Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3
#316423 10/31/15 01:49 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 11,279
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 11,279
I've been in prisons twice.

The first time was the State Correctional Institution at Rockview (Pennsylvania).
Our summer baseball league (high school age) was invited to play an exhibition for the inmates.
I have two distinct memories from that day.
1 - Our pitcher had walked two in a row and one of the inmates yelled "Stick a fork in him! He's done!"
It was the first time I had heard that expression. I thought he meant it.
2 - We had lunch with the prisoners.
It was the worst meal I've ever had in my life - to this day.

My 2nd time was the Hillsborough Juvenile Detention Center (Tampa, FL).
1977. I was doing solo gigs in bars at the time and was asked by a women's group to come entertain at the Center for their semi-annual visit there.
It was a good night - the guys there were very appreciative and we had fun.
They loved singing along to "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"....and "Runaway"...
But the thing I remember most about that night was when a guard walked through about halfway through the show.
The place got so quiet you could have heard the proverbial pin drop.
The change was dramatic. And a bit frightening.

This song is about that night.


EYES

they don't call this a prison
because we're so young
we're not inmates, we're sheep that have strayed
they dress us alike
we wear the same shoes
they feed us three meals a day

   the guard has eyes
   the warden has eyes
   the stone walls and steel bars have eyes
   the devil tracks your every move
   the man in the moon and the stars see, too
   the man in the moon and the stars

the firemen's wives auxillary
come twice a year to call
they're scared, we know it
they try not to show it
why, we're still just boys after all

   the guard has eyes
   the warden has eyes
   the stone walls and steel bars have eyes
   the devil tracks your every move
   the man in the moon and the stars see, too
   the man in the moon and the stars

the night guard walks through
like a thundering god
between steps you hear your cigarette burn
we wait in the dark
for nothing at all
but another day taking its turn

   the guard has eyes
   the warden has eyes
   the stone walls and steel bars have eyes
   the devil tracks your every move
   the man in the moon and the stars see, too
   the man in the moon and the stars



The BAND:
RealTracks in song: ~518:Bass, Electric, Pop HalfNotes Ev 085
RealTracks in song: 378:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming DoubleTime Ev 088
RealTracks in song: 836:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm AltCountryRootsy Ev 075 (A:muted)
RealTracks in song: 793:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming ModernCountrySync Ev 100
RealTracks in song: 1167:Guitar, Electric, Soloist RockBalladBrent Ev 065
RealDrums in Song: NashvilleEven8^1-a:Sidestick, HiHat , b:Snare, Ride


As always, I hope you enjoy it.
Fire away.

floyd

floyd jane #316427 10/31/15 01:57 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 17,513
Veteran
Online Content
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 17,513
Wow Floyd, you just keep getting better. What fantastic lyrics, together with a haunting melody.

I was really taken by the line 'the man in the moon and the stars see, too'
and also
'we wait in the dark
for nothing at all
but another day taking its turn'

The slow build worked incredibly well, this is a real winner.

Knockout guitar work. Thanks for this one. It's great.
Trev


BIAB & RB2024 Win.(Audiophile), SonarPlatinum, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, SynthogyIvory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer ActiveMonitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
floyd jane #316431 10/31/15 02:15 AM
User Showcase
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 532
SRP Offline
Journeyman
Offline
Journeyman
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 532
Floyd I really like your voice on this song...it fits perfect! The band that you chose is excellent and you really created the mood. The words that you wrote give true meaning to what it is like when isolated from the world with only preying eyes for company. I too have been to prison on four different occasions (to perform only) and until you have been there you can only imagine what it would be like to be inside behind bars. By the way, I was living in Tampa in '77.
Sonny

Last edited by SRP; 10/31/15 04:41 AM.
floyd jane #316433 10/31/15 02:16 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 3,079
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 3,079
floyd,

Quote:
I've been in prisons twice.
I thought bloody hell! then I read the rest and life returned to normal.

The solo fits REALLY well and I like the RT 836, perfect for the song.
Was it really that long 'cos it passed so quickly? So on my 3rd listen

Vocals, production etc are perfect but the lyrics are incredibly thought provoking, really intense and paint a dark picture.

