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#664398 07/16/21 07:22 AM
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https://soundcloud.com/mark_hayes/at-the-party

This is a song I wrote a long long time ago (1969) about playing spin the bottle at a young teenage party. I never recorded it in any form before, since the words are so dumb, but I found an instrumental solution to my recurring lyric problem. And so here we have a sensual bossa nova, festooned with adolescent desire, social anxiety, and guilt.

Technical: BIAB + Logic Pro. RealStyle info below for piano, bass, drums. MIDI tracks rendered as guitar and vibes, with changes. Melody added using EastWest’s gypsy violin and Logic’s medieval recorder.

****** Song Summary *************
Style is =SKYBL_P.STY
Style MIDI Instruments are : Fender Bass (34), Electric Strat Guitar (28), Electric Piano #2 (6),
RealTracks in style: ~~925:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm Bossa Ev 110
RealDrums in Style: LaPopJazzLiteEv8^3-a:Sidestick, HiHat , b:Toms, Ride
*******************

Mark Hayes #664417 07/16/21 10:40 AM
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I tried to listen but the site said the song has been taken down.

Is that true?


Back in my day the only time we started panic buying was when the bartender shouted "last call"!

64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
MarioD #664418 07/16/21 10:47 AM
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Oh! No, it's there, I just made it private by mistake. Please try again, and thank you for bringing this to my attention!

Mark Hayes #664421 07/16/21 10:51 AM
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Excellent song. Nice groove. That violin sounds great! Those vibes are sweet! Great mix.

I enjoyed this listen very much.


Back in my day the only time we started panic buying was when the bartender shouted "last call"!

64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
MarioD #664425 07/16/21 11:18 AM
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Thanks again, MarioD. I do like that violin a lot; every time I try using another one I keep coming back to it: http://www.soundsonline.com/gypsy

Mark Hayes #664470 07/16/21 02:16 PM
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Cool song!!! Really like the space you created in your mix.....interesting effect! Music has a lot of great motion to it!! Take care. Greg

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Thanks, Greg. I listened for the spatial effect you mention, and I think I do like that about the piece. Sometimes, though, I just hear an embarrassing lack of attention to distributing the reverb evenly. =8^)

Mark Hayes #664537 07/17/21 03:28 AM
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Hahaha. I wrote a lot of dumb words in '69, too. This is now a really good instrumental, Mark. I like how you developed the instruments, and this is probably one of the best song descriptions I ever read: "...a sensual bossa nova, festooned with adolescent desire, social anxiety, and guilt." That's what being a teenager at the party is all about.


Enjoy whatever happens!
marty

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@babumusic51
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/marty-straub
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Mark Hayes #664594 07/17/21 10:22 AM
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Marty, your comment on the description reminded me that I stole "festooned" from Frank Zappa, same as I stole "bulbous" from Captain Beefheart; dandy words to be used at every opportunity. Here's Zappa's description of Transylvania Boogie from Chunga's Revenge, beside which my own language pales:

"A gypsy mutant industrial vacuum cleaner dances about a mysterious night time camp fire. Festoons. Dozens of imported castanets, clutched by the horrible suction of its heavy duty hose, waving with marginal erotic abondon in the midnight autumn air."

Mark Hayes #664615 07/17/21 07:27 PM
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That piano sounds like a Celeste or an electric Celeste.
Interesting piece. there's a fair bit of space in the mix which is good but some how it doesn't quite "glue" Perhaps try a different master bus compressor?


Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Mark Hayes #664652 07/18/21 05:29 AM
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Rayc, that's certainly a suggestion I'll try, thanks. I am honestly not as wise in the ways of compression as I should be. I do think the first thing to do here would be to consolidate independent reverbs into either one master reverb or at least the same kind of reverb on individual instruments. Every patch brings its own reverb!

Last edited by Mark Hayes; 07/18/21 05:30 AM.
Mark Hayes #664728 07/18/21 02:05 PM
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Mark,
Very entertaining composition. Neat choice of instruments.
Overall, good mix but I think drums could be little louder and perhaps more bass added to them for fuller body.
Thank you for sharing.

Misha.

Mark Hayes #664877 07/19/21 12:37 PM
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Misha, I agree about the drums. I will be trying shortly to create an improved version, taking all these kind suggestions into account. Thanks.

Mark Hayes #665228 07/22/21 08:10 AM
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Nice clean sound Mark! Tons of chord changes going on and an interesting palette of sounds! First I've heard of any of your stuff! I'll look for more! Thanks, Torrey

Mark Hayes #665254 07/22/21 11:10 AM
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*curtsies* Thanks, Torrey! I had fun with the chords, bouncing from A to Eb then straight back again without waiting for the bar to end...

A E G Bb F Db Eb (reduced to majors)

Mark Hayes #665267 07/22/21 03:02 PM
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You did a really great job and used the style rather expertly! Thanks for taking the time to share it with us.


Cheers,
Ember
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