Eric Kinkel
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Eric Kinkel, Musioc News & Updates, Catherine Bachner Lucchesi

Eric Kinkel, Lynn Trautmann LT photo, Sue Gustafson Vernon Hills IL, Catherine B Lucchesi Colorado Springs CO

Eric Kinkel, Catherine Bacchner Lucchesi, Cathy Bachner Lucchesi Glen Ellyn IStephanie Jarzembowski Elk Grove IL, Catherine B Lucchesi Colorado Springs CO


As of this writing February 11th 2021,  I am in the midst of a myriad of  personal health issues to which I am seeking remedies for. After my PONS Stroke in 2018, things have changed quite dramatically for me. Since then I've managed to record  nine songs, six of which are original songs written and recorded by myself with the abundant  assistance from Gary Linger and Ken Pfeil, co-producing 5 of 9 songs as follows: 'For My Lady' (Moody Blues cover), 'Watching Clouds' (EK) 'We Are Even' (EK) Goldmoor's View" (EK) 'Tracez' (EK)  'Nothing's Wrong Song' (EK) 'I Brought my father with me' ( Michael Peter Smith) 'My Old Man' ( Steve Goodman) and my own arrangement of our National Anthem 'The Star Spangled Banner'. Both copy songs be previewed here on SoundCloud Also, available are  all the EK original songs mentioned below that are available for MP3 download purchases for .99 ea  --- Amazon.com

Song Graphic & Credits
 
Back stories & Song info preview/purchase links
 
Latest Recording News Back stories & Song info on the Latest recording project (s)

Current work in progress


 

 In Mid 2023, after two  arduous Cleveland clinic visits to restore my health and especially my voice, to no avail I've been left without the ability to speak intelligibly as I've had 2 small blood vessel stroke. Not your garden variety strokes that most people think they can relate to, or can say I know someone who had a stroke and you'll get over it. These strokes  took away my voice, my bladder function, my eyelids blink uncontrollably, severe foot neuropathy and feeling as if I'm in a haze along with a wobbly gait, all this has caused me great distress. One neurosurgeon I saw at the CC said I have the brain of a 70-80 YO man. But, my musical abilities are still intact with some deficiencies here and there which I plan   on working around.

 I can however make guttural sounds, like a grunt. So, after watching Nikki Glaser comedy sketch about how we were all conceived by a guy ( your father ) who eventually made a 'grunt' and that's why your here, I about cracked up. So, I came up with a heavy metal guitar riff idea that blends sounds of Brian May, Alex Lifeson and myself together, along with  guttural 'grunt' sound after each riff thus an instrumental tune was born.

Its still a work in progress because I've never attempted such an overdriven guitar lick song before, I'll be working on perfecting the birth of the ideas swirling in my head. Then my recording studio computer went  down and we're in the process of getting it back up  and running. Once we do I should be able to start recording this beast of a song unlike anything I've ever recorded.

I'm fairly certain  some folks will not like heavy driven lick song, but I still march to my own drum, so, it will be what it will be a true expression of angst, frustration and pure unadulterated uninhibitedness that will reflect a heavy handed pronouncement of my exasperation and disappointment in the doctoring I've been subjected to everywhere I've gone.

When 'Conception Grunt' is  complete you  will know, and feel the impressions I feel in my journey through loosing my ability to speak or sing.


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Ethereal Instrumental
    In late 2020, I began writing a pseudo classical piano piece. Over the years as my neurological health has declined leaving me more disabled than I ever thought, especially my inability to speak, or sing,  has caused me to keep my music alive by writing instrumentals.  Placing the words in my head, that I can't sing, with melody and structures of music in the arrangements that fulfill my inner most feelings. 

Since I can't speak or sing and since I've moved into a new home,  I'm only somewhat settled into house,  I've been spending more time on my piano, this song in particular ...and unfortunately not my guitars so much, because of a torn rotator cuff in my right shoulder - my picking and strumming arm.

