2025-Feb-08 - Memory of a Friend
This week's randomly selected song Memory of a Friend is track #9 from disc #2 of my triple CD album It Was All Just a Dream.
Memory of a Friend first appeared on my 2017 album Juxtaposition, and again on my 2022 album Juxtaposition Reimagined. The final version of the song on It Was All Just A Dream features me playing bass guitar (replacing the synthesizer bass from the original version), a new piano intro, an actual guitar solo, and a lighter, less layered overall arrangement. And of course the drums and overall mix got a pretty substantial upgrade as well.
I wrote Memory of a Friend as a tribute to my graduate advisor, Dr. R.W. "Buddy" Burniske. He was an incredible educator with a quick and witty sense of humor. Upon our very first meeting he insisted I call him “Buddy” and NOT Dr. Burniske. He advocated for the use of computer and Internet technology for distance education, but more importantly for collaboration. I worked for about a year as his graduate assistant until I was offered a full time position within the same college where I was studying for my master's degree. And in our time together, we worked together to build several online tools for increasing collaboration among both the students and faculty. He treated me like a respected colleague, which to me showed a level of respect that called me higher and encouraged me to always give my best effort.
After a trip, Buddy saw a doctor for a persistent pain in is leg, and unfortunately he was diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer. He lost his leg, and not long after, he was overcome by the rapidly spreading disease. I was crushed. We all were. He was not only a respected and brilliant educator, he was also very much a friend. Not just to me, but to pretty much anyone who crossed paths with him. It was his nickname, after all.
The song is inspired by and dedicated to Buddy and my memories of working together and attending several of his courses. I know that memories of him will live on in every student and colleague he worked with during his career. May Buddy rest in eternal aloha.
The Music Theory Behind the Song
I don't really know why, but I wrote Memory of a Friend in the 5/4 time signature. It's the only song I've ever written in five. This odd time signature gives the song a bit of a mysterious beat, but if you're not paying attention, you likely won't realize that there is an extra beat every measure.
The melancholy tonality of this song comes from the heavy key of C# minor, and my use of the very low C# on both my 5-string bass as well as the pair of 7-string rhythm guitars. The intro, verses, and interlude all use the same chord progression of C#m -> Amaj7 -> C#m -> F#add4. These chords leave the key of the song a bit ambiguous. While the first two chords, C#m and Amaj7 are pretty solidly representative of the key of C# minor [C#,D#,E,F#,G#,A,B], the second pair of chords, C#m and F#add4 imply C# Dorian mode [C#,D#,E,F#,G#,A#,B]. This very subtle shift of the A note to the A# gives the overall somber feel a slight glimmer of hope, like a happy memory during a time of grief.
The chorus of the song brings another ambiguous tonality. The chord progression is D -> C#m -> F#add4. The first two chords give the strong sense that the key has changed to F# minor [F#,G#,A,B,C#,D,E], but the final chord in the progression is F#add4, which is an F# chord [F#,A#,C#] plus the additional 4th degree B. This ambiguity between F# minor and major was an intentional device to convey the complex mix of sadness and happiness that one experiences from memories of love ones lost.
The original version of the song featured a bit of a bridge section that featured the repeating chord progression A -> E -> F# which features the same tonal ambiguity of the chorus, just using slightly different chords. The A and E could imply the key of A major or F# minor, but the ending chord F# is an unexpected major where a minor would be the expected resolution. For the final version of the song, I used this bridge section as the basis for my guitar solo.
Guitars and Amps
I used six guitars for Memory of a Friend. There are a couple of subtle rhythm guitar parts playing big heavy power chords, but they are a little lower in the mix. I played these parts using my 7-string Jackson RR7R through my Synergy Bogner Ecstacy blue channel, and my 7-string Ibanez RG7PCM through my Synergy Diezel VH4 blue channel.
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A bit more in the foreground of the mix are a pair of clean guitar parts. I played these parts using my "swirly" Ibanez RG470 through my Synergy Fryette Deliverance green channel, and my "purple phaze" Charvel Pro-Mod DK24 through my Synergy 800 blue channel.
I played all of the lead guitar parts for the verses and choruses on my "nebula green" Ibanez S5521 through my Synergy ENGL Powerball blue channel. I played the interlude between the first chorus and second verse using my Sully 622 through my EVH 5150 III green channel, and I played the guitar solo on the 622 through my Synergy Bogner Ecstacy blue channel.
If you love what you hear and want to support the music I make, please consider purchasing It Was All Just a Dream on CD or digital download. I will gladly personalize and autograph your copy.
https://chrisstark.com/it-was-all-just-a-dream
Keep an eye out for next Saturday's song spotlight, and as always, thank you sincerely for all of your support!
Love, Aloha, and Rock!
❤️😎🎸