Jun 13
VoicePlay Short: Am I Enough ft. J.None
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VoicePlay Short: Am I Enough ft. J.None
The Lion Sleeps Tonight — VoicePlay music video
These guys named themselves VoicePlay because they like to have fun in their performances. Every once in a while, that means that they let loose and get extra silly with their video while still taking the music seriously. When they decided to revisit this classic song, it was a perfect opportunity to engage in some tomfoolery and dance like nobody was watching. This is one you're going to watch a few times, just to catch all the shenanigans.
Details:
title: The Lion Sleeps Tonight (feat. J.None)
original performers: The Tokens
written by: original Zulu song "Mbube" by Solomon Linda; English lyrics by George David Weiss & Al Brackman (credited as "Albert Stanton")
arranged by: Layne Stein
release date: 19 January 2024
My favorite bits:
the lovely blend and smooth hand-offs between J.None and Cesar during the opening section
the African-inspired percussion sounds in Layne's beats 🪘
all the CG animals wandering through the frame, complete with accompanying sound effects
the moseying bass line Geoff maintains through most of the song to give a feeling of continuity
Eli taking over the soaring melody for the second chorus
Layne and Geoff getting their turns on the lead
the antics of Cesar and Layne trying to be seen in the back
the beautiful ascending bell chord of ♫ "tonight" ♫
J cheesing big for the camera and throwing in a bit of lowkey Carlton dance for old times' sake 🕺
Cesar fluffing his mane as he prepares to snooze 🦁
all their goofy dancing as their vocalizations get increasingly complex
the clear descant line Eli layers into the chaos
VioLayne! 🎻 (with a spinning squirrel on his head 🤣)
those impressively high whistle tones from Cesar
dropping back to sweet, simple harmonies for the final refrain
sleepy Cesar resting his head on J's shoulder as they wind down 😴
Trivia:
This was originally intended to be a short (as indicated by the vertical format), but Layne was having so much fun during the arrangement process that he just kept going.
4:2:Five first recorded a version of this song twenty years earlier for their 2004 album "Time Machine", and performed it at live shows into the early VoicePlay era.
It was also the audience participation finale number at the 2018 Total Vocal concert where VoicePlay were among the featured performers.
This song's refrain of "Wimoweh" is a misheard transliteration of the original "Uyimbube" ("You are a lion" in Zulu). It's also the title under which an early version of the song without additional lyrics was released in the U.S. by The Weavers in 1951, a decade before The Tokens' expanded version.
all hail the lion king
He go: "weeeeeeeeee" but ✨️fabulous ✨️
Edit: TUMBLR FUCKED UP THE QUALITY AGAIN
The Last Shanty — VoicePlay music video short
Military forces have changed quite a lot over the past few centuries as advances in technology have been implemented. Navies have moved from wooden vessels propelled by the wind to massive nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. Can the personnel on those ships still rightly be called "sailors" when they never use any sails? VoicePlay brought back their own wayward seaman to get some answers.
Details:
title: The Last Shanty (A Sailor Ain't A Sailor), feat. J.None
original performer: Tom Lewis
written by: Tom Lewis
arranged by: Rob Dietz
release date: 12 January 2024
My favorite bits:
starting with a diagetic beat of J.None thumping the top of the barrel to accompany his clear melody
the expanding harmonies as Cesar and Eli each join in
Layne combining a military cadence with more playful sounds in the percussion line
the juxtaposition of Geoff singing ♫ "up the loft" ♫ in the basement
J adopting an exaggerated operatic tone to comment on the not-so-luxurious sleeping accomodations
the boys miming along to Layne's sound effects punctuating ♫ "haul on the rope" ♫ and ♫ "climb up the mast" ♫
the contrary motion of the front trio climbing while Geoff moseys downward on the final ♫ "get your civvies ready…" ♫
Eli and Cesar going extra high on the last "a sailor ain't a sailor"
ending with a very manly "Hungh" and J's silly expression
Trivia:
In the years since J.None had left VoicePlay to join the U.S. Navy Band, the group had recorded several other nautical tunes without him — "Hoist the Colours", "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)", "Wellerman", and "Drunken Sailor".
As is often the unfortunate case, the YouTube version cuts off the big ending portion. (Stinkin' time limits.)
