A co-write with Bud Merritt.
Janice Merritt joins in with harmonies.
More than "just" musical friends!!


The BAND:
RealTracks in style: 366:Bass, Electric, Country Ev 065
MIDI SuperTracks in song: 2831:Piano, Rhythm GospelSlowBalladMike Ev 085
(rendered with EZKeys Grand)
RealTracks in song: ~2051:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking CountryBrent Ev 085
RealTracks in song: 2911:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm CountryPopBrent12-key Ev 085
MIDI SuperTracks in song: 2060:Strings, Rhythm PopCountry Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 2692:Organ, Rhythm ModernPopSlowMike Ev 075
RealTracks in song: 2883:Pedal Steel, Background CountryEddy12-key Ev 085
RealDrums in style:NashvilleEven8^2-a:Sidestick, HiHat , b:Snare, HiHat
Additional EZKeys piano track


THE SLIDE

i know i should have drawn the line
a drink or two before closing time
but inviting looks washed in neon
were more than enough to lead me on
a slippery slope a wayward path
so i was bound to face an angel's wrath
my demons determined to drive me mad
betraying you and all we had

   so many years out on the edge
   i'm still crawling through my wreckage
   always hoping you'll be on the other side
   and desperately hoping to stop the slide

a few hours with a stranger erased
a love that i can never replace
a fool opens dangerous doors
forgiveness has its limits, you reached yours

   so many years out on the edge...

callin', callin'
fallin', fallin'

   so many years out on the edge...

i know i should have drawn the line
a drink or two before closing time...



Comments are always welcome. Any kind.

Happy New Year to everyone. Hope it is a very musical one!!

fj (& the Merritts)

Killer tune... I'm very impressed with this song, production and performance... Wow!

Great song and performance Floyd. This one quickly was able to 'slide' to the top of my User Showcase favorites list. Always enjoy listening, analyzing and reverse engineering your songs...

Charlie

Hello Floyd
Wonderful song
You have put together a great background track
Your singing is always great anyway
Sounds very thoughtful, but that fits the lyrics as well
The part at CALLIN' FALLIN' is really top class.
You did a great job with Janice and Bud
Thanks for sharing
Many greetings
Andi ;-)

When the intro started playing I thought this is just like the intro to Will I See You in Heaven by Eric Clapton. Then it went into the your song.

Anyway this hit home with the passing of my friend Danny. The lyrics are potent and I'm sure many people can relate as it seams many of us have friends, family menbers, or acquaints with a drug or alcohol problem.

As always your vocal, backing tracks, accompanying musicians, and mix are outstanding.

Loved it.

Very sweet song Floyd and B&J.
Excellent mix and arrangement too.

Vic

Floyd/J&B,

Wow what a team you folks make! This is such a pretty song! It's got a melancholy feel that the backing suits so well! That steel guitar is singing in this!

Love that short bridge section with the vocal effects used...they really lift the song to another level! I like the way Janice's background vocal fits in here...they are sitting in the mix perfectly, not overpowering the lead and hitting on just the portion of the lines that are needed!

You continue to show that you work on such a high level that inspires all of us to continue to hone our musical skills to strive for the kind of production that you continually display!

Thanks, Torrey

Great recording. So clear! Heartbreaking lyrics. Outstanding vocals from both you and Janice. Top notch work here all around.

FJ, Bud & Janice.
Really well written tune. Lyrics and delivery are a treat. Neat and artistic how you slow it down and then coming back out to original tempo. That bridge: "calling" at 2:35 really opens up song. A+ main vocal and harmonies! Very smooth ending, something that I always struggle with.
Congrats to whole team! Thank you for sharing and Happy new year!

Misha.

P.S. Mix is clear, but I believe drums sound a bit dry to my ears.

A touch of magic. All round great performance and production.
Love the chord progression and the vocal harmony was perfect.
Well done all.
Rob4580

Yeah ... what Torrey said. I can think of nothing better to say, so I won't even try. WOW!

Alan

Fanmazing.
FJ with B&J is always a treat & no retreat.
LOVE the ending.

Hi, floyd jane (and the Merritts)

It's up to your high standards, as usual. Well sung, good arrangement, excellent mix.

