About Our Songs
Hi there! My name is Mabel.
I used to live at an animal shelter,
but now I’ve got a new family! I love my new family because we play
games. We play Sit, and Stay, and Come and lots of other games.
Sometimes we go to this place and play
group games. It's a big room where there's lots of other dogs with their
people...and we ALL play games! The Alpha Person (whose name is Gail,
and lives with a couple of really laid back Shar-Peis) tells everybody
what to do; then our people try to do it. You'd be surprised how quickly
some of these people can learn. Heck, I've taught my people to give
me a treat for Sit, Stay, Heel and a bunch of other stuff.
I love games so much that I wrote a song
about them. I asked my friends, Micki Croisant and Bill Brickey,
to sing my song called Life's a Game for you. They are such great
people and I know you'll love them. They love to Play!
**********
Sometimes Alpha Gail talks and the people
just listen. When it sounds like she's going to be talking for a while,
I talk to the other dogs. I figure it's a good a chance to socialize.
So last week, I'm sitting next to this
mutt. I couldn't quite make out all the breeds in this dog but he was
a pretty good mix. He said, “You know why they don't let mutts in
dog shows? Because we'd win Best-In-Show since we've got the best of
everything!” Then he sang his life story to me while Alpha Gail rambled
on about vaccines. He called the song Mama Was a Mutt.
And The Amoreys (America's Most Punctual Band) are the perfect
guys to sing it for you. I love a little country blues.
**********
I was glad to see that Labrador back
in class last week. She missed a couple of weeks and I was afraid she
wasn't coming back. Turns out she'd been on vacation at a doggy hotel
while her people went to a place called Maui. Anyway, on her first
day back in class she told us all about it in a song called Wishin'
You Were Here. You should hear my best friend, Ilsabe O'Connell
sing it. She's great!
**********
I really love my new family but they've
got this funny thing about spelling. Do they think I don't know how
to spell? I might not be able to spell I-L-O-V-E-Y-O-U, but I certainly
know what O-U-T means. Like the day no one came home for my noon walk.
By the time they got home I was...well, a little frantic. So I spelled
it out for them in a song, I Gotta Go O-U-T. Steve Askins &
Villa Street knew exactly what I was talking about so they played
and sang it for you. That's a T-R-E-A-T!
**********
As I mentioned earlier, my new Forever
Family is learning real fast. They started out kind of slow, and frankly,
I was getting kind of frustrated. I listened to them. I watched them.
I tried to do what I thought they wanted. But they weren't too good
about listening to me. So I wrote Two-Way Street for them. But
since most of my communication is visual, and this isn't a DVD, I asked
Micki Croisant to sing it. Her voice is so beautiful that I knew
my people would understand me now.
**********
I miss my people when they're gone. Five
minutes or five hours; it's all the same to me. They always come home
through the back door, so that's where I wait for them. And when they
get home, everything is perfect. I told my buddy, Pat Hall, how
I felt about my family and he played Time Goes By for me. He
understands.
**********
One day me and my new family went for
a walk in the park. I love walking in park. I get to meet all kinds
of interesting people and dogs. One day I met a real English Bulldog.
I mean an honest-to-goodness, across-the-pond, land-of-the-Beatles English
Bulldog. He and his person were here traveling around “the Colonies,”
as he called us. He was really enjoying the trip and he sang his song,
All-American Dogs, for me. My best buddies, The Amoreys
(still America’s Most Punctual Band) make me smile every time I hear
them sing it.
**********
I lived quite a few places before meeting
my Forever Family. A long time ago I lived in a backyard. I was locked
up in the backyard with no one to play with. One day a shaggy-looking
dog came walking down my alley, accompanied by a shaggy-looking person.
I was pretty lonely, and being the friendly type, I struck up a little
conversation. “So, where you from?” I asked.
“Everywhere,” she said. “You wouldn't
believe how big this world is...and I've seen it all.” She and her
person sat down in the shade and she sang her song Hobo'n Dog
for me. My best friend, Sarah B, has done her share of traveling
too, so I asked her to sing it for you. She’s great!
**********
I lived with a great foster family while
waiting for my Forever Home. One day they were gone for a while, so
I invited over some of the neighbors. Doggy-doors are a great invention.
We had lots of fun. But I still prefer being with my people. My
buddy Pat Hall is lots of fun too, so I asked him to sing
Please Come Home. Makes me want to dance every time I hear it!
**********
One of my friends lives in a house full
of animals. Birds, turtles, fish …and a cat. She likes the cat okay,
but sometimes it really gets on her nerves. One day the cat made her
so mad that she wrote a song called I Wish I Was a Cat.
The lovely and talented Ilsabe O’Connell agreed to sing it
for you. So take that, you cats!
**********
I wrote the last song, Take Me Home,
while I was staying at the animal shelter waiting to be adopted. It
took a while, but I never lost hope. I figured if I just put my best
paw forward and acted real friendly, then some nice family would want
me. One day while sharing some treats with my good buddy, Jimmy
T. Harris, I sang the song for him. Since he sings a lot better
than me, I asked him to sing it for you. Plus, while he’s singing
I get to eat treats!
