"Almost Lucy", Al Stewart. Michela Vazzana feat. Mark Taylor, War Vandal!

Michela Vazzana: vocals, tambourine, mixing, masterig and video editing. Mark Taylor: guitars and guitar solo. War Vandal: additional guitars, bass, percussions and keys. Al is probably my very favourite artist ever, and the one who triggered my willing to write and compose my own songs. I was just a kid when I've heard for the first time "Year Of The Cat" on the radio. I was "literally hypnotized" by that song, and back then I didn't even know English, so I had no clue of what the song was about. Later on, after schools I became a professional singer and I had already started to write my own songs. In Italy the second famous album by Al Stewart was "Time Passages", another "musical" love of my life! As a singer I covered so many songs of the artists I love the most, but never did an Al Stewart one! For many reasons... mainly 'cause his songs are very articulated and the arrangements are very difficoult to reproduce. Alan Parsons produced the albums I mentioned.... (and Modern Times too, that was prior YOTC and TP). In these albums there is also the Filharmonic Lodon Orchestra, directed by ANDREW POWELL....!!! Besides that, Al sings in a key that is not ideal for a female voice. His range is pretty low, and I've always thought only AL could sing his own songs ... But I wanted to give it a try! I've choosen "Almost Lucy" from the album "Time Passages" from 1978 'cause I've always loved that song and always felt like that "Lucy", except for few details... The differences are that I do put my heart in what I do, but I know the struggle of a singer that's not famous and sings in small clubs... they take advantage of you ... they " really "make you play all night just for a pittance or a token"... and "those imperfections sometimes DO bother" me! I try not to pay attention to people around and I pretend they are just like "back -drop or a pattern on the wall". Very often I wait 'till I get payed, pack up my stuff and go. And I did move to California too, I used to have a nice "suntan on my face", but I decided to come back to my own coutry: Italy. To me this is still my world (singing is small clubs..). But I never gave up the chase! Now I wonder IF this Lucy really ever existed or it was an Al's creation... My personal version is that Al described his OWN feelings, using this "Lucy" to describe how he felt... "feel the pain coming on inside"... like it was his own pain... This song wasn't so easy to do... I had to make it 2 full steps higher and I have to thank Mark Taylor and War Vandal for making this version of mine possible...! The video is a collections of pics of me, Al back then, me and Al, Tim Renwick, Peter White, then and now, Mark and War. The story of how I met him is pretty long...! Well... I hope you like my version, 'cause, as I always do, I did put all my heart and soul in here, so feel free to comment and share it! And thank you for your attention, also from Mark and War! The song "Almost Lucy" was written and composed by Al Stewart and it's in the album Time Passages. Time Passages is the eighth studio album by Al Stewart, released in September 1978. It is the follow-up to his 1976 album Year of the Cat. The album, like 1975's Modern Times and 1976's Year of the Cat, was once again produced by Alan Parsons (I included a pic of me and him too). ALMOST LUCY, (lyrics). Lucy worked a different club every day And though she put her mind to it Her heart was never in it She stayed around just long enough to get paid She won't pass the time with you She can't stay a minute And all these changing faces never bothered her at all That just existed like a back-drop Or a pattern on the wall Lucy looks like someone who is waiting for a call She knows will come But no-one else can hear at all Lucy finds the dressing room and the bar Hangs her clothes up Hopes tonight the contract won't be broken Well, they kick you round so much when you're not a star Make you play all night just for a pittance or a token But all these imperfections never bothered her at all She says it sharpens your perception When your back's against the wall There's something that enables her to rise above it all To shrug it off, just when it seems to go too far I think you almost Feel the pain coming on inside I think you almost Feel it now and you don't know why You don't know why The last time that I saw her She had given up the chase Moved away to California Got a suntan on her face She says that life was just another time, another space It's over now, she learned a lot It's not a wasteI think you almost Feel the pain coming on inside I think you almost Feel it now and you don't know why