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Posted By: jannesan When The Curtains Fall - 11/09/16 01:05 PM
When The Curtains Fall

Couple of my songs have received a comment sounding like a James Bond movie theme song. This gave me an idea to imagine what kind of a song I would write if I were asked to compose the Bond theme. And here is the end result smile Most likely it won't sound like a movie theme at all to you wink

Quite a tough one to mix, I had 37 instrument tracks, although many of the instruments I used only for a short section. I hope the mix doesn't sound too crowded in your ears.

I hired the vocals again from RnAM and they made fantastic job, especially the chorus part really makes the song fly smile

MIDI tracks, used GPO4, ST3 VSTi plugins:
Majesty1.sty: ChoirAahs, French Horn, Strings, Timpani, Drums
Mind1.sty: Nylon Guitar
Uplift1.sty: Acoustic Bass, Strings
Waveheal.sty: Harp, Synth Strings
Insight.sty: Sitar

Loop: Beatbox_sweet_cheeks_110a
RealDrums: Soul70sPerc, TechnoSamb
Realtracks:
Acoustic Bass Bowed #2489
Acoustic Piano #1949, #811
Electric Piano #2526, #2157
Piano SynthLayer #1410
Cello #1856
Electric Bass #2607
Electric Guitar #998, #1436, #2535, #1258, #1650, #1401, #1404, #867, #2618
Horns #2346
Sax #2411
String Quartet #2334
Synth Delay Sync #2282

Vocals: RnAM
Additional Vocals VSTi: Cantus, Shevannai

Mixed in Adobe Audition (and RnAM mixed the vocals to the song)

Lyrics:

Fate is a bond
a license to adore
an olive in a martini
that calls to love you more.
I can tie your hands and
chain your fierce heart
I want to be stirred
'cause tomorrow we'll depart.
We shall step
into the danger zone
enter our love's
minefield all alone.
Together we can rise
above the mundane
look at the bleeding eyes
on the sheets of pain.

In your bed
beneath the starry skies
naked unarmed
I'm a vulnerable guy
if I have to die
be gentle, use your shawl
choke me with perfumes of your pleasure
when the curtains fall.

Threat is a spur
a license to incite
push me off the edge
trick the agent of the night.
Spin the catherine wheel
no mercy onto me
shaken and enslaved
I reveal my fantasy.
We shall step outside
the comfort zone
enter our love's
minefield all alone.
Together we can fall
free from the rules
pierce the hollow wall
of the formal fools.

In your bed...

Venus in furs, the cycle recurs
rise, fall and turn.

In your bed...

---

Janne
Posted By: Will B - PG Music Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/09/16 01:09 PM
Great job, Janne! Channeling the spirit of Bond very successfully, I'd say (Thunderball and earlier era, when a certain dose of schmaltz went a very long way!) smile The mix is actually very good, not too crowded whatsoever - seamless transitions (in the percussion especially) between the verses and the choruses. I can't believe you have 37 instrument tracks, that's crazy! You did a wonderful job smile
Posted By: animarorecords Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/10/16 03:21 AM
Hello, Janne

Great job. Nice song with fabulous sounds.
I think it was a very hard work to construct this arrangement.
But there was no failure in this music. All the sounds are put together very well.
The use of soundtrack MIDI styles are superb.
GARRITAN PERSONAL ORCHESTRA sounds good too.
And RnAM's vocals are wonderful.
Very enjoyable Listen.

Best Regards.

Shigeki Adachi
Posted By: jannesan Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/10/16 11:51 AM
Originally Posted By: Will B - PG Music
Great job, Janne! Channeling the spirit of Bond very successfully, I'd say (Thunderball and earlier era, when a certain dose of schmaltz went a very long way!) smile The mix is actually very good, not too crowded whatsoever - seamless transitions (in the percussion especially) between the verses and the choruses. I can't believe you have 37 instrument tracks, that's crazy! You did a wonderful job smile


Thanks Will for your kind words, especially concerning the mix, because it took so much time. I'm also glad to hear that I have managed to reach the Bond spirit smile


Janne
Posted By: jannesan Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/10/16 11:58 AM
Originally Posted By: animarorecords
Great job. Nice song with fabulous sounds.
I think it was a very hard work to construct this arrangement.
But there was no failure in this music. All the sounds are put together very well.
The use of soundtrack MIDI styles are superb.
GARRITAN PERSONAL ORCHESTRA sounds good too.
And RnAM's vocals are wonderful.
Very enjoyable Listen.

