This is, perhaps, sacrilege - but I decided to cover Johnny Cash's legendary "Man in Black" I slowed the tempo down a little, changed it to C Major from the original A major key, to suit my voice register - and added the odd diminished chord, here and there (I couldn't help myself, I know ...), but left the lyrics very much intact.
No copyright infringed: I released it via DistroKid, and paid for the cover song release to be legal ($1 a month, apparently, thus easily doable, even for a poor so-and-so like me, haha ). Here it is, see what you think? In retrospect, I would have perhaps strengthened the bass in the voice recording, to give it more "meat", perhaps? Sounds a bit too light for me ... but see what YOU think?
Thanks so much for listening and for any feedback, and THANK YOU to PG Music, once more
THE BAND:
****** Song Summary ************* Title: The Man In Black - Johnny Cash cover - 14 June 2023 File:The Man In Black - Johnny Cash cover - 14 June 2023.SGU Key=C , Tempo 60, Length (m:s)=4:48 No intro. 68 bar chorus, from bar 1 to bar 68. Repeat x1 chorus No Melody No Soloist track. Song is saved with Volume, Pan, Reverb, Chorus, Bank0, Style is _AMMENDS.STY (Ammends 12-String Country Ballad)
RealTracks in style: 2877:Bass, Acoustic, AmericanaSlow16thsByron Ev16 060 RealTracks in style: ~702:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Spirited Ev 065 RealTracks in style: 3109:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm AmericanaFolk16thsLowBrent Ev16 060 RealTracks in style: 3874:Guitar, 12-String Electric, Rhythm BalladPickingBrent Ev16 060 RealDrums in style:AmericanaRoots16th^01-a:Toms , b:Snare
David Snyder: thank you Doing my best with the "prison break out" (aren't we all ...) ... thanks for the good wishes
Bob: wow. "You really bring out the poetic quality of this song with your arrangement and performance." What a compliment - especially from a musician like you! Thank you so much - glad you enjoyed what I did with the song!
floyd: thanks As it happens, I'm an immense Johnny Cash fan ... I think one would have to be made of stone not to be, no? But maybe that's just me ... Anyway, one of my all-time favourites of his is, of course, "San Quentin". That one, and this one ... and then so many others
Such an interesting version, James, and, as Bob points out, it really brings out the poetic qualify missed in every other version. Just curious... I know you bought the mechanical license (which was surprisingly cheap), but did you still get a Copyright notice on YouTube? I really like their system of solving Copyright issues, but with a license can you monetize? Not that you'll get rich with it, but just curious.
James...really enjoined your rendition...great lyrics are emphasized by your style...good job with the band...love the 12 string...great cover!
www.soundclick.com/firesong BiaB 2024, Steinberg Cubase Pro 13, Wavelab 11.2, SpetraLayers Pro 10, Audacity, Steinberg UR44 Interface, Yamaha Genos, Roland FP60 and FP10, Windows 10
You are who you are because you do what you do because of what you believe.
Marty: thanks so much for your kind words! I bought the mechanical license, but then I found a few errors in my interpretation of Cash's harmonies, so I decided to upload a different video up ... and then I did get the Copyright Notice, but it did say that the owner of the tracks (the Cash estate, I presume) did allow these covers on YouTube, so I was covered, either way. I'm sure I can still monetise things if I go through Distrokid, but I'm not interested in that - and, as you say, I'll never get rich, haha, off my version! But yes, this is what happened!
firesong: thanks so much! So kind of you.
I'm still thinking my voice needs more boosting in the bass register, so it sounds not so light ... but I'll be darned if I have either the time or the inclination - haha - to work on it for any longer a period of time, lol ... I'll leave it be, for now, and then we'll see ... but THANK YOU, everyone, for listening and for your ever so kind comments!
I can honestly say that I've never heard a version as unique as this. I liked it and it certainly has your thumbprint all over it. You have a soothing voice and have mastered the style of speak-sing. Nice job.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2025 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
Well James, I just tried to catch up with what I missed when I was away and before you know I listen to 2 songs from you after each other. This is a daring cover, because in no means I would have quessed this was a song from JC (except for the title). As I said in my comment on your other song, this is how you are at its strongest! Only here I heard a little bit of singing somewhere in the middle. But very nicely done!
Cool rendition James. One would have to be very familiar with the lyrics to see the connection between the two songs. Really liked this version. Well done..
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I slowed the tempo down a little, changed it to C Major from the original A major key, to suit my voice register - and added the odd diminished chord, here and there (I couldn't help myself, I know ...), but left the lyrics very much intact.
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