This is a rehash of a song originally recorded in n-tracks many years ago. I loaned my neighbour’s telcaster one day and I suppose I got inspired enough to make a country song. I couldn’t get enough of that typical country sound ( or at least what a brit thinks is typical country) at the time, so I figured it would be a good project for Realband and Realtracks. I salvaged some vocals from the old recording and after running it through Realband I transferred it to MTS for mixing.

Remix Let me know

Style GEORGEP
RT887_Piano, Acoustic, Solo-Accompaniment FolkPopPrairie Ev
RT788_Guitar, Electric Rhythm CrossoverClean Sw16 090
RT1418_Bass, Electric SouthernRock Ev16 085
RT365_Guitar, Acoustic Fingerpicking Ev 085
RT364_Guitar, Acoustic Fingerpicking Ev 065
RT369_Pedal Steel Background Ev 065
RT363_Pedal Steel Background Ev 085
RT362_Guitar, Acoustic Strumming Ev 065

I added a bit of guitar filling and vocals, drums courtesy of Jamstix.
This is my first Realband song so I hope you like it.

Hi Chris,

Like it?? I love it!!

May I humbly add a few suggestions that I feel would make it stand out a little more!

Because it has no chorus, which is no problem in itself, it needs to go somewhere as it has the same melody line throughout!

My thoughts are that you could re write the third verse slightly and give it a different melody, thus making it a bridge instead of merely another verse.
It would work here has it's the only verse that doesn't have the "Let Me Know" hook ending.

I think also you could lift the last verse up a key after the guitar solo, so as to take the song somewhere different.

Just my humble opinions, offered because I feel this song has such potential.

Great effort.

Martin

Hi Chris, nice song and enjoyable to listen to. Martin has offered some good sugestions and agree the song has good potential. Look forward to listening again if you choose to re-do it. Thanks for posting.

Cheers

Nelson

Remake the remake OMG
You are of course correct, a bridge and new last verse would make it much more interesting. That should keep me busy for the rest of the year.
Thanks for the input Martin and Nelson, much appreciated.

Sinbad, you rascal! Smooth Country vibes, and very nice vocals. Hey if Aussies like Keith Urban can croon country tunes so can Brits!

Did you finish in RB, or bounce over to MTS on this one?

What is this crazy old world coming to when swiss brits sing country tune with a nashville vibe!

Wow, color me impressed! Really nice Chris!

I agree with Martin that changing the melody in the third verse to make a bridge (AABA) would make it even stronger.

Nice job Chris. Love the vocals and arrangement.

BTW, if those RealTracks #'s were a poker hand, you'd be drawing to a straight... those were also the first set of RealTracks we made (the #s start at 361-Sax)

RT362_Guitar, Acoustic Strumming Ev 065
RT363_Pedal Steel Background Ev 085
RT364_Guitar, Acoustic Fingerpicking Ev 065
RT365_Guitar, Acoustic Fingerpicking Ev 085
RT369_Pedal Steel Background Ev 065

I finished it (did I say finished?) in MTS. It's the only programm that runs smoothly on my very slow 6 year old laptop. Unfortunately Realband is so slow on my machine that I only use it for generating realtracks. Thanks for the comments.

Thanks for the roses Josie
I guess I'll have to sort out that bridge thing.

Thanks for your kind words Peter. The praise however, should go to your fine Realtracks for giving me that country vibe.

Very nice, Chris! I really like your vocals. Nice arrangement. One thing I would consider as for as the arrangement goes, would be to drop the steel out on one of the verses. As has been pointed out, there is no chorus. If you drop the steel out on of the verses, that will make a nice "subtle" breakup and give some breathing room to the verse. (This is not a criticism. Just a thought - I do enjoy your arrangement.)

Keep up the good work!

Steve

Thank you Steve for your kind comments. A nice idea dropping the steel in one verse, it would lighten it up a bit. All these comments are really encouraging because I could feel a problem with the last verse as the song seems to want to end right there. I just had no ideas how to fix it. Maybe incorporating a bridge and lightening up the backing would do the trick.
Thanks again all of you.