 
This classically motivated instrumental I've been working on since 2020 is called 'Elizabeth's Sigh' an 'ode to a musician I have been uniquely enamored with over the years for her beautiful songs and their unique arrangements, Beth Nielsen Chapman  Her songs dig deep and touch me like no others, especially her piano arrangements.  I anticipate recording this short instrumental gem soon in my new home studio. I will preview its beauty when I've achieved what I set out to present as the very best interpretation of the feelings from my heart through my hands

As the song has progressed and the basic tracks have already been  recorded, the song has morphed into a variety of sounds using my piano and synthesizers. ES, is now a heavy melody Vangelis-like tune with  the emphasis on the primary melody being carried by a Theremin-like sound along with other
added special FX  to bring this instrumental into an entirely different realm then most would expect from me.

Don't be surprised when you hear it, because its very much out of the the usual character my  music, rock, blues, country and ballads. ES, is more ethereal and heavy on piano and synthesizers.

I pride myself on experimenting with different pathways of sound, melody and FX that enhance the PM ( Primary melody ) and the surrounding arrangement in a complimentary way. Being careful not to over do anything to much. I am hopeful to complete and release this tune in the couple of weeks or so.

Stay tuned For 'Elizabeth's Sigh '  By Eric Kinkel, engineered, recorded and  co-produced by Gary Lingner.  I am playing all the instruments, and sound FX heard in this  arm hair raising instrumental.

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Catherine B Lucchessi, Sue Gustafson Vernon Hills, Lynn Trautmann LT Photo
( Country - Swing Single )
© 2021

Click here to preview my latest Country Swing Single  on Sound Cloud for Free

Click here to preview Autumnal Way
on You Tube

Purchase
Autumnal Way
directly from me for .99 cents using my Pay Pal me account here:
Click here to purchase using Pay Pal, please provide an email address for me to send the
 MP3  to you



Click here to buy
Autumnal Way
MP3  on Amazon Music

Click here  to buy Autumnal Way
 MP3 on  Apple iTunes
Meet 'Autumnal Way' written in October 1998 by Eric Kinkel  born and recorded in November 2021.

A seasonal song  that both celebrates and romanticizes Autumn. The songs lyrics both captures and embraces  the wondrous season of Autumn. This catchy country-swing tune I wrote is chalk full of snappy hooks and riffs and picturesque lyrics which draw you in to a time of the year we all can visually and audibly take in a full range of the senses you can  derive from this pre-winter season.

A fictionally romantic song about leaves turning golden brown, the smell of pine scented air, taking  walks with your loved one  feeling their warm embrace on a cool afternoon. AW wraps up allot of emotions all into one boot scootin chorus / rhythm. It is loosely based on several romantic interludes with past GFs, where we would make annual drives every year, here in the Chicago land area  on the  north shore area on Sheridan road/Lake Shore Drive cruise's we would  traverse through the winding shoreline roads past an array of colorful trees and falling leaves, smoke scented air and romantic lunch and dinner stops , or occasional stops with walks along a lakeside  park that screamed come walk our trails and kiss, all  along the way.
 

Song Credits:

Eric Kinkel  -  Songwriter and arranger, Acoustic guitar, Vocals, Bass guitar

Angela Martin Licari  on Violin

Rich Koc on Pedal Steel

Ken Pfeil:  Electric Guitar solo, electronic drums, recording effects

Recorded, co-produced and mixed by Gary Lingner
 
Enjoy this new gem.

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Paradise On earth by Eric Kinkel, Mary Lai, Catherine Bachner Lucchesi
(Contemporary Folk/Rock)
© 2021


Click here to preview my latest contemporary Rock Ballad single featuring McHenry County's very own Mary Lai on Sound Cloud for Free

Click here to preview  Paradise On Earth on You Tube

Purchase directly from me for .99 cents using my Pay Pal me account here:
Click here to purchase POE using Pay Pal


Click here to buy
Paradise On Earth
MP3  on Amazon Music

Click here  to buy Paradise On Earth MP3
on  Apple iTunes


 'Paradise On Earth ' is officially complete and available to preview on Sound Cloud here:
https://soundcloud.com/.../paradise-on-earth-by-eric-kinkel

