How strange it is ! About one week ago I decide to start recording "Sweet Adelaide" with really no idea at all how the the song structure was going to work out. It ends up turning out to be an awesome tune, and during the process (with flu and all), I come up with another song idea called "Under The Weather". Well I have decided that this will be the next song I work on. I've already got the entire tune worked out on acoustic. "Sweet Adelaide" centered around an intense love between someone alive and someone deceased. The inability for either to let it go is the basis for the haunting. In this song both people are very much alive, but their love for each other isn't. The term "Under The Weather" means that they both really need to walk away from each other to feel better. I know it all sounds a bit deep, and melancholy, but it is a very catchy song.
3-1-10, I'm just starting to put the drums together. So far, the simple approach is working the best. It seems, that when I am recording, things usually work out in two's. "Nothin" and "Best Days Of Your Life" have a similar approach, and style. The same is true with "Sweet Adelaide" and "Horrible End". This song and "Won't Be Home Again" are going to fall into the same category. The main instruments in both will be the acoustic and vocals. One song is about walking away from a bad relationship, the other is about infidelity. I'm going to have to change my mindset to get these 2 right. I think a coffee shop approach will probably work the best. By that I mean a stripped down band approach. I have to think of myself as being more of a story teller playing in a small venue, as opposed to a rock star in an arena.
3-2-10, It's going to be a busy month of March, with non music related activities. My recording opportunities will be a bit limited. As a result, I'm going to keep my goals simple. If I complete "Under The Weather" and "Won't Be Home Again" then I think I have done well. That would give me 7 finished songs (minus vocals) going into April. My birthday is on April Fool's Day, so being 7 songs into my new Cd would be a very nice gift to myself. I still have 3 other tunes to choose from, so there is the potential that I may over achieve again. 8 finished songs going into the month of April would be an awesome accomplishment (I only had 9 songs on each of my 2 previous Cd's)! I'm going to be away from home for about 5 days and I probably won't be able to record. The good news is that I will have some time to work out the drums for this tune. The idle time may also give me an opportunity to write another song. I only need about 3 more song ideas to reach my goal of 13 for this Cd. I'll check back in about 1 week, and let you know of any developments.
3-7-10, I was watching my brothers house the last 5 days. The natural reverb in his home is perfect, so I ended up bringing all my equipment over and doing some recording (the biggest challenge was working all this around their 5 miniature Doberman's). I rehearsed this song quite a bit on the first couple days, but once I started recording vocals for "Nothin" and "Sweet Adelaide" it kind of got pushed to the back burner. Opportunities to lay down vocals just don't come around very often so I had to jump on the moment ! As a result, the vocals for "Nothin" and "Sweet Adelaide" are completed. Another bit of good news ... I came up with another song idea ("Simple Minded"). In keeping with my reputation for being unpredictable, it turned out to be a Christian song. The cool part about being an underground independent songwriter is that it allows me the freedom to take chances, and experiment with different topics.
3-12-10, I have been working on the drum tracks for this song, and I think they may just be good enough. I don't know what it is, but a stripped down drum approach seems to be the toast of the day with this Cd. The tracks don't include any tom tom's or crash symbols ..... what ? Under most circumstances this would be a cause for concern ... but I am the Foxman ! If it isn't broken don't fix it. I think one of the biggest tricks to being a good songwriter is knowing when to lay back and not overdue it. This is a really cool, catchy song. The vocals and acoustic are the main focus, so I am not going to worry about it. Let it be ! I had a good time at the Florida Strawberry Festival, where I watched Tracy Lawrence perform ... good show !
3-13-10, I recorded the drums today ! I ended up adding crash symbols, it just didn't feel right without them. The toms weren't needed, so I left them out. I've already got the acoustic worked out, it's just a matter of finding the right time to record it. The bass shouldn't be too much trouble, just need to work out the scales and keys first. I've got family visiting, so I will be spending Wed-Sat visiting theme parks in Orlando. That gives me about 2-3 days to work on this song ... then it's fun time !
