I had posted a Baroque pop 60sish version of this some time ago.
That version still needs work - partly the arrangement and partly my knowledge of managing the Mel9 pedal better.
This is a straighter, less stilted, version closer to the original from 1983 with a lovely solo lead part played by Gerry Steele of The Hamilton Steele Band,
BIAB - drums and organ courtesy of BIAD 2011
Vantage bass
Squire Mustang Bullet HH guitar
Bruno Royal Artist semi acoustic guitar
L'Grand Dynamic microphone.
Mixed in REAPER using stock plugs plus Blockfish for vocals.
Again, vocals & melody are by Miriam Webb.
This version was mastered by the excellent M.E. at Happy Beat Studios in the UK.
Sandpaper Castles 1811 - soundcloud
copyright cochrane/webb

Sandpaper Castles 1811
I'll build a sandpaper castle,
Beneath the noonday sun,
I'll sit & watch the people,
& laugh as they run.
Within my silent citadel,
I'll shut out the world,
& shelter in my fortress,
Making plans that won't unfurl.
I'll celebrate my solitude,
With music, wine & song,
Loneliness won't reach me;
Nothing can go wrong.
I'll fill my day with minutes,
& watch them slip away,
Eternally grateful for the present,
& the memories they slay.
Just sit & play old records,
& scratch them when they're done,
Try to destroy the memories,
But can they be outrun?
I'll celebrate my solitude,
With music, wine & song,
Loneliness won't reach me;
Nothing can go wrong.
Almost silently the day breaks,
& with it comes the rain,
So I sit in semi darkness,
& pray to go insane.
My mask I'll wear to meals,
For 'tis the part I'd planned,
You know!
The same old story,
In castles made of sand...

A really good production.

I enjoyed very part of this.

Ray

Nice work - the mix sounds good overall - the vocal possibly a bit far back at times? Nice moody guitar solo. Good song.

Peter

ray,

A really interesting listen. The sound of it captured my ear and never let go.

As Peter mentioned the vocal seems to need a lift from the rest of the mix - the guitars overpower it at times... The instruments all have a very distinctive space in the mix. Nice guitars. Nice organ.

fj

Like floyd said the overall feel is very engaging and the captivating vocal performance fits the lyric perfectly
(and is well performed).

Mixing wise the soundstage is nicely established on our monitors. It has that nice open and airy feel that we are fond of.

Thanks for the background info on how you put it together.

Enjoyed it!

J&B

Ditto on pulling up the vocals a bit early on...could very well just be my (Bud) ancient ears

Wow - this is unreal! I'm definitely picking up some 60's vibes here. I thoroughly enjoyed the retro vibes here. The big standout to me is the production - you absolutely nailed it on this tune. I wouldn't bat an eyelash hearing this on the radio.

Great work, and thanks so much for sharing

This totally reminds me of the 60s! Especially the vocalist. The song is really fantastic and you should be proud of it.

Thanks for sharing.

Interesting intro. Was very cool how you brought the full instruments and vocal in. Loved this song. Super vocal... Song had a great feel to it..

I found this reminiscent of the sixties. Like other comments I found the vocals a little lost in the mix. Great tune and lyrics. Rob

Ray this is really good. Like already mentioned this has that 60's vibe to be. Plus you can't beat a B3 and guitar combination!

If you bring up the vocals it would take it over the top for me.

Thank you Video Track. I appreciate your generosity.

Thanks Peter,
The vocals have to sit back a little as they were recorded with reverb printed to tape a decade or so ago. Holding them a little under resolved the obvious reverb mis match as well as a few other issues.

Thank you very much.
The vocalist was actually my cello tutor. I recorded her playing on a couple of songs then heard her sing - grabbed the chance to use her to create melody & sing on a couple as well.

Thanks Deryk,
BIAB files work wonderfully in Reaper making production easier. The sensitive mastering job helped a lot as well.

Thank you Ember,
I was a child in the 60s so have, probably, some of that imprinted.

Ta Scott,
Originally the intro was guitar & drums, then drums & organ and finally, after a nudge from the M.E., I remixed to just organ. A showcase for BIAB organ RealTracks.

Thanks Ironbark,
The vocals are set at a level for very specific reasons, as noted above, I wish it were otherwise.

Thank you Mario,
The B3 RealTracks are pretty flash aren't they? I did have to reduce the organ stereo track to mono as, occasionally the left hand dominated too much and overlapped with the bass too much. Having done that the mix was easy.

Agreed! Very nice...captivating melody...cool vocal (someXs a bit soft). Definitely has that retro vibe (Jefferson Airplane, old Fleetwood Mac). Enjoyed much!! Take care. Greg

Thank you sir. At my age retro is contemporary.

Ray,

Like those before me, I found this excellent listening. It's easy to tell that there has been a great deal of thought and effort that's gone into every aspect of this music's creation and its presentation. Most enjoyable!

Regards,
Noel

rayc, this is a nice offering! I was captivated by the melody and wonderful chord changes! Liked the vocal effects used and the guitar solo was very effective in enhancing the mood/vibe of the tune! Thanks, Torrey