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Posted By: floyd jane My Southern Belle - 07/31/13 08:50 PM
I found this today. I had forgotten that I had worked this up.
Kevin posted a jam "in honor of j.j.cale". This one has a bit of that influence as well.

It is an old song - written back when telephone companies meant something.
Southern Bell ruled the SouthEast US. They turned into Bell South.
I don't even know if they still exist... but that is where the "wink" in this song came from.
Man! we're getting old fast! Remember when the phone hung on the wall in your kitchen?
And you could only walk as far as the cord would let you???


MY SOUTHERN BELLE



RealTracks:
RealTracks in song: ~1846:Bass, Electric, CountryBoogieRootFive Sw 140
RealTracks in song: 1718:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm TexasBluesRockStraightBrent Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 848:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm CountryRockRiff Ev 120 (A:sync)
RealTracks in song: 384:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm Rock Southern Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 1515:Guitar, Electric, Soloist CountryBrent Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 1169:Guitar, Electric, Soloist RockMediumBrent Ev 120
RealDrums in Song: BluesRockEv^1-a:Snare, HiHat , b:Snare, Open HiHat

I did vocals and harmonies and played acoustic.

Comments encouraged...

floyd
Posted By: Pat Marr Re: My Southern Belle - 07/31/13 10:10 PM
I love it Floyd!
Yeah, I remember all those things!

very clever word play throughout, and I like the way you put some of the rhymes in the middle of the sentence instead of the usual end of the sentence.

Instead of rambling on as I usually do, I'll stop here and see what others have to say...
Posted By: ROG Re: My Southern Belle - 07/31/13 10:34 PM
Cool track, Floyd.

Super lyrics and a great vocal performance. Very nice choice of RTs and a groove that really drives along. I loved the guitar sounds. The dialing tone at the end was inspired.

The mix sounds great on my main monitors, but on headphones the stereo placement seems a bit too accurate for my taste. Sorry, Floyd - I think that's the first time I've been less than enthusiastic about any aspect of your recording. Apart from that, a brilliant track!

ROG.
Posted By: floyd jane Re: My Southern Belle - 07/31/13 10:42 PM
Pat - I love when you ramble!!!

ROG - You have my attention...

I don't know what you mean by... "the stereo placement seems a bit too accurate"...

Can you explain, please (I'd like to take care of "less than enthusiastic"!)
Posted By: ROG Re: My Southern Belle - 07/31/13 11:00 PM
Floyd - now you have me worried that I've offended you!

On the big Tannoys everything sounds great, but on the 'phones I could place each instrument's position very accurately in the stereo field. It was like being very close to a very wide stage, so that sounds seemed to come from various specific places, rather than a blend of the overall band.

Now, I have to admit to using all sorts of unnatural stereo effects, particularly in my 80s stuff, but I felt that your track had the feel of a live band and needed a more conventional placement.

At the end of the day, I was being very picky and I'm beginning to wish I'd kept quiet!

ROG.
Posted By: floyd jane Re: My Southern Belle - 07/31/13 11:20 PM
ROG,

No, no! I was not offended AT ALL! I truly welcome that type of critique!!!
If something isn't the best it can be - I want to know your opinion of that.
I can decide if it's valid and fix it or not.

I appreciate the honest opinion. If you knew where I've been, you would know "I can take it" and I welcome it!!!

So... thank you (I understand what you are getting at...)

Posted By: boehm Re: My Southern Belle - 07/31/13 11:31 PM
Hi Floyd,

you are telling an interesting story again.
Great vocals, harmonies and suitable RTs.
The song has got a lot of drive and it's fun to
listen.
ROG: "on the 'phones I could place each instrument's position very accurately in the stereo field." That's how it should be.

Guenter
Posted By: ROG Re: My Southern Belle - 08/01/13 08:09 AM
Hi Floyd.

Thanks for the reassurance. Now that I know you're not offended, perhaps I can better explain where I'm coming from on this one. Reading Guenters comment I think I haven't made it quite clear.

