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Some of the most important people in my life celebrate a birthday in January. That got me thinking about writing a song...

• Just A Little After Midnight

I hope you enjoy what I've put together. Please feel free to comment on any aspect. All thoughts welcome.

Regards,
Noel


LYRICS
Just A Little After Midnight
© 2015 Noel Adams. Words and music, all rights reserved.

Just a little after midnight
Earth was several summers younger
That's the instant when it all began
It was your time to arrive
Glad to be alive

Just a little after midnight
Street lights flickered through the window
It's a moment that heaven won't forget
You awakened like the dawn
That night when you were born

Around the room, faces were smiling
Glistening eyes were everywhere
In those early hours that miracle morning
You were the answer to a prayer

Just a little after midnight
When all the town was quietly sleeping
Like a beacon, you shone a light of hope
And you still shine today
The star of life's cabaret

Happy birthday
Welcome to a whole new year
Time continues to march along
Let's celebrate being here

Happy birthday
May all of your dreams come true
Close your eyes, make a wish
Happy birthday to you

May every dream come true
Happy birthday to you


BIAB
The entire musical backing for this song was created in BIAB/RB and the tracks mixed in Reaper. My band was made up of the following instruments...

518: Bass, Electric, Pop HalfNotes Ev 085
508: Guitar, Electric, Rhythm Dire Ev 085
542: Guitar, Electric, Rhythm Dreamy Ev 085
362: Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Ev 085
689: Organ, B3, Background Pop Ev 085
2200: Guitar, Nylon, Background CountryBrent Ev 085
2336: Viola, Background, Pop Ev 085

RealDrums: NashvilleEven8^5-a:Snare, HiHat , b:Snare, Ride

Beatles over tones on this one.
The vocal even reminded me of Richard Starky.

Good work.
Rob

"Happy birthday
Welcome to a whole new year
Time continues to march along
Let's celebrate being here"

Amen, let's celebrate the moment
and not worry about yesterday or
tomorrow. Interesting about Jan and
b'days. Back before I retired
our office used to celebrate the Jan
babies on one day because, including
me, there were so many.

Everything sits so well with this
mix...your fine vocal and all the RT's
were so nicely laid out on the soundstage
via my monitors. We always look forward
to one of your productions and this
one did not disappoint. So well done
and so upbeat. Thank you.

J&B

"time continues to march along, let's celebrate being here" What a great sentiment for every day. Pretty arrangement too.

Josie

Hi, Noel.

What a sweet song. Really nice work, especially how you brought various instruments (organ, guitar, cello) in at various points to create variety.

I certainly wasn't expecting the word cabaret to appear.

I also like the way you threaded in "Happy Birthday" without referencing the melody to allegedly copyright version of the song.

Since I seem to be in extra nit-picky mode, so I can't help but mention:

Happy birthday especially to you

As opposed to a happy birthday to someone else?

Nice sentiment in the lyrics. Enjoyed my listen. Good song.


Charlie

Hi Rob,

Thank you for passing through the thread. I appreciate it. I also appreciate the smile you've given me with those comparisons! If only they were true! LOL.

All the best,
Noel

Hi J&B,

Happy belated birthday Bud!

I don't know why I know so many people whose birthday is in January. I suppose, theoretically every 12th person I know (on average) has to be born in January. Maybe I'm just overly observant regarding that month!

Thanks for dropping in and having a listen. And I agree. 'Today' is all any of us has to work with. There's no absolute knowing what's around tomorrow's corner.

I notice that there are a few songs of yours that I haven't yet commented on. I apologise for being so slow. I will get there. That's a promise

All the best to you both,
Noel

Hey Josie,

It's always great to see the name 'Sundance' appear in a thread (not just my thread, by the way). Thank you for taking time to have a listen and to comment. I'm grateful.

All the best,
Noel

Hi David,

Thanks for dropping in. That's an interesting article on the copyright of "Happy Birthday". I never knew that so much controversy surrounded the song!

Also, thank you for drawing my attention to "especially". I'm glad you picked that up. You are absolutely correct. In it's most common use, "especially" doesn't really make sense. It's time to overdub.

Regards,
Noel

Hi Charlie,

Thank you. I appreciate the support and the positive feedback.

May good things come your way,
Noel

Hi Noel,

very sweet song. An absolute alternative to the usual Happy Birthday song. Good vocals and a nice arrangement.
Enjoyable listen.

Guenter

Hi Noel,

this got such a very nice groove!
very well done!

Regards,
Rob

Hi Noel,

A very enjoyable and uplifting listen, thanks for sharing.
I loved the "ringing" of the guitars throughout the song.

The lyrics were great too ... "And you still shine today, The star of life's cabaret".
Great imagery. I am finding that you regulars on here are all very good lyricists.

Great job!

Rec

Noel,

Everything about this struck me as "genteel". You can feel the love in it...

"Earth was several summers younger" - such a nice line...

"Around the room, faces were smiling
Glistening eyes were everywhere
In those early hours that miracle morning
You were the answer to a prayer"

... this really captures a birth day (family) feeling perfectly.

