Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Earlier in the year I posted viewtopic.php?f=48&t=387518&p=522147#p522147 about a song I had written with my new 330-12, which I was having trouble getting to know at the time. The long and short of it being making the recording really helped me get to grips with my new guitar.

Well that's how it stayed until I had am email last week from someone wanting to write and sing some lyrics for me. Great! Off went the mp3 and I got back a lovely dry vocal track to play with. Not being up on working with vocals I had to head off for some research, but anyway this is how it has turned out.

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7386876

Many thanks to Sherry Kline!

I also just realised I missed a couple of questions in the original thread on the recording - so I will answer those here. I am playing in to an iMac running Logic using a Presonus Firebox as a DI audio interface. In Logic I am using Amplitube's recent Fender plug in (which is pretty amazing!) mainly using the 65 Deluxe Reverb and the 64 Vibroverb Custom. And that's it! The rest is done with Logic plugins.

Nicely done john. I would like to hear Sherry's voice higher in the mix. She reminds me of Stevie Nicks in a strange way. Perhaps it's her phrasimg.

Wow, that was over too soon.

What a gorgeous tune! It really feels like Summer when I can hear the trickling stream in the guitar part and the soaring of the hawks in that bassline. I didn't want to come down!

I too would like to hear more of the vocal part in the mix. No reason not to bring up more of a beautiful voice like Sherry's!

Really nice!

Really nice work! Great to listen to while lounging in a hammock sipping lemonade...

Thanks for the positive comments!

I have taken your advice and bounced another version with the vocals a little higher in the mix. I think you guys were right, it's an improvement.

Well it would seem that completed tracks are like London buses, you wait months for one and then 3 come along all at once...

Denial http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7073219
and
Who Knows http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7532361

Sounds good John, great job! I'm hearing Nicks but also Chrissie Hynde in Sherry's voice... please post some more.

Nice job on all three tunes, John! You two sound great together. Sherry's got a nice modern approach to melody that blends well with your music. She's really got a great style which I'm sure will become distinctly her own the more she's heard, but for now the comparisons that come to mind are Kristin Hirsh, and a more reserved Carla Bozulich.

I like the more developed & lush vocal production on the 2nd two tunes. On 'Denial,' you did a great job offsetting the call/response vocals, one close & one far away. Cool delayed reverb on 'Who Knows.' Very well fit drum sounds, too, and of course the guitars sound amazing. Love the space you create with them.

Looking forward to more songs! Feel free to start new posts for each.

Absolutely loved Its summer somewhere .Right up my street. brilliant

Who Knows? is my favorite by a long shot. All three are good; It's Summer Somewhere is probably the most polished but I love the "feel" of Who Knows? even more in spite of that. The ethereal stuff is great.

I think the chorus of It's Summer Somewhere could use a bit tightening up, i.e. get the bass and guitar to groove closer together, it feels a bit like they're tugging on each other when the bass jumps up there. But yeah, great job! Just some constructive thoughts.

Gorgeous song, John. Conjures images of walking beneath autumn trees in Lexington with a broken, younger heart; reminds me of the moody skies over the Scottish borders. Sonically it hits my ears mostly like The Sundays with a bit of the Church mixed in (read: a triumph!).

My only advice is to fade it out just a bit sooner -which you can do when you put this song on your debut disc.

Wow, thanks again for the great feedback, some useful constructive criticism too. I take on board all comments on my bass playing I can, I am by no means even close to being a bass player! I have about 14 years guitar experience vs about 9 months bass!

The vocals on the tracks are currently recorded dry with a cheap mic straight in to a PC, then integrated into the mix with logic - we are looking at re-recording the vocal tracks in a pro studio over the next month or so. Plus there are currently another 3-4 tracks we are working on, so watch this space!