Long Post... But (hopefully) worth it

Rick_Jazz · 07-23-2015, 12:27 AM

An Inspirational Tale - By Richard Hamilton

So there I was, many months ago, diligently yet needlessly perusing Google for more typically useless information. This time, the name of a certain actress of a 90's sitcom that a friend and I could not remember - oh, what was her name again?? After some fumbling and refining, I found it - "Boy Meet's World's" Danielle Fischel. "Well, that was fun" I shrugged, then let out a sigh. "There's another 5 minutes of my life I won't get back."

But as I sat there, Google images splayed across my screen, eyes swimming in a pool of Danielles, something caught my attention. I stumble upon a photo, one that was certainly not like the others - no, this one was different, so very different (well it wasn't Fischel, that's for sure). It was a picture of a girl, no, a woman. A woman I had never seen before, or more accurately, the likes of which I had never seen before. A face, a beauty, an uncommonly natural beauty silently looked back at me. I fixated on the photo, intrigued, to say the least. "Who is this?" I wondered as my eyes kept centered on the woman dappled amongst the other Danielles on my LCD. I sat back in my chair, head cocked to one side as a puppy might do when spoken to, so I could match the angle of the face on my screen. "Wow," I thought aloud, "there she is... the woman in this photo... a face of the quintessential 'girl-next-door'. A face you would most certainly take home to Mom. A face a guy could fall for. A face.... that could launch 1000 ships". I sat transfixed - my eyes unmovable. I was hooked. I decided that I really wanted to get to know this graceful face, this mystery woman, the nameless person in this photo, well, a little more. I reached for my mouse.

Right-click. Save Picture As.... MysteryGirl.jpg

I then studied the now downloaded picture/face for many moments (as I did, strangely, Def Leppard's "Photograph" begins to play in my head). As I look closer, what I see is mesmerizing: flawless, alabaster skin upon a perfect feminine facial structure - cheekbones, jawline and nose all exquisitely proportioned. Neatly-styled, natural (dishwater?) blonde hair that fell delicately beneath the curve of her left cheek as she suspended her head with her left hand, apparently reclining on her left side on what could have been a bed, wearing what looked to be a light lilac-colored, soft terry robe. Her expression seemed far away, hard to read, but had a certain haunting innocence about it. Was she deep in thought? Or perhaps she was looking at someone close by with an expression of warmth and fondness, maybe for someone she had awoke beside on a Sunday morning, I mused. But there was something else....

Then it hit me, why this picture so magnetic to me - the eyes. Fascinating. I looked deeply into those eyes, the color of which I found indescribable for the longest while and could only then lamely settle on what could be called "steel-blue" or perhaps "gray-blue"? Certainly a color not often found in nature, but a color worthy of a name in of itself. A color worthy of such mercurial orbs. I continued looking at those eyes for what seemed like an eternity. "Hypnotic", I thought. They began to make me wonder, "What was going on behind those eyes at that very moment?"... as she thoughtfully looked into the lense of the camera that was obviously in front of her. Yet, also as if she were gazing at me from the picture itself, gazing...

I looked away from the picture, the eyes - I was in danger of getting lost in them. Amazed, I thought, "How can one person be so blessed among women with such eyes - the likes of which could cut through souls and illicit so many responses in a man, none the least of which would include melting at their very sight", I supposed. Then something happened, something "clicked" in my head, inspiration suddenly struck - Ding! (No, not an inspirational ding, it was my microwave. So I went and got my tea). Suddenly, a feeling washed over me, one that I had not felt in a very long time. A collection of ideas began forming - the sleepy right side of my brain, the half which secretes those colorful creative juices, began to awaken like a long-slumbering dragon (and for this musician/songwriter, this kind of magical moment was a welcomed occurance, indeed). So I quickly grabbed pen and paper and once again stared into those eyes and began to write, remembering what I saw (or thought I saw). What was in those eyes, or more aptly, what was behind them. 15 minutes later I emerged from my office - a beautiful writing in hand, bound for my journal of other insprations from years past. Something I could enjoy reading later when I'm old and gray (which is probably a lot closer than I think).

Present day: Recently, my journal is lost due to my own carelessness. Upon attempting to rewrite some of the memories now MIA, I discovered that the eye-inspired writing was easily recoverable, not only since it was my most recent writing, but I found that by simply looking into the eyes of that same saved photo once again, 'MysteryGirl.jpg', the words just reappeared under my pen. Sadly, many older writings were now lost to time. It was then I decided: since these inspirations seldom occurred and since they could be lost at any time, that if anyone in my life inspired me to write something meaningful, I would share that gift of inspiration with them as soon as it was completed so they could enjoy it too. In the past, I would shy away from sharing my writings, but that had to change. And from henceforth, it would. But this time, how would I find this person - this person I didn't know from, er, Eve? Since I had no way of knowing who "MysteryGirl" was, how was I to know to whose eyes I owed this gift?

