great vocal for the final cut.

I reached out to Staff Caller, Deborah Carroll-Jones for the female range track. This was a great song choice for her, and she nailed it!

Wikipedia lists “reggae” as the genre for the Johnny Nash version of the tune, and he was certainly inspired by that genre when he wrote the song. The Karen Peck version emphasized that rhythm even further, and then added a really cool Latin vibe with a catgut guitar and mandolin. Those two things, along with the beautiful harmonies on their track are what we tried to capture with our release. Jimmy’s guitar and mandolin work is absolutely beautiful. Credit where credit is due, my silent partner/favorite caller-on-sabbatical also loves this song but was unable to attend the session. Jimmy and I sent him an almost finished track and Vic suggested that we take the catgut melodies/fills and add a harmony line to them (a very latin style of playing). Listen to the beautiful melody lines on figures 2 and 4 and try to imagine the track without that harmony. One of the many reasons I don’t really let my silent partner be silent.

As for the finished music, two insiders (nameless people who got an early preview) both independently stated that this may be one of the best cuts yet from Chic Recordings. I hope that’s true because starting our eighth year and still improving is music to my ears!

CHIC 1081 in the male vocal range features the vocal by Jack Pladdys, courtesy of Royal Records.

CHIC 2081 in the female vocal range features Staff Caller, Deborah Carroll-Jones.

To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!

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Written by Shauna

Anniversary Release - Barry Manilow's "It's a Miracle"

“It’s a Miracle! A true-blue spectacle!”

Kind of describes how I feel about Chic celebrating our 7th Anniversary. It does feel a little miraculous to still be here and going strong. And just like the song says, “the miracle is YOU!” Without YOU and your support, Chic Recordings would have come and gone like a breath in the wind. So thank you for being our miracle!

Notes straight out of Wikipedia – “’It's a Miracle’ is a 1975 single by Barry Manilow and was the second release from his album, Barry Manilow II. "It's a Miracle" went to number twelve on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and was Manilow's second number one on the U.S. Easy Listening chart, spending one week at number one in April 1975. The single also peaked at number fifteen on the disco/dance chart, and was the first of four entries on the chart. Cash Box said that it's "an up-tempo, rocking tune with a great dance rhythm.”

"It's a Miracle" is traditionally the first song played at Barry Manilow concerts.”

We have been to two Barry concerts in the last three years, and he does indeed open the show with this song.

As I’ve told you all before, I have been a HUGE Manilow fan for years (since high school). He was the first artist I ever saw in concert. I have all his early LP’s on vinyl, and they are well-worn (some of them are pictured above). As proof of our five-year age difference, Vic has all the Beatles vinyl, and I have all the Barry vinyl. Barry was my Beatles. (No, I’m not comparing them musically. It’s just a statement of fandom.” Vic used to tease me mercilessly for my Barry love, and then he took me to a Barry concert (summer of 2019). On the drive home, he reluctantly admitted that he had been converted at the concert and had joined me as Barry’s newest “fanilow.” Yes, the concert was that good. In fact, it was the recent (2nd) concert we attended where I turned to Vic during the opening number and said “we can cut this one. It works!”

I reserved the song and immediately heard from Ted Lizotte with this reply: “I've considered his tune! Knock it out of the park!” So when it came time to select a caller for the male vocal, Ted was the only choice! It was clear he knew the song, and I could already hear his voice singing it in my head. As expected, he “knocked it out of the park.” (A good thing, since that’s what he told me to do with the song.)

The female vocal features Staff Caller, Patty Greene. More than one person has asked me, “if Barry is YOUR guy, why aren’t YOU doing this vocal?” The first answer is, Patty heard the rough track and called “dibs.” I know I’m the boss, but then she sent me some great tracks. Even so, I was second-guessing and told Patty I might decide to do the lead myself. But once we got into the studio and dropped her vocal into the music, she had “knocked it out of the park.” It would be a waste of time and money to redo it just for my personal vanity. Besides, this song is heavy with background vocals, so my stamp is on both keys anyway.

We spent a lot of time trying to make this cut right. We had “finished” the male tracks on Saturday, and while listening on the drive home it just wasn’t completely right. That led to more time spent listening to both our tracks and the original from Barry, making a list of things that needed adjusting. Sunday afternoon found us back in the studio (supposedly for the girl key), but first…back to the male tracks. I won’t bore you with the complete list, but it included a driving guitar on the intro and other key spots, brighter BGV sounds, new instrumentation, more timpani, and a complete remix. Then, on to the girl key and doing it all over again! My sincere hope is that it was all worth it and we “knocked it out of the park,” just as Ted told us to do.

