Rusty Clay
United States, Illinois, Aurora
- 07:29
- 05:08
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N1M © 2003—2024
About Rusty Clay
I was born July 21st 1963 and have loved music as far back as I can remember. I was cursed or blessed with a desire to write and play music which haunts my waking days and nights. I have written more than 120 songs and I will begin sharing them with anyone willing to listen. Some will be with a band and some will be just me and a guitar, some may be experiments in sound and others deep told storie ... read more
Rusty Clay
2 years ago
Hope you enjoy the new song The Morning after from The Forest of Truth album I'm working on. I've also added a few more songs like silent war and a new version of Happy Guy. I hope you enjoy this Christmas gift
Rusty Clay
Rusty Clay
2 years ago
Thought I'd let you hear a new recording I'm working on for my album. Not finished but very close. Let me know what you think. I would love to know your thoughts
Read moreRusty Clay
3 years ago
I've rerecorded Devils Jamboree and removed the demo. The part I originally played and sang are identical to the demo just a little quicker on the tempo. Please give it a listen and let me know what you think. I'd love to hear from you.
Rusty Clay
Rusty Clay
3 years ago
Yesterday I underwent surgery for a herniated disc which happened on last memorial day weekend. I spent the last 4 months in terrible pain. I could barely walk with crutches or sit for more than 5 minutes. I underwent therapy which helped but I was never going to be free of the pain or be able to resume the life I wanted to live without the surgery.
I basically spent the last 4 months looking at my ceiling, and this happened 2 days before the forced quarantine was to end and ease restrictions in my state.
I woke from surgery and the pain was gone. I stood upright and walked. I was able to look my wife in the eyes as I stood there for the first time in months. I was able to look at her without worrying about finding something to grab onto as I walked all hunched and crooked. The moans I made with every step I took were gone.
Later when I got home I was able to hug my daughter. She ran off trying to hide her tears but I knew they were there by the look on my wife's face.
Pain is probably one of, if not the biggest motivators in life that I can think of. We spend so much of our lives trying to avoid it. The other big motivator is pleasure. We spend the rest of our time trying to find and embrace it. I had a lot of time to think about it. Are we really that transparent, that black and white in our struggle through life? Maybe we are, or maybe there's more. I do know that the pain we suffer in life adds to our perspective and that freedom from the pain and struggles in our life opens our ability to create. Creation of art in itself can be a release from those pains as we gain insight into our souls and lives.
I am so excited to be able to sit at a table while eating. To be able to play my guitar while sitting versus while laying on my back. To be able to walk my dog.
To be able to walk hand in hand with my wife. in short to be able to resume the life I've come to love.
And I must admit that a big part of that life is writing music. I am so excited about what is to come.
I am about two weeks away from returning to the studio to finish the project I was working on before my injurry.
While I had all that time to think I wrote some new songs which I think will become a concept album.
I am so excited to get them recorded and hear what a full band will add to my lone guitar and voice that the suspense is killing me. I am so tempted to post a song or two from the batch I finished, but they are still in the rough mix stage. Ok truth is I'm feeling so good I will let you hear the new recording of Devil's Jamboree. It still needs to be mastered before I put it up for sale, but I think you will enjoy this version. It's a fun song to listen to.
As alway Believe in love, if you follow the path of love you will find the road to happiness. beware the path of hate for you will find you dwell in the house of misery.
Rusty Clay
Rusty Clay
3 years ago
Blood in my Coffee is my next release please check it out and share it. It is also available on all the major sites like Spotify and iTunes for purchase
Thanks
Rusty Clay
3 years ago
I am back after a long absence with a new song called Blood in my Coffee. This song came to me in a dream. I awoke with the words and music running through my head at about 3 in the morning. I didn't want to lose what I was hearing so I scrambled around my darkened bedroom and located a pen and a paper. I also didn't want to wake my wife so I darted into the bathroom, closed the door, and turned on the light.
