Beep Beep

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Liner Notes by John Batdorf:
Never in my wildest dreams as a young recording artist in the 70s, could I have ever imagined myself at age 63 still writing, recording and still making records. That’s where the path has taken me and I am so glad that I followed it. There is so much joy in creating music with just a guitar and an idea and after the re-writes and ultimate recording of the song, much like a birth of a child, finally gets it’s wings about nine months later and is shared with anyone who wants to let it in! Thank you all for following me on this wonderful musical journey and I will continue down this musical path as long as I still feel that euphoric fire burning in my heart.

Thank you all for supporting me for a lifetime!
John Batdorf


BEEP BEEP

I got the fever……….. back in ’64
Ain’t felt nothin’ like it since, nothin’ like it before
That night when Lennon, sang Twist and Shout
We knew what the Beatles were all about
They wrote songs that made us, feel so fine
We heard them singin’, and that just blew our minds

They made believers of us all that night
We let go………. when they sang Hold Me Tight
These boys could write, these boys could sing
These boys could play almost everything
They’d sing their songs that made the
Young girls scream and cry
So all the boys bought a guitar, and tried to sing real high,
Beep beep’m beep beep yeah……Beep beep’m beep beep yeah
Beep beep’m beep beep yeah……Beep beep’m beep beep yeah

Oh, Help me if you can, ‘cos I sure miss this band
All the world became a fan, the night they sang,
I Wanna Hold Your Hand………….

Been 50 years since I first heard those songs
But I can still listen to them all day long
Day Tripper, Nowhere Man
Every damn song helped make me who I am
They changed the world ‘cos we were, all listening
I’d give it all for one more chance, just to watch them sing
Beep beep’m beep beep yeah……Beep beep’m beep beep yeah
Beep beep’m beep beep yeah……

Beep beep’m beep beep, Beep beep beep’m beep, Beep beep’m beep beep yeah

John Batdorf, Bat Mac Music BMI
©2015 All Rights Reserved

“Beep Beep” was the first completed song for my new CD. My wife and I were visiting Bend, Oregon in June of 2014. We were staying in a hotel and I woke up very early and didn’t want to wake her so I put on headphones and turned on my computer. A few days earlier I had been working on a new idea starting off like most of my songs, with a guitar figure and then the rest just kind of came. I recorded the guitar and added a melody that came to me as I listened. Luckily, I saved it and added it to my music so I could access it while we were away from my studio in Los Angeles. As I listened to the music for some reason I thought about the Beatles and the first line came, “I got the fever back in 64, ain’t felt nothin’ like it since, nothin’ like it before” and the song just poured out. The whole reason I took such an interest in music at all was because I saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show and freaked out! I left for California three years later and three years after that, signed with Atlantic Records at age 18. They set the bar higher than it ever was before when it came to talent, songwriting, singing, recording techniques and just about everything else they did. To this day, I use their double time percussion technique to change a song section’s feel and learned all about writing a bridge from listening to their awesome records. “They changed the world ‘cos we were all listening!!” I was so lucky to have grown up listening to this incredible band that launched so many other great bands and did indeed change the world forever.

John Batdorf, Bat Mac Music BMI
©2015 All Rights Reserved


WHERE DOES ALL THE MONEY GO

Oh, oh A oh, where does all the money go?
Tax this, tax that why can’t I keep some of that
Oh oh A oh, Think I’m runnin’ out of dough
Taxed to the max, Tell me
Where does all the money go???

Rent a car, take a flight, watch a movie, catch a fight
Rent a room, for the night, get some afternoon delight
Have some food, drink some wine or just hang out and chill
You will think all is fine ‘til you get the final bill

All these extra fees, will be the death of me
I don’t know this math but, I bend over while I plead!

Oh, oh A oh, where does all the money go?
Tax this, tax that why can’t I keep some of that
Oh oh A oh, Think I’m runnin’ out of dough
Taxed to the max, Tell me
Where does all the money go???

