Complicated Woman

COMPLICATED

By Dianne J Ferris & Brian Shambleau

“I’ll get the phone, Charlie.”

“Hi Mom, I miss you so much since we moved here to St Catharines.”

“Are you still singing with our old band on the weekends?”

“Well, I don’t know any musicians here yet, Mom.”

“Ray says there’s a lot of really talented ones in this area.”

“Ray Lyell, Mom. Don’t you remember when I took vocal lessons with him last year? Ray was pretty famous in the 1990s, he wrote and recorded a lot of songs in Nashville, plus he toured worldwide. So, I was pleased when he told me he was offering a songwriting course in Hamilton.”

“Yes, I told him I would love to take it. I’m starting in two weeks.”

“Well, it’s a pretty big city here, so I wonder how I’ll ever meet a musician to write with.”

“Oh, that’s a good idea, Mom. I’ll phone the local paper and put an ad in tomorrow.”

“For sure, I’ll let you know what happens…and thanks for the idea.”

“I love you too, Mom….have a good night.”

WANTED: A musician to co-write songs
Phone: 905-xxx-xxxx after 6 p.m.

“Hi Mom, sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner. I did find a musician. I had a couple of them call me, but I’ve decided on this one guy, who has some pretty extensive experience. His name’s Brian Shambleau.”

“Yes, I did meet him. Charlie went too. We both liked him a lot, he’s a nice guy.”

“He lives right in the city and has a little studio in his rec room, with guitars and keyboard and even a mandolin hanging on the wall.”

“I know Mom. You’d feel right at home.”

“Charlie was really impressed with his keyboard expertise.”

“Yes, I sang. He had a Patsy Cline songbook. Yes Mom, he liked my voice.”

“He’d better you say? Ha, ha, you’re prejudiced Mom. I wish you could have been there. He’d love our harmony. With all those years of singing together Mom, maybe this would be our big break to stardom. Ha, ha, ha. Imagine us on the stage together again.”

“Brian’s got tons of musical experience. His first on stage experience was as a classically trained accordionist, playing the basement garrets of the south of Thorold. Next, having changed instruments, he starred as Lead guitar for Northern Eclipse, the house band at Jack Johnson’s Roller Rink in the Niagara Region.”

“During College, Brian played bass for an Elvis impersonator.”

“No, he said he didn’t look like Elvis but sang like him. It was an Elvis cover band.”

“For a while Brian toured all across Ontario with the Rock ‘n Roll band, Grease Caprice. They included an added bonus of a David Bowie set.”

“Mom, get this, Brian’s next band took him to a higher level with the success of Rocket 88, culminating with a performance upstairs at the El Mocombo Night Club in Toronto, Canada.”

“I know. Isn’t that something?”

“Oh yes I almost forgot. He did play bass in two Country bands, Canal Country and The Wendy Lynn Schneider Band. Then one night, Charlie and I went to see him playing keyboard in a Rhythm & Blues band called Soulful.”

“Oh darn. There’s my timer. My bread’s ready to take out of the oven.”

“Okay, I’ll call you in a few days, Mom.”

“Love you…Good Night.”

YEARS LATER

Hi: Brian Shambleau here. My writing partner and good friend, Dianne and I wrote some great songs together recording them. Here’s a few of our favourites: Made in Canada, It’s Almost Always Country on Sunday, All Or Nothing At All Man and Complicated Woman.

Charlie and Di moved up north to Southampton, Ontario a few years ago and that ended Di’s and my songwriting plans. They come down to visit their friends in this area, twice a year, and of course we get together then, too. Last year, I surprised them with an animated video, I’d created. It was the original recording of Complicated Woman, where I played keyboard and Di was singing. Di laughed so hard when she first saw it, because I created her as a blonde when she’s always been a brunette. We had such good feedback from friends and relatives, we decided to post the video up for all to see. So, here it is, COMPLICATED WOMAN.