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Cold Long Winter

Winter has creeped in here in Finland, so it is time for a colder song. The story is about winter in a relationship. It got some inspiration also from the movie March Of The Penguins (imagine the sax as the voice of the lost penguin).

I wrote the first chords of the song on a cold February Friday evening in 2009. I can still even remember what I was wearing then It took me about one month to arrange the song, I remember that my computer had difficulties to handle all those >30 tracks. I made a Finnish version with a real singer later that year. In 2014, I added couple of newer real tracks to the mix and now I finally hired an English singer. So after 7 years of mixing and hundreds and hundreds of listenings, I hope the song doesn't sound too over-produced At least my ears are now deaf to any problematic issues.

And not to forget the most important tool: without BIAB this song would not exist.

Instrumentation (I have not saved all the details about the instruments I have rendered via BIAB, so there may be some mistakes)

RealDrums:

UrbanPopDrama, RockEven8??

RealTracks:

Electric Bass #1636
Cello #1856
Sax #588
Fiddle #624
Acoustic Guitar Finger #364
Blues Guitar #576
Electric Piano #910
String Quartet #2334

MIDI BIAB style:

Timpani (Dramork4)
2xStrings (Sender)
Strings (Ork448)
French Horn (Dramork4)
Trumpet (Brass_44)
Acoustic Piano (Sender, VST: SampleTank Punchee Grand)
Acoustic Piano (Pnomood1)
Acoustic Piano - low notes (??)
Contrabass (Chamber1)
Harpsichord (Mozart)

MIDI by me:

Cello
Digeridoo
Kalimba+bell

Lots and lots of sound effects from several collections, also some walking on the snow - slowed down.

Vocals: Supreme Tracks

For those interested, here is a link to the instrumental version without vocals: Cold Long Winter instrumental version

Lyrics:

Months so long after Christmas
gone without a trace
I'm desperately trying to recall
how it felt the human skin
in your embrace
within the presence on your face.

There's a difference with you or without you
there is foreplay or lonely coo
there is pleasure but no reward
there is tenderness or feeling bored
shake the hand of cold long winter.

Burden on my slumped shoulders
things that made you turn
your picture looks back at me with contempt
insensitive filthy mind
thirst, shame and guilt burn
condemn my crime is to yearn.

There's a difference...

There's a difference...

In the twilight of a frozen sea desert infinity
can't forget what once was part of me
filling the basic need, a human seed, a mouth to feed.

There's a difference...

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Janne

Loved the song. Very familiar with the lyrics content up here Northern Alberta Canada.

Nice song! I like all the instruments that you used and the use of the cello. Good production all around.
Sonny

Wow! Great sound.
Some of the english is a bit shaky but thoroughly enjoyed this the fabulous song.
Great backing great vocals. Cheers.

Thanks Scott for liking my song. I hope you are used to your cold winter climate

Thanks Sonny, nice to hear that you liked the instrumentation! RealTrack cello sounds almost always fantastic.

RichMac, thanks for your kind words, I'm glad that you enjoyed my song. Hopefully the English gets better with practicing.

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Janne

Really enjoyed this, Janne.

I also liked your instrumentation and vocals as well as the nature sounds on the ending. Good production all around.

Thanks for posting.

Don

Hello Jannesan

I like this song; great real tracks used.

Nice choice for sax and guitar on background.

Great ambiental effects too.

Sergio

Don & Sergio, thanks for liking my song, instrumentation and effects. Always nice to get positive feedback, warming especially on a dark and rainy day

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Janne

Very impressive project!! Sound Fx, great music, great production. Really captured that 70's sound (Parson's, Floyd, etc.). Wonderful stuff!! Take care. Greg

Thanks Greg, your comments are always so positive Feels strange that AP and PF are mentioned in connection with my song . I listened to Alan Parsons quite a lot in the 80's.

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Janne