Hi everyone,

Some days ago I posted a song called Finding Words. This was a funky song with a nice Christmas message.
In that post I said I made 2 version of the song. But decided to post the funky one. It was after all more joyful. But I still had that other one. that has more different vocal-parts in it and it was mostly acoustic. And I like doing some things that deviate from simpleness. don't know why, it became a habit...

In this song I used the background vocals from BB (the Ooh's and Aah's) but also a female gospelvoice. In Melodyne I changed this. a higher pitch, defiation, formant and pitchdrift to make her more yelling in the style of the song with not too much vibrations. And also I found a very good guitarsolo for this song!
So it was a pitty if I don't post that one on our forum as well. I hope you agree.
I also made a mistake mentioning the style I used for the funky one. I said I used Shaman, but that was in this song. The funk used Downout. Both have a tempo of 103.

Hope you like listening to it, even if you have already listened to the other one. Except for the lyrics they differ much, so worth a try. even though there are a lot of good songs now on the forum.

It can be found here: https://soundcloud.com/user-296497130/finding-words-folk-rock

I am very curious to hear what you think of al the aspects of this song.
Hans Berkhout

The lyrics:
Finding Words
(c) HWBerkhout, 021219

Words I cannot find
While mostly they're in my mind
But words won't come along
Maybe my feelings are too strong

chorus:
'Cause I love it when you're smiling
A sunbeam will appear
But from the day you be frowning
this all will clear

Words in my head
Felt uneasy when said
But these words won't come along
I don't know what I did wrong

Chorus

Oh Words were my skill
Now no trace, or maybe still...?
I only fear, they won't come along
'cause I tried for so long

Oh words, they'd gone away
could not convince them  to stay
I only know if they come along
That would make me feel so strong

=solo=

Transponed chorus:

Yes, I love it when you're smiling
to find my words I can proceed
And if you won't be frowning
I will succeed

'Cause I love it when you're smiling
The sun won't stop to shine
Every day you keep on smiling
we get more entwined

But listen, oh listen
I have found my words:
I love you!

Hans,
Interesting to hear it in this rocking/less happy sounding guise. It works fine and those bgv are a nice touch- for me the funky take just shades it.
The changeup at the last chorus works well here.
I thought your vocals were perhaps a little high in the mix in places- a good folk rock band behind you though.

Robert

I got an error message saying the track was not found??

I'm sorry Dave. I took it offline for a while. I heard something bad in the vocaltracks. Had to fix it.
It's online now.

I bet you like the Funkversion. But tell me what you think of letting that Gospelvoice yell. It was a BB-track: 3531.

Sorry for the inconveniences,
Hans

Hans,

This one sounds good, too. I like it just as well as the funky version - in a different way...

Again, at times the chorus vocals get a bit loud (and have a slight "harshness"). I think balancing the volume with the verse vocals should not take too much...

That gospelyell is interesting.

fj

I like both versions, maybe funky version a little bit more, but the most important thing is the Song itself - good lyrics with a clear relatable message, very melodic, catchy chorus and enjoyable rhythm.

I also like those new gospel voices really much and I'm probably going to overuse them in the near future

Janne

Hi Floyd and Janne,

Thanks a lot for your compliments and comments.
Floyd, sorry again destroying your ears. And I read what you wrote about it in the other song. So I checked it out on this one. There were some tiny moments I noticed the sharpness/ loudness of the vocals. but I couldnt get it straight. It wasn't an eq-thing, but I am working on it.

Janne, the gospelvoices are much lower and have a lot of vibrations in them. so I couldn't use them as they were. I had to cranck them up and remove a lot of the vibrations and other drifting aspects. But these tracks had something interesting in them. So don't be disapointed if you use the track of the gospellady and go nuts...

Hans

Nice twist - give it a completely different vibe

Hi @Birchwood - I like both versions - the folk rock and the funk, although puzzlingly I like the folk rock version better, despite the fact that I am totally into funk. Overall nice work on both songs - good upbeat feel to it and energy in both the vocals and the instruments and percussion.

Regarding the vocals - I didn't notice it until it was pointed out by others - in the parts where it sounds like you have layered the vocals, there seems to be some sort of phase shift or something going on where the layers are not all blending fully. Nevertheless, the song is strong enough that this doesn't detract much for me. The Oohs and aah's seemed OK on this version, and were a savvy choice.