3-14-10, I got the bass recorded today ! Suddenly this simple acoustic/vocal tune has become a bit of a hip shaker. The bass line I came up with is very catchy and melodic. It compliments the simple drum approach well. I am even thinking that I may just use the electric, instead of the acoustic, on the rhythm track. Well so much for the coffee shop approach !
3-16-10, I think I've got the rhythm finished. I ended up using the electric guitar with a Rockabilly effect. This song was originally written with a capo on the 4th fret. I was having trouble with the capo not properly holding down all the strings. As a remedy I tuned the guitar up 1/2 step and put the capo on the 3rd fret. The extra tension in the strings made all the difference. Well I'm off to Orlando, the music is going to be on hold for about 4-5 days. I think all I need to finish this song is a lead guitar track (keys would be too much). For the most, some simple melodic leads will do the trick. There may be some openings in the intro, and outro, for a little more creativity. As far as the song keys go, I am mostly using C# Major and F# Major (E Major is also briefly used during the change part)
3-21-10, Back to work ! I had a fun time in Orlando. At this moment I am watching the Health Care vote on C-Span. It's an historic event in American history. As best as I can tell it looks like one side is trying to help us, and the other side is trying to scare the hell out of us. I am having a very hard time thinking of the GOP as anything but a bunch of pathetic self absorbed jackasses. It seems like all they are doing is adding their own personal spin to the prearranged talking points, just like watching Fox News. Who is masterminding all this BS ? As hard as it will be ... I am not going to bring politics into my upcoming Cd. Once the vote is over I will pull out the recorder and see where I left off. They did it ! 219-212, the Health Bill passed ! Teddy Kennedy deserves a lot of respect for his efforts on this cause. It's unfortunate he wasn't here to be able to vote for it, but I'm sure wherever he is, he is smiling. Thanks Teddy ! I did finally get around to listening to this song, and I am totally happy with how the rhythm and bass tracks turned out. It is much more upbeat, then I originally thought. I'm still not sure what to do with the lead guitar, or other effects. Maybe I will experiment with some horn sounds.
3-22-10, Well hopefully that should do it ! Sometimes you just have to follow the signs. While at the Strawberry Festival, 10 days ago, I stumbled upon a vendor's booth where homemade Dulcimer's were being sold. The vendor was cool enough to let me try my hand at playing one. Well this song needed something to add to the melancholy nature of the tune, and the Dulcimer ended up being the right sound ... go figure. Once again the keyboards earned their worth. I will listen back to everything tomorrow and decide if it is good to go. If so, then some track clean up, a Cd backup, some sample mixing and vocals are all that is left. This is a unique song, and I didn't want to crud it up by trying to add too much. Drums, guitar, bass and the Dulcimer should be all I need. I've been at this song, off and on, for about 3 weeks. It will be a welcome relief to move on.
3-23-10, that will do it. I cleaned up the tracks, did a little mixing, protected the song and backed up the data. It's a bit different because I'm not used to listening to a dulcimer, but I am going to roll with it. Originally it was going to just be a vocal/acoustic song. Now it's an upbeat Rock-n-Roll tune featuring some lead dulcimer. Looks like the Foxman has struck again ! Some more good news ... I re-loaded the backup of "Won't Be Home Again" and the song is saved ! I found out what I was doing wrong and got it out of the mastering mode. So ... this technically means that I now have 7 songs for the "Crazy Like a Fox" Cd.
Dulcimer-(aka Appalachian, or mountain dulcimer)- The instrument first appeared in the early 1800's, and was used by the Scots-Irish in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Well known as parlor instrument, and is also used in urban folk music. Usually tuned to DAA (key note string, middle string and melody string). Traditional dulcimers would have to be re-tuned to play in different keys. The instrument may have up to 12 strings.
