Steenamaroo - Graceland.

Steenamaroo

Steenamaroo

...
Hey guys..Remember me? :p
I've started a tradition of sending a video cover version over to my family when they go to Africa each year.

Last time I did Under African Skies so this time I'm doing the title track, Graceland.

Next year it looks like I'm going to have to hire Ladysmith or Chevy Chase...Thinking Chevy would probably be cheaper?!

Anyway...Here's what I have so far.
Planning to flesh it out a bit more with some shaken percussion and ambient woodblocky stuff like the original - mine sounds a bit dry until it gets going, I think.
All thoughts welcome, and enjoy! :)

Graceland - direct mp3.

edit : Should point out, everything played/sung by me except the drum loop which is a drum loop.
 
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I've loved this album since it came out. Is that you singing, Steen? You sound like Paul Simon. Performances are all good. But man, this mix is loud and compressed. You need some dynamics for this song, which predates the volume wars. The kick and bass are brutal. There's also some harshness on the vocal. That woodblock is too loud.
 
RFR said:
Hey! Pretty cool!
You're a talented little Wookie.
:D
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Thanks dude. :)

Robus said:
I've loved this album since it came out. Is that you singing, Steen?
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Yup, that's me.

Robus said:
Performances are all good. But man, this mix is loud and compressed. You need some dynamics for this song, which predates the volume wars. The kick and bass are brutal. There's also some harshness on the vocal. That woodblock is too loud.
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Hey, fair enough. I don't mind it being louder or more compressed than the original but you're right about the kick and bass.
They're so repetitive, I think I just got numbed to them.
I've taken a look at those and re-uploaded.

I'm not sure I hear any vocal harshness, but the woodblock/tambourine never sat right with me.
Gonna try a few other sounds to get closer to the original. (edit:OP updated)

Thanks man. :)
 
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Yeah, low end is better now. As far as harshness goes, my litmus test goes like this: I crank up the volume loud until I hear something that makes me want to turn down. What's making me want to turn down right now is the snare and that harshness on the lead vocal. It's not noticeable at lower volume, but the mix doesn't hold up as well cranked IMO.

I was living in West Africa in the early 1990s. This album was already a few years old but still heard everywhere. The other thing that you couldn't get away from was that Congolese Soukous music with those snaky lead guitar lines.
 
Great feel to the mix. Nice energy. Love the vocal. The singer seemed a little tentative in the first minute or so, and then relaxed after that.

Nice playing. Excellent clarity on things.

Shakers, to me, are smidge too loud.

Bass is also about a smidge too loud. Maybe a full two smidges. A very cool bass line tho - excellent playing.

Drums are a little buried, especially the snare.

Clean guitars sound terrific.
 
Steen. There's another vid. A guy and a girl doing an acoustic cover. