Chords for Todd Rundgren on Working with Laura Nyro | Red Bull Music Academy
Tempo:
124.6 bpm
Chords used:
Bb
B
A
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[Bb] Well, you were playing Laura Nero earlier in the day.
Laura Nero, who's a big songwriting influence on me.
And the thing that really tipped it, you know, I was interested in what she was doing.
I liked her songwriting, but she put in an album called Eli and the Thirteenth Confession.
And it just blew everybody's mind.
Everybody's mind.
It blew my mind, but it blew everybody's mind.
That a girl this young was singing with this much soul, and the songwriting was hers.
It wasn't like anybody else's songwriting.
And as it turned out, I met her at the time, because I was such a fan.
I arranged a meeting.
I went to her apartment.
And she turned out to be, like, her pictures on her albums were very romantic looking,
but she turned out to be like a very large gypsy.
And her fingernails were so long that they curled over.
And when she played the piano, they clattered on the keys the whole time.
I couldn't figure out how they managed to record her without it becoming part of the record, you know.
But I learned from her that she hated the process of making Eli and the Thirteenth Confession.
She felt rushed.
She felt like, you know, things didn't get done the way that she wanted them done.
Here was a record that blew everybody's mind, and she hated the experience of making it.
And that was a big lesson for me.
I realized that how much you enjoy yourself in the studio isn't necessarily a measure of progress
or the quality of the final product.
That sometimes someone has to drive you to the edge before that kind of tension and immediacy and urgency in the performance comes out.
You know, when someone tells you, well, we've got to finish this up in an hour because this is a union session and everybody's leaving.
You're feeling pressured.
You're feeling pressured.
But that pressure is what's making it more resemble a live performance.
Because I worked with Laura Nero later.
She was doing a record called Mother Spiritual, and she had built a studio in her own house in Connecticut.
And she'd been working on it for a year and making no progress, nothing happening.
And I went there to try and just help her get going, you know, to get the project started.
And we did manage to get the project started.
But a typical session would be like, just finished take 23.
And she said, that was a nice one.
Let's do another.
And by the time she's done, she's got 35 takes of a song and then has to figure out which one to use.
And quite obviously, it's like she doesn't even know.
She doesn't even know when it's working or not.
That's a nice one.
Let's do another.
That's a nice one.
Let's do another.
That's a nice one.
Let's do another.
I'll figure it out later.
That makes absolutely no sense.
I wanted to strangle her.
And maybe that would have made something happen.
But, you know, I love Laura.
And, you know, it was kind of a shame that she never got all the recognition that she probably should have gotten.
There's just a whole generation of songwriters who will tell you that that was a really influential record.
[B]
Laura Nero, who's a big songwriting influence on me.
And the thing that really tipped it, you know, I was interested in what she was doing.
I liked her songwriting, but she put in an album called Eli and the Thirteenth Confession.
And it just blew everybody's mind.
Everybody's mind.
It blew my mind, but it blew everybody's mind.
That a girl this young was singing with this much soul, and the songwriting was hers.
It wasn't like anybody else's songwriting.
And as it turned out, I met her at the time, because I was such a fan.
I arranged a meeting.
I went to her apartment.
And she turned out to be, like, her pictures on her albums were very romantic looking,
but she turned out to be like a very large gypsy.
And her fingernails were so long that they curled over.
And when she played the piano, they clattered on the keys the whole time.
I couldn't figure out how they managed to record her without it becoming part of the record, you know.
But I learned from her that she hated the process of making Eli and the Thirteenth Confession.
She felt rushed.
She felt like, you know, things didn't get done the way that she wanted them done.
Here was a record that blew everybody's mind, and she hated the experience of making it.
And that was a big lesson for me.
I realized that how much you enjoy yourself in the studio isn't necessarily a measure of progress
or the quality of the final product.
That sometimes someone has to drive you to the edge before that kind of tension and immediacy and urgency in the performance comes out.
You know, when someone tells you, well, we've got to finish this up in an hour because this is a union session and everybody's leaving.
You're feeling pressured.
You're feeling pressured.
But that pressure is what's making it more resemble a live performance.
Because I worked with Laura Nero later.
She was doing a record called Mother Spiritual, and she had built a studio in her own house in Connecticut.
And she'd been working on it for a year and making no progress, nothing happening.
And I went there to try and just help her get going, you know, to get the project started.
And we did manage to get the project started.
But a typical session would be like, just finished take 23.
And she said, that was a nice one.
Let's do another.
And by the time she's done, she's got 35 takes of a song and then has to figure out which one to use.
And quite obviously, it's like she doesn't even know.
She doesn't even know when it's working or not.
That's a nice one.
Let's do another.
That's a nice one.
Let's do another.
That's a nice one.
Let's do another.
I'll figure it out later.
That makes absolutely no sense.
I wanted to strangle her.
And maybe that would have made something happen.
But, you know, I love Laura.
And, you know, it was kind of a shame that she never got all the recognition that she probably should have gotten.
There's just a whole generation of songwriters who will tell you that that was a really influential record.
[B]
Key:
Bb
B
A
Bb
B
A
Bb
B
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [Bb] _ _ Well, you were playing Laura Nero earlier in the _ _ day.
