This song was recorded back in August-September of 1996. It started, as a lot of my projects did back then, with creating a drum loop, and then layers were built on top of that. I was working at the time on a Macintosh Centris 660AV with Deck II recording software. That 25 MHz 68040 processor could handle up to 6 tracks of 16-bit, 44.1 kHz audio, so after recording 6 tracks, I'd bounce the 6 down to 2 tracks, then add up to 4 more before having to make another "6-mix". I started with creating a drum loop using Jon's old Rogers drum kit, which he left at my house for a while there (before giving it to his nephew Dylan). Here are the recording notes from the studio log:

Andy - drums (22-second layered loops of cymbal, kick drums, and snare), two basses (distortion+ on one) [DADG], three electric guitars (distortion+ on one) [DADGBE], four vocals (one rapping).

Alone with Jon's old drum kit, now armed with a kick drum pedal, I first recorded some whacky cymbal banging, then some kick drum bumping. Then I found two 22-second loops of decent kick drumming that syncopated nicely and replicated them, then layered a snare drum bit from the scraps over half the loop. I then doubled the cymbal with a really slight Deck delay, and massively delayed a duplicated snare drum track so the echo was a whole beat off (if you'll pardon the expression). Those 6 made the massive drum track first 6-mix (8/14/96). Eric brought home a borrowed Westbury bass, which I played for 2 tracks of bass (unlooped), one massively distorted with my trusty MXR distortion+ (8/18/96). A few nights later, I played my les paul for a few galvanizing, mesmerizing minutes, and doubled that track for the next 6-mix (8/23/96). That same night I did another les paul strummy track, and an excessively fuzzy and bassy les paul track doing a really good wild solo that I'm mixing low for the whole tune now. Instrumental? It's short enough! And pretty freakin awesome!!! Rockin. Then a little later, the lyrics overwhelmed me, poured into my journal this morning and tonight so I recorded four vocals, outa sight! (9/12/96). The first vocal is rapping, very close mike, hot signal, doubled. That finished a six-batch so I mixed down and added a doubled smooth, melodic main vocal for the choruses, then two harmonies. WOW!

I sometimes remember bits of these rappin' lyrics when improvising words. I get particularly amused with the "where ya taking that shower, where ya taking that shit" bit.

This was released on the album leave a trace in 1997.

Thanks for listening!

-Andy

overwhelmed

counting dogs, counting sheep
counting frogs in my sleep
feeling loose, feeling tight
in the groove and out of sight
turn around and turn me on
turn it up and get down
put the pedal to the metal
and get out of town

    feeling
    overwhelmed 
    got to get back
    on the ground
    moving
    too fast
    slow it up
    slow it down

you gonna do something 
or just talk about it
you gonna get to the point
or just walk around it
are you head over heels
or heels over head
you wanna do something
or just go to bed

get it on, get off
get into it
where ya taking that shower
where ya taking that shit
that's good, that's bad
way cool, really hot
that's cold as hell
that really hits the spot


lyrics by Andy Wyatt on 12 September 1996
music by Andy Wyatt 14 August - 12 September 1996
©1996 by Andy Wyatt