Shigeki Adachi


Thanks Shigeki Adachi for enjoying and giving a positive comment smile My hard work has not been wasted smile Nice that you comment also the use of MIDI styles, I don't use MIDI instruments much, but orchestral instruments usually require them and with GPO they sound good, as you said.

Janne
Posted By: Callie - PG Music Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/10/16 02:04 PM
Thanks for posting this song Janne! I think it sounds great - not crowded at all! smile

This is our "Hot Forum Topic" for today.
Posted By: Scott C Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/10/16 04:53 PM
Good job Janne. This did feel like a Bond theme. An excellent vocal and very creative lyric. Well done
Posted By: David Snyder Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/10/16 08:01 PM
Great production on this one. Beautiful mix. Loved the vocals. Awesome guitar.

smile
Posted By: gibson Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/11/16 04:19 AM
Janne,

I have been known to use a lot of RTs etc and was reading the track list until I saw the guitar RTs NINE!! WOW

Well done, it must have been a labour of love to mix 37 tracks, well done. And a great mix

Great vocals by Rob and I think this song SHOULD be the next Bond theme

excellent

Alyn
Posted By: AudioTrack Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/11/16 09:43 AM
Rob Anne-Marie and Janne, a very interesting production. The vocals pulled the song together really well.
Posted By: RnAM Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/11/16 10:33 AM
Janne's songs are always top-notch when it comes to production and composition.
This time we had to 'pull everything out of the closet' (Dutch expression) to get it right with the vocals. A challenge indeed, but we are also pleased with the results.

Rob & Anne-Marie
Posted By: jannesan Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/11/16 12:09 PM
Originally Posted By: Callie - PG Music
Thanks for posting this song Janne! I think it sounds great - not crowded at all! smile

This is our "Hot Forum Topic" for today.


Thanks Callie, it is a big honor to be hot smile Only hearing the song during the next Bond movie end credits would be a bigger one wink

Janne
Posted By: PeterF Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/12/16 05:55 AM
Janne, Rob & Anne-Marie

Interesting complex piece - could easily be a soundtrack - a strong progressive rock sound.
Extremely imaginative - a great composition lovely vocals to top it off.

Peter
Posted By: Skyline Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/12/16 07:45 AM
Very impressive!

John
Posted By: jannesan Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/12/16 10:57 AM
Originally Posted By: Scottt709
Good job Janne. This did feel like a Bond theme. An excellent vocal and very creative lyric. Well done


Thanks Scott for commenting and liking the lyric smile

Originally Posted By: David Snyder
Great production on this one. Beautiful mix. Loved the vocals. Awesome guitar.
smile


Thanks David for mentioning positively so many things smile

Janne
Posted By: jannesan Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/13/16 07:33 AM
Originally Posted By: gibson
I have been known to use a lot of RTs etc and was reading the track list until I saw the guitar RTs NINE!! WOW
Well done, it must have been a labour of love to mix 37 tracks, well done. And a great mix
Great vocals by Rob and I think this song SHOULD be the next Bond theme
excellent
Alyn


Thanks Alyn, I agree with you, this would be a perfect choice for the next Bond theme smile And if I could write the script, I'm sure it would be much better than those previous Bond movies wink

thanks for appreciating my mix also, although there were 9 guitar RTs, at most 3 were playing at the same time.

Janne
Posted By: jannesan Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/13/16 07:45 AM
Originally Posted By: VideoTrack
Rob Anne-Marie and Janne, a very interesting production. The vocals pulled the song together really well.


Thank you Videotrack for your comment, I agree, the vocal part is the glue of the song.

Janne
Posted By: Noel96 Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/13/16 08:17 AM
Hi Janne,

What an interesting way to coneptualise a song! I love James Bond movies and you've captured snippets of style, production, lyrics and melody that hint at a number of the theme songs that I've heard over the years. Very clever work!

The production is excellent and RnAM's contributions raise the bar (as always).

I enjoyed my listen.

All the best,
Noel
Posted By: jannesan Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/14/16 12:08 PM
Originally Posted By: RnAM
Janne's songs are always top-notch when it comes to production and composition.
This time we had to 'pull everything out of the closet' (Dutch expression) to get it right with the vocals. A challenge indeed, but we are also pleased with the results.