Buy a house, rent a yacht, give it everything you got!
See the world, find a girl that is so smokin’ hot
Tie the knot, have some kids yeah you think you’ve go it made
Now you need a better job, so you can keep the maid

I can’t keep this up, she tore up that prenup
I’m in such a bind, And my wife can’t spend enough

Oh, oh A oh, where does all the money go?
Buy this, buy that, I just want my money back
Oh oh A oh, Yes I’m runnin’ out of dough
Credit to the max, Tell me
Where does all the money go???

Oh, oh A oh, where did all the money go?
Sell this, pawn that, I just heard from Freddie Mac
Oh oh A oh, Think I’m finally out of dough
Funding’s what I lack, Tell me
Where did all the money go???

I used to ride so high on cloud nine,
I was the one who was always on fire
But now, I am left here without a spark

Oh, oh A oh, where did my honey go?
It’s not a setback, it’s more like a heart attack
Oh, oh A oh, don’t think that she’s comin’ home

It’s just a fact, She goes where the money flows
It’s her final act, money’s gone now there she goes

John Batdorf, Bat Mac Music BMI
©2015 All Rights Reserved

My wife Melanie and I got married on a mountainside in 1973 at beautiful Big Bear Lake, California. Our honeymoon was in a rustic cabin at the time was only $12.00 a night. After that trip, we often took trips to the lake to fish and just relax. Even after our twin sons were born, we often took them up there, rented boats, hiked and just had a fabulous time every time we went. We really loved the place although you could see signs of change with gaudy out of place “Beverly Hills” like homes being built right on the lake limiting access to the public but it was still a special place for us. We stopped visiting the lake for maybe 20 years as we were busy with kids, careers and little league but two years ago, Melanie and I decided to go up there for our 40th anniversary so I planned the trip. Needless to say, the cabins went from 1973 rates of under 20 dollars a night to well over 200 a night but we didn’t care. We loved it there and wanted to revisit where we tied the knot so long ago. We had to pay for the room at a rental office in Big Bear. That’s where we would pay and pick up the keys for that special cabin we loved so much. The rental person informed me that in addition to the outrageous price of the rustic cabin, there would be a booking fee that I believe was around $75.00. I questioned why a booking fee when we were already paying so much and their answer was, “Well everybody else does it up here.” What was I gonna do? We were already there and I didn’t want to wreck the romantic getaway so I agreed. Excitedly we went to our cabin and immediately saw that it was indeed exactly the way it was in the 70s except it cost 10 times as much. What the hell, again we just sucked it up and settled in. As it started to get dark we flipped on the lights but they kept going out and the only way to get them to come back on was to bang on the wall. Who cares, we will be sleeping when it’s dark so who needed lights anyway? The next day we wanted to take our boat onto the lake but we found out that we need to buy a “lake use” permit for the days we planned on using it. OK, OK, we paid and then went to the launch ramp where we found out that there was a “launching” fee that we had to pay before we could launch and that we also had to buy a special “Big Bear” trolling flag in addition to getting the boat inspected. “All these extra fees, will be the death of me”. My head was spinning but at long last it was finally time to launch. It was a beautiful day and we were off. After an hour on the lake, the clouds started to build up and before we knew it we were in a lightning storm. We got off the lake as soon as we could and unfortunately, the storms lasted the rest of the day and of course there were no rain checks! This went on for two more days and finally we had had enough and wanted to get the hell out of there never to come back. I am surprised we didn’t have to pay a “check out” fee and “leave the mountain” fee. So that trip got the ball rolling on this song so hopefully it will help pay for that disastrous trip!!

John Batdorf, Bat Mac Music BMI
©2015 All Rights Reserved


SHE KNOWS WHAT I LIKE

Headed towards highway 65 she don’t act her age
Been a friend of mine keepin’ me alive
As we write each page

She knows what I like, she knows what I need
She knows what I want and she gives me everything

Carvin’ our way toward the promised land
And we never looked back
Night and day, hand in hand as we as we make our path

She knows what I like, she knows what I need
She knows what I want and she gives me everything
She knows what I like, she knows what I need
She knows what I want and she gives me everything

And I keep holdin’ on, while she holds onto me
We are where we belong, with love so strong
It fills my heart with guilty pleasures

We get one chance, to do this dance gotta make it right
Our romance is in good hands and it still shines bright