CHIC 1080 in the male vocal range features the vocal by Ted Lizotte.

CHIC 2080 in the female vocal range features Staff Caller, Patty Greene.

To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!

Details

Written by Shauna

July Release "DisneyMac Limited" (Extended Patter)

This month’s patter has been in the works for a while. It’s a love letter to the Disneyland Park, featuring music from some of the most well-known rides and attractions. Most of the attractions featured were conceived and created by Walt Disney himself, along with his amazing team of Imagineers and songwriters.

This idea was pitched to me by Staff Caller, David Mee (you know he works at Disneyland), and I was “all aboard” with the idea from the outset. Last September I met with Jimmy and we started working on the rough track and form for this patter journey. As you all know, the ”Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” singing call was born out of this project and that melody is featured at the beginning and end of our trip around the Magic Kingdom. Between those two goal posts you’ll find nods to The Tiki Room, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, Casey Jr’s Circus Train, It’s a Small World, and the Main Street Electrical Parade.

Jimmy has done a great job capturing the feel of both the music and the attractions. It’s a fun trip to Disneyland and is sure to put a smile on the face of your dancers.

CHIC 4079 is the extended patter of "DisneyMac Limited."

To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Click on the youtube link (to the left) for preview!

Details

Written by Shauna

May Release - "Dream a Little Dream of Me"

This song has been on my radar since 2014, before Chic Recordings was ever born. Deborah Carroll-Jones had used a version in the “Vocal Sweet Spot” session at CALLERLAB that year, but without her vocal range (few of us have her range) I was unable to make current recordings work for me without severely damaging the quality of the music. As a producer, you just know when a song’s time has finally come (at least I do), and it was finally time to “dream.”

I knew there were multiple choices, but the rendition that spoke to me was The Mamas and the Papas. Pretty guitar and piano, with some supporting “oohs and ahhs” in the background. The perfect foundation for Mama Cass, and the inspiration for our tracks.

During the music session, I was sitting on the couch chatting with Steve Moore and he asked me “did John Phillips write this song?” I was sure that he didn’t, but I didn’t know who did so I went to the source with today’s truth…Google. 😊 From Wikipedia: "’Dream a Little Dream of Me’ is a 1931 song with music by Fabian Andre and Wilbur Schwandt and lyrics by Gus Kahn. It was first recorded in February 1931 by Ozzie Nelson and also by Wayne King and His Orchestra, with vocals by Ernie Birchill. A popular standard, it has seen more than 60 other versions recorded, with one of the highest chart ratings by The Mamas & The Papas in 1968 with Cass Elliot on lead vocals.”

1931!?!!? Ozzie Nelson??? More than 60 other versions? I knew it wasn’t brand new, I’d heard the Doris Day and Louis Armstrong tracks. I knew it was popular, but more than 60 covers? I had no idea. But as we sat on the couch listening to Jimmy add the final touches, with the simple and beautiful lyric and melody floating around us a word came to my mind. Timeless. This song is timeless. Nearly 100 years after the first recording, the message is as relevant as the day it was written.

The vocal for the male range was recorded by Chic Recordings’ Staff Caller, Steve Moore. His voice was a perfect fit for this timeless song. The background vocals for both the male and female range tracks were provided by Shauna, along with Jimmy Mac.

The vocal for the female range was recorded by Chic Recordings’ Staff Caller, Patty Greene. Another perfect vocal fit!

To those callers (and there a a few) who argue that square dancing needs modern music, I respond. This music is as modern as it gets, using 21st century technology and quality of sound. When I hear a “current” song that speaks to me, I cut it. I have also been involved in sessions for other labels when they have done the same. But to throw away a timeless classic because it wasn’t written this year? Not this producer! I embrace them and try to do these timeless classics justice.

Here's my rationale. “Modern” is a meaningless term. In its place, I would choose “Relevant”. Is the song selection relevant? Open your ears and listen to the music being used in movie soundtracks and advertising. Don’t presume that because a song was written in 1930 that today’s kids don’t know it and love it. A few months ago, we were driving in downtown San Diego traffic. A convertible went by with three young men (early 20’s) enjoying the beautiful San Diego climate. Their car stereo was the kind you feel before you hear. As it neared I expected to hear the thump-thump of today's rap music. Instead, I got Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World!” It filled my heart and made me smile.

