Gloria v.2.0: 20 years later

News: Angel logo

News: Drums for Sofia sessions

Plan of attack PDF

For practice (with click and guitar low in mix)

For recording (drums only)

News: (Za)Harry

Lyrics PDF

Songs without vocals

News: Upcoming Sofia sessions

Mid-October the surviving band members are reconnecting in a studio in Sofia, Bulgaria in an undisclosed location to lay down some bass, vocal and guitar tracks. OMG. OMFGLOLBBQ.

The initial plan to record just a few acoustic songs is out the door. The authentic fury of the band's songs shall be restored as they sounded in the late 80s - early 90s. Unsuspecting younger members of the public have no idea what was it like in the gooden olden daysen when dinosaurs roamed the earth and Gloria played live. They (the unsuspecting younger members of the public) are in for a treat.

As we speak, the drum tracks are being finalized in an undisclosed location in San Francisco, CA using an sit-in drummer friend of the band by the name of Simon

Victor, the original drummer, passed away and we owe him this: the act of immortalizing the songs of the band he once founded. And named. RIP, dear friend, we'll miss you always...

News: Dear Kiro

A buncha songs without the bass:

Youtube playlist

youtube

Tabs

Bass tabs

And some inspiration:

Isolated bass tracks

News: (demo) Rock n' roll man

Chords

12 bar blues: EAEE AAEE BAEE

Lyrics

printable

Intro: noise in E then A then E
Drums.... B B

(One time instrumental)

To our date baby, baby I won't come
And if you'll call me, you won't find me home
'Cause me and the boys, we have a show tonight

Chorus:
  I'm a Rock'n roll lover, baby
  I'm just rock'n roll man
  If you need to call me,
  call me "Rock'n roll man"
  If you need to call me,
  scream "Rock'n roll man!"

(Solo)

I'm playing in band, baby, baby, yes I do
I'm playing in band
and don't you understand
that if you're playing in band
that's the road that you take

Chorus:..

Solo... x2

E E E.... jam

Chorus..

B A E E
B A E E
B A E (.... sing) E

News: (demo) Have you ever thought?

Chords

Intro/verse: Bm D A, Bm D A, Bm D A, G A

Chorus: G D A (x 4)

Post chorus/jam: Em A

Lyrics

printable

Bm                           D              A
  Have you ever thought that we could be so close
Bm              D      A
  hand in hand, one to one
Bm            D       A
  Walking the streets tonight 
    G             A
  alone under the stars

  Don't you know that I'm alone tonight
  playing this song, crying for you
  How I wish your hands to put me right
  oh, I want you

  Chorus:
   G        D        A
    8 days, 4 months and 3 years
   G          D        A
    I've been waiting, waiting for you
   G   D    A
    crying, crying a 1000 tears
   G    D     A
    oh, baby, I want you, 
         Em    A
  I want you

  Verse...
  Chorus...

  I want you... I want you...
  
Jam: Em A
Ends on A... guitar, then Em

News: (demo) The bumblebee

By Rimsky-Korsakov

Chords

printable

Intro: 
C C C

Theme: 
C CC C CC C C C C C C C C
F FF F FF F F F F F F F F

Theme #2:
E F E F EFEFEFEF
B C B C BCBCBAGF#

Theme:
Theme #2:

Near death experience:
A B C# E.. (ring)
(staccato) G G(lower) B D F#G
BC F# G.....

Theme:
Theme #2:

Death experience:
A B C# E G
F# G

News: (demo) Czardas

By Vittorio Monti

Based on performance by Paco De Lucia

Chords

printable

Intro:
 Dm Bb A Dm
 Dm Bb A Dm
 C Dm A Dm
 Bb Dm

Theme: (x2)
 Dm Dm
 Dm Gm(+E)
 Gm+E Dm A Dm

Theme #2: (x2)
 C Dm A Dm
 Gm+E Dm A Dm
 
Mid:
 D B(just B + F3) Em D (x2)
 
Theme #2 (x2)

Major theme:
 D Em

News: (demo) Happy birthday

Chords

Intro, chorus: A G D, A G D, A G D, E A

Verse: A..... A D D C A C A G

pre-chorus: C (first time), C D (second), G D (third, after solo)

Solo: A C D

soft part: A G D .... ands with G G G G

end: G G# A, G G# A, G G# A, G F# E

Lyrics

printable

A                                      A D D C A C A G
  I often think of you when I'm alone
  How can I forget this heart of stone
  You look so pretty babe, you look so fine
  But will there come a day when you'll be mine ... C, C, C

  Chorus:
       A
    Tonight's your birthday, baby
    G     D
    Happy birthday!
      A
    Tonight's your birthday, baby
  G        D
    oh, so fine
       A
    Tonight's your birthday, baby
    G     D
    Happy birthday!
        E                                     A
    But will there come a day when you'll be mine

  Tonight you're gonna have so much fun
  Your smile will be as a rising sun
  And I will be at home sad and alone
  Oh why I can't just pick up the phone C C C D D D

  Chorus:... (A G D, A G D, A G D, E A)

  Solo.. A C D ...... G G G D D D

  Chorus:..