This song was Tom Lewis's first original composition, written for the 1980 Services Folk Competition at which he won the silver cup. He then recorded it for his debut album, "Surfacing", released in 1987.
Lewis spent 24 years in the British Royal Navy, mostly aboard submarines. While stationed at a naval base in Scotland early in his career, he grew to love the local folk music scene. Since retiring in 1983, he has been a touring musician and appeared at many folk music festivals in North America and Europe. These days, he mostly performs with the Polish band QFTRY.
I'm doing something I don't usually do. Turning a one-off prompt into a full story. I've started working on it, I think, a month or two after I wrote the prompt (super slow writer here) and I'm finally almost done with it. It was the prompt Seeing Double from Whumptober 2024 prompts. (so anyone who liked the prompt there's more coming eventually) I have the rest of the story mapped out, it's just a handful of scenes yet, and it'll be done. Then it just needs to be tidied up and edited. I'm hoping to have it done by the two year(!) anniversary of the prompt...
Lose Control — VoicePlay music video short
The start of a new year can be a good time to break old habits, but sometimes that's easier said than done. This song about the addictive pull of an unhealthy relationship had been taking the world by storm, and these guys make a bad idea sound oh so good.
Details:
title: Lose Control (feat. J.None)
original performer: Teddy Swims
written by: Jaten "Teddy Swims" Dimsdale, Joshua "Ammo" Coleman, Julian Bunetta, Marco "DJ Infamous" Rodriguez-Diaz Jr., & John "Mikky Ekko" Sudduth
arranged by: Geoff Castellucci
release date: 5 January 2024
My favorite bits:
Eli's balance between smooth legato delivery and the emotional grit in his timbre
the brief moment of monophony for ♫ "door" ♫
Layne kicking in the drums with a fantastic brush snare and high hat
their crisp diction on ♫ "Outta my mind. How many times" ♫
Cesar, J.None, and Geoff slipping in with ♫ "Don't you know" ♫ before it arrives in the melody line
the increasing speed and intensity of Layne's snare hits under ♫ "falling apart right in front of you, can't you see" ♫
dropping out the percussion and bass to let Eli's incredible riffing soar above Cesar and J's harmonies
the smooth hand-off of the lead to J and back again
that final descending riff
"That's the one, that's the one, that's the one, that's the one." "You didn't hit the light this time!" 😆
Trivia:
The YouTube short cuts off nearly 20 seconds at the end, including Eli's gorgeous plaintive wail in the chorus. An absolute crime. 😡
Teddy Swims released his own a cappella version of the song later in the year, which is just the original studio recording with the instruments stripped out and some extra reverb on the vocals.
He also recorded a short of the chorus with VP pal Anthony Gargiula and Jonathan Tilkin as part of Anthony's kitchen counter series.
VoicePlay's final release of the year was another Teddy Swims song, a short of "The Door", also featuring J.None.
This reunion brought out some warm fuzzies between the younger guys.
J reunited with musician Mitch Kru! later in the year for another song with the same title, which was then chosen as the theme tune for a streaming reality dating show called Match Maker VA.
2023 VoicePlay fall activities — chills, chats, Chicago shows, and life changes
As the summer gave way to autumn, the fellas of VoicePlay and their extended circles entered a flurry of activities. In between music video productions and live concerts, they made sure to spend time with their friends and families, as well as making some new connections.
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Haunts and hype
The Castelluccis wasted no time in celebrating the start of spooky season. Kathy filmed a quick tour of their living room decorations while Geoff provided a seasonally appropriate soundtrack.
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Meanwhile, Layne's extended family gathered to celebrate the birthday of his nephew Jude, who had played the trick-or-treater in VoicePlay's "This Is Halloween" video in 2018.
As the weekend approached, Cesar offered some quiet encouragement for himself and anyone else who might need it.
Cesar sings a bit of "Go Off" by Doja Cat
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Dark and light
VoicePlay's choice for their main Halloween video was a frequently requested Disney villain song, "Hellfire" from Hunchback of Notre Dame. Doing justice to the intensity of the lyrics wasn't an easy task, but the guys worked their magic as only they can.
On a much lighter note, Geoff sat down for a conversation with vocal coach Tara Simon. They talked about his life and career, from high school to the foreseeable future.
The next day, he released his solo Halloween video, which picked up the baton of Nightmare Before Christmas songs with a bassy — and fantastically theatrical — rendition of "Jack's Lament".
