PG Music Home Forums General Discussion User Showcase Back To The Rhythm (with Dave Bell & Janice Merritt)

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That's my son, Matt, overlooking Bryce Canyon NP for the cover.

When I first opened BiaB 2022 I rushed to audition some of the new blues styles. I stopped at ECHO1.STY (Echo Fast Blues Rumba) and started writing. I also was in a hurry to try the multi-chord feature, but at 150BPM they sounded like a blur. I eventually slowed it down to 135 just to accommodate the words. At the very end you can hear 7 chords in one measure. I also took advantage of the improved Utility Tracks and added stems from different drummers.

The verses are designed to be chaotic, and it was a bit difficult for this old man to sing. The choruses bring back an easier pace with harmony. The bridge, as always, is a different version of the same song.

Style is _ECHO1.STY (Echo Fast Blues Rumba)

RealTracks in song: 3991:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm RumbaBluesKevin Ev 120
RealTracks in style: 3987:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm RumbaBluesFastPat 150
RealDrums [in style:BluesRumbaFastPercEv^2-a:Tom, Sidestick, Perc , b:Snare, Percussion
Utility Track in song: 6 different stems

Dave Bell of Blue Attitude played guitars, both the rhythm and lead.
Janice Merritt sang the high harmony, and Bud added some excellent advice and encouragement.
I played bass and sang.

It asks the question: Have we lost all...
The rhythm of the water
The rhythm of the waves
The rhythm of all Natural sounds
that guide us to or graves

Back To The Rhythm

Everybody here is going to and fro in Time, and I'm just sittin' on the sidelines mostly acting blind.
Something in this wicked pace has taken o'er control. I'm tryin' not to lose my face and hide within my soul.
I look to my left and see that nothing's right. Then I look to my right and see there's nothing left.
Swirling seas and windy trees are swaying all so wrong. You can look for me, but I'll be gone.

CH: I'm goin' back to the rhythm --back to the rhythm of life,
Gonna take all that's given, and let the light shine bright.

Darkness falls upon the land and everybody runs as different drummers lose the beat when twos turn into ones.
Chaos reigns in double time. The beat goes all which ways. It's clouding out that piece of mind where all the music plays.
I look straight ahead and know there's no way out. When I look back behind I'm blinded by the doubt.
Waltzes clash with marching blasts and common time is wrong. You can look for me, but I'll be gone.

CH: I'm goin' back to the rhythm --back to the rhythm of life,
Where Time is forgiven. No more chaos or strife.

BR: I remember not long ago when all the birds would sing. They'd repeat the songs we know. Our rhythm was our king.
But now the winds of Time are blowing uncontrolled by chance. It seems they've lost the rythm of the dance.
Oh, come on. Bring it back. SOLO

Darkness lays about the land and everybody hides, and different drummers miss the beat when ones turn into fives.
Chaos sews a stitch time, and life just lost the beat. The shoddy rythm clouds the line for dancin' in the street.
I look to my left and still there's nothin right. Then I look to my right and see that's all that's left.
Hands of Time are out of line, and metronomes are wrong. You can look for me, but I'll be gone. --1stCH - 2ndCH

I'm goin' back to the rhythm --back to the rhythm of life,
I'm goin' back to the rhythm, and everything will be alright. to fade [color:#3366FF][/color]

Marty (& Dave & Janice),

It's hard to imagine that you would ever LEAVE the rhythm. A natural part of BabuMusic.

Bass sounds great.

Dave's solo is excellent. Great tone.

Heck of a job getting all of those words in! Vocal is well recorded.

Background vocals are Sweet! (they could be a little louder).

The guiro gets a little distracting at times (it tends to be too loud in all the RealDrums that include it).

Cool song! Keep that rhythm!!!

fj

Hi, Marty !:))


Wonderful., I loved this truly
much, somehow it takes one back
to youthood when everything was
so much less complicated !

Your harmonizing voices where
also great !

Great tune and great singing !

Cheers
Dani

That was fun... very good song/production, with excellent vocal, guitar, & bass performances. Way cool lyrics & arrangement... Thanks all.

Wow,
BIG message,
Lots of words in that message.
The band is cool...yeah the guirro gets a bit loud...maybe some mid side EQ could deal with that.
Mr Bell rings out another fab one. Excellent bvox that could high light a little more.
Terrific package.

