PG Music Home Forums General Discussion User Showcase Real Live Cowboy (w Tom & Janice)

There are a lot of RealTracks in this song.
(They, of course, don't all play at once )

This had to have Pedal Steel.
None of the RTs fit right.
So I asked Tom if he would want to add steel to this.
I'm pleased to say that he graciously agreed.
(I know it is a hassle for him to set up for this, but I think it may have lit a fire under him...a good thing...)

I also asked Janice to add some harmonies.
It just wouldn't be the same without J&B!

SO... the Band...

Tom Adams - pedal steel
Janice Merritt - harmonies
I played an acoustic guitar track

RealDrums in Song: NashvilleEven8^2-a:Sidestick, HiHat , b:Snare, HiHat
RealTracks in song: ~518:Bass, Electric, Pop HalfNotes Ev 085
RealTracks in song: ~2051:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking CountryBrent Ev 085
RealTracks in style: ~~365:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking Ev 085
RealTracks in style: ~~362:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Ev 085

MIDI SuperTracks in song: 2066:Piano, Rhythm NewAgeAnswers Ev16 110
MIDI SuperTracks in song: 2254:Piano, Rhythm CountryBalladJohn Ev 120

RealTracks in song: ~~409:Fiddle, Background George Ev 085
RealTracks in song: 1877 Fiddle, Soloist CountryRob Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 659:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm TexasRockChop Ev 120 (B:8ths)
RealTracks in song: 836:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm AltCountryRootsy Ev 075 (A:muted)
RealTracks in song: 861:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm HardRockWaltzSustainHeld Ev 140


REAL LIVE COWBOY

a weathered man with one closed eye from squinting at a western sun
a rodeo buckle, a buckskin shirt undone
his jeans were always worn and faded, but for where a gun might cling
this was no t.v. hero, he was the real thing

he was a real live cowboy
there aren't too many more
i'd ask him what it's like to ride the range
he said "son, you get saddle-sore
but you don't do things that aren't your way
it's honest work for honest pay"
he was a real live cowboy
there aren't too many more

he taught me how to break a horse, he taught me how to ride
we spent a week branding herd out on a mountainside
then one day he rolled his bed and said "i must move on"
a cowboy's free, cause he has to be
i watched him ride into the sun

   he was a real live cowboy
   there aren't too many more
   i'd ask him what it's like to ride the range
   he said "son, you get saddle-sore
   but you don't do things that aren't your way
   it's honest work for honest pay"
   he was a real live cowboy
   there aren't too many more

he came back through town the other day
he looked at me with one closed eye
he seemed to approve of the man i'd become
and how i fit against that western sky

   i'm a real live cowboy
   we aren't too many more
   i know what it's like to ride the range
   man, you get saddle-sore
   but you don't do things that aren't your way
   it's honest work for honest pay
   i'm a real live cowboy
   we aren't too many more

   i'm a real live cowboy
   i thank god i knew at least one more.


Hope you enjoy it.
Comments encouraged.
Thanks for listening.

SUPER BIG THANKS to Tom, Janice and Bud!!!!

floyd

(just in case: http://floydjane.com/Songs/RLC.htm )

1) Y'all have an all-star band going here! I think you should seriously consider replacing the phony band lineup on your web page with the real band. If nothing else, out of respect for the real talent that has joined together for so many successful productions, and because people naturally want to know who played that awesome pedal steel and sang those amazing female vocals.

2) I have to run off to a lunch date with my niece, but I'm posting this as a place holder. I'll flesh out a review shortly... but my initial thoughts are ... secret until I get back. ;-)

-------------
sorry for the long delay.. got distracted by other things...(Floyd, you can probably guess what)

OK, regarding link to the old phony band, there is still one functioning link on your CONTACT page: HERE

back to the song...

Floyd, this song is "Classic FJ"... radio ready and mixed beautifully. I listened with headphones, and the spread was just off center enough to be interesting and separated, but not so extreme as to sound overdone.

Your image painting in this song is (IMHO) some of the best you've brought to the forum. Your descriptions not only evoke very graphic and unique visuals, but even more importantly, your way with words lets you do it without sacrificing any of the elements of style that make lyrics great. Upshot is that these lyrics excel on multiple levels at once. It would be impressive if it were the occasional accident that some of us experience through sheer luck... but I know that you are fully conscious of your craft... how to change this in order to accomplish that... and therein lies the real magic in your productions. yes, they consistently sound good, they are consistently mixed perfectly, they are consistently accompanied by the best of the best collaborators... but the fact that you know how to repeat the phenomenon time after time is the deal.

I thought the piano perfected the mood you crafted for this song. Rich mentioned that the piano changed it from being a "real cowboy" kind of song from his perspective... but there are a bunch of different ways you could have ridden to the topic, and you seem to have taken the scenic route. The combination of the piano and the pedal steel gave it a wistful feel that works well with the idea of being the last of a dying breed. To me the piano recreated a similar mood that was achieved by Michael Murphy in the song WILDFIRE

The transition from 3rd person to first person was a great way to wrap up the story after the changeup in the middle. It left me thinking. "yeah.. that's a good resolution to the story.. he's not the last after all.. the story lives on in the 1st person character. "

When Tommy's pedal steel swelled into the mix... and I mean every single time... I got chills up my back! It's kind of scary to turn the reins over to a collaborator, because you relinquish a bit of control. But I'd guess that by now you trust Tommy and Janice completely to send you something that can be used with very little change.

I like the change in style when "he came back into town the other day". It is easy to miss the opportunity to change things up in the middle, but this really accented the fact that you were introducing a change in the flow of the story, not just in the flow of the chords.

