In a Heartbeat:
creative collaboration
After the magical experience of Day After Day, Amy was ready to work on another song that she and her cousin Nancy had written, In a Heartbeat. (That’s Nancy’s daughter, Jamie, in the picture.) Starting with the original acoustic guitar and vocal demo tape for inspiration, I used the lyrics to form the musical themes and Amy created a moving lead vocal that set the stage for yet another emotional vocal painting.
With the decision to feature acoustic and electric guitars in this arrangement, I called L.A. session ace, Basil Fung, who brought his magic guitar touch to the party resulting in smiles all around. Background vocals took on a life of their own and I found that the vocal “pads” used in the song’s bridge, all by themselves, would make a unique intro to the song. In a Heartbeat proved that the first song was no fluke–we were definitely creating something special.
At this point, I asked Amy what style or genre of music she preferred to sing. Her response was, “Anything!” I couldn’t have agreed more. An album shouldn’t be about a style or genre, it should be about the artist. If an artist can write and perform in many styles, why be limited to one or two? We embraced the concept that this album would not be limited by such restraints, leaving us free to create whatever would best serve the stories and messages we wanted to convey to you.
SONG: In a Heartbeat
ARTIST: Amy
WRITERS: Amy, Nancy Hemmings, Randall Michael Tobin
PRODUCER: Randall Michael Tobin