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Take It Or Leave Me on Soundcloud Take It Or Leave Me on YouTube Revisiting this song was inspired by Bob Dean with his Like A Girl post where he mentions digging out the old outakes and lost songs and updating them. Back in the 90s the title Take It Or Leave Me seemed like someting to write about, but what exactly she needed to take was uncertain. I eventually made a BiaB version to show others what I wanted to record. On the original version I played the chords on an acoustic guitar held upright with the rhythm tapped on the strings with a wooden pencil. Kinda sounded cool, but here I replaced that with steel drums. After settling on the Tex-Mex style, the rest of the song took a new shape. I like the RealDrums in the style, but the shaker was too enthusiastic at times so I had to cut and paste a few sections to tame it. The 12-string sometimes used 2 positions of the same chord in a measure (which I didn't want) so I switched it to a Utility track and cut and pasted what I wanted. Usually I like to do my own bass, not because it's better but because it's fun. The BiaB bass was interesting so I kept it. 1st V -- he tells his new love how they should handle the inevitable disagreements, 2nd V -- he explains why and how deeply he feels that way 3rd V -- he tells how their future would be Happy ending: she stayed for 44 years so far. Take It Or Leave MeListen for the beats between the falling of a heart in love and when it stops its beat, and learn to heed the voice inside that's calling out a warning to keep love in your retreat. CH: Take it or leave me. Take it or leave me. Take it from the voice inside that tells you the way. Nothing that you've done or do adulterates that voice in you. Take it from you to be with me, my love. Standing like statue of salvation is an old soul that my memory knows as Truth, and etched so deep in my imagination is a message to remind me of my youth. CH - SOLO Open up and step inside Forever. There's a calmness there that takes your breath away. Then, looking out, we'll both belong together in a way that only fairy tales dare say. CH REF: You gotta take it or leave me right now. Style is _VARAR.STY (Varar Tex-Mex with Steel Drum) RealTracks in style: 1293:Bass, Electric, TexMexCountry Ev 120 RealTracks in style: 3611:Steel Drum, Rhythm SocaAB Ev16 120 RealTracks in style: 1294:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm TexMexCountry Ev 120 RealTracks in style: 3171:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm CampfireEven Ev 120 Loop in Song: Percussion Loops\Loop124bpm Conga 8ths 4 bars fill at end.wma RealTracks in song: 3756:Guitar, Electric, Soloist PopFunkySoulBrent Ev16 095 RealDrums [in style:TexMexCountryEv8^1-a:Groove, Shaker & Scrapper , b:Ride, Shaker & Scrapper Utility track: 2534 Guitar 12-string acoustic held I'm so grateful for all your help here, and appreciate your comments and suggestions. Thanks.
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Journeyman
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Hi Marty.
No-one can sell a song like you can!! That chorus is stuck in my brain " Take it or leave me. Take it or leave me."
Will it wear off soon ? : ) . I can imagine this as a Reggae style song.
Sorry for the brevity of this post but it's late and I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed it.
regards
Gary.
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Wonderful turn of phrase. I've come to expect that. Great little island combo you assembled. Delivery was super...not overly dramatic or serious, but playful. It puts me in touch with "a" way to imagine this relationship and never beats me into submission to feel it another way, though it's possible to do so. I hope that makes more sense to you than it does to me reading it back. My only crit is that the bass keeps going in and out.  [an inside joke, showcase]
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Marty, An excellent listen. Has a Buffettt-By-Babu vibe, Good write. Excellent instrumentation and arrangement. Mix is superb. Nice vocals. Well done. Much enjoyed. I like it!! fj
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Marty,
You put up a wide variety of material. This seems to be a blending styles and you pulled it off! If you decided to keep the BIAB bass in this it must be good considering how good a bassist you are! It's an enjoyable tune with a great vocal! You always deliver in that department! You are such a valuable member of this community and I appreciate what you do! Thanks, Torrey
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The steel drums on the chorus made the song for me. Broke things up between verse and chorus perfectly. Song was strong and the vox were right on. A very good effort!
Windows 11, Intel Core I5 10400, 16 gig ram, Scarlett 2i2, Sony Acid Music Studio 10, BIAB 2020 UltraPlus Pak
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The lilt of the beginning reminded me of Gerry & The Pacemakers.
Of course that all changed in the chorus.
Shades of Jimmy Buffet a light breezy arrangement and up melody with a slightly sadder story.
You didn't play bass on this?
Good band, really good melody and a fab song.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Hi Marty,
This is great! I love the song and your presentation of it. It's a very engaging listen.
The Jamaican-Island feel of the chorus was a standout for me. I have never tried to use the Steel Drums RTs but you've inspired me to give them a go.
