Sometimes you spent weeks composing, arranging and tweaking your song. And then suddenly you finish up your best one (MO) in only a matter of days. This 70s soul track came very natural in several ways. The Biab style had a very nice groove to begin with. Then there was the, more or less, accidental key signature I tried, that left me lots of space for a falsetto voice throughout the entire song (giving Anne-Marie enough space to create a harmony vocal). Both the guitar soloists we tried, played way better together than we anticipated. We accidentally let one of them run at a lower volume throughout the final choruses and that worked surprisingly well as an addition to the vocals there. We were also lucky to not mind the mastering volume in Cubase which caused a tiny bit of distortion in the last part of the song, which in turn created that typical soft overdrive sound you may remember to be typical for the last track on each side of a record (long before there were CDs). It's also typical for soul music in general in those days.
Like many of you we watched Pat Marr's beautiful animated BIAB testimonial several months back. I couldn't resist asking him to create an animation for this song, being pretty sure he would come up with something special. Well he did. He also managed to give the lyrics and theme of the song a very original twist. Creating such an animation takes a lot of creativity, work and even more time. We are very thankful for his hard work! The program used here is Muvizu. Since it's such a cool program I decided to give it to Anne-Marie for her birthday (which isn't anytime soon ) At the moment we are only scratching the surface, realizing how much work this must've been for Pat!
This is a groovy and happy sound that reminds me Saturday Night Fever. 70’s soul sound has been beautifully reproduced. And Pat's Animation is so cool and a perfect match for the song. I really really enjoyed this.
I totally agree with everything Shigeki Adachi said. I really enjoyed this and it radiates with a presentation that's à la 70s (including vocals in the style of Barry Gibb! Nice!). Rob, you've excelled yourself. Anne-Marie, your ability to harmonise with precision and confidence is a skill I admire greatly. And Pat... wow!!!.... great video indeed. Your overly-enthusiastic-dog ending took me totally by surprise! I'm still laughing
Absolutely fabulous and the best thing I've seen/heard on the forum for a long, long time.
What a superb track! It's just inspired and has to be your best ever. Everything about it is perfect, from the disco backing to Rob's amazing falsetto and Anne-Marie's super harmonies. Yes, very much in the Night Fever/Staying Alive vein. Great choice of instruments and solos and a spot-on mix. You must be proud of this.
And Pat! You've excelled this time, my old pal. This is professional level animation. Not only is the technical side good, but the story board, the creativity and the humour propel this to a level we've never seen before on the forum.
Brilliant piece of work from you all. I'm going to put a link to this on our music-prof facebook page.
Super vocals (of course). The whole tracks "pops". The synths have the power that they need to make this work the way it should - and that's no easy feat. Stellar mix.
Great animation, Pat. So good that I "lost myself" in it - meaning, I stopped thinking about the animation (process) itself - and simply watched the story. That seldom happens (for me).
Y'all should all be proud of this one (I'm sure you are).
hi guys great peace all of it everything fit together well done thanks for sharing a good work eric
AMD (TM) 5950 4.9 GHz 16Core Processor 64 bit 32 bits of ram windows 10 pro 64 bit os. sound card Antelope ZenQ guitars Ibanez 2202a 1968 les Paul Custom and Cavin ae 185 Guitar boss Gt-100,GT1000 pedal Yamaha HS8 studio monitors
Oops... yes, I was talking about the soloists, but forgot to post them: 669 GuitarSlideBackground Easy Southern 1260 Guitar El.Soloist PopShining 1274 Guitar El.Soloist PopUplift Bluesy
We are Rob Meulman and Anne-Marie Bovenkamp from The Netherlands.
It's Saturday night here and I am listening to your song RnAM. What a fever !!! Agree with Shigeki.
Before reading your comment, I didn't remark that you were singing Rob, I thought it was Anne-Marie. You master very well this technique too, "la voix de tête" as we say in french. What you don't master ?
Thank for having added the soloist RTs in your last post. Well put on the tune !
The animated video is awesome too. Another technique that we would like to control as well as this ! (never tried, just with pieces of paper when I was a kid)
Congratulations all Pascal
No hay banda! There is no band! Il n'est pas de orchestra! No hay banda! And yet we hear a band ! (David Lynch - Mulholland Drive)
When Rob And Anne-Marie asked me to make an animation for their song I was very happy to be included in a collaboration on such a good song... I love everything about it! They perfectly captured the 70s disco era sound, and all they asked of me was to present the visuals in a way that also matched the era... the green and orange interior decorating that was all the rage in the 70s, and of course, we'd need a mirrored disco ball.
I'd already done 2 music videos that were basically a band playing the song, and I wanted this video to tell a story. One of the lines in the song gave me an idea: "Holding you close this sweet loving could never be wrong..." and I immediately wondered what would happen if this sweet loving WAS wrong?? (yeah we need to make it wrong, wrong, wrong!)
