DEVELOPMENT The initial idea for the song was in late 2025 for the first couple of lines and melody for verse 1, and I had the fortune of recording it in a voice memo on my iPad before it disappeared from mind. The rest of the lyrics follow the same quirky style as verse 1, except that the final verse becomes more serious, and the chorus is a mixture of random ideas and a serious line - there might be a subsonscious connection there, but I'm unaware. I normally write the music first and completion of lyrics comes in last. I only played lead guitar on this song, but sung all vocals. The addition of the vibes from verse 2 onwards was aimed at mimicking the Motown sound.
BIAB & PRODUCTION Style is _SHUDDER.STY (Shudder Soul Rock Organ) RealTracks in style: 1732:Bass, Electric, TexasBluesRockFunky Ev16 090 RealTracks in style: 4305:Organ, Rhythm SoulfulRock Ev 095 RealTracks in style: 3164:Guitar, Baritone Electric, Rhythm BluesyPopSteady8thsCleanBrent Ev 100 RealTracks in style: 2905:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm BrightBluesyPopColin Ev 100 RealDrums in style:Americana16thsSyncFred^1-a:QuarterHiHat,Snare , b:QuarterRide,Snare In song: General midi instrument 12 Vibes (step input in BIAB)
Reaper v7.65 Guitar motif Main vocal doubled Octave vocal double over verses Harmony vocals x 3 over chorus Reaper JS: Non-linear saturation
LYRICS (chord sheet attached) INTRO
VERSE 1 The last time I combed my hair was almost fifteen years ago In that time I don’t feel I’ve gone without I used to worry what I looked like but decided not to fret Since I’ve given up hope I feel a lot better
VERSE 2 The last time I rode my bike I had a fainting spell I was quite embarrassed lying in the road Now I have a regimen of breathing deep and drinking lots of water It helps if I don’t push myself too hard
CHORUS Ev’ry time I try to turn around, I end up just standing there Sometimes that’s what I should do, instead of sky I’ll seek the ground Ev’ry time I aim to hold my line, I’ll end up nowhere I have to look at you, this could be the last time
VERSE 3 The last time I said ‘I love you’ was yesterday But that was over twenty-four hours ago
CHORUS Ev’ry time I try to turn around, I end up just standing there Sometimes that’s what I should do, instead of sky I’ll seek the ground Ev’ry time I aim to hold my line, I’ll end up nowhere I have to look at you, this could be the last time I have to say it to you, this could be the last time
Andrew, really nice bit of popcraft here. Very hooky chorus. The band is quite nice as are your vibe lines. Love your lead guitar motif! Super vocals, too.
Is it Motown? Sounds more like Neil Young than Marvin Gaye to my ears, but regardless the inspiration, the end result is brilliant.
Well done!
DC Ron BiaB Audiophile Presonus Studio One ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM Presonus Faderport 16 Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
Nice song, really good chorus, but nothing like Motown I'm sorry to say. Vox were good, guitar was crisp and overall a nice piece of music. But again, not a bit like Motown. Berry Gordy had a formula, no doubt, but it was harder to replicate than most people realize,
Last edited by TuneMonger; 04/05/2608:20 AM.
Windows 11, Intel Core I5 10400, 16 gig ram, Scarlett 2i2, Sony Acid Music Studio 10, BIAB 2020 UltraPlus Pak
Hi Andrew. I'm not a fan of those doubled voices. To me they sound distorted and muddy alongside the other instruments. Might be worth a try cutting that down a bit just to see what it's like. Could be just my old ears though.
I can certainly see where you were going with a Motown feel, but it’s definitely in the pop song genre. Really well sung and produced, the opening bass line really sets the mood and I can hear that bass line being used as a Motown feel. I have no issues with the doubled vocals, to my ears it works well. No awkward chords this time Andrew, you’re slipping! Very clever opening on the video and great opening visuals, was that you jigging about in the orange t-shirt?
Andrew, really nice bit of popcraft here. Very hooky chorus. The band is quite nice as are your vibe lines. Love your lead guitar motif! Super vocals, too.
Is it Motown? Sounds more like Neil Young than Marvin Gaye to my ears, but regardless the inspiration, the end result is brilliant.
Well done!
