Mike Peters: The Song that Changed My LIfe

Watch to find out what song changed Mike Peter's life early in his career and the surprising twist when that same song comes full circle and saves his life several years later. (from BYUtv)

Asiah Mehok and Hawkboy

My son, Andrew, is doing a summer internship at Regenerate Music Company in Cleveland, Tennesse. So I checked out some of the bands and singers he would be meeting down there and he has some interesting musicians to get to know. One artist is Asiah Mehok. Here she is singing her song "So Much".



Next is a video for a song that was uploaded today.
As I understand it, Andrew helped out with this video:



This song is a cover of a song by another Regenerate group called Hawkboy,  The song is called 2 Bit.

Here is Hawkboy singing the song 2 Bit.



2 Bit lyrics:

Lover got caught in the rapture
Vanished right, vanished right
Lover got caught in the rapture
Vanished right, vanished right

Oooooh, ooooh, ooooh
Oh no!

Your lover got caught in the rapture
Vanished right, vanished right from your sight
I guess they were right
After all

Don't say you weren't warned
Nobody's found behind the wheel
They were just empty clothes crashing those cars
In a flash they were gone, but your lover got caught

Lover got caught
Lover got caught
Lover got caught

Lover got caught in the rapture,
Vanished right, vanished right from your sight
Nobody saw nothin' faster,
They were right after all
Lover got caught up in the rapture,
Vanished right, vanished right
And if you weren't such a bastard,
You would be better off...

But now you're left to burn
Gnash your teeth
No time to pass or perceive

Lover got caught up in the rapture
Vanished right from your site
No Nobody saw nothin' faster
They were right, oh
A thief in the night!

If you weren't such a bastard
You would be better off

Now you're left to...


Sort of makes me think it is sort of an strangely updated version of Larry Norman's classic song from 1969 "I Wish We'd all been Ready".



I Wish We'd All Been Ready


Life was filled with guns and war,
And everyone got trampled on the floor,
I wish we'd all been ready
Children died, the days grew cold,
A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold,
I wish we'd all been ready,
There's no time to change your mind,
The Son has come and you've been left behind.


A man and wife asleep in bed,
She hears a noise and turns her head, he's gone,
I wish we'd all be ready,
Two men walking up a hill,
One disappears and one's left standing still,
I wish we'd all been ready,
There's no time to change your mind,
The Son has come and you've been left behind.

Life was filled with guns and war,
And everyone got trampled on the floor,
I wish we'd all been ready,
Children died, the days grew cold,
A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold,
I wish we'd all been ready,
There's no time to change your mind,
How could you have been so blind,
The Father spoke, the demons dined,
The Son has come and you've been left behind.


If you like Asiah Mehok and Hawkboy you can download their music free from Sponsorseed or you can find them on iTunes.

The Alarm 45 RPM

I didn't see this version on youtube of Mike Peters and The Alarm performing their song "45 RPM" on the Craig Kilborn show back in 1984, so I uploaded it.



There is an interesting story surrounding this song as it was not released as a song by The Alarm, but rather by a group called "The Poppy Fields". Mike Peters wanted the music critics to review the song on its merits and not have them be prejudiced by reviewing another "Alarm" song by the aging group. Sounding like a teenage punk band with a video showing another band lip syncing to the song the tune made the top 30 on the British charts and the news of the "stunt" even made it on the national news over in states with Dan Rather reporting on the stunt. The 45 RPM swindle is even now being made into a movie.

Here is the promo video of the song which merges the "imposters" with the "real deal".



45 RPM

a spiral scratch
gave me my life back
a vinyl solution
ended my confusion
I heard a voice in the noise pollution
45 rpm
keep on running to the end
45 rpm


the two sevens clashed
kick started my life soundtrack
a sonic revolution
broke the disillusion
i heard a voice in the noise pollution
45 rpm
keep on running to the end
45 rpm

A simple and energetic song about the transforming power of a simple record.

A Song With a Real Purpose: Emmanuel Jal- We Want Peace

Rapper enlists global stars to work on south Sudan

Learn about Emmanuel Jal


We Want Peace

Oh yeah
Oh yeah
I’m looking for some people who’s looking for peace
Maybe together we could make the war cease
Now we can send mankind to the moon
And we can reach to the bottom of the sea
That’s why it really kind of baffles me
That we cannot end wars and bring peace
And we cannot change the way people act
And we cannot change the way people think
So if we sit back, chill out and relax
Civilization will soon be extinct
That’s why I am

[Chorus]
>I am calling on
I’m calling on the whole wide world
>On the whole wide world
Come on people would you help me
>Help me scream and shout
Let’s scream and shout coz we want peace
>That we want peace
To say the least

I dedicate this song to the common people
Caught in the middle of this common evil
I wish the world was a little bit fairer
Time we start looking at the man in the mirror
Fear is the devil's policeman
Fear made good Germans side with Hitler so he can
Build the war of genocide and havoc was wreaking
Silence of the lamb 'cause nobody was speaking
That’s why I am

[Chorus]

Somebody said, "After Rwanda
>Never again,"
And after Rwanda
>It’s happening
Not far from Rwanda
>Just next door
Who’s gonna shout for the poor people living in Darfur?
The world’s gone deaf
The world’s gone blind
The world’s busy sitting down on their behind
Nobody cares about the poor and needy
Too busy sucking up to the rich and greedy
For every hero there is villain
I ain’t kidding
We gonna shout out standing up or sitting
One more time?
We got no more time!
We got to figure out the way we could all combine
Hey!
Like Jericho the walls came tumbling down
The sound of voices had the city surround
You know what is worth
Time to put our voices to work
We got to shake down heaven and earth
That’s why I am

[Chorus]

