Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 7,051
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 7,051 |
Hello forum friends. This song was conceived in Hawaii. I was pushing my kid's on some waves while they were boogie boarding. The hook line (High in Hawii, and I'm feelin' so low) just started running through my head. Wasn't sure where it was going but I banged it out at home a few weeks later. It is a slow ride. If you're in the mood for ear candy or something energetic, come back later when you're feeling mellow. Always love to hear what you think. Take care all. Greg https://soundcloud.com/gjohnson-2/high-in-hawaiiHIGH IN HAWAII There are times in your life when you look, and you see a dead end And sometimes a soul can sink down beyond the reach of a friend We had a good thing, better than most And to strive for perfection may be chasing a ghost But I dreamed of Hawaii Of a life beyond reach Longboards and shave ice Gettin’ high on the beach But dreamin’ of paradise Still don’t make it so Now I’m high in Hawaii And I’m feelin’ so low Sometimes your heart gets confused, and ambition just fails Scrapin’ by in those winters in Pittsburgh, hammering nails And it’s hard not to tell yourself there’s got to be more Some brighter horizon, some warm, distant shore So I dreamed of Hawaii… And if ever a boy had regret, I guess I got it bad Pity the soul, the fool who lets go, of the best thing that he ever had Because dreams of Hawaii They never come true Now I find myself dreamin’ Of a life back with you It may not be paradise But it’s the best thing I’ve known Now I’m high in Hawaii And I feel so alone Yeah, I’m high in Hawaii
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 20,330
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 20,330 |
Sensationally presented Greg, great crisp vocals, well mixed, and the use of the harmonica sat perfectly in the blend.
You nailed it.
BIAB & RB2025 Win.(Audiophile), Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,644
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,644 |
Greg
A Jimmy Buffett ballad vibe (with the Coral Reefer band) - beautifully presented with a lovely melody. Excellent vocal - evocative lyric - really well done.
Peter
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 7,975
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 7,975 |
Love your vocals Greg. Super delivery. Excellent backtrack. Excellent lyrics
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 8,120
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 8,120 |
Greg,
This is outstanding... Loved the vocals and production - also a very cool backdrop for the lyrics.
Bob
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 4,052
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 4,052 |
Wow Greg, this is gorgeous! A very surprising beginning. And after that a perfect buildup of the instruments. Especially the pedal steel guitar works great. Your vocals are beautiful.
Rob & Anne-Marie
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,966
PG Music Staff
|
PG Music Staff
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,966 |
What a hauntingly beautiful song. I especially love these lyrics:
"Because dreams of Hawaii They never come true Now I find myself dreamin’ Of a life back with you It may not be paradise But it’s the best thing I’ve known"
Keep up the great work.
Cheers, Ember
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,469
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,469 |
Greg,
A beautiful write. Solid from start to finish and from every angle. It's natural to go with a Buffett comparison, but to me it calls to mind the best of Don Henley's introspective stuff...
The production is "just right". Excellent mix. Gorgeous vocal. Such "feeling" to it..
What's not to like...
floyd
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 56
Enthusiast
|
Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 56 |
Really nice - great vocals and a beautiful mix - everything sits just right.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 2,360
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 2,360 |
What a great write and you delivered a super vocal
very visual, very much enjoyed the listen
Loved the chord progressions too
Kenny
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 3,034
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 3,034 |
Hello, Greg
Very beautiful tune with great vocal! Lyrics touched my heart deeply. The melody line is also wonderful. The reason the key of this tune is F#major is in order to be matched to the vocal range? And as usual you have some ingenuity in chord progression. The chord progression of the beginning is very good. Enjoyed my listen a lot.
Best regards.
Shigeki Adachi
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 3,414
PG Music Staff
|
PG Music Staff
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 3,414 |
I've never been to Hawaii, but its always peaked my interest, and this song really paints a vivid picture of how wondrous I imagine it being  The delivery on this is truly beautiful, and the lyrics are imaginative and heart felt. You should be proud of this!
Cheers, Deryk
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 5,684
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 5,684 |
Wow! Wonderful in every way, lyrics, instruments, mix, and especially the vocals. Great song, great performance!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 15,423
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 15,423 |
“And if ever a boy had regret, I guess I got it bad Pity the soul, the fool who lets go, of the best thing that he ever had”
There is a ton of emotion packed into those two lines. This is an wonderful write and the production just takes it over the top. floyd mentioned Henley and the more we think about it the more it seems apt. And the pedal steel pushes it every slightly more into that feel. A good thing.
Your mastery of the ballad is second to none.
Outstanding
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,139
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,139 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,271
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,271 |
Simply beautiful, I feel like I'm in Hawaii  Great arrangement with harmonica and pedal steel blending together nicely. Excellent vocals and very emotional lyrics. Janne
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,341
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,341 |
But dreamin’ of paradise Still don’t make it so Now I’m high in Hawaii And I’m feelin’ so low
What Great lines Greg!! I really loved the whole feel of this song and the vocals especially.
The whole production really shines, but your vocals are especially great one this one.
Going back for another listen! Well done!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 7,051
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 7,051 |
Sensationally presented Greg, great crisp vocals, well mixed, and the use of the harmonica sat perfectly in the blend.
You nailed it.
Thanks Trevor. I appreciate the listen and nice comments! The harmonica was just something I thought I'd try and I loved the feel (YAY BIAB!) Take care. Greg
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 7,051
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 7,051 |
Greg
A Jimmy Buffett ballad vibe (with the Coral Reefer band) - beautifully presented with a lovely melody. Excellent vocal - evocative lyric - really well done.
Peter Thanks Peter! I too am a big fan of Buffett (an unabashed parrothead) and the reefers (great band). I saw Jimmy's studio in Key West about a week or two ago-doesn't look like much (a building used to store shrimp before he converted it) but it was a thrill for me. Take care. Greg
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 7,051
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 7,051 |
Love your vocals Greg. Super delivery. Excellent backtrack. Excellent lyrics Thanks so much for the kind words and continued support Scott! I really liked your "color of sound" on the last one. Take care. Greg
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2025!
We’ve expanded the Band-in-a-Box® RealTracks library with 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 449-467) across Jazz, Blues, Funk, World, Pop, Rock, Country, Americana, and Praise & Worship—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Blues & World (Sets 449–455):
These RealTracks includes “Soul Jazz” with Neil Swainson (bass), Mike Clark (drums), Charles Treadway (organ), Miles Black (piano), and Brent Mason (guitar). Enjoy “Requested ’60s” jazz, classic acoustic blues with Colin Linden, and more of our popular 2-handed piano soloing. Plus, a RealTracks first—Tango with bandoneon, recorded in Argentina!
Rock & Pop (Sets 456–461):
This collection includes Disco, slap bass ‘70s/‘80s pop, modern and ‘80s metal with Andy Wood, and a unique “Songwriter Potpourri” featuring Chinese folk instruments, piano, banjo, and more. You’ll also find a muted electric guitar style (a RealTracks first!) and “Producer Layered Guitar” styles for slick "produced" sound.
Country, Americana & Praise (Sets 462–467):
We’ve added new RealTracks across bro country, Americana, praise & worship, vintage country, and songwriter piano. Highlights include Brent Mason (electric guitar), Eddie Bayers (drums), Doug Jernigan (pedal steel), John Jarvis (piano), Glen Duncan (banjo, mandolin & fiddle), Mike Harrison (electric bass) and more—offering everything from modern sounds to heartfelt Americana styles
Check out all the 202 New RealTracks (in sets 456-467)
And, if you are looking for more, the 2025 49-PAK (for $49) includes an additional 20 RealTracks with exciting new sounds and genre-spanning styles. Enjoy RealTracks firsts like Chinese instruments (guzheng & dizi), the bandoneon in an authentic Argentine tango trio, and the classic “tic-tac” baritone guitar for vintage country.
You’ll also get slick ’80s metal guitar from Andy Wood, modern metal with guitarist Nico Santora, bass player Nick Schendzielos, and drummer Aaron Stechauner, more praise & worship, indie-folk, modern/bro country with Brent Mason, and “Songwriter Americana” with Johnny Hiland.
Plus, enjoy user-requested styles like Soul Jazz RealDrums, fast Celtic Strathspey guitar, and Chill Hop piano & drums!
The 2025 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2025 49-PAK!
Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Mac!
With your version 2025 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Or upgrade to the 2025 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 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 33 new RealTracks and 65+ new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 29 new RealTracks and 45+ new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 20 new RealStyles.
- 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
- SynthMaster Sounds and Styles (with audio demos)
- 128 GM MIDI Patch Audio Demos.
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyles,
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster,
- Instrumental Studies Set 23: More '80s Hard Rock Soloing,
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster
- Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8
- RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®!
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Mac!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 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 and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 20.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 20 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 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.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Mac!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 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!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 9 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch 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.
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Windows!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 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 and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 20.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 20 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 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.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Windows!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 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!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 9 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch 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.
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: VST3 Plugin Support
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® now includes support for VST3 plugins, alongside VST and AU. Use them with MIDI or audio tracks for even more creative possibilities in your music production.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Macs®: VST3 Plugin Support
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: Using VST3 Plugins
Join the conversation on our forum.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums58
Topics84,398
Posts778,681
Members39,648
|
Most Online25,754 Jan 24th, 2025
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|