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Fret Filings - (Anne's Blog)
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
HONEYMOON SUITE - "LETHAL WEAPON"
Topic: New Chords Postings

In 1987, prior to the recording of  Honeymoon Suite's third album, the band got the call to record the theme song for Lethal Weapon, the now well-known Mel Gibson/Danny Glover action film. "We got the track through our label Warner Brothers in LA at the time," noted guitarist Derry Grehan. "They thought we would be the right band to record the song, and it was also our first chance to work with Ted Templeman." (canadianbands.com) Templeman, noted for his production work with the Doobie Brothers and Van Halen, was subsequently enlisted to produce that next HMS album, Racing After Midnight (1988). "Lethal Weapon" was the closing track on the album. It also appeared on the film's official soundtrack.

The song charted at #54 in Canada, while the album fared considerably better,  reaching the Top 10. Characterized by a harder rocking, more guitar-driven sound than the band's previous releases ("Lethal Weapon" being one of the exceptions), Racing became Honeymoon Suite's third successive platinum album in Canada. However, the US breakthrough that Warner's was hoping for by placing the band on movie soundtracks didn't materialize.

There are a few different edits of this song: one for the film's closing credits, one for the promotional video, and the HMS album version. Transcribed here is the version that's on Racing After Midnight.


The chord chart:
https://www.angelfire.com/planet/zerofret/crd/honeymoonsuite-lethalweapon.txt

Audio of Racing After Midnight version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0jaGR0I79k

Promo video:


Posted by planet/zerofret at 3:57 AM EDT
Updated: Wednesday, June 1, 2011 3:59 AM EDT
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Monday, May 23, 2011
TROOPER - "SANTA MARIA"
Topic: New Tab Postings

What better way to celebrate the unofficial beginning of summer in Canada -- the Victoria Day holiday weekend -- than with some good Canadian music? Two For the Show (1976) was Trooper's second album release, and as with their first album, it was produced by Randy Bachman. It gave the band its first gold record, later achieving platinum status in Canada. The album produced two successful singles, in the title track (charting at #1) and "Santa Maria" (Top 5).
Enjoy the long weekend.

The tab:
https://www.angelfire.com/planet/zerofret/cantab/trooper-santamaria.txt

Audio (studio version):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD98F8n54s4

In the live version below, "Santa Maria" starts at the 6:23 mark of the video:


Posted by planet/zerofret at 2:37 AM EDT
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Friday, May 13, 2011
STREETHEART
Topic: Riff-In-A-Jiff

Streetheart's 1979 album Under Heaven Over Hell, the band's second release, contains some of their best-known hits. Continuing the success of their debut Meanwhile Back In Paris (1978), UHOH achieved platinum status in Canada.

"Here Comes the Night" was one of three singles drawn from the album (two of which were cover songs). Written in 1964, the song was first a hit for acts such as Lulu (in 1964) and the Van Morrison-fronted Them (in 1965). A number of other performers have also covered it.

The album marked the debut of John Hannah as Streetheart's guitarist (replacing Paul Dean). Tabbed here is Hannah's guitar solo.

STREETHEART - "Here Comes the Night"      (B. Bern)

https://www.angelfire.com/planet/zerofret/annesblog/canriffs.txt

Audio:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNjbbVQ6mTo   

Posted by planet/zerofret at 3:20 AM EDT
Updated: Friday, May 13, 2011 3:21 AM EDT
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Wednesday, May 4, 2011
GLASS TIGER - "DON'T FORGET ME (WHEN I'M GONE)"
Topic: New Chords Postings

From Glass Tiger's multi-platinum debut album The Thin Red Line (1986), "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)" charted at #1 in Canada, #2 in the U.S., and received the Juno Award for 1986 Single Of the Year.

(Pictured is the cover of the single release.)

The chord chart:
https://www.angelfire.com/planet/zerofret/crd/glasstiger-dontforgetme.txt


Live:


Posted by planet/zerofret at 2:32 AM EDT
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Sunday, April 24, 2011
HAPPY EASTER
Topic: General

                            


Posted by planet/zerofret at 1:48 AM EDT
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Thursday, April 21, 2011
CHILLIWACK - "TRIAL BY FIRE"
Topic: New Tab Postings

Breakdown In Paradise (1979) has always been my favourite Chilliwack album. Having picked it up out of a bargain bin years ago (along with Dreams, Dreams, Dreams), I found it to be a strong, cohesive album from beginning to end. It's not so much that every track is stellar (some are definitely stronger than others), but they just work really well together. It plays almost like a concept album, with several of the tracks seguing into the next one. For me, it adds up to a very satisfying whole.

The addition of guitarist Brian MacLeod for 1978's Lights From the Valley brought an added edge to the band's sound, his fiery riffs and leads perfectly complementing Bill Henderson's natural sense of melody. This chemistry reached full fruition on Paradise. Here the band was firing on all cylinders, as evidenced by tracks like "Trial By Fire", tabbed here.

Chilliwack seemed poised for another album as successful as Lights. But unforeseen circumstances changed the situation. The death of Shelly Siegel (head of Chilliwack's label) destabilized Mushroom Records, and put the label in jeopardy. With the label struggling, Paradise received little promotion. Only one single -- "Communication Breakdown"  -- managed to chart, barely denting the Top 100 in Canada. Mushroom ultimately folded, and Chilliwack's three albums recorded for that label are to this day not available on CD. The band itself bounced back with more successful albums and singles.

