Lovin' You 1979 - 2008

[LeonardScaper]

That's correct.

 

I wrote this song in 1979 and sang it at my sister's wedding....standing up there in the choir loft with my long hair hanging down over the fretboard of my Martin D-18.

 

It seemed timely back then.

 

I'm trying hard to finish this 2008 compilation of love/relationship songs now so I can move on to something somewhat less sappy and I dug up the ancient recording of this tune.

 

I have put down some basic tracks, exactly (almost) as performed that night for the sole purpose of asking you...........

Is it still timely, or do the lyrics and arrangement sound dated?

 

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7063750

 

I have been lovin' you

For a long time.

From the beginning

And right down the line.

 

You may remember

The darkness of yesteryear.

It was the time of a gentle tear

While we waited for a sign.

 

And then the wind died and a star shone on a tower.

Like a beacon to light up our way.

And in the time we had waited

I anticipated what to say.

 

'Cause I have been needing you

Like a star needs to shine.

Yes I've been needing you

Like a poem needs to rhyme.

 

And it's time we used our power

To find our way now and be free.

And with the changing seasons

We'll find new reasons.

If you're listening and you hear me

Come on, child, be near me.

Through time and forever

We'll never

No never

Be alone.

 

Cause I have been lovin' you.

Radaradarada....etc., etc., etc.

 

So, I ask you....did this work better yesteryear than it does here in the 21st century?

[palimino]

I enjoyed the listen. Doesn't strike me as a song to be sung at a wedding, certain parts I mean. "The darkness" amongst other things.

 

I would stay away from mimicking a line from what some consider the greatest love song ever, Twelfth of Never ('til the poets run out of rhyme). Oh, and your title itself was a very popular song by Elvis (as well as the title of the movie).

 

Still and all, I don't deem the tune as being dated by any means, though I would never be confused with a musician.

 

Overall, I think it holds up well (just not as a wedding song, though that is obviously a matter of taste!).

[rsadasiv]

I don't think it's dated at all. Then again, I think songs are pretty timeless, it's production techniques which are stuck in a particular point in the past. Also, you have such a unique guitar style that I don't think it gets any older than you do.

 

Nice song.

[Eclepto Funk]

sounds awesome

[LeonardScaper]

 

I would stay away from mimicking a line from what some consider the greatest love song ever, Twelfth of Never ('til the poets run out of rhyme). Oh, and your title itself was a very popular song by Elvis (as well as the title of the movie).

 

 

 

That figures.

 

What did I know back then? Those were hazy days.

 

Thanks all for the comments......think I'll work it up a little more and see what happens.

 

Or....I may just keep it like it is. Might be nice to start the album off with something simple like this.

[LeonardScaper]

Changed the name..........worked in some things to the mix.

 

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7063750

[LeonardScaper]

Just about finished.

 

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7063750

[wwwjd]

good stuff! what monitor speakers are you mixing with? mix sounds a little bright on mine. I would suggest bringing the drums out more, and for width I'd love to hear the main guitar stuff with a wide expansive [mountain top] reverb, but at a very low level so you just barely notice it. And those extra vocal parts are great and deserve to be displayed more.

[LeonardScaper]

THAT is good stuff........a detailed review with suggestions.

 

I'll look into all of the above, particularly the brightness.

 

BTW.....mixed on Events (6) and Ultrasone phones.

[wwwjd]

Not sure if I'm good at reviewing others works... without knowing what the eventual goal is, this is hard to tell if the mark is hit or close. I automatically assume everyone wants to make popular and profitable songs that play a lot on the radio. But that means sticking to a rigid framework of song construction.

 

If you can manage it, never "mix" on headphones. They are just not a realistic way to achieve good sound from speakers. When mixing on your Events, keep a CD player and good reference disc ready to compare against. That will force you to keep EQs and such on the playing field.

 

Lastly, it's a good old song, but finish the recording and start writing new stuff! That comes from personal experience and watching many others recycle old tunes forever. Make some NEW ones now. [ever the cheerleader!]

[LeonardScaper]

Yo W.....

 

You're alright. That is all great advise.

 

I've been mixing on cans forever.....forced into that mode by the confines of my household studio. It CAN work if you learn your phones and do a lot of cross referencing. I do not recommend this course of monitoring.

 

This mix got away from me a little on the high end....do me a favor and check the remix on your monitors.

 

And for me there is always a new song in the wings.......another one is awaiting as we speak. I will, of course, subject all of my good friends here to it at the appropriate time.

 

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7063750

 

EDIT: Oooohh! Like your stuff.

[wwwjd]

I'll give it a listen, but tell me what is your goal/market for the tune? name a couple tunes you would like to be in the ball park with for comparison. otherwise, it's too easy to say "That sounds fine. print it"

 

let me give this a listen and get back here in a bit...

 

K, back. I still love the sound on the vocals, but it still seems bright. just to make sure my ears were in check, I threw up a frequency analyzer and did a quick comparo with Nicklebacks new "never gonna be alone" which was produced by John "Mutt" Lange. Granted not the best material for comparing with it's super crunched mastering and all, but it has the pretty generic eq curve most hits usuall have. When I pulled in your song, I found a lot of energy in the 4 - 8k range, where the chart guitar and vocal parts are.

 

If posting pics works, this first pic is Nickleback, then your tune, then a quick EQ tweak. Please keep in mind, I didn't REALLY spend a lot of time getting proper AVERAGES on this graphs, just did it snapshot. Listening post the EQ curve I added, I notice some boom in the vocal on your main note. Not sure of that frequency, but you can roll off EVERYTHING below about 200hz [usually] on the vocal tracks, to help clean up vocal boom, yet retain some of that deep soul stuff. Sorry, I got kinda geeky and put on the engineer/producer hat. Keep in mind, this is not the final word, just what *I* hear. And I could be wrong.

[LeonardScaper]

Thanks so much for your detailed analysis, Greg.

 

As a songwriter my only goal these days is to get my tunes recorded and aired out somehow to be heard. At this stage in my life......I'll be hitting 57 soon....I no longer have commercial aspirations.

 

I confess to doing very little CD referencing.....not sure who the heck I'd want to sound like anyway.

 

I LOVE the engineering aspect of this creative endeavor and, thankfully, I have a very active muse so there is always a tune up in my humble bedroom studio. My poor old MBox has seen some abuse.

 

Specifically, I have always concentrated on the 1K - 2K range during the final stages of my projects in an attempt to tame things. You have opened my eyes to that 4K - 8K range and I appreciate it.

[wwwjd]

Cool. I feel that referencing CDs is a very valid "cheat" when mixing. Getting a good mix is one thing, but keeping it in the ballpark called reality after hours of ear fatiguing listening at various levels is something else. Listening to other, unchanging material helps you hear if you are in that place. I guess I really didn't examine the SONG itself, but I figure that is your art and it's older and how you like it already.

 

Keep on jammin'!

[Sentry68]

I think the song plays as well today as it would've back then... but then again I wasn't at your sister's wedding...

 

Honestly, there's nothing 'dated' about it that I pick up on, except maybe for the line "It's time we used our power," which sounds a little 60's to me. Otherwise, it's a nice smooth ballad, perfect for a wedding.

 

I can't critique as well as others on the recording, although I'd agree with some of the points made about making sure the backing vox is present- it sounds fantastic and really adds. Love all the tonal quality. Gtr and vox both sound great.

[Nick*]

I like this tune a lot. You have a really nice voice....something very intimate and colorful about it. I thought the whole thing was put together really well