5-9-10, After the success I had tonight recording vocals for "Horrible End", I am considering doing this song next. There are a few notes that I need to hit during the chorus, other than that, things shouldn't be too complicated.
5-12-10, I think I hear the studio calling me ! I took it easy for a couple of days, and think my ears and voice are back to normal. In the meantime, I have really gotten into watching "24". This current season is the first one that I have followed, every week, since episode one (only 3 left). Over the last 3 days I also watched the entire season three. Today I went out and bought season four. It's an awesome TV series ! I brought this up because it gives me a nice break from the songwriting. Tonight I am watching "American Idol". There are only 4 contestants left (Crystal, Big Mike, Lee and Casey). In my opinion they are all very talented. I also think it is cool that all 4 of them play guitar. It really doesn't matter who wins, because they are all going to make out real well. Once the show is over, I'll head to the studio and do my best to be an American Idol.
5-13-10 (5:30 a.m.) Well, Big Mike got eliminated from "American Idol". Nothing to be ashamed of, he's a class act and I'm sure we haven't heard the last from him. After the show I went to the studio ... 6 1/2 hours later, I made it back home. I had another awesome night and I nailed the vocals for this song. I still need to listen to it tomorrow (today) and make sure everything is good to go. If so, I will clean the tracks, save/protect the song and backup the data. I am very proud of myself, I think this song has the potential to be hit ! The dulcimer really adds a cool, unique, element. (7:00 p.m.) It's good to go !
UPDATE (2-16-14): "Under The Weather" has become one of the most popular songs from this release !! All songs from my "Crazy Like A Fox" Cd can be heard in their entirety through the tune player below. Please make sure to also check out my home website at: www.foxmanmusic.com
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
My Space, You Tube, Bebo, Twitter, IMRadio, Buzznet
I'm going to use this post to keep up to date with my numbers for my other sites.
2-17-10 ... My Space has 267 profile views and 829 friends (As you can tell people are accepting my friend requests but not checking out my site). You Tube has 2,225 channel views, 1,285 video views, 60 subscribers and 199 friends (I really need to add another video to keep things moving forward). Bebo has 60 page views and 28 friends (Just getting started here). In Twitter I have 28 followers (This site is cool because any message I post automatically goes to my other sites). (2-23-10, I set my tune widget in My Space to auto play. This way when people visit my site it will register as a widget hit AND song play with ReverbNation).
2-18-10, I uploaded a new video for my "Have Another Cigarette" song to You Tube, and other sites. Used a bunch of Cigarette butt pictures that I found on the web. I had no problems transferring the pictures to the video, so I am positive that I didn't violate any copyrights.
On 2-21-10, I registered an account with IMRadio. It's an internet based radio station designed specifically for independent musicians. I uploaded all 9 songs from my Freak Cd. After the uploads are finished, a message appears saying that the songs will be aired within 24-72 hours. Absolutely awesome ... free airplay ! I also got a banner, with a link to IMRadio, which I posted in My Space.
On 2-28-10, I registered an account with Buzznet. If I am not mistaken they have 90 million accounts ... that's a lot of potential listeners !! I wasn't able to post any of my tune widgets, but I did upload both video's and add 7 links. I also used another one of my collages ("Elements Collage") as the background for my profile page. Hopefully the video's will earn their keep and inspire the listeners to check out my links. I set up my main URL to ReverbNation, so that could potentially mean more unique listeners. We'll see how it goes !
4-21-10 ... My Space has 464 profile views and 1,086 friends. You Tube has 2,598 channel views, 1,448 upload views, 72 subscribers and 238 friends. Bebo has 91 page views and 46 friends. Twitter has 37 followers. IM Radio has 536 page views and 48 fans. Buzznet has 15 friends. What more can I say ... I've been busy recording.
