A duet. In the grand tradition of Country Duets...
George and Tammy...Conway and Loretta...Kenny and Dolly...

Donnie and Marie????!!!

The amazing Janice Merritt joins me for this.

The Band....
Style is _SHINING.STY (Praise&Worship PopShining)
RealTracks in style: 1255:Bass, Electric, PopShiningA-B Ev 120
RealTracks in song: ~1677:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking CountryBrent Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 633:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopAmericanMuted Ev 120 (A:sync)
RealTracks in song: 852:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm NashvillePopClean Ev 120 (B:arp)
RealTracks in style: 1264:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm PopShiningA-B Ev 120
RealTracks in style: 1256:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopShiningGritty Ev 120
RealTracks in style: 1259:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopShiningRockA-B Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 1260:Guitar, Electric, Soloist PopShining Ev 120
RealDrums in style: PraiseWorshipShine^01-a:Snare, HiHat , b:Snare, Ride


MIDDLE GROUND

i drive an old gmc, that suits me just fine
i'd just as soon wear this worn out pair
of wrangler's all the time

he calls me a "society girl"
i like living in my champagne world
so we strike a balance between her world and mine

   we compromise for a kiss
   find love on middle ground
   like night and day, we meet halfway
   and our world slows down
   we might not always see eye-to-eye
   but we're heart-to-heart 'til the day we die
   sharing the love we found
   on middle ground

somedays it seems we can't agree at all
i'm a honky tonk guy, she gets invited
to the annual govenors ball

i've got shoes for every occassion
he's of the one-pair-of-boots persuasion
but when it comes to love, it's a mutual fall


Janice - thanks for being a (BIG!) part of this!!!!
Bud - thanks for your help (I used Bud's processing of Janice's vocal for this - plug 'n' play..)

Comments encouraged.
Thanks for listening.

floyd

Gotta love a duet. Most excellent.


Regards,

Bob

Hi,
this is the kind of country music (very melodic and sentimental) that I like best.
Great melody, voices, and guitar.

Hello

Floyd,

Very nice! You both sound great (as usual). The backing tracks sound good as well... If I had one critique it's that the vocals seem a little hot overall, Janice especially on the first verse (to me) when she comes in it's noticeably hotter than your vocal. Just my .02

Another fine job!

Greg

thanks much, Robert....



Well, thanks, Sergio. we appreciate the listen...

Beautiful song. You guys sound great together.

Hi Floyd.

I always like your songs and as everyone knows by now, I'm Janice's biggest fan, so this was always going to be a treat for me.

Everything beautifully put together and working as it should. Stellar performances from both of you and the band's not half bad too!

Mix? Well, it goes without saying..

ROG.

Hi Floyd Hi Janice. Fabulous vocals on here. Greatly enjoyed the melody also.
Tasteful guitar work. Backing nicely restrained. Like it. Cheers.

Very interesting concept for a country song! Sort of an odd couple song. Might be a new trend, I've heard several country songs in the past year with similar themes, but usually zeroing in on the girl being comfortable in two worlds... ("Looks like California, Feels like Carolina")

But this study in contrast between the members of a couple really opens up some interesting possibilities, and I found myself wishing the song were longer so you could keep exploring them.

I liked this line the best:


I also like this line:


Greg mentioned that the vocals sounded hot to him. I'm not sure I'd describe what I heard quite that way, but there was a stark clarity to them on this end. They definitely aren't obscured by the mix.

You both sing so well individually, and together you really shine. The obvious pop-culture parallel that comes to mind is Green Acres, and when Janice sang her Georgia accent didn't conjure up an Eva Gabor image. ... so I had to ditch that comparison and let the song be itself.

I like the song that it is, and all that you both put into it.

Donnie & Marie? Yeah surely that's it! Haha. This is a wonderful write for sure. The old "cowboy fancy lady" theme. Fantastic vocals and melody. The mix is spot on per usual. My one very small nit is the dry sounding acoustic in the beginning seems strange against the reverbed vocal. Maybe a little reverb on Brent would be in order.

"somedays it seems we can't agree at all
i'm a honky tonk guy, she gets invited
to the annual govenors ball

i've got shoes for every occassion
he's of the one-pair-of-boots persuasion
but when it comes to love, it's a mutual fall "

Expertly crafted verse. As usual I end up scratching my head and thinking "How in the world are floyd jane and Janice Merritt not household names?" They most certainly are in this household. What a great way to kick off the weekend! Tom

Another fantastic arrangement Floyd, and Janice's vocals add the usual style and polish to the number.
Very easy listening, top job.
Best
Trevor

A little humor, a lot of craft, and just the right dose of sentiment!! A real treat in every way. Excellent vocals, perfect use of the boys in the box (that solo guitar really nailed it!). Enjoyed it very much!! Take care. Greg

Floyd and Janice,

A good song, solid vocals and a professional musical arrangement.
As always!

regards,
Rob & Anne-Marie

There's still time. Fame & fortune don't always schedule their visits.

Hi Floyd and Janice,
Couldn't say it better.
It was a pleasure listening (not only once).

Guenter

Good write. Love the way your voices blend so well together.

I especially liked the melodic rhythm phrasing in the chorus which gave that pretty melody such a really nice flow.

Only tiny nit on the mix is Janice comes in a bit noticeably louder in the first verse but that's not much of a nit. Cool arrangement both musical and vocal.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. My new fav of your duets so far.

Josie

floyd and Janice,

What can be said?!?!

What a vocal combo! Janice and floyd, or floyd and Janice as I don't want to put either first, both are EXCELLENT!

On my speakers Janice is a tad louder that floyd in the mic but as the song progresses that seems to settle down, but it does not detract from a wonderful song.

You lot produce songs that SHOULD be famous.

Thoroughly enjoyed as usual

Alyn

Historically speaking, (A duet. In the grand tradition of Country Duets...
George and Tammy...Conway and Loretta...Kenny and Dolly...) this is an 'almost cliche' song that works wonderfully well staying just short of being 'cliche' but being a fun song and enjoyable listen without the theme distracting. This is a well-crafted song, performance and production. Great job by the trio.

enjoyed my listen.

Charlie

I have replaced the file with a new mix based on the comments.
Adjusted Janice's level and added reverb to the Brent fp guitar.



Thanks for the comments Greg... I have uploaded a new mix to correct this...



Thanks, Jeff... if you mix Janice in, anyone would sounds good... she's like a magic plugin...



ROG - appreciate that....

FJ, you seem to have identified some magic crafting of lyrics and music which is on par with what many professionals do. I can't put my finger on exactly what it is since I just don't know enough about song writing to explain what I am hearing in your songs. But I do hear it.

Maybe it in the vocal phrasing? A changing in tempo of the vocal versus the tempo of the backing? Or is it that you are singing more against the chord than with it (I mean that in a positive way)? You now - the chord raise and you descend. It has to be more than just the cleaver lyric, which is certainly a part of it. Folks refer to your songs as "well crafted"? But, I don't know exactly what that means. Perhaps some day you can educate us on your secret.