Isabel the Album

I turned 65 years old on December 29, 2024. I can’t believe it—young Rick, now at this age. I’m proud to say that I’m still in very good physical condition, and my mind is still sharp. I’m grateful for that.

There are several reasons why turning 65 is considered a milestone birthday. However, we won’t be getting into all of that right now.

For me, 65 is a milestone because I’ve released my very first album. Let me be upfront and honest about this: there are no human singers or musicians on this album. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a true work of art or that it doesn’t come from the sincerity of my heart.

Let’s rewind a bit. Many of you know about my background in music, but I’ll give a brief reminder. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, I was the lead vocalist of two bands. I wrote all of our songs and contributed to the song arrangements and melodies. I did pursue music as a potential career, but I failed—not because I wasn’t talented, but because my self-confidence was low. That’s a story for another time.

I also want to clarify something: what I’m doing now with AI music isn’t a career. It’s just me sitting in front of my computer doing something I enjoy.

Now, let’s move on to Isabel the album!

I started working on the songs for this album back in July 2024. After I released a few of the initial tracks, people began asking if I planned to put together an album. To be honest, the idea of an album hadn’t crossed my mind until people started asking.

I ended up creating around 25 songs and decided to assemble a small group of friends to review them and help me select the best ones for the album. I called this group the Rick Henry Christopher Collective. The collective consists of four members: Misty Rae, Timo Kaarnioja, Kenneth Penn, and Lamar Wiggins.

Together, we narrowed it down to 12 songs. Initially, the album was set to be released in the first week of December. However, I created several more songs—about 15 or so—and noticed a theme emerging in the newer tracks. I started leaning toward developing a concept album and shelving this project, which I’d been calling my pop album. But when I shared the idea of the pop album with people, there was interest in hearing it.

So, I revisited the original 12 tracks and decided to keep eight of them. I then added four of the newer songs, which I felt were of higher quality and would add more depth and variety to the album.

And here we are—my pop album, "Isabel", dedicated to my lovely and beautiful mom.

Let’s dive into each song:

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“Blackbird Fly”

“Blackbird Fly” was my first single release. I wrote this from a snippet of a poem that I included in the first chapter of my ongoing story, also named *Blackbird Fly.* The story is about a young man named Jack who has an affinity for flying and communicates with a certain blackbird that visits him every now and then.

I envisioned this song as a soul, jazz, gospel tune. I used the famous 1970s song “Walking in Rhythm” by the Blackbyrds as my role model. I wanted to create the ultimate feel-good tune.

This song has gone on to gain 5,000 streams on Spotify and about 7,500 streams overall on various streaming platforms.

Part One of the Blackbird Fly saga:

“Lilac and Rose and Indigo Blue”

This little country love song originated from a poem I wrote and published on the Vocal Media platform. Several people who read the poem mentioned they noticed a musicality about it and asked if it was a lyric. When I started creating songs on the AI platform Suno, I remembered the response to the poem, and this became one of the first songs I created. I did not change any words from the original poem.

Link to the poem:

“Into Oblivion”

I am a big fan of electronic music with a good beat. This song was influenced by two of my favorites, Kraftwerk and Gary Numan.

“Cyrus”

I loved the way the song “Into Oblivion” turned out, so I wanted to create another electronic song with a faster BPM, more aligned with the current-day EDM genre, with a hint of industrial.

Lyrically, I wanted the song to be dark, but with a feeling of hope.

“Isabel”

Originally, I was going to name the album The Killer Wants My Lunch, a lyric from the song “Into Oblivion.” As I was trying to figure out a design for the album cover, the song “Isabel” kept playing in my mind. That’s when I realized this tribute to my mom is a special song and should be the centerpiece of the album. I knew immediately which picture I wanted to use as the album cover. I think it works very well.

“Superstar (The Legend Lives On)”

This song began its life back in late 1988. Originally, it was a Doors-sounding type tune similar to their song “Strange Days.” The lyrics signify the hardships of being a rock star. The song was written with my friend, guitarist Jose DeRosas.

For this creation, I experimented with multi-layered harmony vocals. I was aiming for a Beach Boys-style harmony. It took quite a bit of work and some creative prompting, along with cutting and pasting bits and pieces of the vocals, to achieve the effect I was looking for.

“The Illustrated Man”

I wrote this hard rock-meets-prog rock song in 1992 when I was with the rock band The Thunder Lizards. We rehearsed the song many times, but it remains one that was never finished. The lyrics emphasize the contrast between my inner strength and my vulnerability to emotional experiences.

“Skyrocket”

I am a huge fan of funk music. My influences for this song were Sly and the Family Stone and George Clinton’s Parliament. Both bands wrote songs that were politically inclined and intertwined with hints of spiritualism.

“Strawberry Jazz”

I have long been a fan of various jazz genres, including Bebop, Hard Bop, Bossa Nova, Progressive Jazz, Free Form, Jazz Fusion, and Smooth Jazz. Being a diehard jazz fan, of course I had to put together a jazz tune.

One of my favorite songs is the 1976 smooth jazz/adult contemporary classic, “Popsicle Toes” by Michael Franks. I used this song as a model while crafting “Strawberry Jazz.” “Popsicle Toes” is known for its whimsically risqué lyrics. I opted to stay away from risqué, but I wrote some lighthearted whimsical lyrics and added a rhythmic beat. I mention “Popsicle Toes” in the lyrics as well as famed vibraphonist Milt Jackson.

“Rising Like a Phoenix”

This progressive rock tune employs, to a lesser degree, similar layered vocal effects as “Superstar (The Legend Lives On).”

The song speaks about rising above an abusive parent. This song is about victory.

It’s one of my favorites for many reasons, including the slick guitar sounds. Influences here are Pink Floyd and Yes.

“You Give Me”

This entire album is mostly about the genres of music I appreciated in my younger years, primarily the 1970s and 1980s. This song is no exception.

I wanted to do an electronic disco song. “I Feel Love” by Donna Summer and “The Robots” by Kraftwerk were my role models. I researched the structure of each song thoroughly before creating “You Give Me.”

I wanted the song to open with the word “love” repeated seven times, but I didn’t want the vocalist to sing it as “love.” I wanted it to sound like “luh-uv.” To achieve that sound, I knew I couldn’t spell the word as l-o-v-e in the lyrics, so I said “luh-uv” repeatedly until I figured out the spelling. I used the spelling "luh-of" in the prompts to create the sound I wanted.

I also came up with the word “chicka chicka,” repeated about five times in rapid succession to create a great vocal sound effect. In some places, it became this awesome rapid-fire electronic sound.

“The Making of You Give Me” - Video

“The Making of You Give Me” - Story

“Little Blackbird”

I end this album the same way I started it: with a smooth, uplifting Neo-soul tune with lyrics from a poem I used in Chapter 12 of my Blackbird Fly story series.

For “Little Blackbird,” I duplicated the same lead vocal but took it a step further by adding aspects of breath control. Since the vocals are AI-produced, there’s no natural breathing involved. However, with carefully crafted prompts and nuances in the lyrics, I was able to mimic the subtleties of real breath control. This includes simulating the effect of held notes that require a longer exhalation, which added an authentic and dynamic quality to the performance.

Blackbird Fly Part Twelve:

The Making of the Song Little Blackbird:

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The album Isabel can be found on the following platforms:

YouTube

Tidal

iTunes

Spotify

iHeart Radio

You can purchase a copy of the CD here:

https://kunaki.com/Sales.asp?PID=PX00ZBR3ZN&PP=1

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Thank you for taking the time to read this article. I hope you enjoy the music 😎

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With Love, RHC ❤️