I first started playing around with the rhythm for “Whiskey Tango,” which I was calling “Just Walkin’,” back in January of 2018. I added to it slowly, over the two years that it was in my DAW’s queue, and only recently realized that it kinda sorta sounded like a tango.
In the original recording, I’m playing the not yet fully realized rhythm on my acoustic guitar as if it were a double bass. Listening back to it to recollect the song’s origins, I find myself wanting to hear the finished version that way. Anyone have a stand-up bass they wanna give me? With three free lessons?
Anyway, the piece seemed contemplative to me and was an afternoon walk ear worm for awhile, so that’s where the “Just Walkin'” working title came from. Hearing a tango in the nearly finished piece, I mulled a few ideas but pretty quickly settled on “Whiskey Tango” for quite a few fairly obvious reasons.
First, there is the military phonetic alphabet connection. I like the idea of someone who knows what an actual tango is listening to this and thinking “What the … ?” I hadn’t heard of the “white trash” connection until I named the song. I’m sure there are numerous other entertaining “WT” acronyms out there that I am wholly ignorant of.
Then of course, there is the connotation that, when you dance with whiskey, it can be a fiery, passionate dance … but, no matter your gender or status, the liquor leads.
Whiskey Tango
This piece sat as two repetitions of a theme over a rhythm, with a big empty spot at its center, for a very long time. So long that I basically forgot about it.
Hearing it again, in my recent dumpster dive into the DAW song queue, I realized I could change things up in that middle section with a bass solo.
It is worth noting that about 60% or maybe even more of the music I come up with is “auto” written. Basically, I’m noodling and suddenly there is a lucky accident.
That’s certainly how I come up with most of my solos. Noodle around until you feel like you have your footing on the thing, then noodle around some more but with the record button down. Do it enough times and, voila: you have the basic ingreedimints for your solo.
I go back in, listen to the various takes, cherry pick the phrases I like, then stitch it all together and force myself to learn that puppy. Once I’ve got it down, rerecord.
I’m getting faster at it. I figure, at this rate, I’ll be really good just about the time I’m dead.
“Whiskey Tango” and my other songs can be found on the CAE bandcamp page.
Concept, samples, bass, and guitar: CAE