I know what she likes, I know what she needs
I know what she wants so I’ve given everything
We know what we like, we know what we need
We know what we want, we want this love eternally,
She knows what she wants, I’m so glad she wanted me

John Batdorf, Bat Mac Music BMI
©2015 All Rights Reserved

As mentioned above, my wife and I have been married nearly 43 years which can only mean we love each other and we are getting older! I was just thinking about Melanie who will be turning 65 on her next birthday which seems impossible!! Although we are both in our 60s, we still feel young at heart and that’s where the first line came from, “Headed toward highway 65, she don’t act her age”. A couple cannot survive 43 years without knowing what the other half needs to feel complete in a relationship. I feel that this is the foundation of our relationship so the song pretty much wrote itself.

John Batdorf, Bat Mac Music BMI
©2015 All Rights Reserved


THAT’S WHAT I’LL REMEMBER

Drivin’ to the river, I think we left ’bout half passed five
I talked about the fishin’ ahead, and all the flies you tied
And in my recollection, we both began selectin’
Holes we’d fish first light
Then drivin’ home we bitched and moaned
‘Cos the fish wouldn’t bite

What you said’s forgotten, all those words are gone
But how you had me laughin’ all night long
That’s what I’ll remember

I hit a bump or two that threw me for a loop last year
You heard what happened and came to help me shed my tears
I couldn’t sleep that evenin’, you joined me in my grievin’
’til the morning sun and didn’t know it then,
But that’s when my healin’ had begun

What you said’s forgotten, all those words are gone
But when my heart was broken, you held on
And that’s what I’ll remember…….

And as I think about it, there’s just no doubt about it
You’re the one who always showed me
It’s not what we say that matters
The love we’re really after,
Lifts us wordlessly

So in this final goodbye don’t know what I want to say
Wish I could show you what I feel but we’re not fishin’ today
So many times you helped me, got through the storm and held me
Now, it is my turn
My deep respect, was well earned
And when I reflect on what I’ve learned
I’ll never neglect, the love you always returned

Oh what you said’s forgotten, all those words are gone
But all the love you gave me, lives on and on
And that’s what I’ll remember

What you said’s forgotten, all those words are gone
But all the love you gave me, lives on and on
And that’s what I’ll remember
That’s what I’ll remember

John Batdorf, Bat Mac Music BMI /
Michael McLean, Shining Star Music ASCAP
©2015 All Rights Reserved

I wrote this with my great friend Michael McLean, one of the most gifted talented people that I have ever met in my 63 years. On paper, we would never be matched up coming from such different backgrounds and cultures. Hell, I was a pot smoking hippie musician from the 60s who has later become a wine lovin’, coffee lovin’ adult musician and Michael has never even had a drink of alcohol or a cup of coffee. He lived in conservative Utah and I lived in wild and crazy California. How could these two guys ever be friends? Well that’s why you can’t make all decisions by looking at a paper!! Truly, we couldn’t be more different but on the other hand, we couldn’t be more alike. We may look at the world through different shaded glasses, but we both see the world and life very much the same way. We met in the late 80s and have been songwriting partners, fishing buddies and best friends ever since. Our families became the greatest of friends and still are to this day. Although this song can be about a family member, best friend or whomever, I really think it’s about us. I really love this song and I hope it touches you like it touches me. “Drivin’ home we bitched and moaned ‘cos the fish wouldn’t bite”

John Batdorf, Bat Mac Music BMI
Michael McLean, Shining Star Music ASCAP
©2015 All Rights Reserved


FEELS LIKE HOME

California’s been my home it’s where I raised my family
Since age 15 it’s been all I’ve known and now I’m pushin’ sixty-three
I feel a change comin’ in the air, a change that feels so right
I can’t explain and I don’t know where this all came from
But I know it’s clear as black and white

And it feels like home and that’s all I need to know
It feels like home just like long ago
When California dreamin’ was everywhere you see
Oh but something out there’s screamin’
With exactly what I need
And it feels like home