I visited some-one in a high security prison in Oxfordshire UK years back and this song brought that memory back. The barriers, the thorough search, including my mouth, and the looks from both sides, the wardens and the inmates checking me out. Scary stuff.
Then I met the inmate, a cousin of the then girlfriend who had got caught up in the heat of a pro-life demo and had firebombed a scientist, but he had no regrets.
She soon became my ex-girlfriend.
Not my life, no way.

This song says it all,

Well done, floyd, well done

Alyn

floyd jane #316435 10/31/15 02:23 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 7,798
C
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
C
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 7,798
Well that was a fun listen of a haunting subject here on Halloween Day...

You have taken an interesting view different from the normal isolation, jail break themes we expect from a song about prison.

You call it EYES but it's really FEAR. That becomes obvious when the guard enters the room and the room is blanketed by silence.

Unusual, but high impact. This song would work really well with a video to visually drive the 'implied' fear into the viewer.

A great video/audio to be shown in schools across our nation.

It's a good write, mix and production. This song fit your vocals really well - your prison visit seems to have left a lasting impression....


BIAB Ultra Pak+ 2023:RB 2023, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
floyd jane #316438 10/31/15 03:38 AM
User Showcase
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 3,963
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 3,963
floyd, I kinda figured you've been in prison from the way you just keep killin it. There oughta be a law. No law abiding songwriter can keep coming up with gems like this unless they are hanging around with jewel thieves. In fact maybe you'd better save room for me as I may end up your cellmate for continuing to steal your great production techniques. The difference between a guy writing songs and an extraordinary songwriter such as yourself is captured in this line "between steps you hear your cigarette burn". That's not just quiet that is a deathly silence. Brilliant! Needless to say the build, the voice, the production are all top of the game caliber. Another phenomenal piece of writing and performance. Tom

floyd jane #316441 10/31/15 03:43 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,888
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,888
Hi Floyd,

"I thought bloody hell! then I read the rest and life returned to normal."
I exactly felt the way Alyn describes.
Perfect lyrics, vocals, harmonies, arrangement and mix.
I can't say I enjoyed my listen, it haunted me. And the lead perfectly fit this mood.
Another masterpiece.

Guenter

floyd jane #316465 10/31/15 08:56 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 6,842
G
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
G
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 6,842
Really interesting write Floyd!! The lyrics are wonderfully effective. Never been to a prison and hope to never go (in any capacity). You did a great job telling the story. I think the arrangement was perfect for the subject matter. And the mix and vocal were spotless as usual. Very cool!! Take care. Greg

SRP #316472 10/31/15 09:45 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 11,279
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 11,279
Originally Posted By: VideoTrack
Wow Floyd, you just keep getting better. What fantastic lyrics, together with a haunting melody.

I was really taken by the line 'the man in the moon and the stars see, too'
and also
'we wait in the dark
for nothing at all
but another day taking its turn'

The slow build worked incredibly well, this is a real winner.

Knockout guitar work. Thanks for this one. It's great.
Trev


Trevor - I always appreciate when you drop by for a listen. Thanks for the nice review. Those are a few of my favorite lines, too...

SRP #316473 10/31/15 09:58 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 11,279
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 11,279
Originally Posted By: SRP
Floyd I really like your voice on this song...it fits perfect! The band that you chose is excellent and you really created the mood. The words that you wrote give true meaning to what it is like when isolated from the world with only preying eyes for company. I too have been to prison on four different occasions (to perform only) and until you have been there you can only imagine what it would be like to be inside behind bars. By the way, I was living in Tampa in '77.
Sonny


Thanks for all that, Sonny. It is a sobering thing to be in a prison - for any reason...

How long were you in Tampa? I was at USF at the time. My main gigs were The Proud Lion Pub (on Fletcher?) - where I had a huge following because I was the only one around doing Jimmy Buffett then - and his fans found me... and Rough Riders in Ybor City (in the old cigar factory) - back when it was still considered "the bad side of town"...


floyd jane #316491 10/31/15 01:01 PM
User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 3,310
ROG Offline
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 3,310
Hi Floyd.

Very interesting song and not at all what I was expecting.

Reading the lyrics before playing the track, I was expecting aggression to be the driving force behind it, but instead it turned out to be the sense of futility in prison life. At least, that's the over-riding impression with which I was left. Like I said, very interesting.

As usual, fully professional recording and performance.

ROG.

floyd jane #316498 10/31/15 01:44 PM
User Showcase
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 4,021
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 4,021
Hi Floyd,

Yes, your productions are getting better and better.
We are amazed how much the song is shouldered by just the Electric, Rhythm AltCountryRootsy RT. A very cool basis of the song!

Good lyrics on a not so every day subject.

Rob and Anne-Marie


We are Rob Meulman and Anne-Marie Bovenkamp from The Netherlands.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1gsdNLE7_Gy8qavoOplQow/videos
http://rnam.net/


floyd jane #316500 10/31/15 02:23 PM
User Showcase
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 1,719
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 1,719
Hi Floyd. A nice lonesome and desperate sound about this one.
Love the drama. Cheers.

floyd jane #316508 10/31/15 06:26 PM
User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,385
Veteran
Online Content
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,385
Nice mix of instruments - and interaction with bass and guitars (liked the subtle bass drum entrance). Atmospheric lyrics that fit the style and of course well sung. Another excellent production.

floyd jane #316511 10/31/15 07:24 PM
User Showcase
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 661
Journeyman
Offline
Journeyman
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 661
Now that's a powerful song, the lyrics and music are fantastic, I like the rock distortion, but that's my rock roots. As usual a master of FJ.


Critter
floyd jane #316548 11/01/15 05:29 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,918
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,918
Another winner from Floyd! How in hell do you do it? Song after song just gets better and better and your first song was already top notch!

I really like the lyrics and how you captured the pain and fear in your vocals as well as the dynamic build up.

Great story, great vocals and a great mix, what's not to like about this one!


Dear Mother in Law
Don't tell me how to bring up my children.
I'm living with one of yours.

64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software and hardware
floyd jane #316554 11/01/15 07:05 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,139
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,139
Yet another departure; but in a good way. Well done.



Regards,

Bob

floyd jane #316572 11/01/15 12:20 PM
User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 2,629
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 2,629
holy smokes this good stuff well done thanks eric


AMD (TM) 5950 4.9 GHz 16Core Processor 64 bit 32 bits of ram windows 10 pro 64 bit os. sound card Antelope ZenQ guitars Ibanez 2202a 1968 les Paul Custom and Cavin ae 185 Guitar boss Gt-100,GT1000 pedal Yamaha HS8 studio monitors
floyd jane #316622 11/02/15 01:40 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 9,132
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 9,132
I like this song. Good job on portraying the feeling that everything you do in prison is being watched. Because you're right. everything done and said is heard and seen by someone unless one is very very careful to conceal it.


I've been in a number of prisons. Like you, as a visitor. I worked for a time with the Christian Motorcyclist's Association on the music and prison ministry teams. We partnered with Bill Glass International ministries and would work their prison events with them. Going into a maximum security prison with our bikes was eerie. We got searched, and the bikes were searched, and then after the bikes were parked where they instructed.... generally on the basketball court, the keys were "collected" for "safe keeping". Behind two different twenty foot high fences topped with razor wire, and guard towers, and confined to the yard with the inmates is a strange thing. Of the inmates in the yard, most were happy for the diversion but that's all it was. A small group wanted to talk about bikes and reminisce about the bike they had had. then there were the inmates who were pissed that we had parked our bikes on the basketball court and they couldn't play ball that day. At one state max, they kept the gangs isolated. They never allowed the gangs to eat together or be in the yard together. And we ate with them.... and yeah, that wasn't good. In fact, I offered something on my plate to the guy across the table, and the guy next to me stopped me, and said... "You don't want to do that.... I know you're a visitor, but they don't let us swap food". Seems that's one of the black market currencies in the place.... The guards even tried to make all of us visitors set together until I explained to the captain that we really preferred to be with the inmates and not each other.... the captain relented and let us spread out. We certainly shook things up a bit from their normal way of doing things that day.

For a time, I was also volunteering in the music ministry for our church team on a regular basis.... every 3rd Wed nite at a minimum security women's prison. That was almost fun. Certainly more relaxed than the mens facilities I had been in in the past.

