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Hey, Folks:

I haven't been on this board in ages . . . though I have stopped in to listen from time to time. Well, for what it's worth, I thought I'd post something. I've been in a musical rut for many a few months, though recently penned this one. With a help of a friend from down under, I have this new one to offer. It's still probably rough around the edges, but so it goes. My goal is always to make it listenable, knowing I lack the skills to make it sound more than that. Hope you enjoy the listen! I'll try to be around more often.

My regards to you all,

Deej

I'LL KEEP HOLDING ON

Something new to something old
Something once so warm
That now has turned so bitter cold
You just can’t disguise
The love you’ve lost therein your eyes
But I’m not letting go

So twist the knife
Watch me bleed
Just say goodbye before you leave
From tonight
Until the break of every dawn
I’ll keep holding on

So pull the shade and walk away
Shed your tears and tell them all you're so okay
Try who you want you be
Erase me from your memory
But I won’t let you fade

So twist the knife
Watch me bleed
Just say goodbye before you leave
From tonight
Until the break of every dawn
I’ll keep holding on

Hi DeeJ,
welcome back. Your song really rocks. One can hear you that know what you're doing. The sound is awesome. The instrumentation is excellent. The oohs at the end ... man, so catchy. Well done!

Great song ! Keep em coming!

Always cool to have you around Deej...

Great melody and structure, great vox as usual.

Those drums... Horrible Eq/roomverb.

DJ
Song makes me recall Meatloaf. Sounds good.
I've always enjoyed your voice. I particularly enjoyed it here.
It sounds (to me) like you are stepping back and managing your vocal more on this one than you have in the past.

This vocal seems a little less expressive and more in the pocket.

Good to hear your stuff again,

Marty

Hey Dee
Great vulnerable vocals
clicks right along in the pocket
Drums are a bit tinny , no biggee , adjustments would fix em

Rob, Caroll, JAPOV, Marty and Bennash:

Thanks for the listens and kind welcome backs. Glad the song seemed to work . . . it's been quite the dry spell and perhaps I'm at my creative end. We'll see. Anyway, appreciate the nice comment son this one.

Regarding the drums, yeah, I kinda knew they were a problem, but was curious to get some feedback before messing with them more. I'm embarrassed to say how long I've fiddled with them so far. BIAB drums are not very good to begin with and I'm even worse at EQ'ing them. Anyway, I've taken another shot at them and reposted. Hopefully it's closer to the mark . . . though I'm sure I'll be diving back in at some point.

Stay safe and well all,

Deej

Really good vocal, nice phrasing and melody ....really like the arrangement...a lot of thought was put into it....I was looking for you to go up on "on" when you sang "I'll keep holding on" at the end before the repeat

Just a thought

Great production value

Steve

Steve,

Thanks for stopping in and taking the time to comment. Much appreciated. Hmm, going up on that final "on" . . . I'm not sure I thought about, but I totally get what you suggest. I'd have to think about how that would resolve and mesh with the BGVs on the fade out. But food for thought definitely.

As for the arrangement, I'm not sure I can say I put a lot of thought into it . . . it happened a bit more organically, as I was mixing, so can't take credit for any grand design. What aided me most on this song was the addition of some "live" tracks from a colleague. For example, he plays the bass and a lot of the edgier guitars in the chorus, and also added some MIDI strings. Along with drums, BIAB bass never seems to stand out in my songs. Ray has played bass on three of my more recent songs, and the bass has popped in every one of them.

Anyway, I digress. But glad you liked the tune.

Deej

I've been on a number of sites for years and I'm, always interested in whats going on behind the vocals and in the spaces...for a variety of reasons the musical support is usually a guitar/piano rhythm track, a basic snare hit and simple bass..when I hear other sounds....strings etc...horns, it tells me a little more about the songwriter/arranger...In my stuff I use all kinds of instrumentation throughout so I'm kinda always looking for it

Steve

Hi, again, Steve:

Just to clarify my prior response, I do have a general idea of what instruments I think I will want in a mix . . . as I did here. For example, I knew I would want strings for that third and final chorus and thereafter. I knew I wanted a heavy guitar sound in the chorus, that I wanted a piano with held chords somewhere along the line, and that I wanted to close out the song with those vocal "oh" harmonies.