"Trial By Fire" found a regular spot in the band's live show, and is included on Chilliwack's live album There and Back (2003).

The tab:
https://www.angelfire.com/planet/zerofret/cantab/chilliwack-trialbyfire.txt

Audio:
https://www.angelfire.com/planet/zerofret/audio/chilliwack_trialbyfire.mp3 

Posted by planet/zerofret at 4:17 AM EDT
Updated: Thursday, April 21, 2011 4:19 AM EDT
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Tuesday, March 29, 2011
AC/DC
Topic: Riff-In-A-Jiff

AC/DC's 1990 album The Razors Edge (a title in search of an apostrophe Smile) is often cited as a big "comeback" album for the band. Recorded in Vancouver, BC, the album was spectacularly successful, achieving multi-platinum status in several countries. It charted at #2 in the U.S. and #4 in the UK. Singles released included "Moneytalks" and "Thunderstruck". The latter was characterized by its pedal tone laden main riff, which is tabbed here.

According to The Story Of AC/DC: Let There Be Rock, this signature riff was inspired by a studio trick Angus Young learned from his older brother George, a producer whose credits include some AC/DC albums. The technique involved playing a guitar with the strings taped, with the exception of one string (in this case, the B string).

It's hotly debated among guitar-playing AC/DC enthusiasts how this riff is actually played. I detail those various ways on the riff page itself, so I won't get into it here. Suffice to say, you need a pretty good picking hand to play this riff well, although it can be played without using your picking hand barely at all (as Young demonstrates in the official promo video for the song, posted below).

AC/DC - "Thunderstruck"      (A. Young/M. Young)

https://www.angelfire.com/planet/zerofret/annesblog/varriffs.txt




Posted by planet/zerofret at 3:15 AM EDT
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Thursday, March 10, 2011
NAZARETH - "DREAM ON"
Topic: New Chords Postings

Nazareth's 2XS was the 1982 studio album follow-up to their well-received (Vancouver-recorded) live effort 'Snaz. The album produced the single "Dream On", a power ballad in the same vein as "Love Hurts" and "Heart's Grown Cold". The song gave the Scottish rockers a solid hit in Europe, going Top 20 in Germany, and reaching the Top 10 in countries such as Switzerland, Poland, and Austria. Classic rock radio has since helped to make it one of the band's best-known songs.

In 1987, Helix covered the song for their Wild In the Streets album, also releasing it as a single.  Since Helix recorded the song in the same key as Nazareth, the chord chart here can be used for their version of the song, as well.

The chord chart:
https://www.angelfire.com/planet/zerofret/crd/nazareth-dreamon.txt


Audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5cDm57ENKs

Helix version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvMRHgV4Kdk&tracker=False  

Posted by planet/zerofret at 3:23 AM EST
Updated: Thursday, March 10, 2011 3:28 AM EST
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Tuesday, March 1, 2011
TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS - "I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN IT"
Topic: New Tab Postings

The 2010 album Mojo marked the end of an eight year hiatus for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The record's debut at #2 on the Billboard 200 CD listing served as a warm welcome back for the band.

It was Petty's intent to do a blues-based "jam"-style record. As such, he entered the project bringing only loose outlines of songs, allowing the songs to take shape during the recording sessions. In keeping with the informal feel, the album was recorded live off the floor at The Clubhouse, the band's Los Angeles rehearsal space.

"I Should Have Known It" was one of the tracks released as a single. One music reviewer summed up the song this way: "'I Should Have Known It'...is a gritty guitar romp that weaves Petty's raspy wail within the boggy sounds of bottleneck slides and a dense rhythm. The song eventually runs head first into a wildly entertaining solo that eventually reincorporates the entire band; the song is truly one of the best stompers from the Heartbreakers in a long time." (culturebully.com/tom-petty-heartbreakers-mojo-album-review)

The tab:
https://www.angelfire.com/planet/zerofret/vartab/pettytom-ishouldhaveknownit.txt

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_iBKacXIA4


Posted by planet/zerofret at 3:39 AM EST
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Tuesday, February 22, 2011
BRYAN ADAMS
Topic: Riff-In-A-Jiff

Cuts Like A Knife (1983), Bryan Adams' third studio album, was the release that brought him breakthrough success in North America. While that success didn't come quite as quickly elsewhere, the album did eventually gain a foothold in overseas markets, as well. The album went platinum in the US, and triple platinum in Canada, charting at #8 in both countries.

The title track was the second single released (after "Straight From the Heart"), and also made a good showing on various music charts -- #12 on Canadian RPM, #15 on Billboard, and #6 on Billboard Rock Tracks. In Canada, "Cuts Like A Knife" was the album's highest charting single.

Tabbed here is Keith Scott's guitar solo from that song.

BRYAN ADAMS - "Cuts Like A Knife"      (B. Adams/J. Vallance)

https://www.angelfire.com/planet/zerofret/annesblog/canriffs.txt

Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VZhSkREYBc 

Posted by planet/zerofret at 12:01 AM EST
Updated: Tuesday, February 22, 2011 3:05 AM EST
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