It’s not an unfamiliar thing, I’ve felt this way before
No one thought we would hold on tight for forty years or more
But from the moment I met that girl and felt our souls embrace
There was nothin’ in this world that, I believe could ever be
As perfect as that place

And it feels like home and that’s all I had to know
It feels like home no matter where I go
When California dreamin’ meant everything to me
Oh we trusted in the promise that we would always be
Where it feels like home

So here comes tomorrow and the future is unknown
Have we lost our minds, girl,
Well she smiles at me, out destiny, she says is being shown

Cause it feels like home it feels like home
It feels like home it feels like home

Like when California dreamin’ was everywhere you see
Oh but somethin’ out there’s screamin’
That this is what we need
And it feels like Home
It feels like home It feels like home yeah
Yeah it It feels like home

John Batdorf, Bat Mac Music BMI /
Michael McLean, Shining Star Music ASCAP
©2014 All Rights Reserved

This song just kind of wrote itself right after our first visit to Bend, Oregon in of June 2014. For a few years Melanie and I were looking for a place to move in the near future that felt like we belonged there, just like we have felt here in Southern California most of our lives. We had once considered San Diego, Big Bear Lake, Canyon Lake, Utah or someplace that offered the beauty we had grown accustomed to living here all our lives but some place that we could be fishing at a pristine lake or stream within minutes of where we lived because we love fishing!!! There was something special about the Bend area that felt different from all the other places we had considered. It was a full day’s drive from our home in West Hills but it felt like another world to us. It felt like a place we could call home. “It feels like home, no matter where I go, it feels like home, just like long ago, When California dreamin’, meant everything to me, oh but somethin’ out there’s screamin’ that this is what we need and it feels like home.” As much as we have loved our life and time in California, if all goes well, by the time this CD is out, we will be living in Oregon ‘cos it feels like home!

John Batdorf, Bat Mac Music BMI /
Michael McLean, Shining Star Music ASCAP
©2014 All Rights Reserved


IMAGINATION OF THE HEART

It starts when we’re young and believin’, believin’ things that we cannot see
Tall tales can be so decievin’, white lies wrapped in mystery
Imagination of the heart
Somethin’ to believe in
Don’t it all just seem kinda funny, life starts so innocently
St. Nick, Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, It’s a world that felt safe to me

And I believed it, that much is true
Yeah I believed it, But we grew up and we soon outgrew
Imagination of the heart Somethin’ to believe in
Imagination of the heart Somethin’ to believe in

We grew up, now we search for others, other means of fantasy
Hard work and dreams we discover, will lead a path to our destiny

And I believed it, that much is true
Yeah I believed it, So don’t let go and don’t rush through
Imagination of the heart

Though older and wiser now, the magic still shines
If only in my heart if only in my mind

Imagination of the heart Somethin’ to believe in
Imagination of the heart Somethin’ to believe in

And I believed it, that much is true
Yeah I believed it, ‘cos we can choose who we pray to
Yeah I believed it, that much is true
Yeah, oh I believed it , ‘Cos I’m still standin’ and trustin’ to
Imagination of the heart Somethin’ to believe in
Imagination of the heart Somethin’ to believe in
Imagination of the heart Somethin’ to believe in
Imagination of the heart Somethin’ to believe in
Imagination of the heart

John Batdorf, Bat Mac Music BMI
©2015 All Rights Reserved

One of the great things about living to age 63 is experiencing the extreme joy of having grandchildren. For some reason, my grandchildren are way more fun than my two boys were! Being around them immediately took me back to my own memories those years and inspired this song. The things we believed in when we were young can remain in our hearts for a lifetime and help to guide us and stay with us ’til we die. It’s so much fun to pass it on to the little ones!!! “Don’t it all just seem kinda funny, life starts so innocently, St. Nick, Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, It’s a world that felt safe to me.”

John Batdorf, Bat Mac Music BMI
©2015 All Rights Reserved


WHAT’S A GUY TO DO?

I was being honest aha so how come now you
Tell me that you’re leavin’ and that was that
You made me promise aha I was being truthful
When you asked me “Honey, Is my butt getting fat?”

