365 DAYS PROJECT

2003   JULY 19   #200

Edward C Hayes - The Ronald Reagan Song

My music group, Da Vinci's Notebook, was recording our last CD at a studio in Silver Spring, MD back in early 2002. One day, while we were working in the main recording studio, I noticed an "interesting"-looking gentleman (interesting in a "tenured math professor at a New England university" sort of way--a bit scruffy, tweed jacket, extremely good posture, etc.) working with another engineer in the smaller studio. As I couldn't hear what they were doing, I paid him no more mind...until a couple weeks later, when I found this disc lying around the studio; the studio also does CD manufacturing, and this misprint was lying in the reject pile. The two-song CD, Remembering Reagan, by Edward C. Hayes, was what this man had been working on, and I knew I must make it mine.

I was relatively new to outsider music--I had only just discovered Incorrect Music--and this disc seemed to be a quintessential sample. I am told that the disc art, mis-aligned printing notwithstanding, is exactly the way Dr. Hayes wanted it (I say Dr. Hayes because further research indicated he has a Ph.D.). I think the misprint only enhances the disc's charm and adds to the slight, Hinckley-esque creepiness of the artwork. While both songs are wonderful, I personally prefer "The Ronald Reagan Song" for its ability to burrow in to one's frontal lobe and refuse to leave, making one randomly sing the chorus for weeks on end. It is also quite educational; for example, we learn that Reagan was not shot because a disturbed man wanted to impress Jodie Foster, but rather "'cause he took a fearless stand."

I've been able to find very little other info about Dr. Hayes; he is apparently a freelance magazine writer from Maryland, and according to the Copyright office website, he has a number of other songs, including several in honor of Frank Sinatra. Maybe one day I can track those down, but in the meantime I will make do with this heartfelt tribute to the Gipper.

- Paul Sabourin, http://www.davincisnotebook.com/

TT-2:32 / 2.3MB / 128kbps 44.1khz


(Image courtesy of Paul Sabourin)