The Cyberspace Dawdler

I have in the past, with the exception of the previous post, posted very little in the way of daily posts relating to me and my long-time association with music. The biographical information posted in “The Dawdler’s Music” along with associated chapters found under the “Pages” section on my blog’s left-hand menu present more of an overview. I have decided to at least post a little of that detailed music and personal history from time to time in the coming weeks and months here on the blog, if for no other reason than for biographical scrapbooking purposes. The days have long since come and gone when I nurtured dreams and aspirations with regard to the fame and fortune of a celebrity status. Now, for better or worse, it is simply what it has always been – one’s love for music and the conduit it provides to share one’s soul with others.

I began writing music as a teenager, not long after taking up the accordion and beginning lessons on that instrument. I penned my first song around the age of seventeen or so and that was the beginning of my music writing. I was not a prolific writer since time constraints of life seem to imposition themselves, distracting me from the solace and quiet that I seemed to need for my writing. I eventually recorded the first four songs I had written whose writing had spanned several years.

It was in the mid to late fifties that I began nurturing dreams of becoming a famous recording star. Elvis Presley and Ricky Nelson were little aware of the threat I posed as I stood lurking in the shadows of future stardom. I’m sure most can relate to those type fantasies fed by our youth.

It was in 1958 when I wrote my first song with both words and music and had titled it “I Wonder Why I Wonder”. I guess you could say it was somewhat in the style of those old fifties songs, a mournful teenage ballad. The next year, in 1959, I wrote my second song titled “I Remember the Night”. Of course, like many song writers, the inspirations as to subject matter was to a degree based on personal experiences – especially at that age.

Although I played the accordion and my idols played the guitar, I was determined not to let that hold me back. After I joined the Air Force in 1961 and after completing my basic training and graduating from Air Force tech school in mid-1962, I was transferred to Clinton-Sherman Air Force Base located some 100 miles or so due West of Oklahoma City via the famous Route 66. The air base, however, has long since been closed.

After getting to my new base in Oklahoma I penned a couple more songs, “A Lonely, Lonely Boy”, which was also a ballad and my first upbeat song titled, “Arabian Love”. So my illustrious song writing career spanning some five years had netted four songs and little else.

While stationed there at that air base I often played my accordion along with a couple other guitar pickers who resided there in the barracks. Eventually one thing led to another and one of these fellows started dating a girl who sang and was a member of her high school trio in a nearby town. After meeting her myself at some point, I began wondering if she and the other girls in the trio might consider getting together and singing sometime. I finally asked the girl who my friend was dating if she and the other two girls in their trio might be interested in forming a singing group for the sole purpose of recording some songs I had written. After hearing the songs she and the two other girls agreed to getting together and working out some arrangements.

In the meantime, I began searching the Oklahoma City phone book to see if there was a recording studio somewhere that we could make a demonstration record and that I could afford. After all when you’re making $85 a month in the military, you are likely to be quite limited in your choices! I finally found one and to make a long story short once we got our act together I made an appointment with the studio for a particular Saturday. In addition, the studio furnished musicians who would provide the music for us so I had finally reached the “big-time”. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, the cost was to be $90 and they were going to give me three months to pay it off.

Prior to going to Oklahoma City we thought we should have a name for our group and we eventually came up with “The Laurels” (law-rels). A week before our scheduled appointment one of the girls decided she wanted to drop out so instead of me and three girls, it would be me and two girls. But we still thought it would work.

It eventually all came together, that long anticipated Saturday had arrived and the girls and I, or should I say The Laurels, were off to Oklahoma City and to a real, big time, recording session.

All seem to go well at the recording session, given the fact we were all nervous wrecks. We finished recording the four songs late that afternoon and headed back home. We had ordered ten records to reflect our endeavors. The records back then, by the way, were much like the old 78 acetates as you will probably be able to note if you listen to any of the audio clips below.

It was a few weeks later that we received the souvenirs of our outing and were of course elated. When I left there for an overseas assignment I lost contact with the girls but it was a special time for me and I hope for them, it was the same.

But now to the songs which I have posted below but I must warn they are in terrible shape. They sound worse than your mother’s old 78’s but one can get some sense of the music. I still have one of those old records which is where these recordings came from so you can imagine from the scratchy, muffled sounds of the music the shape that old record must be in. I have also included the lyrics to the songs in case some may actually want to know what is being sung!

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I Wonder Why I Wonder
_{Written and Arranged by Alan Ginocchio}

I wonder if she loves me
The way I hope she loves me
I wonder why I wonder
Why must I always wonder, wonder, wonder

Oh I wonder if she dreams of me
The way I pray she dreams of me
I wonder why I wonder
Oh tell me why I must just wonder

I wonder if she’s crying
The way I feel like crying
I wonder why I wonder
Oh darling please don’t make me wonder, wonder, wonder

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I Remember the Night
_{Written and Arranged by Alan Ginocchio}

On the first day we met we both fell in love
And I knew you had been sent from the heavens above
But with tears in my eyes – and pain in my heart
I remember, remember the night your friends tore us apart

I told you how I loved you each hour of the day
And with each breath your name I would say
But your friends were telling you I was untrue
I remember, remember the night they broke your heart into

On that night they told you I found someone new
And I’ll never, never know just why you thought it true
But I hope you’ll remember the tear in my eye
‘Cause I’ll always remember the night our hearts said goodbye

Remember the night…..

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A Lonely, Lonely Boy
_{Written and Arranged by Alan Ginocchio}

A lonely boy can dream of a girl
But without her near it’s a lonely world
For a lonely, lonely boy

He sees her beauty thru the roses in the lane
He sees her tears in the sadness of the rain
But in his heart the hurt still remains
Of a lonely, lonely, lonely boy

The stars give him the sparkle in her eyes
The clouds write I love you across the skies
Yet in the wind you hear the lonesome sighs
Of a lonely, lonely, lonely boy

And this lonely, lonely boy
In this lonely, lonely world
Will someday find a lonely, lonely girl

Moonlight dresses her in satin and lace
The sunlight gives him her warm embrace
In every crowd you can always find the face
Of a lonely, lonely, lonely boy

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Arabian Love
_{Written and Arranged by Alan Ginocchio}

Alone in a desert which nature had fled
I looked to the flame which burned near my head

Oh flame of night who’s so warm and so bright
Bring a love to be with me tonight
The flame then towered and reached for the skies
The thunder roared – lightning blinded my eyes

Then out of the flame came a large white steed
His eyes were flashing – his legs burst with speed
Upon his back rode an Arabian girl
Her beauty could never be seen in this world

So burn, flame burn
Give off your magic light
An Arabian love you gave me tonight

As she came to me her splendor I could feel
Only the flame knew she wasn’t real
Then as she kissed me I lost track of time
Arabian love tonight your mine

Then the night shadows ran from the dawn
Like a thousand angels running from the wrong
Then the thunder roared – the lightning flashed
And her love disappeared into the ashes

So burn, flame burn
Give off your magic light
An Arabian love you gave me tonight

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The End