PG Music Home Forums General Discussion User Showcase Not this way, a Blues with a solo from Dave Bell

Not this way is altered with the help from members of this forum.
Dave Bell offered to play the solo guitar on this song and it's in it now. I think that was really some improvement!
Ray Cochrane and Vic Arnold came with very good suggestions on the lyrics. Vic also suggested to skip the BG-singers, so I fired them
and had to sing the song on my own...

I think this is a good example of how the forum can be a great help. I enjoyed that process very much!

Hans
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Former post
It's almost December so I thought a nice blues song would be appropriate these dark days.
The melody I made somewhere in 2018, but I renewed it (lyrics, vocals, some instruments) and a better mixing/mastering than I could in those days. At least that was my intention. Maybe you have a different opinion. I like to read your opinion on it, so let me know.

Hans Berkhout

The song is called Not This Way https://soundcloud.com/user-296497130/not-this-way

===================================================
The -new- lyrics:
Not this way
(c) HwBerkhout 08-21-18/ 11-30-22

I used to sing my favourite song
About beer, women and so on
I fell in love more than intended
Many broken hearts to be mended

I was the villain, that's how they saw me
Their feelings flew out of my chimney
I didn't want it, I'm not that bad
but that nagging each morning made me sad

Then you came in, sending me cold chills
We kissed, I felt the thrills
Racing up and down my spine
But this morning you drew the line

No, it can't be over, not this way
Tell me what song you want me to play?
We can be happy, don't you see?
If you still have feelings for me

=Solo=

Life will give us roses, I promise you that
Not the thorns I mostly had
They hurt me like you just did
But we can change all of it

Oh, tell me why you left today
How can I change it to your way?
I don't want it, not like this
That villain no longer exists

No, it can't be over, not this way
Tell me what song you want me to play?
We can be happy, don't you see?
Please come back, to me

=Solo=

No, it can't be over, not this way
I'll sing any song you say
I promise you paradise
So don't let our feelings turn to ice
==============================================================
Technical information:
Style: SOULTRY.STY Key: Em Temp: 95 bpm

RealTracks:
2915: Bass, Elec.
2906:Piano, Elec. Vintage
2158:Guitar, Elec, Funky Groove
2904:Guitar, Elec, Gritty Bluesy
673:Organ, B3
576:Guitar, Elec., Solist Blues
RealDrums:FunkHalfNoteSync: a: Snare, Kickb: Busy Kick
Me:
Keyboard: NI Pharlight, vocals and lyrics

Hi Hans
Really cool blues song
I like the vocals as always with you ;-)
The band is really good
Also the solo guitar sounds good
But maybe it is a bit too loud compared to the rest of the band
But that's just my feeling.
In any case, the song makes a lot of fun
Well done Hans
Many greetings
Andi ;-)

Hans, fantastic blues.

Super vocal and mix

Loved that guitar lead and that subtle B3 - brilliant

Loved it

Really nice and bluesy Hans.
Wonderful song with good vocals!

Anne-Marie

PS Ik luister altijd met oortjes in en hoor de backing vocal alleen aan de linkerkant.
Is dat de bedoeling?

Good song, good band and good vocal capture.
Some of the phrasing truck me as odd as did some of the translation
BUT
It's a cool thing none-the-less.

Excellent song, Hans, loved the intro, and as always, I really like your vocal.

I liked the lead guitar during the intro, but wasn't mad about the solo he played to be honest. But, that's a matter of taste.

Overall a strong song, really enjoyed.

Hullo Hans.
I like the choice of instruments which mix nicely with the song's cool JJ Cale style.

Not so keen on the doubling of the vocal and reverb effect which distances the vocal from the rest of the mix and gives the voice a harsh sound.

I would change the lyrics slightly.
Verse 1: "Much broken hearts" to "Many broken hearts".
Verse 2: "flew out of my chime" to "fly out of my chime".
Verse 5: "Live will give us roses" to "Life will give us roses".

