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Hi,

Here's a song that Brenda and I started work on many months ago. It's only recently that I've had enough time to assemble it into something presentable.

... link to song on Vimeo (audio/visual)

... link to song on Soundcloud (audio only)

... link to lead sheet

I'm not sure how the balance is on this one because I've mixed it while fighting a cold! Please feel free to comment on any aspect of the song and its production.

Thank you in advance for listening,
Noel

Previous song: Heaven's Stairway

SONG INFORMATION

Bass: #1849
Piano: #1278
Guitar: #1600
Jazz Guitar: #1637
Drums: NashvilleEven8^6-a:Snare, HiHat , b:Snare, HiHat Open
Flute and Strings: Dimension Pro (MIDI)

LYRICS

I Can See Tomorrow
© 2013 N. Adams & B. Smith. All rights reserved.

The clouds arrived the day you left
I thought the rain would never end
Nights were long, I just couldn't sleep
Lonely walks were my only friends
I didn't know which way to turn
Didn't know which way to go
I didn't want to stop my heart from missing you so

[CHORUS]
Now I can see tomorrow
It's waiting for me
Waiting for me
I can see tomorrow
When everything will be alright and travelling easy

For quite a while the sun was lost
The moon and stars refused to shine
And though the world still kept on turning
All I wanted was to fade and die
But now I see a glimmer in the distance
A light that's burning with hope
And all the colours of the rainbow are starting to grow

[CHORUS]

All around me is coming to life
The end of endless night
A sunrise is ready to go
And it's heading my way

[CHORUS]

Travelling easy
Travelling easy

Last edited by Noel96; 06/14/13 02:11 PM.

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Hi Noel.

Great song and video. I thought the orchestration was superb.

I did notice that your voice sounded different to usual, sort of harder with an edge to it. Is this a new vocal setting, or perhaps as a result of mixing with the cold? Other than that, everything is just fine.

ROG.

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Noel96 Offline OP
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Hi ROG,

Thanks for taking time to listen and to comment. I always appreciate the insight you give. It was good to read that the balance worked for you! Thanks for that.

The vocals are probably a mixture of cold and preset. I sang a number of tracks when I didn't have a cold but I comp'd and mixed the tracks with ears that weren't all that functional. The Nectar preset I used was called "Rock - Sizzling Lead". Mind you, that's probably more wishful thinking on my part than anything else smile I've got to say, I really like playing around with Nectar and seeing what I can do with my vocals.

Once again, thanks for listening and passing your thoughts. I'm grateful.

All the best,
Noel


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Noel,

May have to start calling you "Mr. Rainbow". You find that silver lining in everything!... even a "lost love" song! You are amazing...

I like your sizzling rock lead vocal. The flute was a nice change of pace. There was a real nice guitar in the beginning that seemed to disappear after that - I wanted a little more of that.. I thought the production was "a bit large" right from the start (the piano). More of a build, maybe... especially considering your subject... a little easier on the opening verse and then big on your chorus where you are "seeing those rainbows"... (just an opinion...).

The bridge was awesome - both melody and lyric.

floyd

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Nice... enjoyed the vid....


You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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As usual, your lyrics contain an uplifting message. This has become your trademark. At a time in music history when positive lyrics have all but been replaced by negative irony, you may be the only person on the planet writing uplifting songs. (keep it up!)

I identify with the lyrics of this song to some extent... my wife's death last year has knocked the blocks out from under me and I'm still waiting to "see tomorrow". It's good to be reminded that at some point I might, but for now it will have to remain a conceptual possibility, knowable only through 3rd person reports such as this song.

Your vocals were "beefier" in this song than in some others... your dynamics ranged from contemplative to full-blown "belting it out". I liked that ! What a professional sound! In my opinion, MOST of the songs presented on the forum lack vocals that come across as being "fully committed" to the song. (But this did have that quality IMO)

My only negative observations concern the strings, and I have several to make:

1) The strings started and ended too abruptly. A real string section would fade in and out across a fuller range.

2) Also I doubt that a real arranger of strings would ever limit the arrangement to chords. There would most likely be some melodic motif within the chords that repeats through all of the string parts. Ideally this motif would serve as a "signature riff" that makes your song instantly identifiable.

3) ending with sustained strings playing a chord is classic unedited BIAB. This is just my biased opinion, but I think that ending undermines the song by leaving the listener with the part of the song that is least impressive.