I wrote this song, according to the original lyric sheet  I wrote dated 5/11/78

Gary and I originally recorded this song back in the late 1978 yet, I was never truly satisfied with the way it came out, plus, my voice was a bit screechy back then. In mid-2021 I had the chance to re-birth this gem into full blossom, the way it was intended to be recorded and produced. Thank you to digital technology and new instruments I have in my pocession, instruments didn't have back then. Between a new perspective and digital recording tools that Gary and Ken assisted me with I  finally completed this remarkable and unusual song  about a fictional couple who spends a romantic time in a forest. I, along with Ken Pfeil and Gary Lingner we managed to record  58 total tracks beginning with  my signature double tracked acoustic guitar's sound along with piano, synthesizers, bass, sound effects multiple vocals and a new female vocal accompaniment by McHenry County's finest solo female vocalist Mary Lai who helped me build a choir-like effect during the POE refrains.  With the help of Gary Lingner together we created what I call the Mary & Eric  POE choir during the chorus adding piano synthesizer harp trills to effect a Paradise like sound.
Thank you Gary & Mary  


POE, is a romantic fictional lyric about a couple who takes a fore into a pine needle forest with a natural stream running through it. Together, they  experience all the wonders of the nature around them only to realize that their togetherness, along with the forest, has helped them create their own 'Paradise On Earth' The lyrics and instruments are all poised to build up into a grand finale of a choruses built into the song.

This 2021 production would not how been possible without the generous support from recording engineer 's Gary Lingner and Ken Pfeil. Ken  recorded my signature double tracked acoustic guitars and my original vocal....5 takes altogether, Ken also used his advanced recording engineer trickery to alter the vocal where it fell short by my vocal weakness due to the PONS stroke I suffered 2 years ago. Ken went on to also digitally record the drum tracks and bass line. Ken wrote and recorded  the masterful guitar solo heard in the after the second verse of the song. Thank you Ken Pfeil.

Gary Lingner recorded everything else, all of my keyboards, synthesizers, special effects ASMR ( Silence, Echoes  whispers...Gary's voice ) and beyond...he masterfully recorded while applying his deeply rooted magic fingers to the song and his stalwart patience is gratefully heard throughout the entire song. Gary also mastered the final mix like a fine-eared comb.

 

Song Credits:

Eric Kinkel  -  Songwriter and arranger, Acoustic guitar, Vocals

Ken Pfeil:  Electric Guitar solo, electronic drums, Bass

Recorded, co-produced, sound effects, and mixed by Gary Lingner
 
Enjoy this new gem

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Eric Kinkel, Watching Clouds, Catherine Bachner Lucchesi Glen Ellyn IL


'Watching Clouds' By Eric Kinkel
© 2019
(Contemporary Folk/Rock - Instrumental)

Eric Kinkel: Acoustic Guitars, Bass, Keyboard synthesizers, opening Narration
Susan Siciliano - Flute
Engineered and recorded by Gary Lingner


 

'Watching Clouds' is the primary track on a two song CD  I produced in 2019 less than a year after after I suffered a PONS stroke (brain stem small blood vessel blockage)
'Watching Clouds' is a 6:32  Contemporary Folk/Rock - Instrumental, that I had been working on periodically over the period of 3-4 decades. I relished the idea of completing this instrumental that actually began original had lyrics, in the early 80s after a series of writers blocks I submitted  to  transforming it into a full out instrumental, without lyrics. Over the years this tune morphed into a multiplicity of ideas which I carefully kept in my head and often rehashed it when I would practice, it actually became a part of my practice routines. During those practice routines I would experiment with different chords, rhythms and change ups that eventually took hold. This tune's  original title was: 'The wind had swept my eye closed' As the years rolled bye I decided to make it an instrumental leaning heavy on the primary melody and away from trying to finish a lyric....that idea stopped dead in it's tracks. I later decided that primary melody should be carried by flute ( that ideat stuck firmly in my head for years) By the time I got around to recording  'Watching Clouds' in August of 2019 it became apparent this was going to be masterpiece of carefully arranged parts I had cultivated over the years.

