Limitless Studio Productions - Music

COVER SONGS

"I have lived in the absolute best time with the best music. In my opinion, the best music ever produced was rock 'n roll between the years of 1955 through 1980. And I was fortunate enough to be alive during this time." - Mike Auen

I grew up in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, PA.  My father had a 100-watt HiFi record player (2- 12" woofers + 2- 5" tweeters) in our living room and he was always playing his music (Billy Vaughn, Percy Faith, Nat King Cole) in the house.  (the pic to the left is me in 1959 playing in front of my dad's HiFi record player)  I had three older sisters who were very much into all genres of music, especially Motown and movie soundtracks.  They would buy top 40 albums and 45s and play them on the HiFi when my dad was not around (my dad encouraged us to do this).  Because of all this musical influence in my house, along with always watching American Bandstand, I have always loved top 40 Billboard pop music ever since I can remember.

Even with all this interest in music, no one in my house ever played a musical instrument,  But once I saw this long-hair British band called The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964, I knew I had to learn how to play the guitar.  After all, girls scream over guys who play guitar.  Maybe they would scream over me too!

How do I determine which songs I want to cover in my digital recordings?  First, I have to like the song.  I'll never cover a song I do not like.  Second, I have to know how to play the song and be comfortable playing it.  Third, it must be in a key I feel comfortable singing.  Some songs you just cannot change the key to fit a vocal range.  It just won't sound right.  And lastly, do I feel I can do the song justice?  Can I play or add the proper instruments to make it sound good?  I try to keep most cover songs sounding close to the original recording, but not always.  You be the judge.

I want to thank my friends Sharon Harrison, Fritz Horisk, Matthew Mozingo, and Courtney Peterson for contributing their time and vocal talent into several select recordings below.

All instruments in these songs played or digitally engineered by Mike Auen using STUDIO ONE 5 PROFESSIONAL software.

To listen to any song, click on the title of the song below.

A LITTLE BIT ME A LITTLE BIT YOU
PERFORMED BY: The Monkees
WRITTEN BY: Neil Diamond
BILLBOARD CHART: April 1967 | #2
SINGER: Mike Auen
LSP CD: Stepping Back / LSP002
TIME: 2:49 TRACK: 10 of 10

BAND ON THE RUN
PERFORMED BY: Paul McCartney & Wings
WRITTEN BY: Paul McCartney
BILLBOARD CHART: June 1974 | #1
SINGER: Mike Auen
LSP CD: The Loop / LSP005
TIME: 5:14 TRACK: 1 of 10

BEG, BORROW, AND STEAL
PERFORMED BY: The Ohio Express
WRITTEN BY: Joey Day & Lou Zerato
BILLBOARD CHART: December 1967 | #29
SINGER: Mike Auen
LSP CD: Stepping Back / LSP002
TIME: 2:50 TRACK: 3 of 10

BEST OF MY LOVE
PERFORMED BY: The Eagles
WRITTEN BY: Don Henley, Glenn Frey, J.D. Souther
BILLBOARD CHART: March 1975 | #1
SINGER: Matthew Mozingo
LSP CD: The Loop / LSP005
TIME: 4:23 TRACK: 6 of 10

BURNING LOVE
PERFORMED BY: Elvis Presley
WRITTEN BY: Dennis Linde
BILLBOARD CHART: October 1972 | #2
SINGER: Mike Auen
LSP CD: Many Years Ago / LSP004
TIME: 2:45 TRACK: 2 of 10

BYE BYE LOVE
PERFORMED BY: The Everly Brothers
WRITTEN BY: Felice and Boudleaux Bryant
BILLBOARD CHART: July 1957 | #2
SINGER: Mike Auen
LSP CD: Many Years Ago / LSP004
TIME: 2:30 TRACK: 8 of 10

CALIFORNIA GIRLS
PERFORMED BY: The Beach Boys
WRITTEN BY: Brian Wilson & Mike Love
BILLBOARD CHART: August 1965 | #3
SINGER: Mike Auen
LSP CD: Stepping Back / LSP002
TIME: 2:40 TRACK: 1 of 10

DIRTY WATER
PERFORMED BY: The Standells
WRITTEN BY: Ed Cobb
BILLBOARD CHART: June 1966 | #11
SINGER: Mike Auen
LSP CD: Stepping Back / LSP002
TIME: 2:42 TRACK: 5 of 10

FIVE O'CLOCK WORLD
PERFORMED BY: The Vogues
WRITTEN BY: Allen Reynolds
BILLBOARD CHART: January 1966 | #4
SINGER: Mike Auen
LSP CD: Stepping Back / LSP002
TIME: 3:31 TRACK: 9 of 10

GIMME GIMME GOOD LOVIN
PERFORMED BY: Crazy Elephant
WRITTEN BY: Joey Levine & Ritchie Cordall
BILLBOARD CHART: May 1969 | #12
SINGER: Mike Auen
LSP CD: The Loop / LSP005
TIME: 2:20 TRACK: 2 of 10

G L O R I A
PERFORMED BY: Shadows of Knight
WRITTEN BY: Van Morrison
BILLBOARD CHART: May 1966 | #10
SINGER: Mike Auen
LSP CD: The Loop / LSP005
TIME: 2:39 TRACK: 5 of 10

GROOVIN'
PERFORMED BY: The Young Rascals
WRITTEN BY: Felix Cavaliere & Eddie Brigati
BILLBOARD CHART: May 1967 | #12
SINGER: Mike Auen
LSP CD: Many Years Ago / LSP004
TIME: 2:51 TRACK: 5 of 10

