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Herb, all your many skills are on full display with this one. Maybe your best write. Certainly your best vocal. A polished mix and great editing of the real tracks. This all adds up to a winner. ( very small, tiny, barely even noticeable nit- I would have changed the word "growing" to "grows". Flows a little better with one less syllable. Without question my favorite of yours so far. Tom Tommy, yes... I agree.... I did in fact play around with that line... it was one of the ones that was changed from something totally different the morning I was recording it...I had to go back and punch 2 tracks to make the change.... and the "ing" was something I pondered....I even considered would "weeds" work better than "grass"... grow vs growing.... thanks for noticing the nits..... it's in the details of something that really either makes it shine or not. This write was one of the more satisfying writes I have done in quite a while. The vocals.... thank you...I rarely ever spend a lot of time on vocals. I basically sing a scratch, mainly as a guide for my production chops.....and once I have the phrasing and lyrics like I want them, I will delete the track totally and record the keeper. This vocal was, I think the second full take on the keeper.... then I punched in some changes the second and final day.... I record the BGV's and HVT's the same way...except they are generally one shot, first take and it's done recordings. I do not punch (generally) the BGV ...and there's no corrections. The lead vox does get minor treatment by melodyne. For those who don't know how I normally record my vox..... the lead is up the center. The 2 lead duplicate tracks are -18db to -22db down and panned 100% Left and Right respectively. The 2 harmony tracks are done the same.... except they are only about -14db below the lead. Slight reverb in the vocal bus. thank you for listening and commenting.
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 01/09/15 04:28 AM.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd 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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Herb,
A lot of good stuff in this. One of your best vocals.
A good classic country production.
As others have noted, there is a lot of high eq to the mix that gives it a "brittleness" that you don't usually do. It lacks the "warmth" that your productions typically have.
Best writing I've heard from you. Good imagery. It would be nice if you smoothed a couple of "bumps".
A bunch of places where there are more syllables than fit comfortably into your melody. Some are easily fixed by eliminating unnecessary words or changing the wording slightly. Tom's suggestion on "growing" is a good one...another example...
"There's tape on the windows and an old weathered sign"
would sing more smoothly as
"Tape on the windows, an old weathered sign"
"for eternity" (drop ""all")
"A padlock is rusting..." could be "A padlock, rusting...hangs on the door"
Substituting "Our small towns" for "The small towns" would make it more personal - involve your audience...
The chorus and third verse are strong (you could drop "those" in front of flat-screens)
Cool that you've hit #1 in Christian Country.
Good job on this.
floyd
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Herb,
A lot of good stuff in this. One of your best vocals.
A good classic country production.
As others have noted, there is a lot of high eq to the mix that gives it a "brittleness" that you don't usually do. It lacks the "warmth" that your productions typically have.
Best writing I've heard from you. Good imagery. It would be nice if you smoothed a couple of "bumps".
A bunch of places where there are more syllables than fit comfortably into your melody. Some are easily fixed by eliminating unnecessary words or changing the wording slightly. Tom's suggestion on "growing" is a good one...another example...
"There's tape on the windows and an old weathered sign"
would sing more smoothly as
"Tape on the windows, an old weathered sign"
"for eternity" (drop ""all")
"A padlock is rusting..." could be "A padlock, rusting...hangs on the door"
Substituting "Our small towns" for "The small towns" would make it more personal - involve your audience...
The chorus and third verse are strong (you could drop "those" in front of flat-screens)
Cool that you've hit #1 in Christian Country.
Good job on this.
floyd Floyd, you gave me lots of things to consider... So I fired up the DAW....and loaded this project. I edited the high end on the EQ a bit..... and I punched in a few places..... as well as muting a word here and there..... just the easy changes..... I also edited the ending envelopes a bit to change a few things there as well. The new version is now in the place of the old one..... the highs are tamed a bit more....hopefully without losing the space and air.... Floyd.... thanks for the feedback and for listening and commenting in detail.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd 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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Just wow again! I listened to the new version and the flow and lyrics are Perfect! This is truly a great song. I don't care what might be in fashion a great song holds its own in any era.
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Herb,
I have just had a listen to the second version. Wow! It's great! The sound is so much fuller and I found it much much more aurally engaging. This song is real credit to you. It beams with confidence and competence.
Regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Hi Herb,
Great song and good lyrics!
It's the same over here. I (Anne-Marie) live in the country too. More and more shops close, as well as primary schools.