I then wrote down the words as you hear them in about 5 minutes and crawled back into bed.
The following morning I picked up my guitar and began to play and sing the words. It almost felt uncanny as every chord I played fit and flowed effortlessly with the words. I literally spent as long as it takes to play the song to write down the chords.
Sometimes it's just that easy, almost like I channeled it.
I didn't even give thought to what the song was about.
I can tell you that I've had a lot of rough times, but I always try to stay optimistic. Here I am singing about how hard life is, and yet the bridge talks about not giving up and to keep looking ahead. I think that's the secret of how to get through life. Never give up. keep the faith, and always look to tomorrow, because the sun will rise again and shed light on the darkness. This song is now available on
Spotify (expired link)
I tunes and apple store
(expired link)
Deezer, Napster and medianet
I think you will enjoy what I've done with this song.
Please share the links and spend the $0.99 to purchase it.
I am working on an album and each song is sounding better than the last one. So far I have finished 6 songs and I think you will really enjoy what I have been doing.
Some songs like "I Remember You" and "Better Left Unsaid" have been rerecorded with a full band. I've also wrote some new ones and pulled a few out of my library.
With luck I'll have a full album for you by years end.
Till next time
Believe in love
Rusty Clay
Rusty Clay
5 years ago
When it comes to finding a place in the world I think my father put me on the path I'm on more than any other person I have ever met. Ours was a strange relationship in so many ways.
I can say without a doubt that he spent more time with me than anyone in his life, and spent hours and hours teaching me everything he knew, and I spent hours and hours trying to prove myself to him. However I always felt like I fell short of his expectations in part because he rarely if ever paid anyone a compliment myself included.
My dreams were foolish and a waste of time in his opinion and he saw little value in my talents or abilities and constantly pushed me towards what he felt was a better way to survive in this world, and yet he relied on my talents and abilities constantly to help him survive when he saw they could make him money.
I made many sacrifices to keep a roof over his head with each one pushing me further and further from my dreams until he died. In the process I learned how to do a great many things above and beyond anything I ever dreamed off and have a wealth of talents and skills beyond what I ever could have learned without his guidance.
I chose family over dreams no matter how painful the choice was time and time again. I was hurt and I was loved, and learned that that is what living life is all about.
Today's song is called "I Remember You" It is about that relationship, sometimes dark, sometimes on edge, and sometimes a comfortable soothing flow of memories
Rusty Clay
6 years ago
A song is just a song unless you make it something more. As an artist you must remember that someone who hears your works will make more of it than others. That's why I always try to say something that can open others eyes as they open their ears. I also strive to avoid being a preacher. I want the flowers to bloom without knowing they are being watered with love and sunshine.
Todays song is about depression. I have a life long friend that suffers from it. He spent more than half his life not knowing he had it, until the feelings grew beyond anything he could bear and he sought out treatment. When he told me of his diagnosis everything clicked into place and I knew the diagnosis was correct. It's something he will have to live with. There are treatments, but so far none that I know of that will cure him. He has gotten better with some treatments and medications, but they are like a band aid protecting a wound.
In all honesty I think we all suffer from varying degrees of different types of mental illness, and I'm sure we all have or will go through a period or two of depression. I know I have, but what I have experienced is like putting your foot in the water. You are still able to pull it out. My friend on the other hand is up to his neck and no mater how far he walks he's still neck deep.
Todays song is "Don't Know Why I can't Be A Happy Guy". I put myself in my friends place and drew upon my personal feelings and how I imagined he feels.
Becoming someone else and writing a song about their struggles is actually very freeing and a powerful songwriting tool I enjoy using very much. It also makes you very vulnerable to those that listen and brings out pieces of your character that often lay hidden within. As an artist that's what we strive to do, and in doing so, we hope it brings others to do the same.
