Chords for A Special Blend • Mervyn Warren Interview
Tempo:
117.05 bpm
Chords used:
Db
Bb
Ab
G
Eb
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[Db] [G] [Bb]
[Eb] [Bb] [F]
My name is [G] Mervyn Warren and [Bb] I am the, I guess technically former [Eb] director of a
special blend.
There were no other directors [Db] but it's just that the group
is no longer [G] together.
But I [Gb] was the director of the group and I [Eb] produced and
arranged the album [Bb] Nowhere [F] But Up [Bb] that is [Db] being re-released.
[G] The album in [Gb] a
nutshell is really a [Eb] collection of songs.
[Bb] [Gm]
We didn't, [Bb] I didn't really have a
concept [Db] per [Ab] se.
You know these days you sort of want [Db] an album to have a concept.
[Dbm] It's [B] a collection of songs that I found [Dbm] [Ebm] lended themselves to interesting vocal
arrangements.
Oakwood is a Christian college.
[Abm] [Dbm] You know their songs are
their gospel songs or Christian songs [B] [Dbm] but musically it's jazz.
[Db] We weren't
allowed to say that back then on the campus but let's face it that's
what it is.
And you've got everything from Big Band, I mean literally Big Band.
The [C] song Seek Ye First which was written by O'Mara Dawson.
Kind of a you know
kind of a almost like an old Andrews [Gb] Sisters kind of thing from the 40s and I
added [Db] Big Band to it.
My first time writing a Big Band chart so [Gb] that was
very exciting.
[Db] And then you know [Ab] and then another song that O'Mara [B] wrote
called [Bb] Let It Shine [Db]
which was more of a funky [D] kind of thing and got to layer it
up with all kinds of synth pads and sounds and percussion and you know stuff
and that was one of the more controversial songs with the
conservative people in the community because it was up [Eb]-tempo and [Ab] you know
they didn't like the funk.
[Eb]
And then there are you know there [E] are ballads
and [Abm] a couple of songs that I wrote that were probably heavily influenced by Al
Giro and The Man and [C] Transfer.
So [Fm] there's a little bit of everything [Db]
but I get my
[Ab] as I think back to songs that I would select for the group they were songs
that I thought you know harmony was the most important thing period harmony was
the most important thing so I would listen for melodies that I could
harmonize in an interesting way and you might say well can't you do that with
any song not [G] necessarily you can but it wouldn't [Bb] always be [Fm] it [Bb] wouldn't always
produce the result that you wanted the goosebumps [Ab] so it was [Db] a collection of
[Ab] songs most of which we had been [Fm] singing for a year [Gm] or two or three but I think I
think I wrote a couple of those [Ab] songs for the project Nowhere But Up [G] and It
Must Be Love I think I wrote [Ab] just prior to recording [C] and so it's a mixture of
those [Bm] and you know something for everybody [Bb] and as I've been living with
it for the last [C] couple of months I've been enjoying it so [Bm] I'm very proud to
re-release it with no [C] disclaimers I think you'll enjoy it
[F] [C] [Fm] [D]
[A]
[N]
[Eb] [Bb] [F]
My name is [G] Mervyn Warren and [Bb] I am the, I guess technically former [Eb] director of a
special blend.
There were no other directors [Db] but it's just that the group
is no longer [G] together.
But I [Gb] was the director of the group and I [Eb] produced and
arranged the album [Bb] Nowhere [F] But Up [Bb] that is [Db] being re-released.
[G] The album in [Gb] a
nutshell is really a [Eb] collection of songs.
[Bb] [Gm]
We didn't, [Bb] I didn't really have a
concept [Db] per [Ab] se.
You know these days you sort of want [Db] an album to have a concept.
[Dbm] It's [B] a collection of songs that I found [Dbm] [Ebm] lended themselves to interesting vocal
arrangements.
Oakwood is a Christian college.
[Abm] [Dbm] You know their songs are
their gospel songs or Christian songs [B] [Dbm] but musically it's jazz.
[Db] We weren't
allowed to say that back then on the campus but let's face it that's
what it is.
And you've got everything from Big Band, I mean literally Big Band.
The [C] song Seek Ye First which was written by O'Mara Dawson.
