PG Music Home Forums General Discussion User Showcase NEW SONG POST: Sincerity (Janice steals the show, and my heart)

Dear PG forum community, his is a song I wrote in the 90's. At the time, my fantasy was to have Bonnie Raitt record it. Hearing Janice sing on the forum, I thought she would be a great singer to go for that feel. She BLEW ME AWAY with her vocal. I think it's just beautiful. Thanks to Janice, and to Bud for helping engineer and coordinate everything. I would also like to throw a big shout out to my "ghost" producer, the person who has been an endless source of help, education, advice, encouragement, friendship, and almost everything else that helps to sustain people like us, songwriters/singers doing it just for the love of it. He is also the Godfather, the glue, and the guru of this forum. You may have guessed I'm talking about Floyd Jane. Thanks for immeasurable help and support Floyd! Comments always appreciated. Take care all.

Sincerity

https://soundcloud.com/gjohnson-2/sinceritymix-1


We’ve approached this love from every direction except for straight ahead
Our words have been disguised and measured before they have been said
We’re veterans of the game of love and virgins of the heart
We both sit back and play our cards so smart

But I have to tell you honestly, I’ve been prayin’ for a change
So, I’ll wear my heart out on my sleeve, though it fits me kinda strange
When you look at me I long to see the child within your soul
Not a shadow of the man in control

Let’s try Sincerity
Let’s try Sincerity
I’ll tell you what I feel for you and you can talk to me
We’ve been playin’ at this love to long, let’s set our feelings free
It’s time we tried a new approach
Let’s try Sincerity

We’ve always had unspoken rules on which we have agreed
But I’ll risk this love I want so much for the one I’ve come to need
Though your hands have learned their craft so well, I need a lover’s touch
I believe that you might need it just as much

Let’s try Sincerity
Let’s try Sincerity
I’ll tell you what I feel for you and you can talk to me
We’ve been playin’ at this love to long, let’s set our feelings free
It’s time we tried a new approach
Let’s try Sincerity


I lost the will for playin’ this same old game we’ll never win
But still I keep on prayin’ we find a new place to begin


I used BIAB RT for bass (I'll try to give the specific). EP was from EZKeys electrics, using BIAB Midi track (I lost track of which one, and actually had to construct the bridge by pasting and transposing segments from elsewhere in the song). Drums were RT (I'll post number) and EZDrummer (Floyd explained how to marry the two since I needed a sparser part than the RT had), and the cello is Embertone Blakus. This is an unbelievable beautiful sampled instrument. I used it very poorly as I'm just learning how to control it. I encourage those string lovers to check out Youtube demos from this company-unbelievable! Thanks!

Greg, Janice, Bud and floyd,

This is exquisitely beautiful. The song is written with great skill, the arrangement and production abound with musicality and the singing is way up there somewhere in the stratosphere with the best I've ever heard. Wonderful music on every conceivable level.

"Sincerity" and everything about it is a testament to all involved... such an outstanding creation and presentation.

Regards to all,
Noel

P.S. I just saw Trev's comments about Bonnie Rait. I agree.

Lovely song, Greg. Nicely produced and I love Janice's vocal.
-Carolyne

Greg, Janice, Bud, Floyd.

What a beautiful presentation. A brilliant effort by all.

And I definitely agree with your acknowledgment to Floyd. He does set the bar high.

I thoroughly enjoyed the lyrics, the sensitive delivery. Outstanding all around.

(PS: and I reckon Janice did it better than Bonnie Raitt might have)

Trev

Greg, Janice, Bud and Floyd
Beautifully written, produced and performed.
Great song structure and memorable chorus.
Nothing against Bonnie Raitt but I agree with the fellow Australian contingent Noel and Trevor about Janice's vocal performance.
All class.

Gorgeous song and performance. This one should shoot right to the top of the charts on BIAB Radio!!

Greg and Noel, I am overwhelmed that y'all would mention me on the same page as Bonnie Raitt much less compare me to her. Greg offered a real gem for me to sing and that makes it so easy to give it your best. I am humbled by your comments. Thank you.

Janice

Hi Greg, Janice and Bud,

beautiful song, great production and
performance. Janice's vocals are outstanding.
Can't stop listening.
Thanks for your acknowledgment to Floyd. I'm a fan, too.

Guenter

Beautiful ballad Greg and team.
I always love the sensitive intimate Brown with a little Henley influenced retro vibe you weave into your songs Greg.
Beautifully produced.
And beautifully sung by Janice.

Greg, so much to say about this song!

First of all, I hope we get to meet someday... I think we are kindred spirits in every way except song writing talent (I don't have any). So many of the observations you make (whether through song lyrics or even through forum reviews) resonate strongly with me! And I don't get that vibe from very many people, so it jumps out at me when I find it. I agree with your shout-outs to the people who participated in your project! What a great community!

