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#492089 - 04/12/07 12:24 AM
Joe Jones (Nickel Pies)
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 12,072
Scott Campbell
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 12,072
Lakeland, FL, USA
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A 5 minute folk song with six verses and no chorus or bridge - just what you wanted! At least it's uptempo  This is not meant for general appeal. It's a gift for my wife's grandmother Ann and is written about her husband Joe, who passed on about 20 years ago. I know many are hesitant to comment on songs of a personal nature but I would love to hear suggestions. I'll probably keep the lyric pretty close to what it is unless there are some suggestions for better phrasing. Any comments about the arrangement, mix, or any other aspect would be appreciated. This was co-written with Joe's niece Resa. She wrote some of the lines and gave me essentially all the details. Here's the song: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=377550&songID=5225330Here's a picture of Ann and Joe taken in 1936 - about 49 years before they celebrated their 50th anniversary I'll post the lyric below. Thanks! Scott Joe Jones (Nickel Pies) (c) 2007 by S.W. Campbell and Teresa Thornburg Well Missouri in the thirties There was more men than was work But every job there hard or dirty I did for dinner and dessert But I knew the world was bigger So I hopped a freight train west And I left each town With my nails worn down And some pennies in my vest Lo de oh de oh oh oh Lo de oh de oh oh oh Well I rode those rails and counted the ties And I dreamed of nickel pies Never thought I'd find my fortune North of nowhere mining coal There a shy, sweet girl named Ann Made my tattered heart feel whole And I knew the world was brighter On a January day We were to wed in Spring But I had the ring And I knew I couldn't wait Lo de oh de oh oh oh Lo de oh de oh oh oh Well we said our vows under cold, blue skies And we dreamed of nickel pies Well the folks back home in Higbee Heard of the gains that could be got And pretty soon our friends and family Filled our two room place with cots And through those cold Wyoming winters We helped all who came our way Someone asked what we did When the summer hit I said “We play ball that day” Lo de oh de oh oh oh Lo de oh de oh oh oh We made it through on company store supplies And we dreamed of nickel pies When we left Rock Springs for Portland A welder’s ticket in my hand I knew my job there was important We built the ships that beat Japan And though times were getting better We didn’t have much money saved And when the doc told me, “You need surgery” I said, “Doc, it’ll have to wait” Lo de oh de oh oh oh Lo de oh de oh oh oh So we became both pound and penny wise And we dreamed of nickel pies We moved back to Missouri When my daddy passed away I heard the mine up in Excello Needed welders for good pay Was on a shovel named Goliath Where I chanced to make my name Well we kept him goin’ On a night so raw That the cold wind cracked his frame Lo de oh de oh oh oh Lo de oh de oh oh oh I saw my breath freeze right in front of my eyes And I dreamed of nickel pies So we bought a house a stones throw From the town where I was raised It was here we’d let our roots grow And our son would come of age And by the time that we had grandkids It was known across this land That if you had the need To run a bead Joe Jones, well, he’s your man Lo de oh de oh oh oh Lo de oh de oh oh oh It’s been fifty years Ann, how time flies! That’s a lot of nickel pies That’s a ton of nickel pies
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#492165 - 04/12/07 09:25 AM
Re: Joe Jones (Nickel Pies)
[Re: Rick Norton]
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 12,072
Scott Campbell
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 12,072
Lakeland, FL, USA
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But then again, who wants to sing 6 verses over again when the song turned out so great.
It's worse than that, Rick. I recorded it all live with guitar on right hand, banjo on left, and playing bass and drum lines on my keyboard with my toes. So I would have to do *everything* over  Seriously though, thanks for listening. I feel like I'm imposing on people when I put a long song up. And thanks for pointing out that line. Is one of the ones I was not entirely comfortable with - I'll think on it some, along the lines of your suggestion. See ya Scott
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#492179 - 04/12/07 10:15 AM
Re: Joe Jones (Nickel Pies)
[Re: RIKY]
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 12,072
Scott Campbell
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 12,072
Lakeland, FL, USA
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Hey Kevin: Thanks! I had 4 verses in mind - then settled on 5. When I got to 5, I couldn't fit everything I wanted to say so it went to 6. I was bothered some and then I thought, "You're not trying to get this on the radio - just make it as long as it needs to be"  Glad the story worked for you...Thanks for the confirmation on that line... Hey Riky: Not just once but a few times? Thanks! You have an excellent point about the chorus. I guess, including the final lines, that this section could be interpreted as an evolving chorus. In any event, I guess it tries to do what a chorus does anyway. I scanned that photo because I thought I'd put it on the cover of the jewel case when I give the song to Ann. Put it here because sometimes it's nice to be able to put a face to people you're hearing about. Thanks guys! Scott
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#492371 - 04/13/07 12:18 AM
Re: Joe Jones (Nickel Pies)
[Re: Robert Pickens]
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 12,072
Scott Campbell
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 12,072
Lakeland, FL, USA
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Hey Sub: I threw every instrument I had at this, except for my mom-in-law's fiddle. I'd have thrown that too if I could have.  Yeah, thought I had to put something different in each verse to keep it from getting stale... Was kinda different to put this together because I didn't have to make anything up - just figure out how to place it  Hey T-Bob: That's a great suggestion. I'll find out if he ever called her Annie. I knew him for the last five years of his life and I don't think I heard him call her by that but he might have...I know other people have... Ha - I don't know what Clint's up to. But he DOES seem to produce a lot of songs in a short period of time and then take a break for awhile. Maybe this is one of his breaks  Thanks guys! Scott
Last edited by Scott Campbell; 04/13/07 09:14 AM.