Wow Marty, you surely had to work a while to get the phrasing of those vocal lines down! It's a cool track with an infectious rhythm! That bass is thumping out some notes (your fingers were surely sore after working on that....excellent btw! Daves guitar is sizzling in here...it's a slightly different sounding tone than I remember from him but works very well with this track! And last of all, you can't go wrong with Janice helping with the bg vox! Enjoyed it! Thanks, Torrey

Excellent tune. Interesting new features on BIAB 2022. Loved the vocal and harmonies. BPM 135 my poor old hands could not handle that tempo. Loved the guitar and bass lines. Nice to see you four get together for a collaboration. Well done

Thanks mentioning my small part within so many parts! We have no idea how he put all this together

Janice

Hi Marty
Interesting and cool song
Has a great sound
Your vocals fit very nicely and I think it's somehow even cooler when you watch the video for it. Really well done
The lyrics are very original but your text has also brought my translator a little out of rhythm ;-))))
Dave has recorded a great solo
Janice makes the refrain only perfect - Super
You are already a top team
I liked it very very much
Thanks a lot
One question: Did you animate the dancing 3D figures in the video ?
That looks absolutely great, Marty
Many greetings
Andi ,-)

Thanks, Floyd. I brought the BGVs up and tried to hide the güiro a bit. Unfortunately it is tied to the drum track so it all gets affected. It distracted me quite a bit, but I learned to ignore it. Not easy.



Thanks so much, Dani. Right. Simpler is key.



Thanks, bloc-head.


Thanks, Ray. I planned on punching in every other line like they do on fast-talking commercials, but I braved through a one-take --well, there were a few times I had to punch in because I got the words wrong. Definitely not a sing-along. I raised the harmony bus, but hiding the güiro was a bit more difficult, being attached to the rest of the main kit. It did get a bit muffled through the attempts though. Thanks for your always spot-on suggestions.

Wow, reminds me of 60s rock & roll. Lots of lyrics, but well put together, Love the lead guitar and harmonies!!

Marty & team

First off a really catchy chorus excellent.

Nice playing by you and Dave, bass sounded great as did Dave's solo.

Vocals were very well done and Janice and you sound excellent together on the chorus.

A very nice team effort that I enjoyed all the way through.

Peter

Thanks for mentioning the harmony Dani!

Janice

Hi, Marty.

Fun song - upbeat, well done, and amusing lyrics.

And, of course, nice performances by all.

Marty...wow! what a trip...loved the song, the vocals and harmonies, Dave's solo...as usual it was a tight band mix with a great bottom and I think I especially enjoyed the video...great stuff.

Cool song Marty and to quote FJ heck of a job getting all those words in. Good Collab. Upbeat fun and I enjoyed it very much.

Josie

Fantastic! I always go with video when given the option and this video was superb. The song is outstanding. Great job to all. The lyrics were so well written. There is some good philosophy in them too. Clever word play, as in:

I look to my left and see that nothing's right. Then I look to my right and see there's nothing left.

This is a wonderful song. And the BIAB Wrecking Crew hit their marks too.

this is a very fun cute song.
that chord break at 1m37secs is superb.
only thing i might suggest is maybe slowing the tempo a tad to give the lead vocs more space for the enunciation.
but thats just moi.
the chorus is "very hooky" <<<EXCELLENT.
loved the chorus ending repeats. classic.
great effort.

best/happiness
om

Marty, Dave, Janice
Such a fun and unusual tune! Chaotically delicious. Fantastic vocals and phrasing! Dave, cool solo and guitar playing! Janice blends very nicely, but I wish she would be a notch louder. Extraordinary job of making all this work together. Wild. Enjoyed it much. Thank you for sharing and congrats on this wonderful music piece.

Misha.

Thanks, Torrey. My wife claims I mumble too much, except when I had too much wine --then I'm just a very loud mumbler. Yeah, that bass line was supposed to be chaotic at least in the verses. Not sure I like it that much, but it fits the lyrics. Yes, Dave is a guitar chameleon who can easily adapt to any song. Yes, Janice & Bud definitely raise this project to a much more pleasing sound.


Thanks, Scott. Hope you know how much I appreciate your comments and ability. I'm pretty sure your hands can play rings around any BPM, but, man, I do like your slowhand approach.



Haha. You are not capable of "small" parts in any song your join, Janice. Everyone who talks to me about this song says something like, "Man, who is that chick singer in there? She really makes this song." Yeah, you remind of Mick Jagger singing in Carly Simon's You're So Vain --totally elevate the song to a much higher level of interest. I can't thank you enough.


Hi, Andi. No, those "dancing droids" as Bud calls them matched almost perfectly. I was prepared to track their speed to match, but couldn't do any better than they already are. Thanks for listening and your comments.