We also use 3/4 tracks sometimes when it should be 4/4 and indeed, sometimes it works.
The piano at the end also works fine.
Rob and Anne-Marie
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History repeats itself.
I remember in the late 70s when industry was leaving the rust belt and moving south to escape the unions. Billy Joel's ALLENTOWN told a very similar story of that area's decline.
For the next 30 years the south prospered with the influx of jobs... but history repeats itself, and the manufacturing started moving south of the border to get lower wages. Add the problem of corporate stores coming in like carpetbaggers and sucking potential income away from the local retail sector who might have found a niche if they had just stayed away. But they didn't.
Both times in both places it was the small towns that relied on one or two main industries and a lot of supporting small businesses that felt the effects first. In those places the loss of one company could potentially trickle down to the whole community. And it eventually did. Without new money coming in from outside, there's only so long you can recirculate the same money from business to business.
I like the honesty of this song, and the fact that you didn't pull any punches. Your lyrics were very well written, saying just what needed saying and nothing more or less. You're really good at this Herb. I'd say I enjoyed it, but the topic of economic decline has affected me for too long, and I'm tired of it. I wish it would go away, but it never will.
You sure did an excellent job of describing it though. I just wish the song wasn't necessary.
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It's fabulous Herb. My idea of country. I could listen to it over and over.
Love the super sparse bass and the way the backing cradles the lyrics and voice.
Missed version 1 but don't expect to hear more enjoyable country than this for a good while. Cheers.
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Very nice Herb. My Aunt Daisy ran a store like that in a
S GA town with a dirt main street. Old men chewing and
whittling all the time on the store benches.
Growing up in the 50's really allows me to relate to your
lyric as I remember so much before it deteriorated into
your vivid images.
I didn't hear the version before you made the changes
but this mix sounds strong on my monitors. Your vocal
deliver captures the feel and so do the supporting
instruments and mix.
We 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
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Lots of folks must be listening...... What a cool thing to wake up and see....!!!
» highest in charts: # 1 (66,147 songs currently listed in Country)
» highest in sub-genre: # 1 (8,446 songs currently listed in Country > Christian Country) » today's position: # 1 in Country
» today's position in sub-genre: # 1 in Christian Country
This is the first song I've written that's ever done this....and in 2 days.
THANK YOU EVERYONE.... for listening....
Too bad it's not the Billboard Charts...
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd 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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Hi Herb,
Great song and good lyrics!
It's the same over here. I (Anne-Marie) live in the country too. More and more shops close, as well as primary schools.
We also use 3/4 tracks sometimes when it should be 4/4 and indeed, sometimes it works.
The piano at the end also works fine.
Rob and Anne-Marie I think it's likely a worldwide issue in the first world countries.... Yeah... using the 4/4 B3 was more of an experiment and a slightly desperate act... but it worked out fine. You never know until you try something..... Thanks for listening
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd 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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History repeats itself.
I remember in the late 70s when industry was leaving the rust belt and moving south to escape the unions. Billy Joel's ALLENTOWN told a very similar story of that area's decline.
For the next 30 years the south prospered with the influx of jobs... but history repeats itself, and the manufacturing started moving south of the border to get lower wages. Add the problem of corporate stores coming in like carpetbaggers and sucking potential income away from the local retail sector who might have found a niche if they had just stayed away. But they didn't.
Both times in both places it was the small towns that relied on one or two main industries and a lot of supporting small businesses that felt the effects first. In those places the loss of one company could potentially trickle down to the whole community. And it eventually did. Without new money coming in from outside, there's only so long you can recirculate the same money from business to business.
I like the honesty of this song, and the fact that you didn't pull any punches. Your lyrics were very well written, saying just what needed saying and nothing more or less. You're really good at this Herb. I'd say I enjoyed it, but the topic of economic decline has affected me for too long, and I'm tired of it. I wish it would go away, but it never will.
You sure did an excellent job of describing it though. I just wish the song wasn't necessary.
Thanks Pat for the interesting observations..... yes... so sad, but time goes on like they say and we somehow adapt and survive. It's sad to see a way of life being snuffed out for a dollar though. The hardware store here that closed was a handy place to grab a plumbing pipe connector or some seed for the garden. Of course, it cost a few cents more than the big box in town.... but you'd spend 10x the extra cost in gas to get there to save that small amount.... but one stop shopping won out in the end. Thank you for the kind words about my writing.... much appreciated.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd 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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It's fabulous Herb. My idea of country. I could listen to it over and over.