My hat is off to the "REAL" band that consistently cranks out hits on radio WPGM!

Hi Floyd,

This is a really good song in every way!
Tom's pedal steel is wonderful, your vocals are great and so are Janice's harmonies (as always).

Rob and Anne-Marie

Hi, Floyd, Tom & Janice & Bud !:))


Merry Christmas to all of you !!!:))
I am out of superlatives for these
pro tunes pro made ! Well, you know
that you set the standards for professionality
on this forum and that is good as
I think it does affect most of us others
trying to become better, though, like
me never becoming a pro ! (LOL) !
It goes without saying that this is
the result of yet another wonderful co-op
by all of you !:))

Cheers
Dani

Great tune!! Some amazing imagery, perfect furniture, and the great craftsmanship which is the hallmark of a FJ song. Sentiment reminds me a lot of Alan Shamblin's He Walked on Water, and the story is just as well told. Really excellent work! I feel like the vocal is even better than your usual great stuff. Take care. Greg

floyd, Tom and Janice,

What a song.
What a band.
The lyrics painted a picture of the cowboy and they made me remember the pain of being saddle sore as I did a lot of riding hire horses a decade or more ago, plus a lot of falling off
I liked the slow down at the end with Tom saying goodbye.

Good choice of RTs (I like 861 myself but my songs don't sound so professional!)
The mix was excellent, the harmonies almost subliminal but beautiful.
Same for Tom's steel, it fitted perfectly.

You have a great band with Tom, Janice and Bud and your vocals are just what the doctor ordered for country music.

Well done

enjoyed tremendously

Alyn

In my excitement over the song, I forgot to give kudos to the band. Tommy is a wizard with the pedal steel as with the standard electric, and Janice is the MVV (most valuable vocalist) on the forum. They added a fine polish to a great product. Congrats all!! Take care. Greg

Well Floyd,
This beautiful song takes me to your great western country.
The band "out of a box" adds to the live feel of a song that is well written, I believed it.
To me, the real live cowboy is you!
Grtz.
Fred

Ahem...

Hi Floyd. I think the song and vocals are magnificent and like the steel and the fiddle.
The backing a big screen major production. Beautifully done but is this what the song is about?

'this was no t.v. hero, he was the real thing'

I feel the subject matter of the song would lead to a more simple (cowboy) type backing.
More a home on the range kind of thing.
To me this arrangement makes him sound like an 'Oklahoma' musical or movie type cowboy.

Hesitantly but constructively offered opinion. Cheers.

A great story bringing wild west images to us. Good write, mix and production from you guys. I'm really enjoying all of the collaboration seen recently here on the forum. I'm glad Tom has broken out that pedal steel. As good as the RT's are, his steel fills a void. Wouldn't it be great if he created some pedal steel user tracks to share.....
Can't ride off into the sunset without a wink towards the sharpshooters, Floyd, Janice and Bud.

Enjoyed this one from start to finish.


Charlie

Floyd, Janice and Tommy - I just don't know how you do it so consistently. Just absolutely wonderful in everyway. As has been mentioned your work certainly sets a standard here. Love the harmonies and pedal steel. Well done team!

Hi Floyd, Janice and Tom,

Sweet tune and wonderful story. Congratulations on this
beautiful collaberation.

Guenter

Floyd, Janice & Tom,

Another winner! Loved everything about it.

Bob

My favorite part of this is your vocal especially on "he looked at me with one closed eye". Cool inflection. Love the sweet sounding steel. Nice harmonies. Very pretty weaving of the instruments in your arrangement. I might have a bit less out front piano starting in that second chorus but subjective - I realize there's lots going there for the build.

Solid definitively FJ writing and production style. Painted a cool picture. (Except for those painful saddle sores LOL! I rode a lot in my teens - ouch.)

Josie

Hi Floyd, Tom & Janice ...

What a great song! And the performance was equally wonderful. It was a real nice blend of the Tom's pedal steel with the fiddle. And as always, your vocal shines. This is a great collab and with Janice's vocal harmony, it "Merrits" every possible accolade! great stuff, for sure!

back in 2008, I wrote a poem called "The Last True Cowboy". As you might know, I'm a novelist and write a poetry. If you're interested, here's a link to it.

http://www.thenextbigwriter.com/posting/sideman/the-last-true-cowboy-11802

It's totally different than your song but expresses some similar thoughts.

Again, this is a fabulous song and production. Any time I click onto anything with your name on it, I know I'm going to be thoroughly entertained ... and I was! Di is napping but want me to pass on her greetings, too. best to you ...

Alan & Di

Excellent tune. Kudos to all involved. Like a said in the past posts.These collaborations are simply awesome. Merry Xmas to you and your band :-)

Well.. that has turned out to be a long lunch... but that's okay... family is all that really maters... I thought I had eliminated all the links to the old fake band...





Thanks, guys... appreciate that...




Dani - you are always so very kind with your remarks...

Another good one guys. Love that Fakahatchee Tom pedal steel.



Regards,

Bob

I wanted to check in and say how grateful I am to floyd for asking me to play on this one. He graciously waited several months until I got around to it. I loved this song from the first time I heard it. I believe the imagery is some of the best of any song he has posted. This one takes you right out west. For those wondering Bob's post alludes to my former band Fakahatchee. Thanks to all that have commented on my playing and I hope everyone enjoys this song as much as I do. Tom

Thanks, Greg... always pleased by your notice of the craft..And to be mentioned in the same breath as Shamblin is humbling...




Thanks, Alyn... always nice when an ex-cowboy likes one of my cowboy songs!! And thanks on behalf of the band...




The band thanks you... "...and we hope we passed the audition..."



Fred - appreciate you dropping by for a listen...