Hi everyone,

Illusions https://soundcloud.com/user-296497130/illusions-swing

I made this song in 2016, the year I also started with Band in a Box and some months later joined this forum.
That was quite exciting for me. I didn't know what to expect from it.
I didn't dare to place this song then.

Because I liked the melody, a month ago I decided to remake the song.
Well, a lot has changed in it. Of course I made 2 versions (Rock and Swing),since it appears I'm doing that all the time lately...
Also the lyrics has changed, because of the english I used then and some of the instruments. What stayed was the tempo and the story behind the lyrics, because it is based on my personall experiences. I was in politics and I learned what strange people our society has. And I always had problems with my superiors (sounds familiair?).
and the end was true too ;-)

Besides the RT from BiaB I used other instruments and my keyboard and loops again for bg-sounds. Tell me if I am overdoing that, or what you think of the song, or whatever. I skip the lyrics here, you can read them on SoundCloud if you like.

Hans
PS: I forgot again how to hide the link behind the title...
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Here the technical stuff from BiaB:
Style: SCOOT.STY (Scoot Fast Jaunty Country Swing)
Tempo 135, Key: C
RealTracks: 2129:Bas, acoustic
: 1550:Piano, Acoustic
: ~975:Guitar, Electric
: 1553:Guitar, Electric
: 2165:Piano, Acoustic
: 3972:Guitar, Resonator, BackgroundSoloist BluesShuffleRob Sw 120
RealDrums:NashvilleShuffle^01-a:Sidestick, HiHat , b:Snare, Ride

This is excellent... I love the lyrics and the singing.
It has a very cool New Orleans swing feel... Love the Dobro too.
I think some Dixieland Jazz horns might work well with this song.
Great work Hans.

Awesome song Hans!
It really swings and the vocals are very good.
Love the resonator.

Rob and Anne-Marie

This song is not an illusion, now people like me are listening to you Just wondering is your love ruling your life now... Intriguing arrangement, so much happening all the time, nice stops. And the groove is infectious, danceable. Very good vocals, nice backing vocals also, in the last chorus I wish there was even a big gospel choir.

Janne

Hans this is excellent, no illusion about that

Super groove and backing tracks

Super breaks and drum solos

Outstanding vocals and lyrics

Two thumbs up

Hans,

Gotta give you a big "WOW" on this one.

A good write.

The BAND is excellent. BIG and tight. Very Coool Music. Excellent mix.

Love your vocal on this.

REALLY enjoyed this. One of your best (but I seem to be saying that with each new post of yours).

fj


(Thanks for TRYING to listen to "What's An Extra Mile?". The warnings you are getting are because I did not pay to make my site "https" - it's still just "http". Don't know what exactly is blocking you, but I CAN guarantee you there is nothing malicious on my site - it's simply that it is not a "https" kind....)

"I learned what strange people our society has. And I always had problems with my superiors (sounds familiair?)."

Yes it does !

I like the bouncy vibe on this

Moto

Hans

Excellent song, loved the walk down runs, key change and the instrumentation.

Really good work on all aspects of the song, and really well sung.

Well done.

Peter

Hans,

Like this one a lot. Engaging from the start, but really picks up for me on that first chorus . . . and love that piano break at the 1:00 mark (and thereafter). Actually, that bluesy/bouncy piano is really killer throughout. Excellent work on this one!

Hope all is well in your world—

Deej

Hi there Bloc-head, Rob and Anne-Marie, Janne and Mario,

I admire your discipline to listen to the songs on this forum so quickly, but most of all I love the content of your replies!
What nice words I read. Thanks for that!



Bloc-head, I learn new words from you too, Dobro! Thanks for the comments. About the horns I have to admit I just don't like the sound of them. But that was also the case with trumpets, steel guitars, saxes and so on. But I used them all and started to like them. But the horns? Maybe one day.



RnAM, thanks for your comment and please, call that thing a Dobro, as Bloc-head just learned me. When I gave you a first impression of this song, AM I was more yelling my lines and you wrote "far too loud!!!". See? I listened ;-)



Janne, thanks as well for your compliments and thoughts. I'm happy to read you have become a listener. But I needed that back then when I was in politics. And I had some knowledge on a Finnish girl I met in Nürnberg. She didn't listen either...
And yes my wife was the one I meant in the song. She's still around and we go to Malaga (Spain) next week. think the relation is still fine. about the gospel choir; not in that song. I'm working on a Caribbean sounding song now and tried them in it. Doesn't work (yet).
Keep reminding me...



Mario, you made my day with this comment! The big smile is still on my face. Thanks!!!

Here it is a sunny day (finally). I'm going to enjoy that now.
Do the same,
Hans

Hi Birchwood,

very elaborate composition. I appreciated the rhythm and the spatialization of the sounds in the mix. Well done.

Kindly regard
Derochette
alias JaniJackFlash

Hi Floyd, Captain Mo and Peter,

Thanks for your nice writes on this song. They hang in my room now!
And very nice to know you enjoyed it (the song, I mean)



Floyd, that's a huge compliment from you! But yes, you are telling me regularly the song is (one of) my best. How can I now know what to improve?
I listenend and commented on your very nice 'Mile' on your post, but still don't know whap happened. I only faced it with your song and no other songs I listened to. It must be the Russians... Ukrain was a mile to far, I suppose.



Mo, I was glad someone also had these experiences I had/have. Doesn't make me feel alone ;-)
Thanks for this and your nice comment on the song!



Peter, thanks for your words and for learning me how you call those intervals; walk downs. It sounds so logical!