GROOVY KIND OF LOVE
PERFORMED BY: The Mindbenders
WRITTEN BY: Toni Wine & Carole Bayer Sager
BILLBOARD CHART: May 1966 | #12
SINGER: Mike Auen
LSP CD: Stepping Back / LSP002
TIME: 2:27 TRACK: 2 of 10

HARVEST MOON
PERFORMED BY: Neil Young
WRITTEN BY: Neil Young
BILLBOARD CHART: (did not chart)
SINGER: Mike Auen
LSP CD: Stepping Back / LSP002
TIME: 5:11 TRACK: 6 of 10

IF I NEEDED SOMEONE
PERFORMED BY: The Beatles
WRITTEN BY: George Harrison
BILLBOARD CHART: (did not chart)
SINGER: Mike Auen
LSP CD: Many Years Ago / LSP004
TIME: 2:31 TRACK: 1 of 10

JUST WHEN I NEEDED YOU MOST
PERFORMED BY: Randy VanWarmer
WRITTEN BY: Randy VanWarmer & Tony Wilson
BILLBOARD CHART: June 1979 | #4
SINGER: Mike Auen
LSP CD: Many Years Ago / LSP004
TIME: 4:26 TRACK: 10 of 10

LOVE IS ALL AROUND
PERFORMED BY: The Troggs
WRITTEN BY: Reg Presley
BILLBOARD CHART: May 1968 | #7
SINGER: Mike Auen DRUMS & MIX: Eddie Fok
LSP CD: Stepping Back / LSP002
TIME: 3:08 TRACK: 8 of 10

MR. TAMBOURINE MAN
PERFORMED BY: The Byrds
WRITTEN BY: Bob Dylan
BILLBOARD CHART: June 1965 | #1
SINGER: Fritz Horisk & Mike Auen
LSP CD: Many Years Ago / LSP004
TIME: 2:19 TRACK: 6 of 10

NO MATTER WHAT
PERFORMED BY: Badfinger
WRITTEN BY: Pete Ham
BILLBOARD CHART: December 1970 | #8
SINGER: Mike Auen
LSP CD: Stepping Back / LSP002
TIME: 3:00 TRACK: 7 of 10

O HOLY NIGHT
PERFORMED BY: Public Domain
WRITTEN BY: P. Cappeau & A. Adams
BILLBOARD CHART: (did not chart)
SINGER: Sharon Harrison
LSP CD: Closer to Glory / LSP006
TIME: 2:46 TRACK: 2 of 10

PEACE LIKE A RIVER
PERFORMED BY: Public Domain
WRITTEN BY: Public Domain
BILLBOARD CHART: (did not chart)
SINGER: Mike Auen
LSP CD: Closer to Glory / LSP006
TIME: 2:24 TRACK: 4 of 10

PLEASE MR. POSTMAN
PERFORMED BY: The Marvelettes
WRITTEN BY: Dobbins, Garrett, Gorman, Holland
BILLBOARD CHART: December 1961 | #1
SINGER: Mike Auen
LSP CD: Many Years Ago / LSP004
TIME: 2:43 TRACK: 7 of 10

SIMON SAYS
PERFORMED BY: 1910 Fruit Gum Company
WRITTEN BY: Elliot Chiprut
BILLBOARD CHART: March 1968 | #4
SINGER: Mike Auen
LSP CD: Many Years Ago / LSP004
TIME: 2:37 TRACK: 9 of 10

SOMETHING STUPID
PERFORMED BY: Frank & Nancy Sinatra
WRITTEN BY: C. Carson Parks
BILLBOARD CHART: April 1967 | #1
SINGER: Sharon Harrison & Mike Auen
LSP CD: The Loop / LSP005
TIME: 2:40 TRACK: 8 of 10

SUNDOWN
PERFORMED BY: Gordon Lightfoot
WRITTEN BY: Gordon Lightfoot
BILLBOARD CHART: May 1974 | #1
SINGER: Mike Auen
LSP CD: Many Years Ago / LSP004
TIME: 3:15 TRACK: 4 of 10

SWEET PEA
PERFORMED BY: Tommy Roe
WRITTEN BY: Tommy Roe
BILLBOARD CHART: August 1968 | #8
SINGER: Mike Auen
LSP CD: Stepping Back / LSP002
TIME: 2:49 TRACK: 4 of 10

SYLVIA'S MOTHER
PERFORMED BY: Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show
WRITTEN BY: Shel Silverstein
BILLBOARD CHART: June 1972 | #5
SINGER: Mike Auen
LSP CD: The Loop / LSP005
TIME: 3:55 TRACK: 7 of 10

TO LOVE SOMEBODY
PERFORMED BY: The Bee Gees
WRITTEN BY: Barry Gibb & Robin Gibb
BILLBOARD CHART: August 1967 | #17
SINGER: Mike Auen
LSP CD: Many Years Ago / LSP004
TIME: 3:45 TRACK: 3 of 10

WHAT THE LORD (has done in me)
PERFORMED BY: Hillsong Worship
WRITTEN BY: Reuben Morgan
BILLBOARD CHART: (did not chart)
SINGER: Courtney Peterson
LSP CD: Closer to Glory / LSP006
TIME: 3:22 TRACK: 2 of 10

WHITE CHRISTMAS
PERFORMED BY: Bing Crosby
WRITTEN BY: Irving Berlin
YOUR HIT PARADE: October 1942 | #1
SINGER: Sharon Harrison
LSP CD: The Loop / LSP005
TIME: 3:15 TRACK: 4 of 10

YOU REALLY GOT ME
PERFORMED BY: The Kinks
WRITTEN BY: Ray Davies
BILLBOARD CHART: November 1964 | #7
SINGER: Mike Auen
LSP CD: The Loop / LSP005
TIME: 2:25 TRACK: 3 of 10