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  1. "Naughty Dreams" started with a lyric from David B.  The lyric naturally invited a sexy pop-dance feel, and that’s what I tried to do with the music.

    My original treatment of the song was a bit “eighties” and not up to the standards of today’s pop-dance music productions.  So we brought in my friend Viceroy to update the production.  Viceroy also came up with a new interesting chord at the end of the choruses and suggested that we double up the bridge.

    The result is still a bit “eighties”, but rather than “stuck in…” it’s now more of an “homage to…”

    Overall I’m very pleased with the song, which could equally work for a female singer.

    NAUGHTY DREAMS

    Words by David B. & A. Robin / Music by A. Robin & Viceroy
    Produced by Viceroy & SuperCool-Guy
    © 2012 – All rights reserved 

    At night when I go to sleep
    I creep into bed under my silk sheets
    I close my eyes so don’t you wake me up
    It gets so hot, I can’t get enough
    I can’t get enough of… 

    Chorus:

    Naughty dreams
    Naughty dreams
    Doin’ all kinds of dirty things – dirty things
    Feel the heat
    Feel the steam
    Deep inside my naughty dreams
    Naughty dreams
    Naughty dreams
    Doin’ all kinds of dirty things – dirty things
    Feel the heat
    Feel the steam
    Deep inside my naughty dreams 

    Hot hands all over my body
    Deepest pleasures take over completely
    It’s so crazy, so freaky, so hot
    Don’t want it to stop. I can’t get enough
    Can’t get enough of… 

    Chorus:

    Naughty Dreams

    Bridge:

    Fireworks goin’ off around me
    Exploding with sexuality
    No self-control, I feel so free
    Fantasies become reality

    Chorus:

    Naughty Dreams… 

    [Repeat chorus]

  2. The drums being a rhythmic – as opposed to a melodic – instrument, songwriting is not a natural progression for drummers.  But drummers can be multi-instrumentalists and well-rounded musicians, and do cross over, sometimes to outstanding results.

    As a songwriter who started with drums as a teenager, then learned to play basic parts on the keyboard – just so I could play the melodies I was hearing in my head – the following drummer-songwriters have made particularly strong impressions on me: 

     

  3. 120414-Toto-TurnBackAlbumCover

    The percussions on Toto’s “Africa” were my guide when composing and recording “Tierra del Fuego” and clearly influenced the feel of the track… so today allow me to pay homage to one of pop-rock’s all-time greatest bands.

    Style

    "Pop-rock" doesn't quite do them justice in fact.  Toto’s style has always been one of fusion. Their self-titled 1978 debut fused disco and prog-rock.  While the prog-rock influences remained dominant on the first 3 albums, a wide range of other styles have fused in and out of the Toto “sound” over the years, including many flavors of "world" music, jazz, funk, hard rock, California "FM" pop-rock, and ballads...

     The band further demonstrated its musical prowess and versatility by writing and producing the mostly-orchestral soundtrack to David Lynch’s 1984 “Dune”.

    If it’s impossible to pin Toto down to a specific musical style, there is however a definite Toto “sound” that emerges from its distinctive, sophisticated and melodic songwriting, vocals and playing techniques…