Hi, all:

Spent a fair time this morning and afternoon listening to some great tunes. You are all killing it!

Here’s something new . . . sort of. It’s a song I wrote years and years ago (I don’t quite remember how long ago). I’ve never tried recording it for two reasons: First, musically it had a descending riff that I knew I couldn’t replicate in BIAB—which meant laying down an acoustic track myself, but also reconciling that with the needed key changes (so that I could actually sing it as well as play it). So I made some compromises and got rid of the riff . . . and happily I’m not sure it’s missed.

Second, I needed to find a key I could sing this thing in. But more so, I always thought it needed a smoother, more soulful vocal than I could muster. In fact, I always wondered if a female lead would work better (though “He Rules Me” might not fly in today’s woke world!). Anyway, I’ve hopefully done enough to give a feel for what the song could be . . . which is always my end goal.

One last production note: The original song had an additional line of lyric after the second chorus and before the solo. The solo required a fair bit of comping (more than usual), and I unknowingly started it a few bars early . . . where that additional line was to be sung. I think it was a happy accident, as in retrospect the line didn’t add much, and the longer solo, at least for me, works well. But see what you think!

All comments and feedback welcome. I’m sure there are nits in the production notwithstanding having listened to and tweaked this a gazillion times (still not sure the vocal is where it needs to be)!

Best to you all,

Deej

Here’s the song:

SHE RULES ME

Here are the lyrics:

When all sides of love turn gray
You say it’s better left behind
Go find a better place to be in
But your outside looking in
I can’t win, there’s no turning away
And you say that’s cause enough for leaving

But she rules me
And I don’t know what I’ll do now
I guess I’m bound by love somehow

When all sides of nothing’s changed
Estranged, but not so far away
And I’m swayed by all this talk of treason

The night falls like freezing rain
And comes to chill my heart again
All sides are all the same
And all the talk and all the passion seem
Like just a dream while unseen
Lie the reach of all these chains
I remain tempted by your freedom

And here’s the band:

RealTracks 518: Bass, Electric, Pop HalfNotes
RealTracks 368: Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming
RealTracks 1599: Guitar, Electric, Rhythm Pop16ths A-B
RealTracks 1542: Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm PopBelieve
RealTracks 3438: Guitar, Electric, Soloist BritPsycPopBallad
RealTracks 1543: Synth Pad, PopBelieve Ev16 065
RealDrums: PopRock8ths^04

Last edited by Deej56; 02/25/23 03:21 PM.