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Written by Shauna
April Release "Downtown"
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“Downtown” is an iconic pop tune, first recorded by Petula Clark in 1964. Songwriter, Tony Hatch, conceived the song during his first visit to New York in the Fall of 1964. From Wikipedia: Hatch recalled “"I was staying at a hotel on Central Park and I wandered down to Broadway and to Times Square and, naively, I thought I was downtown. . . . I loved the whole atmosphere there and the [music] came to me very, very quickly". He was standing on the corner of 48th Street waiting for the traffic lights to change, looking towards Times Square when "the melody first came to me, just as the neon signs went on."
Following his trip to New York, Hatch visited Paris and pitched a few songs from the New York publishers to Petula Clark. Not inspired by anything presented, Petula asked Hatch if he had anything he had been working on of his own. Although the song was nowhere near finished, he “reluctantly played her the tune of his New York inspiration and slipped in ‘Downtown’ in the appropriate places. Just like the millions of Americans who quickly made “Downtown” a number one hit, Petula recognized a great hook when she heard one. She reportedly told Hatch: “That’s the one I want to record. Get that finished, get a good lyric in it, get a great arrangement and I think we’ll at least have a song we’re proud to record, even if it isn’t a hit.”
“Downtown” WAS a hit, topping the charts at number one in the states and peaking at number two on the British charts. It has certainly stood the test of time, and has been covered by multiple artists over the years.
Jimmy Mac was the only choice possible to record the vocal for the male range of “Downtown.” When you spend hours in the studio with someone, working and focusing on music during those hours, you learn things about a person’s own musical history. More than once, Jimmy had asked “What about ‘Downtown?’ Would that work?” He would go on to say how that song would take him back to his childhood, playing in the garage, etc. So I knew he would be excited when I told him, “let’s make a rough, and see if we can get ‘Downtown’ to work.” Once we finalized the arrangement and the rough, the next step is to transpose the roughs into the two keys most suitable for the male and female ranges. He locked in the male range, and then sang along to see how it felt, claiming “I think it’s good. It works for me.” I told him, “That’s good! You’re singing it!”
We often hear Jimmy’s voice in our background vocals, but this is the first time he’s sung the lead since our duet of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” back in October of 2016. With a little coaching on timing of the calls from my favorite caller-on-sabbatical, Jimmy did a great job with this vocal and we all had fun recording it! We love it and hope you do, too!
The female range was recorded by Shauna Kaaria, with backgrounds for both courtesy of both Shauna and Jimmy Mac.
CHIC 1067 in the male vocal range features our studio magic man, Jim MacDonald.
CHIC 2067 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!
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Written by Shauna
March Release "Every Little Honky Tonk Bar"
“Every Little Honky Tonk Bar” is a George Strait hit, released in February of 2019. It was written by George, along with his son, Bubba, and longtime collaborator, Dean Dillon. The song peaked at number 17 on the country charts, and was the first from George Strait to hit the Billboard Top 20 since 2013.
Country music fans were thrilled with the new release. Comments like “George Strait....The Man, The Myth, The Legend is STILL the King of Country Music!!!,” and “This is old skool country right here. The man is a legend,” were flying and for good reason. This is classic country, and classic George Strait! Your dancers will be singing along and loving it.
The male key was recorded by Charlie Robertson, courtesy of Crown and Lou Mac Records. Charlie has been a friend of Chic Recordings from the beginning and has lent his voice on two previous collaborative/shared vocal releases. This is his first “solo” appearance on Chic, and he knocked it out of the park.
The female key was recorded by Staff Caller, Patty Greene. A consummate professional, Patty received the music for this song and returned an awesome vocal just two hours later! So thrilled to have her as part of the Chic Recordings Staff.
CHIC 1066 in the male vocal range features Charlie Robertson (courtesy of Crown and Lou Mac Records).
CHIC 2066 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!
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Written by Shauna
February Release Brings TWO New Patters!
That's right! We are releasing two new patter tracks this month. First up, "Apache." “Apache” is an instrumental piece composed by Jerry Lordan. There have been many versions of the song over the years. The 1960 version by The Shadows topped the UK Singles chart for five weeks. Danish guitarist, Jorgen Ingmann, covered the song in 1961 and went to number 2 in the US and Canada. A 1973 version by the Incredible Bongo Band was not widely known upon release, but has later been deemed “hip-hop’s” national anthem (for its long percussion break).
Our version is a combination of all three, with focus on the Ingmann guitars, and then moving into the exciting rhythm track and horn section of the Bongo Band release. Vic and Jimmy put their heads together for this arrangement in late January, and Jimmy and I finished the track. Personally, I love this. Hope you do, too.
“Home Sweet Hoedown” is a project that I’ve been meaning to do for nearly four years now. I love the rhythm track on the “Home Sweet Home” singing call, and have been meaning to get back to it and create an extended patter with the singing call’s rhythm track as the baseline. We had time this past Saturday and, as usual, Jimmy just knocked it out of the park. He created new melodies, added more rhythm guitars, electric guitars, and two different mandolin voices, and created a really fun piece of hoedown music.
CHIC4065(4000 series identifies patters and hoedowns) is a seriously cool patter with two really cool grooves that work great together.
CHIC4011(4000 series identifies patters and hoedowns) is a very different patter, full of banjo, mandolin, harmonica, and fun!
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
January Release "Smile" - and other Chic News
Happy New Year! January 2020 brings new things for Chic Recordings. We have a new release, an annual subscription opportunity, and new prices as of 1/15/20.
First up, our new release!
“Smile” is a well-known song with an interesting history and a meaningful message. It was initially written as an instrumental piece in 1936 by Charlie Chaplin (for his movie “Modern Times”), with lyrics added in 1954 by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons. Nat “King” Cole was the first to record the song with lyrics. With a major Nat “King” Cole fan for a father, I grew up with this version. Somewhere along the way I crossed paths with Michael Jackson’s single (it was cited as his favorite song), and fell in love with the song all over again.
Both were great recordings, but the acoustic arrangement produced by the “Glee” cast in 2009 is the version I love the most. The beautiful acoustic guitar and harmonies just spoke to me. As you all know by now…when a song speaks to me…it becomes a singing call. :)
Jimmy Mac picked up his acoustic guitar and actually had to learn some new and interesting chords for this one, and it is beautiful. Exactly what I had hoped it would be. Both keys!
The male key was recorded by Staff Caller, David Mee, who delivers what may be my favorite vocal from him so far. The female key was recorded by yours truly, with background vocals from Jimmy Mac and myself for both.
The message of this simple song is profound. Sometimes life delivers heartache. It hurts. But learning how to smile anyway…it’s a gift that makes life still worthwhile.
CHIC 1064 in the male vocal range features Staff Caller, David Mee.
CHIC 2064 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!
As for new pricing, our single-key package price will increase to $8.00 as of 1/15/20. There will be no change to the pricing of our dual-key packages. They will remain at $12.00, and provide both keys for those with two callers in the family, or if you aren’t sure which is best for you and you want to have both in your music catalog. The price does not change until January 15th, so you have another two weeks to take advantage of current pricing before it increases.
Finally, I have had inquiries about an annual subscription and have provided that opportunity to those who have asked. This year, the annual subscription will be available for everyone who is interested. The price of the annual subscription for a single key is $100.00. We typically have 14 releases in a single year, so that is a savings of at least $12.00. More, if we have more than 14 releases. It saves you the trouble of single purchases throughout the year, and you will receive the packages as soon as they are finished and ready (often a week or more before the public release). This will include all singing call and patter releases for 2020. The annual subscription for the dual key packages will be $140.00. With the dual-key subscription, you will get both keys for every dual-key release, along with all the patter and duet packages that may be released in 2020.
If you want to purchase an annual subscription, please email Producer, Shauna Kaaria at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to order.
Wishing everyone a happy and productive 2020 from the entire Chic Recordings team!
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Written by Shauna
Holiday Release - "Light the Legend"
"Light the Legend (A Song for Chanukah)” is a choral piece composed by Michael Isaacson and Susan Nuremberg in 1976. I have had multiple requests to produce a singing call for Chanukah (using the spelling from the sheet music I purchased), but finding the right song proved a bit challenging.
Last year, Vic and I attended a Winter Concert at the University of LaVerne in support of Adam Pepper (son of caller Tim and Vicki Pepper). One of the pieces sung at this concert was “Light the Legend.” As I was enjoying the beautiful performance of the piece, my producer brain reared its head and said…”This! This is your Chanukah singing call!”
Making it happen was a little more challenging than usual. When producing a song, I typically purchase the original cut of our inspiration and we try to follow it as closely as possible when creating our singing call adaptation. For this song, I purchased the sheet music for a choir, and Jimmy and I watched and listened to various renditions of choirs performing the piece in YouTube videos. Once we had the arrangement done to fit the standard singing call structure, the rough tracks were created and we had the first inkling that this just might work.
Not being of the Jewish faith, I ran the song by friends who were, to make sure this would be a Chanukah celebration piece, and not disrespectful in any way. All were very excited about the project.