Then at last, fate intervened. By chance, while talking to a friend at work about something unrelated, he explained how he recently discovered that Google had the ability to do reverse image searches. "What? Reverse image searches? Really??" I stammered. And all this time I thought Google was only a text search engine. As my face falls in my palm, I think "Well duh! You'd think I'd know this crap working in I.T..." <eyeroll> So, upon arriving home, I quickly opened my browser, point it at Google, copied my MysteryGirl.jpg to the awaiting blank field on the website of the world's-largest-data-repository-on-planet-Earth, crossed my fingers and with shaky hand, pressed Enter....

Upload complete.... <deep breath>

and Google then responded with a name - Danielle Delaunay.

OMG! Thrilled that I finally had a real clue to work with, I excitedly looked at a crop of new images on my screen that this new name had provided and starting searching fervently for some familiarity - especially in the eyes. I see another photo: a beautiful, statuesque woman in a black dress and heels, leaning against an exotic sports car. Is that her? It sure looks like her. A little far away to see the eyes clearly, though. Ok, here's another photo: same face as the car photo, but closer this time. She's wearing a black, low-cut top and stylish, retangular-framed glasses against a brick background. She has the same hair color and similar facial features of my mystery photo, but now looking closer I can tell - the eyes are a match to my photo. Their color and shape are unmistakable. This had to be her. The mystery of my "MysteryGirl" photo was closing on closure, I hoped.

So my photo now had a name: Danielle Delaunay. Desperately looking for a wiki or something similar to find more info (and instead finding more info on a singer with the same name, grrr) I finally find another photo of "Danielle", but this time with hair a much lighter shade of blonde. The photo has a link which I click and I am steered toward a site called DanielleFTV. Ok, I'll bite. So I click the link..... aaaaand I freeze. After a long moment with eyes glued to the screen, I sit back, collect my jaw from the floor, try to breathe and take a few minutes to process what I was seeing. Okaaaay... not exactly what I was expecting. But then I realized that there was more - more to the face in my photo. So much more perfection that my picture failed to show. And there was no mistaking that this was most certainly her. Her in that photo. Her, with that face I so admired. Her, with those mercurial eyes. Her, in all of her feminine glory before me. Her... the inspiration. Finally, it was all coming together. After a few more apprehensive seconds, I sheepishly perused the site and was fortunate enough to find the forum - which I, of course, signed up for immediately.

Anyway, to cut this ridiculously long story short (and if you haven't already deleted this thread), since I now honestly believe that you, Danielle, are the "MysteryGirl" (the person in my revered photo above) and since that photo inspired me to write something beautiful, well then it's only fitting that you should receive the gift you inspired, for it is rightfully yours.

In closing, may your days be filled with love, laughter, friends and family, and may you find success in all you do (and if you really did read all of this, what's wrong with you?).

Most sincerely yours,

Richard (from sunny Sarasota, FL)

P.S. So without further adieu, here is what a simple photo of you inspired, Miss Danielle.... Enjoy.

Anoree · 07-23-2015, 07:10 AM

Welcome to Danielle's Forum!

That's a very nice and long story of your search for Danielle. I'm glad you found your way here and enjoy the discussions and info with and about your inspiration girl.

Anoree

Rick_Jazz · 07-23-2015, 03:50 PM

Thanks. Sorry for the double post. Anyway, here was the real reason for the long post above.

To Danielle, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it for you (well, now that I know it's you).

"Behind Those Eyes"

You said "Hello" as you smiled and took my hand
And at that moment you had more than you might understand
You stole my heart, with a single, simple gaze
A true work of art - when I saw that face I longed to say

Behind those eyes
There is someone who's adored
A world to be explored
If I could only look inside
Behind those eyes
Is a place I long to be
For all eternity
There are horizons far and wide
Behind those eyes

Standing so near me yet we're still a world apart
Yearning to tell you of the feelings I have in my heart
Should I walk away? Is there someone in your life?
So much to say but I can't and it cuts like a knife

(So I'll dream...)

Behind those eyes
Fields of flowers gently sway
Beneath a sunny day
Without a cloud up in the sky
Behind those eyes
Is a fleeting rainbow's end
I'll hope of someday when
I can spread my wings and fly
Behind those eyes

Behind those eyes
There are children running free
An endless moonlit sea
I just imagine what I'd find
Behind those eyes
Is a thought, perhaps of me?
A timeless memory
Forever locked away inside
Behind those eyes....

danielle_ftv · 07-27-2015, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick_Jazz

Thanks. Sorry for the double post. Anyway, here was the real reason for the long post above.

To Danielle, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it for you (well, now that I know it's you).

"Behind Those Eyes"

You said "Hello" as you smiled and took my hand
And at that moment you had more than you might understand
You stole my heart, with a single, simple gaze
A true work of art - when I saw that face I longed to say

Behind those eyes
There is someone who's adored
A world to be explored
If I could only look inside
Behind those eyes
Is a place I long to be
For all eternity
There are horizons far and wide
Behind those eyes

Standing so near me yet we're still a world apart
Yearning to tell you of the feelings I have in my heart
Should I walk away? Is there someone in your life?
So much to say but I can't and it cuts like a knife

(So I'll dream...)

Behind those eyes
Fields of flowers gently sway
Beneath a sunny day
Without a cloud up in the sky
Behind those eyes
Is a fleeting rainbow's end
I'll hope of someday when
I can spread my wings and fly
Behind those eyes

Behind those eyes
There are children running free
An endless moonlit sea
I just imagine what I'd find
Behind those eyes
Is a thought, perhaps of me?
A timeless memory
Forever locked away inside
Behind those eyes....

Oh wow! That is beautiful. I love it! Would you mind if I took a screen shot of it and posted it on my Twitter?

danielle_ftv · 07-27-2015, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick_Jazz

An Inspirational Tale - By Richard Hamilton

So there I was, many months ago, diligently yet needlessly perusing Google for more typically useless information. This time, the name of a certain actress of a 90's sitcom that a friend and I could not remember - oh, what was her name again??. After some fumbling about and refining, I fount it - "Boy Meet's World's" Danielle Fischel. "Well, that was fun" I shrugged, then let out a sigh. "There's another 5 minutes of my life I won't get back."

But as I sat there, Google images splayed across my screen, eyes swimming in a pool of Danielles, something caught my attention. I stumble upon a photo, one that was certainly not like the others - no, this one was different, so very differnet (well it wasn't Fischel, that's for sure). It was a picture of a girl, no, a woman. A woman I had never seen before, or more accurately, the likes of which I had never seen before. A face, a beauty, an uncommonly natural beauty silently looked back at me. I fixated on the photo, intrigued, to say the least. "Who is this?" I wondered as my eyes kept centered on the woman dappled amongst the other Danielles on my LCD. I sat back in my chair, head cocked to one side as a puppy might do when spoken to, so I could match the angle of the face on my screen. "Wow," I thought aloud, "there she is... the woman in this photo... a face of the quintessential 'girl-next-door'. A face you would most certainly take home to Mom. A face a guy could fall for. A face.... that could launch 1000 ships". I sat transfixed - my eyes unmovable. I was hooked. I decided that I really wanted to get to know this graceful face, this mystery woman, the nameless person in this photo, well, a little more. I reached for my mouse.

Right-click. Save Picture As.... MysteryGirl.jpg

I then studied the now downloaded picture/face for many moments (as I did, strangely, Def Leppard's "Photograph" begins to play in my head). As I look closer, what I see is mesmerizing: flawless, alabaster skin upon a perfect feminie facial structure - cheekbones, jawline and nose all exquisitely proportioned. Neatly-styled, natural (dishwater?) blonde hair that fell delicately beneath the curve of her left cheek as she suspended her head with her left hand, apparently reclining on her left side on what could have been a bed, wearing what looked to be a light lilac-colored, soft terry robe. Her expression seemed far away, hard to read, but had a certain haunting innocence about it. Was she deep in thought? Or perhaps she was looking at someone close by with an expression of warmth and fondness, maybe for someone she had awoke beside on a Sunday morning, I mused. But there was something else....

Then it hit me, why this picture so magnetic to me - the eyes. Fascinating. I looked deeply into those eyes, the color of which I found indescribable for the longest while and could only then lamely settle on what could be called "steel-blue" or perhaps "gray-blue"? Certainly a color not often found in nature, but a color worthy of a name in of itself, a color worthy of such mercurial orbs. I continued looking at those eyes for what seemed like an eternity. "Hypnotic", I thought. They began to make me wonder, "What was going on behind those eyes at that very moment?"... as she thoughtfully looked into the lense of the camera that was obviously in front of her. Yet, also as if she were gazing at me from the picture itself, gazing...

I looked away from the picture, the eyes - I was in danger of getting lost in them. Amazed, I thought, "How can one person be so blessed among women with such eyes - the likes of which could cut through souls and illicit so many responses in a man, none the least of which would include melting at their very sight", I suppose. Then something happened, something "clicked" in my head, inspiration suddenly struck - Ding! (No, not an inspirational ding, it was my microwave. So I went and got my tea). Suddenly, a feeling washed over me, one that I had not felt in a very long time. A collection of ideas began forming - the sleepy right side of my brain, the half which secretes those colorful creative juices, began to awaken like a long-slumbering dragon (and for this musician/songwriter, this kind of magical moment was a rare occurance, indeed). So I quickly grabbed pen and paper and once again stared into those eyes and began to write, remembering what I saw (or thought I saw), what was in them, or more aptly, what was behind them. 15 minutes later I emerged from my office - a beautiful writing in hand, bound for my journal of other insprations from years past. Something I could enjoy reading later when I'm old and gray (which is probably a lot closer than I think).

