Hi Rob, Again, such a positive review, thank you, I'm glad it fitted in with the time period musically, not to say that you would have heard Vera Lynn sing this, but you could associate it with the world at that time. Sorry about ‘raised’, I must admit I’ve not since it written in that context often, so I defaulted to the wrong spelling. Yeah, I had deliberately not mentioned that one of the four children was girl. In fact, when generating the images, AI assumed they were all boys and I had to go back and specify 3 boys, 1 girl please! So just saying you and me lead to the unexpected ending of marriage through common adversity, which as you say is more evident in the video. Thank you again for a very kind review, kind regards.
Audio Track makes two points that should be considered a) if links are provided they ought to be tested and where they are reported as being regionally sensitive that ought to be accepted at face value and b) one ought not expect a reader to use a search engine, (I for one don't use Goggle nor use the company name as a verb), to supply information missing for the O.P. As to the method? It's just another coding system, ( yes I did look it up using Duck Duck Go), not unlike tabs.
Ray, the search engine you choose to use, or whether you use one at all, is entirely your own business. As for expecting me to ‘test’ links for compatibility with every country’s infrastructure, policies, protocols, restrictions, and regional quirks and oddities across the globe, I have exactly three words for that: ain’t gonna happen. I do agree that it is prudent to accept at face value any link that is “regionally sensitive” and I do sympathize with any PWWW restrictions you or others may face. Said restrictions are beyond my control.
Hi, Ken. Nice music! Make up your own language? Man, that certainly simplifies writing lyrics. I need to try that some day.
There's a lot to be said for it actually! Singing which is wordless or with lyrics no one understands means you don't have to worry about them meaning anything, as long as they sound good. For example Pink Floyd's "Great Gig in the Sky" , or this track by Cocteau Twins
Hi Noel Many thanks for chipping in! You're help and support on BIAB issues is really great. Unfortunately this problem is a puzzle which is very strange ... I will try to see if starting all over from scratch with a song that has the issues, aligning bars, saving and checking if it will be stable. The thing is that the audio files have been corrupted by BIAB which would normally have the correct silence during count in up until bar 1. Never happened before with any of BIAB upgrade. Maybe reinstall both 2025 and 2026 to check it further.
This is a great love song and the line "It was such, such an inviting stare" is exactly the right wordage. I was just communicating with an old friend via email and I mentioned that where I now live there are 3 ladies, all half my age (which is now 75, though I'm told I don't look old enough to retire) who I get on amazingly well with and all 3 moon into my eyes, while one goes all 'girlie and vulnerable' when we chat, while another always gives me that semi-shy "inviting stare" when she sees me approaching. I told my friend that all are in partnerships so nothing could happen - I've basically become the 'sexy older guy' - but he replied something like "oh, they just like talking to you", but one automatically *knows* it's more than that through the obvious body language, and thus I 100% confirm that "inviting stare" hits the nail on the head!
Chay, your status as a published novelist of some renown adds considerable weight to your opinion. Thanks for explaining your thought process behind it, and I may well keep it as it is!
Hi Izzy Yes daughters can be the harshest critics, but at the same time they can keep you grounded. Like your songs, in your reply you’ve painted such a relatable scenario. The jury is still out on your age. Whilst 71 year olds can still sing, you have the vocal strength and quality of a 40 year old. So that begs only one question folks….. is he serious? Kind regards
Well done. The magic of this one is the use of repeated and harmony lines...they make it really real. Everything about this is cool...cajon included. I LOVE the double solo...the counter line underneath doesn't compete but adds context. ACE writing, arrangement & mix.
Thank you Ray. Janice made up those harmony and BGV bits in her head and Bud had no idea what was happening until record time. 😀 We’re glad you liked it. We certainly agree with you re Peter’s guitar and we appreciate the cajon and mix mention. J&B
Funny and fabulous, Mario. Love the B3! Super vocals that capture the down trod narrator's mood perfectly. Quirky and cool band, especially the bass player. Nicely done, sir!!
Nice upbeat groove. Guitars sound great, bass too (pretty sure he is getting paid by the note ) Good one, Andrew, I enjoyed the story, lots of fun, nice job on the video too.