The pilot video (which had to be trimmed down to fit the song) included more scenes that developed the dog's love for his owner. From the time the girl put the cassette in the player and turned it on, the rest of the video is from the point of view of the dog's imagination. (until the end when the girl snaps him out of it)
Depending on how you perceive it, the surprise ending could be either funny or offensive. We collectively decided to take the chance in hope that anybody who has ever owned a male dog would identify with the outcome. If anybody was/is offended by the leg humping... I apologize. But if you took the bait and resolved the surprise with a chuckle... thanks for "getting it!" That makes me happy!
I should probably mention that it was actually Rob and Anne-Marie who created the video in its final form. I provided one overly long rough version plus about 30 minutes worth of footage of different scenes from a variety of camera angles, then they took what they wanted and added some cool transitions. Without a doubt, what they ended up with is far superior to what I sent them!
Many thanks to RnAM for letting me take part in the project! It has been a pleasure working with you on this awesome song!
Beautiful song with nice "Bee Gees" disco feel, perfect selection of instruments, very well sung and the animated video is funny. The soloing dog is my favourite part I was hoping the chorus part would lead to a really catchy hook ala "Tragedy", but maybe its better this way to avoid plagiarism
As they say, ‘love it when a good thing comes together’ this is a perfect example, song and video The Dawg doing a Mark Knopfler was a hoot. The ending ? I think in addition to his many talents, Pat Marr has a wicked sense of humor.
Beautiful song with nice "Bee Gees" disco feel, perfect selection of instruments, very well sung and the animated video is funny. The soloing dog is my favourite part I was hoping the chorus part would lead to a really catchy hook ala "Tragedy", but maybe its better this way to avoid plagiarism
Janne
This took me immediately back to the 70's-a very nice trip!! Sounds awesome! Everything works! Was it just a coincidence that the animator looked like Barry? Pat did an amazing job-he is a man of wonderful talent and intelligence! Great stuff!! Take care. Greg
The song-Ha! How cool and fun was that? It seems to have exactly what it need to be that type of song. Vocals, instruments...all of it! Great job!
Animation-I really don't want to think of how long that had to take?! Unless things have gotten MUCH easier, that would have been an undertaking and then some. Seeing each band member moving, as a light is going across stage...plus all of the angles...you have GOT to love it to be able to pull this off. Also, GREAT job!
Thanks to all involved for sharing this.
Chad (Hope that makes it easier)
TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
Was it just a coincidence that the animator looked like Barry?
not a coincidence! (good eye!) I downloaded a bunch of BeeGees photos from that period (lots of different hair styles etc) and I tried to come up with a "composite" BeeGees look for the guitar player and the keyboard player. Since the BeeGees didn't have a female bass player, she is loosely modelled to be an edgier version of Anne-Marie.
Thanks for the kind words Greg! And you always notice the things that I hope people will notice... GREATLY appreciated!
Hmmmm....this project certainly raised the user forum bar up several notches!
As Jerry Lee Lewis was reputed to have done...y'all might as well set the piano on fire and exited the stage. This production is gonna be hard to top.
Absolutely superb write, arrangement, mix and that flawless falsetto with the amazing harmonies...wow!
Like that wasn't enough you showcase the song in Pat's video for which the animation, the outfits, the stage and the lighting brilliantly nailed the period.
The collab of collabs!
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 are here on our website.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
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.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!
Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
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.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!
Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows 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 60 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 Windows and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until December 31, 2025. 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 Windows packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49. Browse the full contents of each package and listen to demos here.
XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs Special Extended Until August 31st!
XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs Special Extended Until August 31st!
The XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs special offers are now available until August 31st at 11:59pm PDT!
Ready to take your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 experience to the next level? Now’s the perfect time! Expand your style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs—packed with a wide variety of genres to inspire your next musical creation.
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 1-9 includes 900 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). With over 3,500 styles (and 35 MIDI styles) included in Xtra Styles PAKs 1-20, the possibilities are endless!
Get the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 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 Windows or for Mac.
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.
Get Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 19 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Listen to demos and order now! For Windows or for Mac.
Note: 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 because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Don’t miss this chance to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box setup—at a great price!
Mac 2025 Special Upgrade Offers Extended Until August 15th!
It's not too late to upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® and save! We've extended our special until August 15, 2025!
We've added many major new features to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, including advanced AI tools like the amazing BB Stem Splitter and AI Lyrics Generator, as well as VST3 plugin support, and Equalize Temp. Plus, there’s a new one-stop MIDI Patches Picker with over 1,100 MIDI patches to choose from, all neatly categorized by GM numbers. The MultiPicker Library is enhanced with tabs for the SongPicker, MIDI Patch Picker, Chord Builder, AI Lyrics Generator, and Song Titles Browser, and the tabs are organized into logical groups. The Audiophile Edition is enhanced with FLAC files , which are 60% smaller than AIFF files while maintaining identical audio quality, and now ships on a fast 1TB SSD, and much more!
Check out all the new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® here:
Purchase your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac during our special to save up to 50% off your upgrade purchase and receive a FREE BONUS PAK of amazing new Add-ons. These include the 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK, Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana, Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes, MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano, Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7, Playable RealTracks Set 4, RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark, and more!
Upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and add 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and 20 RealStyles, FLAC Files for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks, Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster, MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster, Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8, and RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe.
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs!
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