You have developed the quality of your songs greatly in terms of interesting chord structures, clever lyrics, well-considered rhyming schemes, and your voice has taken on a professional quality. I'm very impressed by your approach to song writing, and by the excellent results you get by the application of that approach.

Last edited by Pat Marr; 06/13/13 04:49 AM.
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Very nice, happy, uplifting I really enjoyed. One not pick . . . not enough rainbows, I have a need for more rainbows. Just can't get enough rainbows, dig?

Very enjoyable listen Noel.

Later,

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Hi Noel,

I'd like to quote Floyd: "May have to start calling you "Mr. Rainbow". You find that silver lining in everything!... You are amazing..."
I like the words and the arrangement.

Guenter

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Noel,

I especially liked the "and traveling easy" in the chorus. I don't really have anything I'd nitpick on here. I like this song very much - listened twice. I've been a little depressed for a while and it made me feel good...so thank you and Brenda - I needed that. smile

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Hi Floyd,

I don't think it's that I'm Mr Rainbow, it's just that I prefer to find positive things to think about! I blame that on my mother. She never let things get the better of her for long smile Luckily for writing songs, Brenda likes looking at the world from a positive point of view too.

Thanks for listening. Also, thank you for the tips. As is always the case, you've given me something to think about and I'll go away and have a play with it next time I have 5 minutes to spare.

All the best,
Noel


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Hi Herb,

Good to see you again. Thank you for taking time out to listen.

Regards,
Noel


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Hi Pat,

Gosh! Thank you for taking so much time to give me such good ideas. I really appreciate it. Brenda will be tickled pink when she reads your thoughts, too.

Also, thank you for your comments regarding my singing. As you know, I don't think of myself as a singer. One day, however, I discovered iZotope Nectar and, about the same time, I gave up worrying about whether I could sing or not! What you now hear is a combination of electronics and a "I can't be stuffed worrying about it anymore" attitude wink I'm glad it works. Who knows where it will lead (lol) ...

As for the songs, lyrics, etc. ... As much as I'd like to take the credit, I have Pat Pattison to thank there. I also have to thank Andrea Stolpe who showed me how to apply Pat's ideas in a different way. Whenever I'm stumped, applying a little bit of Andrea Stolpe always seems to save the day!

Hope all is 'travelling easy' for you.

All the best,
Noel


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Hey Danny!

I agree, it wouldn't hurt the world to have a few more rainbows spread around it! Thanks for having a listen. Appreciate it.

Regards,
Noel


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Hi Guenter,

Thank you! I think Irving Berlin 'Look(ed) for the silver lining' a few decades before my parents even knew I was going to exist smile Believe it or not, 'Look For The Silver Lining' used to be one of my favourite songs! I can still remember the first time I heard it and how it made me feel really good. Hmmm ... I wonder if that's partly responsible for my propensity for happy songs. Interesting thought ...

Anyway, I'd better not bother you with personal philosophy!

All the best,
Noel


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Very nice Noel. I liked everything about it.


Regards,

Bob

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Hi Josie,

Thank you for taking the time to listen and for you encouraging words. I can see Brenda smiling now when she reads what you've written. She'd also be hoping that things are looking up for you, just like I am.

All the best,
Noel

P.S. Also, thank you for singling out the phrase "travelling easy". That was the last bit of the song to fall into place and it didn't come easily! Brenda and I had finished the song but the last line of the chorus just didn't seem to work 100%. We just kept on trying different things and, after 3 months or so, we eventually stumbled across "travelling easy".

Last edited by Noel96; 06/14/13 12:40 PM.

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Hey Bob,

Thanks for dropping by listening. Appreciate it.

Regards,
Noel


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I loved it Noel. And the video images added something unique


LyricLab – Where words become music https://www.lyriclab.net/
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Hi Joanne,

Thank you for dropping by. I'm glad the slideshow worked for you smile What I do is to hunt around the net for free images (desktop wallpapers, etc.) and then compile them in a way that seems to make some kind of visual journey. It's a slow process but I enjoy it!

All the best,
Noel


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In case anyone is interested ...

I've now included a link to the leadsheet for this song. It's at the start of the thread along with the links to the recording.

The leadsheet was created in MuseScore which, I must say, is an outstanding music notation program. The more I use it, the more impressed I become. It's hard to believe it's freeware!

Regards,
Noel

Last edited by Noel96; 06/15/13 09:33 PM.

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