I struggled with the final l title for a while bouncing ideas off my friend Gary multiple times until I( we ) landed on 'Watching Clouds' as a fine description of the instrumentals 'feel' I began to think the tune and its presentation reminded me of such an observation. Then in a moment of clarity I decided to write a short poem to open up the song, dropping the pitch of my voice digitally because my Dysphasia ( difficult speech ) was so bad at the time it was  hard for me to speak or, understand what I was saying. Gary and I carefully planned out the beginning to create an audio imagery of  clouds rolling by with deep synthesizer sounds and  birds chirping ( for outside effect ) combined  with ambient  sounds I found on the internet. Together we produced  the into that creates a powerful beginning. During the intro poem I spoke the line 'I can feel her breathe upon my brow' eluding to the songs initial lyrics. I finally found a brilliant flautist: Susan Siciliano to play the ever jubilant and sometimes eerie melody. We worked  every weekend  on 'Watching Clouds'  for weeks to come. I proceeded to record my signature double tracked acoustic guitars. I also used a rarely used instrument, a 6 string Fender bass VI pictured  in this column Eric Kinkel, Watching Clouds Squier VI, Sue Gustafson Vernon Hills ILI also created a  soaring Les Paul guitar lead solo, double tracking solo in the last quarter of the song. That solo was actually a melody in my head from a jam session I had with fellow friend and roommate Mike Kennedy at Gary's house back in the late 70s. As Mike jammed out 3 chords E, B A, I began singing:' I own a blue velvet sea....' a melody which stayed with through the years. So, I applied that melody to the guitar solo and variated it  to become the soaring lead solo in 'Watching Clouds'...this is how the winds of creativity follow after science experiments a tin foil hat factory in our  heads ( Gary & I )....LOLEric Kinkel, Watching Clouds, Epi- Les Paul Red Wine Florentine, Sue Gustafson Vernon Hills IL Later I added some strings and synthesizer sounds to give the tune a kind of majestic feel.

The bonus track on the CD is my rendition the Moody Blues Classic 'For My Lady'  performed by  yours truly, Susan Siciliano on Flute,
Dan Fearn on guitar/Mellotron and Dean Milano on Bass Fiddle. The song was actually  a rehearsal recording which I felt was properly mixed and presented by Dan Fearn at his house. I added the recording to my 'Watching Clouds' CD to make it a dual song CD instead of a single tune CD.

Click here to preview 'Watching Clouds' on YouTube

Click here to purchase 'Watching Clouds' on Amazon.com for .99 per MP3 download

Song Credits are:

Eric Kinkel - Acoustic Guitars, Bass, Keyboard synthesizers, opening Narration

Susan Siciliano - Flute

Engineered, co-produced and recorded by  Gary Lingner

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Eric Kinkel,  We Are Even, Toni Church Mt. Prospect IL

We  Are Even By Eric Kinkel
© 2019
(Contemporary Emotional Blallad)

Eric Kinkel: Acoustic guitar, Keyboard cellos, synthesizer

Eric Kinkel: Acoustic Guitars, Bass, Keyboard synthesizers, opening Narration
Susan Siciliano - Flute
Engineered and recorded by
Gary Lingner
 



This song  'We Are Even' was written after a brief affair with a young lady named Toni C. during the early eighties. I was 20 something  years old. After our first night together, I thought it was going to be a  'one night stand' I later realized we would spend more time together then I originally thought. Toni was my room mates girlfriend's best friend at the time, so, she was around allot.

That night, when she left in her friends car and they drove away, I picked up my guitar and began writing this song. I was filled with a sense of unrequited love and also a feeling of an unusual sense of balance. As, is turned out we saw each other for quite some time afterwards. I never shared the song with her because I didn't want her to hear the lyrics refrains eluding to a melancholy interpretation of our first night together which prevails throughout the song. I don't know what ever happened to her as she moved out of our apartment building, at the time she lived in the apartment above my room mate and I with her mother. I wrote the last verse years later  as a retrospect on what might happen if we ever crossed paths again, 'our souls will remember our union that night long ago'...and more.

I did perform this song once, live in concert in 1997, at the first of 3 benefit concerts I performed for my late sister Dr. Linda Kinkel with Angela Martin Licari on violin and Al Ehrich on Cello. I wrote a counter melody for the violin and cello. When I recorded it in 2019  I decided to take a crack at recording the cello part myself on my Medeli 88 key digital keyboard which has a very  nice sampled cello sound onboard.

This song is a very emotionally charged melancholy song  in every sense. It's how I roll, I write what I feel, and I feel when I write.

