Hello everyone,

Our new song:

Come out and see

This song is about the 70s and what is left of the thing called 'free love'. A big thing those days. But what did it bring exactly, how did it end for some people...

Being a Cat Stevens fan all my life, I wanted to create a song in his typical musical style. This is sort of a tribute to him.
The initial meaning was to use all kinds of phrases of his most famous songs. I finally decided not to do this, but create a lyric from scratch on my own.
Anne-Marie did the background vocals and created the 'retro' video.


Style is _BALLP16.STY (16ths Pop-Rock Ballad [85 RS])

1759:Bass, Electric, Pop16ths Ev 085
1765:Guitar, High-Strung Acoustic, Fingerpicking Pop16ths Ev16 085
1764:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm Pop16thsA-B Ev16 08
1761:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Pop16ths Ev16 085
1835:Guitar, Electric, Soloist PopModernGrooveGritty Ev16 075
2204 Guitar El.SoloistCountryCrossoverBrent Sw16 A
RealDrums in style: NashvillePop16^1-a:Snare, Hihat , b:Snare, Ride

Hope you like it! Any comments are welcome.

Regards,

Rob


Lyrics:

well the love train surely did this town
and the white dove really took its home
and as the years went by nothing much went down
so come along with me let's make love roam

and ooh babe my love is getting warmer
ooh babe my love is becoming strong
won't you release my hands and soul
with you baby I surely can't go wrong

come out and see where those flowers used to grow
back in the days where everyone would know
but those longer boats never reached the shore
instead of that time brought us so much more

ooh babe my love is getting warmer
ooh babe my love is getting hot
won't you release my hands and soul
just lose your head and come with me, why not!

Repeat first CHORUS

don't sit around and wait for things to happen
did those 'free love' times really get you down?
with your baby safe in someone else's arms
you come with me together we'll paint this town

cause ooh babe my love is getting better
ooh babe my love is running deep
won't you release your hands and sorrows
don't you think it's time you took a leap?

Hi Rob and Anne-Marie,

Your productions are amazing! The overall musical 'sound' of this has "professional" written all over it. In addition, the melody, the harmony and the vocals are outstanding. Lyrics that are from the impressionistic wing of the lyric-writing gallery always challenge me. I'm not experienced enough with them to comment on them. I'll have to leave those for others.

One thing I can say, though, is that this song was a terrific audio/video experience for me. You are both incredibly skilful.

All the best,
Noel

Ooh Babe Your songs just keep getting better. Add that you used my favorite RT 12 string.

You guys have the recipe for success.


Charlie

Hi Noel,

we are very happy you like the song so much!
These kind of positive comments definitely keeps us going.
As for the audio quality, we think this is one of our brightest sounding songs so far.
well, it was pretty heavily mastered with the Z3ta.

thank you!

Rob

Hello Charlie,

Thank you!
Yes, I'm a big fan of the 12 string real tracks. Putting them in whenever I can.
Hoping to make a real 'Brian Wilson - like' song one day.
We have a small gig in a home for the elderly in January where we are going to play our own songs.
Also decided to add some covers, one of them: turn turn turn from the birds!!

Regards,
Rob

hi rob totally engaging well done lyrics vocal mix arrangement everything great stuff thanks eric

Hello Eric,

Thanks for your very positive response, much appreciated!

Regards,
Rob

Another beauty! It does have a Cat Stevens feeling both in the style and in the vocal, but not derivative or imitative. A very cool song and real tribute. The instruments and the mix sound great, and the video is fun to watch (as a "child" of the 70's myself) and also enhances the song perfectly. Whether you call this work "professional" or "loving care," it's truly impressive

I'm a fan for sure, both of this song and of Cat Stevens. He was a major influence on my songwriting and performing in the early 70's and I would always do a few of his songs when I was playing folky solo gigs. I'm glad to see that he is actively recording and performing again, though his recent material has not resonated with me the way his 70's albums did (and still do).

In summary: wow.

Thanks for sharing,
Bruce

Hi Rob and Anne-Marie,



+1 A very enjoyable watching and listening. I like that Cat Stevens vibe.

Guenter

Rob and Anne-Marie,

How do you keep doing this?
Each song is a tour de force; beautiful music and a good video to match.
say c-fogle and I agree totally.

Wonderful

Alyn

This is very impressive all around. The singing is top notch, and sells the song.

Did I mention I think you're one of most talented singers on the forum?

But this song frustrates me, because it seems like it's a mash-up of some really great ideas that could have emotional depth, but aren't really explored.

I apologize if my comment seems harsh. What you've done is really good... But it's dressed up a lyric that (to me) seems to miss the mark.

The opening lyric hooked me right in:

well the love train surely did this town
and the white dove really took its home
and as the years went by nothing much went down

This is an excellent bit of writing. It uses cliches cleverly, setting the scene of someone who's been through changes of the 70s without having arrived where they expected - very much in the way The Pretender (by Jackson Browne) starts the second verse. And then...

so come along with me let's make love roam

This line sinks the ship. It undercuts any idea that the song might be serious by immediately jumping to (what seems to me) the most cliched sentiment possible, with a rhyme that doesn't really make any sense.

