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Rough Edges

Another Bud “silly little ditty” lyric for Janice and Peter to do their thing with I (Bud) was presented with a mixing challenge (aren’t they all?) when Janice sang (in addition to the lead track) five more parts on but two tracks (had ‘em arranged in her head so they wouldn’t need to overlap). Girl caught me by surprise!

Thanks to:
- Peter for the guitars and arrangement/mix input
- PG Music for making all this fun possible
- Our forum friends for their support and frequent counsel

We appreciate your time to listen and comments are always welcome!

Janice: lead vocal, counter point vocal, ahhs and harmonies / Nectar 2
Peter: lead guitar, rhythm and fills

Bass: 2163 New Orleans Swinging Pop sw130 / Neutron 2
Drums: New Orleans Swinging Pop w/ funky snare / Waves CLA Drums
Congas: Shuffle single / Waves CLA Drums
Piano: MST 2166 New Orleans Swinging Pop / Waves CLA Unplugged / Logic Pro X Yamaha Grand sound

Logic Pro X, Scarlett 212 and Rodes NT1 mic

Mastering: Logic Chanel EQ > Waves Multi-Band Compressor > Ozone 8 Adv Maximizer

Rough Edges
you were smooth enough to cut through my rough edges
we didn’t need a preacher or empty pledges
it’s been a long ride ‘n sometimes you get a bit ahead of me
but I always play catchup so here I come, can’t you see

we played hard and always laid it all on the line
big money or little money we’d go for broke every time
when I met you it was like jumping off a cliff
we never missed a chance to say well “what if?”

Solo

in this wild ride there’re always more bridges to burn
let’s try a few more before we reach the point of no return
no destination in mind head out you and me without a care
no directions needed cause any old road’ll get us there

you were smooth enough to cut through my rough edges
we didn’t need a preacher or empty pledges
it’s been a long ride ‘n sometimes you get a bit ahead of me
but I always play catchup so here I come, can’t you see

© 2019 B. Merritt, J. Merritt & P. Fulham

Bud, Janice & Peter,

You sound like you're up in my neck of the woods recording at Big Pink in 1966, but the sound and production is so much better... LOL!

This is truly outstanding work. From the write to the vocals, instrumentation and production, this song is just a great snapshot of your musical world.

Absolutely loved it!

Bob

What a tune! Everything about this one drew me in. It has tons of energy, and Janice's vocals on this are stunning. The harmonies are smooth as butter, and that chorus is a total earworm.

You should be proud of this one - thanks for sharing

Wowza!

Man, I love all those vocal parts, just outstanding! I'll bet it sounds great acapella.

Love that modulation to Bb, nice smooth transition.

And always enjoy hearing Peter do his thing.

Nice job on the write and mix, Bud.

Well done all, very much enjoyed this one!

PB&J,

Cool opening. Let's you know more good stuff is comin'...

What could be better than Janice singing???... FIVE of 'em!!! Of course!
Great vocals (needless to say, say it anyway).

A big "live sounding" mix. Peter's guitar sounds good - nicely played. Nice punchy bass...

A good we-lived-it write.

Good music.

Well, what if...??



fj

Thanks Bob and we loved your snapshot statement. We appreciate that very much.

J&B

One of my favorite things to do is to hang out with another couple who have a few miles on their tires, listening to stories. So this just filled me with smiles.

Fantastic backing, certainly including Peter's tasty licks and timing. Janice sounds great. The layering of back-ups is very entertaining and "lifting". Well arranged too, with that key change coming in at the right spot. I like this a lot.

This a great fun mix and a real tor tapper.
Sounds like its been around forever.
Love the guitar work and the sneaky key change.
Rob4580

hi j&b It says can not fine track ??? kind of strange when others have listen I will try another time eric

I really enjoyed the lyrics, especially this part:

"in this wild ride there’re always more bridges to burn
let’s try a few more before we reach the point of no return "

Great job!

Great work, all. Janice's multiple vocals take this to a whole other level.
Regards,
Leon

Definitely a live "in the round" sound and feel of being in a band circle.
LOVELY all over, round, under.
Top shelf.

Thanks for commenting Deryk. Glad it worked for you!

J&B

hi j&b great tune loving the vocals and guitar work very well done mix clear and crisp thanks for sharing eric

Hi Janice and Bud (and Peter),

You made a very happy sounding song. I immediatly got a smile on my fasce when listening. It sounded like the late 50's.
And I agree fully with what Leon1 said in his post; the way Janice sang all those voices brings the song to a higher level. Did you do that with Nectar 2?
Also the choice of the intruments is very good. I liked that piano. It feeds the mood of the song very well!

Hans

J&B and Peter.
Cool song! Clever wordplay. Multi vocal "takes" work very well on this! Peters's guitar fits in perfectly!
Mix is A+ Listens very well. Great team work!

Thank you for sharing!
Misha.

Ok Bud, I'm going to do something I don't typically do. I know you mentioned you struggle with lyrics at times. I TOTALLY believe you now. Rough edges? C'mon man! This is not rough edges! This should actually be called...

Hiwhwyptagomwargatcawewtadasoytwtay!

I have a feeling there will be that ONE person who will ask about the title. For those of you who aren't good at textese/abbreviations that title is short for...

"Here is what happens when you put together a group of musicians who are really great at their craft and work extremely well together and drop a song on you that will truly amaze you!"

However, it's fairly obvious that would have been entirely too long. Thus, the much easier abbreviated form.

In all seriousness, the song is just jaw dropping. The guitar, the production, the singing, mixing...you name it. Even the album artwork creates the perfect vibe! It all just works so well. I'm especially fond of that wall of background vocals. I'm such a sucker for that. You just don't hear that very often. There is a reason.

Thanks for sharing such an incredible song!

Thank you Dave. That mod was Peter’s idea. This was a lot of fun all the way around!

J&B

Dear Janice, dear Bud, dear Peter,

I had the great honor (and pleasure, of course) to listen to this incredible song before it was published ,and one of the first things I said was, 'You'll get millions of excited comments on the forum'. Although there are still some missing, the ones you already got show that you really nailed it with this song.

Now that I could read the lyrics for the first time, I became almost unhinged: Your song is telling my amd Maha's story... How the heck did you know it...?

Musically this song is just another treat in the endless row of killer songs I've heard from you. Let's start with the composition - marvellous, love the harmonic shift at the end. Lyrics - see above. Arrangement, choice of instruments - top notch all the way. Mix - fabulous, like others sid it sounds 'live' and I always love to have that feeling listening to songs. Guitar licks and solo - just PeterF: awesome.

And (I saved the best for last): Janice, you're simply stunning - I'm absolutely running out of superlatives.

The way you recorded the backing vocals is totally beyond my imagination - Bud, I admire you for mastering such a challenge.

Have heard Rough Edge for so many times now, but still can't get enough of it!!!

Take care,

Stefan

Great track!! Love the New Orleans vibe! Vocals are, of course, SUPERB!! Peter did some wonderful blues guitar playing! And, Bud wrapped the whole thing up in a a sweet package! A PLEASURE to listen to!! Take care. Greg

Hi there J&B plus Peter.

This certainly ticks all the boxes.

Great song, great band and a fabulous big sound with lots going on, but always staying coherent.

Super playing from Peter.

And Janice - well what can I say that you haven't heard me say before? No one does this any better
and it's a real privilege to get to sit back and listen to her sing.

A wonderful mix, with everything where it should be, except that I might have liked Janice's main vox up a
couple of db, but perhaps that's just me being her biggest fan.

Excellent stuff, team!

ROG.

Thank you mr jane!

A great review from you is golden.

J&B

Thanks Deryk.
Peter

This is one hot track!!! Janice's voice(s) and Peter's guitar are killer. The NOSP piano is a great production choice: It drives this baby. Fantastico!

Fun listen!

This kind of "feel good" rocking song that I'd find at the end of a film when the credits roll, wrapping everything up neatly and sending the movie-goers dancing out the aisle (and piles of popcorn for the poor underpaid workers to clean up).

The song starts out strong on guitar, and then rolls along on bouncy piano. The mix is in your face, in a good way. It demands attention, and Janice and the guitar solo keep it there. Love the key change.

Thanks for the thoughtful comments. You mentioned all the things we hoped to achieve!

J&B

Janice, Bud and Peter,

What a thoroughly engaging creation!

From alpha to omega this is as good as music making gets. I honestly don't know how the forum's bar of achievement can be taken any higher than this one lifts it.

The arrangement and mix are awesome... the combination of Ozone, Nectar the Multiband Compressor is stunning. I just sat here thinking over and over, "How can I re-create this mix? It's incredible!" And if that wasn't enough, with Janice's vocals and Peter's guitar work, foreground and background are alive with words and very engaging music. My speakers sizzled.