5-26-10 ... My Space has 602 profile views and 1,175 friends. You Tube has 2,730 channel views, 1,523 upload views, 72 subscribers and 245 friends. Bebo has 95 page views and 51 friends. Twitter has 39 followers. IM Radio has 751 page views and 57 fans. Buzznet has 12 followers. The numbers are still gradually going up, and that's a good thing !
6-21-10 ... My Space has 766 profile views (+164) and 1,481 friends (+306). You Tube has 2,865 channel views (+135), 1,572 upload views (+49), 76 subscribers (+4) and 254 friends (+9). Bebo has 100 page views (+5) and 52 friends (+1). Twitter has 47 followers (+8). IM Radio has 939 page views (+188) and 64 fans (+7). Buzznet has 12 followers (0). Buzznet and Bebo are pretty much irrelevant sites. Both of them are mostly dominated by the teenagers to low 20's crowd. Buzznet is rather complicated, and I really have to admit that I don't have a clue what it's format is. I did manage to put a tune widget in there, so if I ever start getting known it will start registering #'s for me when people visit. Maybe one of these days I will spend a little extra time working on these sites. It just makes more sense at the moment to spend my time with My Space and ReverbNation.
7-14-10 ... My Space has 895 profile views (+129) and 1,830 friends (+339). You Tube has 2,957 channel views (+92), 1,621 upload views (+49), 76 subscribers and 259 friends (+5). Bebo has 106 page views (+6) and 60 friends (+8). Twitter has 54 followers (+7). IM Radio has 1,039 page views (+100) and 64 fans. Buzznet has 12 followers. Slowly but surely :) If Buzznet wasn't such a cool looking site I would delete it. The others serve their purpose in one way or another.
8-31-10 ... My Space has 1,936 friends (+106). You Tube has 3,054 channel views (+97), 1,686 upload views (+65), 81 subscribers (+5) and 277 friends (+18). Bebo has 113 page views (+7) and 63 friends (+3). Twitter has 63 followers (+9). IM Radio has 1,300 page views (+261) and 65 fans (+1). Buzznet still has 12 followers. I am inspired by the progress with both You Tube and IM Radio. I will have to put together a new video for You Tube once the Cd is released. Maybe I will figure out a way to play samples of all the songs and advertise the new Cd. It is also possible to upload the You Tube videos into IM Radio, so this would definitely be a wise business move. Maybe I will use the Cd's graphic design in the visual part of the video, while the song samples play in the background. I will also use the video to direct fans to my home website (www.foxmanmusic.com), where they will find the Cd's lyrics and links to purchase it. Sounds like a plan !!!
UPDATE (2-16-14): Well, Rupert Murdoch destroyed MySpace and was also caught for illegally spying on people, including royals (wonder if the 2 go together). Mr. Murdoch has also done a very effective job of crudding up my righteous last name with Fox News !! Enough of that ..... I love adversity :) ReverbNation and You Tube are still 2 of my most important music sites along with my home website at: www.foxmanmusic.com All songs from my "Crazy Like A Fox" Cd can be heard in their entirety through the tune player below.
2-17-10 ... My Space has 267 profile views and 829 friends (As you can tell people are accepting my friend requests but not checking out my site). You Tube has 2,225 channel views, 1,285 video views, 60 subscribers and 199 friends (I really need to add another video to keep things moving forward). Bebo has 60 page views and 28 friends (Just getting started here). In Twitter I have 28 followers (This site is cool because any message I post automatically goes to my other sites). (2-23-10, I set my tune widget in My Space to auto play. This way when people visit my site it will register as a widget hit AND song play with ReverbNation).
2-18-10, I uploaded a new video for my "Have Another Cigarette" song to You Tube, and other sites. Used a bunch of Cigarette butt pictures that I found on the web. I had no problems transferring the pictures to the video, so I am positive that I didn't violate any copyrights.
On 2-21-10, I registered an account with IMRadio. It's an internet based radio station designed specifically for independent musicians. I uploaded all 9 songs from my Freak Cd. After the uploads are finished, a message appears saying that the songs will be aired within 24-72 hours. Absolutely awesome ... free airplay ! I also got a banner, with a link to IMRadio, which I posted in My Space.
