Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile

Subject: Bruce Murdoch I'm at the Mercy of Your S
From: GUEST,olddude
Date: 17 Jan 12 - 03:31 PM

Awesome
Mercy of your smile

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch I'm at the Mercy of Your S
From: ClaireBear
Date: 17 Jan 12 - 04:07 PM

I'm at the mercy of those sweet lyrics. Bruce, an outstanding piece! Bravo. (And thanks, Olddude, for sharing!)

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch I'm at the Mercy of Your S
From: bobad
Date: 17 Jan 12 - 04:25 PM

The song is from Bruce's latest CD "Sometimes I Wonder Why The World". It can be purchased HERE

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 17 Jan 12 - 04:54 PM

Lovely song!

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: Bobert
Date: 17 Jan 12 - 05:18 PM

Yeah, I've loved that song since brucie shared it with me a while back before it was released and swore me to secrecy... Well, it ain't a secret no more... It also ain't a secret that brucie is one fine singer/songwriter... He and Lonesome EJ set the bar as far as I'm concerned...

BTW, there's another of his songs somewhere that I had the pleasure/privilege of adding some subtle slide geetar to... Little more organic but, hey, I had a blast doing it...

B~

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 17 Jan 12 - 05:32 PM

Well, Bob, that's a damned fine compliment coming from a talented guy like yourself. And Bruce is so good, I'm flattered to be mentioned in the same sentence, really.
Bruce you sing right from the heart, and you nearly put tears in my cynical old eyes whenever I hear you. And Dan, you are not just talented, but you have been a big cheerleader for the rest of us. How terrific that Lightning Road has taken off like it has. You deserve it, Buddy.

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: Little Hawk
Date: 17 Jan 12 - 06:11 PM

That's absolutely beautiful, Bruce.

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: Bobert
Date: 17 Jan 12 - 06:20 PM

Hey, ya'll allowed to buy brucie's CD and listen to 45 minutes of pure delight...

Someone stick a link up for it... It's great!!!

B~

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: Jean(eanjay)
Date: 17 Jan 12 - 06:24 PM

Dan, YouTube needed another of Bruce's songs ~ great upload; thanks for posting and also for all your other videos and for your songs on SoundClick. I have of course shared this on Facebook. ♬

PS: I have the CD and I love it.

Jean

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: GUEST,olddude
Date: 17 Jan 12 - 06:29 PM

Thank you Jean,
I also embedded his link on my lightning road since I been getting a truck load of traffic on that song. Bruce's CD is outstanding, people gotta buy that one for sure. Awesome

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: bobad
Date: 17 Jan 12 - 06:32 PM

Um, Bobert....did you read any of the previous posts?

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: bobad
Date: 17 Jan 12 - 06:43 PM

Kudos also to Mudcatter Ron Bankley for the fine accompanying work on lap steel and 12 string.

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: GUEST,olddude
Date: 17 Jan 12 - 06:57 PM

Hell ya, Ron Bankley is the best there is. He can play anything and his CD is outstanding also

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: Neil D
Date: 17 Jan 12 - 07:05 PM

LOOOVE that song, come to think of it, love all his songs :)

                               Christina and Neil

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: Bobert
Date: 17 Jan 12 - 07:16 PM

Yeah, bobad, I did but seems like lotta folks sounding like this is the first time they have heard this song... If they owned the CD then they would know it by heart by now...

B~

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: Ebbie
Date: 17 Jan 12 - 07:18 PM

The Man with the Wounded Voice- Bruce is hard to equal. I love almost all of his songs, but my favorites just can't be beat.

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Jan 12 - 07:25 PM

That's a good one. Can some kind soul post the lyrics?

-Jose-

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: frogprince
Date: 17 Jan 12 - 08:03 PM

Another voice here to say that the whole CD is GOOD; REAL good.

I would also note that the picture with the video is perfect. The front picture of the CD is also a great portrait in it's own way, but the mood of it has always seemed a little off to me. The portait is so severe, and the album isn't the least bit dark or "down".

Subject: Lyr Add: I'M AT THE MERCY OF YOUR SMILE
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Jan 12 - 09:51 PM

Some very kind remarks here. Thank you all. Special thanks to my friend Dan O'Connell who wrote me today and asked how I'd feel about having 'Mercy' linked to/from his song 'Lightning Road' on YouTube.

