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#795074 01/11/24 10:46 AM
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First song out of the box in 2024.

This is a song by Josh, a writer in NC I met a couple of weeks ago, who came to my studio here in the woods to record this. With his permission, I present....

Leaving and Grieving

We didn't want to hide the beauty of this simple song in a lot of production. So there's not a lot of instruments used in this song.

Josh: Vocals
Guitar: 2914
Bass: 2474
Cajon & shaker from real drum track menu

Style: Loneson: acoustic guitar ballad

Lyrics:

Drivin angry, the bugs feel my wrath
Doin ninety, broken dreams in the back
Im just hopin no lights slow me down
Can’t see nothin but hearts regret now

Them white lines seem to blend into one
The way we did before pain begun
Summer flashbacks to a hatchback parked in June
Every antique town before we went to ruin

But now I know in my heart and soul
The smile you hid for a while was you slowly letting go
If you’d only told me your trouble down inside
Id have held you so closely and not let fate decide
On your leavin and my grievin

60 miles to the Comal county line
I can make that in about 3 quarter time
Just one last chance to plead a lovers case
Judgements been passed it levied me erased

But now I know in my heart and soul
The lose grip of your fingertips
Was you slowly letting go
If you’d only told me your trouble down inside
Id have held you so closely
And not let fate decide
On your leavin and my grievin

Hear me out
Before I finally drown
I gave you my everything
You threw it on the ground

But now I know in my heart and soul
That puff of smoke around you
Was your love growin cold
If you’d only told me your trouble down inside
Id have held you so closely
And not let fate decide
On your leavin and my grievin


As always, comments are appreciated.

Last edited by Guitarhacker; 01/11/24 11:32 AM. Reason: Typo

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This is absolutely great!
The first few bars had me going down a Seals and Crofts path, but then a country/folk vocal kicked in.
What a great write:
If you’d only told me your trouble down inside
Id have held you so closely and not let fate decide

Everthing about this is top shelf and it is deliciously sparce.

The only nit is a small typo (I think)
But now I know I’m my heart and soul should be But now I know in my heart and soul

This is a great collab, well done.


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Guitarhacker and Josh:

Absolutely brilliant tune! Perfect arrangement, wonderful vocal, killer lyric. Top shelf stuff!

Deej

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Originally Posted by Bass Thumper
This is absolutely great!
The first few bars had me going down a Seals and Crofts path, but then a country/folk vocal kicked in.
What a great write:
If you’d only told me your trouble down inside
Id have held you so closely and not let fate decide

Everthing about this is top shelf and it is deliciously sparce.

The only nit is a small typo (I think)
But now I know I’m my heart and soul should be But now I know in my heart and soul

This is a great collab, well done.

I can't claim any writing credits, just production and advice.

Yep... Typo fixed.

Thanks


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www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
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That boy knows how to write. High quality.

And a voice to envy. One of those voices like Stapleton - where it hardly matters what you sing because everything sounds good. The voice of a star.
The vocal is really well captured.
Don't really hear the bass at all. (but it's not needed).
The mix sounds good (even without the bass).

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Originally Posted by Deej56
Guitarhacker and Josh:

Absolutely brilliant tune! Perfect arrangement, wonderful vocal, killer lyric. Top shelf stuff!

Deej

Thank you. We're so glad you enjoyed this song. The kind words are appreciated.


You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

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WOW!!! That studio in the woods turned out to be a terrific destination for Josh. Dang, what a great vocal and I really really dig the changes. Terrific feel. Oh, man, this is good, Herb. Simply superb!!


Enjoy whatever happens!
marty

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Awesome! I agree with all the other comments. Josh sure can write and sing a high-quality song. Obviously, you made a great decision by keeping the production simple as it matches the sentiment of the lyrics and melody to a tee. Is Josh a member of NSAI?

Dewey

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Well, this is all it needs.
Lovely lyric, vocal and arrangement.
Josh reminds me of Jason Isbell.

Vic

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Straight out of the box. Good write Josh. I hope to hear more. Good production capturing a great vocal performance. Thanks for posting Herb, Tom

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This is more than excellent...the writing is exceptional...the track is perfect...crystal clear and clean...the vocals are so good and the chord structure is stellar...one of the best I've heard lately if not ever on the forum...thanks for posting this!


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Hi Guys,

This is one of the best songs I have heard on this forum for a long time.

Good song, very well sung and with an excellent mix.

Great work.

Best Regards
Nigel


Nigel Spiers
Christchurch, New Zealand
info@nzacoustics.com
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Originally Posted by floyd jane
That boy knows how to write. High quality.

And a voice to envy. One of those voices like Stapleton - where it hardly matters what you sing because everything sounds good. The voice of a star.
The vocal is really well captured.
Don't really hear the bass at all. (but it's not needed).
The mix sounds good (even without the bass).

Thanks for your kind words. I tend to agree... He's certainly got a talent.

Regarding the bass... This is an upright bass which sounds totally different from the typical electric basses I tend to use. High passed to reduce the boominess and low in the mix but a good set of speakers or cans will let you know it's there.


You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

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The lesson in this song is less is more. This song doesn't need any more!
Josh on hell of a singer. He reminds me of Chris Stapleton.
Super country
Great lyrics and backing tracks
Outstanding mix
You two make a great team and I hope we hear more from you.


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Me: My child causes trouble at home, do I ever call you?

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Sounds great!

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What a great talent Josh possesses. Excellent write and an extraordinary production. Excellent proof that the KISS approach is often a winning decision. He can sing, he can write, he can put a great chord pattern to it all - top quality everything in this production. And speaking of production, your mixing and, I would suppose, input on the arrangement, is as good as anything Nashville can put out.

I can see this as a Top-10 country hit just as it's presented here - I doubt anybody could put it together any better. How old would you guess Josh to be? I ask because he has a seasoned voice with a fresh delivery that puts Country music right where it should be. His phrasing really stood out to me. Sometimes that can carry a song.

Excellent in al respects.

Alan


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Wow, this is outstanding! Great write, outstanding vocals and a clear mix. Sparse arrangements can sometimes expose BiaB artifacts, but this sounds very realistic and natural to my ears. Fantastic job by everyone involved!


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Marty:
Quote
WOW!!! That studio in the woods turned out to be a terrific destination for Josh. Dang, what a great vocal and I really really dig the changes. Terrific feel. Oh, man, this is good, Herb. Simply superb!!

Marty, The little studio in the woods.... It's a place to have fun and play with music. This one turned out really well. Thanks


Dewey:
Quote
Awesome! I agree with all the other comments. Josh sure can write and sing a high-quality song. Obviously, you made a great decision by keeping the production simple as it matches the sentiment of the lyrics and melody to a tee. Is Josh a member of NSAI ?

Dewey, I couldn't agree more. Working with folks like this is a real pleasure. We literally only did 3 vocal takes. They were so identical that I used one of them as the lead and the rest as low level doubles R&L. And Yes, he's a member of NSAI.


Vic:
Quote
Well, this is all it needs.
Lovely lyric, vocal and arrangement.
Josh reminds me of Jason Isbell.

Vic, To be compared as a writer to Jason Isbell, is a nice compliment. On behalf of Josh....Thanks.


You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

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Herb / Josh,

This sounds like it came out of a Nashville studio. So good.

You both should be very proud.

Bob

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Excellent song! Josh knows how to write, no question. I really like his vocal too.

Track sounds prefect to me, Herb, good selection of instruments and good mix.

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