Rob & Anne-Marie


Thanks Rob & Anne-Marie for your top-notch singing performance smile You really did pull everything out with amazing result, I hope the closet is strong enough for another try wink

Janne
Posted By: jannesan Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/14/16 12:12 PM
Originally Posted By: PeterF
Interesting complex piece - could easily be a soundtrack - a strong progressive rock sound. Extremely imaginative - a great composition lovely vocals to top it off.
Peter


Thanks Peter for your kind words! I'm glad you found my song imaginative smile

Originally Posted By: Skyline
Very impressive!

John


Thanks John for listening and commenting smile

Janne
Posted By: Greg Johnson Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/14/16 04:09 PM
Quite a production Janne!! Really nicely put together-shaken, not stirred. Great job on everything, and Rob nails the vocal. Great!! Take care. Greg
Posted By: jannesan Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/15/16 03:13 PM
Originally Posted By: Noel96
What an interesting way to coneptualise a song! I love James Bond movies and you've captured snippets of style, production, lyrics and melody that hint at a number of the theme songs that I've heard over the years. Very clever work!

The production is excellent and RnAM's contributions raise the bar (as always).

I enjoyed my listen.

All the best,
Noel


Thanks Noel, always pleasure to read your comments. Although I didn't try to hint at any song on purpose, subconscious does good work many times smile And BIAB generates many interesting things that guide the process to the right direction.

Janne
Posted By: jannesan Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/15/16 03:16 PM
Originally Posted By: Greg Johnson
Quite a production Janne!! Really nicely put together-shaken, not stirred. Great job on everything, and Rob nails the vocal. Great!! Take care. Greg


Thanks Greg for your great comment! I'm glad you liked everything smile

Janne
Posted By: RnAM Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/15/16 08:58 PM
Janne, we have strengthened the closet door for you, and it's always open grin
Posted By: mglinert Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/21/16 06:07 PM
Ambitious project this one. I would say it delivers in practically every respect. Maybe Bond musical protocol would have you hitting an exaggeratedly tragic minor chord on "when the curtains fall" but I guess traditions are there to be broken. Was that a nod to McArthur's Park at the end!!
Posted By: Torrey Bliss Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/21/16 09:20 PM
Janne, as Noel commented, very inventive! Also complex! I particularly liked the melody of the verses. I appreciate the amount of work that had to go into this. Very good! Thanks, Torrey.
Posted By: molsenhouse Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/22/16 04:57 PM
what a great idea!
loved the lyrics and the voices of rob and anne-marie

great production and use of real tracks

next up: make a james bond film – your own story with your own music!
i'm waiting! ;-)
Posted By: jannesan Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/23/16 12:33 PM
Originally Posted By: mglinert
Ambitious project this one. I would say it delivers in practically every respect. Maybe Bond musical protocol would have you hitting an exaggeratedly tragic minor chord on "when the curtains fall" but I guess traditions are there to be broken. Was that a nod to McArthur's Park at the end!!


Thanks Marc, I appreciate your positively interesting comment smile I don't follow traditions, if I have a chance to break one, I'll do it wink. And no intentional connection to M. Park.

Janne
Posted By: jannesan Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/23/16 12:37 PM
Originally Posted By: Torrey Bliss
Janne, as Noel commented, very inventive! Also complex! I particularly liked the melody of the verses. I appreciate the amount of work that had to go into this. Very good! Thanks, Torrey.


Thanks Torrey for your kind words, I'm glad you like the song and appreciate my effort. You have made also very inspirational music smile

Janne
Posted By: jannesan Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/23/16 12:41 PM
Originally Posted By: molsenhouse
what a great idea!
loved the lyrics and the voices of rob and anne-marie

great production and use of real tracks

next up: make a james bond film – your own story with your own music!
i'm waiting! ;-)


thanks for commenting, yeah it would be great to make a bond film, but there's no enough time... I have also some ideas for a video of this song, but Time Is Not Enough wink

Janne
Posted By: Sundance Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/23/16 11:05 PM
Talk about a wall of sound. Complex and yet it all came together quite well. Very creative.
Posted By: jannesan Re: When The Curtains Fall - 11/25/16 11:43 AM
Originally Posted By: Sundance
Talk about a wall of sound. Complex and yet it all came together quite well. Very creative.


Thanks Josie for your kind words! I tried to create my own unique wallpaper of sound and I'm glad you liked it smile

Janne
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