Firstly, there was a time (just after the dinosaurs died out) when we didn't even check the mix on 'phones. Because so much music was listened to on radio, we checked on little cube speakers called Auratones, which you'd find in pro studios all over the world. Since the rise of the tablet, phone and MP3 player, the headphone mix has become as important as the main monitor mix. I even know people who mix on 'phones and then check on the mains.

Secondly, this particular mix. When I listen to it I hear a live band. If I'm in a hall about 50ft away from a stage which is 15ft wide, all the sound is coming pretty much from the same direction, plus there are reflections from the side and back walls which form the reverb. If I'm mixing this, I'd pan everything dead center and use judicious amounts of stereo chorus and stereo reverb/delay to provide a subtle stereo wash. To me, this is more natural than different instruments in different ears.

Guenter is absolutely right that the 'phones should pick up the stereo placement, it's just that I think I explained it badly before.

Of course, this still only holds up as one persons opinion and there are no rights and wrongs in this game. I just hope this makes things clearer.

ROG.
Posted By: Noel96 Re: My Southern Belle - 08/01/13 10:12 AM
Hi Floyd,

I'm sitting here, tapping my feet, nodding my head and generally just rocking along with the music; I'm also smiling and laughing at your lyrics and thinking just how clever they are. You really have a gift for working with words! I love the play on meanings.

All that being said, the musical setting is equally perfect!!!

Back in second ...

Ok! That didn't work. I've played the song through 4 times now in the hope that I'd find something to be constructively critical about. Sorry. I can't help out there. It all sounds EXCELLENT to my ears. It's another ...



... from me.

Heading back for another listen, now smile

All the best,
Noel
Posted By: SpaceDog Re: My Southern Belle - 08/01/13 04:59 PM
Floyd,
I love the song. The dial tone at the end is a nice touch.

Good mixing theory discussion. I'm taking it all in and learning from each of you.

SD
Posted By: seeker Re: My Southern Belle - 08/01/13 06:04 PM
Floyd,

Really enjoyed your lyrics, vocals and music.

Was listening on my "monitors", sounded great to me.
FWIW, I've been trying to set pans in own songs to emulate
instrument positioning. Unknown to me this was the right thing to do..
Who'da thunk!

Thanks for putting your heart into another great song in your collections.
Posted By: Achordocaster Re: My Southern Belle - 08/01/13 08:00 PM
Hey Floyd,

Another excellent job! I don't really have any critique comments, It all sounds good to me.

I'm not having any issues with the mix, but I haven't listened through headphones.

Greg
Posted By: floyd jane Re: My Southern Belle - 08/01/13 09:38 PM
OK, ROG...

I re-mixed it and narrowed the field. Not dead center - that is a bit too radical for me. I've now had BIAB for a year. I think I did this around month 3 - like I said it got "lost" for a while. Before I posted it the other day I re-mixed it because the drums and guitars were wimpy. As I did that I noticed the wide field, but left it. So thanks for "callin' me on that".

So I'd be interested if this at least gets close (for you). Truth.

The discussion is good...

floyd
Posted By: floyd jane Re: My Southern Belle - 08/01/13 09:41 PM
Guenter - thanks for your support! I always appreciate your comments.

Noel - Thank you. Your comments are always so much fun to read..

SD - glad you enjoyed it.
Posted By: floyd jane Re: My Southern Belle - 08/01/13 09:43 PM
Frank and Greg - thanks. by the time you guys got to it, I had posted the re-mix. Thanks for the listen and the comments...
Posted By: ROG Re: My Southern Belle - 08/01/13 10:22 PM
Hey Floyd, I agree - the discussion is what's so good about this forum.

Straight away, let me say that I love the re-mix.

You know, I agonized for a long time about making that first comment, basically because the standard of your work is so consistently good and so well respected here. Then there's the fact that it's only an opinion in any case.

Then I thought you were probably big enough to take it and if you didn't agree you could shoot me down in flames! It's only a short time since I re-mixed one, myself, when public opinion here wanted the vocal louder and brighter.

