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Soundcloud - It's never too late Youtube - It's never too late - with slightly different BVs to the Soundcloud version - and who doesn't love seeing seniors dancing? This is a song I wrote to the challenge 'Write something in swing or shuffle style'. The theme is about aging. I remember my parents - who are now in their 90s and still with us - saying that after a certain age, it's harder to remain relevant and have your voice heard in society - not completely true, but I can see it sometimes. I'm 62, so some would still consider me a babe - age-wise. The initial chord progression F - Bm - E7 - Am was inspired by a songwriting tip (from analysis of The Beatles 'Yesterday') to move from a diatonic root chord to a borrowed chord, then resolve to a chord in the diatonic - in my case through 'circle of 5ths' changes. The F - Bm move at first sounds jarring but becomes familiar over time. This song also uses descending lines which I am fond of using - see the Chorus 1 second line 'You can't be afraid when you're watching the years ...'. ****** BIAB Song Summary ************* Style is _COOLEVE.STY (Cool Evening On Beach Swing) RealTracks in style: ~2485:Bass, Acoustic, Bowed HeldSimple Sw 085 - replaced by my bassRealTracks in style: 2633:Horn Section, Background JazzBallad2PartJack Sw 085 RealTracks in style: 2961:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm BluesSlowSwingColin Sw 085 - replaced by my guitarRealTracks in style: 2706:Ukulele, Rhythm FolkSwingBallad Sw 085 - mutedRealDrums in Song:JazzSwingDannySticks: a: Ride, HiHat b: Ride, Snare I added my own bass, rhythm and lead guitars. I recorded in Cakewalk. ******************* LYRICSBracketed words are my interpretive commentaryINTRO VERSE 1 It’s ambushed me, I’m in the highest quartile by age (I've suddenly become older - mentally I thought I was still young)I hoped I’d arrive more spritely than this and a context less dire VERSE 2 Even though I am free, I’m encumbered by my ignorant state (I'm not young and invincible any more)I didn’t intend to leave you with the mess you’ve found (the mess being my declining health)CHORUS 1 (this is me trying to take a positive view of aging)It’s never too late to shed your tears You can’t be afraid when you’re watching the years go by so fast Don’t be dismayed by the falling leaves Their beauty is admired by all who see it VERSE 3 I’m changing my ways, but take your hand out of my purse or worse (arguing that it isn't *all* the boomer generation's fault)I’ll gladly sacrifice if you give me a chance or learn to dance CHORUS 2 It’s never too late to count your years You can’t be afraid when you’re feeling the tears roll down your face Don’t be disgraced by what they say Your worth is admired by those willing to receive it BRIDGE Can you hear me? I’m giving my opinions (do we hear what older generations are saying, or do we lessen their voice?)I think you can’t see me, like I’m living life in some kind of parallel plane Where I have no mouth and my flesh is falling off of my frame CHORUS It’s never too late to shed your tears You can’t be afraid when you’re watching the years go by so fast Don’t be dismayed by the falling leaves Their beauty is admired by all who see it CHORUS 2 It’s never too late to count your years You can’t be afraid when you’re feeling the tears roll down your face Don’t be disgraced by what they say Your worth is a prize by those willing to receive it OUTRO
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This has a Harry Nilsson melodic vibe to it.
It's a cool song, lovely story.
Something about your voice seems at odds with song.
I can't tell if it's pitch or tonality.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Expert
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Hi Andrew,
Most promising song and good feel.
Vocals - I can hear some faint duplicated vocals somewhere in the background. I would like to hear one voice up front because that is Jazz.
Best Regards
Nigel
Nigel Spiers
Christchurch, New Zealand
info@nzacoustics.com
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Journeyman
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Something about your voice seems at odds with song. I can't tell if it's pitch or tonality. Ray - knowing my voice, it's probably both! Ha ha! I have a 'dry', distinctive voice - even when speaking - on the 'phone, many people who have met me know it is me before I announce who it is. And pitch - it's a constant challenge. But I love creating and expressing myself in song, so there it is - warts and all. I'm a newbie to DAWs so I pick up skills or bad habits as I go. Andrew
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Vocals - I can hear some faint duplicated vocals somewhere in the background. I would like to hear one voice up front because that is Jazz. Hi Nigel - my recording and mixing suffers from two challenges - I'm a newbie and learning as I go, and I get impatient and don't like pfaffing around too much. I take the view that I am trying to present a creative idea rather than aim for recording perfection. I don't aim to use AI voices - I haven't mentally accepted that jump yet - and I try to not use pitch correction or I minimise its use, but I have sometimes. Never auto-pitch! In relation to my voice, I'm not a natural singer and my voice can sound 'thin' and pitchy, so I thicken it up with two supporting vocals panned left and right but with lower volume (sort of like triple tracking). I've only just started compressing vocals and doing a bit more comping to get an even mix, so I suspect one of the tracks has popped out a bit more in places. I would really welcome any ideas or techniques you or other forum users have for turning a sow's ear into a silk purse! Andrew D
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Andrew,
This has a very cool flow & feel. I wouldn't worry about the mix. It sounds fine and you are creating - that's what matters. Eventually, you will find methods that really work for you. The more you mix the better you will become at it.
Nice work.
Bob
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Andrew, some really nice rhymes in there, esp at the start of the chorus. And I think you over-lapped the ending of a line with the start of the next--very clever trick to do that! I also liked the overall pace/feel, fits so well with your message! Thanks for posting!