Justin Russell and Patty Greene were invited to record the vocals and both delivered stellar tracks with only the rough music as a guide. I knew I had made the right choice to sing this song, and they both proved me right.
Last Saturday, I finally made it in to the studio with Jimmy Mac to finish the music and record the background vocals. I had to postpone the session scheduled earlier this month since my favorite caller-on-sabbatical decided he needed attention and fractured his shoulder to prove the point. We had limited studio time available so Jimmy spent a few hours on his own prior to my arrival and what he had created was amazing. Our rough track with basic rhythm and keyboard melody had been transformed into a fully orchestrated masterpiece. With basically nothing as a guide, I think Jimmy did some of his best work to date.
By the end of the day, music was finished, background vocals were recorded and the final mixing was done. I could not be more happy with how this turned out. I hope you enjoy it, too!
CHIC 1063 in the male vocal range features Justin Russell, courtesy of Royal Records.
CHIC 2063 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.
Introductory price is $7.50 and includes the music with and without melody, and the vocal cut.
Both are being sold separately since they were produced separately, but we do have a dual-key option at a discounted rate for those who prefer to have both keys.
Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!
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Written by Shauna
November Release - "Moonlight Feels Right"
“Moonlight Feels Right” was the debut single (and biggest hit) for the American band, Starbuck. Originally released in December of 1975, the song didn’t receive airplay until early April of 1976. Casey Kasem reported that “over the winter the band had hand-delivered the record to 400 radio stations, 95 percent of which had told them they would play it, but did not. One of those stations told them that it sounded like a spring song to them, so they would play it, but would wait until spring to do so. Discouraged, the group went back into the recording studio. However, that radio station kept their promise and became the first to do so. Many others followed as “Moonlight Feels Right” became a hit immediately following its first airing. It hit the charts in mid-April and stayed there for over five months.”
Starbuck’s release featured a prominent marimba solo, and we would have been remiss had we not done the same with ours, so be sure to check out the middle break.
Scott Smith delivers another great vocal for the male vocal range track. (That makes two in a row!) Scott will be retiring soon, so we’re taking advantage of him while we can! Just a few background vocals provided by Shauna Kaaria and Jimmy Mac.
Last April, Chic Recordings donated a recording opportunity to be auctioned off at a fund-raising event for CALLERLAB. Bidding was fast and furious, with Susan Morris placing the high bid and winning the prize! Susan worked very hard to prepare for the recording session and then made the trip to CA this past weekend to experience the entire recording/production process. She did a wonderful job and earned her Chic shirt and her spot as my newest “second-favorite caller!”
CHIC 1062 in the male vocal range features Chic Staff Caller, Scott Smith.
CHIC 2062 in the female vocal range features Susan Morris.
To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.
Introductory price is $7.50 and includes the music with and without melody, and the vocal cut.
Both are being sold separately since they were produced separately, but we do have a dual-key option at a discounted rate for those who prefer to have both keys.
Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!
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Written by Shauna
October Release - "Walk Right In"
“Walk Right In” was written and originally recorded by Gus Cannon in 1929. (Who knew that it was not originally recorded by The Rooftop Singers?)
Our version was inspired by the 1962 recording by The Rooftop Singers and includes the signature 12-String guitar that was featured in their cut. From Wikipedia, "group member Erik Darling recruited two friends to record this folk version of "Walk Right In" after hearing the original Cannon recording. Darling wanted their record to have a distinctive sound, so he and Bill Svanoe both played twelve string guitars on the song." Turns out getting those 12-string guitars wasn’t so easy. Darling is quoted as saying that prior to the making of this record, "you couldn't buy a 12-string guitar...I ordered one from the Gibson Company, but in order to record [the song] with two 12-strings, we had to wait for the company to build a second one for Bill!" (He was left-handed.).
Thankfully, with the powers of overdubbing and multiple tracks, we only needed one 12-string guitar. Jimmy Mac played multiple tracks with Vic’s beautiful 12-String Ovation, and stayed very true to the original song. There’s no sound like a real 12-string guitar!
(An aside note from Shauna...As we all know, this is not the first recording of this song made for square dancing, but this was another “pet project” for me. I love this song. It was one of the first I learned (using another label’s track, pitched up +5). I am SO excited to finally have a track that doesn’t need to be shifted, and also includes some background vocals (and that 12-string). Male vocal range callers…You get a new one too, because I wanted a new female track! Lucky you!)
Scott Smith delivers another great vocal for the male vocal range track. (He makes it clear why we call him “Great Scott.”) He perfectly captures the attitude of the song and uses a fun, and different, basic figure. The female vocal was recorded by Producer, Shauna Kaaria
CHIC 1061 in the male vocal range features Chic Staff Caller, Scott Smith.
CHIC 2061 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.
Introductory price is $7.50 and includes the music with and without melody, and the vocal cut.
Both are being sold separately since they were produced separately, but we do have a dual-key option at a discounted rate for those who prefer to have both keys.
Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!
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Written by Shauna
September Release - "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain"
“Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” was written by Fred Rose and first recorded by Roy Acuff. Since that first recording, the song has been covered by many artists, both well-known and obscure. Willie Nelson’s recording in 1975 put the song, and Willie, on the map. Until then, Willie had been writing hit songs for other artists and struggling with his own recording career.
The song came to my attention when a Facebook friend shared the video of Shania Twain and Willie Nelson performing the song together for Nelson’s 2003 “Live & Kickin’” album. I fell in love with the simple acoustic guitar sound and into the studio we went, with the Shania/Willie version as our initial inspiration.
During the production process, we listened to many of the multiple covers of the song, finding more beautiful nuggets of inspiration, particularly from Vince Gill, Eva Cassidy, and Willie Nelson’s original 1975 recording.
The final product is a beautiful piece of music, filled with beautiful acoustic guitars, and laid on a smooth and easy dance beat. Dancers are loving it and singing along.
CHIC 1060 in the male vocal range features Chic Staff Caller, Steve Moore.
CHIC 2060 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.
Introductory price is $7.50 and includes the music with and without melody, and the vocal cut.
Both are being sold separately since they were produced separately, but we do have a dual-key option at a discounted rate for those who prefer to have both keys.
Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!
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Written by Shauna
Anniversary Release ("Shaft" Patter) and Annual Anniversary SALE!
The “Theme from Shaft” was written and recorded by Isaac Hayes in 1971 as the theme music for the new MGM film. It was never intended to be released as a single, but it became so popular that a shortened and edited version was created and released two months after the movie soundtrack. It charted in multiple genres (Soul Singles/Easy Listening/etc) as well as capturing the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in November of 1971.
Remember when I left Vic and Jimmy unsupervised in the studio and they made a beautiful patter out of “Spanish Eyes?” Vic came home to tell me he’d heard another song that would make a great patter. “Theme from Shaft!” I wasn't familiar with the track, so I gave it a quick listen and completely agreed! It had a seriously cool groove.
So, the next time Vic was in the studio to do some work with Jimmy for New Beat…I jokingly said, “If you have time, knock out a patter for Shaft.” Once again, I woke up the next morning to a completed track in the DropBox. “Shaft” is as cool as “Spanish Eyes” is beautiful. I did a little google search and here’s the most interesting thing I discovered about Isaac Hayes’ “Shaft.” It is considered by some to be one of the first disco songs!!! Disco in 1971. Who knew?
CHIC4059(4000 series identifies patters and hoedowns) is a different kind of patter with a laid-back, seriously cool groove.
To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.
Introductory price is $7.50.
Click on the youtube link (to the left) for preview!
Now, about that Anniversary sale. Chic turns FOUR on August 22nd, and we are again celebrating our anniversary with a sale on music! Our inaugural release of "You're No Good" will be just $4.00 (we're four years old). Releases 2-40 will be just $5.00. Releases 41-50 will be $6.00, and 51-55 will be just $7.00. Sale will end at 11:59pm (Pacific time) on August 31st.) Don't miss this chance to pick up some seriously Chic music at some great prices!
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Written by Shauna
August Release - "That's Country Bro"
“That’s Country Bro” is a brand-new (May 2019) country song from Toby Keith that features a rapid-fire list of the artists, shows, and songs that defined the country music industry. According to the press release for the song, Toby hit the names of 57 different key influences in the song. (Our singing call doesn’t quite count that high since we only had room for three of the song’s four verses.) I first heard this song on “The Voice” and for some reason it hooked me and wouldn’t let go. (I think it had me at “M-M-M-Mel and Detroit City. By the way, if you haven’t listened to that lately…you should. What a voice!)
This track is classic country, driven mostly by guitar, with a little bit of honky-tonk piano as the icing on the cake. Dancers are loving it and it becomes a conversation piece as they come up and talk to you about all the memories they have of the names you just fired off. Very fun!
CHIC 1058 in the male vocal range features Chic Staff Caller, Steve Moore.
CHIC 2058 in the female vocal range also features Producer, Shauna Kaaria.
To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.
Introductory price is $7.50 and includes the music with and without melody, and the vocal cut.
Both are being sold separately since they were produced separately, but we do have a dual-key option at a discounted rate for those who prefer to have both keys.
Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!