Well, I hope you are all also working hard on your new songs, but also enjoy a day off every now and then,
Hans

Sounds great to me, Hans, love the groove and the performance.

Great job on the mix too, well done

Hello Hans
Great song
Excellent sung
And the background track as always with you great elaborated
Great work Hans
Many greetings
Andi ;-)

Bouncy beat and melody!
Your voice sounds good, little hampering it's natural colour.
Existential crisis with a danceable beat!

Hi Deej,Derochette, Dave, Andi and Ray,

Thanks a lot for listening and your very nice comments on this song, composition and/or the vocals.
I read you all liked it and no one was even dissapointed in something. That pleased me too, of course!
Because your posts had more or less the same content I didn't use the 'quick quote' from the forum.

Had to look up what 'hampering' meant Ray, but as far as I understood the translation it meant something (almost) good. Thanks for that ;-)

And yes, all is well again in my world, Deej. Except that war...

Have a nice day everyone,
Hans

Firstly ... excellent!

Janice said it was like John Lennon singing and Leon Russell leading the band.

Great vocal, lyric and band. And a fine arrangement and mix.
It grabs you from the opening note and doesn't let go.

You a politician? hmmmmm

J&B

PS "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!"

Cool groove to the backtrack Hans. Vocal processing was very cool as well. Super vocal and lyric. Well done

Hans,
cool tune. Swing almost going into reggae at times. Neat composition and excellent song writing skills. Mix is clear but... I think your vocals are a bit on a higher EQ side...than the rest of the backing. Creative stuff.
Thank you for sharing.

Misha.

Swinging indeed, Hans. Dobro is a great inclusion. Nicely written and well sung.
Regards,
Leon

Hi, Hans.

Late to the party here...

Very cool arrangement and mix. I really like that it doesn't sound like anything else - the stop and go with the various parts is super-effective as well.

Fun listen!

Illusion solution: write a great song about it. Love the way you did that, Hans. What a wonderfully crafted song it is. A great upbeat feel. The lyrics say t all to and you sang them so well. Really love this, Hans.

Hi Janice, Bud, Scott, Misha and Leon,

Sorry I didn't answer earlier, but I was on holidays in Malaga, Spain with my wife and son.
Very nice place. Been there four times before, but that was (just) before Covid broke out, so two years sago.
But I think it's better talk about your reviews of my song than about the holidays. I read al your posts there, but couldn't answer them. Probably a bit obsolete, I'm afraid.

I want to thank you for your nice comments. I wasn't expecting anymore replies on this song, so it was a nice surprise!



Hi Bud, let's start with your humming on me wering a politician. My oldest son followed me in this and still is one. I think you didn't expect a kind of John L. would something filthy as a politician, or were you impressed? But that's why I wrote about that 'not listening'situation'.
Thanks a lot for the nice comment on the song and tell Janice again she is right in her comment! I did nothing. They did ;-)



Hey Scott, thanks for your so nice comment. You told me why you don't play solo on the acoustic, but we didn't discuss if that's the case too for the resonator. Maybe you like to try it? You have nice melodies in your head for that. Let me know!



Hey Misha, swinging almost reggae style? I wasn't aware I did that, but yes you could say that. I also made a Rock version of this song, but have no plans to bring that one in the forum too. And about the eq; since Dave and you mentioned this issue some time ago, I became very eager in listening to that, or ask people if they can hear harshness or sharpness in the vocals. I didn't hear it, but I have some ear damage as you know. Keep telling me if it occurs in future songs. There comes a day...



Hi Leon, the name 'Dobro' was a bit confusing at first and then I realised it was that resonator. Thanks for the compliments and I'm glad you liked it!

A very nice Eastern for all of you,
Hans

Hi David and Marty,

As I said in my latest post (above) I was on holidays. enjoyed your posts, but couldn't write back till now.



Hi David, I wasn't expecting anymore coment on this song and so I went to Spain ;-)
It doesn't matter if you were late, because now I received six post on a row for this song abroad. That was a very nice feeling!
Thanks for your nice comment. Especially that line about the sound was not so common, to put it mildly. Very nice of you!



Hi Marty, I was so surprised you didn't send me a post in the first weeks and then surprised you did as being the last poster, marvelous!
You know, I made this song as my very first song with BiaB. It was a few months before I bought this program that I gave myself a birthday present (2016); a new guitar since nearly 30 years. I had a stroke in 2005 and I wondered if I could play it and make music again. And I was happy I succeeded. And therefore it's so nice to read what you and the others wrote about this song. Thanks!

A happy Easern for the both of you!
Hans

"Gone was that moment/I thought I knew it all" Ain't that the truth!

Cool band choice. The breaks and changes heighten the interest. A bouncing little ride. Nice work!

Hi Hans,

Cool song and great mix.

Well done.

Best Regards
Nigel

Hi Ezekiel and Nigel,

I was pleased to notice this song still got some listeners, but I was more than pleased with your comments!
Thanks for this,

Hans

Really like the Soundcloud pic Hans, but I like song much more! I love that swing sound in this! What a catchy tune! Best to you! T

Hi Torrey,

I had to search on what page this song was now in the forum, because I knew I hadn't replied to your comment on it.
Thanks a lot for your compliments!

About the cover: my wife thought I made a picture of my son and then arranged all things, like the cape and so on. In fact he does looks like my son. He is also in politics and then you sometimes think you are superman.
But I take care of him by telling him about the danger of illusions. Only problem is he is not a good listener for those things...

Hans