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#492428 - 04/13/07 09:12 AM
Re: Joe Jones (Nickel Pies)
[Re: Two Singers]
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 12,072
Scott Campbell
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 12,072
Lakeland, FL, USA
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Hey Alan: Thanks so much for the listen and for the comments. I'm glad you liked it! Was a true labor of love for me... Part of it is set in your neck of the woods - well, from my vantage point in Florida its in your neck of the woods  Higbee is about 2 or 3 hours west of you, just north of Columbia. You are dead on with your comments. There were three lines in the song I was still uncertain about and you found two of them. I'll re-work them. Many thanks! Scott
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#492757 - 04/14/07 12:01 PM
Re: Joe Jones (Nickel Pies)
[Re: Ken Randall]
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 12,072
Scott Campbell
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 12,072
Lakeland, FL, USA
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Hey Ken: If a guy from the Ozarks says it has a good feel to it, then I hit the vibe I was shooting for.  Many thanks, Scott
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#492916 - 04/14/07 09:57 PM
Re: Joe Jones (Nickel Pies)
[Re: Tricia Baker]
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 12,072
Scott Campbell
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 12,072
Lakeland, FL, USA
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Hey Louis: Thanks. Joe was one helluva man.... Hey Tricia: Thanks to you too! That yo de ho part just seemed to capture Joe's spirit of adventure. Glad you found it catchy. Glad you noticed the whatchamacallits too. Those are the fun things to add after everything else is done  Joe loved his pie  Scott
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#493149 - 04/15/07 03:22 PM
Re: Joe Jones (Nickel Pies)
[Re: beachbc]
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 12,072
Scott Campbell
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 12,072
Lakeland, FL, USA
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Thanks Accel: Appreciate that you were willing to listen to such a long song...yeah, sometimes truth is as interesting as fiction  Hey Bradley: I'm the same way on the folk/country thing. Must admit though, I'm gaining more of an appreciation for country by hanging around here.... Yeah, hope Ann likes it. My experience is that people like having a song written about them or someone close to them more than any other gift. We'll see.... Thanks guys, Scott
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#494484 - 04/19/07 09:37 PM
Re: Joe Jones (Nickel Pies)
[Re: Scott Campbell]
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,904
Clint Anglin
Top 100 Poster
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Top 100 Poster

Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,904
Troy, NY
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Scott, I love that banjo - it really sets the tone for the ballad. This is a masterful folk story song. It didn't seem that long because the story really drew me in. I think I will only go to Wyoming on that one summer day though - exactly what date is that  ?. I guess you can't get nickel pies anymore, better start dreaming of some considerably more expensive ones. Great tune - well written and well performed! Clint
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#494521 - 04/19/07 11:42 PM
Re: Joe Jones (Nickel Pies)
[Re: Clint Anglin]
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 12,072
Scott Campbell
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 12,072
Lakeland, FL, USA
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Hey Michael: Thanks. Glad you liked the story. All true  Hi Mike: Appreciate the listen, especially because its outside what you do. Banjo and harp parts were fun... Hey Clint: Welcome back! Sorry to hear you have been having health issues. Looking forward to hearing your new song. Don't know what day that was - think it varied from year to year and you didn't get much notice.  Joe loved his dessert and a nickel pie could carry him a long way  Scott
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#495047 - 04/21/07 01:42 PM
Re: Joe Jones (Nickel Pies)
[Re: Tom Breshers]
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 12,072
Scott Campbell
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Top 10 Poster

Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 12,072
Lakeland, FL, USA
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Hey Tom: Glad you're still here! Saw on another thread what you've been up to. Hope you're not working TOO hard  Glad you liked this. Yeah, maybe they are folk-scat. Don't know where they come from. For someone who places as much importance on the words as I do, it strikes me as funny that every once and awhile I feel the need to let go with something nonsensical  The hook was easy on this one - According to Ann, the occasional nickel pie was how Joe treated himself - knew the second I heard it that it would form the basis of the song  Nice to hear from you! Scott
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