Don Wrege :: Eyesongs :: 1987

Eyesongs

Eyesongs was a group that was going to take advantage of each member's audio-visual talents. Each of the four of us was making his living in media production. The concept was to come up with a set of tunes that we would perform with a six-projector multi-media rig aimed at us. The AV project was extremely difficult to pull off - cost everything it made and was only performed in public three times. Writing songs about your life experiences can be about anything, from love, to foxy bingo online, to fishing - but you have to write passionately and with conviction. Below is a list of the songs on the CD, with a short explanation of the inspiration that led to their creation.

Scot Fordyce - drums, Ed Downs - lead guitar, Me, David Jacks - bass & vocals

REMEMBER, I DO
(Wrege)
Studio: The Studio, Santa Monica, CA
This is the best post-divorce song I wrote. Some famous songwriter said, "Writing songs is easy – you just sit down at the piano and open a vein."

SHE MADE ME
(Wrege)
Studio: The Studio, Santa Monica, CA
This turns the macho idea of “I made her a woman” around. It’s the story of two virgins, me and a lovely little hippie chick named Robyn Renzi. (Thank god for small favors, we didn’t have any "small favors.") But it was a life-changing event that deserved a song.

OUT TO SEA
(Wrege - Lee)
Studio: The Studio, Santa Monica, CA
Equating my post-divorce feelings with an unfortunate boating accident in Nassau.

MORNIN' LIGHT
(Wrege - Lee)
Studio: The Studio, Santa Monica, CA
This one’s about Susan, the receptionist at Laurence Deutsch design who “adopted” me right after the divorce. This song is a look at the “Sunday Morning Problem.” Simply stated, it’s how to get her out of your house as fast as you can so you can get some things done while there’s still some weekend left. (This problem did not originate, nor did it end with Susan.)

CAMILLE
(Wrege - Lee - Jacks)
Studio: The Studio, Santa Monica, CA
She was amazing. I was fighting a desire to stay in the house so I tried to get out and go to the hip LA parties I was being invited to. I ended up down near the ocean at somebody’s house, dressed head to toe in black leather, leaning uncomfortably against the wall trying to look casual and probably only looking desperate. This girl named Camille showed up and the party suddenly changed. I was told by someone there that she was “trouble.” I was enchanted enough to write a song about her the next day, but too intimidated to even strike up a conversation.

HAPPY ENDINGS
(Wrege - Lee)
Studio: The Studio, Santa Monica, CA
This was written for Donna Lawrence (Donna Lawrence Productions, Louisville, KY). Believe me, working for a strong woman is even worse than marrying one. There was just no pleasing her yet this was her device to assure total dedication to the impossible task. I wrote most of this in a sick bed (Dad’s on loan) while working on The Derby Museum show in I guess it was ‘83 or ‘84.

SMILING LIKE THE SUN
(Wrege - Lee)
Studio: Eyesongs Practice Studio – Santa Monica, CA
This was part of The Howard Johnson Suite in 83. It was written for Katie Haley whom Chris introduced me to. We wrote this together about her. He never forgave me for seducing her with it.

PRETTY GIRLS / FREEWAY FLIRT
(Wrege)
Studio: Eyesongs Practice Studio – Santa Monica, CA
About a girl named Wendy that I almost met at some tent thing with food from many nations. She was absolutely hauntingly gorgeous, yet one of her friends whispered in my ear horrible details of her shattered personal life. I came to the conclusion over cold pasta salad that pretty girls have it harder than the rest of us.

HOW MUCH LONGER
(Wrege)
Studio: The Studio, Santa Monica, CA
This was my attempt at writing a Jackson Browne-like song, and I originally planned to play it for him. Imagine my surprise when I showed up for one of his rehearsals to hear him debut his new song, “How Long,” so I never did.