Thanks Dave! It’s good to let fellow band members to shine, and sometimes that even includes bass guitarists! And regarding the story, I’ve always had a good imagination, which comes in handy when coupled with shallow life experience. Thanks for listening!
Originally Posted by DC Ron
Andrew, clever and funny write. Super band! Especially like your guitar work here, and the Gretsch comes in quite magically. Those two RealStyles blend well together, too. That's an effective trick I don't use as often as I should. Vocals are exactly right and convey the narrator's plight quite well. Another finely crafted pop treat.
Thanks Ron. I like to give my fingers a run occasionally. Being a bedroom strummer for my early years, playing alone, I taught myself how to mimic each song’s style as much as I could with only one instrument, so the ‘up strum’ in ska became part of my arsenal.
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Careful, or you'll be a lyrics-first songwriter before you know it!
It’s still the hardest part for me that I have to work at. Many of my teen and early twenties songs remain unfinished due to lack of lyrics, or bad ones. I probably have around 50 or so ‘songs’ waiting for words that have sat there for years. One day.
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Really enjoyed reading the details of the process you used. Fun stuff. (FWIW, Drop Station has been around for years so the comment about loving "this feature of BiaB 2026" was a wee bit baffling.)
Thanks Ron. I like reading about others’ methods and approaches as well. Regarding Drop Station, do you mean to tell me that my productivity has been sub-optimal for years? Seriously, I saw it in the top left corner of 2026 and thought it was a new feature!
Originally Posted by rsdean
Great song! Love the rhythm and sheen this one has. You craft some superb pop pieces and this one is no exception. Love the backstory as well. Awesome stuff!
Thanks Bob! You used the term ‘pop’ in the sense of how I understand pop, but which nowadays is used for Katie Perry, Taylor Swift and the like. In my view, ‘pop’ is best illustrated by the brilliant Beatles double A single of Strawberry Fields Forever and Penny Lane. Thank you all for listening and commenting! Andrew
Hi Chay! I like the pace you’ve chosen for this instrumental - not too quick, not too slow. Just right for the soloists to be able to dance around it. And it always helps when your foundation is reggae. Your soloist choices add a lot of colour and provide good examples of how different instruments can mix with others. Andrew
Hi Chay. I listened first before I read your post. I was thinking "this is made for a vocal". Carry on. Vic
I'll keep in mind that you thought "this is made for a vocal" as I predominantly want to be focussing on sung songs. I listened to the Audacity mix without the solos and wasn't inspired, but then listening again I thought that if the vocals followed most of the notes of the opening solo it could really well. Thanks for that idea!
Hi Herb! It was good to hear the evolution of the recording. I note that a few forum members post remakes/re tweaks of their songs from time to time. In your case, did you want to freshen it up, add elements that you wanted to improve the song, or were you hearing things in the original that you always wanted to change? I wonder how many of us are never quite happy (I’m not suggesting you were) with our song, and it’s only the passage of time after a lengthy recording/mixing process (that we begin to loathe) that we feel we can come back to it? I really liked watching your 2011 video - it’s good to see a writer ‘in the flesh’ in their native habitat. Andrew
It wasn't from any perceived deficiency in the original song per se. Time just gives a new perspective and obviously the tools have changed drastically in the interim. With those new tools, there were new directions that were open to my interpretation of the song. Thanks for listening
Thanx so much Ron, Janice and Bud, Bob, Chay, Bob, Floyd, Laurent, Herb, David, Dave, Brian, and Marty for all of your very kind words. I appreciate them.
whats really needed imho is to have one app that splits into 6 parts AND at the same time creates new tracks that are assessed that might be better than one or more splits useing AI. thus the user could have 'options' to improve the split tracks.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can transcribe an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. 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, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PDT on May 31st, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
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Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
Order before 11:59pm PDT today (May 15, 2026) to save up to 50% off your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrade and receive a FREE Bonus PAK loaded with great new Add-ons to use with this new version!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
Note: XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
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) Good one, Andrew, I enjoyed the story, lots of fun, nice job on the video too.
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