Hi y‘all,

it’s pretty hard to shoot videos these days, because not all of my buddies have had both vaccinations yet and, worst of all, Maha is still in the hospital (but on a good way!).

Since we have some songs ready, but waiting for theirt corresponding videos to be shot, I thought I might meanwhile post one or two of them in advance - the videos will follow some day.

Honey

This is another tune from the category “weird love songs“ - definitely designed to make you tap your toes and chuckle.

Thanks for taking the time to listen - hope you’ll enjoy it.

Take care,

Stefan

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Lyrics
=====

Honey

It was a hot summer day, last week of July,
looked outta my window, watched those girls walk by.
a-wiggling and a-giggling, having a good time,
Shaking their tail feathers in the warm suin’s shine

Watched some young boys, too, who were blatantly unhinged,
biting theit lips that looked already fringed
Their eyes were popping, their ears were twitching,
Their jaws were grinding and their teeth were itching.

In my younger days the sight of those butts,
would have driven me, too, completely nuts.
’cause I was a real bad boy, I confess.
But then I met my baby and found out that she’s as sweet as...

Honey, right out of the hive,
Honey, you’re the sweetest creature alive.
Of all the honeys that I’ve tasted you’re by far the sweetest,
So sweet my doctor warned me that you might cause diabetes.

Solos

Sugar, you’re sweet like a cane,
Sugar, your sweetness really drives me insane.
You’re sweeter than nougat or any kind of berries,
So sweet my dentist warned me that you might cause caries.

Passing that big news stand in the center of our town,
with hundreds of magazines, and if I don’t look down,
in that very minute it takes to pass it by,
I’ve seen morer naked women than my Dad in his whole life.

But their beauty’s only paper-thin, they got no sex appeal,
‘cause everything is photoshopped and nothing’s really real.
And with all that silicone that they’re carrying around,
No doubt it won’t take long and they’ll be backache bound.

But my baby’s beauty can be found in every cell,
years just don’t matter, she’s always looking swell.
She don’t need no silicone, no Botox and no wig.
She’s just sweet by nature and that’s her only trick.

Choclate, you’re sweeter than cream
Chocolate, the sweetest thing that I’ve ever seen.
Whenever you’re smiling you show those sweet dimples,
So sweet my dermatologist warned me you might cause pimples.

Candy, sweet as jelly beans,
Candy, it must be in your genes.
You’re as sweet as ice-cream, no you’re tasting even better,
with all that candy it’s no wonder that I’m getting fatter.

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Musical Data
==========

Music & Lyrics: Stefan Nachtsheim (2021)
Key / Tempo: A / 140 BPM

The song was designed in BIAB and worked out in Reaper using the BIAB VST plug-in.

Then Maha used Reaper plus Nectar 3, Neutron 3, Ozone 9 Adv., and Tonal Balance for sound editing, mixing and mastering.

=====================
The (most exclusive) Band
=====================

Vocals: Stefan Nachtsheim (voc, bgv)

Back Line I (everything except the bridges)

Wayne Killius, d (BIAB RD RockhardLA)
Craig Young, b (BIAB / RT7117)
Brent Mason, g (BIAB / RT718 & RT581)
Gene Rabbal, org (BIAB / RT671)
Kevin McKendree, p (BIAB / RT21541)

Back Line II (bridges)

Wayne Killius, d (BIAB RD TexMexCountry)
Brent Mason, g (BIAB / RT718
Audley Freed, g (BIAB / RT848

MIDI

Drums: arr. & progr. by S.N. -> MTPowerDrums
Bass (Bridge): arr. & progr. by S.N. -> NI Factory Selection
Horns (4 x tp): arr. & progr. by S.N. -> Big Fish Vintage Horns
Congas (Bridge): arr. & progr. by S.N. -> EZDrummer2

Solos

Stefan Nachtsheim (g, 1977 Les Paul Custom, VOX VT-20)
Mark Douthit, as (BIAB / RT1956)

Stefan

Loved it - inventive amusing and a great sounding band.