What’s a guy to do, Tell me what’s a guy to do,
Don’t be made a fool, Cos even if it’s true
It can’t come from you

Thought I’d learned my lesson aha, But here we are in
April and I’m dealin’ with the IRS
Well I’m guessin’ aha they want me declarin’ all the money, and
Not a penny less!

What’s a guy to do, Tell me what’s a guy to do,
What’s a guy to do when the I.R.S
Wants to stick it to you!

What’s a guy to do, Tell me what’s a guy to do,
What’s a guy to do I’m so sick from stress
And feelin’ so confused!

Just when I think I’ve got it figured out, again I feel betrayed
While we were making love my girl screamed out for Michael Buble

What’s a guy to do, Tell me what’s a guy to do,
What’s a guy to do when everything you want don’t want no
Part of you! No

What’s a guy to do, Tell me what’s a guy to do,
What’s a guy to do I’m so damned confused
Tell me what, what’s a guy to do

John Batdorf, Bat Mac Music BMI
©2015 All Rights Reserved

Sometimes when we write, we are inspired by the things that we have picked up along the way in our own lives as well as others. This is just a silly song about what guys learn in their lives and that sometimes the best answer is to say nothing at all! As my dad used to always say, “Just look straight ahead!”

John Batdorf, Bat Mac Music BMI
©2015 All Rights Reserved


DREAM

I can see a brighter day
I can see a better way
In this world full of fear
I find hope and solace here
In dreams of life, dreams of love
That’s all I keep dreaming of
And I have hope a dream’s begun
A dream of peace for everyone

So many any never share these dreams
Life has broken them it seems
If it hurts you just to hear
What I’ve said, I’ll make this clear
I understand, I’ve felt that pain
But I have tried to hope again
When all my waking hours were dark
In my sleep I felt a spark

In a dream, dream

Poets throughout time have tried to
Wake us to the truth
Cynics have rejected them with their own proof
I’m just one more voice that’s joined the choir you’ve heard before
But I don’t know another way

So I dream……….. dream

I can see a brighter day
I can see a better way
In this world full of fear
I find hope and solace here
In dreams of life and dreams of love
That’s all I keep dreaming of
And I have hope a dream’s begun
A dream of peace for everyone

Dream

I can see a brighter day
There must be a better way

John Batdorf, Bat Mac Music BMI /
Michael McLean, Shining Star Music ASCAP
©2015 All Rights Reserved

The world today is so different than when I grew up and I think about what kind of world will my grand children have when they grow up? When I grew up we listened to the great songwriters of that time singing about songs of peace and love and though it all seems a bit clichéd in this world of the Millennials, the truth is still the truth. “Poets throughout time have tried to wake us to the truth, Cynics have rejected them with their own proof, I’m just one more voice that’s joined the choir you’ve heard before, But I don’t know another way So I dream……….. dream”

John Batdorf, Bat Mac Music BMI /
Michael McLean, Shining Star Music ASCAP
©2015 All Rights Reserved


PLEASE DON’T GO

Please don’t go Baby please don’t go
Please don’t go what’s come over your soul?
I don’t know that you know
Baby please don’t go

Well you’re walking out the door
And you say you won’t be back again
Well you’re walking out the door
Like the day when life began
I nearly drowned in the dream you’re chasing
Saw a lot of things that weren’t worth trading
For the treasure that’s already in your hand

Please don’t go Baby please don’t go
Please don’t go what’s come over your soul?
I don’t know that you know
Baby please don’t go

You’re on the road again
And you’re headed to that same old town
Yeah you’re on the road again
To a place you know you can’t be found
I was a fool in the same sad story
Saw the gold lose all it’s glory
And I woke when the dream come tumbling down

Please don’t go Baby please don’t go
Please don’t go Yeah I told you so
’til the lamp was down low
Baby please don’t go

I don’t ever want to see you go
So baby, hear me now
If you ever want to come back home
There’s still a light burning bright every night for you

Please
don’t go Baby please don’t go
Please don’t go I know you heard it before
Gonna hear it once more Gonna hear it once more
Please don’t go
Baby please don’t go

John Batdorf, Bat Mac Music BMI /
Bill Batstone, Batroc Music ASCAP
©2015 All Rights Reserved