  A G D
  Ooohh...
  Have fun, have good time little baby
  And don't look back at what you've done before
  I won't disturb you, mamma
  I won't knock on your door
  Have fun, have good time little baby
  And don't look back at what you've done before
 A
  Have fun, have good time but remember
 G
  My heart loves you more and more

  Chorus:..
  Chorus:...
  
  G      G#  A,    G G# A, G G# A, G F# E
  You'll be mine!

News: (demo) Get it out

Chords

Intro, verse: Em C D Em

Interlude and post-chorus: C D

Chorus: Em C G D

Lyrics

printable

  Intro: Em C D Em   (156bpm)
  
 (144bpm, first verse only)
 Em  
  We were walking hand in hand
 C
  I hoped she would understand
 D                                     Em
  that I got a love with which I could feel the space
 Em
  When she slept I sat on her bed
 C
  oh how I wanted to hold her head
 D                                        Em
  Wanted to kiss her, oh how I loved that face

Interlude: (back to 156bpm till the end)
  C
    But it was two years ago
  D
    Now I'm alone and I scream: I need you baby!

Chorus:
   Em
    I need to scream
   C
    I need to shout
   G                          D
    I hate this pain I please get it out
  Em                    C
    I want to kiss your lips tonight
  G                       D
    please come to me and make it alright
    
  C               D
    Alright...

 Em
  Where are you now, do you know
 C
  that there's a boy who loves you so
 D                           Em
  Are you happy, do you love someone
 Em
  Do you want someone to hold you
 C
  Do you need someone to love you
 D                                               Em
  Are you thinking of me and the times that have gone

    Inter... (C, D)
    Chorus... (Em C G D)

  Solo (Em C D Em)

    Inter... (C, D)
    Chorus.. (Em C G D) x 2

Long jam: Em C D Em

News: (demo) Shake me

Chords

Intro: D F G x 4 and x 4 once again for solo

Verse: D D F G

pre-chorus: F G x 4

chorus/instr/solo: G D G D G D E A

end: E A E A E A..... E A

Lyrics

printable

  (Intro, solo: D F G)

    D                    D
  I once saw a girl, the girl of my dreams
  F                 G
  I have never seen someone so fine
      D                 D
  She was the best girl, so she seems
      F                      G
  But she was never, she was never mine

  Pre-chorus:
      F         G
    I saw her alone at a party
      F                G
    I asked her if she wanted to dance 
        F          G
    But she said: "Get out of here!
    F                   G
    Get out my boy, you have no chance"

(D F G solo)

  I have really tried to forget that girl
  But she's the one for me in this crazy world
  I want her all night, want her all day long
  and that is why I sing this song

  Pre-chorus:
    I dreamt I went to a party
    I asked her if she wanted to dance 
    "Shake me", she said and she was glad
    "Shake me, boy, now is your chance"

(instrumental, solo x 2, instrumental: G D G D G D E A)

  Chorus:
    F         G
    Shake me, all night long, you baby
    F         G
    Shake me, all yeah
    F         G
    Shake me, all night long you baby
    E                         A
    All night long I’m gonna sing my song

(Repeat chorus)

  All night long I’m gonna sing my song
  All night long I’m gonna sing my song
  
  E   A

News: (rough cut) What can I do

Internally known as "Country"

Chords

Intro: A A

Main:
A A A A (transition D D#)
E E E E (transition D# D)
A A D E (pause)

repeat intro/main for 2 verses, solo, one more verse and at the end...

