Hi Everyone, It has been a while since I posted anything, it has been a busy few weeks. I have been doing a lot of Country Gospel, lately, and I have decided to do a new gospel album. A lot of cleanup and tweaking will have to be done, but thanks to those that regularly comment on my work, I have a really good idea what needs to be done. I don't circulate or network, as some folks call it, so it is invaluable to have the insight that is freely given on this forum. It has been nearly twenty years since my last project, and I have about 200 songs still not recorded. I decided that, Hey, I have the capacity, thru BIAB and RB to pull this off, so Why not. I realize that there is not a lot of interest, commercially, in Country Gospel music, but I have all this material that needs to be done and I'm not trying to sell anything. Thank all of you for providing an aging guitar thumper a chance to be heard.

https://soundcloud.com/user-484637010/written-on-the-wind

Written On The Wind

I sit staring at his picture, hanging on the church house wall
and I know that I am here because of him
it was he and he alone who was there to catch my fall
and he alone was there to take me in

Chorus

Oh they say, that his blessed name is Jesus
and they say he died to free me of my sins
he gave his life on Calvary, and rose to live again
and they say his name is written on the wind

not so many years ago, my life had come to naught
the truth I sought seemed nothing but a lie
now my burdens are all lifted and all my battles fought
he cleansed my heart and caused my soul to fly

repeat chorus

For as long as the mountains long to touch the sky
for as long as the tide comes rushing in
the precious son of God will reign up on high
his name forever written on the wind

repeat chorus

Very nice song. I like your style.
And I should take some guitar lessons from you; you play very well.

Sergio

Gary,

This is great! I can say with certainty that there is an audience for this genre! Don't hesitate to try to record them, they were given to you for a reason!! Your vocal is perfect for these songs, it resonates with feeling and clarity! Thanks, Torrey

"For as long as the mountains long to touch the sky, for as long as the tide comes rushing in" are probably my favorite lyrics from this song. Thanks for sharing!

Nice tune. You've kinda got a George Jones vibe IMO. Really enjoyed your tune.

Peace,

Ian

Loved this tune Gary. Awesome vocal Gary. I got the George Jones vibe as well Guitar was excellent...

Yep, I can hear George Jones!
Everything is in its spot and economically done - nothing unnecessary in the arrangement at all.
At 1.48 there's a lip smack or click of some sort that you ought to excise as it distracts a tiny bit from the pro sound of the rest.
there's a little essing on your voice that could be tamed but I'm just a little over sensitive to that so go with what others suggest.

Really well done! Nothing like some slow paces ol' fashioned country Really strong progressions here, and a powerful vocal delivery to match. It's the perfect amount of catchy too. It got stuck in my head without being overbearing.

Great work here - thanks for sharing

This kind of music is popular in many of the churches in this area.

The song is good, and the recording is spot on as well.

Technical things..... I'd bump the vox a few dB and add some wetness through a slight bit of reverb. It will make the vox set better in the mix.
A few female background singers doing harmony would be the frosting on the cake as they say.

Loved that old timey piano playing on this too. What track did you use? It has a Floyd Cramer kind of feel to it which is PERFECT for this genre.

Thanks so much Sergio. I wish I could lay claim to that guitar solo, but unfortunately, I am not playing on that level. That was the always amazing Brent Mason. Thanks again, and be well.

Thank you so much Torrey! I have probably 200 or so songs like this already written. I don't know that I'll do anything with them, but I probably will eventually get around to recording them all, if nothing else, just so I could bring them to completion. Thanks again, your encouraging comments are always welcome, as well as any critic you might have.

Thanks, Ember. This is my wife's favorite song of mine. The verse you mentioned is the main reason. Be well, be happy.

Torrey is right! Go for it!! You have a great style that a ton of people love. This is GREAT!! Take care. Greg

Thanks Ian. I have had several mentions of the George Jones vibe over the years. It may be that I tend to write the same types of songs that he would have done. I have always been a follower and a fan of George. I wish that I could sing at that level, or even close, but alas It was not to be. Thanks again, Ian. Be well and happy.

Thanks for sharing this with us guitar1, I really enjoyed the guitars and percussion on this. The piano really helps glue the segments together. Great progression too. Well done!

Retro is fine with me. Everything about this is spot on - great mix, vocals fit like a glove, instruments play the right things in the right place.

You didn't say you were looking for nit-picks, so I won't mention there's some distortion at 1:57. And I'd certainly not say it might do with a few less choruses.

Thanks for posting, it was an pleasant listen!

Very sincere vocals and lyrics with a poetic feel for a familiar theme. Nice mix - love the piano.
I agree with Herb that some background vocals would be something to consider... I thought of the the new RT oohs/aahs coming in around the verse 3.
Well done and good luck with your project!

Robert

Thanks a lot Scott. Seems like the more I pull away from this type of music, the more I keep coming back. I spent my formative years doing everything but this style, but, I guess in the end I am just a throwback to another time. Keep on playing them blues, I love it.

Thanks Rayc. I don't always mention it, but I heartily encourage any criticism of my music. It helps me nail down a final version of a tune. I have some pretty severe hearing loss in both ears, and most of it is in the higher ranges, so when I get information like this, it helpful to remedy these things. Just because I can't hear it, doesn't mean it's not there. Thanks again and be well.

Thanks Deryk. I am a work in progress, but with the help of several of the experts on this forum, I am slowly getting there. Any help I can get is much appreciated. Thanks to everyone at PGmusic, for making it all even possible.

Thanks Herb. I made the changes you suggested, and all except the oohs and ahs worked great. I just haven't mastered the RT's for the BG vocals yet. I think I might ask my granddaughter to do some layered vocals on this one. Maybe that will work for me. By the way, the piano track was A bent note style by John Jarvis. Piano Soloist 2638. I am a great admirer of Floyd Cramer, and this was as close to the real thing as I could find. Thanks again and be well.