Regarding the love this song speaks about: I have to identify through discussions with my son about his efforts to find a compatible mate. He describes the games in much the same way as your song does. I thought your various word choices were brilliant:

"We’ve approached this love from every direction except for straight ahead" (clever use of terminology, segue between physical direction and tactical direction)

"Our words have been disguised and measured before they have been said" (considering the importance of trust in a real loving relationship, this line reveals the core problem)

"We’re veterans of the game of love and virgins of the heart" (masterful line, comparison and contrast! Experienced in the least important things and inexperienced where it really counts)

"We both sit back and play our cards so smart" (makes the point that relationships without trust become a game, which results in a further eroding of trust, ad infinitum)

"So, I’ll wear my heart out on my sleeve, though it fits me kinda strange" (another use of terminology that can have more than one meaning, and it works in both ways... as though the heart were an improperly fitted garment worn in the wrong place, creating social anxiety and potential to fail)

"When you look at me I long to see the child within your soul" (kids tend to be straightforward and sincere, so this line echoes your title in a very interesting way)

"Not a shadow of the man in control" (Ouch! Let the sincerity begin! I see this as a make it or break it challenge, which would tell her whether the person she's talking to is capable of sincerity. If he responds with a sincere acknowledgement of the strategic distance he has put between them... then there's hope. But if he responds with yet another tactic, then she's outta there!

OK, I'll stop there or I'll be writing a Cliff's Notes on your whole lyric set!

I think you've presented a really complex and interesting story to the audience in very succinct and easy to understand (but certainly not simplistic) terms.

Moving on to Janice's part, I think that two of her strengths are that she sings with sincerity and with a certain amount of vulnerability... two traits that make her presentation in this song particularly powerful and believable. Two traits, in fact, that I think she has in more abundance than Bonnie Raitt. I LOVE Bonnie Raitt, but she has a chutzpah about her that would be wrong for this song, whereas Janice's delivery is just perfect.

Josie mentioned a Henley influence, and I hear that too. In fact, I've noticed that your songs typically have a west coast flavor that I don't hear in the songs of other people who post here. We all love the eagles... so why are YOUR songs more inclined to evoke that reference? Interesting. You manage to capture a cynicism mixed with regret, a desire for honesty, but a reluctance to do the things necessary to go there.

Regarding the cello, here are my thoughts:
1) I've noticed that cello in particular benefits from a lot more reverb than most of us feel comfortable using. I think that's because large bodied wooden instruments have a natural reverberation that needs to be accounted for.

2) but most of all, bowed instruments almost always need to be tweaked in the lower pane with envelopes. Bowed instruments start out quiet and get louder, so you have to tweak the attack of almost every note.

3) Also if you know how to tweak the velocity, that can make a HUGE difference in the way strings sound. If cellos and violins are produced with all notes having approximately the same velocity it will tend to sound like they were not bowed.

In summary, I just LOVE your songs! I could ramble on and on without ever touching the secret of your excellence, but its there whether I can describe it or not! Great job!

Greg and Janice, this is a terrific piece !!!

At the first listening I found the cello nice but not discreet enough in backround of janice, but at the second playing, her wonderful voice was finally prevailing. So, no other comment than "Hats off"

Pascal

Greg and Janice...

This is exquisite. In SO many ways.

The writing here is top-tier. I'll say the same thing you said to me recently - if I were to quote the good stuff, I would copy the entire thing. No lie. Every line in this song is the type I hear and say "I wish I had written that". Cannot hear a song like this and not think "Diane Warren"... The words alone would be enough - but the melody is every bit a match for them... This is real songwriting talent.

The production is your best ever, I think. Just what the song needs. Presenting the song and the singer, never getting in the way - perfectly supportive.

Janice - everything you do is praise-worthy... this might be the best ever. I can't imagine ANYONE singing this better. It's just...so...right!

You both have out-done yourselves.

Truly stunning.

In a just world Janice would be a star. Greg would be a famous singer-songwriter. (And they would both still call me a friend...)

floyd

(it is nice of Greg to thank me - so very nicely - but make no mistake - this is all about Greg's song and production and Janice's beautiful vocal - I just lend an ear now and again.)

Outstanding song.Great words. Well sung as always Janice.
Rob

Greg / Janice / Floyd,

This is an absolutely stunning piece - outstanding performance by Janice. Great work all!

Bob

Top notch in every way! Writing, music, performance, mix.

Wonderfully done!

Hats off to everyone involved.

Greg, Janice, Bud and Floyd,

Top notch song! Super vocals from Janice.
One very very very very small nit, the music, which is very beautiful, might have been a tiny bit louder.

Rob and Anne-Marie

Beautiful song, great lyrics and awesome vocals!!

Hello, Greg, Janice & Bud and floyd

Very beautiful song and very beautiful vocal.
It reminds me “A Song for You” of Leon Russell sung by Karen Carpenter.
Deeply impressed to my heart.
Thank you for sharing it with us.

Best Regards.

Shigeki Adachi

Carolyne and Trev, thank you very much. I much appreciate it!

Janice

Thanks so much for the incredibly kind words Noel. Yeah, I'm not sure that Bonnie herself could have done this one as nicely as Janice! I was awestruck when I heard her vocal! Take care. Greg