Repeat the end of the chorus two times A A D E (pause)

Ending is A A E A

Lyrics

printable

(Intro: A A)
  A
  Papa tell me what to do
              A
  To make the girl I love, love me too
  A
  Tell me how to win her heart
  A
  tell me now...
    D          D#     E
  I don't know how to start

  E
  she's so shy and beautiful
  E
  she's so kind and careful
  E
  Tell me papa
D#     D     A
  what can I do
  D                          D#
  she's so shy and beautiful
  E                 E (stop!)          A
  she's so kind and ca-       and careful
----------
  She's the best girl I have ever seen
  The only one I need, it seems,
  The only one who can make me feel
  soft as whool and hard as steel

  The only one who can make me strong
  I need her lovin' all night long
  Tell me papa... what can I do

  She's the only one who can make me strong
  I want her lovin' all, all night long

---------- (Solo)

  Momma tell me what to say
  when my girl comes to me one day
  Tell me how to show what I feel
  Tell me how... It's so unreal

  She can make me feel all right
  She can make the stars shine bright
  Tell me momma... What'd I say

  D
  She can make me feel alright                          /
D# E                E(stop!)                 A         / twice
   She can make the stars,   the stars shine bright   /
  
  D
  Tell me papa, tell me ma
D# E        E(stop!)
   Can I say...
(silence)               A   A   A   E-A (quick)
   everything's all.... right!

News: (rough cut) What love can do

Two rough cuts in one day - oh my!

This one is the song "What love can do", internally called Do-3.

True story - Do-3 ("do" as in "do, re, mi..." or also "C") is the name of the second chord in the song. Or so the band thought. It's actually something like "C major added ninth" (Cadd9), also sometimes called Cadd2. But what the hell. Another name for that chord that the band likes to use is "The cowboy Do", cause this is a popular chord among country songs and more modern cowboys (modern in 1991 mind you) such as Poison or Guns n' Roses

This rough cut is even more rough than the previous. There's no bass. No drum loop, just a live percussion. A vocal track and the obligatory two guitar tracks - rhythm and solo. Unlike the previous rough cut where Stoyan plugged an Ovation guitar in Fender Mustang |, then mini-USB out of the amp to the computer, this time it's all au naturel - recorded directly with the built in microphone on the macbook. Lame!

And again, in a "call for participation", Stoyan has prepared the following tracks for the other members to record on top:

Chords

(C means Cadd9)

Verse: G, C, G, C, G, C, D, D
Chorus: C, D, C, G, C (quicker change: D, G, C)

Solo is Verse + Chorus, only the "quick" part at the end is just D, not D, G, C

The end is repeating G, C....

Lyrics

printable

Intro: G, C x 4 

 G
  Hey baby,
 C                             G         C
  can you see (the) love in my eyes
 G
  Hey little baby,
 C                        D
  just take a look and realize

Chorus 1:
 C                     D
  ...that everything I ever do
 C       G       f# G   
  I dedicate to you
 C                   D    G    C
  can't you see what love can do

----

  hey little honey
  take your hand and walk with me
  hey little baby
  you must take a look and see

Chorus 2:
  ... that I will always do
  anything you ask me too
  Can't you see what love can do

Solo 
  G C G C
  G C D
  C D C G
  C D

  After solo: G C G C

Chorus 2:
  ... that I will right now do
  anything you ask me too
  Can't you see what love can do


  G C till the end

News: (rough cut) Lead me to you

And so, as if a childplay, the recordings have begun.

Stoyan popped open Garage Band and recorded two guitars, a lame vocal track, struggled forever with a midi bass track and dropped Apple loop called "drums #6" or whatever. The result? A base rough mix on top of which to start the actual recording.

At this point Stoyan will start pinging old members of the band with: "hey, this is the base mix, wanna record your drums/bass/vocals on top? C'mon man, for old time's sake!"

In other related news, gloriarocks.com domain name was purchased and this site is live. Duh, of course it's live, otherwise I won't be reading it, smartypants!

So anyway, below are some MP3, stay tuned for more tunes.

Chords

Verse/intro/solo: G, Em, C, D
Chorus: C, Am, D, D

Lyrics

printable

  Intro: 
    Guitar: G Em C D
    All: G Em C D
G
  You know I love you baby
Em
  You love me too
C
  But I can see no way to make 
D
  our dreams come true

G
  Every day and every night 
Em
  I wonder what is right
C
  Someone hear me, someone help me
D
  Someone try to understand me

  Chorus:
   C         Am
    Oh, baby I don't know
   D
    Who will lead me to you
   C     Am
    baby I don't know
   D (rings...)
    Who will lead me to you

Solo: G Em C D

G
  Can't believe that you are gone now
Em
  You've gone so far
C
  Will I ever see you again, my
D
  My love, my shining star

G
  Every day and every night
Em
  I wonder what I didn't do right
C
  Can you hear me? Can you help me?
D
  Can you, please, come back and save me?

