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Hey, all: Something new . . . this time a solo effort. I try to space out my postings, and normally that’s an easy thing as I’m far from prolific. But this one’s been around a bit and thought I’d finally share here. Hope you enjoy the listen. Here's the song:IF YOU STAY Here are the lyrics:I hear you whisper in the dying light, just a quiet word beneath a weary sigh, and the car outside, idling in the snow. I see the key to my apartment door on the countertop next to the ring you wore, and they’re telling me you really mean to go. But if you stay one more night we can make this all right, if we try we just might make this last forever. If we make one last stand it can be just like we planned, you don’t have to walk away, we can make this all OK if you stay. Don’t you remember how we used to be, how we wore each others skins so comfortably, we were more than two could ever be alone. So tell me why it’s different now, how what we had we lost somehow, you say it’s gone, maybe it’s gone. But if you stay one more night we can make this all right, if we try we just might make this last forever. If we make one last stand it can be just like we planned, you don’t have to walk away, we can make this all OK if you stay. Don’t it feel like our two hearts belong together, that if we fight for what we love we can get back to how it was. But if you stay one more night we can make this all right, if we try we just might make this last forever. If we make one last stand it can be just like we planned, you don’t have to walk away, we can make this all OK if you stay. Here's the band:Drums: RealDrums Country Even 8 Bass: Real 2488, Bowed Held Guitar: Real 522, Acoustic Fingerpick Guitar: Real 841, Electric, Pop Ballad Slow Gritty Guitar: Real 543, Electric, Rhythm Dreamy Guitar: Real 1119, 12 String Acoustic, Strumming Piano: Real 2494, Held Chords String Quartet: Real 2508 © 2019 DJ Lekich
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Deej,
you have a lot of character in your voice and it sells the narrative well.
The backing is just that - a back drop for the voice and story - nice.
I would suggest you address the plosives in you vocal track to make the most of the intimacy that you offer.
There's some T CH SH & ESS stuff that jumps way out from the backing.
Setting an additional compressor to knock those back without "makeup" you may be fine or try a plugin/VST de-esser or two - one for the ess and for the CH if you set them up right.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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My computer just deleted my feedback just as I was about to post it. Here goes a re-type of sorts:
Superb job on every level. It's hard to do justice to your song in mere words, but I'll try nevertheless :-)
a) Distinctive voice (if it came on on the radio, I'd recognise it out of a thousand);
b) PASSION (the way you sing, you put EVERYTHING into your song), and
c) expertise (because you know how to sing - just listen to those dynamics, people! - and craft a song and get to the point in it without doodling about like I, for one, do, so that everything you want to communicate DOES get communicated in the best possible way).
These three together make for an incredible combination, which I feel you use to go (with total success) straight for one's emotions - and that's what matters, right?
Beethoven himself once said: "to play a wrong note is excusable. To play without passion is unforgivable". You don't sing any wrong notes that I can hear :-) - but, even if you did, I wouldn't care less because your passion carries it all. I wish your songs were for sale because (although everyone that knows me knows just how hard up for cash I actually am) I'd sure buy them without a shadow of a doubt.
One last thing: as I've said before, I've heard some of your other songs on SoundCloud, too ... you have a talent for stating exactly what needs to be stated in a song, without waffle or "extra material", so to speak. You just get to the point and break hearts (in the best way!) in the process! I love that - and "If You Stay" is a prime example of this. I'm not even going to start discussing your masterful command of lyric writing - we'll be here all day, haha. So: superb job, once more ... I want to hear more and WILL listen to more of your creations on SoundCloud! You really have something genuinely special, and I don't believe in hiding lights under bushels, so to speak :-) - so it's a BRAVO from me :-)
Last edited by musician17; 04/25/19 07:52 PM.
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Great melody. The high notes sell the plaintive quality of the lyric. Way to beg. I like this a whole lot.
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DJ,
This is an excellent song. I love the arrangement and the quality of the performance.
You have a vibe & feel to your voice that reminds me of Russell Hitchcock from Air Supply.
