SKYWATCHING 03 - Hard to Tell You (Old Demo)

Demoing for the film "As Good as It Gets!'

To continue the celebration of the 20th anniversary of my album Skywatching, here is a demo of “Hard to Tell You.”

In 1996, James L. Brooks needed a song for a scene in his movie As Good as It Gets. His friend, Cameron Crowe, suggested me for the gig. Next thing I knew I was on a flight to Los Angeles where I visited Brooks’ production office for a private screening of a rough cut of the film.

The scene in question involved the film’s star, Jack Nicholson, playing a song for his co-star, Helen Hunt, in an attempt to let her know that he has feelings for her. The case of a homemade CDR reads “in case of emergency.” (Or something like that… it’s been years, so my memory is a bit hazy.)

After viewing the rough cut, I had a brief call with the film’s composer, the legendary Hans Zimmer. In his trademark German accent, he said, “You have twenty seconds in which to be extremely brilliant.” Okay, cool. No pressure.

The humble beginnings of Puzzle Tree Studio, ca. 1996.

I rolled up my sleeves, sparked up my home studio, and got to work. The result was this demo. I made a copy and shipped it off to the powers that be in Hollywood.

They passed.

I’ll never know why they did not pick my song. At that time I was a novice engineer with cheap gear, so it could have been the semi-pro sound of the recording. Or it could be that the song just didn’t strike the right tone.

In any event, this was one that got away. No big deal. It’s not like it was a big hit. It grossed a mere $314 million and was only nominated for seven Academy Awards.

I did get a song out of the deal. So that’s cool. Later, I re-recorded it with my band, The Sinners, and included it on my 2003 album Skywatching.

Peace & Love Songs,

Pete

PS: Paid subscribers can stream &/or download the track by visiting my “Rarities” bonus link page HERE.