Present day: Recently, my journal is lost due to my own carelessness. Upon attempting to rewrite some of the memories now MIA, I discovered that the eye-inspired writing was easily recoverable, not only since it was my most recent writing, but I found that by simply looking into the eyes of that same saved photo once again, 'MysteryGirl.jpg', the words just reappeared under my pen. Sadly, many older writings were now lost to time. It was then I decided, since these inspirations seldom occurred and since they could be lost at any time, that if anyone in my life inspired me to write something meaningful, I would share that gift of inspiration with them as soon as it was completed so they could enjoy it too. In the past, I would shy away from sharing my writings, but that had to change. And from henceforth, it would. But this time, how would I find this person - this person I didn't know from, er, Eve? Since I had no way of knowing who "MysteryGirl" was, how was I to know to whose eyes I owed this gift?

Then at last, fate intervened. By chance, while talking to a friend at work about something unrelated, he explained how he recently discovered that Google had the ability to do reverse image searches. "What? Reverse image searches? Really??" I stammered. And all this time I thought Google was only a text search engine. As my face falls in my palm, I think "Well duh! You'd think I'd know this crap working in I.T..." <eyeroll> So, upon arriving home, I quickly opened my browser, point it at Google, copied my MysteryGirl.jpg to the awaiting blank field on the website of the world's-largest-data-repository-on-planet-Earth, crossed my fingers and with shaky hand, pressed Enter....

Upload complete.... <deep breath>

and Google then responded with a name - Danielle Delaunay.

OMG! Thrilled that I finally had a real clue to work with, I excitedly looked at a crop of new images on my screen that this new name had provided and starting searching fervently for some familiarity - especially in the eyes. I see another photo, a beautiful, statuesque woman in a black dress and heels, leaning against an exotic sports car. Is that her? It sure looks like her. A little far away to see the eyes clearly, though. Ok, here's another photo, same face as the car photo, but closer this time. She's wearing a black, low-cut top and stylish, retangular-framed glasses against a brick background. She has the same hair color and similar facial features of my mystery photo, but now looking closer I can tell - the eyes are a match to my photo - their color and shape are unmistakable. This had to be her. The mystery of my "MysteryGirl" photo was closing on closure, I hoped.

So my photo now had a name: Danielle. Desperately looking for a wiki or something similar to find more info (and instead finding more info on a singer with the same name, grrr) I finally find another photo of "Danielle", but this time with hair a much lighter shade of blonde. The photo has a link which I click and I am steered toward a site called DanielleFTV. Ok, I'll bite. So I click the link..... aaaaand I freeze. After a long moment with eyes glued to the sreen, I sit back, collect my jaw from the floor, try to breathe and take a few minutes to process what I was seeing. Okaaaay... not exactly what I was expecting. But then I realized that there was more; more to the face in my photo, so much more perfection that my picture failed to show. And there was no mistaking that this was most certainly her; her in the photo; her, with that face I so admired; her, with those mercurial eyes; her, in all her feminine glory before me; her... the inspiration. Finally, it was all coming together. After a few more apprehensive seconds, I sheepishly perused the site and was fortunate enough to find the forum (which I, of course, signed up for immediately).

Anyway, to cut this ridiculously long story short (and if you haven't already deleted this thread), since I now honestly believe that you, Danielle, are the "MysteryGirl", the person in my revered photo above and since that photo inspired me to write something beautiful, well then it's only fitting that you should receive the gift you inspired, for it is rightfully yours.

In closing, may your days be filled with love, laughter, friends and family, and may you find success in all you do (and if you really did read all of this, what's wrong with you?). :-)

Most sincerely yours,

Richard (from sunny Sarasota, FL)

P.S. So without further adieu, here is what a simple photo of you inspired, Miss Danielle.... Enjoy.

Richard, I'm not sure why but this post brought tears to my eyes. You are so eloquent and the fact that just one photo fascinated you in that manner shows me why I love this business and my fans. You are amazing and I am very happy that you found me.

Rick_Jazz · 07-28-2015, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danielle_ftv

Oh wow! That is beautiful. I love it! Would you mind if I took a screen shot of it and posted it on my Twitter?

Thank you, Danielle. Beauty inspires beauty - so I can't take all of the credit. I'm glad you enjoyed it. If you want to tweet it, be my guest, it's yours to do with as you wish.

Rick_Jazz · 07-28-2015, 01:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danielle_ftv

Richard, I'm not sure why but this post brought tears to my eyes. You are so eloquent and the fact that just one photo fascinated you in that manner shows me why I love this business and my fans. You are amazing and I am very happy that you found me.

Wow, you are certainly full of surprises. I would have thought the poem may have elicited such a response, but a long-winded letter/story - are you sure you weren't tearing up from exhaustion from reading all of that? (I actually had to split the post into 2 parts - I broke the 10,000 letter forum limit with this post, lol)

I just thought you may have wanted to hear of someone putting in a little effort, not just to impress you, but to bring a little joy to your heart (and who doesn't need that every now and then?).