Windows 11, Intel Core i5-8600T 2.3Ghz, 16 gig ram, BIAB 2025 MegaPak, SampleTank 4, Keystation49 Kybd, Neewer NW-800 mic
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Andrew this is a great track buddy. Well written imo, and the mix works well.
Your vocals are perfectly fine and work within the chord structure for me, yes they are a little thin in places but hey that's no Biggie!
The more you play within your daw, experiment with different plugins/effects the more you will learn and your efforts will most definitely bare (sp)fruits.
Liked it, and thanks for posting 👍
Regards
Pete
Sometimes you just have to say f### it and do it anyway!
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Andrew, super write and nicely arranged/played. Definitely has that swing thing going on, and the lyrics and wordplay are coolly retro. I'd grade your challenge performance as an A+!
Your vocals are fine for demoing the song, and I don't find them a distraction in the least. Lots of good ideas above if you're interested though.
Loved your song!
DC Ron
BiaB Audiophile
Presonus Studio One
StudioCat DAW dual screen
Presonus Faderport 16
Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
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Hi, Andrew. Nice song! As far as suggestions with the vocals, instead of creating the sound of multiple voices, aim for the illusion of a single voice. I recall long ago listening to an Alan Parsons Project song, with Eric Woolfson on the vocal. Eric sang in a high, thin voice, and I wondered how he managed to get such a strong vocal instead of a weak, reedy voice like I had in that range.  So I carefully listened, and noticed that there were multiple vocals, but they were sung in a way to create the impression of a single voice. This was partly done by carefully singing the parts so that the blended as a single voice. Layering the additional voices below the volume of the lead voice also helped. When you do want obviously thickened voices, you don't need to be as careful to sing the parts so they will blend, but you'll probably want to keep those parts lower in volume than the lead - even when they are all your vocal. That will keep the lead vocal out front and from getting "mushy" because of too many voices. Just some thoughts. 
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... As far as suggestions with the vocals, instead of creating the sound of multiple voices, aim for the illusion of a single voice. ... When you do want obviously thickened voices, you don't need to be as careful to sing the parts so they will blend, but you'll probably want to keep those parts lower in volume than the lead - even when they are all your vocal. That will keep the lead vocal out front and from getting "mushy" because of too many voices. Just some thoughts. Hi David! Thanks for your suggestion. This is something I do (triple track but with 2nd and 3rd panned left and right and lower in volume), but maybe I need to experiment with this a bit more. I don't always compress the 2nd and 3rd tracks or EQ them, so maybe that is adding to some 'lumpiness' that pops out from time to time. I sometimes do a bit of comping to tidy up the timing of phrasing so all 3 tracks sound the same. Maybe I have to do more of this? I'm going to post a general question in the recording forum to get some tips on what those with more experience do. Glad you liked the song! Andrew D
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I usually want to just listen music, but your video painted so well the lyrics, that I actually liked more, what I saw then listened.
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I usually want to just listen music, but your video painted so well the lyrics, that I actually liked more, what I saw then listened. Thanks Arri! Some of my videos can be distracting, so I am glad it hit the mark in this case. Andrew
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Hope I'm not too late to say I LOVE THIS, Andrew. Man, those lyrics are really special, and I love how the song melody and arrangement reminds me of one of my favorites, Harry Nilsson. Watching old people dance was my first choice, so went to the video. Dancing in love with the music little more than an excuse to hold your loved one close makes for an inspirational video. Then I went to SC to hear this one. One thing I noticed is that the brushes on the snare on the SC version was a bit distracting. Great job on the vocals and all the instruments you added.
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One thing I noticed is that the brushes on the snare on the SC version was a bit distracting. Great job on the vocals and all the instruments you added. Thanks Marty! Yes, the seniors dancing was a good find for the video. The SC version has different BVs and drum, so I think I might change that to the same as the video. Andrew D
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Cool ... Janice is "miss positivity" (irrespective of our current post ) and she takes the aging thing in stride. Bud who is older and calls her a "junior senior" has a, shall we say, different view. "Your worth is a prize by those willing to receive it" is our favorite line. "Bracketed words are my interpretive commentary" Never noted that before reading a lyric. Nice idea indeed. The vid imagery well supported the narrative. Good group of swinging session guys. Enjoyed it, J&B
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos are here on our website.
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Andrew, I really enjoyed this song - I can relate to the lyrics
I thought your vocal was OK - yes a little thin at time but hey you sing a lot better than I do
Super mix
I liked it
PS - I feel your pain as I do very little singing these days and I run into the same problems as you. Thus I really can't give you any tips on singing.
Whenever I get something stuck in the back of my throat, I dislodge it by drinking a beer.
It's called the Heineken Maneuver.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Cool ... Janice is "miss positivity" (irrespective of our current post ) and she takes the aging thing in stride. Bud who is older and calls her a "junior senior" has a, shall we say, different view. J&B Thank you J&B! This forum is a great musical outlet for us seniors where we are encouraged and supported by each other in an activity we love. Life long learners! Andrew
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Andrew, I really enjoyed this song - I can relate to the lyrics
I thought your vocal was OK - yes a little thin at time but hey you sing a lot better than I do
Super mix
I liked it
PS - I feel your pain as I do very little singing these days and I run into the same problems as you. Thus I really can't give you any tips on singing. Thanks Mario - you help and encourage in so many other ways! Andrew
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