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With a Little Help

Doc Mason

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We had an ice storm in February, 2021, leaving us with no electricity for 16 days. When the ice began to thaw, some nice folks from Austin brought us a generator that we relied upon for a little over a week. It was a Read more

We had an ice storm in February, 2021, leaving us with no electricity for 16 days. When the ice began to thaw, some nice folks from Austin brought us a generator that we relied upon for a little over a week. It was a genuine ordeal. When life began to return to normal, and I found time to return to my studio, I had an urge to pick out a John Lennon/Paul McCartney song to learn. So I got out my Complete Beatles Songbook 2-Volume Set. Right off the bat, it literally opened to "With a Little Help From My Friends," along with some lyrics, printed off the internet years before. It grew from that point into a 12 song "album/record." I also recorded some songs that I found in my computer's closet that were written by my long time Musical Friend, Terry Clements. Thanks to John Prine for leaving his musical legacy in his songs as well.

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    Clay Pigeons 3:49
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    With A Little Help From My Friends 2:41
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    The Late John Garfield Blues 3:24
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    The Robin's Song 2:55
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    Way Down 2:29
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    Let's Have the Blues Together 3:12
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    Mona Lisa 3:07
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    Linda Paloma 3:07
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    Morning Train 3:02
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    Sweet Baby James 2:56
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    Jump Out of My Skin 2:47
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    Long Monday 3:34
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A Little About the Song: "Mona Lisa"

The song “Mona Lisa” was written for a spy movie, the setting of which was in Italy, soon after the end of WWII. It was entitled, “Captain Carey, USA,” and the song won an Academy Award for Best Original Movie Song in 1949.  The songwriting duo of Ray & Jay were tasked to come up with an instantly identifiable melody that, in the movie, signaled potential danger.   

Nat King Cole sang the song with orchestral backing in the early 1950’s, setting the standard. To my knowledge, it wasn’t recorded again until Willie Nelson covered it, and released it on his “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” record, in 1981. 

Earlier this year, I decided that I wanted to learn to sing and play the song, “Mona Lisa,” using my guitar as accompaniment. There was no template to follow, but the lyrics and chords could be found online. The song seemed tricky in spots, until I discovered it to have been written in 3/4 time. That is waltz tempo. 

It took a good amount of repetition, but I finally cracked “the code.” It was after the fact, that I was able to watch the movie, and found that I had indeed sung it as it had been covered by the Italian guitar player and vocalist in the movie. 

After I had recorded the melody, playing my guitar, and singing, my friends joined me, adding their instruments in succession: Ben Beckendorf, joined me playing a Fender electric bass guitar; Elana James, my fiddle player and classically trained violinist, added some classic Italian violin feel to the mix, and my friend, Jim Christian, played mandolin, countering most every musical phrase the violin would play, throughout.  To me, the interplay just sounds like a work of Art.  (pun intended) 

   I hope you enjoy what I am just happy to have been a part of… playing my guitar and singing… along with my talented friends.