Evidence for what I already knew. Good music transcends age. Life experience and a connecting thread is what makes music relevant, and those threads are numberless. I am so grateful for music in my life and the many ways its threads have woven patterns and connected me to others in so many ways. All of you included!

CHIC 1078 in the male vocal range features the vocal by Steve Moore, Staff Caller.

CHIC 2078 in the female vocal range features Staff Caller, Patty Greene.

To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!

Details

Written by Shauna

April Release - "Drive My Car"

"Drive My Car" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written primarily by Paul McCartney, with lyrical contributions from John Lennon. It was first released on the band's 1965 album Rubber Soul as the opening track. The song later appeared in North America on the Yesterday and Today collection, again to open the record, as the track had been dropped from the American version of Rubber Soul.

"Drive My Car" was recorded on October 13, 1965 during the Beatles' first recording session to extend past midnight. McCartney worked closely with George Harrison on the basic rhythm track, the pair playing, in author Ian MacDonald's description, "similar riffing lines on bass and low guitar", respectively, as per Harrison's suggestion. Harrison had been listening to Otis Redding's "Respect" at the time. Author Robert Rodriguez describes the track as an "overt R&B workout" and a rare example of the Beatles demonstrating their admiration of Stax and Motown artists.

We had a short window of opportunity to get Chic Recordings’ April released finished and the decision to produce “Drive My Car” was made, quite literally, as we walked into the studio for the session. Resident Beatles expert and silent partner, Vic Kaaria, made the suggestion as we rounded the corner to Jimmy’s. Jimmy’s first question was, “do I get to play the guitar solo?” You’ll hear the answer to that question in the middle break.

With the song suggestion coming from Vic, combined with the fact that he was already IN the studio, naturally the male vocal was sung by him. Vic is currently retired (on sabbatical) from calling, but lucky for us he has agreed to continue with Chic Recordings as a Staff Caller and provide a vocal from time to time. He stepped into the vocal booth and nailed it in one take!

The vocal for the female range was recorded by Chic Recordings’ Owner/Producer, Shauna Kaaria. The background vocals and “beep-beeps” for both the male and female range tracks were provided by Shauna, along with Jimmy Mac.

CHIC 1077 in the male vocal range features the vocal by Vic Kaaria, Staff Caller.

CHIC 2077 in the female vocal range features Producer, Shauna Kaaria.

To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!

Details

Written by Shauna

March Release - "There's a Kind of Hush"

“There’s a Kind of Hush” was written by Les Reed and Geoff Stephens and was originally recorded by Stephen’s group, the New Vaudeville Band, in 1967. This version was a major hit in Australia and South Africa, but unfortunately for them, Herman’s Hermits recorded a cover that was released in the rest of the world almost simultaneously. The HH version hit the Top 30 on the US charts, peaking at #4 (the group’s first top ten hit). This is all great for Herman’s Hermits, but for me…that version never existed.

My introduction to the song was the beautiful cover by The Carpenters, released in 1976. Smack in the middle of my teenage years, this version cemented its place in my heart and I had no idea it wasn’t the “original."

Jimmy and I spent a lot of time listening to the original, particularly the many interesting things happening in the rhythm track. For example, there are two carefully placed handclaps in the bridge. Just two. It’s brilliant, but what must it be like to live in the mind of Richard Carpenter and get a real vision of his creative genius. What makes him say, “Let’s put one handclap right there…and one more right there. That’s all.” Karen was the voice of the duo, but Richard’s arrangements and signature overdub sound made their collective sound pure magic.

The first step of production is the arrangement. What parts go where in our 7-part (64-beat) singing call structure? What do you feature in the opener, middle break, closer? What do you put in the figures? What about the transitions and turnarounds. This song basically has two 64-beat parts that lead back and forth into each other. The tempo was perfect for a singing call. The sections were already 64 beats long. Almost a slam dunk. The only question was, which ones go where? It honestly didn’t take me very long to decide that we were just going to follow the alternating structure of the original. It isn’t common for a singing call to have different melodies on the figures, but it has been done before. This allowed us to keep the original transitions of the tune, as well as set us up for a key change into the closer. Win/Win. (I only wish we’d also had a place for some of the beautiful instrumental interludes.)