Your band also carries the "genteel" banner. The strum guitar works perfectly for this - the simplicity of the band, too... The organ is well used...

I listened a number of times... your vocal is so very sincere (and genteel).

floyd

Noel, it's all been said.

Your lyrics and vocals are spot on and your instrumentation is not only perfect but also mixed perfectly.

Great job on this one.

Good morning, Guenter (at least it's morning here in Australia).

I hope all is sailing along well for you. Thank you for your uplifting comments. I'm sitting here smiling at the moment. I appreciate that

All the best,
Noel

Hey Rob,

Thank you for listening! I'm grateful for your comments. What I now need to do is to learn how to produce my songs so they sound as professional as yours! Maybe one day ...

All the best,
Noel

Hi Rec,

It's really great that you've jumped into the PG Music forums. I'm thankful that you found time to have a listen to my song. I appreciate the positive feedback.

As for my lyrics, I'm only a novice. What ability I might have (luck or otherwise) is largely due to Pat Pattison (a professor at Berklee College in Boston) and to working my way methodically through floyd jane's lyrics when he posts his songs. Pat is a worldwide authority on lyric writing. If you're interested, he has a free 6-week course at...

http://www.Coursera.org

Simply type Pat Pattison in the 'search' box and you'll find it. I notice that the next course starts on February 2. You'll find his approach very eye-opening and, as I said, it's completely free.



Once again, thank you!

All the best,
Noel

Hi floyd,

Once again, thank you for taking time to listen and to pass on your thoughts. I appreciate your uplifting comments. This is my first newly written song in almost a year and it feels good to jump back on my hobby horse.

I also tried a different structural approach with this one. The first section ("Just A Little After Midnight") is AABA and the second section ("Happy Birthday") consists of two verses (which I guess makes it AAA form). It was an approach I stumbled across recently and I thought I'd try it out. Essentially, the first section provides the background information that sets up the second section. As a single form, it would be written as AABACC. It's quite an interesting structure. I'll have to play around with it some more. It's got potential!

Thank you for dropping by.

All the best,
Noel

Hi Mario,

I'm grateful that you found time to pop into this thread. It's always a pleasure to have you visit my songs. Thank you for the feedback and the smile that it brought my way.

All the best,
Noel

Really sweet song!! The birth of a child is the greatest miracle in life. Wonderful celebration of that. Nicely done in every way (production, vocals). The viola is very sweet. Great job!! Take care. Greg

Noel, as you explained the structure is quite different. I picked up on it right away. It works. "As a single form, it would be written as AABACC. It's quite an interesting structure. " Nicely mixed and well sung. Great choice of real tracks. I sincerely hope we hear more writes from you this year. All the best to you, Tom

Hi Noel. You certainly have a smooth voice! I also hear a bit of Ringo and maybe Leonard Cohen in there.
Your productions are always very precisely and beautifully done. Cheers.

Hey Noel,

I'm also picking up a Beatles vibe on this one - loved it! Great vocal, mix and lyrics.

Bob

Wow, thanks Noel. That looks great and perfect timing.
I have signed up!

I have also picked up on the fact that Floyd is in the top tier for pretty much everything.
I didn't really know what to expect in terms of song quality when I joined these forums but have been blown away by the high standards. Certainly a lot to live up to!

Thanks again for your continued help and support,
Rec

Hi Noel,

Celebrating with you, listening to your wonderful balad. Written with love, performed with love!

Thanks for posting!

Greetings,

Fred

What a wonderful Birthday song! You have given the Birthday song a breath of fresh air!

Hi Greg,

I appreciate your visit to the thread. Thank you for listening and for the feedback. I agree with you, too. That viola is a fantastic sound.

All the best,
Noel

Hey Tommy.

I appreciate your vote of confidence in the song! I'm also hoping that this year will be kinder to me on the songwriting front. Last year, it just got a bit difficult to fit everything in. Ahhh well, that happens sometimes.

As I mentioned to J&B, I've still got some songs of theirs and yours that I need to comment on. I'm sorry that I'm so very slow. I don't know where the day goes! Your work is on my radar and I will get there.

All the best,
Noel

Hi Richard,

Well you sure know what to say to get a person feeling good! I appreciate your passing through the thread and having a listen. I'm grateful for your uplifting comments. Thank you!

All the best,
Noel

Thanks, Bob! I appreciate your taking time to have a run through and to post your thoughts.

Regards,
Noel

Hi Rec,

I'm pleased to hear that it worked out that way. I haven't done this course but I've been to many weekend workshops with Pat and his understanding of lyric writing is first class. He's also a very entertaining teacher.

I hope you learn lots,
Noel

Noel and Rec
I've been following your conversation and I am pleased to say that I've signed up to. Already done the first lesson.
Noel, thanks for sharing.

Fred

Thanks Lawrence! Your comments made my day.

All the best,
Noel

Hi Fred,

Thank you for dropping in. I appreciate your time and your positive thoughts.