I know I can never feel what my friend really feels, but I hope I can at least reach a depth that bring light to a problem so many suffer from and help the listener reach a level of awareness that moves them to see a problem that causes so many to hide from the light.
I love hearing from you so please fee free to share your thoughts or say hi.
Believe in love
Rusty Clay
Rusty Clay
6 years ago
I thought I'd start the year out with one of my favorite songs that I wrote, and with it talk about something many artists and I have in common. Presenting idea's. Sometimes ideas come quick and fast, so fast in fact that we literally forget them within an hour if we don't document them. Other times they linger and ferment until we are ready to create them.
We think about those ideas and shape them in our minds until we are ready to give them birth. Then as we start to shape them, they change and become real. We try to keep them as close as we can to what we originally envision, and the closer we get to that vision the greater the internal reward. However as any parent knows you must give your children the freedom to grow and evolve. As an artist those choices can stop and kill a song so we are always guarding our ideas to protect our precious works of art. However we should never be afraid to try changes or listen to constructive critiques. Knowing what to change is what makes us artists. Listening to the universe around us and using it's synchronicity often takes us to new and greater visions.
The great thing about songwriting is that a song continues to evolve beyond its initial recordings as other artists present their versions of our vision. A perfect example is the song All Along the Watchtower by Bob Dylan and then reworked by Jimmy Hendrix, wow that idea takes off in a direction that no one ever suspected it could go. Another great example of how a song evolves is Strawberry Fields Forever by Lennon and McCartney. You can now listen to the various takes and recordings and witness the growth of one of the greatest modern songs. This growth is an inspiration to all struggling artists and I highly recommend a listen. listen as an idea becomes a masterpiece over a series of seventeen takes
I'm not sure of the where or when I had the idea for A Ghost of the City. What I can tell you is that the Idea sat in my brain for a very long time, over a decade. It's a story of the old west overlaid upon current times. A story of human nature never changing, and that the roles we played 100 years ago are the same roles we play today, and they will be the same roles we play 100 years from now.
A Ghost of the City is a complete story set to music. When I finally sat down to write it, I spent a morning, and then came back to it several times. I showed it to a friend who thought it was great. We talked for a while and then later after he left I found inspiration for a better ending through a rhyme he jokingly used. That rhyme inspired me to rewrite the last couple of verses and give the song a cycle of completion it lacked.
I still needed music to go with the words and felt like I had written something on par with the Hotel California by the Eagles(hey it's my ego, my song so I can dream if I want) so I used that song as a starting place, a great story needs great music.
I started to sing the words and the chords slowly fell into place. I went into the studio and recorded everything as you hear it and listened and rerecorded, and listened, made changes, and rerecorded the piece 4 times until I ended up with the version you hear now. I hope you enjoy this modern tale about the outlaws of the old west living in the modern age.
Thanks again for all the support
yours truly
Rusty Clay
Rusty Clay
6 years ago
I've uploaded what I call an anti anti Christmas song. It was inspired by an atheist that compared God to a jug of milk. Frankly I don't care what anyone believes, but I respect their right to believe what they do as long as they don't start preaching to me about how I should convert or follow their beliefs, or tell me mine are stupid, and I'm dumb for believing them. I wanted to write a song that told those people how hurtful they can be. The song is also a message to those who believe in Christmas. Don't let them take away your Christmas.
Merry Christmas to everyone that believes
and a Happy Holiday season and time to everyone else whatever your beliefs may be
Rusty Clay
6 years ago
I was only planning on posting one new song today, but as I walked out the door and left my house I saw my neighbor beating his wife. He had charged up the stairs of his porch and slammed her into the wall and then began choking her. I called to him to stop and he turned toward me with a blank look on his face. I could see his rage begin to shift towards me and then he started to come towards me. I quickly told him I saw everything and that I was going to call the police. He stopped and turned towards his wife who had her hand on her throat and was grasping for air. I reached for my phone and realized I left it in the house charging so I ran inside and grabbed it and quickly dialed 911. He fled while I was in the house, but I called the police anyway. I was late for work so I don't know how things worked out, but I'll risk an angry neighbor or two to prevent a catastrophe. I like to listen to the universe and so I am going to post a song I wrote about domestic violence called Better Left Unsaid. Its a story about a broken family. I think its a great song, however It is only in a demo state at this point One day I hope I can revisit it and give it the proper care it deserves, but it is now here for your enjoyment.