Those horns are great - (any tips on writing/arranging them?).

A great fun listen.

Peter

Hi Stefan,

Yeah I also really liked your new song - Honey.

Lyrics - very amusing.
Song - great light and shade and lots of hooks.
Vocals - very good.
Instruments - all good, good strong beat - and I also liked the Horns.
Mix - spot on.

Look forward to hearing more of your songs.

Best Regards
Nigel

I love those a-wiggling and a-giggling girls!

Love the humor.

Complex and effective production.

Totally groovy!

Completely fabulous.
Humour, as expected, in a narrative that is engaging - wrapped in a cool melody and arrangement...nice changes to n from the bridges too.
My ONLY complaint is that it started a little abruptly.

Hi Stefan
Some zinging rhymes, great band and arrangement and excellent vocal and guitar solo. The whole thing is as sweet and smooth as you know what.
Regards,
Leon

Hi Stefan,

As always, a great write! And as always, a fun listen

Tip of the hat to Maha for the mix!

Enjoyed!

Loved this Stefan. Super vocal and loved the lyric. So creative. The backing band was smokin. Well done

Hi Peter,

I'm glad you enjoyed the song - thanks for your kind words.

As to the horns arrangements - I'm afraid that this is not a miraculous tip:

I finish the song then arrange the horns in the piano roll. No keyboard, just the PR. Try this, try that, maybe discard what I wrote the day before and so on. Sometimes this is done in a jiffy, sometimes it takes a week before I'm really convinced that the arrangement fits the song. But that goes for the entire songs anyway...).

The only real tip I have: If you're going to write a multi-instrument horns arrangement start with trumpets writing the full voicing in one window. Afterwards you can decide wether you want to use just one instrument (like I did with HONEY = 4 trumpets) or split the arrangement into e.g. the typical horn section /tb, ts, tp). In that case just copy the original MIDI track (with the 3 or 4 trumpets) into new tracks, assign the instruments you want and then simply delete all the notes that must be played by the other instruments. Sounds a bit tedious? Not that bad, you'll get faster with every new song.

Take care,

Stefan

Hi Scott,

still loving those a-wiggling and a-giggling girls? Ha, I knew you are STILL a bad boy. And: Does your lovely wife know?

I know: As long as I meet your sense of humor with a song I can't be all wrong

Thanks a bunch for your nice comment.

Al the best,

Stefan

Ha, you never fail to activate my toes (usually the whole body), and always elicit a chuckle (usually of the roaring guffaw variety). Man, I can see the video already. Hope your guys get vaxed soon, and that sounds like great news about Maha. I REALLY REALLY enjoy the stuff you guys put out. Consistently and thoroughly engaging. Yeah, keep posting and we'll get the videos in time. Take care.

You too? And here I thought I was the only guy who had itchy teeth. Well, you are singing my heart and loins here. Perfect.

Kinda makes me a bit....hungry.

Later.

Super toe tapping song that brought back some fond memories!
That's as far as I'm going on that one!

Loved those lyrics. This is my favorite and also so true:
"But their beauty’s only paper-thin, they got no sex appeal,
‘cause everything is photoshopped and nothing’s really real.
And with all that silicone that they’re carrying around,
No doubt it won’t take long and they’ll be backache bound."

This is a winner for sure!

Yet another very clever song well performed. That is what we have come to expect from Stefan.

Well done.

Tony

Hi Ray,

well, what more could anybody ask for than that positive comment of yours - thanks a huge bunch !!!

As to the abrupt start: The last thing I do with a new song is deleting the counting-i that BIB adds automatically.
That can (like in this case) lead to an unexpectedly abrubt start, which may be suboptimal with the increasing startle response as we slide down the razor blade of life ...

All the best,

Stefan

Hi Leon,

I always appreciate your very kind and supporting comments a lot - thank you so much.