  Chorus...
  Solo: twice G Em C D
  Chorus... twice
  Relax... 
    G Em C D
    G Em C D (rings)
    G

News: Gloria to record acoustically

In celebration of the 20^th anniversary since the band's first concert, you may be treated to a brand new recording. Stoyan has decided to take some time and record some of the more acoustic kinda songs and an all-acoustic setting.

Who else from the band will join? Remains to be seen.

Stoyan will recruit old-time friend and co-composer of "Shake me" Yavor Vatchkov to help with the recordings, since "Yavor can sing, play, operate a drum maschine, music software and such".

Stoyan obviously needs all the help he can get, being a total n00b when it comes to recording. All this software reportedly scares and intimidates him (despite him being a programmer by day). Now you can probably guess why the "all-acoustic" part.

Excited already?

You can expect to hear the new renditions including the songs "Lead me to you", "Have you ever thought?", "What love can do" and "Country (What can I do?)".

Would be awesome if an acoustic version of "Chardash" (by V.Monti) makes it to this celebration mini-LP, but "these fingers ain't what they used to be" reports a source close to the lead guitarist.

Olds: About

Gloria was a band from Sofia High School of Mathematics (well, 75% of the band was).

Sofia High School of Mathematics is in Sofia.

Sofia is in Bulgaria.

Bulgaria is in Eastern Europe. That's a whole other Europe.

Europe is this whole other continent on the planet Earth.

(The planet Earth is almost game over. Oh well, what the hell! Eat, drink and wear your new clothes.)

Members

The band included:

Kiro - bass
Victor - drums
Harry - vocals, acoustic guitar
Stoyan - guitar

Style and influences

Everyone in the band liked AC/DC. Some to unhealthy levels. But, maybe except for the song "Happy Birthday", the group doesn't sound anything like AC/DC. Shame, innit.

Most of the band liked Guns'n Roses, Cinderella and some other "hairy metal" bands and this was a big influence.

Luckily the hairy part was balanced with influences from classic rock artists such as Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and Deep Purple. The classic influence was more evident towards the end with songs that sounded like ripoff-wannabes of LZ's "Since I've been loving you" and "Kashmir"

Some heavy metal (Iron Maiden, Judas Priest) may also have been an influence.

The music newspaper "Rhythm" reviewed one of Gloria's concert stating: "I remember mainly the guitar shreds, but all in all the style escapes 'em"

Active years

1991-1993

The name

Victor came up with the name. There was a song by a Bulgarian rock band with the same name. Everyone thought it sounded cool.

Later, after the band was no more, a Bulgarian pop-folk female singer with the same name emerged. This fact has haunted the band ever since. The horror! The shame! Bulgarian pop-folk is the worst of the worst, lyrically, culturally, or anyotherwayrly.

Olds: Lyrics

These lyrics were extracted from a taping of a show in Club 113+ in Sofia University.

Not all words were fully recovered due to poor quality of the recording (see "Shake me")

Some glaring mistakes were corrected (e.g. the song "Have you ever thought" was originally "Have you ever think")

But mostly the original grammar and sometimes unorthodox choice of expressions was preserved.

Strike of a genius, or short attention span in ESL classes? You be the judge.

Rock'n roll man

To our date baby, baby I won't come
And if you call me, you won't find me home
'Cause me and the boys, we have a show tonight

Chorus:
  I'm a Rock'n roll lover, baby
  I'm just rock'n roll man
  If you need to call me,
  call me "Rock'n roll man"
  If you need to call me,
  scream "Rock'n roll man!"

I'm playing in band, baby, baby, yes I do
And even though I love you, and you love me too,
If you're playing in band, it's a rocky road that you take

Chorus:..

Solos..

Chorus..

Happy Birthday

I often think of you when I'm alone
How can I forget this heart of stone
You look so pretty babe, you look so fine
But will there come a day when you'll be mine

Chorus:
  Tonight's your birthday, baby
  Happy birthday!
  Tonight's your birthday, baby
  oh, so fine
  Tonight's your birthday, baby
  Happy birthday!
  But will there come a day when you'll be mine

Tonight you're gonna have so much fun
Your smile will be like a rising sun
And I will be at home sad and alone
Oh why I can't just pick up the phone

Chorus:...

Solo..

Chorus:..
Chorus:..