Besides, I thought it was better than the other option:

Hey, I just found you
and this is crazy
but here's a poem
so read it, maybe?

BTW, in the months since I've had that poem written, the words have also become lyrics to a song I wrote for them. Maybe someday if I'm brave enough, I'll post it here (or somewhere) for to you to hear. (Note: It'll probably take a lot of Cabernet for me to press Enter, though. Just sayin'.)

I am truly honored by your response, may old Irish blessings come your way.

Rich Hamilton

danielle_ftv · 08-04-2015, 05:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick_Jazz

Thank you, Danielle. Beauty inspires beauty - so I can't take all of the credit. I'm glad you enjoyed it. If you want to tweet it, be my guest, it's yours to do with as you wish.

I tweeted it just now

danielle_ftv · 08-04-2015, 05:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick_Jazz

Wow, you are certainly full of surprises. I would have thought the poem may have elicited such a response, but a long-winded letter/story - are you sure you weren't tearing up from exhaustion from reading all of that? (I actually had to split the post into 2 parts - I broke the 10,000 letter forum limit with this post, lol)

I just thought you may have wanted to hear of someone putting in a little effort, not just to impress you, but to bring a little joy to your heart (and who doesn't need that every now and then?).

Besides, I thought it was better than the other option:

Hey, I just found you
and this is crazy
but here's a poem
so read it, maybe?

BTW, in the months since I've had that poem written, the words have also become lyrics to a song I wrote for them. Maybe someday if I'm brave enough, I'll post it here (or somewhere) for to you to hear. (Note: It'll probably take a lot of Cabernet for me to press Enter, though. Just sayin'.)

I am truly honored by your response, may old Irish blessings come your way.

Rich Hamilton

A little liquid courage? I can understand that haha. I think the poem being made into a song would be incredible and beautiful as well. And yes...I did get teary eyed. I like to think that I am very in touch with my emotions and also have no problem showing them.

Rick_Jazz · 08-07-2015, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danielle_ftv

I think the poem being made into a song would be incredible and beautiful as well.

Perhaps, you may get an opportunity to hear it shortly. The final orchestrations have been written, recorded and mixed down - which in itself took several weeks (I played all of the recorded instruments). The finished music track is now on its way Shanghai, China, where an old (American) friend is now living, so the vocal tracks can be recorded (while I could sing the vocal track and do it moderate justice, my friend in China is an exceptional vocalist and has agreed to lend his golden pipes to this creation).

I will likely post the completed project on YouTube or such and provide you the link in this thread (after my glass of Cabernet is consumed, of course) so you may listen at your leisure.

Any comments on the project are welcome/appreciated, Danielle.

Quote:

Originally Posted by danielle_ftv

I like to think that I am very in touch with my emotions and also have no problem showing them.

It is my hope that this song will help you do just that.

danielle_ftv · 08-16-2015, 04:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick_Jazz

Perhaps, you may get an opportunity to hear it shortly. The final orchestrations have been written, recorded and mixed down - which in itself took several weeks (I played all of the recorded instruments). The finished music track is now on its way Shanghai, China, where an old (American) friend is now living, so the vocal tracks can be recorded (while I could sing the vocal track and do it moderate justice, my friend in China is an exceptional vocalist and has agreed to lend his golden pipes to this creation).

I will likely post the completed project on YouTube or such and provide you the link in this thread (after my glass of Cabernet is consumed, of course) so you may listen at your leisure.

Any comments on the project are welcome/appreciated, Danielle.

It is my hope that this song will help you do just that.

Well I very much look forward to listening to the finished product.

Rick_Jazz · 03-17-2016, 02:40 AM

Ok, sorry for the (long) delay. My friend in China has been so busy with various other projects that he was unable to complete the vocal track for me - so I am auditioning other singers to complete this project. Please know that I am determined to finish this song so you can enjoy the final fruits of what you helped inspire me to write. Thank you for that.

I will continue to update you on my progress. Sorry for the delay.

All the best to you and yours,

Rich

danielle_ftv · 05-06-2016, 12:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick_Jazz

Ok, sorry for the (long) delay. My friend in China has been so busy with various other projects that he was unable to complete the vocal track for me - so I am auditioning other singers to complete this project. Please know that I am determined to finish this song so you can enjoy the final fruits of what you helped inspire me to write. Thank you for that.

I will continue to update you on my progress. Sorry for the delay.

All the best to you and yours,

Rich

No need to apologize

Rick_Jazz · 09-09-2017, 02:38 AM

So, a couple of years have passed since this thread has seen daylight (and I hope this doesn't count as thread resurrection) but good news has finally arrived. I don't even know if you still actively update this site or not but, I made a promise to you Miss Danielle, and I intended to keep it.