Laura Nero, who's a big songwriting influence on me. _
And the thing that really tipped it, you know, I was interested in what she was doing.
I liked her songwriting, but she put in an album called Eli and the Thirteenth Confession.
_ And it just blew everybody's mind.
Everybody's mind.
It blew my mind, but it blew everybody's mind.
That a girl this young was singing with this much soul, and the songwriting was _ _ _ hers.
It wasn't like anybody else's songwriting. _
_ _ And as it turned out, I met her at the time, because I was such a fan.
I arranged a meeting.
I went to her apartment.
_ And she turned out to be, like, her pictures on her albums were very romantic looking,
but she turned out to be like a very large gypsy.
_ And her fingernails were so long that they curled over.
And when she played the piano, they clattered on the keys the whole time.
I couldn't figure out how they managed to record her without it becoming part of the record, you know.
But I learned from her that she hated the process of making Eli and the Thirteenth Confession.
She felt rushed.
She felt like, you know, things didn't get done the way that she wanted them done.
Here was a record that blew everybody's mind, and she hated the experience of making it.
_ And that was a big lesson for me.
I realized that how much you enjoy yourself in the studio isn't necessarily a measure of progress
or the quality of the final product.
_ That sometimes someone has to drive you to the edge before that kind of tension and immediacy and urgency in the performance comes out.
You know, when someone tells you, well, we've got to finish this up in an hour because this is a union session and everybody's leaving.
You're feeling pressured.
You're feeling pressured.
But that pressure is what's making it more resemble a live performance.
Because I worked with Laura Nero later.
_ _ _ She was doing a record called Mother Spiritual, and she had built a studio in her own house in Connecticut.
And she'd been working on it for a year and making no progress, nothing happening.
_ And I went there to try and just help her get going, you know, to get the project started. _
_ And we did manage to get the project started.
But a typical session would be like, _ _ _ just finished take 23.
And she said, _ _ that was a nice one.
_ _ Let's do another.
And by the time she's done, she's got 35 takes of a song _ _ and then has to figure out which one to use.
_ _ And quite obviously, it's like she doesn't even know.
She doesn't even know when it's working or not.
That's a nice one.
Let's do another.
That's a nice one.
Let's do another.
That's a nice one.
Let's do another.
I'll figure it out later.
That makes absolutely no sense.
I wanted to strangle her.
And maybe that would have made something happen. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ But, you know, I love Laura.
And, you know, _ it was kind of a shame that she never got all the recognition _ that she probably should have gotten.
_ _ _ _ _ _ There's just a whole generation of songwriters who will tell you that that _ was a really influential record.
[B] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [Bb] _ _ Well, you were playing Laura Nero earlier in the _ _ day.
Laura Nero, who's a big songwriting influence on me. _
And the thing that really tipped it, you know, I was interested in what she was doing.
I liked her songwriting, but she put in an album called Eli and the Thirteenth Confession.
_ And it just blew everybody's mind.
Everybody's mind.
It blew my mind, but it blew everybody's mind.
That a girl this young was singing with this much soul, and the songwriting was _ _ _ hers.
It wasn't like anybody else's songwriting. _
_ _ And as it turned out, I met her at the time, because I was such a fan.
I arranged a meeting.
I went to her apartment.
_ And she turned out to be, like, her pictures on her albums were very romantic looking,
but she turned out to be like a very large gypsy.
_ And her fingernails were so long that they curled over.
And when she played the piano, they clattered on the keys the whole time.
I couldn't figure out how they managed to record her without it becoming part of the record, you know.
But I learned from her that she hated the process of making Eli and the Thirteenth Confession.
She felt rushed.
She felt like, you know, things didn't get done the way that she wanted them done.
Here was a record that blew everybody's mind, and she hated the experience of making it.
_ And that was a big lesson for me.
I realized that how much you enjoy yourself in the studio isn't necessarily a measure of progress
or the quality of the final product.
_ That sometimes someone has to drive you to the edge before that kind of tension and immediacy and urgency in the performance comes out.
You know, when someone tells you, well, we've got to finish this up in an hour because this is a union session and everybody's leaving.
You're feeling pressured.
You're feeling pressured.
But that pressure is what's making it more resemble a live performance.
Because I worked with Laura Nero later.
_ _ _ She was doing a record called Mother Spiritual, and she had built a studio in her own house in Connecticut.
And she'd been working on it for a year and making no progress, nothing happening.
_ And I went there to try and just help her get going, you know, to get the project started. _
_ And we did manage to get the project started.
But a typical session would be like, _ _ _ just finished take 23.
And she said, _ _ that was a nice one.
_ _ Let's do another.
And by the time she's done, she's got 35 takes of a song _ _ and then has to figure out which one to use.
_ _ And quite obviously, it's like she doesn't even know.
She doesn't even know when it's working or not.
That's a nice one.
Let's do another.
That's a nice one.
Let's do another.
That's a nice one.
Let's do another.
I'll figure it out later.
That makes absolutely no sense.
I wanted to strangle her.
And maybe that would have made something happen. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ But, you know, I love Laura.
And, you know, _ it was kind of a shame that she never got all the recognition _ that she probably should have gotten.
_ _ _ _ _ _ There's just a whole generation of songwriters who will tell you that that _ was a really influential record.
[B] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _