Finishing Touches.....

By Nancy

So here we are getting ready to put the final finishing touches on Hello Brooklyn which is really quite amazing. The hard work has really paid off for it is quite a work of art! Each song has its own feel and personality if you will. I really do love every one. The attention to detail is something I would never imagine I would be involved in, let alone the making of an album. My participation has been quite empowering – Mike would have me play piano and sing and play percussion on songs which gives me a feeling of accomplishment, I never thought I would feel. The backup singing on “Nameless Lady” was so scary at first but I am thrilled with the way it came out and of course so happy Mike likes it!

Vinnie, Mike, Joe and I all work so well together. We really are a team. And having Mike’s various musician friends come down to lay down tracks has been interesting as they all bring unique and varied talents to the process. A few of the songs are very special to me only because one was written especially for me and the other I wrote the lyrics and Mike wrote the music. “Nobody’s Girl” is the story of our romance and how it started. It really captures the feel of our first meeting and the vibe of our ‘magical’ relationship. The talented people who play on it – Dave on the drums, Tom’s lead guitar, Mike’s rhythm guitar, and the others really made what I would call a masterpiece!

A while back it was World Poetry Day and I felt like writing a poem to Michael and it became

“Right Now (World Poetry Day)”. We both agreed that since the song came from my heart that I should sing it! This was definitely very challenging for me since I’ve only really done a little bit of singing and only imagined that one day I could actually be a singer ….lol….so recording this in the studio was scary but also empowering and exciting. I always tell my kids to get out of their comfort zone – it’s good for the soul and to challenge yourself. Thankfully Vinnie and I have a relationship where I can truly be myself with him and he is a very encouraging and insightful teacher! He really coached me as I sang into the mike. This song means so much to me as it describes this place in time ...Right Now…as I was learning to let myself go and open my heart to someone new (Mike) since I had not done this in over 40 years! As the song says, it was thrilling, and I was willing!

Watching “In a Quiet Moment” that Joe, as videographer, shot has been both poignant and hysterical. Seeing ourselves from over 3 years ago to now is mind blowing to say the least. I love the parts when Mike belted out a song from a classic like “Unchained Melody”…it really lightenend the mood lol! The film also captures the fun and challenge of making “Hello Brooklyn.” This was no easy feat as you can see from the movie. All the different musicians who played on it – at every level of talent –are really amazing and it shows how sometimes it was not so simple for them – hours and hours of takes…but Mike and especially Vinnie always strived to get it right. They had a vision and it wasn’t easy …but making an album is an incredible journey for one person to achieve and Mike was passionate and determined and you can see this on film.

I also loved seeing Vinnie explaining to us his vision of how something should be done – as he jumps up and down or stamps his feet or claps – it depicts how much it means to him to get the high caliber performance no matter what you’re doing – playing an instrument or singing…he’s really a teacher at heart and means well even though he can be tough on us at times (NOTE FROM POOCH: He was NEVER tough on Nancy. LOL) I also can’t believe how many hours of footage Joe took! We are enjoyed watching it back and editing it as it would be impossible to show it at its full length! History has definitely been made! We are excited about the final version completed.

To sum it up, working and collaborating and contributing to “Hello Brooklyn” has been one of the most exciting and exhilarating experiences of my life. I learned so much – especially playing different percussion instruments – guiro, shakers, tambourine, etc. Singing back up and doing my own song – well – I am really living my rock and roll fantasy. “Hello Brooklyn” is close to my heart – I love every song – and it really has been a magical experience. Cannot wait to work on the 3rd one…tentatively titled “Velvet Blonde”.