I think it's great not having to work in isolation and having access to opinions from so many talented forumites. My respect for you is only increased by this exchange.

Many thanks, ROG.
Posted By: tommyad Re: My Southern Belle - 08/01/13 11:00 PM
I like the Jj groove. A little bluesy country rock. Never a bad thing. Good vocal. Going back for another listen. Thanks for posting.
Posted By: cubanpete Re: My Southern Belle - 08/02/13 02:22 AM
Hi Floyd, great tune all around!
"on the 'phones I could place each instrument's position very accurately in the stereo field."
Well, I'm not sure if that was your intention, but if so you succeeded. Nothing wrong wit that IMHO. Being a matter of taste (I think), when you listen to my mixes, I try to do exactly that; place the melody and solos dead center and then try to imagine where my band is placed on the stage and pan it accordingly.

Regards

Mike B.
Posted By: PgFantastic Re: My Southern Belle - 08/02/13 03:39 PM
Great! If Brooks and Dunn had not called it quits, this would be the perfect song for them. Are they one of your influences? I hear a lot of them in your work each time. Liked the dial tone on the end, nice touch. Thanks for sharing!
Posted By: Danny C. Re: My Southern Belle - 08/03/13 01:16 AM
Love everything about it . . especially for us older guys down south who actually did business with Bell South before the breakup.

Another top shelf performance!

Later,
Posted By: gruverider Re: My Southern Belle - 08/03/13 02:10 PM
great rocker, I recognize all of the phone references, smart word play

years ago my ex sat in the kitchen under the base of out first cordless phone for two hours talking to her friend lol!



I only heard the second mix so I can't join that discussion.
Posted By: floyd jane Re: My Southern Belle - 08/04/13 02:20 PM
ROG - thanks again for the discussion (I've been mixing with phone for some time now - checking the final mixes on external speakers...)

Tommy - thanks for the listen.

Mike - appreciate you stopping by for a listen and a comment - I know this is not your usual "cup of tea"...

Robert - thanks for that. Brooks and Dunn were not necessarily a direct influence - but my writing style developed through the time period that they were at their peak - it was more a mix of everything that was on Country radio during that period... Garth, Alan, Clint, Vince, etc, etc...

Danny - thanks. one of the nice things about this place - we all seem to have come from the same time warp....
Posted By: floyd jane Re: My Southern Belle - 08/04/13 02:22 PM
Lawrence - you fell to the next page during that last group of comments, so I couldn't see ya.... thanks for the listen and the comments. FUNNY story...
Lovin' your stuff - looking forward to what comes next...
Posted By: Don Gaynor Re: My Southern Belle - 08/04/13 02:46 PM
I'm beyond my budget in superlatives to describe your work, Floyd. "Perfection" comes to mind immediately but even that seems to fall short. I like everything about this'n. Just keep 'em comin'.
Posted By: dani48 Re: My Southern Belle - 08/05/13 11:48 AM
Hi, Floyd !

I love everything about this
tune ! smile


Cheers
Dani
Posted By: Janice & Bud Re: My Southern Belle - 08/05/13 07:13 PM
Phone on the wall? I'm so old I remember the candlestick phone on the hall table!

The overall excellence and consistency of your arrangements and productions amaze me. The arrangements are always spot on for the melody and lyrics. The lyrics are always chock full of wonderful imagery. The vocals "sit" so well in the mix. The instrumentation is never too lush or too sparse.

What's up with this tune? Well, "just another" of the above.

I wanna be able to do this when I grow up.....
Posted By: DaveG Re: My Southern Belle - 08/06/13 02:53 AM
I love the song. Great lyrics and vibe. What i am most curious about is how you got the breaks and shots to sound so "real". I cant seem to make that happen. The ending was slick too, anything other than the default mode sounds abrupt on my system.

Anyway, keep up the great work.