While US prisons are bad.... the one in the Bahamas for the kids was the worst. On a mission trip there, I was assigned to the boys juvenile facility with a bunch of naive American teenagers. Talk about rough. Boys from 7 up to 16 were all together. They started their prison stay in solitary. A small completely dark cell. Not big enough to stand up in or lay down. And they were there for a week or two. The guards carried a 2 foot section of 3/4" PVC pipe. It was not uncommon to hear stories from the kids about getting a severe beating from the guards for misbehavior and infractions of the rules.

Back here in the states, a buddy of mine is serving time right now. He was a drummer in a few of the bands I played in. Long story so I will spare you the details. He was in a minimum security facility and a guard and he had a disagreement over the accusation from another inmate, and long story short, he ended up being moved to a medium facility and time added.

Enough on that.... it's depressing.

Good song FLoyd


You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com

Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.

You can make excuses or you can make progress but you can't do both.
Charlie Fogle #316638 11/02/15 03:16 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 11,279
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 11,279
Originally Posted By: gibson
floyd,

Quote:
I've been in prisons twice.
I thought bloody hell! then I read the rest and life returned to normal.

The solo fits REALLY well and I like the RT 836, perfect for the song.
Was it really that long 'cos it passed so quickly? So on my 3rd listen

Vocals, production etc are perfect but the lyrics are incredibly thought provoking, really intense and paint a dark picture.

I visited some-one in a high security prison in Oxfordshire UK years back and this song brought that memory back. The barriers, the thorough search, including my mouth, and the looks from both sides, the wardens and the inmates checking me out. Scary stuff.
Then I met the inmate, a cousin of the then girlfriend who had got caught up in the heat of a pro-life demo and had firebombed a scientist, but he had no regrets.
She soon became my ex-girlfriend.
Not my life, no way.

This song says it all,

Well done, floyd, well done

Alyn


tee-hee smile figured that was a good way to pull ya in! Some memories are incredibly vivid... thanks for the listen and the nice comments..



Originally Posted By: Charlie Fogle
Well that was a fun listen of a haunting subject here on Halloween Day...

You have taken an interesting view different from the normal isolation, jail break themes we expect from a song about prison.

You call it EYES but it's really FEAR. That becomes obvious when the guard enters the room and the room is blanketed by silence.

Unusual, but high impact. This song would work really well with a video to visually drive the 'implied' fear into the viewer.

A great video/audio to be shown in schools across our nation.

It's a good write, mix and production. This song fit your vocals really well - your prison visit seems to have left a lasting impression....

Thanks, Charlie. The world is a lot scarier place than it was back then... seems like we all see so much grit all the time now we become immune...

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3

Link Copied to Clipboard
ChatPG

Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.

ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.

PG Music News
RealBand 2024 is Here!

There are over 30 new features to RealBand 2024, including 256 available tracks, 32 VSTi/DXi synth instances, modern color scheme for some windows, Playable RealDrums support, new arrow buttons to change the current time, chord symbols to display in the Track window, 48 tracks to display in the Mixer, the ability to hide any extra masters or auxes in the Mixer, improved handling of VU levels in the Track window, better VU levels display when recording to mono tracks, song preview in the StylePicker, the ability to initiate track generation from the StylePicker, and much more!

RealBand 2024 is included with all Band-in-a-Box 2024 for Windows orders - and our 2024 upgrades are ON SALE until December 31st! Until then, save up to 50% - upgrade for as little as $49!

Check out our Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.

If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!

Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows is Here!

Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows is here with over 50 new features and an amazing collection of new content, including 222 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 3, Playable RealDrums Set 2, two new sets of “RealDrums Stems,” XPro Styles PAK 6, Xtra Styles PAK 17, and more!

We're having a SALE on Band-in-a-Box® 2024 Upgrade purchases until December 31, 2023 - save up to 50% when you purchase your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows Upgrade!

We've packed our Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK with some incredible Add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is automatically included with most Band-in-a-Box® for Windows 2024 packages, but for more even more Add-ons (including 50 Unreleased RealTracks!) upgrade it to the 2024 49-PAK for only $49. You can see the full lists of items in each package, and listen to demos here.

Check out our Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.

If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!

Band-in-a-Box® 2023 for Mac is macOS Sonoma Compatible!

We're over the moon to announce that the latest Band-in-a-Box® 2023 for Mac Build 707 is compatible with macOS Sonoma!

Refresh your Band-in-a-Box® 2023 for Mac today with this free update to resolve visibility of notation in the Notation Window, apply smoother use of notation features, update to the Drums VU meter, and add the newest version of the DAW Plugin (5.5.13).

Learn more about Build 707 and download it here.

The Band-in-a-Box® 2023 for Mac German, French, and Italian language patches have also been updated with Build 707! Download your Build 707 language patch here.

Revisit: Eyes on Success featuring PG Music Inc., Band-in-a-Box®, and the Updated JAWS Script

In the past, Eyes on Success featured an episode that discussed our company history and Band-in-a-Box® program with Tobin, our chief development officer, including how Band-in-a-Box® is even more accessible with the help of their JAWS screen reader scripts!

Later on this month, Eyes on Success will be releasing an episode that features Gudrun Brunot talking about her new tutorials about how to use Band-in-a-Box® with JAWS.

It's a great idea to pair the two episodes together!

So, while waiting for their Gudrun Brunot episode, take 30 minutes and to listen to this episode from Eyes on Success. To download and listen to the podcast, use the link www.EyesOnSuccess.net/eos_2344_podcast.mp3

Eyes on Success is a weekly radio show / podcast geared to the visually impaired called "Eyes On Success" and that can be found at www.EyesOnSuccess.net.

Find out more about the show and get links to past episodes at www.EyesOnSuccess.net

Find their podcast on iTunes or use the URL: www.EyesOnSuccess.net/eos_podcast

User Tip: How to add drum fills without changing any other tracks

MarioD has shared some great advice when it comes to adding drum fills without changing any other tracks in your song:

There have been a number of questions asking how to add drum fills without changing any other tracks in a song. This is especially important if one is holding a chord for a few measures and wants to add a drum fill prior to the next chord. The following is how to accomplish that:

1-get the instruments/tracks to play like you want but don't worry about the drums for now.
2-generate the song.
3-freeze all tracks
4-unfreeze the drum track
5-add your fills where you want them
6-generated the song again - note this will only generate the drum track and not the frozen tracks
7- when you get the drums like you want them freeze the track

Have your own program tip to share? Post it on our Tips & Tricks forum!

Review - Band-in-a-Box® 2023 for Windows is Overflowing with Features!

Dennis posted his very thorough Band-in-a-Box® review recently, where he dives into some of the new features added with version 2023: Sound-Guy's Band-in-a-Box Review

Read his thoughts on the Download & Install Manager, partial track regeneration, Playable RealTracks, Audio Editing, the addition of SynthMaster, the VST DAW Plugin, and more!

"Band-in-a-Box continues to be an expansive musical tool-set for both novice and experienced musicians to compose, arrange and mix songs, as well as an extensive educational resource. It is, without negative connotation, a monster of a program. Yet, so is any DAW that I have used. No DAW can do some of the things BIAB does, while BIAB can do a lot that DAWs do."

Band-in-a-Box® Tutorials for Low-vision and Blind Program Users

Our friends at EyesFree_Tutorials have just released their Band-in-a-Box Tutorials, Bundle 2!

Created for low-vision and blind program users, this collection of Band-in-a-Box for Windows tutorials includes 31 audio instruction files and 19 music files for practice, plus help documents. Specific topics include "ABACA, let's make a song form," "Recording melody and lead-in," "Playing and editing: part markers; the handy clipboard. The play function. Search and replace," and more!

Learn more about their new tutorials, and connect with Roy & Gudrun to order the Band-in-a-Box Tutorials, Bundle 2 here.

Forum Statistics
Forums66
Topics79,975
Posts715,520
Members38,109
Most Online2,537
Jan 19th, 2020
Newest Members
dgk, Pogwolly, cram-naej, guitare, Rimbert
38,109 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
Rob Helms 393
jpettit 334
DrDan 200
musocity 194
Al-David 191
Noel96 184
Today's Birthdays
There are no members with birthdays on this day.
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5