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SINKHOLE

We’ve enjoyed over the years many of the “connect your own dots” lyrics posted here so we tried to write one of our own. Hope you like the effort, comments are welcome and, as always, thanks to PG Music.

© 2025 J. Merritt, B. Merritt & P. Fulham

Janice Merritt: lead vocal, harmony vocals, background vocals, melody, arrangement and mix
Peter Fulham: guitar solos/fills, mix and arrangement

Bud Merritt: lyric, mix, arrangement, mastering and photo 


Bass: RealTrack 3547 Electric AmericanaSlow12-8 > Logic Pro EQ > Izotope RX De-click > Waves Bass Rider > Logic Pro ChromaGlow

Rhythm Guitar: RealTrack1923 Electric, TexasBluesRockSlow12-8 DI > Logic Pro Pawnshop Distort Amp

Piano: MIDI SuperTrack 2848 BluesSlow12-8 > Logic Pro Punch Grand Piano > Waves CLA Unplugged > Ozone Imager

Drums: RealDrums AmericanaSlow12-8 > Waves CLA Drums

Snare: from above kit: > Waves Magma BB T > Ozone Impact > Neutron 3 > Logic ChromaVerb

Mastering: Ozone modules EQ >Stabilizer > Impact >Imager > Dynamic EQ >Maximizer > Logic Pro Loudness Meter

V1
Been wandering around the high ground
While wondering about the low ground
It’s been so long I’ve forgotten why
Searching for a clue to where I’m bound

Ch
Now I’m floundering about in a sinkhole
Reckon my middle ground fell through
Why are those people staring down at me
Could it be they simply enjoy the view

V2
I once thought every road went somewhere
I spent too long trying to tell my own fortune
Wasted time trying to separate needing from wanting
It was easy to turn reality into distortion

Ch

SOLO

Bridge
I acted like doing nothing was something
Another recipe for failure in the making

Ch

Janice, Bud & Peter,

If Burt Bacharach wrote blues this is what it would sound like. This song has that kind of finesse...

Stunning arrangement and instrumentation. Love Peter's guitar work here. Beautiful lines with a stellar touch.

I'm often lost for words when describing any vocal by Janice. No one sings like she does. This vocal shows an artist at her absolute peak. Impeccable phrasing and timing. Again, no one does it better.

Amazing mix. Another Bud masterclass in audio production.

A new favorite!

Bob

Classic lyrics, complemented by an extraordinary backing, and outstanding vocal works.

Well done.

Man, that is a review to hang on the refrigerator! Thank you so much. The comment about Bacharach and finesse is humbling indeed. His work with Dione Warwick over several decades is stellar. And, wow, your thoughts on the vocals are hugely appreciated. I (Bud) will mention that Janice adheres to Roy Acuff’s comment on the Circle album to get it right the first time as you lose a little something each time afterwards. She lives with the song, floyd’s term 😀, and when she says she ready record then it’s one scratch and a keeper. Pardon the ramble and we hugely appreciate every word of your review!

J&B

Great intro, for a beautiful song, always admirably sung by Janice.
laurent

Thank you for your supportive and positive regarding the vocal and backing comments. And the mention of the lyric is also appreciated.

Have a great weekend,

J&B

Fabulous song, fabulously performed. Love the twin opening guitars and the accents that follow. Smashing vocals, and splendid harmonies/BGVs. It's really simple, but that BiaB bass sounds great. Cool outro. Super arrangement and mix. Bell-like master. Ya'll are amazin'.

Excellent!
There's nothing not to like, a killer band, killer guitars, killer production and last but not least killer vocals.
2 out of 2 thumbs

Thanks for listening and the nice comments!

J&B

LOVED the harmonised guitar intro...what a way to start, (and continue)!.
The arrangement is elegant - no fluff - everything there is just enough.
The narrative is excellent too...perfect metaphor.
The vocals - ah, me oh my - stellar.
The final master - sounds like a bought one!

Janice's vocal is outstanding.
Peter's guitar leads not only are fantastic the also fit the song perfectly .
Bud's mixing and mastering is second to none.
Loved it.

And you are very generous with your comments. We thank you big time as you mentioned all we could’ve hope to achieve. Glad you liked the bass. As a bass player for decades back in the day I favored simple lines and nowadays I look for them in RT’s and typically choose the simpler option and do a little track comping.

We much appreciate your time to listen and write such a nice review!

J&B

Glad it all worked for you!
We much appreciate the comments,

J&B

Thanks Bob that was very much appreciated.