Click here to preview 'We Are Even' on YouTube

Click here to purchase 'We Are Even' on Amazon.com for .99 per MP3 download

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Eric Kinkel, Goldmoor's View, Sue Gustafson Vernon Hills IL

'Goldmoor's View' By Eric Kinkel
© 2020

(Contemporary Folk/Rock - Instrumental)

Eric Kinkel: Acoustic Guitars, Synthesizers, sound effects, vocal enhancements

Ken Pfeil: Acoustic Guitar's, Electric guitars co-producer

Engineered and recorded by
Gary Lingner & Ken Pfeil
 



'Goldmoor's View' was written in the spring of 2020. A conglomeration of finger picking licks I had amassed over the years. I managed to arrange those licks into a formatted instrumental. My friend and guitar player virtuoso Ken Pfeil assisted me with filling in the cracks  where my ideas fell short.

I spent quite a bit of time formulating this arrangement utilizing my unique and intricate finger picking style, which ultimately combined with Ken Pfeil's unique guitar leads brings together an instrumental tune unlike any other. We managed to pull off a successful arrangement that satisfies the tunes pseudo-romantic scenic profiles which I intended to portray through this audio recording.

Its was fun recording the months long unnamed  tune. When it came time to give it a title I came upon with 'Goldmoor's View' as a retrospect from a visit I made years ago to a popular romantic getaway in the Galena  Illinois with Sue G. along the Mississippi river. The Goldmoor  Inn is a castle-like get away nestled on a hillside overlooking the mighty Mississippi.  'Goldmoor's View'  is reminiscent of the many scenic views and nature surrounding the Inn and the territory. We added sound effects such as winds blowing  and eagles flapping wings  and screeching through the valley, as they represent the scenic nature of the Mississippi Valley area around the Goldmoor Inn's grounds and beyond

I long to return to the Inn in the coming years, or sooner if I am able. This song along with many others, will always remain a backdrop for the glorious wonders of this  romantically scenic  Galena territory Inn. I highly recommend visiting this super romantic get away. Goldmoor Inn

Click here to preview 'Goldmoor's View' on YouTube

Click here to purchase 'Goldmoor's View' on Amazon.com for .99 per MP3 download


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Eric Kinkel,  Tracez, Tracey Wierman Hair Design
Tracez By Eric Kinkel
© 2020

(Hard rock - single)

Eric Kinkel: Vocals, Piano, synthesizers, Rhythm guitar
Ken Pfeil: Electric guitars, lead guitars
Background vocals, digitally applied drum tracks

 Engineered and recorded by
Gary Lingner & Ken Pfeil


Her name was Tracy B. we were young, active and moved in different ways. Yet,  I still managed to fall head over heels in love with her. I wrote 'Tracez' while I was still living at home and plucking out tunes on my parents piano. I recall pining over Tracey when I began to have reoccurring dreams of her returning into my life. So, I wrote about it, that's what musicians do, we observe, we feel and then sometimes, if the mood strikes us right, or the moon is is just right, we  write about it. This solid rock beat song truly exemplifies the relentless feelings that came over me in the days after our parting. Oddly, at two points after we parted  Tracey tried fixing me up with two other friends of hers, Denise P and Jean ?.

Nothing ever came of either of those fix ups, even though I gave them my undivided attention while trying to grasp whether there was any true feelings going on or with them or,  whether there were no feelings other than being pushed together by my ex. My lyrics finally captured the very angst I was feeling at the time. I was Twenty something years old, it was easy to write songs back then, the adventure and hormone induced attractions ran  rampant and wild. I captured all of my feelings quite perfectly in the lyrics of this song. Thanks to Ken Pfeil for the digital drum track, super hot guitar sounds and dueling  lead guitar solo's. Ken also laid down a super all over the neck bass line that aims straight to the heart of the rock rhythm section  making 'Tracez' a full out rock beat  song. Gary managed to truly capture my piano, orchestral strings and vocals amid my dysphasia ( difficult speech) left over from my PONS stroke 2 years earlier. Altogether, we managed to bring back an old song, that never got recorded, I used to sing 'Tracez' while in our hard rock 80s band called Lost Nation. Its was a favorite of our fans, friends and band mates as well. Since Ken was the lead guitarist for Lost Nation he still recalled the song and I believe that familiarity made it that much easier for him to apply all the new licks and technology we didn't have back then to this old gem of an original EK rock song single written on my parents home piano.