So, it s an initial plan. But once I drag the tracks into my DAW, that's typically where it becomes more organic. For example, I didn't plan on having the strings interlude before the last chorus . . .but I tried it and liked it. I didn't anticipate having the drums play only on the chorus. At some point, I thought adding a cello into the break before the second verse might sound nice (and I've had pretty good success with the BIAB cello). And while I wanted a heavy, edgy sound for the chorus, that didn't come into play until my friend Ray sent me the additional guitar tracks and strings.

So when I say I didn't put a lot of thought into the arrangement, maybe that's not entirely true. I had an initial idea that organically evolved as additional ideas hit me during the mixing process.

That's probably more than you wanted to know, LOL!!! But appreciate the follow up comment!

My best to you,

Deej

That was great...and it is very much like the process I go through when producing a song....thanks so much

Steve

Yes I did , useless fueds lol. Hatfields and Mc'coys
To much coffee

Hi, Bennash:

I think you mistakenly posted on the wrong thread. No worries!

Deej

DJ I recommend EZ Drummer.. It is very easy to learn and gives you a lot of control over the sound of the drums.

We've missed you, Deej. Great to see you back. Great song, great vocal performance, great mix. I expect nothing less

I hear what you mean about the bass by your friend. It has more character than you're usually going to get in BIAB. And I'm a sucker for strings!

That chorus is powerful. Wonder what it would sound like with even more of a chorus effect - big harmonies, maybe female. Female harmonies on the "Ohs" might be nice too. But it's really good as it is.

Marty,

Thanks for the recommendation. It's not the first time someone has suggested checking it out. I'm a little tech challenged . . even BIAB was intimidating when I first started with it (and even after all this time I know I'm still a very basic user of it). I checked out a YouTube video for EZ Drummer that was intended for beginners, and was left wondering whether it's the right thing for me. Looks like there is a lot of flexibility on sound and tone . . . but not sure if I can plug in the audio of an entire song (e.g., my mix in Logic Pro) and have it come up with something from start to finish (from verse, to pre-chorus, to chorus to bridge, etc.), without having to do a lot of massaging.

In short, it looks intimidating to a non-tech guy like me.

I'll have to think about it . . . but thanks again for the reference.

Deej

Gavin,

So kind of you to say. I found it very hard to manage being active on multiple music forums, and ultimately had to pick one or the other. My philosophy (if you will), is that if you are going to participate by posting your songs, you need to give equal time to those posting theirs. And I just couldn't manage my time enough to stay active on multiple boards. And while there were other reasons I chose to be less present on JPF, ultimately I have missed many a poster here . . . yourself among many others (and I'm thinking of Dave Rice as I write this--god rest his lovely soul).

Appreciate the listen and feedback on my song. I have to say that Ray has played the bass on the last three songs I've done and it's a huge difference over BIAB, IMHO. It just sounds more alive and more present--i.e., it pops. The bass in BIAB always seems, with some exceptions, a bit understated in the mix. Or so I've found. Of course, that's probably more a statement on my production and mixing skill set than the program.

I hope all is well in your world, Gavin, and that you and yours are safe and happy!

My very best to you,

Deej

Everything about this recording is deep, rich, atmospherically gorgeous... then those drums come in from a completely different space.

Does that make sense?
They just don't fit the soundscape...
I had the same problem with BIAB

I'd be willing to help if you like, the drums are fairly basic

JAPOV,

I totally get your comment. I may take another dive in yet . . . and then I may take you up on your offer if I can't get it just right.

Hmm, "Drums are fairly basic". I think Ted Williams said something similar about hitting a baseball, though I'm not sure Mario Mendoza would agree.

Thanks again for the additional listen.

Deej (aka Mario)

This is good for some reason it reminds me of metal but not as hard obviously, but the vocal and melody remind me of metal.

Kind of folkie at same time. Nice blend.

But not what in used to hearing based on your older stufff
Great sound, enjoyed

Fdemetrio,

Thanks much for the comments and glad you liked it. My last three or so have been more like this, a little more rock/alternative, but I'm still doing some of the folk and rock ballads from time to time . . . though I have been slowing down on my output over the last year or so . . . creativity and motivation have been lackluster. We'll see how much more I have in the tank . . . perhaps it's just a lull. Anyway, appreciate your stopping in for the listen and feedback.

My best to you,

Deej