Janice, your singing is out of this world. Not only are your melodies fantastic but your harmonies are polished and gleaming. I honestly don't know how you do it!

All the best everyone,
Noel

Thanks Dave glad the modulation worked for you. Appreciate the comments.

Peter

Janice,Bud & Peter,

First (and second) impression; those are the best multi-part hamonies I`ve ever heard on this forum... no surprise, they`re all Janice!
Everything works (the band,Peter`s guitar, the mix) to serve the happy, rolling along a road together, song.
Very well done!

Robert

Always love your vox but guitar is holding its own as well. Pro sound as always, brings me back to my days of listening to Bonnie Raitt and Maria Muldaur (early 70s).

Thanks Rob!

J&B

Lyrical images reminded me of movies like Thelma & Louise and Natural Born Killers. Definitely a soundtrack song for a road movie. Killer solo. Superb vocals and harmonies. First I listened on the headphones, but I was surprised that it sounded even better on the speakers.

Janne

This is so much fun! Janice sounds so joyful and playful on the vocals and harmonies. Being a huge 60's oldies fan, I absolutely love the vintage vibe and arrangement. Great guitar too. I've enjoyed listening several times and played it for my husband - we both think this is a terrific collab y'all!

Thanks floyd. Couldn't agree more about the vocals.

Peter

Thanks Ember! Appreciate you mentioning the lyric. Sometimes I wish we were that adventuresome : )but we have a LOT of fun.

J&B

Thanks we appreciate the comments.

Peter

Thanks Leon!

J&B

Ok, wow. Just wow. No need for a lengthy analysis and/or critique - just HATS OFF to everyone involved. The vocals, in particular, are worthy of every superlative around. Superb job.

That is much appreciated Ray.

J&B

Wonderful song as always, but it made me sad because it reminded me of something which happened 30 years ago.

in this wild ride there’re always more bridges to burn
We have no more bridges to burn, she said

let’s try a few more before we reach the point of no return
We have already reached that point, she said

no destination in mind head out you and me without a care
I have a destination in mind which I care for, she said

no directions needed cause any old road’ll get us there
Sorry, no old road will get us there, she said, but take care!

Thanks for sharing!
Will

Thanks Rob.

Peter

Thanks Ember.

Peter

Janice's vocals very well suited for this style of song. Loved the counterpoint vocal parts. Very well crafted and produced.

This sounds great y'all. Really fantastic work!

Thank you Eric,

J&B

Well I remembering commenting on one of your songs or Floyds, and I said I would love to hear Janet doing her own backing vocals and well...Be careful what you ask for !!.

Absolutely Brilliant I don't think ill ever post another song here again l.o.l.

Bud well done on this Janet and peter will be proud of the mix and finish on this because its pro stuff,

I am just gob smacked for the way this sounds, to me its like country/Fleetwood mac magic.

Thanks Ray appreciate that.

Peter

Hans, I use Nectar 2 on vocals only to add some reverb and slight compression. She sang all the parts with no effects other than what I mentioned. Glad you like the piano!

Thanks!

Bud

Janice & Bud (and Peter):

What a terrific tune this is—Janice outdid herself on those harmonies . . . just killer. The production nails it on all aspects. Another outstanding collaboration. Cool tune!

My humble regards,

Deej

Thanks Eric.

Peter

Appreciate the comments Hans.

Peter

Thank you very much Misha.

J&B




We’re still trying to pronounce that name...perhaps a few beverages would help!
Thank you for your support, friendship and these “make our day” reviews.

J&B

Peter, Janice & Bud,

Wonderful collaboration as usual.
Very cool opening guitar.
Janice's vocals and harmonies are excellent.
The song seems to be based on blues, but the chord progression is different.
It adopts normal pop progression instead of so-called blues progression.
It is also unique to make a key change in the second half.
Enjoyed my listen a lot.

Best regards.

Shigeki Adachi

Stefan, we appreciate every minute you took to write such a thoughtful and supportive review. And a huge thanks for your pre-release comments on the vocal mix. We much admire Maha’s work with vocal mixes (all mixes!) and we were delighted that she had the opportunity to listen and advise on ours. Thank y’all so much!

J&B

Thanks Greg!

