At college in the 70's I lived in Camden Town London and Rob + Anne Marie's song Camden Town(never give up on love) set me thinking. Then I read C fogle's intro to his song From you to me and told him how I changed one song, which I wrote it between 1971-75, and it's about about a room in the basement of the Hospital Union Union bar in which an old knackered Steinway sat all lonely and forlorn. I wrote many songs in that room and this song is one of them.

It was then meant to be just me on piano but years later I found BIAB and so it became a country ballad then I got bored with it having listened to it a few times. SO. I bounced just the vocals to a 44hz stero wav from my DAW and imported it into the original, 1st version, BIAB song and experimented with random RTs to see which fitted the timing of my vocal and ended up with the second version.

BUT I don't know which sounds better now!
SO was it worth it LOL

The place that I go to

RealTracks in style: ~~535:Bass, Electric, Pop Sw 085
RealTracks in style: 2124:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm CountryShuffleJohn Sw 120
RealTracks in style: ~~530:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Hank Sw 085
RealTracks in song: ~824:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Country Waltz Sw 085
RealDrums in Song: NashvilleBrushesClassicShuffle: a: Sidestick, Brushes b: Brushes,
*******************

or A place that I go to

RealTracks in song: ~1121:Bass, Acoustic, CountryWaltz Sw 085
RealTracks in song: ~824:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Country Waltz Sw 085
RealTracks in song: ~2053:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking CountryWaltzBrent Sw 085
RealTracks in song: 1152:Silence
RealTracks in song: ~530:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Hank Sw 085
*******************

The place that I go to when I feel low
that gives me peace of mind
noone else knows it cos I'll never show it
because it's mine

its where I always go when I feel low
it makes me feel at ease
the place that I go to is always on my mind

There's a time of the day I lock meself away
just to get some peace of mind
noone else knows it cos I'll never show it
because it's mine

its where I always go when I feel low
it makes me feel at ease
the place that I go to is always on my mind

I feel it deep inside of me
whenever I'm awake
I feel it holding me
who says that love draws no wage

There's a time of the day I lock me away
just to get some peace of mind
noone else knows it cos I'll never show it
because it's mine

its where I always go when I feel low
it makes me feel at ease
the place that I go to is always on my mind
the place that I go to is always on my mind


I hope you enjoy at least one version LOL

Alyn

I choose "THE place that I go to" as my favorite. For me, everything fits comfortably with this version. Both are good.



Charlie

Hi Alyn.

Yes, I prefer the first one - THE place..

Great song which the minimalist production suits really well.

Conjured up pictures of the basement with the Steinway as I listened to it. Maybe we could all use a room like that at times.

You still haven't written a song which I don't like. (Excuse the double negative.)

ROG.

Hi Alyn,

+1

Guenter

Plus 2 --- but they both fit well.

Neat write and we enjoyed
the listens.

J&B

I'll go with the crowd... the first one...

Something about your songs is always so "affecting". This made me sort of sad... like I need a place to go...

I enjoy listening to your life.

floyd

I liked the second better... But it's nice having both, so there's really no need to choose!

Good writing!

Alyn, both are really good but I like the first version the best. But that is today and that may change tomorrow. That is how close I think these are!

Thanks Charlie for commenting. The original, country version, seems to be the favourite.

Thanks a lot for that ROG. But it sounds like a challenge to little ole me LOL

Thanks for commenting Guenter, I really appreciate it.


Thanks Janice and Bud. the 2 versions show the beauty of BIAB. I could never live with out it!!

Alyn

That's a really nice thing to say, thank you floyd.
I struggle writing conventional songs as I write my songs to escape from life but my life is in my songs!!


Thanks a lot David, I too found it difficult to choose



Thanks Mario, I really appreciate what you say. BIAB is such a versatile programme.


TO ALL,
I now like the 1st version the best and may use the idea for a new song sometime. I only posted them after my comment on c-fogle's, Charlie's, latest masterpiece.
My next song WILL be different!

thanks to all

Alyn

Alyn, I vote for the 1st one. Like ROG, I also can picture you in the basement at the steinway. Seems like a good place to go. Nice job. Tom

Very cool!! There's a really honest and wholesome feel to all your productions. I think when Lennon died in 1980, a piece of his spirit jumped into your body. BTW, how do you do your vocal processing? Very cool all the way around! Take care. Greg

Tom,

I spent hours in that basement room, no one else seemed to use it. Wish I had a picture of what it really looked like.

Yeh I now am stuck on the 1st version too!!

thanks for listening

Alyn

Greg,
Oh if only that WAS true. He and George were my fab Beatles!

I record my vocal flat (no fx), no effects apart from a noise gate. With either a foam mic cover, on my Rode NT2 or a home made pop shield (ladies tights over a bent metal coat hanger)Using Line Port DiG Toneport. Sometimes also holding a pencil upright between me and the mic to "break up the plosives" Mic is positioned so my head "points up" a bit as I heard somewhere that this helps to sing in tune and I need all the help I can get LOL.
Then to mix the vox I lightly compress using the Classic free compressor, then a slap plate echo, in the Line 6 VST, with early reflections adjusted for a semi live feel. Then maybe a small bit of 1/8 or 1/16 repeat echo.
I always reduce the few lower frequencies my voice has with the eg in my DAW Cubase SX
I never use autotune, GSnap in my case, on my main vox but may, very infrequently, use it on the backing vocals.
Hope this helps

thanks for listening

Alyn

Hello Alyn,

Well I definitely prefer the first version 'The Place That I Go'
I like the steady beat and 'clean' groove of it. Makes me think of...... Gilbert O'Sullivan.
The drums sound very nice and clear.
You've got just the voice for this song!

Regards,
Rob

Hi Alyn,

I like both versions and I could see myself preferring a different one as 'favourite' depending on the day of the week. As it stood today, the first version appealed.

As so many have already said, your songs are just great to listen to. When it comes to songwriting, you have a very distinctive compositional 'voice' that threads its way through all you do.

It's definitely two thumbs up from me for this one.

Regards,
Noel

Rob and Anne-Marie,


Wow do I make my influences so clear in my songs!! Must be that room, as I spent hours in there learning his early stuff.
Thank you, I have always wished my voice sounded different but I eventually realised I was stuck with it!!!

Alyn

Noel

I have written what I call songs since my middle teens so I suppose I have developed a "style" of writing. I was a young classically trained pianist, Grade 5 of the Royal Academy of Music at the age of 11, until my teacher threw me out, much to my parents' chagrin, when she caught me playing rock and roll instead of practicing my set pieces

Thanks for listening

Alyn