The song I originally wanted to post is called Run Devil Run and it is about a man selling his soul to the devil. I had just bought a program called Ableton and had sat down and began playing with the sounds. This song came about after 3 hours of playing around. None of the words or music existed before I sat down and I went to bed with the finished piece you hear now. All the music was generated on a typewriter keyboard, and as I got a feel for the song I wrote down some words and then sang them.
When I woke I listened to what I had created but had no clue at all as to what the notes were or how I could play the song live for anyone and so I rewrote it. It became The Devil's Kitchen or The Devil's Jamboree. I rewrote the song on a Sunday morning in a matter of 2-3 hours. Both songs are as different as can be. It's just me and a guitar, and I can't say I like one more than the other, but I hope you enjoy listening to both versions. Again thanks for subscribing. I hope you enjoy the stories and insights and don't be shy. If you have something to say please do
till next time
Believe in Love
Rusty Clay
Rusty Clay
6 years ago
First let me say thank you to every one who has taken the time to listen to my music and subscribe. The kind words and encouragement mean more to me than I could ever express. It's very difficult and lonely to be the only one who feels what you are doing is worth something. To actually read the kind words I've gotten is a dream in and of itself. I can't say it enough.
Thank you.
In case you don't know I have uploaded two new songs for you to listen too, "Moonlight in Texas" and "Crazy Old Dog".
"Moonlight in Texas" is a song I played with my band the Rustid Project. There were four of us in the band. Billy Value played the lead guitar, Jack Jetsen played the base, Frankie (the gun) Faruzzi played the drums, and I played the rhythm guitar and sang.
I thought I would share the story of how I came to write "Moonlight in Texas" with you.
At the time I had a day job and played with the band 3-5 nights a week. Things were really going well for the band, and of course my day job decided to send me away to Texas for several weeks. Unfortunately that job paid the bills, so I had to go.
I was in Texas for about a week and my money was almost gone. I still had about two weeks to go before the project was finished and to get through I only had $30.00 to my name. The company had sent several employees with me and we were sharing a room and stuff. We had heard about a bar that offered a buffet with the purchase of a beer and we decided to check it out.
At the time, the country was going through a recession, especially in Texas. It was so bad you could get a years free rent by paying one months rent and signing a two year lease.
Driving down the road all you could see were topless bars, pawn shops, and used car dealers. The sights were beginning to really depress me and I was growing homesick.
I had not eaten lunch that day trying to conserve my funds and was ready and willing to try to get an almost free dinner, so even if it was crackers and chicken wings washed down with beer I was willing to partake.
The restaurant we were told about was located at the 14th floor of a building located in the downtown area. It was about 5 miles down the road from our hotel, so not having a car I tagged along with the crew.
We entered the fancy building and boarded the elevator and headed to the top. We had just passed the eleventh floor when the elevator failed and dropped like Disney's "Tower of Terror". I will say this thank god elevators have built in brakes cause they saved our lives that night. Unfortunately they did not stop the fall of the elevator, but they did slow it down. We hit the ground with a big crash and almost everyone was knocked to the ground upon impact. I was actually the youngest and most fit in our group at the time and managed to pry open the elevator doors.
When the doors opened I found our elevator was 40 inches below ground level. I climbed up and helped everyone out of the elevator. No one was really hurt and we were all still hungry and thirsty so we took a second elevator to the top while a frantic doorman was dialing for help.