On 2-28-10, I registered an account with Buzznet. If I am not mistaken they have 90 million accounts ... that's a lot of potential listeners !! I wasn't able to post any of my tune widgets, but I did upload both video's and add 7 links. I also used another one of my collages ("Elements Collage") as the background for my profile page. Hopefully the video's will earn their keep and inspire the listeners to check out my links. I set up my main URL to ReverbNation, so that could potentially mean more unique listeners. We'll see how it goes !
4-21-10 ... My Space has 464 profile views and 1,086 friends. You Tube has 2,598 channel views, 1,448 upload views, 72 subscribers and 238 friends. Bebo has 91 page views and 46 friends. Twitter has 37 followers. IM Radio has 536 page views and 48 fans. Buzznet has 15 friends. What more can I say ... I've been busy recording.
5-26-10 ... My Space has 602 profile views and 1,175 friends. You Tube has 2,730 channel views, 1,523 upload views, 72 subscribers and 245 friends. Bebo has 95 page views and 51 friends. Twitter has 39 followers. IM Radio has 751 page views and 57 fans. Buzznet has 12 followers. The numbers are still gradually going up, and that's a good thing !
6-21-10 ... My Space has 766 profile views (+164) and 1,481 friends (+306). You Tube has 2,865 channel views (+135), 1,572 upload views (+49), 76 subscribers (+4) and 254 friends (+9). Bebo has 100 page views (+5) and 52 friends (+1). Twitter has 47 followers (+8). IM Radio has 939 page views (+188) and 64 fans (+7). Buzznet has 12 followers (0). Buzznet and Bebo are pretty much irrelevant sites. Both of them are mostly dominated by the teenagers to low 20's crowd. Buzznet is rather complicated, and I really have to admit that I don't have a clue what it's format is. I did manage to put a tune widget in there, so if I ever start getting known it will start registering #'s for me when people visit. Maybe one of these days I will spend a little extra time working on these sites. It just makes more sense at the moment to spend my time with My Space and ReverbNation.
7-14-10 ... My Space has 895 profile views (+129) and 1,830 friends (+339). You Tube has 2,957 channel views (+92), 1,621 upload views (+49), 76 subscribers and 259 friends (+5). Bebo has 106 page views (+6) and 60 friends (+8). Twitter has 54 followers (+7). IM Radio has 1,039 page views (+100) and 64 fans. Buzznet has 12 followers. Slowly but surely :) If Buzznet wasn't such a cool looking site I would delete it. The others serve their purpose in one way or another.
8-31-10 ... My Space has 1,936 friends (+106). You Tube has 3,054 channel views (+97), 1,686 upload views (+65), 81 subscribers (+5) and 277 friends (+18). Bebo has 113 page views (+7) and 63 friends (+3). Twitter has 63 followers (+9). IM Radio has 1,300 page views (+261) and 65 fans (+1). Buzznet still has 12 followers. I am inspired by the progress with both You Tube and IM Radio. I will have to put together a new video for You Tube once the Cd is released. Maybe I will figure out a way to play samples of all the songs and advertise the new Cd. It is also possible to upload the You Tube videos into IM Radio, so this would definitely be a wise business move. Maybe I will use the Cd's graphic design in the visual part of the video, while the song samples play in the background. I will also use the video to direct fans to my home website (www.foxmanmusic.com), where they will find the Cd's lyrics and links to purchase it. Sounds like a plan !!!
UPDATE (2-16-14): Well, Rupert Murdoch destroyed MySpace and was also caught for illegally spying on people, including royals (wonder if the 2 go together). Mr. Murdoch has also done a very effective job of crudding up my righteous last name with Fox News !! Enough of that ..... I love adversity :) ReverbNation and You Tube are still 2 of my most important music sites along with my home website at: www.foxmanmusic.com All songs from my "Crazy Like A Fox" Cd can be heard in their entirety through the tune player below.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
"Sweet Adelaide"
Adelaide (AD-a-layd) - An Old German word meaning "noble kind". Queen Adelaide was a German Princess who married King William IV of England. The most populous city of Adelaide, Australia was named in her honor in 1836.