The bridge was especially cool - I saw from the lyrics that it was coming, and it didn't disappoint!

But... I didn't buy the premise, probably because I think too much.

I mean, it's set up properly, and the narrator makes a argument that he's always crashing and burning, and expecting to be forgiven. So everything fits nicely until the end of the chorus:

      and desperately hoping to stop the slide

It's a bit like having someone who's never stopped drinking say their worried about falling off the wagon. Since the narrator has always been willing to jump into bed with someone, there's nothing to "slide" away from.

Unless there's a level of irony in the song I've missed.

Of course, that didn't stop be from playing the song a couple more times, just to enjoy it again.

Especially with the lovely harmonies. They're a wider and more staggered than usual.

That makes them pop, but when the consonants don't line up, there's as ch on the left speaker, and a millisecond later, one of the right speaker, or the other way around.

It got me thinking how much I expect everything I hear to be immaculately edited and corrected. Which, of course, is the opposite of what you're doing here.

It also seemed a bit more warm than your usual mix, which I liked.

Excellent work, as always!

Hi Floyd & Team,

Good song and well sung.

Congratulations.

Best Regards
Nigel

Thanks, bloc-head. We appreciate that...




Thanks, Charlie!




Andi - a big thanks from us all...

Hi Floyd, Janice and Bud,

a remarkable song !

First impression: It sounds brilliant. Very nice lyrics, very convincingly sung. Love that unobtrusive backing track.

And those BGV - nobody does them like Janice !!!

The echo part came unexpectedly, but was very effective.

Just great.

A happy and most of all healthy New Year to you all,

Stefan

Wow what a way to finish the year. Floyd, Janice and Bud what a beautiful song. I am speechless. Simple amazing.

Really really nice man.

Not even a new year either!



Can't you stop making the hits??? Or is that all you know how to write?

Thank you folks and happy new year!

J&B

floyd

Lovely song, superb production, beautifully sung and written.

You and Janice always sound brilliant together and the backing vocals are lovely.

Loved the bridge & the melody.

Superb work (as expected).

Happy New Year

Peter

Thanks, Mario....




Thanks, Vic. ("sweet" is an interesting way to describe this...)




We very much appreciate all the nice comments, Torrey...

Oh, what a beautiful way to return to the forum after such a tragic Christmas here. Right at the top is a song from my favorites. What a wonderful co-write, and an amazing production. Putting the 3 of you on the same project can only result in perfection. Love the lyrics, harmony and all of the magic y'all put into this.

Thanks Mario. It's always a pleasure joining in with a good friend on a music project.
J&B

Beautiful, moving song, and a performance that delivers!!!!! I've never heard you sound better Floyd, and that's saying A LOT!!! And Janice adds some golden glitter to everything she touches!!!

Some AMAZING lyrics here:

so many years out on the edge
i'm still crawling through my wreckage
always hoping you'll be on the other side
and desperately hoping to stop the slide

Does not get any better than that!!!

Beautiful job by all involved!!! Happy New Year!! Greg

Great song, passionately sung.


I thought a lot about Dave's 'not buying the premise,' but after spending a lot of time going over the lyrics, I decided that they worked fine for me.


Stellar work as always.

Thanks, Sean....




Misha - Thanks from us all!

The drum sound (which is always important to me) is similar to a lot of the music that I am listening to these days (which I suppose you could label "Contemporary Country" - taking much of its sound from current Pop). Or, at least, how I hear it. That can range from washed-in-reverb to almost-completely-dry. The dry side help to make the drums sit front-and-center in the mix. Listening several times, with your comment in mind, I find that I'm satisfied with the way these (drums) turned out. As with all aspect of mixing, it can be a matter of "personal preference"...and I appreciate you taking the time to give me your thoughts on that... Thanks!!

Thanks Vic.



Thank you Torrey. Gotta say that the bridge was all floyd’s idea! Janice much appreciates your vocals comments. Have a fun new year.

Hi Floyd, I tried to listen, but my computer said '"no"
Severall times; no connexion.
Have you noticed that too now?

Hans

Thank you and happy new year!