Again, very nice work overall.

Hmmm, tough call!

I like them both, but this one just might be my favorite of the two.

Shows that a good song can cross genres and still hold up

Both renditions of "Finding Words" are nice...
But I think I like this one better...
Because it seems to have a more happy uplifting vibe & feeling...
More fitting to telling a woman...
"I love you!"

I wonder...
Which version did your wife prefer?

Hello Jim M, Ed Z, Dave and Jim,

Thanks for listening to both versions of the song and your judgement.
It seems the folk version is ahead of the Funky one. I hadn't expected that, though I also prefer the Folk version more. I could do more with emotions in it, the other one is just joyfull and nearly reggae. That twist to -say- reggae was not realy intended. It came when I was singing the other vocals in the chorus and heard what it did to the song.

In the folk version I worked more with Melodyne for all kinds of vocal effects (and the gospeltrack I mentioned before).
Jim M, as you mentioned, you could make a totally different song, with the same chords and lyrics. I like that to. Disadvantage of that is you want them both.

Ed, nice to read you're a funk freak and still choose for the Folk version. According to the vocals I heard some problems as well. Don't know if that is a phase thing or something else. And like floyd mentioned, the sound of the vocals was sometimes a bit too high (hurting his ears). I did some changings with the help of Total Balance2 from Ozone and saw it had to be nicer now. I changed the original with that one on SC. Problem with my ears is I can't hear the very high tones too well.

Dave, you actually said the same thing I mention in this post. And that is what I like about making songs. You have many directions to choose from. It remarkable, and nice, to notice how the vocals of a straight song also fit in a swing song. Without any changing of the singing. I sometimes do that with my own songs to get me new ideas.
And Jim, you're right about why you prefer the Folk version, normally spoken... ButI have a woman who differs from that behavior how women (should) respond on sweet, romantic songs. She prefered the Funky version...

Hans

I like this version - though not the incongruous guitar solo.
The stacked vocals get a little strident towards the end - almost like there's a ring modulator in their as well.

This is a very cool song . Super vocal and harmonies on this. Loved the back track. One of my favourite songs of yours

Hi Hans,

I heard a beta of this version a couple of days before and I mentiones that if I were you I'd keep vox and backing track a bit closer to each other. And, yep, you did and this sounds soooooo good now.

Now I like this version as much as I like the funky one - like I said so often: A good song can always be interpreted in more than one way.

Looking forward to what you'll be coming up with next, because I really like your 'stuff' a lot.

Groetjes,

Stefan

This was sounding quite nice until the chorus , did you use a virtual voice for the backing it sounded like a dalek kind of backing.

I agree with others.. it would benefit from a refit on the chorus side, because the verse was sounding great.

Thanks

Hello Ray, Scott, Stefan and Beatmaster,

Thanks for your comments on this version of Finding Words.

Ray and Beatmaster, I think you had a point with the stacked vocals. I had some doubts as well, but then suddenly things became hectic here, so i had no time to do anything about it. But I changed it now. I hope this problem is solved now. But please keep coming with your comments if this kind (but also to give me compliments, of course...).
And Ray, I had to use google on the word incongruous and then laughed. But I changed that solo as well, although my brother loved it. Now I used an acoustic guitar to play the solo. Is your house still save overthere, with all those fires, Ray? My sister came over to escape from the heat (and for something else)

Scott and Stefan, I'm a bit dissapointed you haven't noticed these faults I made. Scott even called it one of his favortites, while the vocals were like [*****]. And Stefan is even looking forward for new stuff from me. No just joking. I appreciated your comment on the song. It gave me spirit to stand the critics from the other two.

Have a nice Christmas,
Hans

Too close a call to pick a favorite. They both have appeal albeit
in a different way. It's fascinating to hear how well the same
write works in different genre contexts.

Both are really well done...and enjoyable to listen to.

We can also appreciate the amount of time and thought
that obviously went into these productions.

Happy Holidays!

J&B

Hans.
With vocals adjusted on Funk version I do not know...
I like this, Folk Rock version slightly better as a whole. Just a matter of taste. Both done very well. Thank you for sharing!

Misha.