Man, this song is WAY out of my vocal comfort range. It was written in A and I brought it down to F, but still... Did you ever use Melodist to create tunes?

HISTORY: I first got BiaB in the early 90s because I wanted to make some jazz tunes to practice. It was great for that –still is. I bought my last upgrade in 2005. I'd often use the Melodist feature to create songs so I could practice sight reading and follow unfamiliar chord charts. This song was originally named something else by Biab, and I liked the melody. One night when my wife was away, the first verse kep running through my lonesome head. I was playing bass in some musicals back then, and this one seemed to fit that genre, although with a female voice. Fast forward to 2019 when I finally came back to BiaB. The first things I played with were the old ones, of course. For this one I changed all of the players, but kept the nylon guitar that played the melody. I finished the lyrics and brought it all into Cakewalk.

One Night Away on SoundCloud
One Night Away on YouTube

One Night Away

One night away and the feeling still surrounds me, but you don't have a clue.
I tried to tell you but you don't know how far I fell for you.
REF: Maybe today we can steal away the sunshine to use the heat thereof,
and when it's all gone we can go on forever with our love.

BR 1: Some days we could stay warm in bed to hear the raindrops on the roof.
In some ways, you concede what I've said. There's no denying this simple truth.

You are the one who has taken all my senses, and trapped them in your heart,
and now I stare in trance-like wonder forgetting where to start.
How to begin a day without you with me is something I can't do.
So hurry home to get me started my Everyday with you.

BR 2: Some days we could roll out of bed to greet the sunshine with a smile.
The Sun's rays will shine straight on ahead, and keep us warm all the while.

SOLO - REF - BR2

One night away and my heart is running circles around this empty room.
I'm going crazy here just waiting for you to be home soon.
One night away is really one night too much, so please come back today,
and we could cuddle by the fire to love one night away.

RealTracks in style: ~~921:Bass, Acoustic, Bossa Ev 110
RealTracks in song: ~~1215:Vibes, Rhythm Bossa Ev 085
RealTracks in style: ~~923:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm BossaFreeComp Ev 110
RealTracks in song: ~1103:Guitar, Nylon, Rhythm BossaGrooveComp Ev 085
RealTracks in song: 479:Trumpet, Bossa Ev 140
RealDrums [in style:BossaBrushes: a: Sidestick Brushes b: Sidestick, Ride

I just sang. Band in a Box doesn't want writing credit, so I make all the money from it. So far that's zero, but I'm hoping for at least 10 times that much.

Well, wow :-) Brilliant job and - because you say on SoundCloud that you think the song needs a better singer ... I disagree, haha. I love the way you sing it and it's put a big, big smile on my face!!! Thanks and really well done!!!

I agree with James. Your vocal is really good, as are your lyrics. Super groove also!

Yes, I have used the Melodist, but I never have used the entire output from it. I use when I am having writer's block. I will take a section or two from it and base a song on them.

Thanks, James. Agree to disagree.

Thanks, Mario. That's a great use of it.

I used to use the Melodist back in the early 2000's, I did mostly instrumentals back then and would get BIAB to generate a melody track that I would then modify to suit my tastes and play on guitar.

Good writing, Marty! Pretty cool track too.

Nice work on this - I thought your vocals were fine personally! The groove on this is infectious too, it got my toe tapping right away. Good work on the mix too.

Thanks for sharing

Love it Marty. It's got a great latin rhythm to it. Must admit I've never used the melodist. Need to try it as I'm not composing as much as I could

Marty,

Cool melody. It does sound like it could be from a musical. Your vocal is strong. Cool backing and a good mix.

fj

Thanks, Dave. Yeah, that's a great use of it, too. It's the perfect tool for learning all facets of music.

Thanks for such an encouraging comment, Deryk.

Thanks, Graham. Composing is like mixing: it's never done. On the other hand, I'm relatively new here and have a lot of your stuff to catch up on. I love your mixing classical in your works.

Thanks, floyd. Not the kind of musical I'd like to sit through though.

I enjoyed this positively bubbling song. Could be a perfect fit for a romantic musical. I like your singing, it has all elements needed to express the waiting. Very good arrangement and clear mix.

Janne

'BabuMusic'...

For me, the bossa nova is one genre of music that inherently lends its rhythms and melodies to lyrics expressing deliciously romantic feelings, and this song, One Night Away, demonstrates this in a stellar way.

First of all, your vocal performance was startlingly passionate. You came across like a man in the grips of a love so strong that his heart could barely contain his feelings. I mean that, sir. I'm curious as to why you felt you were out of your vocal range.

Your lyrics are brimming with an intimacy that seem almost delirious in their revelation of loving feelings. I was almost at a loss trying to decide which lines to quote, but I twisted my own arm and chose these two:

"Maybe today we can steal away the sunshine to use the heat thereof..."

"You are the one who has taken all my senses, and trapped them in your heart..."

Gorgeously, sublimely expressive, they are. Are you a person with literary interests? I ask that question because the lyrics sound like something you could read in sonnets composed by certain noted writers of the past.

The music of the Real Tracks you used escorted the melody and your singing like a pair of lovebirds flying to their honeymoon nest.

One Night Away was a truly lovely, sensual and disarmingly romantic listening experience, 'BabuMusic'. I'll re-visit it often in the coming days (and nights, of course !!!)

Truly,

LOREN (a.k.a. 'bluage')

P.S. The trumpet solo was lovely and should be kept with the song, but I wonder if BIAB has any solo harmonica Real Tracks that could work to lend a Toots Thielemans kind of warmth to it?

A agree with all the comments here, vocals sound find and couldn't tell you were out of your comfort range. Nice romantic easy listening music.

I think this is an excellent vocal. Loved the backtrack. Very original

Come on Marty, don't put yourself down. Great song and performance. Loved it!

