PG Music Home Forums General Discussion User Showcase Every Little Piece Of My Heart - Duet w/ Janice Merritt

Catchy tune - distinctive and memorable.

[UNHELPFUL COMMENT REMOVED, SORRY FOLKS]

I'm with rayc on the bass - it initially sounds too loud with the guitar, but once the vocal kicks in, it magically slots into place.

Anyway, once the drummer woke up and finally joined in, I warmed up to it.

Really nice write. I consider happy songs the hardest writes, and this one is super-upbeat feel-good.

I've got mixed feelings on the instrumentation - I like the idea of the pared-down mix, but it feels too stripped down to me. Again, "feelings", not a suggestion that you should change anything.

And then - as Dave said - it was over too soon. Always a sign of a good song.

I enjoyed the song a lot!

Dear Janice, dear Floyd,

oh boy - this is really something. We all know that your two voices go together so very well, but with this one you kicked the ball over the fence - amazing, marvellous, terrific!.

The whole song is sooooooo incredibly soulful - from the composition to the nice lyrics - you can hear and feel that it's custommade for you two.

Loved the intro very much and the chorus is a blast.

If I may humbly make a suggestion: I think another drum track could make the song even 'rounder' - there's too much boom-boom by the kick and the snare for my personal taste, and I can almost hear no cymbals. A more balanced drum track with a smooth ride could support the flow, especially of the chorus, I think.

But whatever: The song is outstanding, most, beautiful and a treat to listen to!!!

Take care,

Stefan

Hi Floyd, Janice and Bud. Catchy tune! Nicely produced duet. Your voices blend well together. Bravo!

Another strong heartfelt write...
With lyrics which led straight to the hook...
Its nice you decided to rewrite it as a duet...
As it permitted both your & Janice's vocals to shine individually on the verses...
And then simmer together on choruses...
You made some outstanding choices on this one...
Now you need to get on your bicycle...
Ride it up to Georgia...
And give Janice a great big hug of thanks !

Herb, thank you...like your recent song it’s fun to stretch the boundaries a bit!

Janice

floyd / Janice

You sound wonderful together every time!

Lovely production and a stellar ending.

What else can I add, - after 2 plays a real catchy melody, a nice sentiment and great vocals/

Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Peter

Wow, what a vocal performance from both of you. And Janice's low voice gives me shivers... I like how the vocals are mixed so clear that you can almost hear tingling of every little romantic piece in your hearts. Verse melody and chording is surprisingly mysterious and the chorus is super catchy as any other true pop hit. Great band supports it all, the acoustic piano and the main picking guitar are real sounding highlights. Songs on this forum seem to be all I need to fill my musical appetite.

Janne

Before doing anything else, I feel I should address several production suggestions/nits all at the same time...

It has been cool to have so many people mention things that they felt could be changed... I don't usually get a lot of that...

This song (production) is intended to get a little closer to an "updated" sound (for me, anyway). Not that I won't still do the other (older?) stuff, but...

These days, I listen to a LOT of new music. And there is a lot of it that I like.
I'm not talking about just "new Country" (though I do listen to almost every new major release at least once).
There's also forays into Pop, Alternative Rock, Americana.
The newer styles of these genres are influencing some of what I do.
Some of it I did not like when I first heard them.
But I have grown to like more and more new stuff the more I listen.
If you don't venture into these areas then some of what I'll be doing will likely land outside what you are accustom to hearing.
Or not.

Some examples?
Go listen to Charlie Puth's "Voicenotes".
Or the new Taylor Swift.
Maggie Rogers' "Heard It In A Past Life"...
Any of Ryan Hurd's EPs...

That's just a quick few....


So... back to Every Little Piece Of My Heart...

ray (rayc) said:
the only nit that stuck out was the bass tone in the intro - it's a bit aggressive/toppy when that naked though it sits perfectly for the rest of the song.

...and David (dcuny)
I'm with rayc on the bass - it initially sounds too loud with the guitar, but once the vocal kicks in, it magically slots into place.


An aggressive bass is a mainstay of much of current music. There are untold numbers of songs that have aggressive bass and drums and little else - some tinkling of something here and there. So, that was intentional.



Herb (Guitarhacker) said:
I don't think the guitar solo fit as well as it should have. Tone was a factor.