Vic

Hi Vic,

I start answering the posts with yours.
Thanks for the very nice words on the song, but also on your critics.



About the use of the words, I'm very happy with your corrections. Even when it meant I had to sing the whole song again (except verse 5), because I sang it correctly, but wrote it wrong.

The second change I made was skipping the background vocals as you suggested. I hestitated some time about that, but I wasn't satisfied with the sound/tightness of them. So this is the 'solo' version...

But don't let it go to your head, sometimes I'm not zo easy... ;-)

Thanks,
Hans

Hi Andi,

Thanks a lot for your so nice post!
But take a look below your comment here too



If you read my answer to Vic, you also read I can be (a tiny bit) stubborn, or cocky.
In your case I didn't recognised the loudness on the solo. But i listened several times with your comment in mind.
But the result is I don't hear a need to lower it's volume.
I hope we still can stay friends!

Hans

[Ha! I just finished writing a song called Dark Days Are Numbered.] This is really good, Hans. Excellent impassioned vocal. The whole band accents that feel. I get the temptation to improve lyrics, but on the other hand, considering you are singing as someone from the Netherlands to the English girl that didn't get it*, I'd say they were perfect as they were. And I'm as pedantic as they come. Love the song.

*didn't understand how good she had it.

Okay, Hans.
It will take more than that for you to lose me as a friend ;-)))

Hi Mario, RnAM and Ray,



Thanks a lot Mario. But I made an update on the song due to comments here in this post ;-)
I hope to hear what you think of the update.



Hi Anne-Marie, thanks for the compliments. And there is an update now, because I made some mistakes and Dave offered his help to make a Blues solo as they have to sound.

And your Dutch sentence: I haven't heard anything strange in my headphones, but the BG is gone now...



Hi Ray, we discussed the odd things on email. Thanks for your suggestions. I used them all and added some of myself too.
And also thanks for your compliments!

Well, I am very happy with the help of the forum, but I also feel a bit ambivalent.
Normally a song needs to be finished when posting it. And here it wasn't.

Hans

Any time you add Dave's guitar to the brew, you've mixed a potent blues. Plus your good lyrics and singing are a treat. Nice job on this one, enjoyed it much!

The rework is grand...Mr Bell rings in the changes and chimes in perfectly.
No need for ambivalence mate, you wrote the thing & produced a cool song. The input of forum members merely added a little to help the already cool song achieve even more of its potential.
I know you prefer to post a "complete" work but you also know that I rarely do, as I value the input of forum ears.

Dave's guitar was a really filled the song out. Super vocal and lyric Hans. Backtrack had a really cool groove to it. Really well done..

It's always the season for blues!

It sound all good to me - vocals, guitar, lyrics... all of it!

Excellent in al aspects.

Dave's sizzling guitar and your impassioned vocal puts in the top tier.

I don't care what that Dave Bell fellow says, I like the guitar solo!

Enjoyable blues song with pleasant collaboration, every note Dave plays is pure blues magic. You and Blue Attitude are the best blues song producers on this forum, but please remind me if I forgot someone worth mentioning too

Nice story with thorns and roses. Good selection of other instruments, the drums are nicely mixed. I like your laid-back vocal performance.

Janne

Hans,

Stunningly Good!

A very passionate vocal.

Dave's guitar is smokin'

Mix sounds good.

REALLY like this.

Your Best Ever.

fj

Good day, mr Marty,

I nearly forgot to react to your post, athough it was a very funny one. I told my wife how lucky she was I sang her another song...




Hey Marty, I thought you to be the most positive man I met. When I send you the first concept of a dark song of mine, and with that strange solo in it, you fell silence. I thought because of the dark lyrics, but now I read you finished a dark song yourself. So it must have been that strange solo then.
Later I heard from Dave you were very, very busy.
But I loved your comment on this song! and you were right about the girl...

Is your dark song ready yet?

Cheers,
Hans