We go where the songs take us and it’s always an adventure. As much as I loved the Beatles, I loved much of John Lennon’s early solo stuff equally as much. It was so honest a guttural and it was derived from 50s and 60s rock. I had this line “Please don’t go, baby please don’t go”, knowing there was a song similar to that from the 60s but I really couldn’t make any other line work so that’s what it was. My great friend Bill Batstone helped me write this and it was so much fun to “Rock Out” on the acoustic! This is not your grandpa’s folk that’s for sure!! When I was recording the baritone acoustic guitar solo which was four passes of the same solo, my son Matt came running into the studio and said, “Dad, that’s really heavy!” which was of the highest compliments from a 30 year old!! He was actually impressed by something I was recording shockingly enough!! So turn it up and Rock Acoustically Hard!!

John Batdorf, Bat Mac Music BMI /
Bill Batstone, Batroc Music ASCAP
©2015 All Rights Reserved


NEVER FORGET

Haunted by a memory that I couldn’t forget
Probably needed therapy I was so upset
Somethin’ was wrong I couldn’t move on
Such deep regret, I just couldn’t forget

Ill at ease apologies just made me sweat
Reclaimed the fight to make things right with that mind set
Every year I face the fear I had nothin’ left
But I couldn’t forget, no I couldn’t forget, no I couldn’t forget

Felt ashamed the day I came to pay my debt
I saw surprise within his eyes when he said, “What debt?”
You paid in full years ago no need to fret
So go ahead and forget, go ahead and forget, oh go ahead and forget

Forgiven and forgotten but I could not let
Myself believe I should be free of the burden yet
Did more time for an ancient crime, then a judge would set
Because I couldn’t forget

Been goin’ too slow but I’m lettin’ go though I’m not there yet
I’ve needed help to tell myself once I’ve paid my debt
The victims phrase goes both ways, forgive and forget
Forgive yourself and forget, I need to never forget
What I need to forget

John Batdorf, Bat Mac Music BMI /
Michael McLean, Shining Star Music ASCAP
©2015 All Rights Reserved

This idea and song came late in the game and actually knocked a contender or two off the record. The song structure is very unusual but I really liked just how different it was and felt. Michael again was the co-writer on this song about the mistakes we have all made in the past and how we sometimes carry them with us needlessly throughout our lives. In many instances, we should have let them go years ago but for some reason were unable to do so even after all had been forgiven. “Did more time for an ancient crime than a judge would set, because I couldn’t forget”

John Batdorf, Bat Mac Music BMI /
Michael McLean, Shining Star Music ASCAP
©2015 All Rights Reserved


AFTER THE RACE IS RUN

Things I should have said and should have done
Looking down the road that I come from
Wish there was a way to make it right
So much I’d change but then it might
Be just too late to stop the sun

Step by step, the years went by too fast
Remembering the tears and all the laughs
If I had to do it all again
Would I be better now than I was when
I first heard that starting gun
After the race is run

So many different voices call my name
Don’t want to let myself be drawn away no
I didn’t come this far to lose
I want to know that I was true
To the path that I’d begun
After the race is run

Well I’m takin’ my time I’m not sayin’ goodbye
’cause I’m not ready to go home yet
Tell those friends of mine at the finish line
That they better save their breath
I’m not worried, I’m not alone

There’s so much to do while there’s still light
To win you gotta keep the end in sight
You gotta learn to live each passing day
Holding to the vision of the way
Your life will look when it’s all done

After the race is run Oh after the race is run

John Batdorf, Bat Mac Music BMI /
Bill Batstone, Batroc Music ASCAP
©2015 All Rights Reserved

This melodic idea was one of the first that came to me in this batch of new songs. I had the song structure and the hook plus a verse but I got severely stuck and asked Bill Batstone to help finish it and he did just that. It seemed like the perfect song to end the record with as was Beep Beep was the perfect starter song. They really felt lyrically like perfect bookends. A songwriter would have to be my age in order to write a song like this. It starts at the beginning when we map a life’s plan filled with dreams and all of the goals we hoped we would achieve. Decades later upon reflection, we can see whether we stayed true to the course as we get closer to the finish line. “There’s so much to do while there’s still light, To win you gotta keep the end in sight, You gotta learn to live each passing day Holding to the vision of the way Your life will look when it’s all done After the race is run, Oh after the race is run.”