Mike B.

Very pretty melody. Good song. Nice lyrics too, especially the title hook. Good job.

I *totally* bought this from the first note. Once I caught the main theme, I kept waiting for the next verse, then the next verse, and so to the end. Great trumpet solo interlude in there too - sound great. It's got showtune written all over it, and I could definitely imagine a man on a stage in a bright suit (maybe yellow), wandering the stage, hat in hand, singing into the air to his distant love.

Re: The melodist, I have tried it a few times, and it has produced some interesting results. I like to try creating my own melody and then compare and contrast with what BIAB creates. BIAB tends to be quite "in the key" and plays it pretty safe, whereas my melodies tend to go a bit wild, and drift off into some weird key (or non-key lol), so it's definitely been useful.

Hello Marty ...

Love the song and your vocal. I'm a sucker for Latin beats and this subtle, gentle one lays so soft in my ears. You did a marvelous job on this in all respects. The lyric is perfect for the musicasl bed. Nice, indeed!

Alan

Marty,

Cool song—really well put together production-wise. And I’m joining the crowd: your vocals are just fine on this, and work quite well with the tune. Really like your lyrics as well. Good tune!

My best to you,

Deej

It's a lovely song.
Whilst your voice works well enough - I think the natural cragginess is better suited to blues flavoured stuff so I agree that another voice may do tis better but, in the meantime, I think you did a fine job.
Very much a jazz musical tune.

Thanks, Janne. Love that "express the waiting" part. Wish I can remember what Melodist named this. I think "they" had a different story in "mind."

Thanks, Belladonna! Seems my voice works better linear, This melody has a few stretches, but, man, you should've heard me try it in A. hehe

Thanks, Scott. Of course, I changed the players from the 2005 version. There are some amazing musicians to play with in this software.



Can't help it, Mike. I'm a bass player, and only sing to show others where the vocal goes. Thanks so much for the compliment!



Thanks so much, jptx3! The melody is a bit jumpy for my comfort. I'm more of a Mary Had A Little Lamb singer. hehe. So glad you liked it!

WOW, LOREN!! I'm blown away by your comment. I couldn't agree more with you about the bossa nova. A good friend of mine who died last year played congas, and he and I would set up some Latin rhythms on BiaB and just jam all night. I'll miss him.

Yes, I've been with my wife now for over 42 years. Her and the love that we grew (and still grow) is very inspirational to me. Yes, I read all the time. A long time ago I wrote sonnets. The last one started out "Shakespeare wrote 154, but I shall write another more." Of course, The Bard wrote in iambic pentameter, but I was a rebel in high school, so I went with 4 instead of 5. You, too, are inspired, as this would show: "a pair of lovebirds flying to their honeymoon nest."

Yeah, the trumpet solo came out like he was in on the composing all along. I like when that happens. There's an amazing harmonica player I play with a lot who can bend notes on a diatonic to sound almost chromatic. He can play Charlie Parker songs, but nothing sounds as sweet as Toots. Thanks again!!!

Thanks, Ed! Yeah, that trumpet was a good choice. Male, yellow suit, hat in hand.... Hmmm... I always thought of it by a female --probably because of the word cuddle in the end. hehe. You have a wonderful imagination.

Haha. I really like your experience with the Melodist. You're right about it being a starting point for creativity. That "in the key" part was probably why the trumpet sounded better in F than it did in A.



Thank you, Alan. So glad you liked it. I love those Latin beats, too.



Thanks, Deej. This was a lot of fun, and except for the original melody played by a midi nylon guitar way in the background, the Melodist was only the starting point.



Thank you, rayc! Exactly what I was thinking... the cragginess isn't really the best for these lyrics. More suited for "One night away is all it took for me to realize I'm better off without you." hehe Still, the sentiment is mine, but better delivered by proxy.

Cool melody and bossa groove.

You deliver the upbeat lyric very well with your vocals.
In short, you, well, sell yourself short re your voice

You put a fine band together and the mix sounds good on the monitors.

Nice lyric vid also.

We like.

J&B

Well done all around!

"The Sun's rays will shine straight on ahead, and keep us warm all the while."
Great line

Thanks for sharing.

James

Thanks, Janice & Bud. You comments are so valuable. I'll stop bashing my voice. Promise.

Thanks, James!

Good song - nice singing, good arrangement.

I've used BiaB for to create melodies before, but I've always heavily edited them. Sometimes it's easier to "fix" something than to create something from scratch.

Really nice Marty!! BIAB wrote a heck of a melody and you turned it into a REALLY cool song!! Wonderful!! Take care. Greg

Thanks, David. Melodist is sometimes a good starting point for writing, especially when experiencing writer's block. "Fixing" is certainly a creative process. It's also great for practicing things. Thanks for listening!

Thanks, Greg. Most of the credit, of course, would go to the shower. hehe

Wpw am I impressed! This is really a good song and the vocal is a delight. Now I would be doing a disservice to you if I told you the vocal is "all the way there, 100 % gig worthy." But it is damn close. Definitely worth continuing to pursue. I enjoyed this and I hope you do more like it. Way to go!

Marty,
I probably have to take showers more often...maybe shave more often too (if it helps of course)

Excellent tune. Maybe it is out of your comfort level, but it is not like you have to sing it every day It is done, and you should be proud of it! It came out very cool and hearty. Nice mix! Thank you for sharing.

Misha.

Nicely done - very pleasant backing track - well mixed and composed.

Enjoyed the vocal and song melody.

Peter

TuneMonger, thanks so much for your kind words AND your honesty.



Haha. Thanks, Misha. I highly recommend the shower. "It is done..." that's how I felt. Glad you liked it.



Thanks, Peter.