Well, it's not so new to me, but it's new to you!

Another Dumb Pop Song - click here

So it's a blend of things, but I can't quite name them now. I can't find the original BIAB file so I'm not absolutely sure what the underlying style is. Maybe someone else can name that drum pattern! If ever find the original BIAB file I'll let you know - I can only find an alternate version in a different, faster bluesier vein.

All the vocals are me. It's got added real guitars and keyboards over the original RT drums and bass and - yes there's some RT sax there - and it sounds like some RT lead guitar in there too.


Another Dumb Pop Song

The leader of the Russian Revolution
Stole a Beatles’ name
And then he had the nerve to spell it wrong
A famous painter cut his ear off
In a fit of rage
And yet he wound up in a dumb pop song

The verses too short the chorus too long
Another dumb pop song
The verses too weak the chorus too strong
Another dumb pop song

A thousand years from now
Historians will go to early graves
Endeavoring to find out why we listened to ‘em
Imagine their revulsion
When they hear the ringtone craze
Convinced by now our culture’s nothing but a ruin

The verses too short (etc)…

There’s a pop star from yesteryear
Whose fame’s not short of fabled
Let’s not say his songs are lame
Just – differently abled
Another dumb pop song (etc)…

Great instrumentation. Cool vocals and lyrics. Great recording and great use of BIAB.

Very original! And oddly hooky all over the place. The mix is eccentric to match.
Well done Paul, I enjoyed that.

John

Thanks John and jptjptjpt! I always appreciate feedback.

The vibe is definitely unique - which is a good thing. Never know what 'sonic delight' is awaiting around the next bar. I think you did a real fine job with a complex song...

Good work Pinglis.
Looking forward to hearing more from you.
What part of Australia are you from?
Im from Cooloola Cove.

Hi Rob,

Thanks for you comments! I'm in Sydney. Cooloola Cove is in Queensland, right? North of Noosa?

--Paul--

Also thanks to Mandolin Mike - yes, I like to keep the songs surprising!

Paul,

Nice! I agree with John, this is very original, with some interesting hooks along the way.

Steve

What can I say, I like dumb pop songs and thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Quirky creative and outside the box yet good inside the box form - some places bordering on strange yet still quite likeable. As John said oddly hooky all over the place.

Cool lyrics too.

Well done!

Thanks Steve!

I wish I could remember what the drum track is - it's certainly not one of those Nashville RealDrum tracks I hear so often - I know I was going with a different RealDrum track to begin with and then changed my mind. I might post a sample of the drums isolated to see if anyone can pick it. I often tend to mix and match different styles - so it's probable that the bass and drum tracks are from different styles.

Even before RealBand came along I would generate a lot of "takes" of RealTracks and Drums and then piece it all together in PowerTracks, picking the best bits and editing them all together...

I think I've figured out the drums. I fairly sure they are the "Pop Calypso" RealDrums - but with a specially timed delay on them - plus some manually tracked percussion.

I like to do some little "tricks" to make the drums sound less like "RealDrums" - limiting, parametric EQ, delays, and of course doing multiple generations of the drums so I can pick the "best bits". I have a suspicion that the drums are also double-tracked on this one...

The vocals are double tracked (normal procedure for me) with double tracked harmony vocals - and some sections of the song have multiple harmonies. You'll notice a couple of seconds of saxophone generated with RealTracks as well - just a question of regenerating the part a few times until something fit. The Jerry Lee Lewis piano at the end is me - but is loosely based on something from BIAB - you'll hear another example of that in the next song I post: "Everybody's Got Soul". I just exported a piano part from BIAB in midi (might have been from a "RealChart") and printed it out as a score and used that as the basis - with some editing. As a keyboard player I don't need BIAB to play the keys - but it's still a useful source of inspiration. There's also some organ in the chorus - with a lot of Leslie on it from the sound of it.

IIRC, I think the bass is midi and run through a real bass amp to give it some body. Although I've used some bass RealTracks on some songs I think in future I might either get a friend to do the basslines, or play them myself.

Don't know how I missed this one Paul, I love the Lyrics! "Let’s not say his songs are lame
Just – differently abled" is Priceless! Thanks for sharing this one Paul!