***********
Well, it all worked out great for me.
Thanks to all the caring people at the shelter and the rescue/adoption
organization, I found my Forever Home.
But there are still lots of other dogs
who are singing the blues. Any help you can offer them will be returned
many times over in Love and Friendship.
Loyally yours,
Mabel
1. Life’s A Game
Vocals: Micki Croisant, Bill Brickey
Guitar, bass: Andy McClelland
Accordion: Rob Cruz
Drums: Pete Generous
2. Mama Was a Mutt
The Amoreys
Vocals, harmonica: Andy Willis
Guitar: Bob Goins
Drums: Bam-Bam
Bass: Rich Capalbo
3. Wishin’ You Were Here
Vocals: Ilsabe O’Connell
Background vocals: Susan Anderson, Steve Askins
Guitar, ukulele: Steve Askins
Pedal steel guitar: Ken Champion
Drums: Chris Leyba
Bass: Rusty Winchel
4. I Gotta Go O-U-T
Steve Askins & Villa Street
Vocals: Steve Askins
Background vocal: Steve Askins, Paul Anderson, Susan Anderson
Guitar: Steve Askins
Piano: Gordon James
Drums: Chris Leyba
Bass: Rusty Winchel
5. Two-Way Street
Vocal: Micki Croisant
Guitars, bass: Andy McClelland
Saxophone: Marty Gilman
Congas: Pete Generous
6. Time Goes By
Vocal & Piano: Pat Hall
7. All-American Dogs
The Amoreys
Vocals, harmonica: Andy Willis
Background vocals:
Guitar: Bob Goins
Drums: Bam-Bam
Bass: Rich Capalbo
8. Please Come Home
Vocal & Piano: Pat Hall
Guitar: Bob Goins
Drums: Bam-Bam
Bass: Rich Capalbo
9. Hobo’n Dog
Vocal, guitar, bass: Sarah B
Background vocals: Micki Croisant, Bill Brickey
Guitars: Bob Goins, Micki Croisant
Percussion: Jon Levitt
10. I Wish I Was a Cat
Vocal: Ilsabe O’Connell
Guitar: Bob Goins
Bass: Rod Glaze
Fiddle: Scott Campbell
Drums: Pete Generous
11. Take Me Home
Vocal: Jimmy T. Harris
Guitars, bass, banjo: Andy McClelland
Fiddle: Scott Campbell
Drums: Pete Generous
Produced by Sarah B
Songs written by Bob Dorman & Best Friends
Recording engineer: Andy Sabin
Mixing & Mastering engineer: Gary Yek
Copyright: mabeldogproductions, inc.
2008
1. Life’s A Game
Vocals: Micki Croisant, Bill Brickey
Guitar, bass: Andy McClelland
Accordion: Rob Cruz
Drums: Pete Generous
2. Momma Was a Mutt
The Amoreys
Vocals, harmonica: Andy Willis
Guitar: Bob Goins
Drums: Bam-Bam
Bass: Rich Capalbo
3. Wishin’ You Were Here
Vocals: Ilsabe O’Connell
Background vocals: Susan Anderson, Steve Askins
Guitar, ukulele: Steve Askins
Pedal steel guitar: Ken Champion
Drums: Chris Leyba
Bass: Rusty Winchel
4. I Gotta Go O-U-T
Steve Askins & Villa Street
Vocals: Steve Askins
Background vocal: Steve Askins, Paul Anderson, Susan Anderson
Guitar: Steve Askins
Piano: Gordon James
Drums: Chris Leyba
Bass: Rusty Winchel
5. Two-Way Street
Vocal: Micki Croisant
Guitars, bass: Andy McClelland
Saxophone: Marty Gilman
Congas: Pete Generous
6. Time Goes By
Vocal & Piano: Pat Hall
7. All-American Dogs
The Amoreys
Vocals, harmonica: Andy Willis
Background vocals:
Guitar: Bob Goins
Drums: Bam-Bam
Bass: Rich Capalbo
8. Please Come Home
Vocal & Piano: Pat Hall
Guitar: Bob Goins
Drums: Bam-Bam
Bass: Rich Capalbo
9. Hobo’n Dog
Vocal, guitar, bass: Sarah B
Background vocals: Micki Croisant, Bill Brickey
Guitars: Bob Goins, Micki Croisant
Percussion: Jon Levitt
10. I Wish I Was a Cat
Vocal: Ilsabe O’Connell
Guitar: Bob Goins
Bass: Rod Glaze
Fiddle: Scott Campbell
Drums: Pete Generous
11. Take Me Home
Vocal: Jimmy T. Harris
Guitars, bass, banjo: Andy McClelland
Fiddle: Scott Campbell
Drums: Pete Generous
Produced by Sarah B
Songs written by Bob Dorman & Best Friends
Recording engineer: Andy Sabin
Mixing & Mastering engineer: Gary Yek
Copyright: mabeldogproductions, inc.
2008