The Story of Musical Collaboration Between Larry Litzky and Rose Short
During an episode of Season 17 of NBC’s ‘The Voice’, contestant and eventual finalist, Rose Short, sang a rendition of Paul McCartney’s first solo classic, “Maybe I’m Amazed”. There was no “maybe” about it. Her performance amazed both the studio audience and the coaches on the show, who gave her a rousing standing ovation.
Gwen Stefani, Rose’s coach on the show, was brought to tears by her powerful performance.
“I have tears, I’m so moved by you tonight”, declared Stefani. “It was almost like I was in a dream watching you walk towards me. When you came down the stairs the way you did, it was so you and it was so, I can’t find the words to describe how unbelievable that was. That was mesmerizing. I feel like I’m on drugs. I don’t do drugs, but if I did them, it would be Rose. That was incredible.”
Fellow coach Kelly Clarkson echoed Gwen’s sentiment about the performance.
“That was like from the Lord!” Clarkson exclaimed. “That was so good. I feel saved. It was very tastefully done. You were feeling it. You wanted it out. You were bouncing. It had such great dynamics. It was really, really killer, Rose.”
The impact of Rose’s emotive performance extended beyond those in attendance that day. She amazed many home viewers as well. One such viewer, Larry Litzky, was particularly and profoundly impacted.
Oh God, You Rescued Me
In November of 2019, renowned Los Angeles attorney, Larry Litzky sat in bed watching his favourite show, ‘The Voice’, when he witnessed a performance that would end up being life-altering.
“Rose Short was a contestant on ‘The Voice’ a couple of years ago” recounts Larry. “And she did a version of “Maybe I’m Amazed” that blew my socks off. I sat up in bed and said, ‘Oh my God, I have the perfect song for her to sing’.”
Larry had always been musically inclined, earning a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Miami, in addition to his law degree from Southwestern Law School.
“I wrote ‘Oh God, You Rescued Me’ in the year 2000, a song about having the tenacity and strength to overcome”, Larry explains.
Having tenacity and the strength to overcome is something Larry knows all too well. In 2009, Larry was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
“With Parkinson’s, it’s a daily struggle, it’s a minute-by-minute struggle at times”, Larry describes. “I’m one of the happiest people I know. I make the best of every situation and I make people laugh all the time. And there’s nothing more that I enjoy than making people feel good. I have good energy. I have a positive attitude and I’m grateful.”
In October of 2021, Larry underwent successful yet intensive and serious brain surgery to help combat the disease.
“My newly revived health brought back memories of when I wrote ‘Oh God, You Rescued Me’ and I knew that I wanted nothing more than to revive my song and have Rose Short record it”, Larry explained.
A Story Everyone Can Relate To
In early 2022, with the help of Los Angeles branding, digital marketing, and public relations firm, EKC PR, Rose agreed to record ‘Oh God, You Rescued Me’ after hearing Larry’s story and the message behind the song.
“What inspired me to record Larry’s song is the story behind it”, explains Rose. “I feel like it’s a story of perseverance and just a story that everybody can relate to. We have all been at a place where we were at the bottom. To me, it just felt like he was in the way, you know, and we get frustrated with the way things are going when all we have to do is submit to the process and it always works out in the end.”
Rose clearly had a strong personal connection to the message behind the song as she herself had recently endured a difficult period in her life.
“We don’t have the same story but it’s definitely the same testimony. I was going through a lot of things. 2020 and 2021 were just really really one of the toughest times of my life and it felt like I was seeing no end, but I had to submit to the process and get out of the way. In essence, He rescued me. God rescued me.”
With Rose on board to record his song, Larry was once again very motivated. So much so that he launched his own production company, Level 22 Entertainment, which is dedicated to all forms of media that deliver messages of kindness, hope, generosity, gratitude, and love.
That In-Studio Feeling
When Rose agreed to record ‘Oh God, You Rescued Me’, she did so on the condition that she would record the vocals remotely from Arlyn Studios in Austin, Texas.
The original studio that Larry had planned to work with wasn’t set up with the technology or the experience to record the vocals remotely, so they requested help on the project from Los Angeles recording studio, Talented Studios, which they gladly accepted.
Formed in 2007, Talented Studios was created through a collaboration between prominent saxophonist and record producer, Mike Parlett and re-recording mixer, Jonathan Wales.
With many recording studios closing their doors in recent years, Mike Parlett accredits the ability for his studio to survive to how they have embraced new technologies.
“In the world we are living in now, it is very important that you give yourself accessibility to a wider clientele”, says Mike. “One of the big upgrades to our studio was when we started using Sessionwire. Now, I’d say for 20 to 30 percent of my clientele, the work is done on Sessionwire.”
When it came time to record Rose’s vocals, Mike and Larry were in the studio in Los Angeles together and they had Rose broadcast on a big screen live from Austin. This type of setup when recording someone remotely is critical to creating that in-studio feeling.
“It definitely has a feel where it’s almost like a virtual reality experience where you feel the person, the collaborator you’re working with is in the studio with you. From that perspective, Larry felt that Rose was actually there. He was in awe of it. He thought ‘wow this is incredible’.”
This is exactly the kind of experience that Sessionwire was designed to create. The goal has always been to recreate the feeling of being in the recording studio while being physically apart.
The incredible story of the collaboration between Larry Litzky and Rose Short is one that everyone who hears it falls in love with. It’s certainly one that Mike Parlett won’t ever forget and it’s one that Sessionwire is proud to play a small part in.
“It’s one of those things you never forget”, recalls Mike. “To see this person with so much joy on his face. Just to see the absolute joy on someone’s face as they are listening to their song being sung like that. It was just wonderfully rewarding for us.”
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Watch and Listen For Yourself
The team at Talented Studios put together a fantastic video documenting the remarkable story of Larry and Rose. It includes interviews with both Larry and Rose as well as a behind-the-scenes look into the remote recording session of the lead vocals. Take a few minutes and watch the video above to discover the magic that can be created when you have the freedom to collaborate live from anywhere in the world.
Of course, you can also listen to the finished version of “Oh God, You Rescued Me” on all major streaming platforms including Spotify, which is embedded below. Enjoy!
Song Credits:
Music & Lyrics: Larry J. Litzky
Producers: Richard Turner, Mike Parlett, Larry J. Litzky & Rose Marie Short
Mixing & Mastering: Mike Parlett
Tracking Engineer: Rodney “BR” Millon
Lead Vocals (recorded at Arlyn Studios in Austin, Texas): Rose Marie Short
Background Vocals: Viva Vinson, Diamonique Jackson & La Niece McKay
Arrangement & Keyboards: Richard Turner
Acoustic & Electric Guitar: Hugh Laxineta
Bass Guitar: Joshua McClanahan
Drums: Ronnie Kaufman
Additional Percussion: Mike Parlett
Mixed and Mastered at Talented Studios in Los Angeles in association with Sessionwire.
Lead Vocals Recorded at Arlyn Studios in Austin Texas.
Copyright Level 22 Entertainment LLC
Video Credits:
Videographer & Editing: CJ Wilson & Ellen Parlett