Comments on: Pre-Songs

By: Renee

Renee — Sun, 30 May 2010 15:25:26 +0000

This is absolutely awesome!! I really enjoyed this. You should consider writing a book, and I’d love to publish it (I work for a publishing company in MD). Perhaps I’ll send you an email about it. Thanks so much for posting these! I look forward to reading/hearing more.

By: MoJo

MoJo — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 17:30:47 +0000

Cool

By: MeeMeesiko

MeeMeesiko — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 01:50:38 +0000

The vampire concept in “Blue Sunny Day” made me laugh out loud.

If it was a blue sunny day outside, then who would be the only unhappy person out there?

A vampire, of course.

It reminded me a bit of “I’m Still Alive.” It’s ironic and sad, but hilarious all at the same time.

By: patt

patt — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:48:41 +0000

…Can we have Never Gonna Give You Up? Or are you planning to release it as a full cover?

By: Amanda H.

Amanda H. — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:05:54 +0000

Holy crap, these are amazing. I am a TOTAL demo junkie. Hearing early recordings and processes of how my favorite artists create their stuff is one of my favorite things to do. Thank you so much for posting/describing these, they absolutely made my day.

By: Johnny Octane

Johnny Octane — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:36:25 +0000

Please, oh, please, oh, please, oh, PLEASE will you post Never Gonna Give You Up? ^__^

By: ZSandmann

ZSandmann — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:28:50 +0000

I loved this! You have to post more JoCo.

I also really dug that piece of My Nemesis. Growing up it was me and my little brother. So I’m thinking “My Nemesis” is one of your kids talking about the other, right? A sequel in spirit to “You Ruined Everything in the Nicest Way”

By: This sentence will contradict itself at the end

This sentence will contradict itself at the end — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 04:13:22 +0000

Lucky… whenever I find these, they’re just me humming stupidly. I particularly like some parts in “My Nemesis” and the “Big Bad World: One” series. Happy reminiscing!

By: guitar effects reviews

guitar effects reviews — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:18:42 +0000

Nice read. Would enjoy reading a follow up.

By: Jeremie

Jeremie — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:20:45 +0000

Hey JoCo, thanks man. It takes courage to show you’re just as real as the next person. Can’t wait to hear more. These snippets are really interesting, and the explaining is a very nice touch. Thinking DVD voiceover. lol.

By: Amanda French

Amanda French — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:58:38 +0000

This is terrific. You’re so smart to know how interesting everyone would find these, and so egoless to let us listen to them. And it’s exactly this kind of thing that will encourage people who *think* they can’t write songs to write them.

My favorite part is on “Big Bad World 3″ when you start to sing, “World Zero, Me One.” Parapraxis, much?

By: Fredrik

Fredrik — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:47:22 +0000

This is just fantastic!
I hope we’ll get so see some for Re: Your Brains too!

By: Kat

Kat — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 07:02:53 +0000

that’s a sweet bend at the waist.

also, very much like this. tre cool

By: David

David — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:40:51 +0000

teh awesome is what this is! teh awesome!!11one!!!!

By: Trap Johnson

Trap Johnson — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 06:49:38 +0000

One more for being interested in hearing Nemesis 3

By: Mark Torromeo

Mark Torromeo — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:14:10 +0000

Awesome. I love to try to imagine the process you went through to come up with your songs, and it makes me feel good to know that just like me you often start without really having any idea where you’re going. Very insightful stuff.
And i think “My Nemesis” sounds fantastic. You gotta finish that one.

By: katytron

katytron — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 06:07:57 +0000

Gosh I just love old organs and their quirks. I learned to play piano on this thing that was just… I dunno. Haunted.

PS Mr Coulton you are a wonderful series of keyboard tappings on the internet that I like to read.

By: Amelia

Amelia — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:26:38 +0000

LOL “I just Rickrolled myself.” That is awesomesause.

By: Angelastic

Angelastic — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:24:53 +0000

What elliomeg said, but with only one exclamation mark, because that’s good punctuation.

As someone who basically only writes words (although they occasionally come with a melody attached, which I assume I inadvertently stole, and rarely attempt to express to anyone) it’s really interesting for me to hear you playing this complicated guitar stuff before you even know what the words are. The most complicated backing music I ever added to something I wrote was a synthesised triangle, for goat’s sake. I’m amuzed (amazed and amused.)

Also, I really like your gibberish voice, it’s all soft-rocky and sweet.

Does this mean you’re no longer afraid of revealing The Naked JoCo, and will let us hear some of the things you wrote in high school or college or whenever it was that you were still trying to soft rock the ladies with your guitar?

By: Rowan Fairgrove

Rowan Fairgrove — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:07:53 +0000

*laughs* This is so fun. Love the organ bit and the description of the d-inator.

By: Spintown

Spintown — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:12:44 +0000

Interesting to listen to the earily drafts & ideas of these songs. Thanks.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 22:13:20 +0000

I learn’t more about the creative song process reading and listening to this post than i have from any other source. Thank-you so very much.

By: Borba Spinotti

Borba Spinotti — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 21:22:32 +0000

This is amazing to listen through. It may be possible to follow somebody talking about a creative process in the abstract, but having access to the breadcrumb trail of half-formed ideas is such a privilege. Thanks a million for sharing.

By: John Darc

John Darc — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 06:39:48 +0000

JoCo should invest in a portable recorder of some sort instead of singing into his computer like a madman.

I know he mentioned that he loved his IPhone because he can sing into a voice recording app and no one can tell he isn’t on the phone.