So after many rewrites and failed starts the poem has finally reached fruition and has evolved into the song I was intending it to be. I have consumed my glass of cabernet and am ready to unveil the final destination of the inspiration you helped create. So without further delay (I figure 2 years is long enough, don't you?), I now share with you, "Behind Those Eyes", the musical. I hope you enjoy it, Danielle.

https://soundcloud.com/mikemccarron/...chard-hamilton

Rick_Jazz · 10-27-2017, 01:50 AM

BTW, if you liked the song and would like an MP3 of the recording, please let me know. I would be happy to directly send you a copy of the finished product for you to enjoy wherever/whenever you want.

Thanks again for the original inspiration - I'll always fondly remember this experience.

All the best to you and yours,

Rich Hamilton

Rick_Jazz · 11-23-2017, 01:31 AM

Well, ok. Was it that bad? Not your cup of tea? Music is subjective - I get it.

I'm so sorry it took so long for it to come together. I guess I really should of kept you updated so it didn't seem like another empty promise. Sorry for that.

So, on with life.

Again, thanks Danielle for a simple photo that brought this to fruition....

Rick

danielle_ftv · 12-19-2017, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick_Jazz

Well, ok. Was it that bad? Not your cup of tea? Music is subjective - I get it.

I'm so sorry it took so long for it to come together. I guess I really should of kept you updated so it didn't seem like another empty promise. Sorry for that.

So, on with life.

Again, thanks Danielle for a simple photo that brought this to fruition....

Rick

OMG no, it wasn't bad! It's really sweet and makes me think of the ballads playing during a romantic sex scene in an 80's movie

Rick_Jazz · 12-25-2017, 10:19 PM

Romantic 80's movie sex scene? Does that include John Cusack holding a boom box above his head later on in the film? Ha ha!

Well, I suppose "power ballads" have kind of fallen out of mainstream style in favor of more "folksy" or "emo" ballads with much simpler production parameters (read: one guitar/piano and one voice). But I say, if you're gonna write a song then write a SONG (lots and LOTS of layered instruments and vocals - there's no such word as "over-produced" in my book! lol)

In other (good) news, this is the first song I've written that I felt worthy of having copywritten for possible distribution (at the behest of friends who helped me with its final production - they all really liked the song and pushed me to do it). I guess I'll put it out there and see if anyone bites. Who knows? In this case an inspirational picture could be worth a thousand words (or several thousand dollars - but I digress). And I have you to thank, once again. <3

Well, thanks for taking the time to listen and for your feedback (and for being very sweet/kind in your response). It was really appreciated. I wish you much happiness/peace/success in 2018 and beyond.

