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The only Gentle Beans album was released to the members of the band at the very end of 2001. It had been recorded between the fall of 1999 and right before the release of the album. The layout of the inserts and artwork was designed as a copy of Backstreet Boys' "Black & Blue." Originally I wanted to call it "Green & Blue" because I always associated Jeff with the color green and me with the color blue. But that seemed like a pretty far-reaching way to connect us with BSB's album title. When I told Jeff the proposed title, he didn't like it and came up on the spur of the moment with "Purple & Yellow," JMU's school colors. Perfect! A track-by-track rundown of the album: 1. Bye Bye Bye (2001 version) *NSYNC Sofmor - Justin, Lance, Chris Jungle J - JC, Joey Recorded: Winter 2001 at Gifford Studios (my sophomore dorm room) Re-Recorded version of the first song recorded by Gentle Beans - this time with better production (contains a remix intro I added), and relatively better vocals. Uses the instrumental track from the real *NSYNC version. 2. Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely (2001 version) Backstreet Boys Sofmor - Brian, Kevin, Howie D Jungle J - AJ, Nick Recorded: Winter 2001 at Gifford Studios Re-Recorded version of the second Gentle Beans song. The music is from some karaoke version I found off of Napster (came with background vocals included.) Listen closely and you can hear the TV on in the background. I must have recorded my vocals when no one was around. I always was self-concious of my singing when alone, so had the TV on to cover up my singing to people walking by my room. Some pitch-shifted vocals appear. 3. We've Got It Goin' On Backstreet Boys Sofmor - Brian, AJ, Howie D, BSB Jungle J - AJ, BSB Recorded: Fall 2000 at Gifford Studios After we tried doing a Britney Spears song ("Crazy") and I lost the work we'd done over summer break, Jeff and I got together with a vengeance during our sophomore year. We recorded the bulk of our album (ten songs) during these two semesters. In fact it was during the recording of this song that we decided to make an entire album. The instrumental for this track came from the real backing to Backstreet Boy's version and even includes the famous vocal group on the chorus. (Features the first Jeff Cretz "Tite!") 4. It's Gonna be Me *NSYNC Sofmor - Justin, Lance, Joey Jungle J - JC, Chris Recorded: Fall 2000 at Gifford Studios The music backing is the instrumental from the real *NSYNC version, although I phased the intro riff. After the song is over, I created a link leading into the next song, proving the idea for an entire Gentle Bean's album existed this early. 5. The Real Slim Shady Eminem Sofmor - Eminem Jungle J - Eminem Recorded: Fall/Winter 2000 at Gifford Studios The first non-boy band song, although, technically it's still pop. Because it was mostly rap, I let Jeff do most of the verses and I did the chorus and vocal sound effects. An extra "we're going to have a problem here" is mixed into the second verse accidently. 6. What's My Age Again Blink 182 Sofmor - Mark Jungle J - Tom Recorded: Winter 2000 at Gifford Studios I randomly found this instrumental of the real Blink 182 version. I'm pretty sure this was Jeff's first song choice for Gentle Beans. 7. Shape of My Heart Backstreet Boys Sofmor - Brian, AJ, Howie D, Kevin Jungle J - AJ, Nick Recorded: Winter 2000 at Gifford Studios Backstreet Boys' version was too new for there to be a real instrumental out on Napster, so I used a karaoke instrumental version instead. The intro is me playing my acoustic guitar, and I might have added some electric guitar in there too. 8. Losing My Religion R.E.M. Sofmor - Michael Stipe Jungle J - Michael Stipe Recorded: Winter 2000 at Gifford Studios Jeff had been trying to choose a song for awhile, and of those we only did "What's My Age Again" because I agreed. I guess I thought I was being unfair, and went with the next song Jeff chose, which turned out to be this one. Needless to say Jeff ended up singing most of it. The music track came from a karaoke version I found online, complete with a background vocalist. This song has another album-link. I have an outtake of Jeff's vocals from the next song (the Britney Spears Medley) pan from one side to another. 