Thanks, Dave
Posted By: floyd jane Re: My Southern Belle - 08/06/13 08:26 PM
Don - you say the nicest things! It's always SO nice to have you drop by! Thank you.

dani - thanks!

Bud - appreciate the comments - as always...

Dave - Thanks for that. The SHOTS generally come out the way I expect without having to do anything to them. The HOLDS are often too loud (guitars particularly) and I lower the level in my DAW when I mixed.
Ending are often tricky. I sometimes create my own - put the (BIAB)end out a couple measures farther than the song goes. Then the last measure (your real one) gets some like this: G C,G... (and then mute the last chord that BIAB puts in at the end).... hope that makes sense...
Posted By: Don Gaynor Re: My Southern Belle - 08/06/13 09:21 PM
I just became cognizant, aware, alerted, and stuff of the dial-tone ending. Very clever, my friend. I've listened though many times.

@Dani: Southern Bell is a huge telephone company in the Southern States. Floyd had fun with the wordplay.
Posted By: JoanneCooper Re: My Southern Belle - 08/07/13 03:25 PM
Well I learned two things from this thread before I even listened to the song. Firstly what Roger said about the panning being on the reverb rather than on the instruments themselves. Can't wait to try that one out. Secondly I learned from Floyd how to do the ending. Something I have been battling with from the start.
Oh and great song Floyd. So glad I dropped by!
Posted By: Guitarhacker Re: My Southern Belle - 08/07/13 07:56 PM
cool rocking tune...

I like it
Posted By: JoanneCooper Re: My Southern Belle - 08/08/13 10:01 AM
Originally Posted By: floyd jane
I sometimes create my own - put the (BIAB)end out a couple measures farther than the song goes. Then the last measure (your real one) gets some like this: G C,G... (and then mute the last chord that BIAB puts in at the end).... hope that makes sense...


Hi Floyd. I wonder if you would mind explaining how you do your endings a little more? I am confused as to what you do in BIAB and what you do in your DAW. Do you use the “Generate two bar ending” ticked in BIAB and them move those bars out so that you don’t use them? Do you “mute the last chord” in your DAW? Sorry for all the questions….
Posted By: floyd jane Re: My Southern Belle - 08/08/13 12:52 PM
Don - another go 'round... glad you did not miss the ending....!

Herb - thanks
Posted By: floyd jane Re: My Southern Belle - 08/08/13 01:04 PM
Joanne,

The ending that I described was not quite accurate... here is what it really looks like:




I've used a 2 measure intro... a 4 measure song... and then a 4 measure "ending".
The last measure (of my ending) is: G,C G... (<< a HOLD)
and then the BIAB ending is out a ways from that (no set distance - just far enough to stay out of the way) - That part would be cut in your DAW.

This is one example for a simple ending that you have control over...

You can download the SGU here if you want
Example: Endings1

Hope that helps...

floyd
Posted By: RobbMiller Re: My Southern Belle - 08/08/13 05:51 PM
I like how you worked in the dial tone ant the end.

Maybe your next song should be "Can You Hear Me Now?"
Posted By: Steve Young Re: My Southern Belle - 08/09/13 09:43 PM
Floyd,

I almost missed this one. I had a hip replacement 6 weeks ago, and I have been out of circulation for a while, trying to get back on my feet again (literally)! I sure am glad I listened to this one though! As always, excellent job on the vocals, arrangement, and production.

Very clever song, right down to the dial tone at the end! Keep 'em coming!

Steve
Posted By: Sundance Re: My Southern Belle - 08/12/13 12:20 AM
Dial tone hell - remember it well.

Enjoyed listening and the way you poked some fun at the angst. +1 to what's already been said concerning the song, vocal, and arrangement.

Floyd, I want to take this opportunity to say that your overall production sound has steadily improved over the past year since you first started posting here using the program and the RT's. You've taken to it like a duck to water. Kudos!
Posted By: JoanneCooper Re: My Southern Belle - 08/12/13 07:58 AM
Thanks for the explanation Floyd. Appreciate it.
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