Click here to preview
on YouTube 'Tracez'

Click here to purchase 'Tracez' on Amazon.com for .99 per MP3 download


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Eric Kinkel, Donna Adler, Lynn Trautmann LT Photo

Nothing's Wrong Song By Eric Kinkel
© 2020

( Country)

Eric Kinkel, Vocals, Acoustic guitars Bass

Donna Adler: Duet Harmony track

Ken Pfeil: Co-producer, Digitally applied drum track

Engineered and recorded by
Gary Lingner & Ken Pfeil
 


Towards the end of the summer 2020, I dug up another gem from my deeply cherished treasure chest of songs, this time it was an old country song I wrote when I was fawningly in love...again...LOL
m

Her name was Lynn C.  If ever there was a time  to use the saying 'opposites attract'  this relationship surely was the embodiment of that phrase. When opposites attract if not careful to maneuver it is bound to crash. We did manage to get an apartment together, we co-existed for about a 2-3 years before we mutually agreed upon a split.

However, in the early days of the relationship that was set up by a close friend Terri D. we ensued clinging to each others youthful lust, and everything that a dating relationship would go through before arriving at a steady love beat. We felt like we were in love, so, I wrote about it in  this song, again I was twenty something years old looking for a relationship I could live with. Previously, I had a roommate named Mike who helped me get out of my parents home, as he needed help paying his rent, he knew I was looking to get out from under my parents thumb. Therefore, I split an apartment with Mike for approximately 4-5 years before I met Lynn, at which time Mike and I came to an impasse when our lease came up. I wanted to get an apartment with Lynn and move on. My room mate Mike wasn't  to happy about the split, but knowing that Lynn and I could forge ahead gave me  high hopes I could finally co-exist with a woman in a meaningful relationship without the uncomfortable circumstances of a room mate who also had a GF of his own. BTW, Lynn and Mike's GF did not get along. That helped forge the split with my room mate, and Lynn and I could move in together in a place of our own.

Oddly, I don't ever remember Lynn  liking  this song after I played it for her in the early days, though most women  would probably find it an enchanting and romantically  moving song to be the subject of such a re3arkablew song...at last that is my opinion. So, years later I played 'Nothing's Wrong Song' with some bluegrass folks I used to jam with up in Libertyville IL.and they absolutely loved the song, in fact Charlie and Carol Lie got married shortly after we rehearsed the song. We performed it several times at  some gigs we got. As  the years rolled on, I managed to hang onto an old cassette tape that our soundman Billy D. recorded during a rehearsal. It was that old cassette tape which I later digitally transferred to an MP3 and re-listened  to in 2020, that got me to thinking I should get moving on properly recording this gem of song the way it was meant to sound, as I envisioned it when I wrote it.

So, this past late summer, early fall 2020 Gary and I began working on recording the basic tracks. The original bluegrass group had a female singer who sang a duet harmony with me on that early cassette tape. So, I sought out a  new female duet singer as I lost touch with Carol Lea who sang on the original. Eventually I  I found Chicago's very own Dona Adler. Her voicing's matched exactly what I was seeking for this romantic country song harmony refrains and BG vox.

I laid down the acoustic guitar  the bass track and finally my vocal, then Ken Pfeil added some electric guitar and a nicely formulated country guitar sound solo. Ken also added a  digitally created Nashville drum kit to the recording. Between Gary, Ken, Donna  and I we managed a nice over all country touch to this song. Its now a contemporary country song rather than an old cassette tape laying around.   Again, I successfully resurrected another gem from my cherished treasure chest of songs. I present to you: 'Nothing's Wrong Song'

Click here to preview 'Nothing's Wrong Song' on YouTube


Click here to purchase 'Nothing's Wrong Song' on Amazon.com for .99 per MP3

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Copy Songs
 
 Eric Kinkel, I brought my father with me, Michael Peter Smith, Lynn Trautmann LT photo
Eric Kinkel's rendition of
'I Brought my father With Me'
By the late Michael Peter Smith

(Ballad)

Eric Kinkel: Vocals, Acoustic Guitars, Synthesizer cello, Synthesizer accordion

Engineered and recorded by
Gary Lingner

Recorded in October 2020
 

In early October 2020 I began thinking of something nice to do for my father's upcoming 94th birthday on October 28th.  Father said he didn't want anything for his birthday, and that just didn't set right with me, after all he's done to raise me.