9. Britney Spears Medley -Oops! ...I Did it Again -Lucky -...Baby, One More Time Britney Spears Sofmor - Lucky Britney Jungle J - Oops Britney Recorded: Winter 2001 at Gifford Studios The first song we worked on after winter break. Since we never completed Britney's "Crazy" I decided to try another Britney song. But I was also getting inventive with my production. I threaded three Britney songs together from their real instrumental backgrounds. 10. Life on the Street Gentle Beans Sofmor - Raps, Music/Lyrics Jungle J - Raps, Lyrics Recorded: Winter/Spring 2001 at Gifford Studios I was getting a little tired of doing other people's music so I put it to Jeff that we do an original. He wanted to do a rap, I wanted to try typically boy-band sounding pop. We compromised and did both, tackling the rap first. I found an instrumental I liked (Snoop Dogg's "Bitch Please") and messed with ita bit - speeding it up, forming verses and choruses from it. To this day I'm still a little uncomfortable with Jeff's lyrics. 11. I Never Know Where You Are Gentle Beans Sofmor - Vocals, Music/Lyrics Jungle J - Vocals Recorded: Fall/Winter 2001 at Gifford and Mockingbird Pond Court Studios The other Gentle Bean-original. I copied Max Martin's formulas from "Larger Than Life," "The Call" and "It's Gonna Be Me" and came up with this. I did all the production myself. The pitch-shifted vocals at the end always kinda lessened this nice, generic little tune. I recorded Jeff's vocals before summer break, and did mine later at home. 12. I Thought She Knew *NSYNC Sofmor - Vocals Music/Lyrics Jungle J - Vocals Recorded: Summer 2001 at Mockingbird Pond Court and SouthView Studios I had decided to take time off from school, but wanted to finish up the Gentle Beans album. I always knew I was going to have this song as last. I wanted us to be good enough to do it just vocals, but alas, that didn't come true. I picked out the chords as best as I could and played them on my acoustic guitar. I did the guitar and my vocals at home, and recorded Jeff's vocals at Stan's South View apartment when I visited JMU late summer. It was the last Gentle Bean session... 13. Bye Bye Bye (1999 version) *NSYNC Sofmor - Justin, Lance, Chris Jungle J - JC, Joey Recorded: Winter 1999 at Ikenberry Studios (my freshman dorm room) The album jumps from the very last Gentle Beans session to the very first. The production is pretty murky and uses the real *NSYNC instrumental. 14. Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely (2000 version) Backstreet Boys Sofmor - Brian, Kevin, Howie D, instruments Jungle J - AJ, Nick Recorded: Winter/Spring 2000 at Ikenberry Studios The last song on the album is the most unlistenable piece of "music" I've ever been associated with. I usually will get up and leave the room if someone starts playing it. All the music I created since there were no instrumental vocals at the time. When it came time to put it on the album I added sounds from BSB's video to the intro. 15. BONUS TRACK - I Want It The Cretz Way Backstreet Boys Jungle J - Solo Recorded: Winter 2001 at Gifford Studios This is just Jeff messing around singing funny words to the tune of "I Want It That Way" that I had lying around. 16. BONUS TRACK - I Want It The Cretz Way (with Music) Backstreet Boys Jungle J - Solo Recorded: Winter 2001 at Gifford Studios The same as Track 15, only with a karaoke background and "Tite!" added. 17. BONUS TRACK - Jungle Horn Michael J's Basketball Toy Recorded: Winter 2000 at Ikenberry Studios After Jeff's first roommate Nate left during late 1999, he was alone in his room. Later the next semester, his next roommate came in. His name was Mike, and we called him Michael J (i named him cuz of Michael J Fox, randomly. I'm pretty sure his middle name did not start with a J.) Michael J would get really drunk and come home and talk to you weirdly. One night he came home with a basketball toy that made sounds. But the battery was dying so the voices would slow down and speed up, which we found hysterical. The "Unbelievable!" and charge trumpet was one of the sounds it did that I recorded onto my computer. |
Here is a digital Gentle Beans "Purple & Yellow" Booklet. Click on a Picture to enlarge. |
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