Kind of a you know
kind of a almost like an old Andrews [Gb] Sisters kind of thing from the 40s and I
added [Db] Big Band to it.
My first time writing a Big Band chart so [Gb] that was
very exciting.
[Db] And then you know [Ab] and then another song that O'Mara [B] wrote
called [Bb] Let It Shine [Db]
which was more of a funky [D] kind of thing and got to layer it
up with all kinds of synth pads and sounds and percussion and you know stuff
and that was one of the more controversial songs with the
conservative people in the community because it was up [Eb]-tempo and [Ab] you know
they didn't like the funk.
[Eb]
And then there are you know there [E] are ballads
and [Abm] a couple of songs that I wrote that were probably heavily influenced by Al
Giro and The Man and [C] Transfer.
So [Fm] there's a little bit of everything [Db]
but I get my
[Ab] as I think back to songs that I would select for the group they were songs
that I thought you know harmony was the most important thing period harmony was
the most important thing so I would listen for melodies that I could
harmonize in an interesting way and you might say well can't you do that with
any song not [G] necessarily you can but it wouldn't [Bb] always be [Fm] it [Bb] wouldn't always
produce the result that you wanted the goosebumps [Ab] so it was [Db] a collection of
[Ab] songs most of which we had been [Fm] singing for a year [Gm] or two or three but I think I
think I wrote a couple of those [Ab] songs for the project Nowhere But Up [G] and It
Must Be Love I think I wrote [Ab] just prior to recording [C] and so it's a mixture of
those [Bm] and you know something for everybody [Bb] and as I've been living with
it for the last [C] couple of months I've been enjoying it so [Bm] I'm very proud to
re-release it with no [C] disclaimers I think you'll enjoy it
[F] [C] [Fm] [D]
[A]
[N]
Key:
Db
Bb
Ab
G
Eb
Db
Bb
Ab
[Db] _ _ [G] _ _ [Bb] _ _ _ _
_ _ [Eb] _ _ _ _ [Bb] _ [F] _
_ _ My name is [G] Mervyn Warren and [Bb] I am the, I guess technically former [Eb] director of a
special blend.
There were no other directors [Db] but it's just that the group
is no longer [G] together.
But I [Gb] was the director of the group and I [Eb] produced and
arranged the album [Bb] Nowhere [F] But Up [Bb] that is [Db] being re-released.
[G] The album in [Gb] a
nutshell is _ really a [Eb] collection of songs.
_ [Bb] _ [Gm]
We didn't, [Bb] I didn't really have a
concept [Db] per [Ab] se.
You know these days you sort of want [Db] an album to have a concept.
[Dbm] It's [B] a collection of songs that I found [Dbm] _ [Ebm] _ lended themselves to _ interesting vocal
arrangements.
_ Oakwood is a Christian college.
_ [Abm] [Dbm] You know their songs are
their gospel songs or Christian songs [B] _ _ [Dbm] but musically it's jazz.
_ _ _ [Db] _ We weren't
allowed to say that back then on the campus but _ let's face it that's
what it is.
_ And you've got everything from _ Big Band, I mean literally Big Band.
The [C] song Seek Ye First which was written by O'Mara Dawson. _ _ _
Kind of a you know
kind of a almost like an old Andrews [Gb] Sisters kind of thing from the 40s and I
added [Db] Big Band _ to it.
My first time writing a Big Band chart so [Gb] that was
very exciting.
[Db] _ And then you know [Ab] and then another song that O'Mara [B] wrote
called _ [Bb] _ Let It Shine [Db] _
which was _ more of a funky [D] kind of thing and got to layer it
up with all kinds of synth pads and sounds and percussion and you know stuff
and that was one of the more controversial songs with the
conservative _ _ people in the community because it was up [Eb]-tempo and [Ab] you know
they didn't like the funk.
_ _ [Eb] _
And then there are you know there [E] are ballads
and [Abm] a couple of songs that I wrote _ _ that _ were probably heavily influenced by Al
Giro and The Man and [C] Transfer.
