Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 14,170
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 14,170 |
Melodies and Memories It’s been several years since we’ve produced a western swing song. We encouraged Peter to put on a cowboy hat and join in And he was game…and we are glad he was. Also I (Bud) talked Janice into a bit of whistling which she does around the house…a lot! We both played some western swing in our bands and more often with Randy Howard as a trio. Randy could play anything from gypsy jazz to bluegrass to rock to western swing and more (he was featured on several grammy nominated albums). Randy passed away 20 years ago this summer and we had him in mind and heart when we wrote this tune as he would love to have played on it. RIP, good friend, and we hope we did the genre a bit of justice! For those not familiar with western swing there are several mentions in the song of some of the great artists who played or often played it...The Texas Playboys, Asleep At The Wheel and Merle Haggard. The bluebonnets in the SC photo are a shoutout to Texas where it all started. Thanks for listening and for commenting if inclined! “It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing!” The techie stuff: Janice: Lead vocal, harmony vocal, whistling, melody and arrangement Rodes NT1 mic > Scarlett USB > Logic Pro > Nectar 2 Peter: Guitar solos, fills and arrangement Bud: Lyric, arrangement, mix and mastering Drums: RD NashvilleSwing8^5-a:Sidestick, HiHat , b:Snare, HiHat / Waves CLA Drums Bass: RT 1390 Acoustic, Jazz BeBop Sw 190 (Very Simple) Plays 2’s on the verses/solos and walks on the chorus / Waves Bass Rider / Neutron 2 Piano Rhythm: MST Acoustic, Rhythm CountryBentNoteJohn Sw 165 / Grand Steinway Logic Pro X sound / Neutron 2 / 140 EMT Reverb sim Piano Solo: MST Acoustic, Soloist WesternSwingJohn Sw 165 / Grand Steinway Logic Pro X sound / Neutron 2 / 140 EMT Reverb sim Guitar Rhythm 1: RT 812 Electric, Rhythm Western Swing Sw 165 Guitar Rhythm 2: RT 1128 Electric, Rhythm WesternSwingWarmA-B Sw 165 Fiddle Rhythm: RT 1114 Countryswingmelodic / Waves CLA Unplugged Fiddle Solo: RT 871: WesternSwingAndy Sw 165 // Waves CLA Unplugged Mastering: Ozone 8 adv > Ozone Tonal Balance Melodies and Memories © 2019 B. Merritt, J. Merritt & P. Fulham Verse 1 me ‘n the band keep that bus between the lines snowcaps to bluebonnets I love all the sights small or big crowd just tell us where ‘n when give me my guitar and turn on those foot lights Chorus melodies and memories keep my spirit alive they’re my traveling companions from town to town wouldn’t trade them for a gold one on the wall I may be up or down but they are always around turnaround Verse 2 We turn on good music ‘n watch the miles go by from all night radio ’n on to streaming I ain’t asleep at the wheel, can’t be a texas playboy but I love it when that western swing’s a playing Chorus solo Verse 3 I’ve met a few good men along the journey but none could help me stay around for long guess I’ve got a touch of Merle’s white line fever more miles more gigs just keep playing our songs Chorus Outro
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 5,190
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 5,190 |
Excellent!
A copy and paste from my soundcloud review:
Nice one guys and gal! Nice lyrics, Bud, and pro job on the mix as always. And Janice sounds great as usual. Love the whistling! Great idea to do that. And trading whistling licks with Peters guitar licks at the end was fun. BTW, Peter is doing a decent job with the country licks too!
Good song, enjoyed!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 1,664
PG Music Staff
|
PG Music Staff
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 1,664 |
Well done Janice & bud! Excellent progressions as usual and really dig the use of plugins. Great use of processing to make it just slightly more crispy. How do you like Neutron 2?
Cheers, Joe
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 14,170
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 14,170 |
Excellent!
A copy and paste from my soundcloud review:
Nice one guys and gal! Nice lyrics, Bud, and pro job on the mix as always. And Janice sounds great as usual. Love the whistling! Great idea to do that. And trading whistling licks with Peters guitar licks at the end was fun. BTW, Peter is doing a decent job with the country licks too!
Good song, enjoyed! Hey Dave. Glad you liked the arrangement and whistling
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,986
Expert
|
Expert
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,986 |
This is just AWESOME! My new favorite of yours. Love everything about it.