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Warm fuzzy interlude
Over the following week, VoicePlay ran their next charity auction for their Patreon patrons, raising money by auctioning off costume pieces and props from past Halloween projects.
They also took a short break from their seasonal tunes for a sweet excerpt of Selena's "Como La Flor" with Ashley Diane.
Local producer Derrick "Millivanz" Williams released a promo video for the 5th annual Derrick Games event, featuring an original song and the vocal stylings of one J.None.
Since their anniversary fell in the middle of the week, Layne, Cyndi and their youngest daughter celebrated with a relaxed dinner at their favorite pizza joint.
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Time is fleeting
As the month few by, VoicePlay got back into the spooky swing of things with a rollicking rendition of "The Time Warp" from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Between the exceptional vocals, earnestly silly dancing, and character-inspired outfits, it's sure to put a smile on your face.
Over the weekend, the gang took some time to celebrate the impending arrival of Eli and Ashley's son at a baby shower filled with gifts, good food, and even better company.
With just a month to go before the Chicago anniversary shows, the reality of it truly set in, and the guys started to let themselves get excited.
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Soul and silliness
That night marked the start of Cesar's two stints with Evolution: Motown at the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival. The guys wowed the crowds with their smooth singing and energetic dance moves.
Meanwhile, Tony and Layne tested out a mechanical bull mask by lip syncing to a few ballads by their favorite divas.
The penultimate weekend of October brought some slightly disparate music. J.None released a lovely single called the "The Journey", which would be included on his next album the following summer.
Cesar and his buddy Michelle Knight spent the weekend over in Melbourne, performing spooky tunes from well-known musicals with the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra for their seasonal Bewitching Broadway concert. And Geoff released a short of "I Put A Spell On You" inspired by Annie Lennox's haunting rendition.
The last week of the month saw the guys with their fingers in a number of pies. Cesar appeared as a featured guest at The Renaissance Theatre's Musical Mondays open mic, then returned to EPCOT with Evolution: Motown for their second set of performances for the season.
In between those live shows, VoicePlay headed to the studio with Omar Cardona to rehearse for Atlantic City and film a couple shorts.
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Back to the boos
Since their creative forces were focused on producing the next episode of The Villains Lair, Layne and Tony released an extended commentary video for their 2020 Halloween project "Bump in the Night" in lieu of new spooks.
And Geoff recorded "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving as a follow-up to the version of Bing Crosby's "Headless Horseman" song that was his first solo Halloween project in 2020.
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On the eve of Halloween itself, the PattyCake gang headed to Casa Feliz to start filming the exterior portions of their next Villains Lair episode. Then on Halloween proper, the Castelluccis carved some jack-o-lanterns.
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Hitting the road
November began with a theme of travel. Cesar and Omar took a trip down to Puerto Rico. While it was technically for work, they also found time to hang with family and friends.
VoicePlay's first release of the month was a rocking version of the old Irish folk song "Whiskey in the Jar" that they'd filmed earlier in the year.
Then Geoff got moody with a bassy solo short of Bruce Springsteen's "Further On Up the Road" by way of Johnny Cash.
When the weekend got rolling, Cesar and the Cardona brothers spent both nights performing with gig band Lunar at a private event. As soon as he got home, Cesar headed out again, this time down to Boca Raton for an Evolution: Motown show.
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Who are you?
The next week brought Layne's turn in the interview chair with fellow singer Peter Barber. They discussed his ever-expanding set of skills, both behind the mic and in the editing bay, and finding balance in an uncertain industry.
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The next round of filming for The Villains Lair brought a cadre of PattyCake's faithful Patreon patrons to town to be extras in some outdoor scenes. Layne's self-appointed antagonist Marylimea was among them, and presented Layne and Tony with custom calendars for the upcoming year that contained lovingly trolling Photoshopped images of her nemesis.
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J.None also jumped online for an interview with fellow singer Ethan Drew on the Vocast podcast (now called "The Face Behind the Voice"). Their conversation touched on everything from music to video games to family.
The following day, Le Boeuf released a a DeejaVu Remix of the cover of Dante Thomas's "Miss California" featuring J.None that they'd collaborated on the previous summer.
