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"ghost of garbo"
That's all it took right from the get go to know that this
was a terrific write. The fj clinic in how to write a lyric
continues and this time we also get some cool insight as to
how the production came about. Somebody, perhaps
Peter, used the word sophisticated. Yep, it is - but
in a manner that also offers the listener easy entry into
the story. That is a great balance and one that I can
appreciate the finesse required to pull it off.
Super write, vocal and production by as Greg said
"a man who knows how to do it."
Thanks for the ride.
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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Hi Floyd. Any sailing metaphor has me hooked from the start. Really lovely. Love those horns. Would love to know the song it is based on. Reminded me of Joshua Kadison but I don't think that is it 'cause I never heard horns in his stuff. Thanks, Joanne. I had never heard Josua.... cool stuff... Floyd,
I really like this one a lot - love how the trumpet follows your vocal throughout the song... Very cool.
Bob Appreciate that, Bob... (where's your next one?)
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Floyd
Another piece of genius. No surprise coming for you.
You have a sensational ability to make your songs sound effortless, when indeed they are the product of great thought, creativeness and always provided with technically challenging delivery.
Your phrasing is just perfect, your have enhanced the instrumentalist backing beyond where it could ever got on its own, and projected your songwriting skills to a new dimension (again).
Always enjoy your music.
Trevor
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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Ok...here is my only complaint...could you please just pick ONE thing to be good at? Is it really necessary to do every aspect of a song right on your own? Rant over.
After reading the comments referring to reverb, I was somewhat expecting not to like it. For me, reverb can be used poorly fast, and ruin a song. Yours however is truly, masterfully done. I have NO idea how you do that!? It's lush, rich, with the exact parameters needed.
I totally get this isn't the song you are referring to, but...the horn, reverb,and atmosphere you created reminds me of "Careless Whisper." I'm not someone that goes around listening to it, but that song also created such an intentional mood using some of your same devices.
I was sort of expecting to hear a mic get dropped at the end of the song. I'm not sure if you will get that reference? Great job my friend! Caaron... I miss your forum posts. I wish you would come around more often. I did not know "Careless Whisper" - but it did take me back to the '80's... it's always nice to remember... Thanks for your nice post. (Drops mic.... walks off stage...)
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With an eye and ear on production - you made the mark.
I like this one a lot, superb write, arrangement and performance. Thanks, Charlie. Always like seeing you drop by...
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First, thank you for your commentary on the song. It is SO helpful to not only have your thoughts on it, but the suggestions of what to try for ourselves. Awesome!
I was certain the song I referenced was NOT the song but I listened to it in it's entirety when in school. The best way I have been able to state it is, I don't like it, but I really appreciate what they did production wise. I will have to leave it at that.
I'm glad you brought up the idea of finding the pieces and using them. So many times I feel like "someone will know and think less of what I'm doing!" Then I remember, I'm not doing anything TOTALLY original anyway!
Last, I had never heard the song that inspired your production so it's a great day to have been introduced to another great song! All good things my friend! I consider "Born To Run" one of the greatest records ever made. If I could have written "Thunder Road" and no other song the rest of my life, I could die happy...
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I like this suggestion of using templates... especially for me, because unlike a lot of the people in this forum who have a very recognizable and signature style, playing cover songs has turned me into a chameleon.
I think once I get a few animated projects that are already in process out of the way, I'm going to take this idea and run with it... recording songs "in the style of" my favorite artists. In this case, the template won't be a single song, but rather it will be patterned after the artist's style.
Great idea, Floyd! Thanks for sharing your technique... and especially, thanks for making it interesting by turning it into a puzzle we had to think about before you revealed your answer. Seems like something a song writer might do... ;-) Always keep in mind... the objective is NOT to make your song sound like whatever song you are using as a template, but for that template to take your song to a place you might not have otherwise gone... it helps to keep your productions "fresh"...
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Pattern Productions (In the style of) has pretty much become my BIAB hobby and daily use of BIAB/RB. As you point out, I import a commercial release into my project and attempt to recreate it within BIAB/RB.
When I'm not doing Pattern Productions I download good acoustic covers of commercial releases (guitar and singer or piano and singer) from YouTube and Facebook and use BIAB/RB to turn them into full blown productions.
Former The Voice contestant James David Carter has a pretty extensive library of modern country. Joe Var Veri has a lot of Elvis covers and some other good covers as well. Mike Masse and Jeff Hall have a lot of high quality covers. You can have a lot of fun with the Jazz of Gina Cicilia.
Unique arrangements and varying tempo maps can be quite challenging and these are excellent learning tools for the day your cousin sends you an MP3 of his original hit he wrote and wants you to do a quality, free backing track for his demo.
That's a clever idea, Charlie....Great way to get good at the production end. I wish that we could here some of what you've done in that manner...
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The trumpet intro & 1st few words made me think of vintage Springsteen - from the gentler tracks on The Wild The Innocent & the E Street Shuffle.
Very cool song and had the trumpet been a sax I'd have been convinced it was Bruce.
Nuff said. Thanks, Ray... actually, the trumpet was "ripped off" from the Born To Run era (Meeting Across The River).
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Beautiful production. The trumpet was an unexpected treat. I will say, the lyric, perfectly matched with the melody, and the timbre of your voice, made me incredibly sad. That said, is exactly what the blues, jazz torch, and country songs are suppose to do, evoke emotion; this one certainly does. Great song.
Peace,
-Carolyne Thanks, Carolyne - nice things to say...
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I like this suggestion of using templates... especially for me, because unlike a lot of the people in this forum who have a very recognizable and signature style, playing cover songs has turned me into a chameleon.
I think once I get a few animated projects that are already in process out of the way, I'm going to take this idea and run with it... recording songs "in the style of" my favorite artists. In this case, the template won't be a single song, but rather it will be patterned after the artist's style.
Great idea, Floyd! Thanks for sharing your technique... and especially, thanks for making it interesting by turning it into a puzzle we had to think about before you revealed your answer. Seems like something a song writer might do... ;-) Always keep in mind... the objective is NOT to make your song sound like whatever song you are using as a template, but for that template to take your song to a place you might not have otherwise gone... it helps to keep your productions "fresh"... are you suggesting there's only one objective in song writing? I accept that as YOUR objective... but I won't know what my objective is until I start on the song. (Not trying to be a wise guy, but that observation surprised me more than a little) ;-)
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Hi floyd. The first time I listened to this was almost immediately after you posted it. You see, my alarm clock rings at 5:45 am and the first thing I do when I get up is to turn the computer on and find out who's posted songs overnight (I set my alarm to awaken a little earlier than I need to so that I have a bit of pre-workday PG Music forum time  ). As you can see from the below time and date stamp in Australian Time East Standard time, you posted this song on Wednesday April 13 at 5:26 am (Australia and the US are a bit topsy-turvy when it comes to time difference). I listened to it around 5:50 am - just after Greg had commented.  My response at that time was (a) to double-check that the song was posted by you because it took me by surprise and (b) to realise that I would need a lot more time than 10 minutes to write about my listening experience. It's now 10 days later and early in the evening of April 23. The song is fantastic. Your arrangement is daring and very creative. By 'daring', I mean that it challenges what one has come to expect that a mainstream arrangement should sound like. In this regard, though, it is worth noting that all new developments in music began as something that someone dared to do that was different from what preceded. It was after these thoughts that the word “experimental” came to mind. A trumpet, piano and vocal trio that's held intact by a bass line gave me the impression of a musical tapestry. As I listened with eyes closed, it was like I could see threads of sound weaving a picture. Your composing, performing, arranging and producing all work together to build a very emotive musical journey. For me, a feeling of loneliness and/or sadness or emptiness, pathos(?), were the emotions that underscored the lyrics and their accompaniment. To