Dan, as many of you know, battled a loss of feeling in his fingers. With encouragement from people on Mudcat and elsewhere he tackled guitar playing and then songwriting. It was like a dam opened up, and his songs on YouTube have attracted many, many people to the folk-side of music. Lightning Road took off, and he was at or near 23,000 hits last time I looked (and listened). He deserves it, and I make no secret that I'm a fan of his. And I admire his courage. Took real guts for him to hang-in and get 'er done, but he did. He's a truly good friend. Thank you, Dan.

The CD

I recorded all the cuts just voice and guitar. The raw tracks were sent off to musicians in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia. I asked them to 'do something' with the cuts they received. I made no suggestions to anyone. No point getting musicians who are better than you and then start telling them what to do. Every single one of them came through.

The musicians on Mercy

Caroline Allatt whom I first heard at Cafe Namasthe in Ormstown was at an open mike and after she sang two lines of a song she was doing I asked her manager if there was any chance she'd do a duet with me next time she was in town. We got that fixed up and practised the song three or four times, worked out a few wrinkles, sang it a month later on stage and that was that for about five months. Her harmony got to me so I then asked if she'd record it with me. She agreed.

The sessions for the CD were all done at Eric Bernard's house (Productions guitare verte) in his upstairs studio. He not only did the engineering for the CD but also added some electric bass and electric guitar on a few cuts. That man plays about ten instruments well.

Ron Bankley: I don't know where to start talking about Ron and if I get started I won't stop. He's great--I mean really great as a musician, as a songwriter, as a poet and as a person. To say we're friends would be a severe understatement. He put lap-steel, acoustic 12-string and electric lead on the song. He did the work in his home in Ontario.

I'd intended to be in the studio the day Caroline was doing her overdub just in case . . . . I got snowed in and couldn't get there. Sounds like I wasn't needed. The harmony is just the way we'd done it before, and she matched my phrasing word for word. Dynamite voice that gal has.

Anyway, Mercy turned out to be one of my favourite songs on the CD. Joe asked for the lyrics to be posted, so here they are.


I'M AT THE MERCY OF YOUR SMILE

I'm at the mercy of your smile
And as I walk these summer streets
Staring back mile after mile
Where lovers rub each other's feet
I love you, you know I do
I'm at the mercy of your smile

I'm at the mercy of your eyes
They shine like diamonds in the night
A billion stars burn in the skies
But even they don't shine so bright
I love you, you know I do
I'm at the mercy of your eyes

BREAK

I'm at the mercy of your touch
And of your raven-coloured hair
When the world becomes too much
Give me your troubles and your cares
I love you, you know I do
I'm at the mercy of your touch

I'm at the mercy of your heart
I'd trade a mountain made of gold
To walk a path that never parts
And always have your hand to hold
I love you, you know I do
I'm at the mercy of
I'm at the mercy, love
I'm at the mercy of your heart
Oh yeah
I'm at the mercy of your heart

Bruce

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: GUEST,olddude
Date: 17 Jan 12 - 10:54 PM

You are a master songwriter Bruce and performer. I mess around and have fun with my kids, You are the real deal. Your new CD is outstanding. I love ever song on it ... It deserves to be bought and heard by everyone. I will be pushing it for sure

love ya bro
Dan

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: theleveller
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 03:58 AM

Great song and a fine CD.

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: David C. Carter
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 09:55 AM

Bruce,I already told you what I think about your music.

I play your CD to everyone who comes around the house.
Some of those people don't understand the lyrics,but they all get the feeling,the talent behind the songs.

You've got more fans here in France than you'll ever meet.


David

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: GUEST,C. Ham
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 10:09 AM

Bruce Murdoch's CD is on Mike Regenstreif's Top 10 list for 2011 on the Folk Roots/Folk Branches blog.

Top 10 for 2011

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: Jeri
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 11:08 AM

Well, it's hard to talk when you know someone...

I don't think I'm overly objective, but... I listen to the "hit" folk CDs on a station from Boston. I even bought a CD because they were playing the living crap out of it, and I did like one song they played a couple times. I liked maybe three songs, and the rest were OK.

I find nothing on Bruce's CD that I want to skip, and that's saying something... for me, at least.

I don't know why the CD isn't 'bigger' than it is, but I remember asking someone how a person would get a gig at his place, and he told me that first, the person had to be somebody whose name people recognized. How the hell do you do that when nobody will give you a chance to play a gig? How do you get CDs played when the people who might play it won't listen, and only pick a couple a week to go into the official store?

