First of all, a correction. What was I thinking? I wrote that in the year Moes Haven did their 365 album marathon (has anybody contacted Guiness about this?) they had already written 300 songs prior to tackling their Ishtar inspired November albums - but in fact since they were doing an album (not a song) a day, it must have been more like 2000 - 3000 (or even more) songs. Yow!
Ok, back to me. I'm sure I've shared part of this story before, but it has some new chapters. When I was 20 or so, I was hanging out with my friend Dave a lot, writing songs. I played Lyle to his Chuck... I was separated from my then-wife, and in the pits... he was employed, he drove one of those mammoth size t-birds they had back then, and a double wide trailer with a piano.
I'd go over Friday night and sometimes stay until Sunday morning, and we'd crank out the songs, all of which viewed from my 2008 perspective were hideously bad. Actually, I've probably felt that way the last quarter of a century. But they were an oasis of good times in a desert of dispair, and I had fond memories.
And of course, it was one of the things that made me an Ishtar fan; they really captured the camaraderie and the process of being part of an aspiring songwriting team. In fact, after a viewing of Ishtar not so very long ago, I decided to get back in touch with Dave. It took a while, I went through an intermediary who was easier to find on the web...
I was surprised and delighted to learn that Dave wanted to resume the songwriting partnership. I knew he'd gone on to trying to create musicals, and I don't have the attention span for that kind of long form - but he was still interested in popping out 3 minute pop songs. It made me uneasy (extremely uneasy) that he still thought the stuff we'd done back in the day was great, and didn't understand why they weren't successful. I felt I had a new perspective and new skills to bring to the process, and I assumed the same was true for him as well. It seemed less likely if he wasn't able to hear and see the flaws in the old material.
We got together for a songwriting session, and I brought up an old novelty song we'd done, apparently lost for good, "The Cairo Blues." He said "you know, there's this movie with Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty... it's supposed to be the worst movie ever made, but I don't think it's bad!"
So I told him about my huge love for the movie, this group, and John Mitchell's documentary Waiting For Ishtar. Always one to sieze an opportunity, he said we should redo the Cairo Blues, submit it to John Mitchell, and see if we can get it in the movie.
Which we did! John doesn't think he can use it, so I'm making it available to the world (which doesn't even know it needs this song yet) You can't really say it's a Cairo Blues makeover at all - it's an entirely different melody, and entirely new words - but I called it the Ishtar Blues as a nod to the origins of the idea (and the musical content has a nodding familiarity with the blues) and it can be heard or downloaded at:
www.soundclick.
It's the first song on the list - the old stuff follows, good luck making it through very many of them!
PS. Later I found the Cairo Blues lyrics I'd written, but Dave has been unsuccessful in recovering the melody. I offer this as a gift to the world as well.
The Cairo Blues
I was out drinking at the tavern
Saw you smiling like the sphinx
You brought twenty years bad luck
Cause girl, you're just a jinx
I'd walk a mile for a camel
To ride away from you
I haven't slept for 40 nights
Because you've been untrue
chorus:
I got the Cairo Blues
I've come all unglued
I'd fight crocodiles
On the Nile
To see the last of you
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