The Voice

One of the great memories we all have of Andy, is his singing voice.

Last week, one of the early members of Circe's Smile, Matt Oaks, sent me a bunch of CDs of original recordings from the old days. Included among all the clatter and clash of rehearsals at Uncle Ken's house, and cool live recordings from the various Sunset Strip clubs they played, was this little gem.

The song 'Brittle' was co-written by Andy's brother Rob Wallace, and my best friend Loren Hoskins. Rob, of course, wrote the epic melody and arrangement, and Loren lent one of his poems for the lyrics. The band recorded the song in studio with Jason Campbell's soaring lead vocals easily making it my favorite song on their first CD.

What you will hear in the recording below is something truly special. Everyone knew that Andy's voice was the best in the band, but his love for smashing cymbals and kicking bass drums usually kept him seated behind the kit. Apparently at some point during recording sessions, Andy snuck up to the microphone and recorded a vocal track for 'Brittle'.

It's obvious he did it in one take, without going back to fix any of the flubs. But flubs and voice cracks aside, this quick take is a true gift to those of us who miss hearing Andy's resonant wail.

(Warning: It's not easy to listen to Andy singing these words in such clear and raw emotion without rubbing your own emotions raw. Proceed with caution.)