Ooohh...
Have fun, have good times, little baby
And don't look back at what you've done before
I won't disturb you, mamma
I won't knock on your door
Have fun, have good times little baby
And don't look back at what you've done before
Have fun, have good times but remember
My heart loves you more and more

Chorus:..

You'll be mine!

Have you ever thought?

Have you ever thought that we could be so close
hand in hand, one to one
Walking the streets tonight alone
under the stars

Don't you know that I'm alone tonight
playing this song, crying for you
How I wish you're home to treat me right
oh, I want you

Chorus:
  8 days, 4 months and 3 years
  I've been waiting, waiting for you
  crying, crying a 1000 tears
  oh, I want you, I want you

I want you...


Have you ever thought that we could be together
till death do us (a)part
You know I will love you till the last
beat of my heart

Don't you know that I'm alone tonight
playing this song, crying for you
How I wish you're home to treat me right
oh, I want you

Chorus...

I want you... I want you...

Soloh

The bumblebee

Lead me to you

You know I love you baby
You love me too
But I can see no way to make 
our dreams come true

Every day and every night 
I wonder what is right
Someone hear me, someone help me
Someone try to understand me

Chorus:
  Oh, baby I don't know
  Who will lead me to you
  baby I don't know
  Who will lead me to you


Can't believe that you are gone now
You've gone so far
Will I ever see you again, my
My love, my shining star

Every day and every night
I wonder what I didn't do right
Can you hear me? Can you help me?
Can you, please, come back and save me?


Chorus...

Solo

Chorus...

(Relax...)

Get it out

We were walking hand in hand
I hoped she would understand
that I got a love with which I could feel the space
When she slept I sat on her bed
oh how I wanted to hold her head
Wanted to kiss her, oh how I loved that face

Interlude:
  But it was two years ago
  Now I'm alone and I scream: I need you baby!

Chorus:
  I need to scream
  I need to shout
  I hate this pain, please, get it out
  I want to kiss your lips tonight
  please come to me and make it alright
  Alright...

Where are you now, do you know
that there's a boy who loves you so
Are you happy, do you love someone
Do you want someone to hold you
Do you need someone to love you
Are you thinking of me and the times that have gone

  Inter...

  Chorus...

Solo

  Inter...

  Chorus..
  Chorus

Solooooohhhh

Do-3 (What love can do)


Hey baby,
can you see (the) love in my eyes
Hey little baby,
just take a look and realize

Chorus 1:
  ...that everything I ever do
  I dedicate to you
  Can't you see what love can do?

hey little honey
gimme your hand and walk with me
hey little baby
you must take a look and see

Chorus 2:
  ... that I will always do
  anything you ask me to
  Can't you see what love can do?
  
Soloto

Chorus 2

What love can do...

Country (What can I do)

Papa tell me what to do
To make the girl I love, love me too
Tell me how to win her heart
tell me now...
I don't know where to start

she's so shy and beautiful
she's so kind and careful
Tell me papa
what can I do

she's so shy and beautiful
she's so kind and careful

(oh tell me papa what can I do)

She's the best girl I have ever seen
The only one I need, it seems,
The only one who can make me feel
soft as whool and hard as steel

The only one who can make me strong
I need her lovin' all night long
Tell me papa 
what can I do

She's the only one who can make me strong
I want her lovin' all, all night long

  Solou

Momma tell me what to say
when my girl comes to me one day
Tell me how to show what I feel
Tell me how...
It's so unreal

She can make me feel all right
She can make the stars shine bright
Tell me momma
What'd I say

She can make me feel alright
She can make the stars, the stars shine bright

x2

Tell me papa, tell me ma
Can I say everything's all....

right!

Chardash

Shake me!

I once saw a girl, the girl of my dreams
I have never seen someone so fine
She was the best girl, so she seems
But she was never, she was never mine

Chorus:
  I saw her alone at a party
  I asked her if she wanted to dance 
  But she said: "Get out of here!
  Get out my boy, you have no chance"

I have really tried to forget that girl
But she's the one for me in this crazy world
I want her all night, want her all day long
and that is why I sing this song

Chorus:
  I dreamt I went to a party
  I asked her if she wanted to dance 
  "Shake me", she said and she was glad
  "Shake me, boy, now is your chance"


solo

Shake me, all night long, you baby
Shake me, all yeah
Shake me, all night long you baby
All night long I’m gonna sing my song
All night long I’m gonna sing my song
All night long I’m gonna sing my song

Olds: 113+ live

The legendary live in "Club 113+" in Sofia University from 1992, ripped from an old cassette tape