I came to the conclusion that these people, for the most part, don't know a song is a good song unless they hear it from somewhere else. Judging by some of the music some of them play, I'm sure of it.

There are enough people out there who think a CD is good because other people say it's good, and buy it because a lot of other people have bought it. It's just a different flavor of pop music to them.

Mike Regensteif is a different story because he takes chances and he KNOWS music.

Yes, Bruce is my friend, but being someone's friend doesn't mean I listen to their songs as much as I listen to his...

...baby, and I do.

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 11:17 AM

Great song from a great singer and real gentleman. I almost got to sing backing vocals on this one, but being 3,000 miles away made things kinda difficult. I hope the CD is selling well Bruce, if you read this. I'll make it to your side of the ocean one of these days.

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: BobKnight
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 11:27 AM

Sorry folks - I was inadvertantly signed out, but that posting marked "guest" above was from me.

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: GUEST,olddude
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 12:05 PM

I use to write songs at home and only my kids would ever hear them, then I would toss them away. Bruce said he would "kick my ass" if I tossed out anymore songs. He is responsible for creating a monster LOL

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: Acorn4
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 12:10 PM

It seems to me that his voice rates right up there with the likes of George Jones, Merle Haggard.

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Jan 12 - 11:20 AM

Indeed some really good friends have posted here and I thank you all very much. Jeri did the shot of some old bum in the woods near Ormstown and I used it for the liner notes. She's a good musician and fine photographer and an even better friend. Another friend from Mudcat wrote a short piece for the liner notes and I like him very much for his character, his sense of humour and his guts in returning to school to get journalism credentials in Scotland. He ain't 20 anymore.

I will mention that I was depressed for a long time at not being able to include some people from the UK.

I'd wanted to get Tony A to do some harp (harmonica) on a few cuts; Tim L to lay on a few guitar tracks and Bob Knight (the owner of the best male tenor voice I've ever heard in my life and a wonderful person besides that), but I was just unable to do it. If there's a tomorrow, I hope so much we can accomplish that.

I've been gigging and having fun with audiences, and that's cool. The rubber hits the road on the stage, and that's as it should be.

"The Rookie" seems to have reached a few people in the firefighting community. Despite being too old to continue 'rescue' work, I will always have a big place in my heart for those guys and gals, and in that fraternity--seems I meet one or two from it at every gig I do--I'm made to feel welcome. Shared experiences do that.

Once again, I thank all of you for your very kind comments.

Last: C Ham, I sent you two e-mails but I guess they didn't reach you. Please get in touch.

BM

PS Please let this drop off the page. Thank you.

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Jan 12 - 01:52 PM

Lovely song!

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: GUEST,bankley
Date: 19 Jan 12 - 03:02 PM

'The Man with the Wounded Voice' turned into a helluva producer as well.

that song makes an old bear want to come out of hibernation a bit early

luv ya   Ron

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: GUEST,olddude
Date: 20 Jan 12 - 10:04 AM

Dang it Bruce, song has been stuck in my head for 2 full days. woke up singing it this morning ... grrrrrrr    You see I love it, thats the problem with your music. I can't stop listening

:-) Ron meister same thing ... dang that Jambalaya song ... Love you guys

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 20 Jan 12 - 04:16 PM

Dug it!..left post on video!...Hats off, Bruce!

GfS

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: GUEST,999
Date: 20 Jan 12 - 06:02 PM

GfS, thank you. I left a post on one of your YouTube pieces. Fantastic work. I hope the time's coming when we can talk about how you did some of that. It's not just music, it's art. You were pushing limits before many people even knew the limits were there. Good for you.

BM

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 20 Jan 12 - 09:07 PM

Well, thank you!..Hey, when you go back over my posts, when I'm trying to SHARE with the other MUSICIANS on here, about focusing in on the music, and how much power there is in it, even over 'politics', can, or do you sorta understand that in saying those things, that I'm not recommending one party, or 'ideology' over another(?), but just want the VERY BEST to come out of the soul of the musician?
As I said before, musicians are unique people...gifted people, and those other matters, are lesser of a station, in life!...and to keep one's filters clear, so we can FULLY focus on sounds, and manifesting those sounds, as an expression of the heart...and beyond.
We have a huge say, in where the culture goes....bring goodness and honesty to it.
Man, I'm really glad we connected in a positive way, and on a GOOD NOTE!