Take care,

Stefan

Hi Dave,

I'm glad you enjoyed the song - thanks a lot for your kind words. I passed your 'tipping of the hat' to Maha - it surely helps her to recover.

Take care,

Stefan

Thanks a lot, Scott - I really apreciate your kind comment.

Cheers,

Stefan

Hi Marty,

reading your extremely kind and supporting comments on our songs and videos is always a very special treat. Can't help it - looks like we're sharing the same sense of humor, don't you think?

The video is already in the making ...

Take care,

Stefan

Thanks a lot, Tangmo - always at your command for making you feel soooo goooood!

Cheers,

Stefan

Very clever and enjoyable!

Great job of matching sweets and doctor's warnings.

Great delivery and production with a unique sound.

Thanks for sharing!

James

Hi Stefan great vocal cool tune I really enjoy your tunes well done Eric

Fun song that had Janice dancing around the house ... seriously.

Kudos to you for the vocal/guitar performances, write, and those horns -- yeah.

AND a BIG shoutout to Maha for the mix. Got a Muscle Shoals vibe to it. Duck Dunn playing bass?

Great production and great news that Maha is improving!

J&B

Hi Stefan,

Such a great track... well done! Humour and good music seems to be key-drivers in your life... and that is not bad duo!

Thanks a lot for sharing - I enjoyed listening!

Will

Hi Tony,

that was a really nice and supporting (yet pressurizing)comment - hope I will be able to meet your expectations in the future...

Seriously: Thanks a bunch, Tony, I really appreciated your kind words.

Cheers,

Stefan

Thanks a lot, James - I'm glad you enjoyed the song.

Kind regards,

Stefan

Stefan,

As always, a GREAT sound. Awesome BAND.

Love those horns!!

A fun write - well done.

Excellent mix.

A very entertaining listen!!

fj

Hi Stefan,

To my surprise I saw I never reacted to your song on the forum. Shame on me!
Oh well, I did in a private mail exchange, but then the song was not really finished.
The sudden end in the earlier version is nicely corrected in this final version.

It is a very amusing song, typically your style, kind of boogie woogie.
Your lyrics are always long, very clever and so funny!

I enjoyed it, man!
Hans

Hello Nigel,

I'm absolutely sure that I already thanked you for your very kind words on Honey, because I do so in the order of the incoming comments.

But when I just checked who is the next in line I saw that there was no reply to your comment, and another reply I had definitely written was also missing.

No idea what happened - the only possible explanation is that I somehow failed to hit the submit button - can't imagine that the system loses posts...

Whatever, I really appreciated your fabulous comment and want to thank you very much for it.

All the best,

Stefan

Hi Mario,

I was excited to read your comment - I'm not only glad you enjoyed the song, but also liked the thought that I'm not the only one who loves it (them) more natural


Thanks a bunch, Mario,

Al the best,

Stefan

Hi Eric ,

thanks a lot for taking the time to listen to the song and for your supporting comment. I will do my best to keep you enjoyed

Best regard,

Stefan

Hi Janice & Bud,

Janice, I do like the idea that our songs keep you dancing, but I hope you won't charge me for worn-down shoes.

Thanks a lot for what you wrote about the song ! I (and Maha even more) especially liked the 'Muscle Shoals vibe' you mentioned. I had never heard of that studio, but after I read your words I immediately had a listen: There's that sampler 'Muscle Shoals: Small Town! Big Sound"' which is definitely my kind of stuff.

I'm glad you enjoyed the listen - the corresponding video is already in the making

Hope you're doing fine, take care,

Stefan

Hi Will,

so good to hear from you - I do hope you're fine!

Frank Zappa once asked 'Does humor belong in music?' And my answer is definitely YES
Of course not always...

I'm glad you enjoyed the song - thanks a lot for your very nice comment.