All the best,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2025
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Has a Buffettt-By-Babu vibe, Man, I am so stealing that! floyd nailed it I think  Good song my friend, nice mix too.
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Hi Marty.
No-one can sell a song like you can!! That chorus is stuck in my brain " Take it or leave me. Take it or leave me."
Will it wear off soon ? : ) . I can imagine this as a Reggae style song.
Sorry for the brevity of this post but it's late and I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed it.
regards
Gary. haha Thanks, Gary. It's never too late to hear such warm comments. Take 2 choruses and call me in the morning. Wonderful turn of phrase. I've come to expect that. Great little island combo you assembled. Delivery was super...not overly dramatic or serious, but playful. It puts me in touch with "a" way to imagine this relationship and never beats me into submission to feel it another way, though it's possible to do so. I hope that makes more sense to you than it does to me reading it back. My only crit is that the bass keeps going in and out. [an inside joke, showcase] Oh, yes, Tangmo, I love the way your brain thinks. I say the singer is making a suggestion more than an ultimatum. BTW, I posted our song Bayou Quinze on FB and a lot of folks really liked it. Thanks. Marty, An excellent listen. Has a Buffettt-By-Babu vibe, Good write. Excellent instrumentation and arrangement. Mix is superb. Nice vocals. Well done. Much enjoyed. I like it!! fj Haha. I like that Buffettt By Babu, The Babu Buffet. Thanks for listening and commenting, Floyd!
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Marty,
This is great... Your vocal is really outstanding on this song.
Excellent mix and overall production as well.
Bob
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Nice backstory, I'm glad you revisited the song. Great title and strong lyrics.
The instrumentation works excellently, I really like the Tex-Mex style combined with steel drums, very refreshing approach. Maybe the solo guitarist is bit too busy. The chorus is really catchy, classic. Great vocals once again.
Janne
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Well done. Great lyrics. Cool video too. Nice use of the band. I liked it.
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nice song. cool lyrics and arrangement.
standing like a statue of salvation << BRILLIANT and very poetic.
oooh ..nice lead gtr. nice sound picture.
might i suggest doubling the vocs on the chorus ?
eg take it or leave me...
best/happiness
om
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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That is one great chorus! Good song all around, but that chorus is the frosting.
Excellent vocal. Engaging melody.
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Marty
Nice laid back easy listen. Nice steel drum and engaging vocals, with a good chorus hook.
Excellent work on video as well.
Peter
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Very nice, Marty. The steel drums were an inspired choice (although that pencil thing sounds cool).
Regards,
Leon
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Marty,
You put up a wide variety of material. This seems to be a blending styles and you pulled it off! If you decided to keep the BIAB bass in this it must be good considering how good a bassist you are! It's an enjoyable tune with a great vocal! You always deliver in that department! You are such a valuable member of this community and I appreciate what you do! Thanks, Torrey Wow, thanks so much, Torrey!! The steel drums on the chorus made the song for me. Broke things up between verse and chorus perfectly. Song was strong and the vox were right on. A very good effort! Thanks, TuneMonger (and I love that handle). Those steel drums are part of the style. The penciled guitar was cool, but I didn't have steel drums at the time of the original. The lilt of the beginning reminded me of Gerry & The Pacemakers.
Of course that all changed in the chorus.
Shades of Jimmy Buffet a light breezy arrangement and up melody with a slightly sadder story.
You didn't play bass on this?
Good band, really good melody and a fab song. Hi Ray! The very first note of the bass was all that I changed. It's whole notes of D-C-D and he started with a high D. The story's not sad as long as she was willing to play along, and it DID turn out with a happy ending. Thanks, man. Hi Marty,
This is great! I love the song and your presentation of it. It's a very engaging listen.
The Jamaican-Island feel of the chorus was a standout for me. I have never tried to use the Steel Drums RTs but you've inspired me to give them a go.
All the best,
Noel Thanks, Noel. It's interesting to try all the different instruments that BiaB provides. There are no rules. There are infinite combinations. Can't wait to hear what you come up with next.
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Cool Song ... Nice hook .. good mix and tone. I like how it gets an island groove in the chorus. Good vocal sound as well.
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Marty,
Sweet tune with Latin Caribbean flavor. Excellent production and it looks like you had fun with it too. Excellent timeless composition. You know, like some Pop tunes of 50s, you start playing them and they flow right in, without the need to "tune" your ears. Very good vocals. Mix is crisp. Enjoyed it and thank you for sharing. Made my day.
Misha.
"Happy ending: she stayed for 44 years so far." LOL!
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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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Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
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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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