Come on everybody, come on
Stand up, stand up, stand up
You want peace and I want peace
Stand up, stand up
You want peace and I want peace
Stand up, stand up
You want peace and I want peace
Stand up... [continued]

The White Stripes - We're Going To Be Friends

The White Stripes - We're Going To Be Friends

fall is here, hear the yell
back to school, ring the bell
brand new shoes, walking blues
climb the fence, book and pens
i can tell that we are gonna be friends

walk with me, suzy lee
through the park, by the tree
we will rest upon the ground
and look at all the bugs we've found
then safely walk to school
without a sound

well here we are, no one else
we walked to school all by ourselves
there's dirt on our uniforms
from chasing all the ants and worms
we clean up and now it's time to learn


numbers, letters, learn to spell
nouns, and books, and show and tell
at playtime we will throw the ball
back to class, through the hall
teacher marks our height against the wall

and we don't notice any time pass
we don't notice anything
we sit side by side in every class
teacher thinks that i sound funny
but she likes the way you sing

tonight i'll dream while i'm in bed
when sill thoughts go through my head
about the bugs and alphabet
and when i wake tomorrow i'll bet
that you and i will walk together again
cause i can tell that we
are going to be friends

The Alarm in Concert in Derry, NH

I finally got Sarah to join me for an Alarm concert on Sep 15. It was not too far down the road in Londonderry, NH at the Tupulo Music Hall. What a great show! We were in the third row and Sarah enjoyed the show!

Here are some videos from the concert.



Could be the middle of night...or in the middle of the street

It could be uptown, downtown...or even where you sleep
I hear the marching drum... I hear a song unsung
It could be your dream, my dream...I'm not the only one
'Cause I’m a soldier marching in an army
I got no gun to shoot all I've got is ONE GUITAR
I see the risin’ smoke...I hear a heartbreak joke
All of my brothers and sisters... I think it’s time we spoke
I’ve only got six strings... but like a bell they ring
It’s like a jet plane, insane... crashin’ in my brain
'Cause I’m a soldier marching in an army
I got no gun to shoot all I've got is ONE GUITAR
So if you get knocked down... you gotta take a stand
For all the outcast, dead last... who need a helping hand
You've got to raise your voice... raise it up loud
You've got to raise your... above the crowd
'Cause I’m a soldier marching in an army
I got no gun to shoot all I've got is ONE GUITAR



A guy named Greg has his dreams come true!



Walk forever by my side

Never lose sight of the day


When we will run through all our weakness
On through the fields
Strewn with our broken dreams
Walk forever by my side


Stay forever in the light
Never lose sight of the way
For I alone can’t face the future
I need your strength
To help me make it through
Walk forever by my side


Stay forever in the light
Walk on ’til morning
All my days are yours
Walk on ’til morning
All my days are yours


Hope you’ll stay with me tonight
Lift the veil from my eyes
For I am weak and I am foolish
I need your love

To see me through the darkness
Hope you’ll stay with me tonight


Walk on ’till morning
All my days are yours
Walk on ’till morning
All my days are yours

The Alarm: One Guitar

One Guitar is one of the jewels on The Alarm's new cd Direct Action.



 One Guitar


Could be the middle of night...or in the middle of the street

It could be uptown, downtown...or even where you sleep

I hear the marching drum... I hear a song unsung

It could be your dream, my dream...I'm not the only one



'Cause I’m a soldier marching in an army

I got no gun to shoot all I've got is ONE GUITAR



I see the risin’ smoke...I hear a heartbreak joke

All of my brothers and sisters... I think it’s time we spoke

I’ve only got six strings... but like a bell they ring

It’s like a jet plane, insane... crashin’ in my brain



'Cause I’m a soldier marching in an army

I got no gun to shoot all I've got is ONE GUITAR



So if you get knocked down... you gotta take a stand

For all the outcast, dead last... who need a helping hand

You've got to raise your voice... raise it up loud

You've got to raise your... above the crowd



'Cause I’m a soldier marching in an army

I got no gun to shoot all I've got is ONE GUITAR


Written by Willie Nile / Frankie Lee


The song is actually a Willie Nile song. Here is a video from the January 20, 2010, Light Of Day 10 Parkinson's disease fundraiser at the Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park, NJ. You can see Bruce Springteen in the photos.



Here Willie Nile joins The Alarm at The Brook in Southampton,  on 23rd April 2010



and Willie Nile solo explaining how Mike Peters approached him to record the song.



The song sort of reminds me of The Killers song "All These Things That I've Done."



"All These Things That I've Done"

When there's nowhere else to run


Is there room for one more son

One more son

If you can hold on

If you can hold on, hold on

I wanna stand up, I wanna let go

You know, you know - no you don't, you don't

I wanna shine on in the hearts of men

I want a meaning from the back of my broken hand



Another head aches, another heart breaks

I am so much older than I can take

And my affection, well it comes and goes

I need direction to perfection, no no no no



Help me out

Yeah, you know you got to help me out

Yeah, oh don't you put me on the blackburner

You know you got to help me out



And when there's nowhere else to run

Is there room for one more son

These changes ain't changing me

The cold-hearted boy I used to be



Yeah, you know you got to help me out

Yeah, oh don't you put me on the blackburner

You know you got to help me out

You're gonna bring yourself down

Yeah, you're gonna bring yourself down

Yeah, you're gonna bring yourself down



I got soul, but I'm not a soldier

I got soul, but I'm not a soldier

...



Yeah, you know you got to help me out

Yeah, oh don't you put me on the blackburner

You know you got to help me out

You're gonna bring yourself down

You're gonna bring yourself down

Yeah, oh don't you put me on the blackburner

Yeah, you're gonna bring yourself down



Over and out, last call for sin

While everyone's lost, the battle is won

With all these things that I've done

All these things that I've done

If you can hold on

If you can hold on