Love the super sparse bass and the way the backing cradles the lyrics and voice.
Missed version 1 but don't expect to hear more enjoyable country than this for a good while. Cheers. My type of music too Rich.... and I do listen to it over and over.... I still am in awe of the amazing job the real tracks can do.... the piano especially simply blows me away..... with the fills in it from square one.... You mentioned the bass. In my OP, I said there was a ton of detail work in this.... you nailed one of the tracks that has a bunch of detail in it. This was not the original bass track that came with the style. I changed it several days into the project due to "nits" I had and couldn't seem to fix in the original. Even this one had issues. I ended up doing quite a bit of audio editing to get this track to do what I wanted. There were some "busy" runs that didn't sound good that I needed to edit out..... waaa laaa.... The first version..... for those who didn't hear it.... had a much more pronounced high end.... lots of cymbal range freqs that were just a few db too high... crisp is good, but this was a bit too much....I dropped the highs just a few db from 1200hz and up.... and a few words were changed... not much different from this version. Thanks Rich
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd 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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Very nice Herb. My Aunt Daisy ran a store like that in a
S GA town with a dirt main street. Old men chewing and
whittling all the time on the store benches.
Growing up in the 50's really allows me to relate to your
lyric as I remember so much before it deteriorated into
your vivid images.
I didn't hear the version before you made the changes
but this mix sounds strong on my monitors. Your vocal
deliver captures the feel and so do the supporting
instruments and mix.
We enjoyed it.
J&B Thanks Janice & Bud.... glad you liked this song and took the time to listen. As I said in the last post, the changes were minor between the first and this one.... For us who grew up in the 50's and 60's..... yes the changes are quite vivid. I hate that my children and especially the grand kids when they come will not be able to experience this. Now days.... a certain restaurant chain on the interstates and the occasional mountain store that advertises like a tourist attraction are the closest many will ever come to knowing what we, the older folks, knew as an everyday experience growing up. I do have a few other songs that reach back and try to grab that long lost time and put it into song..... Again...thanks for listening and commenting.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd 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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Gruverider and Noel, thanks for coming back and having a go at the second version.....
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd 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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The changes were a huge improvement. Good job on that.
More than minor, I'd say
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The changes were a huge improvement. Good job on that.
More than minor, I'd say Thanks for coming back and listening again.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd 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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Lots of folks must be listening...... What a cool thing to wake up and see....!!!
» highest in charts: # 1 (66,147 songs currently listed in Country)
» highest in sub-genre: # 1 (8,446 songs currently listed in Country > Christian Country) » today's position: # 1 in Country
» today's position in sub-genre: # 1 in Christian Country
This is the first song I've written that's ever done this....and in 2 days.
THANK YOU EVERYONE.... for listening....
Too bad it's not the Billboard Charts... Herb, why don't you offer it up to some radio stations for air play. Who knows?
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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Lots of folks must be listening...... What a cool thing to wake up and see....!!!
» highest in charts: # 1 (66,147 songs currently listed in Country)
» highest in sub-genre: # 1 (8,446 songs currently listed in Country > Christian Country) » today's position: # 1 in Country
» today's position in sub-genre: # 1 in Christian Country
This is the first song I've written that's ever done this....and in 2 days.
THANK YOU EVERYONE.... for listening....
Too bad it's not the Billboard Charts... Herb, why don't you offer it up to some radio stations for air play. Who knows? There are very few radio stations left that actually would allow airtime to a "local" non-record company released song. 20 years ago, that might have been possible....air time is just too valuable a commodity. I do have it submitted for review to NSAI.... I should hear something from them in a week or two.... I will doing what I can to get it into the hands of the powers that be.... One never knows what will happen when NSAI hears it..... they have recommended songs in the past that have become radio hits....we'll see.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd 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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Lots of folks must be listening...... What a cool thing to wake up and see....!!!
» highest in charts: # 1 (66,147 songs currently listed in Country)
» highest in sub-genre: # 1 (8,446 songs currently listed in Country > Christian Country) » today's position: # 1 in Country
» today's position in sub-genre: # 1 in Christian Country
This is the first song I've written that's ever done this....and in 2 days.
THANK YOU EVERYONE.... for listening....
Too bad it's not the Billboard Charts... congratulations, Herb! You deserve it! and screw the billboard charts... all they say is which songs have been most heavily promoted by the studios. Your numbers come directly from the people.
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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!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
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.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
- The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
- 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)
- iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 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)
Learn more about the Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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