Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
#506657 12/04/18 04:49 PM
User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 2,060
D
Deej56 Offline OP
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
D
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 2,060
Hi, all:

Here’s another co-write with a frequent collaborator John Vaughn. John penned the initial lyrics and was kind enough to let me run with it from there. Still trying to grow my BIAB skills, so tried to do a few new things with harmonies and arrangement . . . hope it works and you enjoy the listen. As always, thanks in advance for your kind suggestions and feedback.

Here’s the song and lyrics:

Starting Today

She was the rose who became the thorn,
then she cut my heart to ribbons, left it tattered and torn.
And like a fool I thought I needed her to stay.
But I swear that I’ll stop missing her . . .

Starting today—there’ll be no looking back the other way.
Starting today—I’m on the inside track to better days.
I won’t let her memory keep a leash on me,
I was tied, but I’ll be free . . . starting today.

The bigger the tears, the harder they fall.
I nearly cried myself an ocean waiting for her call.
She had me dangling like some puppet in a play.
But I’m gonna cut those strings and everything . . .

Starting today—there’ll be no looking back the other way.
Starting today—I’m on the inside track to better days.
I won’t turn around or break on down,
I’ll be back on solid ground . . . starting today.

Run midnight, come the light of day—
Come sunshine, chase her clouds away.
Then I’ll rise on up, fall out of love,
give her up, no apologies in play.
It doesn’t matter what my heart may say
I’ll do what it takes to make it be that way.

Starting today—there’ll be no looking back the other way.
Starting today—I’m on the inside track to better days.
Well, she may have made a mess of me, but
It’s not what I’m gonna be. . . starting today.

And here’s the band:

Drums: RealDrums Nashville Even 8^5 HiHat, Ride
Bass: Real 700 Bass, Electric, Pop Half Notes Push Ev 085
Rhythm Guitar: Real 702, Acoustic, Strumming Spirited Ev 065
Rhythm Guitar: Real 1118, 12 String Acoustic, Strumming Ev 085
Electric Guitar: Real 806, Rhythm Driving Country Ev 065
Lead Guitar: Real 2829, Electric Soloist Country Pop Brent 12 Ev 085
Other Guitar: Your truly
Mandolin: Real 820 Mandolin Soloist Bluegrass Ev 100

©2018 John Vaughn and DJ Lekich

Deej56 #506709 12/04/18 11:09 PM
User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 7,150
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 7,150
Cool lyric and melody.
Tidy arrangement and your guitar additions are well placed.
The only nit I'd make is the backing vocal on the 1st couple of lines of the chorus.
They're too similar or something, or even not similar enough, to the the main vocal.
Well done.


Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Deej56 #506716 12/04/18 11:39 PM
User Showcase
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 5,877
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 5,877
First of all a good song! Nice write and that "starting today" line is a good hook.

I really like your vocal, you have a special quality with your vocal, and I like the vocal arrangement too.

Nice one guys, enjoyed.

Deej56 #506768 12/05/18 04:59 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 7,990
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 7,990
Classic country write that hammers in the hook like it should. Focused verses lead right into the hook. The variety on the chorus is nice.

Solid supporting arrangement, well sung.

Nice! laugh


-- David Cuny

My virtual singer development blog
Vocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?

BiaB 2025 | Windows 11 | Reaper | Way too many VSTis.
Deej56 #506771 12/05/18 05:03 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 2,360
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 2,360
"The bigger the tears, the harder they fall."

great line, sounds like something out of a George Jones song

love the country feel, very nice write

enjoyed the listen,

Kenny

Deej56 #506784 12/05/18 05:54 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 15,798
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 15,798
Yeah man, that line Kenny mentioned is great amongst many fine ones in your write.

Everything is hittin' the note here...the write, the arrangement, the vocals, the band and the mix.

Strong!!!

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.
Deej56 #506793 12/05/18 06:24 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 547
Journeyman
Offline
Journeyman
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 547
This sounds great. very nice song and the tracks you chose work perfectly. Very nice vocals as well. Nice harmonies.


Samuel Davis Jr
BIAB 2018 + Cubase + Ignite
BMI

www.sammycountry.com
Deej56 #506822 12/05/18 08:11 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,648
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,648
good song. i was trying to think what this reminded me of.... it escapes me at the moment.

Interesting chord selection.


You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add 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.
Deej56 #506835 12/05/18 08:47 AM
User Showcase
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,085
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,085
Much enjoyed! Cool song and arrangement and I love your voice.

Deej56 #506860 12/05/18 09:50 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,689
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,689
Deej,

I always enjoy the energy you put into your vocal. really getting it out there. The oohs/aahs are a nice addition.

I like how the ends of your verses lead into the song title.

Deej56 #506873 12/05/18 10:37 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,647
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,647
A very good song.. Nice lyric and vocal arrangement. Strong sounding mix and and nice melody.
Nicely done.

Peter

Deej56 #506997 12/05/18 06:47 PM
User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 2,060
D
Deej56 Offline OP
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
D
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 2,060
rayc, Dave (BlueAttitude), David (dcuny), Kenny, J&B, Samuel, Herb, Josie, Floyd, and Peter:

Thank you so much for taking the time to listen and provide feedback. Really pleased you all seemed to enjoy the tune. I hear such amazing productions on this site, so I worry that my efforts pale in comparison, and particularly in the case of a co-write, that I’m not doing my colleague justice. So your kind comments help reassure me that, to some degree, I’m at least on the right path.

My best to each and all of you,

Deej

rayc #506998 12/05/18 06:49 PM
User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 2,060
D
Deej56 Offline OP
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
D
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 2,060
rayc,

Appreciate your comments on this one. Yeah, backing vocals are another challenge for me (and my loud voice!), and this is a deeper dive than I’ve done before. Ideally, I’d have another vocalist in my “band” that would provide some of the contrast you are looking for. Sadly, it’s just me, though I did my best to differentiate the back vocals from the lead without adding too much effect. I could probably experiment more with the harmony line itself, but went where it made sense to me. But this is a sapling, not an oak tree. So plenty of time to give it more thought . . . and your feedback helps.

Thanks again for the thoughtful comments.

Kindest regards,

Deej

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To

Link Copied to Clipboard
ChatPG

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.

PG Music News
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!

Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.

Video: XPro Styles PAK 10 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.

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!

Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.

Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch 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!

Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.

Video: XPro Styles PAK 10 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.

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!

Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.

Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch 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!

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!

Forum Statistics
Forums57
Topics85,188
Posts789,442
Members39,836
Most Online25,754
Jan 24th, 2025
Newest Members
lesllie, GiniJoy, AndyDL007, Dee71, Don Juan
39,836 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
jpettit 277
DrDan 203
MarioD 195
Noel96 148
DC Ron 134
Rob Helms 130
Today's Birthdays
EvaWELLS, fred-03, james.garcia
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5