Here's another line from the song:

did those 'free love' times really get you down?
with your baby safe in someone else's arms

Great writing. It's as if the song gets its second wind, and takes another swing....

you come with me together we'll paint this town

And misses with a sentiment that feels (to me) trite and shallow as what the prior line was railing against. It's as if the song starts down an emotional path, and then has a case of amnesia and returns to a happy happy chorus.

Don't get me wrong - this song is really well done.

What's frustrating (to me) about this song is the road not taken.

I know it's not fair to expect someone's song to be something other than what it is. It just seems like this song - which is really good - could be really, really good.

Hi Rob and Anne-Marie,

Well, I was back in the seventies from the opening few bars.

I think you've achieved everything you set out to do with this excellent song.

I thought the whole package was extremely professional, from the writing to the performance and the recording and mix. Wonderful stuff.

ROG.

Hi Rob and Anne-Marie
This is lovely. Definately reminds me of Cat Stevens. Production is quite wonderful. Good job!

Thank you Bruce!

A lot of very positive comments on this song, we feel honored .
I agree with you that Cat Steven's more recent work is not all that impressive compared to the songs he wrote in his earlier days.
I especially like the album Mona Bone Jakon, it really features his typical background vocal style.

Thanks again,
Regards,
Rob

Thanks Guenter!

Well, as a person who made the obligatory trip
to San Francisco in 1968 (when I was 22) I
must say that the lyric immediately
intrigued me - causing reflections on the
opportunities lost during that time....if only
everyone would've played the same game.

One of many great lines "where the flowers used to grow"
really sums it all up for me.

Thanks for the, shall I say, trip back!

We enjoyed the listen.

Bud

Super enjoyable, guys!

You captured that Cat feeling very well. Nice energy to the whole thing.

Good production and mix (and vocals). The guitar solo really fit in nicely. So much so I had to look back to see if you played it yourself. Sounds like you may have added a delay to it... nice, whatever it is.

This one really sticks in your head... I can still hear it going "ooh, baby.." - always something special when you can do that..

floyd

Flashback!

This is one super song! I went through the 60s and 70s as a hippie, some say that I never out grew that! This song is a great reflection of that era. The video was perfect for this song.

The backing tracks, leads, lyrics, vocals and video are all top notch!

Two thumbs up!

Rob and Anne-Marie,
Great job. I really enjoyed it. Cool video too.
Thanks for sharing.
SD

Hi Alyn,

Thanks a lot!
We do have a lot of ideas about writing songs and singing, but it is definitely because of BIAB that they really come to live.
By the way did you already test the z3ta for mastering?

Regards,
Rob and Anne-Marie

Hello David,

First, thanks for your generally positive comments!
As for the lyrics:
The general idea I had when writing this was, creating a collage of some famous Cat Stevens lyrics. However this wasn't as easy as it seemed, not in the least due to copyrights issues. I finally decided to write a completely new lyric for this song.
However, I wanted to maintain the atmosphere of the 70s.
Free love was one of the 'hot' items those days. However appealing that might have felt for some people, there definitely was a downside to all of this. The person I'm describing in the lyric, is one of those people for whom "free love' didn't turn out so well. For her spouse it apparently worked (he's still into it) and the 'I' person is trying to invite her to take her freedom as well. Maybe a bit disappointing, but what can we say....life's sometimes trite and boring!

We definitely do appreciate you taking the time to take a closer look at our lyrics and we'll surely take your comments into consideration when writing new lyrics!
Maybe we'll surprise you a next time!

Thanks again,
Rob (and Anne-Marie)

Heh. Thanks for taking this "the right way", and I'll see if I can brush up on my social skills. As I said, it really isn't right for me to say what your song should or shouldn't have said.

I guess the real problem was that I had misunderstood the lyric, because reading your comment I see more clearly what you were aiming for. There's not much you can do about people coming to your songs with their own preconceived notions!

Thanks!

R & AM, I also am a fan of the early Cat stuff. This is my favorite of yours to date. Great writing, singing and production. Pro sound. Very well done. Bravo! Tom

Definitely see the "Cat" connection!! I too was a big fan. Really infectious chorus-still ringing in my head, and I'm diggin' it!! I would love to hear the BGs done by a gospel choir (with a little solo spot and break in the lead vocal) although I know that is logistically difficult (as great as BIAB is!). GREAT WORK!! Take care. Greg

Absolutely BIAB is a programme I could not live without now.

YES and it is still in its testing stages but THANKS for the advice to use it.

Just listened to your song again and I too see the Cat Stephens connection. Sometime in that period I went out with a young lady who had a cat called Stephen, which we all thought was brilliant LOL

Alyn.

Hi ROG,

We're very flattered by your positive comments on this song. Much appreciated!

Regards,
Rob & Anne-Marie

Thank you Joanne, much appreciated!