I'm not entirely sure how this one is going to go yet. I have 2 verses and a chorus worked out. Last night I came up with some cool guitar parts that should compliment the tune. The song is basically about a person who is haunted, and heartbroken, over the loss of a former love named Adelaide. The basis for the haunting is that neither person has the will to let the other go. If I do it right, this will be a very chilling song. I am excited that this tune isn't entirely worked out yet. Sometimes it's best, for creativity purposes, to just go in head first and work it out as I go. Hopefully, during the process, I will come up with a much needed bridge section.
So far so good, I'm having some early drum success. I have the verses, chorus, instrumental section and ending worked out. All I need is an intro and a bridge. The song is shaping up to be very unique
2-16-10, Slowly but surely, I'm getting the drums together. I pretty much have the whole tune worked out, I just need to do some tweaking here and there. I should have it all worked out and ready to record by Thursday, or Friday. Once I get the drums down, I'll be able to spend some time trying to figure out what the heck kind of key this song is in ? It's got me baffled right now.
2-17-10, I went out and bought a Yamaha PSR-E223 digital keyboard. It's nothing fancy, or expensive, but I'm glad to have another instrument in my arsenal. The drum parts I worked out weren't getting it done, and the guitar parts just didn't sound right. I think the keys, and all the effects, will give me what I need to make the song come to life (no pun intended, since the song is about a ghost). It might take me about 3-4 days to get the drum tracks back together, and some keyboard parts worked out, but I can do it !
2-21-10. I'm back on track ... the drums are recorded ! It paid off to be patient. I also worked out a track using wind and thunder effects. This should add a cool, real life, touch to the song. The keyboard was a very wise investment !!
2-23-10, The bass and keyboard tracks are finished. All that is left is the acoustic (been using a scrap track) and lead guitar tracks. I'm battling the flu, so I might have to wait a few days before I resume recording.
2-24-10, What more can I say ... I'm determined ! The flu has got the best of me but I'm not stopping. The acoustic track is just about finished. I've got all the other tracks (drums, bass, wind effects and keys) already cleaned up and finished. I should have the acoustic done by tomorrow night, and then I'll work on the lead guitar over the weekend. The coolest part about the whole day is that I came up with another song idea called "Under The Weather" (which is kind of funny since I'm battling the flu). That gives me 10 song ideas for this Cd. After this song I will have 5 tunes finished, minus the lead vocals of course.
2-26-10. Bada bing, bada bang, bada boom ! I did it ahead of schedule. Everything just fell into place perfectly. There are some crackles, and other string/finger noises, on the acoustic track ... but I can live with it. Anyone who has ever recorded an acoustic will tell you, it's a pain in the ass to record (especially when the entire track is finger picked and strummed). The extra sounds are just the nature of the beast. I came up with some real cool lead guitar parts. There is a background part in the chorus that is awesome. It adds another element of depth to the composition. The lead guitar in the solo section rocks ! I surprised myself again. I thought it was going to be a long arduous task, but it ended up falling into place rather quickly. Out of respect for my previous setbacks, I made sure that I backed up the song data as soon as I finished. I also made sure the tune was put under protected status. Whew !!! Just one week ago, I had no idea what this song was going to sound like. I am now proud to say that it is an excellent song, and composition. The eeriness, subject matter and effects make it an ominous chiller. I opted for a solo section over the bridge (it is still possible that there will be some vocal ad libs in the background). As far as keys go, the song actually bounces between 4 different ones (E Minor, E Major, F Major and B Minor).
