Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
#143392 12/26/11 11:01 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,815
Expert
OP Offline
Expert
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,815
I have done 5 CD's as part of the yearly RPM Challenge, but I have never gone back and really did a CD that was more polished and more or less cohesive. I am going to try and do that this January. I am picking six songs from the last RPM, five songs from this past 50/90 exercise and then one oldie. I have a bit of re-writing and re-recording to do (and get some guest vocals/playing), but I think I can get it done in January.

Any way is is the slow, super-snoozer, "cry in your beer", sad ending tune (ha, ha). I need to re-do some vocals here and then and add more harmonies (and a "choir" on the bridge). To clean up a really bad note, I did try and do some V-Vocal pitch correction from 0:39-0:41, but I don't know what I am doing!

Well without further ado:

*************************************************************
If The Truth Be Told
(c) Emmrich 2011

(verses)
gotta give up smoke
ease off that alcohol
running my self down
can't feel nothing at all

your picture's by my bedside
you're in that yellow dress
you got a little smile
makes me remember all the rest

(chorus)
The path down is crowded
but up is a lonely road
it's your memory that keeps me going
if the truth be told

(verses)
I watered the garden today
that you worked so hard to plant
your roses are looking great
my cilantro's a little sad

There's some holes in the basil
I guess bugs had a party there
reminded me of that dance one night
when it was us without a care

(chorus again)

(bridge)
and sometimes when it rains at night
the thunder cracks and the lightening strikes
and just after my last amen
I wonder if it'll strike again

(chorus again and outro)

Kevin: acoustic guitar and vocal
BIAB: bass (#518), drums (NashvilleEven8^6), piano (#887), acoustic guitar (#364),
harmonica (685), mandolin (#820) and pedal steel (#369)

Last edited by Kemmrich; 12/26/11 01:21 PM.

Now at bandcamp: Crows Say Vee-Eh @ bandcamp or soundcloud: Kevin @ soundcloud
User Showcase
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,696
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,696
Good work Kevin - if the truth be told. (you knew that was coming!)

Lyrics well polished except I think for the two last lines of the bridge - I mean you've got me shiverin' with the drop into the minor chord and then the storm imagery and then after "last amen" it seems to disintegrate when it could be stronger . . . especially when you're thinking of choir harmony in that area. Ah well just a thought.

Maybe a touch too much bass but I can't trust my hearing - still I found the bass a touch too high.

I really like this tune and production - man that's a lot of writing in those challenges - might drive me nuts.
Would like to hear some of those other tunes too.
Cheers - Ian


Ian
My "Original Tunes" Site
My gene pool needs more chlorine.
User Showcase
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,815
Expert
OP Offline
Expert
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,815
Ian: Thanks for the listen. I'll look at that bridge part you mentioned. I definitely don't want to lose listeners there. I think you are right on the boomy bass -- I'll fix that. I am still struggling with my mix setup and techniques.

Kevin


Now at bandcamp: Crows Say Vee-Eh @ bandcamp or soundcloud: Kevin @ soundcloud
User Showcase
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,646
P
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
P
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,646
Another fine piece of music! Thanks 4 sharing!

My Music


My Tunes

Psalm 57:7 My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.
User Showcase
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,426
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,426
Nice song Kevin, around a great title!

Ian, the bass sounds fine to me. My ears are shot in the highs but I'm ok on bass frequencies (at the moment... )

Bridge: Ian has a point here. The bridge resolves on its own (C...G...C) when it would be stronger if instead it ended with some tension by hanging on G7 and thus inviting the last chorus in, i.e. Ami...Emi...F...G7 over the last two lines?

John


Songs web site
YouTube Channel
BIAB 2019
Cakewalk by BandLab
Studio One 4
User Showcase
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,987
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,987
Kevin,

Good job! Good honest vocals, and nice instrumentation. Keep up the good work.

Steve


Steve Young
Music
"In order to compose, all you need to do is remember a tune that nobody else has thought of." - Robert Schumann
User Showcase
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,815
Expert
OP Offline
Expert
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,815
PgFantastic: Thanks for the visit and kind words.

Skyline: I did bump the bass down a bit, based on Ian's comments, before you listened!
I'll be re-visiting the bridge. My first attempt will be to add some "movement" in the instruments as we go into the final chorus. If that "easy way out" approach doesn't work, I'll look at modifying the chords.

Steve: Thanks for stopping by and giving it a spin!

Kevin


Now at bandcamp: Crows Say Vee-Eh @ bandcamp or soundcloud: Kevin @ soundcloud
User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 152
Apprentice
Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 152
Enjoyed listening to the song, liked the lyrics, didn't think the bass was too much at all. sometimes polished is not always best, nice work. Jeff

User Showcase
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 4,026
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 4,026
Nice Job Kevin !

User Showcase
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,696
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,696
Back for a second listen - bass is definitely tamer.

I loved the lyrics in the "garden" verse. Steve has a good point about "honest" lyrics.

Good one Kevin.