J&B

Hans - I don't have any problem getting to the site. It might be because it is an http site, not an https (secure) site (I did not pay to have the change happen). It might be that your browser or your provider won;t allow you to access an http site (there are no problems with the site as far as I know).




Thanks for stopping by, Rob...





Thanks, Alan!

Thanks, ray....





David - thanks for all the nice comments.

re: the slide - I could just blame Bud, since the bones of the song are all his doing - he created the "story". But I joined in, so "bought in" and have to own it as well... I see it less of a CONSTANT slide and more of a series of slides. Each new slide is...a new slide, different from the previous slide (regardless of how recent that one was)...and therefore something that he (the singer) must deal with each time anew.

re: the mis-aligned "ch" - sometimes trying to line up everything perfectly gets tedious and at some point, I go with the classic saying... "Close enough for Country"

Hi, Floyd, Bud and Janice !:)

What a wonderful co-op !
Don´t know that I´d heard
anything more beautiful
from you than this !


a Very Happy New Year
to all of you and thanks for
this masterpiece !

Cheers
Dani

Thank you Misha. And yes floyd’s arrangement was excellent. Happy new year to you and family!

J&B



Thanks Rob! Glad you liked the harmony. Hope you fave a great new year.

J&B

Beautiful song!

Man, such great writing! And the vocals are sublime.

Love the "calling, calling" bit at 2:39, and loved the ending too.

Nice way to end off the year I think

Thanks, Nigel....




Thanks, Stefan - we appreciate that!!...




Scott - nice of you to say - thanks from all of us!!...

I don;t know who wrote the opening line "i know i should have drawn the line/a drink or two before closing time," Bud or you, but it sure is a good one!

"a fool opens dangerous doors/forgiveness has its limits, you reached yours"---Man, that's great too!

Excellent vocal and Janice's harmony blends so well with your voice.

Thanks Al!

J&B

Thanks, David!!






Thanks, Peter. Janice is always my first choice for a singing partner (of course). Bud always has a lot of great ideas in the lyrics/notes he sends me to work with - a very creative mind (as I'm sure you know!)





We appreciate that, Marty!! Hope you have sorted out whatever was "tragic"....

Thanks Ray. It was a fun project!

J&B

Glad you liked it and J&B accept full responsibility for the lyric premise and harmony phrasing

J&B

My word!!! It's 15 past midnight here, and I'm listening to this ... wow. Had problems with my browser, wouldn't let me play this song, hence my lateness with my comments. Regardless: WOW. I can't articulate my feelings at this hour on listening to this, but: one of the most beautiful songs I've heard you sing, Floyd. Full credit to you and to the Merritts. I may post again, in the morning, when I'll hopefully be more articulate. One line, though: "always hoping you'll be on the other side". We've ALL been there, the way you write has universal appeal, because you talk to some of the deepest feelings that any human who has even remotely lived a little has had, and you know how to "press our buttons", emotionally speaking. CONGRATULATIONS to ALL responsible for this small masterpiece :-)

Greg - Thanks for the nice review!! Bud deserves the credit for those lines. I tweaked a couple of words or phrases, but basically, that's ALL the boy from Georgia.





Thanks, TM!!




Hans - I addressed this earlier... sorry that you cannot hear it...

Thanks!

J&B



Thank you Stefan. We appreciate your kind remarks and support. We wish the absolute best to you and Maha!

J&B



Thank Scott! Happy New Year.

J&B

Thanks from the lot of us, Dani...





We appreciate that, Dave....




Thanks, Scott. Those lines (both) were a mix of Bud's ideas and me expanding on them - so a CO-Write!!
And thanks for the note on the blend - I agree!!




James - we really appreciate that! Thanks for the great review...

this is one of my favorite songs that you have done,. Great job
Bob

Thanks Marty. floyd always turns our efforts into real songs!

J&B



Thank you Greg!

J&B



Thanks!

J&B



Thanks Dani and happy new year to you and Li

J&B

Thanks very much Dave. Happy New Year!

J&B



We appreciate that and, yes, Janice always enjoys singing with the man!

J&B



Thanks and we appreciate your comments on how you felt the song.

Have a great new year.

J&B




Thanks Bob!

J&B