*My theory was correct and my approach to this song did lead to a creativity surge. Not only did I complete the song, I also bought a keyboard and wrote a new song during the process ... and all this while fighting the flu !
3-7-10, While watching my brothers house I also recorded the vocals for "Sweet Adelaide". Everything went very well ! I decided to use a laid back approach. The song is very unique ! It's almost like a theatrical instrumental with eerie poetic vocals. I still need to clean the tracks and listen back to everything, but there is a real good chance that this song is finished !
5-7-10, I have about 6 tunes roughly finished with the lead vocals. I was listening back to them today and this song really stood out. The vocal effect, and approach, are perfect ! I am very happy with this song. It is very unique and chilling. I think it will go over very well with a wide range of listeners.
UPDATE (2-16-14): "Sweet Adelaide" has become one of my most popular and downloaded songs. It appears on both my "Crazy Like A Fox" and "Folklore & Superstitions" Cd's. There is also a video for song that has become a cult classic and a must see !!! The video can be found right here at my home website: www.foxmanmusic.com/foxman_videos All songs from my "Crazy Like A Fox" Cd can be heard in their entirety through the tune player below. Enjoy :)
I'm not entirely sure how this one is going to go yet. I have 2 verses and a chorus worked out. Last night I came up with some cool guitar parts that should compliment the tune. The song is basically about a person who is haunted, and heartbroken, over the loss of a former love named Adelaide. The basis for the haunting is that neither person has the will to let the other go. If I do it right, this will be a very chilling song. I am excited that this tune isn't entirely worked out yet. Sometimes it's best, for creativity purposes, to just go in head first and work it out as I go. Hopefully, during the process, I will come up with a much needed bridge section.
So far so good, I'm having some early drum success. I have the verses, chorus, instrumental section and ending worked out. All I need is an intro and a bridge. The song is shaping up to be very unique
2-16-10, Slowly but surely, I'm getting the drums together. I pretty much have the whole tune worked out, I just need to do some tweaking here and there. I should have it all worked out and ready to record by Thursday, or Friday. Once I get the drums down, I'll be able to spend some time trying to figure out what the heck kind of key this song is in ? It's got me baffled right now.
2-17-10, I went out and bought a Yamaha PSR-E223 digital keyboard. It's nothing fancy, or expensive, but I'm glad to have another instrument in my arsenal. The drum parts I worked out weren't getting it done, and the guitar parts just didn't sound right. I think the keys, and all the effects, will give me what I need to make the song come to life (no pun intended, since the song is about a ghost). It might take me about 3-4 days to get the drum tracks back together, and some keyboard parts worked out, but I can do it !
2-21-10. I'm back on track ... the drums are recorded ! It paid off to be patient. I also worked out a track using wind and thunder effects. This should add a cool, real life, touch to the song. The keyboard was a very wise investment !!
2-23-10, The bass and keyboard tracks are finished. All that is left is the acoustic (been using a scrap track) and lead guitar tracks. I'm battling the flu, so I might have to wait a few days before I resume recording.
2-24-10, What more can I say ... I'm determined ! The flu has got the best of me but I'm not stopping. The acoustic track is just about finished. I've got all the other tracks (drums, bass, wind effects and keys) already cleaned up and finished. I should have the acoustic done by tomorrow night, and then I'll work on the lead guitar over the weekend. The coolest part about the whole day is that I came up with another song idea called "Under The Weather" (which is kind of funny since I'm battling the flu). That gives me 10 song ideas for this Cd. After this song I will have 5 tunes finished, minus the lead vocals of course.
