Hello all. It's been a while since I posted. We are getting everything ready for our winter trip to the western end of this great nation. I am posting a new song. It is a country gospel song I wrote a while back. I spent some years traveling the country gospel road. I backed away when politics entered the picture, but that doesn't make the genre any less important. This one is a little darker than some, but anyone who has ever dealt with depression will understand where I am coming from. Very few of the creatives I have ever had dealings with have escaped this entirely. I hope you like it.
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Hi Gary,
Yeah, slightly dark but not too much so. I would say more intuitively perceptive of one who's lost his way and can't find a place to make a U-turn. Your vocal has quite a bit of George Jones in it to my ears.
Di and I are people of faith but don't write a lot of gospel music. I think we've done, perhaps, half a dozen or so over the years. Of we could write them this good, we'd probably do more of them.
A nice approach to a tough subject. Kudos for taking it on! Ya did good! Safe travel on your trip.
Alan
Thanks Alan
I didn't write gospel until the nineties. I hit a really bad patch of my own, and started writing out of personal desperation. but I discovered that a lot of people identified with them. This led to performing my songs in churches for years. I didn't return to writing in different genres until much later. I am trying to record some 200 songs that I have in backlog. Have you ever written a song and then discovered that you were not capable of singing it? Talk about humbling.
Gary this is fantastic. Outstanding performance in this one. A strong voice, great lyrics and a super mix, this song has everything. Your vocal had a touch of George Jones and Bill Anderson in it. Extremely well done.
This is a keeper for sure.
Wow, I really enjoyed this Gary
It has a genuine, sincere quality to it. It's beautifully haunting, and the vocal performance is near flawless. It indeed has a darkness to it, but personally I feel it made it even more compelling to listen to.
Thanks so much for sharing!
A nicely done country song... I enjoyed it.
Gary, this is real country! A message that many can relate to! I agree with Alan about the George Jones comparison, It really sounds like something he would have done! Thanks, Torrey
Great country song. Very Johnny Cash.
Great job. Excellent title and hook.
Sounds like an old classic.
Love the feeling behind the lyrics.
This to me is real country.
Thanks for bringing back that feeling.
Rob
Gary,
Well this sure sounds as authentic as it gets! It is also the kind of country music I first heard in my youth. Speaking of which, it made me think of Charlie Rich's Long long way from Tennessee. Love that song.
Your vocals are cool and with emotion.
Rob
Well done Gary. Heartfelt vocal. Well done
I love the George Jones reference made here by listeners
I can hear it too
very nice song, sounds like classic country to me
enjoyed the listen
Kenny
Hi, Gary !:))
What a nice tune !
Dark or not I like it
nonetheless !:))
You sure have a voice
as made for country !!!!:))
Cheers
Dani
Gary,
Really nicely done. Your vocals on this sound great.
Would love to see you post lyric to these when you put them up.
Solid old-school Country. Enjoyed.
fj
Gary,
Plus 1 to all the kudos above. Such a strong sense of experience behind the song and your vocal.
Very well done!
Robert
Thanks Alan
I didn't write gospel until the nineties. I hit a really bad patch of my own, and started writing out of personal desperation. but I discovered that a lot of people identified with them. This led to performing my songs in churches for years. I didn't return to writing in different genres until much later. I am trying to record some 200 songs that I have in backlog. Have you ever written a song and then discovered that you were not capable of singing it? Talk about humbling.
Gary,
If I had a dollar for every song I've written I can't sing (that's a majority of the 800 or so I've written), I'd be one wealthy guy! Fortunately, I have a beautiful wife with an equally gorgeous voice who can sing many of them. Her health has declined dramatically over the past two years and rarely has enough strength/energy to sing a song these days. But, I have a mediocre voice on the best of days and it's usually a good idea to let someone else sing my songs!
If you're interested, here is a link to our most current gospel:
https://soundcloud.com/alananddi/he-believes-in-meHope you enjoy it, if you get a chance to listen.
Alan & Di
Very well written, classic country sound. Definitely hear some Jones in there (and that's very good).
Enjoyed this one.
Steve
Sounds like an old classic.
Love the feeling behind the lyrics.
This to me is real country.
Thanks for bringing back that feeling.
Rob
Agreed!! Very heartfelt and authentic song and delivery. Cannot think of anything I would change. Truly excellent!! Take care. Greg
Thanks Deryk. I have never recorded a vocal that I was satisfied with. I am not particularly enamored of my vocal abilities, but I like to try. It is however, very humbling to think that people actually like to hear my songs. I haven't really found my niche yet, but there is a good chance I never will, since I like so many styles of music. Thanks again for your comment. I told a Nashville producer years ago that I was not a singer. His reply was puzzling for about six seconds. He said.
"Neither is Johnny Cash or Willy Nelson, but If you them today and then hear them again twenty years from now, you'll recognize their voice. You can't buy that."
Oh yeah! That is a great heartfelt and soulful vocal that harkens back to the masters of the genre - George Jones, Mark Chesnutt, Vern Gosdin and others.
We like it. All of it. The write, the vocal and the production.
J&B
That was great, Gary. Awesome classic country sound. Your voice has a Rusty Draper quality to it. I really like it.
Thanks Floyd. I am trying hard to get my vocals back in shape. When you get away from performing for a while, you tend to get more than a little rusty, or maybe I should say gravelly. You are right about posting my lyrics. I need to get in the habit of doing just that.
The Man In My Mirror
Lord, I know that you're real busy
you've got a lot of things to do
This old world holds many questions
and the answers all come from you
I'm here to ask a favor
It's for this friend of mine
Lord the man in my mirror
is running out of time
chorus
This man in my mirror
can't make another day
the darkness has closed around him
and the pain won't go away
he wants to come back to you
but he just can't find his way
Lord, help the man in my mirror
just to make it one more day
I know it's been a long time
since I had a talk with you
but he's really got me worried
and I don't know what to do
Lord, speed your answer to me
may he do your will I pray
Lord the man in my mirror
has forgotten how to pray
repeat chorus
tag
Lord help the man in my mirror
just to make it one more day
Another great song Gary.
This starts off with a fantastic intro, and the entire song captures your desired delivery.
Enjoyable.
Thank You so much, John.
I don't often get stumped when it comes to country music, but you can say you did it. Believe it or not, I was not familiar with Rusty Draper. I had to go to my country music expert {That would be you tube.} for information on Rusty. I have been compared to a lot of different performers, but in all honesty, I don't really like my voice. Of course I have run across many performers who share in that feeling about themselves. I still enjoy trying. I just don't listen to myself much. I hear all the mistakes.
Since I was a kid, I've always loved Rusty Draper's take on "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down". You should check that out on YouTube. It's from an album of country cover versions he did and my dad played it for me (before I was allowed to play records myself).