I thought this was just great all around and really enjoyed it.
Bob
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Lots of passion in your vocal, and great tone too. You are definitely one of my favorite vocalists on this site.
Just a beautiful song, I very much enjoyed it. Well done!
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PG Music Staff
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Wow - this is stunning  You really brought together something beautiful here. It sounds hopeful but sad at the same time. Love the progressions and your vocal performance on this. Very emotional, and definitely tugs at the heart strings. Thanks for sharing!
Cheers,
Deryk
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Journeyman
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Wow, DJ, this a beautiful song, so well written, vocals are pro quality, you have done an amazing job with this!!!! I love it CLiff
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VERY VERY nice, brilliant vocals, nice arrangements as well
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WOW!! So well done. So emotive....great vocal. Some really powerful lyrics. Particularly like:
I see the key to my apartment door
on the countertop next to the ring you wore
Great way to tell the story!
This song works so well in every way!! Take care. Greg
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Simply stated... IMHO this is one well-crafted song...
Great lyrics...
Great chorus...
Terrific vocal & production...
I really enjoyed listening to this one!
Jim
†=☮&♥
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DJ, as already said above, you have an amazing distinctive voice and your delivery of the sentiments in the song is just spot on. You've written a very special, beautiful song here. Well done!
John
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Thank you for sharing this with us! I found the harmonies very detailed and quite pleasing to the ears. Good sense of rhythm too. well done!
Cheers,
Joe
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Hi DJ, Here are just a few of the thoughts that passed through my mind as I listened...  I thoroughly enjoyed the journey that you just took me on. There are no two ways about it, you're a very talented songwriter, song producer and song performer. All the best, Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2025
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What a cool vocal. Such a lovely song done with such emotion. Well done..
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rayc, James, Tangmo, Bob, Dave, Deryk, Cliff, Graham, Greg, Jim, John, Joe, Noel and Scott:
Thank you each for taking the time to listen and for all your very kind comments on the tune I’m glad this one worked. In retrospect, there are a few small things I might want to tweak were I to dive back into this one, but I was hoping it worked well enough . . . and it seems it did. Really appreciate your support.
rayc: Yeah, the plosives are definitely there . . . something I need to focus on going forward. I’m not quite technically savvy enough to fully understand your suggestion (sorry about that), but I’m guessing there are options in my DAW that might help me address it better.
Deryk: “hopeful but sad” was the intent . . . glad it came through.
James and Noel: You are both too, too kind . . . but it’s very much appreciated.
My best to all of you,
Deej
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Journeyman
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Deej, this is the first time I've listened to any of your songs and I was blown away. Great in all aspects lyrics, melody, vocal delivery, etc. So beautiful, hopeful and emotional. Will be listening to more of your songs hopefully.
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I'm glad to stopped to listen..... nicely done.
The song hooked me and made me want to stay and listen to more.
Good job on the writing. Your vocals really have a nice character to them. Love those falsetto high notes here and there.
It's all good to me.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd 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.
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As we said at SC: The whole package...good vocal, write, arrangement and production!
All the bases have been covered. There is little to add...but at the risk of being redundant this is a great take on the breakup theme.
New and fresh.
You delivers it with convincing soul and passion and wrapped it a production that well supports the vocal and lyric.
Excellent!
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.
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So much excellency in this package, a song and performance usually heard in the final of a song contest or singing contest like Idols, in both I would give my vote to you The backing band supports your amazing voice very well, I like especially the strings and the picking guitar. Janne
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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.
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Video: New User Interface (GUI)
Join Tobin as he takes you on a tour of the new user interface in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®! This modern GUI redesign offers a sleek new look with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, and a smoother workflow. The brand-new side toolbar puts track selection, the MultiPicker Library, and other essential tools right at your fingertips. Plus, our upgraded Multi-View lets you layer multiple windows without overlap, giving you a highly flexible workspace. Many windows—including Tracks, Piano Roll, and more—have been redesigned for improved usability and a cleaner, more intuitive interface, and more!
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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.
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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.
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Don’t miss this chance to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box setup—at a great price!
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