I reached out to Scott Bennett to record the vocal for the male range track. It has been a while since Scott has lent his vocal talents to Chic, and this felt like a good choice to bring him back. As always, he did an amazing job and went the extra mile to get us his vocal with a very quick turnaround time. Scott appears courtesy of Crest/Acme Recordings, and we appreciate his ongoing support. As many will remember, Scott recorded the male range of our very first release, and since that beginning his support of Chic Recordings has never wavered.

I actually considered putting out the female track without a reference vocal. Covering Karen Carpenter is an impossible task. Before recording, I told Jimmy, “Look, we’re not trying to imitate Karen here. It can’t be done.” But I really enjoyed recording this tune that has been with me since I was 15 years old. It was especially fun working with Jimmy on the background vocals. This song actually has fewer than most of the Carpenters’ songs, and we tried to stay true to how they were built into the arrangement.

CHIC 1076 in the male vocal range features the vocal by Scott Bennett, courtesy of Crest/Acme Recordings.

CHIC 2076 in the female vocal range features Producer, Shauna Kaaria.

To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!

Details

Written by Shauna

February Release "Butter" (Extended Patter)

"Butter" is the second release from Chic Recordings that was inspired by a Samsung commercial. The ad played repeatedly during the football playoffs, and every time Vic turned to me and said "this would work."

We finally pulled up the video for the full BTS (hot Korean group BTS) track, which has 700 million views. You read that right…SEVEN HUNDRED MILLION VIEWS! Mind boggling. So we added our views of the video and very quickly determined it would, indeed, be a great piece of patter music.

The original song by BTS was released in May of 2021 making this song less than a year old and still wildly popular. (Understatement.) It has a fun melodic hook, a dance beat you can’t miss, and we had tons of fun with Jimmy making this extended patter track.

I warned Vic before the first “Butter” session that if he stayed home he’d be sorry. As a kid who grew up in the 70’s, I was likely to mash the song up with the Hot Butter song of my youth. He risked it and stayed home, so you’ll find an Easter egg that you can’t miss. (It wasn’t an idle threat.)

We both went back to see Jimmy for a final session to finish the detail work that would ensure this track was “Smooth like butter.” Hope you like the final cut. If someone had ever told me that Chic would cut a BTS song my response would have probably been…”BTS?” Sure you don’t mean “BST?”

You’re never too old to learn new tricks and appreciate new music. 700M views can’t be wrong…right? Hope you enjoy it!

CHIC 4075 is the extended patter of "Butter."

To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Click on the youtube link (to the left) for preview!

Details

Written by Shauna

January Release (Yes, we know it's February) "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow"

Late last year, Jimmy and I were working on the foundation of a new (pretty ambitious) patter project, featuring music from rides and attractions at Disneyland. One segment of that patter medley features the theme from the “Carousel of Progress” ride, introduced at the World’s Fair in 1964. As Jimmy was working on the rough tracks, I realized that this song needed more than a small segment in a patter. This song, and it’s positive message, was destined to be a standalone singing call.

“There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” was written by the Sherman Brothers (Disney Staff writers who wrote a large piece of the early Disney songbook.) Walt Disney was pitching an idea for an attraction at the World’s Fair to GE, and this song was part of that pitch.

Today, as I look at the world as a whole, and at our square dance community as a small part, I am convinced that this simple and optimistic message is even more relevant now than it was when it was written. Negativity and division seem to be prevailing messages at every turn, and leading off 2022 with this release is a great reminder that we need to dream big, focus on the positive, and then WORK to make our dreams a reality. “There’s a great big beautiful tomorrow, SHINING at the end of every day.” The future is bright when you dare to dream, and are willing to engage your mind and heart to reaching those dreams.

Richard Sherman was quoted saying, “"The theme song, 'Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow,' had a wonderful positiveness about it. In a way, it was Walt's theme song, because he was very positive about the future. He really felt that there was a great big beautiful tomorrow shining at the end of every day." I think I’m ready to make this my theme song, too. I need the reminder!

There was no question that the male vocal would be assigned to David Mee. As a Disney executive, he was the ONLY choice. He lives and breathes Disney every day (even more than me and I’m a Disney geek). He nailed it, as I knew he would.

Of course, I had to do the female vocal myself. My house does feature a Disney guest room, filled with many things representing my love for Disney and the magical message it represents for me.

CHIC 1074 in the male vocal range features a vocal by Staff Caller, David Mee.

CHIC 2074 in the female vocal range features Producer, Shauna Kaaria.

To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!