Ian
My "Original Tunes" Site
My gene pool needs more chlorine.
User Showcase
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 7,417
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 7,417
I like it - your vocals have the right attitude, and the instrumentation is all good for me. You've got a nice, expressive voice.

There are some spots where it feels you're trying to cram too many syllables into a line, such as "mem-o-ry", where "mem-ree" would work just fine. There's a sort of buzziness to the vocal, perhaps because you're doubling it. And in some spots the vocals fade into the mix. So if you wanted to polish it... well, there's some work that can be done.

But I certainly enjoyed listening to it just the way it is.


-- David Cuny
My virtual singer development blog

Vocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?
User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 4,047
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 4,047
Kevin,

SoundClick Huh....I went the other way....

Great song, loved the vocals. The crystal clear clarity of the sounds
are fantastic. Enjoy your voice and the story telling style you sang this
piece in.

Thanks for sharing.


FrankB

Down The Street vs2015 12-03-2014
Win7, AMD QuadA8-5500,16GB,2TeraHD, Komplete 10
PG Ultra Plus 2016,Alesis 12USB, Sonar Platinum
User Showcase
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,815
Expert
OP Offline
Expert
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,815
Jeff: Thanks for stopping by and giving it a spin.

Tommyc: Thanks for the listen and comment.

Ian: Good advice on that one! I have a lot to learn about mixing and I am finally trying to get a little serious about it (not good, just serious!). I wonder how good my hearing "spectrum" is though.

David: Thanks for the pointers. This one definitely needs to be re-mixed. I can do some vocal re-tries and I am getting some more harmony thrown in for good measure. More the merrier I always so (even when less is best)

Seeker: Soundclick is so overloaded with songs (a few million there, at least -- mostly rap!), that there are some glitches here and there. I plan to investigate other mp3 hosting sites myself. Thanks for the visit.

Kevin


Now at bandcamp: Crows Say Vee-Eh @ bandcamp or soundcloud: Kevin @ soundcloud
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To

Link Copied to Clipboard
ChatPG

Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.

ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.

PG Music News
Holiday Weekend Hours

Our Customer Service hours this weekend are as follows:

Friday, April 18: 8:00 - 4:00
Saturday, April 19: closed
Sunday, April 20: closed
Monday, April 21: Regular hours

Thank you!

Band-in-a-Box 2025 French Version is Here!

Bonjour à tous,

Band-in-a-Box® 2025 pour Windows est disponible en Français.
Le téléchargement se fait à partir du site PG Music

Pour ceux qui auraient déjà acheté la version 2025 de Band-in-a-Box (et qui donc ont une version anglaise), il est possible de "franciser" cette version avec les patchs suivants:

BIAB 2025 - francisation
RealBand 2025 - francisation

Voilà, enjoy!

Band-in-a-Box 2025 German Version is Here!

Band-in-a-Box 2025 für Windows Deutsch ist verfügbar!

Die deutsche Version Band-in-a-Box® 2025 für Windows ist ab sofort verfügbar!

Alle die bereits die englische Version von Band-in-a-Box und RealBand 2024 installiert haben, finden hier die Installationsdateien für das Sprachenupdate:

https://nn.pgmusic.com/pgfiles/languagesupport/deutsch2025.exe
https://nn.pgmusic.com/pgfiles/languagesupport/deutsch2025RB.exe

Update Your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 to Build 1128 for Windows Today!

Already using Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Windows®? Download Build 1128 now from our Support Page to enjoy the latest enhancements and improvements from our team.

Stay up to date—get the latest update now!

Update to RealBand® 2025 Build 5 Windows Today!

Already using RealBand® 2025 for Windows®? Download Build 5 now from our Support Page to ensure you have the latest enhancements and improvements from our team.

Get the latest update today!

PowerTracks Pro Audio 2025 for Windows is Here!

PowerTracks Pro Audio 2025 is here! This new version introduces many features, including VST3 support, the ability to load or import a .FLAC file, a reset option for track height in the Tracks window, a taller Timeline on the Notation window toolbar, new freeze buttons in the Tracks window, three toolbar modes (two rows, single row, and none), the improved Select Patch dialog with text-based search and numeric patch display, a new button in the DirectX/VST window to copy an effects group, and more!

First-time packages start at only $49. Already a PowerTracks Pro Audio user? Upgrade for as little as $29!

www.pgmusic.com/powertracks.htm

Video: Summary of the New Band-in-a-Box® App for iOS®

Join Tobin as he takes you on a tour of the new Band-in-a-Box® app for iOS®! Designed for musicians, singer-songwriters, and educators, this powerful tool lets you create, play, and transfer songs effortlessly on your iPhone® or iPad®—anytime, anywhere.

Band-in-a-Box® for iOS® :Summary video.

Check out the forum post for more information.

Forum Statistics
Forums58
Topics83,893
Posts771,881
Members39,480
Most Online25,754
Jan 24th, 2025
Newest Members
winniemalone, Jersey Benson, /Brian evangeline, Steirerburli, Robert D Murphy
39,479 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
MarioD 160
DC Ron 105
rsdean 96
WaoBand 85
Today's Birthdays
mike5256
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5