Very clever nods to so many greats. Your arrangement is one of the best I've heard here. Masterful placement of instruments. Trading licks among RealTracks, Peter's Guitar, and Janice's whistling gives it a really nice "down-home" feeling. That down home feeling is what really makes Western Swing work.
Great job! Keep em coming! I think you should do more of these.
Steve
Steve Young Music"In order to compose, all you need to do is remember a tune that nobody else has thought of." - Robert Schumann
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 1,944
Expert
|
Expert
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 1,944 |
Top notch... I love western swing... The only thing missing was a "yee-haw" & I supplied that ... All of you have done your usual great jobs... And have set a goal for the rest of us to strive for!
Jim †=☮&♥
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 14,170
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 14,170 |
Well done Janice & bud! Excellent progressions as usual and really dig the use of plugins. Great use of processing to make it just slightly more crispy. How do you like Neutron 2? Thanks Joe. We appreciate you listening and commenting. I've been pleased with Neutron 2 but lately I tend to lean a wee bit more toward Waves CLA Series. J&B
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,759
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,759 |
Strong start on the violin. The lyrics hook in the story, not much wait for the chorus. All good! Great mix, excellent singing and harmonies. Of course, the instrumentals are perfect. Not gonna lie, I wish there were more rhymes, 'cause I'm a lazy listener. So I've got to take points off for note rhyming streaming with dreaming, but I'll add back bonus points for the whistling. Altogether, a pleasant listen to a genre I don't hear enough of.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 1,378
Expert
|
Expert
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 1,378 |
A great fun listen. Love the solo tradoffs--midi based fiddle and piano, organically based whistlin' and guitar pickin'. Very good road song with a happy and nostalgic vibe. Janice shows off her range here, and it's all good to me.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 3,615
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 3,615 |
Just love that swing. Congrats to all involved. Great tune and great lyrics. Rob
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 6,303
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 6,303 |
The swing is the thing. Well done all concerned. Toe tappin' terrific.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 14,170
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 14,170 |
This is just AWESOME! My new favorite of yours. Love everything about it.
Very clever nods to so many greats. Your arrangement is one of the best I've heard here. Masterful placement of instruments. Trading licks among RealTracks, Peter's Guitar, and Janice's whistling gives it a really nice "down-home" feeling. That down home feeling is what really makes Western Swing work.
Great job! Keep em coming! I think you should do more of these.
Steve
Steve, knowing your familiarity with the genre really makes your very nice comments meaningful to us. And extra thanks for mentioning the placement of the instruments as we did give that a lot of thought! Thanks so much!!! J&B PS Your thoughts on eg settings for bass are golden.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 14,170
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 14,170 |
Top notch... I love western swing... The only thing missing was a "yee-haw" & I supplied that ... All of you have done your usual great jobs... And have set a goal for the rest of us to strive for! Thanks Jim! I came close to asking Janice to do a Bob Wills “ah ha” after the fiddle solo J&B
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 708
Journeyman
|
Journeyman
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 708 |
Excellent work all, as per usual. Janice not only sings like an angel, she whistles like a bird! Love that Western swing (the first time I heard Bob Wills say 'take it away, Leon' I was hooked). I think I might encourage Peter to don the cowboy hat a little more often.
Leon
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 5,803
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 5,803 |
Janice & Bud + Peter, Colorful and fun! Probably out of all Western styles, swing is my favorite. Excellent in all respects. From arrangement to mastering, solid A! I am sure your friend Randy would smile. Whistling was a very cool touch! Not to give Bud any ideas, but makes me wonder if Janice can do yodeling? P.S. This tune reminded of my all time favorite swing band Squirrel Nut Zippers. Thank you for sharing! Misha.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 11,773
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 11,773 |
Swingin' PB&J!
Everything about this is Top-Notch.
A solid write. Cool references throughout.
The instrumentation is, needless to say (say it anyway) impeccable. The mix is mind-boggling good. EVERYTHING crisp. clear. cohesive. Man! that bass sounds good! Man! those drums sound goood, Man! that piano sounds gooood...well...etc.etc.etc. Peter's guitar fits in nicely.
Needless to say (say it anyway)...Gorgeous vocals. AND harmonies.
And, now....whistlin', too? Ain't you the Queen Of Enough Things Already?