So, I came up with the idea to record a couple of 'Father/Dad' songs  by  I had known for years how play rather proficiently. These are songs I had previously never performed in concert or out in the clubs. Over the year's I always interned on squeezing these 2 song's in my sets somewhere along the, and yet I was remiss in doing so.

I went to my friend Gary's home studio and asked if I could lay down these tracks for my father, and  take a simple approach...no, real over producing or added instruments other than vocals, acoustic guitars and maybe a synthesizer track or two, here and there.

Prepared as I was over the years, I took to the mic's and projected all the feelings and sympathetic emotions I  shared with the original writers of these songs. In this case I chose 'I Brought My father With me' by the late Michael Peter Smith. If you're a fan of mine and maybe you attended any of my benefit concert's for my late sister, you probably heard Michael Peter Smith songs that I performed, in addition to that Michael was my special guest performer at my first benefit Micahel Smith, Eric Kinkel's Benefit Concert 1997concert in 1997 at The Schaumburg Prairie Center For The Arts. Also, to note, Michael wrote infamous classic 'The Dutchman' which I recorded on my first album 'A Long Time Away' in 1988.  In the years to come I learned  allot from him, performance demeanor, finger picking styles, song creating and arranging, story telling lyrics etc... 'The Dutchman' was a  fine example.

Years later Michael recorded a song about his father, log after his father passed on. The song remains an emotionally charged lyrically poignant story song that reveals the powerful connection that often exists between a father and son throughout the many stages of life.

I chose to record a simple acoustic guitar track on my Martin 00X1 concert model guitar. It didn't take long to dig deep into this well rehearsed and certainly well crafted song by on of the most prolific song writers from the Midwest to ever grace the stage. I was deeply honored to have the opportunity to not just perform this song for a crowd at a concert but, this was an opportunity to record it, and feel my way through it in my own unique way.

I not only recorded my acoustic guitar and vocal track but I also added some cello and according using my Medeli 88 key digital piano. This recording is far from perfect, but, it is filled with my personal emotions and personal  insEric Kinke'sl Martin 00X1 Acouistic guitar, I Brought My Father With Me, Michael Peter Smith, Catherine Bachgner Lucchesi Glen Ellyn ILtrumental techniques that vary somewhat from MPS original recordings. 

Because of Covid, I had to postpone playing the song for my father on a boom box since Dad lives in an assisted living facility.  My father is NOT a musical person, he really never was, but, I think at 94 he catches glimpses of my talent in a rather trivial way.  Somewhere deep down , I know he understands my sincerity in all I do musically. I have a multiplicity of talent my father  has always been ignorant of. Its just the way he is...always has been. I accept it for what it is.

Click the link below this line to preview  'I Brought My father With Me' on SoundCloud a free listening platform.

Click here to preview
'I Brought my father With Me'  on SoundCloud



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 Eric Kinkel, I brought my father with me, Steve Goodman, Lynn Trautmann LT photo
Eric Kinkel's rendition of
'My Old Man'
By the late Steve Goodman

(Ballad)


Eric Kinkel: Vocals, Acoustic Guitars, Synthesizer cello

Engineered and recorded by
Gary Lingner

Recorded in October 2020

Harkening back to my father's 94th birthday again, I took the opportunity to record o another 'Dad' song for my fathers pending birthday  near the end of October 2020.

I carefully chose the late Steve Goodman's 'My Old Man' again, I kept it simple: acoustic guitars, vocals, and some cellos, putting my unique EK touch on this famed Goodman classic tear jerker and poignant lyrics about his 'old man' long after he'd passed away.

Like the song above
'I Brought My father With me', I carefully recorded and presented both of these songs to my  father.