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A little love
In the middle of the month, VoicePlay took second place in Ranker.com's poll of the best a cappella groups, nestled between Pentatonix and Home Free. Not too shabby, considering that both their neighbors have benefited from Sony Entertainment's robust PR department following their wins on The Sing-Off, while VoicePlay have remained independent.
The next day, they releasd a smooth short of "Valerie", best known from the version by Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse.
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During the ensuing week, Cesar and his Element pals played two back-to-back corporate gigs with Shannon Starkey sitting in for Michelle, who had a broken foot. First they entertained the crowd at the IAAPA conference opening ceremony. Then they served as the house band for the "Not So Late Show" with Carnie Wilson and Demi Lovato at the Global Exchange Conference.
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Hello, world!
With the weekend looming, VoicePlay finally jumped on a plane and flew to Atlantic City for the Chicago anniversary shows. Between the two concerts and several meetups with fans from around the globe, it was quite a whirlwind.
While they were there, they also unleashed their next short, a wonderfully tongue-in-cheek version of "I'm Too Sexy" with not one but two special guest performers.
The guys returned home triumphant, ready to relax with friends and family. Cheoff Castellucci and his bespectacled assistant prepared an impressive spread for Thanksgiving, as well as packing bags of hygiene essentials for donation to a local shelter.
Meanwhile, their friends at Entertainment Central released a promo video for their new group, Operazzi, which was filmed at PattyCake.
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Hey, baby!
After many years of anticipation, Eli and Ashely finally welcomed their son Asher to the world. The whole extended family was delighted by the tiny bundle of joy.
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A swing and a win
December began with a couple solid grooves. VoicePlay released their second Loop relay game, a bit of Elvis's "Return to Sender" initiated by Geoff.
And J.None put out a video for "Who Gon Stop Me", an anthem to perseverance from his "R&B Stories" EP that he'd released the summer before.
The next week brought more celebration as friends and family gathered for Asher's bris. The new parents were tired but glowing, and everyone was excited to meet their tiny bundle of joy.
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Back to business
A couple days later, Layne and Tony gathered their cast of baddies at the PattyCake studio to start filming the interior scenes for the Villains Lair episode in progress.
Following in his VP bandmates' wake, J.None sat down for an interview with Peter Barber on the Vocal Arts podcast. They talked about everything from his childhood to his plans for the future.
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Tidings of comfort and joy
With the end of the year quickly approaching, it was finally time for some festive tunes. Omar Cardona released a cover of "NSYNC's "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" featuring dozens of his friends and family members, including Cesar.
The next day, Geoff put a gentle, bassy spin on a short of Mariah Carey's ubiquitous "All I Want For Christmas Is You" that even managed to win over some former retail workers.
The following week, Cesar returned to the annual Advent Health fundraiser, this time with Omar in tow. The pair went live on Instagram to give a backstage view for a sing-along of "Feliz Navidad". Even with just a handful of volunteers in a conference room as a live audience, they worked the crowd with festive gusto.
Cesar and Omar sing "Feliz Navidad" — Wait for it…
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Red, green, and blue
The middle of the month brought a double shot of holiday silliness. VoicePlay put their own ridiculous twist on "Jingle Bell Rock" in the style of Mean Girls, featuring the return of Adriana Arellano and the debut of Asher Jacobson.
Geoff took another dip in the Presley pool with a surprisingl rendition of "Blue Christmas" that somehow manages to be both funny and sweet.
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Let the good times roll
The next weekend saw the guys heading in separate directions. Cesar and his Lunar friends had a gig singing 80s jams at a skating rink.
Layne and Cyndi headed up to NYC for a joint birthday / early holiday excursion. They saw a bunch of Broadway shows, ate good food, and caught up with a few friends while they were in town.
The Castelluccis had some local fun with a trip to the aquarium, where they got to interact with the penguins.
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Last hurrahs
As the end of the year drew even closer, VoicePlay released one more short. Their exceprt of "This Wish" from the latest animated Disney movie is beautifully hopeful.
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That evening, Layne and Cyndi popped over to Clearwater with some friends to attend a Rockapella concert and say hi to occasional collaborator Jeff Thatcher.
The day after Christmas, Cesar found a tree in need of an embrace to share some love with the world at large.
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The year ahead would bring new collaborators, the return of old friends, and the continuing flood of creativity VoicePlay's fans have come to expect. But those are stories for another time.
