Hi Forum friends. Thanks for all the wonderful comments on Down on Your Love!! It really means a lot to me. There is a lot of great talent on this forum and to get such positive feedback is appreciated more than you know. I know there are some on the forum who are Steely Dan fans. I am a huge fan of The Dan!! In my mind, Becker and Fagan occupy a status in music that shares the rarified air with very few, such as Lennon and McCartney. The more I learn about music....arranging, mixing, soloing.....the more these guys just blow my mind. This tune is basically a Steely Dan tribute. BIAB has some great tracks for such music. In fact, recently watching a Steely Dan performance on Youtube, they mentioned Jon Herrington, who was sitting in and plays guitar on this track, as "a long time friend of the band". Hope you enjoy and would love to get your feedback. Take care. Greg
The band:
Bass. 3682 EP. 904 Lead guitar. 2604 Sax. 1055 Drums. ElecCymbalSw16 Horns. Kontakt Session Horns pro BG vows. Eastwest Hollywood backup singers
Shorty’s Place
Clock on the wall is stopped at 5:05 But the patrons here don’t notice that at all Long as the whiskey pours things move ‘round here And Shorty keeps it rolling to last call
Every night is just the same but no one seems to mind They drink their entertainment from a glass Same old crowd is laughing loud Things move at the same pace Things don’t ever change at Shorty’s Place
Joey takes the booth next to the telephone Though he knows it hasn’t rung in 30 years He leaves the liquor to the younger crowd But you’ll never catch him once without his beer
Lucy tells her stories how she almost made in big In the good old glory days of Hollywood Shorty backs her up with a sly smile on his face Cause Lucy is the queen of Shorty’s Place
Every night is just the same but no one seems to mind They drink their entertainment from a glass Same old crowd is laughing loud Things move at the same pace Things don’t ever change at Shorty’s Place
Wow, this is a cool tribute! Nailed the vibe, and the vocals are right on. Not sure how you did all those harmonies and BGVs, but they sound great as well. I agree with you on Steely Dan. Enjoyed your tune a lot!
FWIW, there is a BiaB "LA Pop" MIDI set that is based on a bunch of early Steely Dan tunes. Fun to play with.
DC Ron BiaB Audiophile Presonus Studio One ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM Presonus Faderport 16 Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
As others have mentioned, man, you sure have a great sound here. A great mix and arrangement, strong writing and you kill it with the vocals. I kind of liked the way you panned the oohs/aahs to one side, and the guitar was sounding so cool. This one has it all!
Lovely nostalgic mood, I can really feel Shorty's Place become alive and meet those people of the story. And wow what an arrangement! The sax and the electric guitar are perfect choices. The mix is honey to my ears. Definitely has strong Steely Dan vibe, excellent vocals and those background vocals sound really polished!
I've never heard Steely Dan but this song is SUPERB. It makes a story come alive - I feel, having listened to the song just once, as if I know Shorty, Joey, Lucy ... and that I'd find that bar out of a thousand, and be able to get around it just as easily. And, again, the song itself is really beautiful and so well-crafted. Your voice is at its usual, phenomenal crooner best. Bravo.
Great song, arrangement, mix, lyrics and vocals! I've been meaning to ask this for awhile: Many posting BiaB samples used write as you do: Bass. 3682 EP. 904 Lead guitar. 2604 Sax. 1055 But these numbers mean nothing to me. Is there a way in BiaB to search specifically for such?
Some favourite Waoist Adages: #1: Play on the Way. #13: Ask not for whom the flower blooms, it blooms for you. #58: Bring consciousness to it. #63: On the road to effortlessness, effort must be made. #92: Be Love Now, the rest will come on its own.
Ah, that sensational sound... What a great tribute, Gerg. In my opinion, they should be writing tribute songs about you. Right from that sax opening, I heard the influence of The Dan. Velvet voice, excellent arrangment, masterful mix. My guess is that Shorty is about 7 feet tall, but no mistaken Lucy's looks.
Enjoy whatever happens! marty
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@babumusic51 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/marty-straub Band in a Box, Reaper, Cakewalk, Ozone 12, EZDrummer
"Joey takes the booth next to the telephone Though he knows it hasn’t rung in 30 years He leaves the liquor to the younger crowd But you’ll never catch him once without his beer"
Love that.
Man, what a great narrative! Absolutely terrific imagery.
Janice has always been a fan of Steely Dan and often mentions their vocals. Bud is a Johnny Come Lately but has also become a fan.
Not too long ago we watched an excellent Classic Album series episode on them.
As others have said you really captured the feel with the write, band, vocals and production. Excellent mix.
This is an excellent tribute that we much enjoyed!
J&B
BTW, I noticed that you and Janice are on the same Spotify playlist ... 70s Chill. Cool.
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
What an aural treat! Mix and placement couldn't be done any better. Love the tune and the singing is your usual smooth croon. Lyrics are ace, and my fave line is "He leaves the liquor to the younger crowd/But you’ll never catch him once without his beer."
Greg...stellar production...this sounds like a studio cut...very sophisticated and tight track...your vocals are always a treat and this is your style brother...keep bringing it...it's a treat for all of us!
www.soundclick.com/firesong BiaB 2024, Steinberg Cubase Pro 13, Wavelab 11.2, SpetraLayers Pro 10, Audacity, Steinberg UR44 Interface, Yamaha Genos, Roland FP60 and FP10, Windows 10
You are who you are because you do what you do because of what you believe.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.
but this song is SUPERB. It makes a story come alive - I feel, having listened to the song just once, as if I know Shorty, Joey, Lucy ... and that I'd find that bar out of a thousand, and be able to get around it just as easily. And, again, the song itself is really beautiful and so well-crafted. Your voice is at its usual, phenomenal crooner best. Bravo.
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean