Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3
#646687 03/14/21 09:44 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 6,074
rayc Offline OP
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 6,074
Scarecrow
a song by Spirit Level.

Written by Scott Collingwood and Robert Cordrey Feb. 2021
Mastered by Scott Collingwood.
SCARECROW

This song was born from a song Scott recorded in 2018 called Fluffy. Scott & friends, as teenagers playing in a band, listened to records together and, when a new band like Uriah Heep or Grand Funk Railroad came up, one of the fellows in the band would describe the music as “fluffy”. This provoked laughter as the bands were far from fluffy. From that adjective came Fluffy and from there comes Scarecrow.

Robert wrote the lyrics and vocal melody then recorded, as well as treated, his vocals. He wrote some of the lyrics months ago and dragged them from the recycle pile on hearing the Fluffy demo. They are intended to be crazy in your face fun... coming from listening to the likes of Kevin Ayers (Soft Machine), Viv Stanshall (Bonzo Dog) and, of course, Captain Beefheart.

ray tracked a variety of guitars and bass which, over time replaced the RealTracks but took the “vibe” from the two excellent Grunge guitar RTs.

Structurally and melodically the song is recognizably a Spirit Level thing but sonically, it’s in a parallel universe inspired by the sounds and arrangement of _THRAAMP.STY (Amplitube Metal Chug w/ Organ).

Scarecrow

Strawman don’t you dare
Stare at my house
My house glares back at you
Your soup can eyes try to hide
What`s living down in your shoe

Make me moon-shot crazy
Waving wire arms in the wind
My soul`s flame thrower surely gonna sing
If you move your hands again
You'll reap what you sow
Listen to the scarecrow…

Give me back my hat
I don’t wear it like that
Your saw teeth they got rats
Your little flock, flock of sparrows
Scatter when pond ice cracks

I hear what you’re saying
You`re all over the news
Burned-over messiah talking holy fire on booze
And I`m coming with a match for you
You’ll reap what you sow
Listen to the scarecrow…

You’ll reap what you sow
Listen to the scarecrow

© Robert Cordrey Feb. 2021

In addition to Scott’s melodic lines and riff this version began with
Key=E , Tempo 80, Length (m:s)=2:18
1009:Bass, Electric, HardRockThrash Ev 085
~673:Organ, B3, Background Blues BB Ev 085
3736:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm GrungeSlowDistPower8ths Ev 080
3737:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm GrungeSlowGritHigh8ths Ev 080
3729:Guitar, Electric, Soloist GrungePopGritty Ev 110
2304:Synth, Rhythm DanceRockKoto Ev 120
RealDrums, RockHardLA^1-a:Snare, HiHat , b:Snare, Loose HiHat

After various developments the only RealTrack to survive intact is the RealDrums one.

Scott’s gear: Guitar: Gretsch Duojet, Amp: Marshall Could combo, Effects: Eventide H9’s

ray’s gear: Vantage VS696B bass, Squire Mustang “Bullet”, Joyo ACTone, Behringer GDI21, No name 5 string banjo – mic’d and the Yamaha FX500 “sitar” & “Soft Focus” effects.



Thank you, in anticipation, for listening.
Comments, suggestions, thoughts are welcome.

Last edited by rayc; 03/14/21 09:55 AM.

Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
User Showcase
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,831
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,831
A welcome retro sound. I really like the experimentation in the music and the lyrics.

Well done!

User Showcase
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 5,068
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 5,068
Love it guys! Cool blast from the past sounds! Everyone is doing their thing here in fine fashion! Love all the little effects popping in and out from the right and left! Great title! Thanks, T





User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,918
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,918
Flashback! This was extremely well done. Super guitars, bass, and vocal. I liked the effects also. The stereo mix was outstanding.

Great job on this!


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
User Showcase
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 5,219
Veteran
Online Content
Veteran
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 5,219
Hey team!
Probably the heaviest tune by S.L. as of yet. Excellent vintage sound / drive with modern approach, which in my opinion is a hard goal to achieve by itself. Big sound. Lyrics are something special and unexpected! Love fuzzy guitars + panning fx. Great job on solo guitar and bass! Vocals are strong and suits genre well, however one (the only) thing that I think that I would change is vocals vs everything else ratio, with voice a little more upfront. I do understand that for some genres, especially where this is leaning it is not a major thing. Thank you for sharing.

Misha.

User Showcase
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,177
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,177
Nice backstory! It also helped make sense of the song. laugh

It's not a genre that I know much about, so I'm really not qualified to speak to anything musical. Clearly this is a song that needs to be played loudly to be truly appreciated!

But, like Misha, I also have liked a mix that put the vocals more forward. The lyrics were a good fit for the style, and I'm glad they were rescued from the dustbin!


-- David Cuny
My virtual singer development blog

Vocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?
User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 6,074
rayc Offline OP
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 6,074
Originally Posted By: gruverider
A welcome retro sound. I really like the experimentation in the music and the lyrics.
Well done!

Thank you gruverider.
I'm not entirely sure what era or style we've tapped into.


Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 6,074
rayc Offline OP
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 6,074
Originally Posted By: Torrey Bliss
Love it guys! Cool blast from the past sounds! Everyone is doing their thing here in fine fashion! Love all the little effects popping in and out from the right and left! Great title! Thanks, T

Thank you Torrey,
Panning is always a little fun.


Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 6,074
rayc Offline OP
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 6,074
Originally Posted By: MarioD
Flashback! This was extremely well done. Super guitars, bass, and vocal. I liked the effects also. The stereo mix was outstanding.
Great job on this!

Thanks Mario,
Glad you like it. It was a blast to construct.


Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 6,074
rayc Offline OP
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 6,074
Originally Posted By: Rustyspoon#
Hey team!
Probably the heaviest tune by S.L. as of yet. Excellent vintage sound / drive with modern approach, which in my opinion is a hard goal to achieve by itself. Big sound. Lyrics are something special and unexpected! Love fuzzy guitars + panning fx. Great job on solo guitar and bass! Vocals are strong and suits genre well, however one (the only) thing that I think that I would change is vocals vs everything else ratio, with voice a little more upfront. I do understand that for some genres, especially where this is leaning it is not a major thing. Thank you for sharing.
Misha.

Misha, thanks.
There is a heavier version but it's probably not one that most folk would care to hear.
Robert was happy with the vocal level in this mix - he called it done. You know I'm inclined to keep them lower.


Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 6,074
rayc Offline OP
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 6,074
Originally Posted By: dcuny
Nice backstory! It also helped make sense of the song. laugh
It's not a genre that I know much about, so I'm really not qualified to speak to anything musical. Clearly this is a song that needs to be played loudly to be truly appreciated!
But, like Misha, I also have liked a mix that put the vocals more forward. The lyrics were a good fit for the style, and I'm glad they were rescued from the dustbin!

Thanks dcuny,
It's interesting that the back story helped you make sense of the song.
It's not a genre I'm normally into either...it's just how it grew.
Yes, increased volume does benefit the listen.


Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
User Showcase
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 4,904
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 4,904
Sounds great, guys!

Very different from anything ever posted before on this site before I think. And that's a good thing!

Cool production, love all the panning going on, sounds great through the 'phones.

Nice to see you trying new things, always enjoy listening to your music.

User Showcase
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 3,044
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 3,044
Originally Posted By: dcuny
Nice backstory! It also helped make sense of the song. laugh

It's not a genre that I know much about, so I'm really not qualified to speak to anything musical. Clearly this is a song that needs to be played loudly to be truly appreciated!

But, like Misha, I also have liked a mix that put the vocals more forward. The lyrics were a good fit for the style, and I'm glad they were rescued from the dustbin!


Yeah, that's what I was gonna say, David. Man, love that interplay of guitars and bass.


Enjoy whatever happens!
marty

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@babumusic51
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/marty-straub
and https://soundcloud.com/babumusic-5080285
Band in a Box, Reaper, Cakewalk, Ozone 10
User Showcase
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 3,357
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 3,357
I hope Scott will link to his original Fluffy instrumental as its very good and an interesting comparison.
Yes, PLEASE PLAY LOUD- its a bit of a sensory assault but that`s how the vocal level in the mix makes sense.
Thank you for listening and commenting!

Robert

User Showcase
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,545
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,545
Really not my type of music, too psychedelic wink But I really admire the artistic end result. Very rich imagery in lyrics and together with the band is very mesmerizing. Robert's voice is almost unrecognizable, but it fits perfectly. The guitars and the bass have great sound. Scott's painting is once again in its own class. I'm glad to hear that your collaboration has no limits when it comes to creativity.

Janne


Hear My Music:

Soundcloud
YouTube

User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 7,351
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 7,351
Originally Posted By: gruverider
A welcome retro sound. I really like the experimentation in the music and the lyrics.

Well done!


Thanks for checking out the song Lawrence. Pretty much all our songs are an experiment. We start with a basic back track and then start adding layers. Our songs are shaped pretty much in three directions at the same time. Really glad you liked it.


Scott Collingwood
https://soundcloud.com/scottt709
https://soundcloud.com/spiritlevel-ca
https://www.youtube.com/@SpiritLevel-ge3hm/
User Showcase
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 11,279
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 11,279
Spirit Level!

LOVED this.

My favorite from EACH of you.

Favorite Scott lead work. Perfect.
Favorite ray bass/guitars and mix
(or whoever deserves credit for the mix).
Favorite Robert vocal. Perfect.

Cool song. Excellent Black-Light-Rock write.

Sounds great in the phones.

fj

User Showcase
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 1,081
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 1,081
Good work to all. Robert's lyrics are excellent as usual. Dark poetry. Vocals fit the mood perfectly. Well mixed. Outstanding production. Good job to you all.


My music can be heard at: The Cracks
User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 6,074
rayc Offline OP
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 6,074
Originally Posted By: BlueAttitude
Sounds great, guys!
Very different from anything ever posted before on this site before I think. And that's a good thing!
Cool production, love all the panning going on, sounds great through the 'phones.
Nice to see you trying new things, always enjoy listening to your music.

Thanks.
It grew into what is is fairly organically.


Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 6,074
rayc Offline OP
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 6,074
Originally Posted By: BabuMusic

Yeah, that's what I was gonna say, David. Man, love that interplay of guitars and bass.

Than you sir,
the louder it's played the more sense the vocal level makes.


Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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
Posts715,515
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 183
Today's Birthdays
There are no members with birthdays on this day.
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5