Details

Written by Shauna

Holiday Release "Stretchy Pants"

We all already know what an inspirational leader that Patty Greene can be. On November 10th she made the following post on social media (as part of her gratitude series): “Today, the older I get, the more I am thankful for stretchy pants. They hardly ever let me down and are always there for me. Just sayin' ”

On November 11, Carrie Underwood released a brand new song and video titled “Stretchy Pants.” Coincidence? No way. Clearly, Carrie was so inspired by Patty’s gratitude that she immediately went into production mode to have her release AND video ready for the world within 24 hours.

How could we do anything less than reserve the song and create a new holiday singing call, celebrating something that beautifully embraces all holidays and holiday celebrations? The wonderfully inclusive tradition of ”Stretchy Pants!” (Even Twiggy can appreciate them during the holidays.)

Of course, we HAD to let Patty record the vocal for the female range. Anything else would have thrown pie in the face of her inspiration. In hindsight, probably not a good analogy, but you get the point. As always, Patty did a great job with her vocal, and Jimmy and I had a little fun (maybe a lot) with the background vocals.

My favorite caller-on-sabbatical and I spent all of 15 seconds discussing who was the right choice for the male vocal. By the 16th second we already had Mike Seastrom on the phone. HUGE thanks to Wade Driver and Rhythm Records for lending Mike’s talent to Chic Recordings. You all have to agree that he knocked this fun song out of the park! So much fun having Mike and Lisa in the studio with us for a few hours. Of course, Jimmy and I added our BGV fun to this track as well.

CHIC 1073 in the male vocal range features the vocal by Mike Seastrom, courtesy of Rhythm Records.

CHIC 2073 in the female vocal range features Staff Caller, Patty Greene.

To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!

Details

Written by Shauna

October Release "455 Rocket"

“455 Rocket” was recorded by Kathy Mattea and released in 1997 as the first single from her “Love Travels” album. From Wikipedia: “The song is about someone who buys a used Oldsmobile with a powerful 455 V8 engine. Despite its flaws, which include a leaky roof and excessive noise, they enjoy racing and winning against local car enthusiasts. During one race, though, the car skids on a curve and crashes through a guardrail and ends up so badly damaged it has to be towed away.”

This song has been on the list of possible singing calls for YEARS. Probably 15 or 20 years before Chic Recordings was born, since it was transferred from a wish list started by Vic before we were married. Although on the list for so long, timing is everything, and the timing had just not been right to pull the trigger on production. The number one reason on the list was the need for a Dobro. The resonator guitar sound was needed for us to be true to the song and we just didn’t have the connection to a player in our bag of tricks.

Enter Matt Workman. Matt is a gifted musician who married my niece a few years back. Matt and Emily have been living in Nashville the past few years while Matt was working the music scene there. He had enough success to be playing on the road with an act that was opening for the likes of Ronnie Milsap, and performing at the Opry and the Ryman while home in Nashville. The shutdown of the pandemic brought Matt and Emily back to California and Nashville’s loss became Chic Recording’s gain! Matt nailed the Dobro tracks, and we had the bonus of he and Emily (who frequently sing together) recording the background vocals.

The second, and just as important, hurdle was the need for a harmonica in this song. Again, timing is everything. I had just returned from visiting a studio session in Nashville with Wade (for Rhythm Records) and I made contact with the studio harp player, Mike Schrimpf, while I was there. Mike gladly agreed to lay down the harp tracks (in TWO keys) and returned his tracks to us within 24 hours of receiving ours. One listen, and you’ll know he nailed it, too!

A few years back, Hunter Keller called me to suggest “455 Rocket” as a singing call for Chic Recordings. I chuckled a little as I explained that it had been on the list for years. So, once the rest of the puzzle pieces fell into place (and with Vic in retired status), we invited Hunter to record the vocal. Hunter appears courtesy of Royal Records and, as always, delivers a stellar vocal. You can hear how much he loves the song in the recording.

The female key was recorded by Kristy Williams who lives in Louisville, Kentucky. Kristy started calling in 2010, and already has one recording (on Silver Eagle Records) under her belt. I heard her call and sing during the National Square Dance Convention in Jackson, MS this past June and immediately offered her an opportunity to record a guest vocal for Chic. One listen, and you’ll hear why! She NAILED this song! Guaranteed, you’ll be hearing more from Kristy.

CHIC 1072 in the male vocal range features a vocal by the Hunter Keller, courtesy of Royal Records.

CHIC 2072 in the female vocal range features Kristy Williams of Louisville, KY.

To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!