John Batdorf, Bat Mac Music BMI /
Bill Batstone, Batroc Music ASCAP
©2015 All Rights Reserved

John Batdorf – Beep Beep
Produced, Arranged, Engineered and Mixed By John Batdorf
Associate Producers: Walt Fogle, Debbie Merrill and Mark Hawkins

Mastered at Capitol Records by Ron McMaster
www.capitolstudios.com

John Batdorf BMI – Bat Mac Music
Michael McLean ASCAP – Shining Star Music
Bill Batstone ASCAP – BATROC Music
2014-2015 All Rights Reserved

John Batdorf (Vocals, Acoustic Guitars, Keyboards and Percussion)
Bill Batstone (Vocals and Bass)
Chad Watson (Bass)
Michael Dowdle (Electric Guitars and Mandolin)
Dave Pearlman (Pedal and Lap Steel)
Jason Webb (Hammond B3 Organ)
Gary Falcone (BG Vocals)
Arlene and Bill Kole (BG Vocals)

1 review for Beep Beep

  1. Wayne Riker

    As music editor on my college newspaper in 1971, I reviewed hundreds of albums, many not so kindly. However, a few exceptions crossed my desk, one being a debut album by Batdorf & Rodney titled Off the Shelf. In a day and age of such burgeoning folk rock acts as America, Loggins & Messina, and Seals & Croft, my bar was set high for newcomers. The album, on Atlantic Records, was a pleasant surprise with well-written tunes and intricate vocal harmonies, with the two acoustic guitarists joined by an all-star cast at the Muscle Shoals Studio, including drummer Ronnie Hawkins, guitarist Dean Parks, and keyboardist Barry Beckett.

    Flash forward to the present and John Batdorf is back with a dynamic self-produced album, Beep Beep, a delightful 11-track gem of original tunes ( a few co-written with close friends Michael McClean and Bill Batstone) that speak from the heart. Each song has a nostalgic story behind it, from the thrill of being a grandfather to his blissful 43-year marriage to his wife, Melanie, to his longevity as a musician. “Never in my wildest dreams as a young recording artist in the ’70s,” Batdorf states, “could I have ever imagined myself at age 63 still writing, recording, and still making records. That’s where the path has taken me and I still feel that euphoric fire burning in my heart.” While some artists from the ’70s have lost a bit of their vocal prowess, Batdorf shines vocally all the way through with soul, passion, and style, from the rollicking title track opener, “Beep Beep” to the lilting closing track ballad “After the Race Is Run.”

    Batdorf readily admits the enormous influence of the Beatles when alluding to his clever Beatles-flavored arrangement on the title track “Beep Beep,” with the laudatory lyrics: “I got the fever back in ’64, ain’t felt nothin’ like it since, nothin’ like it before” followed by “Where Does All the Money Go,” reminiscent of a Paul McCartney post-Beatles flavored tune, highlighted by Chad Watson’s nifty melodic bass figures, right out of the McCartney playbook.

    As much as Batdorf’s alluring soulful voice captures the listener from start to finish, traversing through pop, country, folk, and rock flavored tunes, the contributing musicians shine throughout, led by Michael Dowdle’s burning lead guitar lines on rockers “Feels Like Home” and “What’s a Guy to Do,” and his tasteful mandolin phrases on “Never Forget” and “Where Does All the Money Go.” Dave Pearlman’s lap and pedal steel playing covers the gambit, from raw blues riffs to cry-in-your-beer melodic fills. Some perfectly placed background vocals, provided by Gary Falcone, Batstone, and Arlene and Bill Kole, add to multi-layered tracks that never get in the way of each other. Batdorf also engineered and mixed the entire album, knowing just what balance of sound his arrangements called for.

    Beep Beep is quite a pleasant listen, sparked by Batdorf’s songwriting, arranging, and storytelling skills; he may not be a household name like Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen, or Roger McGuinn, but he’s right on par with any of them.

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