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San Francisco Days - DEMO


Barry Seymour

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14 minutes ago, kurt soderquist said:

Nice melody. I like the bass line. Good guitar playing too. I was imagining some back ground singers doing some Ooo's or ahh's on or near the chorus. 

I like that idea! I thought the strings were carrying that, but they continue on through the verse. I'm gonna look into that. Thanks!

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2 hours ago, kurt soderquist said:

I always thought that the backup arrangements really made the Eagles songs special. The Beatles were pretty good at it too.

It's actually quite funny - with all the work I do on lyrics, and rhyme, and meter, and emotional content, etc. etc., not to mention composing the song, arranging the drums, playing the guitars, painstakingly assembling the string parts I can't actually play - it would never have occurred to me on my own to just sing 'aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh' in the background at any point. ?

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7 minutes ago, DeeringAmps said:

More autobiography Barry?

The bridge have a little Dire Straits vibe, anyone?

I like it Barry, well written, well performed; as always...

t

my guess is you'll fuss with the mix a bit more, no specific suggestions here.

All of my songs have some aspect of my story in them, this one more than most. Let's just leave it at that.

I may add more guitar soloing in there - it seems like the solo guitar appears and disappears rather abruptly. Also, kurt (above) recommended some background oohs or aaahs on the chorus, quite an intriguing thought.

Thanks for the kind words.

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3 hours ago, Douglas Kirby said:

I agree with Tom - well written and well performed.  I always enjoy your lead vocal - you have an exceptional voice.

I liked the mix - I thought the strings in the background worked well.

You are too kind. I actually struggle with my voice - I can't do as much as I used to. But that happens with the passage of time.

I like the strings too! There are a number of settings in the VST, I went with a 'cello section' setup, it's really lush.

 

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Okay, here's the next version.  Changes:

  • Changed the lyrics about the drummer. I wanted to keep this more factual / autobiographical.
  • Added more guitar on the way out
  • Added vocal harmonies to the chorus
  • Adjusted levels, especially on the strings

I'm feeling like a regular Alan Parsons! Comments / Suggestions welcome.

(Modified to link to the final version of the song.)
 

 

Edited by Barry Seymour
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 Barry , Huge improvement  on the 2nd mix and the new drummer lyrics are way better. I really like the drum tracks and the new guitar parts. I would like to hear a strong harmony coming in every other phrase starting on "San Francisco days".  I'm also hearing some distortion in a few places almost like clipping 3:44/3:58/4:21 . I removed earbuds and checked these spots again with Bose headphones . Same "broken speaker" type sound. I believe it's a specific vocal eq freq.  I thought this was some great storytelling and great song.    mark

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47 minutes ago, mark skinner said:

 Barry , Huge improvement  on the 2nd mix and the new drummer lyrics are way better. I really like the drum tracks and the new guitar parts. I would like to hear a strong harmony coming in every other phrase starting on "San Francisco days".  I'm also hearing some distortion in a few places almost like clipping 3:44/3:58/4:21 . I removed earbuds and checked these spots again with Bose headphones . Same "broken speaker" type sound. I believe it's a specific vocal eq freq.  I thought this was some great storytelling and great song.    mark

Thanks for pointing out the distortion - it came in on bits where I re-recorded some lyrics.  I will review, thanks for pointing it out.

The vocal harmonies I added to the chorus are just pads - I didn't want to go too heavy on that since I also have a string pad there. Were you thinking harmony vocals actually singing 'San Francisco Days?'

Thanks for the kind words on the song.

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2 hours ago, mark skinner said:

Yes , actually sing  "San Francisco days" ,  skip a phrase , and sing the next phrase that carries the same melody "I'll go back some day".  Pretty sparse or none at all on the first chorus , then progressively louder each chorus afterwards.          ms

I'll think about it... Thanks.

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Here's the final.

Added more lead guitar, centered it, redid a number of vocal phrases, cleaned up the distortion in the vocal track. Added a bit more volume to the "Faux Garfunkels" (background vocals)

Thanks, everyone, for your invaluable input!

 

Edited by Barry Seymour
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This song is very nostalgic for me.  I, too, had my San Francisco period in the early '70's, though I never put the experience to music like you did.  Besides your impressive vocal, your guitar playing is what turns me on about this tune.  I have no crits, and applaud your dedication to your craft!  Keep it up!!

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