By: monica s.

monica s. — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 06:23:35 +0000

i LOVE LOVE LOVE this!

By: Mary

Mary — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 03:11:05 +0000

Thank you for sharing these with us! Hearing stories about these songs and listening to the clips makes me feel like I’m listening to them for the first time all over again.

Also.. hahaha! on rick rolling yourself! Epic!

By: M_pony

M_pony — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 03:10:16 +0000

evidently it was a Blue Sunny Laundry Day. BZZZZZT!!

Dude, these are so uncommonly cool to hear. You are, yet again, awesomely awesome in awesome ways.

Someday you should make a trip back to the Organ Of Impossibility and get that sound recorded.. that sounds like a circuit-bending dream come true.

By: Colleenky

Colleenky — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 02:11:32 +0000

Wow. Thank you. Wow.

By: Shaddox

Shaddox — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:31:57 +0000

One of the best posts I’ve seen (other than new songs).

By: Jamie Knowles

Jamie Knowles — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:22:08 +0000

I just read the rick’rolld part, wow. -_-

By: Jamie Knowles

Jamie Knowles — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:19:26 +0000

Wow, it’s really interesting to hear how your songs start out. Thanks for uploading these!

By: Rich

Rich — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:47:03 +0000

I am surprised, thankful, and oddly disappointed that you didn’t post “Nemesis 3″ with some vague description and rickroll us all from the past.

By: Marisa

Marisa — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 07:33:36 +0000

I love being a part of this fandom so much.I always think,whenever I’m listening to a song or watching a movie or reading fiction,about how the artist might have come up with the idea and developed it.I actually am so much in the habit of doing that that I do it without realizing it at first,and it’s knd of a fun exercise.I have always been mystified as to how creating a song happens,because I have absolutely no musical ability whatsoever and so even imagining it is beyond me,but this kind of elucidates it for me.I always wonder whether an artist comes up with lyrics or a tune first;I guess you do both simultaneously.This is really cool,thanks for enabling my over-thinking geekiness,and for doing this kind of thing for your fans!

By: Lito

Lito — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 06:47:11 +0000

It was awesome hearing some new additions to your set last night in L.A. since you were last here in May ’09. Although I missed “Big Bad World One” (my fave song of yours), hearing “Dance, Soterios Johnson, Dance” live was great.

Oh, and hearing your “sketches” on this page is great — thanks for sharing this with us!

By: Just Linda

Just Linda — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 05:08:53 +0000

This post is arguably the coolest thing you’ve ever done. And that’s saying something.

By: Dan Fego

Dan Fego — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 04:20:19 +0000

You really should post Nemesis 3 anyway.

By: John Darc

John Darc — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 04:01:10 +0000

I remember when some song JoCo did (I think Octopus) had a bossa nova section to it. Completely scrapped for what we got.

By: lasarack

lasarack — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 03:15:12 +0000

for some reason, this reminded me of ‘The Beatles never broke up’ and other recordings of those type.

By: Walt Schmerz

Walt Schmerz — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 02:54:02 +0000

Thanks! It’s nice to know you usually start with music. I collect all sorts of little licks, but I rarely can get over the lyric-writing hump and turn the instrumentals into complete songs. How do you attack the lyrical/vocal side of the equation?

By: Jason

Jason — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 02:43:51 +0000

…thinks they’d be great as regular numbers…

By: Jason

Jason — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 02:43:11 +0000

I had a great time at the Los Angeles show last night. It’s been a couple years since I saw you last, and I love what you’ve been up to with your set.

Bright spots were: Drinking with You and Dance, Soterios Johnson, Dance. Those are both special favorites of mine but I’m not sure I’ve ever heard you perform them live. If that’s part of your usual set now, great. If that was a one-off, know that this fan loved them and thinks they’d be as regular numbers.

The high point was Mr. Fancy Pants. That number has really turned into something special. Whatever the hell that plastic handbag is, it’s really fun to watch you work your magic on it.

By: Autumnraina

Autumnraina — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 01:35:39 +0000

Wow! Thanks for the peek ‘behind the scenes’!

By: Sujin

Sujin — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 01:22:51 +0000

It’s always neat to get a glimpse in the creative process, like everyone else said. The organ version or Lady Aberlin’s Muumuu is ridiculously catchy and will probably be stuck in my head for the rest of the day.

By: Thomas

Thomas — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 01:02:44 +0000

When I first started reading this, I thought it meant you’d rediscovered old song ideas that you’d yet to use and got hopeful for a new JoCo tune.

This is about 95% as good. A Talk With George will always remain my favorite song by you.

By: Totz the Plaid

Totz the Plaid — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:51:28 +0000

This kicks ass! Thank you, and I look forward to as many more as you have/are willing to share!

By: Nasarius

Nasarius — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:32:39 +0000

Love the totally different first attempt at Big Bad World One.

By: Michelle Spears

Michelle Spears — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:25:34 +0000

This should be fun, since I have most of your songs memorized! They’re all downloaded and ready to go…my WinAmp will never be the same again! (Oh, like it was any saner after I added Dance, Soterios Johnson, Dance =P)

~Michelle

By: elliomeg

elliomeg — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:24:59 +0000

What Leigh said, but with exclamation marks for emphasis (!!!!)

By: Leigh

Leigh — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:17:04 +0000

This is SO COOL. It’s always neat to get a glimpse inside someone else’s creative process. Thank you ever so much for posting it.