John Lyons on Radio Swiss Pop
On The Road (Lyons/Birri)
Recorded and mixed at Tonstudio Nagelfabrik
Soul of the Summer (Lyons/Birri)
Recorded and mixed at Tonstudio Nagelfabrik
Believe (Lyons/Pozzi)
Recorded at Hitmill Studio Zürich and Tonstudio Nagelfabrik mixed at Soundfarm
Waiting For You (Lyons)
Recorded at Tonstudio Nagelfabrik mixed at Soundfarm
Angel of the Avenue (Holler/Lyons)
John Lyons on Radio Swiss Jazz
Way down in the Hole (Tom Waits)
Recorded and mixed at Soundfarm
Sing me another Song (Lyons)
Recorded at Soundfarm and Tonstudio Nagelfabrik. Mixed at Soundfarm
John Lyons & Rolf Birri Songwriting/Recording Project (2017-2018)
It started with guitar lessons. Rolf Birri played guitar already since many years but in 2017 he decided to take guitar lessons with his neighbor/guitar teacher John Lyons. After a few lessons, it turned into songwriting and song coaching. Rolf had ideas for chord progressions and John developed these basic ideas and wrote additional melodies, harmonies and lyrics and finally arranged them into complete songs.
In summer 2017, John & Rolf went into Tonstudio Nagelfabrik, the vinatge recording studio owned John's bassist Felix Müller in Wetzikon, ZH. Felix Müller played the bass as well as engineered and mixed the 5 songs that John & Rolf wrote together. John called up drummer Peter Haas to play the drum parts. The project took about a week in the studio and 5 new songs were born into the world.
These 5 songs have been released as singles as independent on cdbaby.com
Soul of the Summer and On the Road are both on rotation on Radio Swiss Pop.
John & Rolf
On The Road
Soul of the Summer
Fix her broken Heart
Tenderness
The Flow
SING ME ANOTHER SONG (2013)
Another Wave
What I'm trying to say in this song is, don't take things too personally, because we are each so small in the greater view of this universe. There's many things that are beyond our control, we're just another wave on the ocean.
She'll Tell You No Lies
This song was written by Gabriel Sphani for my band. Thanks bro! I took his demo and rewrote some lyrics to make it more my style, but the basic things is all there still.
Believe
This is simply a song about hope. "Everything can get messed up, but as long as I got you - it's going to turn out ok."
Waiting For You
This song is about being in a reality of working a 9 to 5 job and not seeing a sense to life, except for chasing money, while wanting to play music and have money chase me.
Sing Me Another Song
I spent a few years of my life playing in various formations as a solo entertainer and in bands. I was often in bars, clubls, hotel lounges - and I saw a lot of what normally happens there. This song is a story about a nice looking woman at a bar, a guy who is attracted to her and tries to pick her up. or does she try to get picked up? ;-) hmmm...
Beautiful
Is a melancholic ballad about liking someone a lot but not feeling the comfort or courage to let them know how you really feel about them.
Helengeli
Helengeli is a tiny beautiful tropical island off the southern coast of India in the Maledives. I visited there with my lovely wife Daniela and my travel guitar in 2010, where I started coming up with the music for this. It's a beautiful guitar sound because it's an 'Open D' tuning on my Gibson J45R. I'm quite happy how the song ended up on the album, I really like the slide guitar sound in the heavy part of the song, I used an Omnicron micro fuzz pedal for that tone.
Under The Stars
I wrote this while my wife and kids were away in Italy for vacation. I decided to not join them that week so that I could work on this project. The song came out quick, and I think it's one of the most romantic beautiful 'love' songs that I have written. The bridge reminds me of the Beatles.
Dear James
This really happened to me. The real letter was ' Dear John', but I changed the line to 'Dear James'...just because...
The Blues Moved In
I wanted to write a funky blues in the style of Buddy Guy & Stevie Ray Vaughn - two of my influences - and this is what came out
Blink Of An Eye
This song just kind of happened. I was working on some song ideas in a complete other direction, then I grabbed my acoustic guitar and started playing...this. I worked n the words for 2 days and by the third day of recording demos, trying different things it was done. The vocal track and guitars were recorded in my house!
Bluestar Highway
A song about a road where i grew up in South Haven Michigan. Let's just say I was a bit wild and crazy back in my teenager years - and I feel lucky that I survived this road.
BUY THE ALBUM AS DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
Buy downloads of the album or individual tracks. Here's the link:
NATURAL BLUES (2007)
This was my first album, I recorded and mixed all the songs on my MacBook using Garageband. I rented an old hotel/restaurant in the countryside of Switzerland in Stein, AR for a week. That's when we tracked all the drums. I recorded guitars and vocals in my band room in Zürich. My band at the time was a trio, with me, Robert Oetiker on drums and Jürg Sidler on bass. Invited a few friends to join in on some songs. Christian Roffler played piano and hammond B3 on a few songs including 'Cry', 'Last Shirt', 'Natural Woman Blues' and 'Can't Sleep'. Pierroz Bolli played Saxophone on ' Lonely Fool' and ' Last Shirt', and Armin Kläy played harmonica on 'I need your lovin'.
My slow blues song 'Lonely Fool', from this album, has over 4 million views on YouTube since June 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjZzaTo-MYI&feature=youtu.be
SONGS
Natural Woman Blues
This is about how a sexy, confident woman makes a man feel.
Last Shirt
This is a fun song, Swing blues, get up and dance like you don't have a care in the world!
You can't take it with you when you die so might as well have some fun while you can.
Cry
This is a real blues. Slow, sad and emotional. That thing between a woman and a man.
Can't Sleep
Sleep problems. When you can't sleep because too much shit on your mind and you can't find a switch to turn it off.
I need your lovin'
Blues! Shuffle, inspired by my heros like SRV, Clapton, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf...
Ghosts
Is a melancholic ballad memories, drug addiction, feeling helpless.
Monkey Business
Funky blues, about being a cog in the machine, a monkey in the world of monkey business.
Mean Street
Down and dirty funky blues. Livin' on mean street.
Drive Baby Drive
All my troubles could just slip away if you would stay with me tonight...
Voodoo Preist
Swampy groove blues, happy and funky
Lonely Fool
She's just 18 years old She's ready to spread her wings and fly
And now she has to make a decision She got to choose one or the other guy
Lonely fool... Oh lonely fool she's gonna choose you
Don't matter who that girl gonna choose Some lonely boy is gonna have the blues
Work hard, make your money Go to work every day
You try do the right things, but it's so hard, All them problems get in the way
Lonely fool...Time gonna catch up to you
No matter which road you choose Oh Someday, I know you're gonna have the blues
(instrumental solo part)
One day you're gonna be sorry But it's gonna be too late
Your girl done walked out on you And your friends they all gone
Lonely fool, I know someday you gonna be cryin'
No matter which road you choose I know , I know someday you gonna be cryin' the blues yeahhhhh
You work hard for your money You try to do the right things but you still end up down Sometimes Life don't seem so fair Sometimes nobody cares
No matter what you do I think you gonna cry the blues
I Like It Like That
Fast rocking blues shuffle!