Most sincerely yours,

Rich

07-23-2015, 12:27 AM	#1
Rick_Jazz Danielle Fan Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 11	Long Post... But (hopefully) worth it An Inspirational Tale - By Richard Hamilton So there I was, many months ago, diligently yet needlessly perusing Google for more typically useless information. This time, the name of a certain actress of a 90's sitcom that a friend and I could not remember - oh, what was her name again?? After some fumbling and refining, I found it - "Boy Meet's World's" Danielle Fischel. "Well, that was fun" I shrugged, then let out a sigh. "There's another 5 minutes of my life I won't get back." But as I sat there, Google images splayed across my screen, eyes swimming in a pool of Danielles, something caught my attention. I stumble upon a photo, one that was certainly not like the others - no, this one was different, so very different (well it wasn't Fischel, that's for sure). It was a picture of a girl, no, a woman. A woman I had never seen before, or more accurately, the likes of which I had never seen before. A face, a beauty, an uncommonly natural beauty silently looked back at me. I fixated on the photo, intrigued, to say the least. "Who is this?" I wondered as my eyes kept centered on the woman dappled amongst the other Danielles on my LCD. I sat back in my chair, head cocked to one side as a puppy might do when spoken to, so I could match the angle of the face on my screen. "Wow," I thought aloud, "there she is... the woman in this photo... a face of the quintessential 'girl-next-door'. A face you would most certainly take home to Mom. A face a guy could fall for. A face.... that could launch 1000 ships". I sat transfixed - my eyes unmovable. I was hooked. I decided that I really wanted to get to know this graceful face, this mystery woman, the nameless person in this photo, well, a little more. I reached for my mouse. Right-click. Save Picture As.... MysteryGirl.jpg I then studied the now downloaded picture/face for many moments (as I did, strangely, Def Leppard's "Photograph" begins to play in my head). As I look closer, what I see is mesmerizing: flawless, alabaster skin upon a perfect feminine facial structure - cheekbones, jawline and nose all exquisitely proportioned. Neatly-styled, natural (dishwater?) blonde hair that fell delicately beneath the curve of her left cheek as she suspended her head with her left hand, apparently reclining on her left side on what could have been a bed, wearing what looked to be a light lilac-colored, soft terry robe. Her expression seemed far away, hard to read, but had a certain haunting innocence about it. Was she deep in thought? Or perhaps she was looking at someone close by with an expression of warmth and fondness, maybe for someone she had awoke beside on a Sunday morning, I mused. But there was something else.... Then it hit me, why this picture so magnetic to me - the eyes. Fascinating. I looked deeply into those eyes, the color of which I found indescribable for the longest while and could only then lamely settle on what could be called "steel-blue" or perhaps "gray-blue"? Certainly a color not often found in nature, but a color worthy of a name in of itself. A color worthy of such mercurial orbs. I continued looking at those eyes for what seemed like an eternity. "Hypnotic", I thought. They began to make me wonder, "What was going on behind those eyes at that very moment?"... as she thoughtfully looked into the lense of the camera that was obviously in front of her. Yet, also as if she were gazing at me from the picture itself, gazing... I looked away from the picture, the eyes - I was in danger of getting lost in them. Amazed, I thought, "How can one person be so blessed among women with such eyes - the likes of which could cut through souls and illicit so many responses in a man, none the least of which would include melting at their very sight", I supposed. Then something happened, something "clicked" in my head, inspiration suddenly struck - Ding! (No, not an inspirational ding, it was my microwave. So I went and got my tea). Suddenly, a feeling washed over me, one that I had not felt in a very long time. A collection of ideas began forming - the sleepy right side of my brain, the half which secretes those colorful creative juices, began to awaken like a long-slumbering dragon (and for this musician/songwriter, this kind of magical moment was a welcomed occurance, indeed). So I quickly grabbed pen and paper and once again stared into those eyes and began to write, remembering what I saw (or thought I saw). What was in those eyes, or more aptly, what was behind them. 15 minutes later I emerged from my office - a beautiful writing in hand, bound for my journal of other insprations from years past. Something I could enjoy reading later when I'm old and gray (which is probably a lot closer than I think). Present day: Recently, my journal is lost due to my own carelessness. Upon attempting to rewrite some of the memories now MIA, I discovered that the eye-inspired writing was easily recoverable, not only since it was my most recent writing, but I found that by simply looking into the eyes of that same saved photo once again, 'MysteryGirl.jpg', the words just reappeared under my pen. Sadly, many older writings were now lost to time. It was then I decided: since these inspirations seldom occurred and since they could be lost at any time, that if anyone in my life inspired me to write something meaningful, I would share that gift of inspiration with them as soon as it was completed so they could enjoy it too. In the past, I would shy away from sharing my writings, but that had to change. And from henceforth, it would. But this time, how would I find this person - this person I didn't know from, er, Eve? Since I had no way of knowing who "MysteryGirl" was, how was I to know to whose eyes I owed this gift? Then at last, fate intervened. By chance, while talking to a friend at work about something unrelated, he explained how he recently discovered that Google had the ability to do reverse image searches. "What? Reverse image searches? Really??" I stammered. And all this time I thought Google was only a text search engine. As my face falls in my palm, I think "Well duh! You'd think I'd know this crap working in I.T..." <eyeroll> So, upon arriving home, I quickly opened my browser, point it at Google, copied my MysteryGirl.jpg to the awaiting blank field on the website of the world's-largest-data-repository-on-planet-Earth, crossed my fingers and with shaky hand, pressed Enter.... Upload complete.... <deep breath> and Google then responded with a name - Danielle Delaunay. OMG! Thrilled that I finally had a real clue to work with, I excitedly looked at a crop of new images on my screen that this new name had provided and starting searching fervently for some familiarity - especially in the eyes. I see another photo: a beautiful, statuesque woman in a black dress and heels, leaning against an exotic sports car. Is that her? It sure looks like her. A little far away to see the eyes clearly, though. Ok, here's another photo: same face as the car photo, but closer this time. She's wearing a black, low-cut top and stylish, retangular-framed glasses against a brick background. She has the same hair color and similar facial features of my mystery photo, but now looking closer I can tell - the eyes are a match to my photo. Their color and shape are unmistakable. This had to be her. The mystery of my "MysteryGirl" photo was closing on closure, I hoped. So my photo now had a name: Danielle Delaunay. Desperately looking for a wiki or something similar to find more info (and instead finding more info on a singer with the same name, grrr) I finally find another photo of "Danielle", but this time with hair a much lighter shade of blonde. The photo has a link which I click and I am steered toward a site called DanielleFTV. Ok, I'll bite. So I click the link..... aaaaand I freeze. After a long moment with eyes glued to the screen, I sit back, collect my jaw from the floor, try to breathe and take a few minutes to process what I was seeing. Okaaaay... not exactly what I was expecting. But then I realized that there was more - more to the face in my photo. So much more perfection that my picture failed to show. And there was no mistaking that this was most certainly her. Her in that photo. Her, with that face I so admired. Her, with those mercurial eyes. Her, in all of her feminine glory before me. Her... the inspiration. Finally, it was all coming together. After a few more apprehensive seconds, I sheepishly perused the site and was fortunate enough to find the forum - which I, of course, signed up for immediately. Anyway, to cut this ridiculously long story short (and if you haven't already deleted this thread), since I now honestly believe that you, Danielle, are the "MysteryGirl" (the person in my revered photo above) and since that photo inspired me to write something beautiful, well then it's only fitting that you should receive the gift you inspired, for it is rightfully yours. In closing, may your days be filled with love, laughter, friends and family, and may you find success in all you do (and if you really did read all of this, what's wrong with you?). Most sincerely yours, Richard (from sunny Sarasota, FL) P.S. So without further adieu, here is what a simple photo of you inspired, Miss Danielle.... Enjoy. Last edited by Rick_Jazz; 09-22-2017 at 01:23 AM.