Regards,
Rob & Anne-Marie

Thanks J & B!
Well I must've been three years old at the time
I bet that living in the States was a lot more interesting than living in Europe in those days...
My older sister definitely made me a big fan of all those 70s acts.

Regards,
Rob

Thanks Floyd!

Well, if only I could play like Brent Mason
yes, I added some delay to the soloist.
I find that whenever I'm looking for a soloist for one of our songs, Brent Mason never disappoints!

Regards,
Rob

"My older sister definitely made me a big fan of all those 70s acts."

You're not the first... big sisters and brothers impacted us all. Reminded me that someone thought it was a good idea for a song... Check out this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FGJt6BGp3I

This is a big regional standard here along Myrtle Beach, SC I thought you may enjoy. A mixture of RnB, soul, blues and motown they call Carolina Beach Music.

Charlie

Hey Charlie,

I never heard of this song, but it sounds very nice.
Indeed a combination of all kinds of styles.

regards,
Rob

Right, someone clearly got up on the wrong side of bed the day this post was made!?
I only quoted one paragraph for the purpose of this reply (no need to see the rest of that again), and not even the worst bit.

Dissecting the frog when asked to (like in our case earlier) is one thing, this was something else.

I'm sorry you took offense to what was written - that wasn't the intent, and I tried to make that clear.

As far as being asked, Rob had written (emphasis added):



In response to my comments, he was gracious enough to respond:



If that's not enough, I've even written an apology in the form of a song.

Hi David,



Laughed my head off!!!

By the way, this lady has read a lot of Shakepeare's work (not because she wanted to, but because she had to) but prefers Keats (and Shelley).

And..... no need to worry about your comments, in Dutch we say:
"Je bent nooit te oud om te leren" or: you're never too old to learn.
Actually I really hope to learn a lot more about how to make a good song, so... go on being critical!

Anne-Marie

Hi, Anne-Marie.

I'm happy to hear you enjoyed it!

As the song went through many, many edits, I kept thinking what would floyd jane do?

He's the guy to watch!

Thanks!

It wasn't so much that I personally 'took offence' as such. That would've been quite condescending since this isn't about anything of mine - and it's quite possibly none of my place to butt in to begin with.
It was just so startling to see you use such 'grumpy' vocabulary, you're usually so eloquent, diplomatic and good at keeping things subjective. That's where my 'wrong side of bed' came from, really.


Which I only got to after finishing with this thread... catching up in reverse order perhaps backfiring on me a bit there?
As for the manner of said apology (which by the looks of things now wasn't even needed), I'll have to say that's a pretty neat way to go about it!

And that stemmed from a failure to communicate well on my part.

Thanks for your concern!

Rob and Anne-Marie ...

Although neither Di nor I have ever been big fans of Cat Stevens, we did enjoy this song a lot ... seriously! The two of you could sing the nutrition label on a frozen food box and make it sound like a hit!

Your talent is amazing ... as performers, composers and musical engineers. We're always impressed and envious of your many skills!

When we review a song written to emulate the style of a bygone era, we try to listen to it according to the musical conventions common to that era, rather than the rules and conventions considered appropriate for contemporary music. This one fits like a glove for the late 60's, early 70's era. It would be very easy to believe this was written in 1966 or 1968.

Di and I sometimes write songs that might have been popular in the 60s and earlier. When we do, we try to employ the styles and mechanisms that were used at that time, rather than making a song sounding "neo". You two do such a wonderful job of accomplishing that. Great stuff here! You made us enjoy a style we typically would not listen to by choice. Thanks for opening our eyes and ears to this!

Wishing you well ...

Alan and Di

Rob and Anne-Marie,

It has been awhile since I've commented on one of your productions. I must say I am astounded at the consistent high quality of material you release.

Rob, the timbre of your voice fits this song like a glove. Your phrasing makes this an enjoyable listen. Anne-Marie, as always, your background vocal is spot-on! The video follows the song frame-by-frame.

The radio ready quality of the audio production didn't surprise me as that level of production is pretty much a given.

You seem to be exploring various genres. Thanks for sharing your journey with us.

Hello Alan and Di,

thank you very much! Again...
Ah, so you've never been real Cat Stevens fans..
Kind of makes sense, in most of your songs I detect a certain soul feel (Cat Stevens is more a folky feel, ha ha)
anyways:

"The two of you could sing the nutrition label on a frozen food box"
well, we may surprise you one time with one of our new songs in the future :-)

regards,
Rob

Hello Jim,

well, luckily you respond quite frequently to our songs, which is really, really appreciated!
This was one of our first songs where we did quite some heavy enhancing/mastering on.
Yes, we are trying to explore old kinds of styles, as long as they are within our vocal range.

Thanks again,
Rob

----8<----- snip!
my new bumper sticker!

That's a cool tune. I could certainly hear the "Cat" in there..... I think he's changed his name now...

Well done.... and you captured the groove of the time period quite well.

thanks Herb!