Stay safe,

Stefan

Hi Floyd,

thanks a lot, we really appreciate your very kind comment. Maha says 'thanks', too - once again you made her day.

Stay safe,

Stefan

Hoi Hans,

I'm glad you even enjoyed a second listen ...

Thanks a lot for your positive and supporting comment!

Tot gauw,

Stefan

Awesome work Stefan! Very entertaining with excellent musicianship, vocals (and background vox), production, write etc. Man everything you do is top level! Thanks, T

Dear Stefan...

Being diabetic, listening to all that talk about candy, chocolate, jelly beans, honey and sweetness made my blood sugar spike like a bottle rocket arcing across the sky on the 4th of July !!!

There's a lot to comment on about this excellent production. I didn't miss the usual video that accompanies your productions because your lyrics were joyfully descriptive. The vocal harmonies that escorted your vocal track made it sound like a band of background singers was onstage with you. The stylistic changes from verse to verse were great rhythmic surprises that added a sense of fun to the song. The way you handled the dynamics of those Big Fish Vintage Horns was outstanding! I think I would not have guessed that they were virtual instruments if you had not mentioned it.

It looks as though you selected a variety of individual Real Tracks instead of choosing a Real Style band. That had to involve some serious searching, which may have been tedious and time-consuming, but, boy, did they ever work together to support the raucous lyrics! The song had a 'live', raise-the-roof performance feel because of them.

Last, but not least, you must have nursed an oxygen tank to get the wind to belt out line-after-line of those many-worded lyrics! I hope you didn't lose your voice !!!

You and Ms. Maha are definitely keeping your energy level high. Keep on keepin' on, folks!

Stefan,
Beauty! I need to drink what you are drinking. One of my new favorite of yours. Spectacular write and performance. Behind all that humor some very serious music is hiding. I am already smiling imagining what kind of video you are going to come up with. Want to see all that silicone being "carried" around.
Brilliant. Thank you for sharing.

Misha.

Thanks a lot, Torrey. You know how I especially apprecoate your comments. So you simply made my day.

Stay safe,

Stefan

Dear Loren,

Amazon just informed me that that gold-plated frame is on its way. Took that Andy Warhol original already off the wall and threw it into the attic - so now erverything is ready for framing your wonderful comment and hang it where that petty Warhol painting used to be !

No, seriously, your comments are always so positive that I usually take a second look to make sure you're really writing about my song. Thank you so much - I really, really appreciate that a lot!

You mentioned the RealTracks I used... Yes, at the end of the day I rarely use a complete RealStyle. Actually I start designing the backing track by trying out hundreds of Styles (sometimes it feels like they were millions), then design the song structure. Finally I deide which of the RealTracks included in the realStle might not be ideal for what I have in mind and the chase is on..

That, indeed, is pretty time-consuming, but it's also nice and satisfactory when you finally find that RealTrack that does the job best. And finding your way through those thousands of mmost fabulous realTracks is a bit like entetering the cockaigne, don't you think?

Thanks again so much !

Stay safe,

Stefan

Hi Crossroads,

I appreciate your humor and the joyful rhythm of your compositions. It's always well done and well mixed.

Kindly regard
Derochette
alias JaniJackFlash

Dear Misha,

well, few things I'd appreciate more than havin a drink with you, wouldn't care what it is!

Thanks a lot for your very supportive words; I was glad to read that you enjoyed the song. And we seem to share a certain sense of humor - what a fabulous idea!

The video is very close to being finished, but since I have some older unreleased songs and videos in store I will come up with them first, I think.

Once again thanks a lot, I really appreciated your nice comment.

Stay safe,

Stefan

Thank you so much, Derochette - I'm glad you enjoyed the song.

Cheers,

Stefan

Fun tune Stefan!!! Great band, and the horns work great!! Everything works for me!! Take care. Greg

Thanks a lot for taking the time for a listen and your kind words, Greg. I'm glad you enjoyed the song.

Take care,

Stefan