my way of thinking, the most important line in the song is “the little boy is an easy sell”. This line makes sense of the chorus. It also colours the rest of the song and paints a picture of a man who, in reality, is more boy than man. This is outstanding lyric development. In verse one, I met the man. In verse two, I stepped inside his head and I could see that while the mirror shows him to be a man, he is just a little boy who is floundering and trying to make sense of Life but he cannot let go of his world of dreams and wishes and fairytales. For him, Life is a storm from which he is continually seeking refuge. Once these images appeared to me, the lyrics became about the journey of wanting to grow up but not quite working out how to get there. These words strike me as being from the Impressionistic wing of the lyric-writing gallery. They are skilfully painted with a poignancy that resonates with craftsmanship. While I have zero ability when it comes to writing impressionistic lyrics, I admire the talent on show here. If you were born in Spain and it was 1900, your name would probably have been Pablo Picasso (I've most likely mixed metaphors here given that Picasso was post-impressionism... oh well, the comparison sounds valid and justified to me). You've done an absolutely incredible job. My favourite... I love the flow of the rhymes time/behind/find in the bridge. They must feel really good to sing! Well, floyd, you've given me yet another song-creation template but this one I have no idea how to use! (Well not yet at least.) Thank you for the journey and for yet another dose of inspiration! Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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I like this suggestion of using templates... especially for me, because unlike a lot of the people in this forum who have a very recognizable and signature style, playing cover songs has turned me into a chameleon.
I think once I get a few animated projects that are already in process out of the way, I'm going to take this idea and run with it... recording songs "in the style of" my favorite artists. In this case, the template won't be a single song, but rather it will be patterned after the artist's style.
Great idea, Floyd! Thanks for sharing your technique... and especially, thanks for making it interesting by turning it into a puzzle we had to think about before you revealed your answer. Seems like something a song writer might do... ;-) Always keep in mind... the objective is NOT to make your song sound like whatever song you are using as a template, but for that template to take your song to a place you might not have otherwise gone... it helps to keep your productions "fresh"... are you suggesting there's only one objective in song writing? I accept that as YOUR objective... but I won't know what my objective is until I start on the song. (Not trying to be a wise guy, but that observation surprised me more than a little) ;-) No...I was talking about production (or arrangement and instrumentation) ...not songwriting.
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Super job all around. It's nice to listen to a sparsely arranged song. I like your chord progression here. It takes the melody to places my ear can't anticipate and that keeps me engaged.
Great write! Thanks, Lawrence. An interesting observation (a good one, I think...)
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Hi Floyd.
Not had chance to listen to the forum songs this week, so arriving a bit late to this one.
I listened to the Springsteen song, though the linked version appears to have been taken down. If that was the model, then you've achieved it one hundred percent.
This is a super production and SO well performed. Superb and very clever lyrics, apart from one line.
Going back to listen again.
ROG. Thanks, ROG. I am wondering what the one line that didn't work for you was...
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Hi, Floyd !:))
Your best !
Simply outstanding
seen from any aspect !:))
I dig your vocal and you
know it, here the trumpets
and the piano sounded also
pretty mighty !:))
Cheers
Dani Thanks you, Norman...
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"ghost of garbo"
That's all it took right from the get go to know that this
was a terrific write. The fj clinic in how to write a lyric
continues and this time we also get some cool insight as to
how the production came about. Somebody, perhaps
Peter, used the word sophisticated. Yep, it is - but
in a manner that also offers the listener easy entry into
the story. That is a great balance and one that I can
appreciate the finesse required to pull it off.
Super write, vocal and production by as Greg said
"a man who knows how to do it."
Thanks for the ride.
J&B Y'all are so kind...
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Floyd
Another piece of genius. No surprise coming for you.
You have a sensational ability to make your songs sound effortless, when indeed they are the product of great thought, creativeness and always provided with technically challenging delivery.