Hi Ron! Thank you for your very generous comments! I'm glad you liked the lead guitar motif - it was my third attempt - the previous offerings didn't suit the song. Both guitar and vocals (the only parts that I performed) gave me grief for a while, but eventually sorted them. I liked the song while arranging, recording and mixing, so I wanted it to come out well. I'm certainly no Marvin Gaye, but will settle for Neil Young. Andrew
Nice song, really good chorus, but nothing like Motown I'm sorry to say. Vox were good, guitar was crisp and overall a nice piece of music. But again, not a bit like Motown. Berry Gordy had a formula, no doubt, but it was harder to replicate than most people realize,
Hi Rob! Yes, I think the vibraphone is about as close as this gets to Motown. I note the RealStyle is soul, so pop soul might be a better fit. Re the chorus, it took a while for it to come in, but I decided there was enough variation up to then that it could wait. Once it arrived, it returned quickly, which I liked. Thanks for listening! Andrew
I'm not a fan of those doubled voices. To me they sound distorted and muddy alongside the other instruments. Might be worth a try cutting that down a bit just to see what it's like. Could be just my old ears though.
Hi Vic! I know what you're saying about the vocals, but with my imperfections, I need to do something for my own self-preservation. I've listened to it with a single vocal and I don't have the tone, pitch-stability or strength to carry it with confidence. So a little bit of muddiness is the lesser of two evils me thinks. Thanks for listening! Andrew
I really like the bass part and the doubled vocals for a good song with a retro sound.
Hi Laurent! As soon as I found the RealStyle to suit, I loved the sound of the bass. One of my first arrangement tasks was to give the bass and drums a few bars in the intro to shine. I'm pretty happy with the rhythm guitars and organ used in the RS - such a good one I might use it again sometime in a different context to see if it still works. Thanks for listening! Andrew
I can certainly see where you were going with a Motown feel, but it’s definitely in the pop song genre. Really well sung and produced, the opening bass line really sets the mood and I can hear that bass line being used as a Motown feel. I have no issues with the doubled vocals, to my ears it works well.
Thanks Lee - yes the bass had instant appeal for me also. Regarding Motown, I should have not mentioned my 'attempt'. One should never open with an apology for one's work!
Quote
No awkward chords this time Andrew, you’re slipping! Very clever opening on the video and great opening visuals, was that you jigging about in the orange t-shirt?
Another winner Andrew.
Yes - oddly for me, it's all in the same key - no diminished, augmented or minor iv chords. It sounds quite good for a vanilla-flavoured chord progression! No jiggly dancing from me - thanks for watching the video! Andrew
Hi again Andrew. Maybe invest in something like Melodyne, which I use occasionally as there can be cracks in my aging voice. It saves having to go over pitchy parts again and again. The trouble with vocal doubling is that you are doubling up on the bad parts too.
I like your lead guitar part, nice hook, also like that rhythm guitar you chose.
Good write! Just read Floyds comment, I was going to say that your songs are down to earth, but, "real" is a better description with two less syllables
I really enjoyed listening to this. I can definitely hear overtones of Motown, especially in that driving bass that you've got happening. The write (music and lyrics) is very well done, and the arrangement is very engaging and well planned. In fact, after I listened to your song I went had a listen to the Temptations!
Enjoyed that, Andrew. Your songs are always "so real". Dig the write. Cool sound.
Thank you Floyd. This is a song that I genuinely enjoyed working on. Your comment about being ‘real’ has got me scratching my head a bit - do you mean, like, from the heart? I’ve always been introspective, so maybe that comes out in my lyrics. Thanks for listening and commenting! Andrew
… Maybe invest in something like Melodyne, which I use occasionally as there can be cracks in my aging voice. It saves having to go over pitchy parts again and again. The trouble with vocal doubling is that you are doubling up on the bad parts too.
Hi Vic. I wouldn’t want to outlay for Melodyne, but I do use ReaTune pitch correction in Reaper that I use sparingly. I think on my next recording (well, the one after the next I am about to release) I will spend a bit more time touching up the main vocal and see how I go without the doubling. Andrew
I like your lead guitar part, nice hook, also like that rhythm guitar you chose.
Good write! Just read Floyds comment, I was going to say that your songs are down to earth, but, "real" is a better description with two less syllables
Enjoyed your video too.
Thanks Dave. I am assuming when commenting on the intro that you are referring to the video intro? Halfway through editing, I had a gap at the beginning, and given I had dancers, the idea of radio tuning came to me, and in Clipchamp, there were audio effects for all those. Regarding the down to Earth, as I mentioned to Floyd, I am not afraid to confront what I am thinking and be a bit vulnerable, and that comes out in my songs. Lyrics are usually the hardest part for me - oh, and getting a good vocal. That guitar motif is about as complex as I can get! Glad you enjoyed it. Andrew
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
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Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
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And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
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MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
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20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
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With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
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