Regards!!

GfS

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: GUEST,999
Date: 20 Jan 12 - 09:28 PM

Ask Little Hawk to give you my e-mail.

We have GOTTA talk. I could care less about our political differences. We talk music--well, music is another realm. No politics when we talk about that. Besides, we happen to agree.

BM

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: Little Hawk
Date: 20 Jan 12 - 09:33 PM

I'll send on your email to GfS, Bruce.

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: katlaughing
Date: 20 Jan 12 - 10:06 PM

No chance of this falling off, Brucedarlin'. I know I've come lately, but that is my MOST FAV of all of your songs I've heard, so far. Absolutely perfect, goes right to the heart and says it all.

Thank you, Dan, for posting it and to all who participated in the making of it, not least of which is you, Bruce! That Bankley sure makes the steels sing, too! I LOVE that, too!

luvyakat

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Jan 12 - 10:48 PM

Bankley is a great writer. I say that because his song ", , , , , of Freedom" is the best written song, best wrote song, and just plain best beat writtun song I have ever heard.

Kat, thank you. As a BTW, your book (story) is really good. I'm on p. 126 now and I love it.

BM

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: katlaughing
Date: 20 Jan 12 - 10:54 PM

Thanks!

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Jan 12 - 10:59 PM

At the risk of offering a most odious comparison, this one has the same kind of sensation as Leonard Cohen's Dance Me to the End of Love. Lucky the woman who is the recipient of this song. No way this one is going to fall off the page, as Kat says. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 20 Jan 12 - 11:26 PM

katlaughing: "No chance of this falling off, Brucedarlin'. I know I've come lately,..."

WOW!..It's nice when your song does THAT!!!!

Wink!

GfS

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: GUEST,olddude
Date: 20 Jan 12 - 11:40 PM

Now your going to give him a swelled head !! LOL
I have known him to fall off a bar stool but not a page Kat

Love ya Bruce :-)

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 20 Jan 12 - 11:51 PM

Its OK...(True Story): I did a concert a little while ago, and a 'lady' wanted to know if I would be 'available' afterwards. I told he "No, I'm not taking any apples, thank you"..then she asked, "would it be alright to get a copy of that one('Bittersuite:Joy")?.....before I could answer, she continued, "..IREALLY want to be home alone with it, later so I can...well, you know...with myself."
I shit! That's the first I've even heard of that!!!!

..and NO 'wink'..Swear to God, it was true!!!!

Regards!

GfS

P.S...Hey, I just thought of something, I have my 'Ten commandments for Musicians' that I made just for here, and posted it a while back....(even though there's a few more than ten)....I printed some up. and the music store here thought it was really great, and they framed it, and put it on their wall..I should post it, again....if ya' wanna do music, with me, I give one to everybody. I can post it again....

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: katlaughing
Date: 21 Jan 12 - 12:07 AM

Oh, hell, I walked right into that one!**bg**

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 21 Jan 12 - 12:57 AM

Well Kat, glad to be of service!...Don't tell "Brucie Darlin'", though!

Winkin' at ya!

GfS

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Jan 12 - 01:11 AM

Poor guy - he's not going to know what to say after that exchange!

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: BobKnight
Date: 21 Jan 12 - 08:45 AM

Bruce - thank you so much for your kind words - coming from someone as well respected as you, that's some compliment, and means a helluva lot to me.

Best wishes - Bob

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: GUEST,olddude
Date: 21 Jan 12 - 11:12 AM

Hey what ever happened to letting this thread fall off ... NAW ain't going to happen there buddie ... cause we are all excited about your new music ... I noticed your play count going up good. From the stats it is not just your friends at the cat but coming from all over ... Kewl

GFS ... Laughed my face off thank you

Subject: RE: Bruce Murdoch: I'm at the Mercy of Your Smile
From: Art Thieme
Date: 21 Jan 12 - 11:42 AM

Buce Murdoch sent me this CD\ rccently. What a grand jesture. We are enjoying it a lot at our place, and I truly do apreciate his doing that. The images he has given us all are truly beautiful and vivid.
Ever since I first heard his music on the Elektra Records compilatiion LP called The Singer-Sonweriter Project in the 1960s, I have been a fan. This is a good'un folks

Art Thieme.