I remixed it and followed Steve's advice about removing the steel. The old link doesn't work anymore unfortunately.

[webmaster edit - old link is now the same as this one.]

Remix Let me know

Let me understand this. You are British, right Chris? As in scones, tea, football and Big Ben? And you sing Country like this? Incredible.


Love the song, and your vocal. As for the arrangement, I wouldn't change a thing. There is no law requiring you to write a bridge. I know. I've been charged with bridge neglect myself and have always been acquitted.


Regards,


Bob

Thanks for your kind comments Bob. You will probably find more Country and Americana in Europe these days than in the US of A, especialy the traditional type. I haven't lived in Britain for forty years, and when people speak English in Europe it sounds more like the mid west, so I guess it rubs off a bit.

Chris,

Your vocals are fantastic!
Love the overall feel of "Easy Country" love lost!

Appreciate you sharing your hard work with us all.

Nice stuff, Chris! Love the tune. The drums seem a bit muddy, though... to much reverb? Don't know, but they bother me a bit.

All in all, this is a fantastic tune!!!

Congrats,

Mike

Hello, I listened to your song you are very good. I just wrote another song using "Band In A Box" came out very well. I have to copyright it before I put it up though. I usually use the copyright office to copyright. Well, enough about that. You song sounds a lot like old, old, country. My mother used to listen to that sort of music when she was cleaning around the house, she is now 70, but that is the kind of memories that it brought back to me individually. OK! I have one question for you though. I am sort of new at using BIAB and Realband though; I do come up with some great chord progressions and I have just recently learned how to come up with a Melodie for my song, but I guess that's what I am asking. How do you come up with your melodies? I am trying to learn a lot about this so I can write a lot of songs that I will share with this form, 1 because it is a challenge to me, and I just love music I have ever since I was a youngster. So anyone that is reading this post, please let me know how you all come up with your melodies. I have a keyboard, BIAB 2011.5, a guitar that I can play a little, and a very good singing voice. So any help would be appreciated. You can either post here, or you can email me at rapidgeon9@bmi.net thanks Bob Pidgeon, Butte, Montana....

Seeker,
Wow, I didn't expect my old song to resurface. Thanks for the kind words Frank.

MikeK,
I appreciate your listening. You are probably right about the drums, I didn't notice it mixing on headphones. I tend to drown my drums anyway because I feel on certain songs they get in the way. they're just there to keep time. A good drummer should be seen and not heard Only joking, in some genres they are the backbone of the song. I haven't got to grips with the software I have to generate decent drums as yet. I am at the point where I am grateful that they keep time for me.

Bob Pidgeon,
You can use BiaB to generate melodies, but I have never done that so I can't comment on it. I use Realband after I have a tune to work with. Try the Off-Topic forum to see how the others get their tunes. I'm sure you'll get loads of input.

You could just pick a significant verse or two and change the chords to the first half - IV I IV (or II) to V then back to the original chords. Raise the melody to fit.

Hi Chris,

Great song! I agree with others on the drowning drums. Your vocals are very good, but there are some hissses fissses and sissses. I enjoyed the listen nevertheless!

Cheers,

Superbron

I had a look at the song again and it really needs a complete re-record. It is an old number I did using n-track (sequencer) and unfortunately the voc got mixed with some awful out of sync drumming, as well as being somewhat clipped. I used it more as a learning piece to get to know Realband and BiaB. I tried redoing the vocal but the old one has a certain charm which I couldn't recapture, so it it there warts and all. I will syncronise the vocals with the drumming and remove drum hits in quiet areas as well as the excess reverb and see what happens.
Thanks for all your comments guys, very much appreciated.

Is you sure ya ain't from Texas, sounds like it!

Fabulous vocal Chris.
I'm such a sucker for the old major to minor chord move!
+1 to Martin's comments re. inserting a middle eight to make this a very fine song indeed.

John