2-26-10. Bada bing, bada bang, bada boom ! I did it ahead of schedule. Everything just fell into place perfectly. There are some crackles, and other string/finger noises, on the acoustic track ... but I can live with it. Anyone who has ever recorded an acoustic will tell you, it's a pain in the ass to record (especially when the entire track is finger picked and strummed). The extra sounds are just the nature of the beast. I came up with some real cool lead guitar parts. There is a background part in the chorus that is awesome. It adds another element of depth to the composition. The lead guitar in the solo section rocks ! I surprised myself again. I thought it was going to be a long arduous task, but it ended up falling into place rather quickly. Out of respect for my previous setbacks, I made sure that I backed up the song data as soon as I finished. I also made sure the tune was put under protected status. Whew !!! Just one week ago, I had no idea what this song was going to sound like. I am now proud to say that it is an excellent song, and composition. The eeriness, subject matter and effects make it an ominous chiller. I opted for a solo section over the bridge (it is still possible that there will be some vocal ad libs in the background). As far as keys go, the song actually bounces between 4 different ones (E Minor, E Major, F Major and B Minor).
*My theory was correct and my approach to this song did lead to a creativity surge. Not only did I complete the song, I also bought a keyboard and wrote a new song during the process ... and all this while fighting the flu !
3-7-10, While watching my brothers house I also recorded the vocals for "Sweet Adelaide". Everything went very well ! I decided to use a laid back approach. The song is very unique ! It's almost like a theatrical instrumental with eerie poetic vocals. I still need to clean the tracks and listen back to everything, but there is a real good chance that this song is finished !
5-7-10, I have about 6 tunes roughly finished with the lead vocals. I was listening back to them today and this song really stood out. The vocal effect, and approach, are perfect ! I am very happy with this song. It is very unique and chilling. I think it will go over very well with a wide range of listeners.
UPDATE (2-16-14): "Sweet Adelaide" has become one of my most popular and downloaded songs. It appears on both my "Crazy Like A Fox" and "Folklore & Superstitions" Cd's. There is also a video for song that has become a cult classic and a must see !!! The video can be found right here at my home website: www.foxmanmusic.com/foxman_videos All songs from my "Crazy Like A Fox" Cd can be heard in their entirety through the tune player below. Enjoy :)
Friday, February 5, 2010
"Hard Times"
2-5-10, I forgot to mention that I already had one song saved in my BR-1600 from my "Like The Freak You Are" sessions. The entire Freak Cd was recorded on a BR-8. To cut to the quick I ruined the recorder during the recording of "City Streets" (track 9 on the Freak Cd), when I accidentally spilled a drink on it. This mishap is what led me to purchase the BR-1600. I was planning on including "Hard Times" as track 10 on the Freak Cd, but ended up deciding that it was best to hold off on releasing the tune. I'm glad that it worked out that way because the song rocks !! It will be a nice addition to my "Crazy Like A Fox" Cd. The tune is basically about a mobster on the run and it features some really heavy guitar work (by my standards). The music is already recorded and the only thing that needs to be redone are the lead vocals. I am very thankful that I didn't lose this song during the backup fiasco. This means that I currently have "Hard Times", "Nothin" and "Horrible End" already finished (minus lead vocals). "Best Days Of Your Life" should be finished in about 2 weeks. After that, I will probably redo "Won't Be Home Again".
5-9-10, I listened back to this song today through the monitors and it sounded excellent ! I am not going to change a single thing. The vocals aren't always perfect, but they do an awesome job of selling the drama. I'm so glad that this song is going to be on this Cd. It fits in very well with all the other tunes. Mob songs are always a lot of fun to write !
UPDATE (2-16-14): All songs from my "Crazy Like A Fox" Cd can be heard in their entirety through the tune player below. Please make sure to also check out my home website at: www.foxmanmusic.com
5-9-10, I listened back to this song today through the monitors and it sounded excellent ! I am not going to change a single thing. The vocals aren't always perfect, but they do an awesome job of selling the drama. I'm so glad that this song is going to be on this Cd. It fits in very well with all the other tunes. Mob songs are always a lot of fun to write !
UPDATE (2-16-14): All songs from my "Crazy Like A Fox" Cd can be heard in their entirety through the tune player below. Please make sure to also check out my home website at: www.foxmanmusic.com
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