This is one I whole-heartedly disagree with. Guitar tone is entirely subjective. What better tone for a song like this than Brent Mason doing Crossover. Your sound is rooted in the '70's. If you want everything to sound like ZZ Top or Marshall Tucker, that's fine. But it's not going into anything I'm doing these days (unless it is intentionally retro).



Ed Z (EdZ314) said:
If you wanted to put a bit more swing in there and some more aggressive arranging and instrumentation, it could also work really well in that style too. I think its great as it stands, no need to change it, but a really good song can have several excellent variations and still cut it.

...and David (dcuny) said:
I've got mixed feelings on the instrumentation - I like the idea of the pared-down mix, but it feels too stripped down to me. Again, "feelings", not a suggestion that you should change anything.


That is an interesting perspective, I think. I don't feel that this is "pared-down". especially compared to a lot of the current music. There is quite a bit going on throughout the song - and a lot towards the end. I supposed compared to what we grew up listening to it might be considered pared-down. But as I said earlier... I'm trying new stuff...

(Ed Z - Welcome to the Showcase!! Looking forward to hearing some of your stuff on here...especially if you are going for that "new sound"...)


Stefan (Crossroads) said:
If I may humbly make a suggestion: I think another drum track could make the song even 'rounder' - there's too much boom-boom by the kick and the snare for my personal taste, and I can almost hear no cymbals. A more balanced drum track with a smooth ride could support the flow, especially of the chorus, I think.

Almost ALL of the new stuff I'm listening to these days has VERY little more than a kick and a snare or clap. Practically NO hats. And I prefer that type drum track. Lee Brice's Hard2Love album got me started on that. And much of the new Country that I like is that way...


I am NOT trying to rustle any feathers here. Merely explaining where these sounds are coming from.

[quote:]Almost ALL of the new stuff I'm listening to these days has VERY little more than a kick and a snare or clap. Practically NO hats. And I prefer that type drum track. [/quote]

I'd like to see some realdrum choices like that as I prefer new style drums too. So I'd be interested in how you did the drums and where you got the loops. I get lost in lists of drum loops...another reason I'd love to have more new real drums to make life easier to put together more modern drum sounds. Sorry if this part should've been a pm. Just wanted to add a huge +1 to your drum preference. So glad you brought it up.

I have no real nits. I really like the song and how the arrangement fits the lyrics which are written really well and the way it builds. You and Janice are right in your wheelhouse vocally and especially satisfying when the two voices come together on the chorus. It's familiar and fresh. Go team!

I think an accurate summary of my comments would be "I'm an old fuddy-duddy."

Chalk that up as another sign that you've succeeded.

My wife often tells me that I need a t-shirt that simply says "Fogey". So...don't feel alone. We are a large club...

I would say that the fact that my bass, drums, guitar and over-all production were all called into question is evidence that I have, at least, been successful at "making some change".


And, as I said, it took me some time to warm up to this style. I spent considerable time thinking... "that's not for me". Now, however - perhaps unfortunately - I've been infected.

ray - I really like how carefully you listen to everyone's music and make observations about what you hear. I addressed the "aggressive" bass in a previous post. I just finished listening to the latest billie eilish record...talk about aggressive bass!! HA!

Thanks for the careful listens!!...






Dave - thanks for all of that!! I am always considering if a song will lend itself to doing a duet with Janice... a few more and we might be able to put out an album

Top quality lyrics. When you two sing together in the second chorus, it is pure magic.

hi Floyd and Janice wow very different and very creative I think the two of you can sing just about any genre very well done eric

This is great y'all. A really wonderful effort.

A rich, warm, gorgeous sound! Happy Holidays!

This is fantastic! Like you, Floyd, I have been listening to some of the new stuff. And you are spot on!

What a great combination you have with you and Janice, and of course, Bud always does such a good job of capturing Janice's voice.

I really like everything about this song and arrangement. Well done!

Steve

This is simply one of the best. Not just one of your best, or Janice's best, but one of the best on the forum.
It's the complete package: lyrics, vocals, melody, production and harmonies. Janice's vocal and harmonies are very special.
Cheers,
Mike

'nother jackpot.

well done!

I really like this....keep up the great work and keep posting!

Thanks Peter! floyd surprised us with that ending.

Janice