Your phrasing is just perfect, your have enhanced the instrumentalist backing beyond where it could ever got on its own, and projected your songwriting skills to a new dimension (again).
Always enjoy your music.
Trevor Thanks, Trevor. I always enjoy your reviews. Hoping to see more songs from you, more often...
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Hi floyd. The first time I listened to this was almost immediately after you posted it. You see, my alarm clock rings at 5:45 am and the first thing I do when I get up is to turn the computer on and find out who's posted songs overnight (I set my alarm to awaken a little earlier than I need to so that I have a bit of pre-workday PG Music forum time ). As you can see from the below time and date stamp in Australian Time East Standard time, you posted this song on Wednesday April 13 at 5:26 am (Australia and the US are a bit topsy-turvy when it comes to time difference). I listened to it around 5:50 am - just after Greg had commented. My response at that time was (a) to double-check that the song was posted by you because it took me by surprise and (b) to realise that I would need a lot more time than 10 minutes to write about my listening experience. It's now 10 days later and early in the evening of April 23. The song is fantastic. Your arrangement is daring and very creative. By 'daring', I mean that it challenges what one has come to expect that a mainstream arrangement should sound like. In this regard, though, it is worth noting that all new developments in music began as something that someone dared to do that was different from what preceded. It was after these thoughts that the word “experimental” came to mind. A trumpet, piano and vocal trio that's held intact by a bass line gave me the impression of a musical tapestry. As I listened with eyes closed, it was like I could see threads of sound weaving a picture. Your composing, performing, arranging and producing all work together to build a very emotive musical journey. For me, a feeling of loneliness and/or sadness or emptiness, pathos(?), were the emotions that underscored the lyrics and their accompaniment. To my way of thinking, the most important line in the song is “the little boy is an easy sell”. This line makes sense of the chorus. It also colours the rest of the song and paints a picture of a man who, in reality, is more boy than man. This is outstanding lyric development. In verse one, I met the man. In verse two, I stepped inside his head and I could see that while the mirror shows him to be a man, he is just a little boy who is floundering and trying to make sense of Life but he cannot let go of his world of dreams and wishes and fairytales. For him, Life is a storm from which he is continually seeking refuge. Once these images appeared to me, the lyrics became about the journey of wanting to grow up but not quite working out how to get there. These words strike me as being from the Impressionistic wing of the lyric-writing gallery. They are skilfully painted with a poignancy that resonates with craftsmanship. While I have zero ability when it comes to writing impressionistic lyrics, I admire the talent on show here. If you were born in Spain and it was 1900, your name would probably have been Pablo Picasso (I've most likely mixed metaphors here given that Picasso was post-impressionism... oh well, the comparison sounds valid and justified to me). You've done an absolutely incredible job. My favourite... I love the flow of the rhymes time/behind/find in the bridge. They must feel really good to sing! Well, floyd, you've given me yet another song-creation template but this one I have no idea how to use! (Well not yet at least.) Thank you for the journey and for yet another dose of inspiration! Noel Noel - It is always such a joy to read your thoughts on a song. Songwriting is a very important thing to me - a very important part of my life - how I define myself - and I have "invested" many hours (many years) in perfecting the craft as best I can. The fact that you "get it" and understand so much of what goes into every word choice I make means SO much to me. I want you to know I TRULY appreciate it. One of the things that make it all worthwhile. Icing on the cake.
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Floyd, I think we all know where your REAL trumpet inspiration came from... Floyd's Inspiration I guess it's true, imitation is the greatest form of flattery.  (ok, before everyone gets me kicked from the forums, realize this...I had to hear the song in the vehicle with my kids...THEN make the effort to remember the name of the song...which my brain suppressed for obvious reasons...THEN do a search and listen to a few of his songs to find the one with the trumpet part. I think what I have done to myself FAR exceeds any punishment coming forth. Sentence served?  )
Chad (Hope that makes it easier)
TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
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-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®!
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
Note: XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
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.
Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!
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!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
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