J&B

Thanks Misha

Peter

Hey ROG, it’s great to see you back here and we love your new song. Thanks a LOT for your comments and your time to listen. The vocals were a bit of new ground for us but a lot of fun. Knowing that you like them is just great. We went up and down several times on that lead vocal. I think I’ll bring it up a bit for the final songradr upload. Thanks again!!

J&B

Thanks for a wonderful review very much appreciated.
Peter

Thank you!! And glad you liked the piano. We love those MSTs.

J&B

Hey Peter, Bud and Janice
Wow! Enjoyed that little ditty. Such fun. Enjoyed the background vocals with the oohs and aahs and the echo. Nice stuff. Thank you!

Hey David, you mentioned everything we had hoped to pull off. We’re delighted it worked for you.

Thanks!

J&B

Stefan
Really appreciate the time you took to review and assist with this song.
Peter

I listened to this a few days ago, and totally forgot to post about it! I'm not THAT old! What was I saying?

This is stellar! The band is really in the groove. Peter's guitar work is excellent, as always. And Janice, your vocals are over the top. Love the harmonies!

Bud, your mix/production on this is excellent. The drums and bass set a good, solid foundation for all the music bed. Everything is good and clear, and the right parts shine.

Great job!

Steve

Really enjoyed this song and I've got to say that it is one of the best that I've heard so far on the showcase forum.
The arrangement and production are excellent, the guitar and vocals are outstanding, and it has great feel.

To me, this song is a very good example of the high standard of output that is achievable when combining BIAB Realtracks with live instrumentation and strong vocals.

All contributors deserve to be congratulated for their input.

Bravo.


Andy

Noel, you know your business when it comes to production so that makes us even more appreciative of your kind and supportive remarks. This was one of those fun projects that sorta grew as it went along. Thanks for listening and your time to mention so many aspects of the tune!

J&B

Wow, thank you big time Robert. That means a lot to us.

J&B

Thanks a bunch. We both love Bonnie and Maria!

J&B




Thanks! Glad you felt a road movie vibe....

J&B



Thanks Josie. You are right. It was a LOT of fun!

J&B

Thanks for listening and the nice comments!

J&B

Sorry to bring back those memories but glad you still liked the song.

Thanks!

J&B







Mark and David, we appreciate you listening and commenting. Thank you!

J&B

Dear 'Bud', Ms. Janice & 'PeterF'...

Well, now, who, an' I mean WHO could resist a rockin’, rollickin', good-times feelin', sassy, struttin', N'awlin's musical romp like Rough Edges??? Not me, honey-bee, ha, ha, ha !!!

Great googly-oogly! You all 'put your foot' in this one. Listening to it as I write this, I'm diggin' Ms. Janice's harmony parts that sound like folks at a party joining their happy voices together in a big 'ol sing-along. The Real Tracks and other instruments fit the feel of the lyrics hand-in-glove.

The lyrics? They sound like something that Laura Nyro would have written, in the vein of When Will You Marry Me, Bill?. Only, this time 'ol ‘Bill’ and his better half
"didn’t need a preacher or empty pledges" to consummate their free-wheelin’ roam-ance.

'PeterF', I’ll bet you couldn’t wait for your cue to solo to arrive, and when it did, you went at it like a dog after a rabbit…or, a rabbit goin' after a dog, which would be more innarestin’ and excitin', of course .

The sun’ll never set on this fun song, folks. I’m sure as a watermelon waitin' to be picked!

- bluage -

How did this one slip by me? I'm blown away. It is strong in so many areas. Janice's contribution reaches a new height, IMHO. Congratulations on this one!

Thanks to all who mentioned my part in Bud & Janice's wonderful song.

Peter

Wow, that made our day! Thank you so much!

J&B

Well, I was writing a comment and then ...boom ... the whole page just disappeared! I'll bet there's a lot of junk out there floating around in cyberspace!

The intro immediately put a big smile on my face! Love the two semi-tone modulation! Peter is knocking it out of the park on this one ... love his fretwork! Great pickin', Peter!!!

And that key modulation at 2:30! Key modulations almost always breathe a new life into a song. And holy cow ... that Janice can sing just dang near anything and do it so well! All those b/g vocals and the lead vocal blend so smoothly ... great knob-twisting, Bud! And what a great lyric, too! And as I previously mentioned ... Peter shines like the sun on a hot summer day.

That was awesome, folks! Foot's still tapping and I can;t make it quit. Loved it!

Alan