All the best,
Noel

P.S. You'll pick up a great deal from Pat Pattison. I've found his approach to writing lyrics unparalleled. His books are my number one 'go to' books when I need a creativity boost.

Hi Fred,

Glad that you signed up too. How are you finding the lessons? I really like Pat's delivery. He keeps it interesting without going too fast. I have done 2 of the quizzes which were ok. I'm not sure how the peer review assignments will work yet but maybe we should start a topic about the course on the Off-Topic forum?

Thanks again Noel for your tipoff

Rec

Hi Receder, (and all interested...)

Have opened a topic for the coursera songwriting course here

Hi Rec and Fred,


My advice is to read the peer reviews, think about what's said and then use your own knowledge and experience to determine if the review is fair and justified. I've found that because 'peers' range from those who are just starting out to those who are professional, the reviews can vary enormously. It's also useful to keep in mind that due to this range of experience, there is occasionally a person whose enthusiasm to comment outweighs his or her understanding of what s/he is commenting on. For this reason, don't take peer reviews to heart if you feel the comments are unjustified.

Keep an open mind and you'll learn a lot. Every time Pat comes here to Australia (usually every 12 months), I go along to his seminars. I've stopped counting how many weekend workshops I've been to but it would be around 20. Even now, I'm still learning something new each time I attend.

Once again, all the best!
Noel

Thanks for the tips Noel. I am not entirely sure how the peer reviews will pan out myself.
Either way, I will take what I can from the course and try to put it to good use.


Thanks
Rec

Hi Noel

Somehow I missed your song, so am commenting way too late. Apologies.

What an interesting theme for a tune! I really like the way you have delivered a birthday song so well disguised. All fits together nicely. The short viola and guitar breaks provide a nice fill too.

Well done. Thanks

Trevor

Very nice Noel,

I ALWAYS enjoy your singing. The arrangement is interesting with the dual acoustic guitars, organ and finally the viola. The production is clear and precise.

Hi Trevor,

Thanks for taking the time to have a listen. I appreciate the feedback.

All the best,
Noel

Jim,

I appreciate the kind words. Thank you.

With the arrangement, I used multiriff in RB to generate two different generations of RT 362. I then panned each version of RT 362 to opposite sides of the stereo stage. This approach often to give a fullness to the overall sound.

It must just be about time for you a new song from you

All the best,
Noel

very good song

i am impress by the gimmick with nylon guitar Is it a realtrack?

Hi cavalier blanc,

Thank you for having a listen. I appreciate the positive feedback.

The nylon guitar that I used for the 4-bar fill is...

Realtrack # 2200: Guitar, Nylon, Background CountryBrent Ev 085

I've found that sometimes when I need a less energetic solo passage, the "background" Realtracks can be very useful.

Regards,
Noel

Like this one a lot, always envy the ability to create lyrics. Terrific mix and instrument choices.

Regards

Mike B.

A great tune and awesome production. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thanks for the music,
Dan

Hi Mike,

Thank you for the listen. Writing lyrics used to be an impossibility for me. Then I went to a Pat Pattison seminar. Pat showed me the 'how to' and, ten years later, I think I find putting lyrics together easier than arranging a song. In all honesty, I find it very satisfying playing around with words these days.

I've nearly finished another song and your above comment has inspired me to document the process that I used when I wrote the lyrics. I'll post that information along with the song when I finish it. Maybe the insight will be useful to you.

All the best with your jazz composing!
Noel

• latest song: Just A Little After Midnight

Dan,

Thank you for jumping into the thread and taking time to listen. I appreciate the feedback. I don't know about you but I find it very hard to hear whether a mix is good or not by the end of the process. It's always a challenge to know when enough tweaking is enough.

All the best with your songwriting!
Noel

• latest song: Just A Little After Midnight

I heard more George Harrison than Ringo on this one - very enjoyable music and sentiments, Well done, --Pete

Hi Pete,

You flatter me! LOL! Thanks, though. You've shone a bit of sunshine my way and that's a great way to start the day.

Regards,
Noel

• latest song: Just A Little After Midnight

What a great song. I love the lyrics of the song, the choice of the viola, and the classic rock/country feel.

Hi Islansoul,

Thank you for having a listen. I appreciate your positive comments.

Best regards,
Noel

P.S. I hope you don't have to wait too long for BIAB 2015 (Mac).

Just listened to "just a little after midnight" and wanted to say how great your voice and guitar sounds over this track. You have great pitch. I could sure hear you singing a Jimmy Buffet song. Track sounds great. Thanks for the kind words about "Breaking Through". Torrey.

Torrey, thanks for taking the time to listen. I appreciate the generous comments, too.

All the best,
Noel

• recent song: Walk With Me

Hi Noel,

Nothing to add that has not been said. Very nice song that I enjoyed hearing.

Cheers,

Billy

Thanks for taking time to have a listen, Billy.

All the best,
Noel

• a song I co-wrote with Steve Young: One More Day

Great song. Nice arrangement and mixing, but most of all great vocals.
Best regards
Lindbjerg