Mele Kalikimaka – Doug Livingston cover

[Steffen Gunter]

My Girlfriend and me (The Ukelites) did a cover of Mele Kalikimaka, our arrangement is pretty close to Bette Midler’s version (without Big Band of course), steel guitar was played by Doug Livingston.

Just for my personal interest and learning from the pros I tried to listen down and play exactly what Doug Livingston had played on this recording session. My only difference (besides the not so skilled playing) is the end of the intro: DL ended on a fat C chord, I used a two-string slant to add the short single note run from the other guitar. This project sure was fun. I hope you like it.

I used my short scale Stringmaster C6 (high G) with Chromes strings, into my audient iD14 interface JFET Instrument IN and then used a Silverface simulation in Logic.

So I wish you all a Merry Christmas and have a great time

Steffen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6Pjgi_hiak

[Joe Elk]

Nice Version!
Joe Elk

[Charlie McDonald]

Love the fretless bass uke as always, Steffen.
This tune goes on my rotation in the computer, a really nice Christmas song.
Thank you Ukelites and Mele Kalikimaka to you two too!

[Steffen Gunter]

Thank you very much, Joe and Charlie.

[David Matzenik]

Nice work, very polished. You may be aware that there is a vocal intro to Mele Kalikimaka that sets the song up:

"Jingle Bells upon as steel guitar,

Through the palms we see the same bright star."

[John D. Carter]

very enjoyable. Nice work!

[Jim Cohen]

Fun! Like the montage.

[Steffen Gunter]

Thank you, David, John & Jim.

David, we thought about the intro but decided against it this time because of the angel choir vocal arrangement and finding a solution for the violins – it's just a one afternoon living room production. But perhaps the next time (could be interesting to do these heavenly sounds with steel guitar chimes) …