07-23-2015, 07:10 AM	#2
Anoree Moderator Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Germany Posts: 2,015	Welcome to Danielle's Forum! That's a very nice and long story of your search for Danielle. I'm glad you found your way here and enjoy the discussions and info with and about your inspiration girl. Anoree

07-23-2015, 03:50 PM	#3
Rick_Jazz Danielle Fan Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 11	Thanks. Sorry for the double post. Anyway, here was the real reason for the long post above. To Danielle, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it for you (well, now that I know it's you). "Behind Those Eyes" You said "Hello" as you smiled and took my hand And at that moment you had more than you might understand You stole my heart, with a single, simple gaze A true work of art - when I saw that face I longed to say Behind those eyes There is someone who's adored A world to be explored If I could only look inside Behind those eyes Is a place I long to be For all eternity There are horizons far and wide Behind those eyes Standing so near me yet we're still a world apart Yearning to tell you of the feelings I have in my heart Should I walk away? Is there someone in your life? So much to say but I can't and it cuts like a knife (So I'll dream...) Behind those eyes Fields of flowers gently sway Beneath a sunny day Without a cloud up in the sky Behind those eyes Is a fleeting rainbow's end I'll hope of someday when I can spread my wings and fly Behind those eyes Behind those eyes There are children running free An endless moonlit sea I just imagine what I'd find Behind those eyes Is a thought, perhaps of me? A timeless memory Forever locked away inside Behind those eyes....

03-17-2016, 02:40 AM	#12
Rick_Jazz Danielle Fan Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 11	Ok, sorry for the (long) delay. My friend in China has been so busy with various other projects that he was unable to complete the vocal track for me - so I am auditioning other singers to complete this project. Please know that I am determined to finish this song so you can enjoy the final fruits of what you helped inspire me to write. Thank you for that. I will continue to update you on my progress. Sorry for the delay. All the best to you and yours, Rich

09-09-2017, 02:38 AM	#14
Rick_Jazz Danielle Fan Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 11	So, a couple of years have passed since this thread has seen daylight (and I hope this doesn't count as thread resurrection) but good news has finally arrived. I don't even know if you still actively update this site or not but, I made a promise to you Miss Danielle, and I intended to keep it. So after many rewrites and failed starts the poem has finally reached fruition and has evolved into the song I was intending it to be. I have consumed my glass of cabernet and am ready to unveil the final destination of the inspiration you helped create. So without further delay (I figure 2 years is long enough, don't you?), I now share with you, "Behind Those Eyes", the musical. I hope you enjoy it, Danielle. https://soundcloud.com/mikemccarron/...chard-hamilton

10-27-2017, 01:50 AM	#15
Rick_Jazz Danielle Fan Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 11	BTW, if you liked the song and would like an MP3 of the recording, please let me know. I would be happy to directly send you a copy of the finished product for you to enjoy wherever/whenever you want. Thanks again for the original inspiration - I'll always fondly remember this experience. All the best to you and yours, Rich Hamilton

11-23-2017, 01:31 AM	#16
Rick_Jazz Danielle Fan Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 11	Well, ok. Was it that bad? Not your cup of tea? Music is subjective - I get it. I'm so sorry it took so long for it to come together. I guess I really should of kept you updated so it didn't seem like another empty promise. Sorry for that. So, on with life. Again, thanks Danielle for a simple photo that brought this to fruition.... Rick

12-25-2017, 10:19 PM	#18
Rick_Jazz Danielle Fan Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 11	Romantic 80's movie sex scene? Does that include John Cusack holding a boom box above his head later on in the film? Ha ha! Well, I suppose "power ballads" have kind of fallen out of mainstream style in favor of more "folksy" or "emo" ballads with much simpler production parameters (read: one guitar/piano and one voice). But I say, if you're gonna write a song then write a SONG (lots and LOTS of layered instruments and vocals - there's no such word as "over-produced" in my book! lol) In other (good) news, this is the first song I've written that I felt worthy of having copywritten for possible distribution (at the behest of friends who helped me with its final production - they all really liked the song and pushed me to do it). I guess I'll put it out there and see if anyone bites. Who knows? In this case an inspirational picture could be worth a thousand words (or several thousand dollars - but I digress). And I have you to thank, once again. <3 Well, thanks for taking the time to listen and for your feedback (and for being very sweet/kind in your response). It was really appreciated. I wish you much happiness/peace/success in 2018 and beyond. Most sincerely yours, Rich