A GREAT listen. Period.
fj
OH! and almost forgot!!...It seems this is SO good you dragged LEON out of the woodwork!! Could it be? Worth the price of admisssion....
Last edited by floyd jane; 07/11/19 03:08 AM. Reason: PS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 14,170
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 14,170 |
Strong start on the violin. The lyrics hook in the story, not much wait for the chorus. All good! Great mix, excellent singing and harmonies. Of course, the instrumentals are perfect. Not gonna lie, I wish there were more rhymes, 'cause I'm a lazy listener. So I've got to take points off for note rhyming streaming with dreaming, but I'll add back bonus points for the whistling. Altogether, a pleasant listen to a genre I don't hear enough of. Thanks! And extra thanks for adding those bonus points in Glad you like the genre also. We appreciate your comments as always. J&B
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 3,357
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 3,357 |
Janice & Bud, You`all sound so happily comfortable - writer,vocalist,the whole band...and of course the whistler. This sounds darn close to those festival videos of you guys playing in your gigging days.With Peter fitting in perfectly. The Bluebonnets would work for a band name? Great toe tapping revival.
Robert
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 14,170
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 14,170 |
A great fun listen. Love the solo tradoffs--midi based fiddle and piano, organically based whistlin' and guitar pickin'. Very good road song with a happy and nostalgic vibe. Janice shows off her range here, and it's all good to me. If it’s good to you then we are happy! Thank you. J&B
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,536
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,536 |
Thanks for all the positive comments to date. It was an interesting learning experience playing on this one. Janice seems to be able to effortlessly pull off any genre she sets her mind (and talent) to, and how about that whistling!
Bud sent me some amazing stuff they did with Randy Howard - truly world class (and humbling) playing.
Peter
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box® 2024 French for Windows is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2024 apporte plus de 50 fonctions nouvelles ainsi qu'une importante de contenus nouveaux à savoir : 222 RealTracks, des RealStyles nouveaux, des SuperTracks MIDI, des Etudes d'Instruments, des Prestations d'Artistes, des "Morceaux avec Choeurs", un Set 3 de Tracks Jouables, un Set 2 de RealDrums Jouables, deux nouveaux Sets de "RealDrums Stems", des Styles XPro PAK 6, des Xtra Styles PAK 17 et bien plus encore!
Tous Packages | Nouvelles Fonctionnalités
Video: Making a Song with Band-in-a-Box®, ChatGPT, and Synth V
Take your Band-in-a-Box® project to a whole new level when you incorporate ChatGPT and Synth V to add lyrics and vocals to your song!
We wanted to demonstrate how this is done with our video, where we show you how to go from nothing to a finished "radio ready" modern pop song by combining the features of Band-in-a-Box®, ChatGPT, and Synth V!
Listen to the finished song, so you get a listen to the finished product: https://demos.pgmusic.com/misc/behindthefame.m4a
If you like it, watch the video. Either way, let's hear your comments!
Henry Clarke: Revolutionize Your Band-in-Box® Tracks with Regenerating Function
User Video: Next-Level AI Music Editing with ACE Studio and Band-in-a-Box®
Band-in-a-Box® 2024 German for Windows is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2024 für Windows Deutsch ist verfügbar!
Wir waren fleißig und haben über 50 neue Funktionen und eine erstaunliche Sammlung neuer Inhalte hinzugefügt, darunter 222 RealTracks, neue RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, "Songs with Vocals" Artist Performance Sets, abspielbare RealTracks Set 3, abspielbare RealDrums Set 2, zwei neue Sets von "RealDrums Stems", XPro Styles PAK 6, Xtra Styles PAK 17 und mehr!
Paket | Was ist Neu
Update Your PowerTracks Pro Audio 2024 Today!
The Newest RealBand 2024 Update is Here!
The newest RealBand 2024 Build 5 update is now available!
Download and install this to your RealBand 2024 for updated print options, streamlined loading and saving of .SGU & MGU (BB) files, and to add a number of program adjustments that address user-reported bugs and concerns.
This free update is available to all RealBand 2024 users. To learn more about this update and download it, head to www.pgmusic.com/support.realband.htm#20245
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums66
Topics81,885
Posts738,436
Members38,610
|
Most Online2,537 Jan 19th, 2020
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|