Once at the top we all entered the bar and bought a beer and helped ourselves to the buffet. After a beer and a dozen or so chicken wings my homesickness really started to kick in. At that point all I wanted to do was go home, so I excused myself and decided to walk home to the hotel.
I forgot this was Texas and in the middle of summer. Even if it was after sundown it was still hot. I had walked about 3 miles and I was hot, thirsty, tired, and maybe a little shook up from the fall, and then I did something I was told to never do. I stuck out my thumb and began to hitch hike home. As I turned around I saw Dallas with a big beautiful full moon floating in the sky. The lights of the city mirrored the lights in the sky, and I began walking backwards with my thumb stretched out for a ride. I had walked another mile or so without attracting a ride and was extremely thirsty so I walked into the first place I came across to get a drink.
This was during a recession so it should really come as no surprise that the place I stumbled into was a topless bar. I think they all were at the time. Anyway I took a seat at the bar and ordered a beer.
It took about a minute for one of the girls to approach me. I looked her in the eye and explained my situation, that I was almost broke and was only there to get a quick drink. I was not there to buy a dance or anything else. She smiled and went about her job, but came back to see me and we started to talk. She asked me not to leave and bought me a beer, and in between her dances we talked all night. She told me her name was Dawn. That night I made friends with all the dancers and the bartenders and ended up going out to breakfast at a Denny's with a dozen strippers. Every guys dream right. Better still all the dancers from all the clubs were going there and I ended up making friends with hundreds of young women who were doing the only thing they could to survive life's storm. Those girls gave me a ride back to my hotel and invited me back the next night and next and I spent two week making some wonderful friends.
That first night, however when I got back to my room I picked up a pen and a small notepad on the desk and wrote the words down before going to sleep. Part of it was my love for home and part of it was for Dawn and her beautiful green eyes.
When I had returned back to my home outside of Chicago and the band got together for our practice, Bill pulled out his guitar and showed me a new lick he was working on. The tempo he played it at reminded me of the words I had written two weeks earlier. I convinced him to play it like a twelve bar and everything started to click.
I had thought about something I heard Eric Clapton say about trying to take the blues somewhere different and said lets change the back end of the twelve bar so that it's a unique take on the blues and that's what we did.
I hope I haven't rambled on to long. I could have said I wrote it while hitch hiking but where's the fun in that. Besides its not every day you get to brag about strippers buying you a beer. anyway I hope to be back soon with a shorter story about how I wrote "Crazy Old Dog" which is about my dog Jazz. I have not promoted this song at all yet but its a real fun tale I hope you check out soon
Until next time
Follow the path of love to happiness
Rusty Clay
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N1M © 2003—2024
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- 07:29
- 05:08
About Rusty Clay
I was born July 21st 1963 and have loved music as far back as I can remember. I was cursed or blessed with a desire to write and play music which haunts my waking days and nights. I have written more than 120 songs and I will begin sharing them with anyone willing to listen. Some will be with a band and some will be just me and a guitar, some may be experiments in sound and others deep told stories, but all will be true to one goal and that will be to let the song be what it needs to be. I hope you will subscribe and share my gifts to you with everyone you meet and enjoy these treasures as I release them
Plays Today: 88
Total Plays: 463,624
Profile Views: 611,111
Subscribers: 1,594
Followers: 608
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2012-05-16 20.35.19
image001
All Good People Cover Art
The Freedom of Man Cover Art
4 AM cover art
Crazy Old Dog
Run Devil Run Cover Art
Better Left Unsaid Cover Art
Devils Jamboree Cover Art
World Without Christmas
Ghosts in the City
Don't Know Why I Can't Be A Happy Guy
I Remember You Cover Art
8FH4UPef-354660622
Blood in my Coffee Cover2
the Longest Night album art
I Remember You Cover Art
Devils Jamboree Cover Art
Blood in my Coffee Cover2
Don't Know Why I Can't Be A Happy Guy
the Morning After album art
Silent War Cover Art