As mentioned in the back-story about 'I Brought My father With Me' I had to postpone my presentation of these recordings to my father, because of Covid, I presented the songs  together  for my father on a nice Sony boom box. Snce Dad lives in an assisted living facility, there was no other way.  My father is NOT a musical person, he really never was, but, I think at 94 he catches glimpses of my talent in a rather trivial way.  Somewhere deep down, I know he understands my sincerity in all I do musically. I have a multiplicity of talents my father  has always been ignorant of. Its just the way he is...an always has been.
I accept it for what it is.


To preview  my version of Steve Goodman's 'My Old Man' click the link below to hear it on Sound Cloud for free.

Click here to preview 'I Brought my father With Me'  on SoundCloud





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Eric Kinkel sing The Star Spangled Banner, Tracey Wierman

Eric Kinkel's rendition of
Our National Anthem'
'The Star Spangled Banner'

(EK Arrangement)

Engineered and recorded by
Gary Lingner

By Francis Scott Key (1814)
Recorded by EK in October 2020
 


 


Back in 2003, I was messing around with our National Anthem The 'Star Spangled Banner' on my acoustic guitar. I wanted to do something different after hearing Tommy shaw do an acoustic guitar version of it at Wrigley Field. In that same period of time, a local DJ Steve Dahl had been playing Marvin Gaye's soulful version that got recorded off a TV telecast of a basket ball game. I think it was in Chicago...but, I can't be certain. Here is a link to the Marvin Gaye version So, after carefully studying both versions, then I began pulling bits and pieces of both versions together on my acoustic guitar, starting out real slowly like Marvin Gaye, eventually I picked up the speed as Tommy Shaw's version exemplified so acoustically brilliant. I began fooling around with different chord changes that were unlike any other heard in this Nationally treasured song. When I came upon some delightful sounds that were unique to me...it just felt right, and unique.

Then I began arranging the guitar and vocals to blend what I thought was more or less an unorthodox representation  and emblematic of my individualism as a song writer and arranger.  I managed to fulfill my hearts desire to put forth my own rendition of our infamous National Anthem. Then in 2004 I was asked to be a guest on a local Comcast TV show called Community Connections where I got the chance to perform it in their TV studio to be be taped and aired multiple times in the weeks to follow. After the initial taping the entire production staff and hosts in the control room got up and gave me a standing ovation, there was even a guest in the studio at the time Senator Dick Durbin (D) Illinois, he too witnessed the taping, he was in the control room at the same time everyone was standing up and applauding me for the powerful performance. I was shocked and my heart was filled with pride for having out performed myself, since I was in a perfect setting for finally giving the song a well deserved attention.

Afterwards, I began singing  it at charily events and fundraisers etc... I must confess I really enjoy bellowing out this particular self arranged rendition.  It is a source of incomparable pride and joy.

As the years rolled by, I eventually forgot about this arrangement and it fell by the ways side. So, in September of 2020 I decided to actually to create a broader and more expansive arrangement in the studio, and this time record my arrangement as I always saw fit.

I planned a trip to my friend Gary's home studio where we spent the better part of 3-4 days working on this new brass and strings intro arrangement I put together keeping John Phillips Souza firmly in mind, giving the intro more of a strings and brass combinations marching band style opening using my Medeli 88 key Piano...pictured here.Eric Kinkel, Medeli 88 key digital paino, Star Spangled Banner After we mixed the song and finely tuned it to our satisfaction. I decided to do a video of the SSB. So, I called a videographer I knew named Lindsey Holton of Downtown Media works in Arlington Heights.  Covid 19 was still a major issue, and, her formal  brick and mortar studio had been ravaged by fire, so, we couldn't film indoors at all. Gratefully, she agreed to film it with the exception that we do the video outdoors, since the weather was still clement. I then scouted out a nice open area of a local forest preserve I knew was often vacant or had few, or occasional visitors.

The video was a success.

Eric Kinkel, Star Spangled Banner, Sue Gustafson Vernon Hills IL, Jayme Winkhardt Elk Grove IL, Stephanie Jarzembowski Elk Grove IL, Catherine Bachner Lucchesi Glen Ellyn IL

Click here to preview 'Star Spangled Banner' on YouTube

Click here to preview 'Star Spangled Banner' on my website



 

Wolf

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