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Hi, all: I remain somewhat inactive on the music front, but ray c sent me this mix some weeks back and it totally caught my ear. I gave it some heavy listening while on vacation recently in Portugal, and the choral refrain came as I sat in the vineyards of my hotel, on a misty day, looking out over the Duoro river. It all evolved from there. Ray did most all the heavy lifting on the mix, though he did accommodate a couple of chord changes I suggested to support the melody I came up with . . . mainly to help resolve the chorus back into the verse. What’s left is a poppy rock tune about finding purity in love. This is not yet final, so comments and feedback are, as always, welcome. Hope you enjoy! [ Update: The file is updated per Ray's comment below with the latest version of the song.] [ Update #2 as of 7-4-25: In light of of the comments below, we've updated a new version of the song. Details below] Deej Here's the song:WALKING ON WATER Here are the lyrics:Sea winds and raindrops in my face Sound and vision yet reveal you in this place Can I express so honestly If you could ever let me be Wrapped up in your mystery And ever in your space I’ll be walking on water Every day In your sweet light Come what may In your light ’til the End of days So now I have your sunlight on my skin Penetrates and resonates on everything within Every flaw that I possess Will ever flee at your behest And when your whisper tells me yes The miracle begins So let the rain keep falling from the sky Let the wind blow endlessly, the seas and rivers rise ‘Cause all the storms and floods will be Nothing more than scenery As long as I can ever be Here and by your side And here's the band:BIAB Real Tracks: GtrL 3943 GtrR 3944 Gtr 1021 Gtr lead 3729 Organ 4380 Synth 1278 ray cochrane Tracks: HB elec 12 string chorus & accents Squire Mustang high power chords in verse & low power chords for chorus Vantage bass
Last edited by Deej56; 07/04/25 11:09 AM.
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Don't let Deej fool you about his involvement it started when he suggested a more exciting key: he was right. He suggested the tag ending: he was right. He suggested a better resolution, (you know me I like to avoid them), and he was right again.
THEN you add his melodies, lyrics and performances - not to mention mix collaboration.
Oh, this mix is a bit tame. There's nothing on the stereo bus apart from a VERY gentle, almost hands off, limiter though the mix has been processed to -14Lufs (M) for streaming purposes.
Deej now has a slightly more UP one to upload at his discretion based on your suggestions & comments.
Let us know what needs doing - other ears are important.
As usual, collaborating with Deej was easy and fun.
Last edited by rayc; 07/01/25 09:24 PM.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Deej / Ray,
Love the energy in this song. Both in the vocal and backing band. The pacing is just great. I also love the overall production and that excellent guitar solo. Very cool ending as well.
It sounds like the perfect "summer song" to me!
EXCELLENT!
Bob
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Superb song, energetic performances, dynamic arrangement...GREAT job, guys. Vocals and bass are top level. Productive use of BiaB soloist in a vocal-based song was rare and cool. The chanting BGVs near the end are also neat, as is the false ending.
Constructive feedback? The mix sounds a tad over-compressed to my ears, and could breathe a little more. Personal preference though. The ending after the false ending COULD have a longer decay. Otherwise...perfection.
Honestly, you guys really put together a special song here. Congratulations!
Last edited by DC Ron; 07/02/25 01:00 PM.
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Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
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Hi Deej and Ray!
A brilliant, high-energy, melodic pop rock song. I love some of the chord moves throughout, and that chorus with repeating first line followed by ‘Every day, in your sweet light …’ etc - that is gold.
My preference would have been to end on what DC Ron referred to as the false ending with layered vocals drifting off in the reverb/delay - somewhat clichéd I know.
A really good song.
Andrew D
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Great to hear you again Deej! This is an instant smash! You two really turned it out on this tune. I do have some suggestions. I would've liked a longer intro. Maybe double the current length. And a better ending would be nice. JMHO, take it in stride. Everything in between is stellar. Super track!
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Gentlemen this is dynamite!
Outstanding backing band - loved that bass
Outstanding arrangement
Super vocals and mix
Loved it
Dad, how will I know when I've become an adult.
When your day is ruined because they rearranged the grocery store.
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Hi Deej and Ray. Big, loud an in your face!  Like Ron says, it's sounds a bit compressed, but that might just be the nature of the beast. I enjoyed this a lot!
-- David Cuny My virtual singer development blogVocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?BiaB 2025 | Windows 11 | Reaper | Way too many VSTis.
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Thanks for the suggestions so far. I'll give everything a trial.
I'm interested that the file sounds compressed. There's a MIX BUS preset limiter on the stereo out but it's very light. No comp on Deej's vocal - perhaps it's the "normalizing" to achieve -14Lufs. I've been using that so I can compare mixes without having to "gain match". It may be that -14 isn't what Soundcloud likes.
The soundcloud file sound a bit mono in my net listening comp. I'll have to check that elsewhere.
"...a better ending..." is interesting. That's a subjective thing I'm willing to try if quantified so that I can have a crack.
This song did have held chords and slow fade organ on the last two bars but I elected to chop it all off with a touch of delay...as an experiment.
Longer intro...I'd like to but that'd depend on the soloist ...I'll have a squiz.
Drifting vocal fade...yeah, yeah, yeah I can hear what you mean.
I'll consult with Deej.
THANKS.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Good song Deej and Ray! On my first listen I thought the (excellent) vocal could come up a db or two, but listening again I think it's just about perfect.
Enjoyed!
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Man, I love it when you guys "get together." Very cool song with a lot of catchy energy. Love the strong melody that propels us to that contagious chorus. Super write. Cool guitar work, but it may be sitting to close to the driver. Deej, you are always a favorite vocalist, and if you rework the mix, I'd like to hear it more out front. I listened to the song a second time cuz I like it so much and also so I can answer the question that burned from the first listen: What the heck was that ending? The question wasn't answered, but I listened again cuz i like it.
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Bob, Ron, Andrew, Bob, Mario, David, Dave and Marty:
Thanks for the listens and a the comments so far. You've all given us a LOT to think about. Ray and I will have to put our heads together and figure out next steps, but here are some of my initial thoughts on your feedback:
Intro: I'm pretty satisfied with the length right now. This is a short, poppy song in my mind and the intro gets right to it. Of course, it's all subjective and the guitar is compelling, so I can understand wanting to hear more. Worth a try, if nothing more than to confirm shorter is better.
Vocal Level: From my side, I didn't want the vocal too far out in front at risk of overwhelming the mix . . . so tried to find that fine line between present but not buried. I thought it was pretty close in this version.
Compressed Mix: So I can't speak for ray on the music tracks side, but on the lead vocal, where I normally use a pre-set "Warm Vocal" on my EQ, I did use a "Compressed" EQ pre-set here. Largely because it otherwise sounded too high-end and tinny, and not the right fit for the other tracks. So there may be something to the comments here. Definitely worth a closer look on ray's and my ends.
The Ending: I think this likely falls more on me than ray, as the "yeah, yeahs" to the closing harmony was my suggestion. We could have faded out on the harmonies, but I liked ray's chord's kicking back in at the end, which to me fits the "poppy" element of the tune. In the last version, ray added the delay stacatto fade out, which I do like. Extending it out a bit, per Ron's suggestion, might be worth a try. More for us to experiment with.
Thanks again so much for the thoughtful comments. They are all very helpful!!!
Best regards to you all:
Deej
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Deel and Ray...brilliant write and production...as soon as I saw the title I thought this will be interesting...I was not disappointed...I love the energy and ANYTHING that you sing Deej goes on my listen to list...as a gospel writer I made a presumption as to who you were addressing in the song... it seemed obvious to me
"So now I have your sunlight on my skin
Penetrates and resonates on everything within
Every flaw that I possess
Will ever flee at your behest
And when your whisper tells me yes
The miracle begins"
This is so good I wish that I had written it (my highest compliment BTW)...Ray...just a super production...Deej, a stellar performance!
www.soundclick.com/firesongBiaB 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.
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Lots to like about this! I especially liked:
The step-wise build up of the melody in the verse--so skillfully done.
The genius inspiration to repeat the "walking on water" line--you'd be tempted to make each phrase something different, but repeating it works perfectly.
The frantic pace of it is so full of positive energy, loved that
The way that the chorus led back into the verse--liked that progression.
Re the ending, I would have probably just repeated those last two bars; again, my own preference.
Really glad I tuned in!! Masterful work, both.
Windows 11, Intel Core i5-8600T 2.3Ghz, 16 gig ram, BIAB 2025 MegaPak, SampleTank 4, Keystation49 Kybd, Neewer NW-800 mic
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Ray & Deej,
I'm back for a while. Still reeling from Di's passing. But I'm slowly getting better. That's what she would want. But it's tough.
A really nice energetic song that commands the listener's attention. And that's the point, I would say.
A bit too much compression? Maybe. But that's a personal choice. I would like to hear just a bit more higher EQ - not much, just a small amount.
Great composition and performance. You gentlemen make good music!
Best to both of you.
Alan
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Ear candy for sure. I love the rise in melody at the end of the verse---perfect transition to the memorable chorus. Power pop magic all the way. Yeah!
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Good song, Deej and Ray! I love that climbing F major scale, which goes into the chorus. You've got an enviable vocal technique, Deej ... rare when one hears someone who is technically AND musically a master of their craft. Ray's work is evident throughout, yet completley unobtrusive (as I feel it should be), letting the solo voice shine, without the listener's ear being jarred by anything else. It takes skill to make it sound so, so easy ... well done, Ray. Well done, gentlemen. Both of you are incredible musicians, so it's a pleasure to hear your work, and a collaboration between the two of you is particularly enticing. Deej: more, please (if at all possible, of course), out of you. THAT voice, and your overall incredible musical skills, are not for hiding Hope you get enough inspiration, in future, to continue to grace us with your creations. Ray: a pleasure to hear your musical stamp on this song. I can't wait to hear yet more Bravi.
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Dan, Tano, Alan, Ezekiel and James:
Thanks for the kind words . . . really appreciate the listens and feedback. Some more specific comments:
UPDATE 2 as of 7-4-24: Ray sent me a new file. The limiting is removed and it should be otherwise clear of compression. I think it's sounding better, but you all be the judges. The ending has also been altered to a fade out with the guitar and organ.
Dan re the lyrics: I was really hoping someone would pick up on it. Much like a song I wrote a few years back ("I Can't Wait") there is certainly an intentional dual meaning to the lyrics, and this could just as easily been characterized as a Christian Rock Song, rather than just plain old pop rock love song.
Alan: My heart aches for your loss. Time, family, friends . . . and music . . . never fully heal it, but they help an awful lot!! All my best wishes to you!
Once again, thank to everyone for helping us shape this tune.
Deej
Last edited by Deej56; 07/04/25 11:24 AM.
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Hi Deej and Ray,
This is very fun. It puts me back in college listening to the underground bands on weekends... REM being one of them. This song reminds me of one of theirs. Love the yeahs and harmonies.
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BYOBand,
Well, Dan picked up on lyrical influence and you just nailed the musical influence. I very much had R.E.M in mind and that’s one reason I wanted to err on having the vocal sit a tad lower in the mix than more out in front. Good pick up on your part!!
Deej
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