Back in olden days, I used to write songs and record them on cassette tapes using a Tascam Portastudio 4-Track analog recorder.   Back then I had the idea that some day (presumably when I had greater time and resources), I would take these “demos” and really record them, nice and proper-like.

There are about 20 or so of these analog recordings, each one a fairly complete song.  On most of them I’m singing and playing all the parts.   This particular track, called “The Night is Gone” is acoustic guitar and vocals.   It’s sort of my tribute to Crosby, Stills, Nash, and (ahem…) Young.

I wrote “The Night is Gone” in 1991 or thereabouts.   I had been dating this girl named Anne during college. We had broken up (I can’t recall why, although I’m sure it had something to do with me being an ass), yet I was very much still in love with her.   She had gone away on a trip…yada yada…long story short, she wrote me a letter while she was away.  In the letter she said she wanted us to get back together as soon as  she returned from her trip.   Needless to say, this pleased me to no end, so much so that this lovely melody just came spewing forth out of me like a rainbow fountain of…blarg.

Recorded all in one take (each part) lead vocal, and two harmony vocal lines (inspired from a George Michael song), plus de-tuned acoustic guitar with monster chorus effects.

Anyway, if I ever get around to recording these proper, I think this song is on the short list.   I apologize for the audio quality…this recording spent 18 years trapped in a magnetic field on a flimsy piece of rolled cassette tape before I transferred it to MP3.

The Night is Gone - Johnny Diggz Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Read the letter, that you gave me.
Read it closely, looking for the words that I longed to hear.
You said you’d missed me, and that you loved me,
And as I read the words on the page, the world seemed to become clear.

You explained the reasons, for the distance,
But you were lonely, you longed to hear what I had to say.
So you said you’d be here, in the morning,
So when I wake up you would be right here, in my world.
And you’re here to stay.

Good morning, the sun is rising,
It’s glowing, on the horizon.
The night, seemed so long,
But now you’re here,
And now it’s gone.
And now it’s gone.
The night is gone.