Peter

Of course the first thing to mention here is the slinky sliding vocal that brings the analogy driven lyrics to life. Nobody does it better than Janice. Once again Peter’s touch tone and note choice is a perfect addition. Very well mixed and a great listen. A wonderful addition to your top shelf catalog. Well done!

Thank you Ray. It was a fun project - well the mix did have its twists and turns. 😀 Yep us two liked those duet guitars also. Thanks for mentioning the narrative. It was a quick result of a rare visit by the elusive muse. Janice much liked your vocal comments. Glad you liked the arrangement also. I’ve gotten a bit settled in with that mastering chain lately - been just tweaking the modules per perceived needs of the tune.

We appreciate your comments!

J&B

When I read Bud, Janice and Peter, it's already a given the song is going to be the best thing I've heard in quite a while - well, since their last song. And, my expectation was delivered in spades.

I think Janice has rightfully earned the moniker as "that voice", not just a voice or the voice, but THAT voice. Every song she sings sounds like it was written just for her. Amazing!

Peter always finds the most satisfying licks on that guitar. He corrals six strings as good as anyone I've heard - and better than many of them.

And the head knob twister knows exactly which knobs to twist when to twist them, and how much to twist them. A mix-master,for sure!

Almost forgot to tell y'all I liked it a lot. Take care,

Alan

J&B and Peter,

I'm not going to try and connect any dots here but just enjoy a great sounding track!
This kind of puts me in mind of "Fooled Around And Fell In Love" but not copied in any way, totally original! Elvin Bishop would have recorded this, I'm sure! And he also would have tried to copy Peter's solo! Enjoyed the twin leads! Those are a lot harder to make sound good than people realize!
Another top shelf vocal by Janice (as always)! Her voice always sounds perfect!
Bud, you are one heck of a producer/engineer! I feel that you are the best in the forum! You've got the golden touch on all these tracks!

Thanks, TB

Love the Peter opening; it sets the tone for the tune. Then Janice comes in melting us with the Blues, and the other Janice is mixed so well behind her. The whole piece is so well mixed. I know with you, Bud, I've come to expect it, but you are still improving your craft. Janice, you are so engagingly good, and somehow sounding better each new song. Speaking of new songs, Yeah, you know I say you three do the PD songs better than the thousands of others who've done them before you, but, dang, you write so well. Love the changes in this one. The feeling is contagious in that by listening I become a puppet to its movements, even sitting taller when it swells higher. Then Peter takes us home so well.

It's all good to my ears. And that note bending vocal ..... wonderful.

Vic

Nice Blues tune ... with interesting changes. Good performance on the vocals, and guitar work.

Thanks Mario! All is appreciated by the three of us.

J&B

Thank you Tom and happy b’day!
We appreciate your comments as they addressed all our hoped for achievements.

And that is much appreciated.

J&B

Really enjoyed and appreciated te instrumentation in this, particularly those guitars. As ever, great vocals, though lyrically it reminded me of words spoken by Marvin the android in "Hitchhikers' Guide To The Galaxy" from one the mid to late 1970s BBC Radio 4 episodes (which were way, way better than the TV and movie stuff which followed). Marvin has a had a fall of thousands of feet and created is own very, very deep sinkhole. He's still intact, though he lost android consciousness for awhile, then when he comes to he says something like this in his depressing voice:
"Well, here I am. … Right down the bottom of a very deep, deep and dark hole. … Oh! … What does that remind me of? … Oh, yes. … Life. … Don't talk to me about life."

Your voice certainly shines in this piece, Janice.

JBP,

Nice opening.
Such a nice musical bed. Strong Bass and drums. Nice piano.
Peter is perfectly supportive, as always - nice melodic flow.
The sound field sounds great in cans.

That singer. omg. (you know the rest)

I'm simply enjoying the view.

fj

J&B…enjoyed listening in to a first-rate production—amazing what you guys post on this forum. All aspects were A+..so glad I spent a few minutes with you!

Al, that is, simply stated, overwhelming. It is support like this that makes it all worth while.

We only post about 12 songs annually and we do our best give each one our best effort. So that makes this review very rewarding.

Thank you,

J&B

I do like the effort! And I like connecting the dots. Mix is perfect. The bass is right where it should be. I struggle to get the bass level right. Another standout vocal. Also of not is that dual guitar sound.

Well, needless to we certainly enjoyed reading this several times over morning coffee! You are very generous with your thoughts and we do appreciate them. Janice makes these mixes go more quickly as I never need to edit her tracks in any way. And your production comments are greatly appreciated - I again have to mention Janice as her golden ears are a huge part of my mixing and mastering. Yeah I do tend to brag about her. 😀

Thanks!!

