Today I began by loading up the 18 years was 50 years ago song. There are seven individual tracks played on. A need to muck about with tentatively bringing an improved brightness to the overall sound was the intention.
AND SO….TODAY I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO BRIGHTEN UP A SONG. ‘18 YEARS WAS 50 YEARS AGO’ NEEDS THOUGHTS FOR CONTINUATION. WHAT TO ADD INSTRUMENTALLY AND CHANGE THE ARRANGEMENT FOR ELECTRIC GUITAR INCLUSIONS. IF AN IDEA OF WHERE TO SET FUTURE SOUNDS IS FOUND, WHEN RE-RECORDED IT SHOULD BE EASIER TO GET AT A CLOSER DESIRED END RESULT.
BUT THERE IS STILL A LONG WAY TO GO WITH THIS SONG.
1). Coffee Shop percussion. From GarageBand library.
2). Grand Organ. Played on the external AKAI Professional MPK Mini Plus – 37 mini Key USB MIDI Keyboard.
3). Baroque Organ . Again the AKAI Professional MPK Mini Plus – 37 mini Key USB MIDI Keyboard.
4). Azure Crystal Synth Bells. AKAI Professional MPK Mini Plus – 37 mini Key USB MIDI Keyboard.
5). Echo Strum. Guild D25 Cherry Acoustic dreadnought guitar with small flick fills played through the external Shure MV5 condenser microphone.
6). Echo Strum. The Guild guitar again. This time strummed chords.
7). Echo Strum. The Guild played and singing at same time through the MV5 microphone again. Therefore vocals sung into a guitar audio choice on the system.
Added the opportunity of two more tracks presently for keyboards (a Steinway Grand Piano) and an electric guitar opportunity (Country Gent). Either of these can be deleted or changed for different instruments. There are no limits or written in stone choices. I have written a Bass Guitar melody for this song. So next up will be to add it as the next stage.
The 3 acoustic guitar sounds were isolated also and the compression slightly changed on each. Focused settings on each individual instrument is important. Each played instrument has to mix in with the others and give a good synergy.
LYRICS.
It’s the season where the reason is to chase your dream
Blow your blues away
There’s no profit in the pocket of an empty room
Sitting and wasting the days
Don’t hide in the corner in your tip-top hat
Dreaming you’re back on the stage
Throw down some colour on the black on white
And…Brighten up every page of your life. Mmm.
You look like an angel all dressed in rags
Miles from your relevant age
Life has a choice of a million kinds
Allows you to escape the cage.
So when you’re shattered and you’re tattered and your life’s a mess
It all feels wrong, not right
Pick up your grief from the Autumn gloom and
Kick it out into the night.
Stop hiding in the corner in your tip-top hat
And think it doesn’t suit your age.
Become the prophet in the corners of a worn down mind
Pen a tune and seize the day
You can always sing
Na na, na, na, na, na na
Na na na na na na na
Na na na na
Na na na na
And chase all the blues away. Hey!
Gone are the promises that held your hand
Leading you into the fight.
What once was…. is now has been
So drag yourself into the light
Living was forgiving was for those who did
Played the game and won
No taste of the fruits of a richer kind
Turn everything into lies.
Eighteen years was fifty years ago
Gray Summers 
Well done Gray…you’ve certainly brightened it up…like the acoustic vibe of the song..I don’t reckon you need to do much as the lyrics are the highlight. 👏🏻 SD
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Cheers Shep. That’s really uplifting to get from you. Means a lot. I do like the vibe of the song already. As you say, it feels okay. I want to make a video in black and white to support this one with little isolated colour inclusions every now and then. I keep imagining an old warehouse situation with the guy sitting in the corner of a huge empty room. An older guy reflecting as himself as a younger guy. I don’t mind being the older guy, all dressed in rags and in his tip-top hat.. dreaming he’s back on the stage. Or throwing down some powdered paint colours on an old demolished piano black on white keyboard. But my son, who looks like a younger me, would baulk at doing stuff like this. Even though he does play guitar, so could strike a pose with an E and A chord being perfect! This song is just a story of forced change on desires and the opportunity of being given it all back really. What once was is now has been. So drag yourself back into the light. Just having the confidence to drop the past angst of the people who got too greedy. And so messed it all up. I have missed music badly. So it’s great to jump back in. Albeit naively.
I was going to mention. Angie’s best friend has a son who loves Hohner. He plays tin whistles, etc……. and melodeons. He collects them too. He showed me a photograph of his latest Hohner Melodeon acquisition. Immediately thought of you. He came to visit just before New Year’s Eve. He wants to play a bit of melodeon keyboards on one of my tracks. I’m beginning to think that I may write some totally new stuff to accommodate a more rustic vibe for the first SPRING album in April. Four projects of Summer, Autumn and Winter follow ups can include the songs written on the experiments so far. But….Year One is definitely the next song considered. Suits the SPRING theme vibe.
Anyways. Cheers Shep. And thank you.
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I finally got some Bluetooth ear pods (that don’t go IN the ear) and can listen to your songs to try and distinguish more, Gray. Oddly enough, I never saw this post before (I guess), because I didn’t see a Like or comment from me on this before–and now, that I’m on the laptop to read your most recent post, I see this one! Ha! (Go figure.) I’m glad you’re feeling so much better and back at it full on. Great job on this. Yes, #2 sounds richer. Again, I am a big fan of these lyrics.
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Good you have out of ear ones. My sister in law got problems with infection with in ear ones. I believe more people are buying the outer pods now. I can’t wear in pods long. Silicon doesn’t suit at all really.
The mixing is something I need to get more adept at really. It does change dynamics and I’m still learning. There is a recognition that people can absolutely change how a song sounds. I watch YouTube videos of songs that are a completely different result with knowledge how to use the equipment properly. The new song has to have lyrics that are on the same reflective level as 18/50 years ago. Sometimes you can get in the word groove with a melody that allows you to.
At the tail end of this flu certainly. But leaves you exhausted. Cheers Sheila.
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I’m feeling that’s true, Gray. Endless mixing options!
Oh, the tiredness. I imagine it’s telling you (your body) to rest more.
Well, you are doing better at least!
FYI: I am watching a series on the Smithsonian channel called, Mystic Britain. It’s completely enthralling!
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I love when you know how producers change the whole vibe of songs that you have heard in their raw state. George Martin and Tony Visconti produced genius results.
And yes, the last three months have been pretty full on with experiences that were challenging re: moving my daughter to the new house and then two long illnesses. Frankie the cat is full on too.
I’m not watching very much TV at all at the moment, so know nothing on Mystic Britain. Also, I do not have access to that channel. Maybe some other is showing it. I’ll take a look. Thanks for the pointer. Much appreciated. Cheers Sheila.
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Well, since it’s done by the Smithsonian Institute it is a bit heavy on the science, but so far they seem to be doing a decent job. I just watched the 9th episode of the first season and it was all about Stonehenge. And they did mention about the bluestones coming from west Wales. Yay!
There was a few minutes of a beautiful Yew tree wherever they were shooting a portion of video but they never mentioned it! But I knew! Ha! I was blowing kisses to our TV! Hahaha
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