So [Fm] there's a little bit of everything _ _ [Db]
but I get my
[Ab] as I think back to songs that I would select for the group they were songs
that I thought you know harmony was the most important thing period harmony was
the most important thing so I would listen for melodies that I could
harmonize in an interesting way and you might say well can't you do that with
any song not [G] necessarily you can but it wouldn't [Bb] always be [Fm] it [Bb] wouldn't always
produce the result that you wanted the goosebumps [Ab] _ so it was [Db] a collection of _
_ _ [Ab] songs most of which we had been [Fm] singing _ for a year [Gm] or two or three _ _ but I think I
think I wrote a couple of those [Ab] songs _ for the project Nowhere But Up [G] and It
Must Be Love I think I wrote _ [Ab] just prior to recording [C] and so it's a mixture of
those [Bm] and you know something for everybody _ _ [Bb] and _ as I've been living with
it for the last _ [C] couple of months _ I've been enjoying it so [Bm] _ I'm very proud to
re-release it with no [C] disclaimers _ _ I think you'll enjoy it
[F] _ _ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ [Fm] _ _ _ [D] _
_ _ _ _ [A] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [N] _ _ _
_ _ [Eb] _ _ _ _ [Bb] _ [F] _
_ _ My name is [G] Mervyn Warren and [Bb] I am the, I guess technically former [Eb] director of a
special blend.
There were no other directors [Db] but it's just that the group
is no longer [G] together.
But I [Gb] was the director of the group and I [Eb] produced and
arranged the album [Bb] Nowhere [F] But Up [Bb] that is [Db] being re-released.
[G] The album in [Gb] a
nutshell is _ really a [Eb] collection of songs.
_ [Bb] _ [Gm]
We didn't, [Bb] I didn't really have a
concept [Db] per [Ab] se.
You know these days you sort of want [Db] an album to have a concept.
[Dbm] It's [B] a collection of songs that I found [Dbm] _ [Ebm] _ lended themselves to _ interesting vocal
arrangements.
_ Oakwood is a Christian college.
_ [Abm] [Dbm] You know their songs are
their gospel songs or Christian songs [B] _ _ [Dbm] but musically it's jazz.
_ _ _ [Db] _ We weren't
allowed to say that back then on the campus but _ let's face it that's
what it is.
_ And you've got everything from _ Big Band, I mean literally Big Band.
The [C] song Seek Ye First which was written by O'Mara Dawson. _ _ _
Kind of a you know
kind of a almost like an old Andrews [Gb] Sisters kind of thing from the 40s and I
added [Db] Big Band _ to it.
My first time writing a Big Band chart so [Gb] that was
very exciting.
[Db] _ And then you know [Ab] and then another song that O'Mara [B] wrote
called _ [Bb] _ Let It Shine [Db] _
which was _ more of a funky [D] kind of thing and got to layer it
up with all kinds of synth pads and sounds and percussion and you know stuff
and that was one of the more controversial songs with the
conservative _ _ people in the community because it was up [Eb]-tempo and [Ab] you know
they didn't like the funk.
_ _ [Eb] _
And then there are you know there [E] are ballads
and [Abm] a couple of songs that I wrote _ _ that _ were probably heavily influenced by Al
Giro and The Man and [C] Transfer.
So [Fm] there's a little bit of everything _ _ [Db]
but I get my
[Ab] as I think back to songs that I would select for the group they were songs
that I thought you know harmony was the most important thing period harmony was
the most important thing so I would listen for melodies that I could
harmonize in an interesting way and you might say well can't you do that with
any song not [G] necessarily you can but it wouldn't [Bb] always be [Fm] it [Bb] wouldn't always
produce the result that you wanted the goosebumps [Ab] _ so it was [Db] a collection of _
_ _ [Ab] songs most of which we had been [Fm] singing _ for a year [Gm] or two or three _ _ but I think I
think I wrote a couple of those [Ab] songs _ for the project Nowhere But Up [G] and It
Must Be Love I think I wrote _ [Ab] just prior to recording [C] and so it's a mixture of
those [Bm] and you know something for everybody _ _ [Bb] and _ as I've been living with
it for the last _ [C] couple of months _ I've been enjoying it so [Bm] _ I'm very proud to
re-release it with no [C] disclaimers _ _ I think you'll enjoy it
[F] _ _ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ [Fm] _ _ _ [D] _
_ _ _ _ [A] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [N] _ _ _