Light-n-easy, sunshine pop for today and tomorrow, for now and then.

9 MP3 Songs
EASY LISTENING: Soft Rock, POP: Folky Pop



Details:
Now and Then album notes:

"Now and Then" didn't start out to be a CD. I had been working on a few songs over the past 5 years - some new, some new arrangements of old songs. The only goal was to record a few songs, have some fun.

In September 2004, my good buddy and former house-mate Ed Call got married. At the wedding, I was chatting with Mike Brison, a long time friend of Ed's. Mike asked if he could have a copy of "I'm No Romeo" because he really thought that song was a hit. He said, "Include anything else you want on the CD, but get me a copy of 'Romeo'".

So, after returning home, the rusty gears in my head started creaking to life. Hmmm, I've got these five songs I've been working on, if I add "Romeo," that makes six. There are a couple of instrumental's that work nicely that I have in the can, and if I include "San Francisco" that makes a total of 9 songs - more than 30 minutes worth of music. That's enough for a record. Why not?! So the concept for the CD was born.

As I was assembling the songs, it occurred to me that this was a collection of songs over the span of my recording career ... songs from now and songs from then. What a great title for an album!

Shortly after, I received in the mail photos of me and Lisa taken at Ed's wedding. There was one of me playing "Perfect Day" on guitar for Ed and Yan. That was a perfect 'Now' picture. So now I needed a 'Then' picture. For my 50th birthday, my sister Joelle put together a poster board with pictures from my entire life. One of the pictures was a Polaroid taken in 1971 of me playing guitar in front of the piano at home - a fitting 'Then' picture if there ever was one.

And that's how it came together. I had a great time recording and assembling the music, designing the artwork and completing the CD. I hope you enjoy it!


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Jim Burque biography:

I've been playing and writing music for close to 40 years.
I started playing in a band with my brother Joe while I was in high school.
I started recording in the early 70's when I purchased a TEAC 3340 four track tape recorder - the first true home recording equipment.
I recorded an album in 1990 with Joe and our friend Tony Martinez under the moniker Duster Cat (Joe's idea, not mine).
I met Ed Call when he was working at the Sweetwater club in Redondo Beach. We did some recording sessions and I ended up joining the Marina Swingers - Ed's concept band. It is hard to describe or explain the Marina Swingers - a zany presentation of big band arrangements with synthesizers, guitars and drums; spoken word mixed with syncopated grooves; a wall of sound. Eventually, the Swingers were reduced down to Ed, me and occasionally Jacque DuLong in the recording studio. We recorded some very ambitious projects of which I am still proud to have been a part of: Repetition and Darkest night were the most significant. Both songs generated a little interest on KROQ radio in L.A. and were also aired on the Dr. Dimento radio program.
I did a little work in Community Theater doing sound reinforcement and design. One project I worked on was a production of Prelude to a Kiss with Claudia Weitsman and Jim Blikensderfer producing. I wrote "The Soul Behind Your Eyes" as the theme song for the show. I also wrote incidental music.
I moved to San Mateo in 1999 when I met Lisa, and I've continued writing and recording songs.

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Now and Then Song Info:

1. Solar NRG - Written on the train commuting from San Mateo to Santa Clara in 2001.
2. The Soul Behind Your Eyes - Written as the theme song for a community theater production of Prelude to a Kiss. Thanks to Claudia Weitsman and Jim Blikensderfer.
3. Changes - Originally from the mid 80's, updated here.
4. Perfect Day - A poem written for Lisa after our wedding in 2000!
5. Without You - "If you leave me now I'm no doubt through".
6. San Francisco - My first song for Lisa when we were dating long distance in 1999.
7. Manuella - A street in Woodside. My version of Michelle, Ma Belle.
8. Now and Then - Another Caltrain commute song, this one impressed my Dad.
9. I'm No Romeo - Written in 1982. This song was recorded in Mike Cox's garage on his TEAC 4 track machine with Mike on drums, Scott Kimber on bass, my brother Joe on guitar, me on piano, and everyone on vocals.