Bud

Yeah! You had me hooked with that opening guitar part, great song!

Excellent vocal as always! Great guitar work, Peter, loved the dual guitar parts especially. Good write and mix, Bud.

You three are great in my book, I love everything you do.

Glad you liked it! Thanks for the engaging backstory on what it reminded you of. We had no idea that there was a predecessor to the TV show and movie. Interesting.

J&B

Well, I was going to write a long, gushing review, but I see Bob Dean has already done that. So ditto me for everything Bob said. I'm a huge fan, you guys are wonderful.

Thanks!

J&B

Thanks mr jane.
Glad that view worked for you!

J&B

And we are glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you,

J&B

Marty, we appreciate you listening and, man, we also appreciate your time to mention so many things you liked. We could hardly dream of a more thorough and positive review. Extra thanks for writing such positive comments about the vocals, the write and Peter’s guitar tracks.

Thank you,

J&B

Every dot is in its right place, Janice's vocal, Peter's guitar and Bud's mix. And of course the lyrical landscape is interesting, we all have our own sinkholes

The solo guitar sounds excellent (effects & melody) and I love the duelling parts. The lift up in the bridge is also nicely surprising, very creative guitar work.

I have run out of new ideas to describe how enjoyable Janice's vocal is, let's just say that I would be happy in any sinkhole if her voice was there to comfort me

Janne

Hey guys, thanks for listening and the nice comments!

J&B

Janice, Bud & Peter,

It's a very pop sound.
It's unusual for you to do pop music, not the usual blues, but really great.
Janis' vocals, sung over 12/8 beat, are amazing.
Peter's twin guitar solos are also wonderful.
Enjoyed my listen a lot.

Best regards.

Shigeki Adachi

Thanks. We're glad you enjoyed the dots.
I too struggle with the bass and often build an fx chain trying to get it to have a decent tone and cut through the mix. Direct Input bass RT's are much easier to work with IMHO.

We appreciate all your comments!

J&B

Thank you Dave.

Your comments, especially coming from a great blues man, are very meaningful!

And we also enjoy all your productions ... very much.

J&B

We much appreciate your very generous comments!

Thank you.

J&B

Thanks Shigeki, you are a wonderful creative artist and we are very appreciative of your time to listen and comment.
Thank you!

J&B

Janne, your thoughtful and supportive comments very much help make this production thing all worth while.
Thank you for commenting on the vocal, the lyric landscape, Peter's guitar work and the arrangement.
And we are happy that with streaming you don't have to climb down into a sinkhole!

Thanks for all,

J&B

Loved Peters intro. So cool for the feel of the song. Another stellar vocal Janice. Backtrack was done so well. Such an original feel. Cool production Bud you are a master at the board...

Apologies for not responding earlier. The forum has been quite busy of late. So … thank you from the three of us for the very supportive comments!

J&B

Hi, J&B.

Janice on blues - what's not to like?

Peter sounds great here. Actually, it sounds a bit like something from LA in the '70s, where the top players just happened to be in the studio down the hall and sat on on this.

Janice appreciates your vocal comment and we know Peter will be happy with your very cool description of the session.

Thank you! Makes it all worthwhile.

J&B



.

J&B and Peter...another extraordinary effort...Bud, super production...super vocals Janice...top of the line as usual and Peter those harmony leads are the best...it has an old and yet a new sound as well...stellar all around!

Hey Team,
Very moving tune. Brilliant arrangement. A+ to Janice vocals and harmonies, they really stand out. Very cool guitar tone and hot solo. Bud's production skills shine, everything has its own space, yet sounds as whole. "It was easy to turn reality into distortion".... ohh yes. Enjoyed my listen and thank you for sharing.
Misha.

That is hugely appreciated by us three!

J&B

And thank you for mentioning, in such a positive manner, everything we could have hoped to achieve!

J&B

A well paced song. Could relax and contemplate while listening.

How did I miss this gem for so long? Nice stuff in there. Write more songs. The melody is vaguely familiar like an old friend.

I like this.

Thank you!
J&B


Glad it worked for you Herb. The lyric is a mashup of three thematically similar writes I never finished.😀

J&B

Loved this! Beautiful, vocals and arrangement. I was swaying in my seat!

Thank you!

And thank you too! We are delighted you like the song are excited that it has been placed on Hot Topics.

Enjoy the weekend,

Janice and Bud

Hey the hits just keep coming with you folks!

This is a really nice and tasty little piece! The sounds are so good and the mixing is so great and as usual the vocals and the guitar are over the top.

Great job!