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#665669 07/25/21 11:26 AM
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Hi, everyone:

Here’s a little something new . . . a solo effort and the first in what seems like a mighty long time. I’ve given up any pretense that I’ll be a master at mixing . . . I just try to get as far along as I can and hope it works well enough. So as always your feedback and suggestions will be appreciated. I hope you enjoy the listen.

My best to you all,

Deej

Here’s the song:

LEARN TO LIVE AGAIN

Here are the lyrics:

I saw you walking
Down by the river in the moonlight
With your head hung low and
The darkness in your eyes
And it made me cry

I know he hurt you
He broke your heart
And left you empty inside
And it feels like there’s no end
And just no point to living life

I know the letting go ain’t easy—
We need a hand to get on by
Someone to take our side
And help us step into the light.

So if you need a lover
Or just need a friend
I’ll be here to the very end
I’ll stand by you
And help you learn to live again

You know I want to
Take your hand and walk beside you
Through all the pain
I want to see your blue eyes
Sparkle in the sun
I want to see you smile again

Time was I lost myself in sorrows
Fell so damn deep I lost my mind
Until somebody held my tight
And whispered everything’s alright

Sometimes we all need somebody
To pick us up when we feel small
When the darkness comes to call
To help us rise above it all

And here’s the Band:

RealTracks 908: Bass, Electric, SmoothBallad
RealTracks 703: Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Spirited
RealTracks 2934: Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm FolkySync8ths
RealTracks 1264: Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm PopShining
RealTracks 2016: Sax, Tenor, Soloist CountryShuffle
RealTracks 2457: Strings, Rhythm Celtic Air
RealTracks 3319: Vocal Mmms, Background RockNRollGospel
RealTracks 3063: Vocal Aahs, Rhythm Pop
RealTracks 3528: Vocals, Background GospelCool
RealDrums: BluesRockNRoll^1-a:Snare , b:HiHat

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Good work in making a song that is both sad and somehow uplifting. It was a good experience.

Well done!
Will

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loved the character of your vocals.
very different/very unique.
just an idea...
'if you need a lover.." i hear a vocal double there.
all the best
om

Last edited by justanoldmuso; 07/25/21 02:39 PM.

New Song "PRETTY GIRL" for my wife...Dec 2023
(my vocs....mixed for good earbuds.)
https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs/prettygirlrbfinalcalfsongsdec2023mp3
(and rock song THE STALLION and bluegrass song... BANKER MAN....90 songs useing bb/rb.)
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Hi Deej,

I enjoyed your song and vocal performance very much.

Lots of passion in your singing.

Mix and instrumentation also sounded good.

Look forward to hearing more.

Best Regards
Nigel.


Nigel Spiers
Christchurch, New Zealand
info@nzacoustics.com
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Deej,
My 1st instinct was to comment on the sibilant stuff BUT!!!!!!...after listening I could hear that they add to the emotion of your delivery.
Lovely vocal performance and capture.
The band supports you well.
Mix wise - things sound balanced, the MMMs and Ahhs mask any possible mid mud build up they may have happened so, again, NO PROBLEM.
COOL.


Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Hi Deej,

Excellent vocal! And an excellent song.

Mix sounds perfect to me, well done in all aspects.

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Hello Deej,

This morning I read you liked my cat song and now I heard you liked another (human) cat even more!
What does that tell me?
Well, probably nothing. It only tells me what good singer/songwriter you are! You made a very emotional sounding song with that strong voice of yours.
I liked your voice from the start in this forum and that stayed unchanged.
In this song you can (almost) see what you were singing about. You have the same kind of vibe in your vocals as Dr Hook & the medicine show, although your reach is much higher!

I enjoyed it very much!
Hans


Hans Berkhout
(Birchwood)
https://soundcloud.com/user-296497130
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Outstanding vocal! Love the melody.

A new DJ favorite for me.

I know how you feel about mixing. My ears are shot.

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Deej,

A powerful Power Ballad.
A powerful vocal. Well sung and well recorded.
An excellent arrangement. Nice use of BIAB.
The mix is very good, despite your self-admonishments...
Always good to see you posting again.
And, again...I think your self-penned stuff is by far the best stuff you do - always well done.

fj

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Powerful and emotional raw vocals over that deeply emotional and gospel-tinged progression. Danged if you didn't pull out all the stops. Made me sweat.

Side note: There's no such thing as a master mixer. There are only mixes that either serve or ruin a song. You done good, in my book. Gotta go wipe off now.


BIAB 2021 Audiophile. Windows 10 64bit. Songwriter, lyricist, composer(?) loving all styles. Some pre-BIAB music from Farfetched Tangmo Band's first CD. https://alonetone.com/tangmo/playlists/close-to-the-ground
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Deej,

Everything sounds great! Mixing is something everybody has differing opinions on but to me it sounds like everything is in it's place!

Great vocal as always! You always bring it on your tunes! The song is a really nice bluesy thing and you supplied the needed emotion in the vocals mentioned above! Great selection of instrumentation and the sax really brings everything up a notch!

Enjoyed (once again) take care, Torrey




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No problems at all with the mix as it is excellent.

You put a lot of emotion in that vocal, excellent job.

Great lyrics and excellent use of RTs, great sax.

This is your best to date IMHO.


Me, it's not about how many times you fail, it's about how many times you get back up.
Cop, that's not how field sobriety tests work.

64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Deej,

As floyd said a powerful vocal. Well sung and well recorded.

Really pretty melody and a nice build.

But really a great stand out vocal.

Peter

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Lovely ballad, Deej. Mix sounds just fine to my (inexpert) ears. I'm a big fan of your singing. Love what you do on 'or' (just need a friend) the first time. Amazing.
Regards,
Leon

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Awesome song Deej. Super vocal and lyric. Excellent backtrack. I think this is an excellent mix. Well done..


Scott Collingwood
https://soundcloud.com/scottt709
https://soundcloud.com/spiritlevel-ca
https://www.youtube.com/@SpiritLevel-ge3hm/
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Hi Deej56,

Very pretty lovesong. Well orchestrated with endearing lyrics, it's very pleasant to listen to. well done.

Kindly regard
Derochette
alias JaniJackFlash


Kindly regards
Derochette
alias JaniJackFlash
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Deej,
The raw passion in your vocal is marvellous! Well captured processing wise too and both the arrangement and your mix serve the song well; as others have reminded you, that`s rule number one and you done good!
I can`t think of anyone I`d rather hear sing a pop ballad.

Robert

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Strong emotions in the lyrics, I just wonder how you can put all that emotion also in your vocals.
Nice uplifting message, almost gospel-like: "We need a hand to get on by Someone to take our side And help us step into the light."

This song has classic rock ballad feeling, ala Aerosmith. Nice to hear a sax solo for a change. Good chord progression avoids being obviously familiar.

Janne


Hear My Music:

Soundcloud
YouTube

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Will, om, Nigel, rayc, Dave, Hans, Ezekiel, Floyd, Tangmo, Torrey, Mario, Peter, Leon, Scott, Derochette, Robert and Janne:

Thanks so much to all of you. I wasn’t sure I hit things quite right on the production, but I’m jazzed that everyone seems to have liked what they heard. There are times I convince myself that I know what I’m doing when it comes to mixing, and that I’m improving, but in the end it always feels more like a guessing game. At least here, it seems the blind squirrel found the nut! Thanks again all for the listen and kind feedback.

rayc: I had to go back and listen based on your comments. I immediately wondered whether I forgot to put a de-esser on this. I was happy to see I did put a de-esser on the vocal track, but perhaps I can get a tad more aggressive with it. I also typically try to sing a bit to the side of the mic to help lessen the sibilance, but I’m not sure I did that here. I don’t think it’s all that pronounced, but something to think about when I revisit.

My best to you all. Stay safe, stay well!

Deej

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Wonderfully soulful vocal. Nice song. For me the mmms were a bit distracting from that great vocal by being so constant and out front. Just my opinion feel free to disregard. Glad to hear you again
Enjoyed it.
Josie

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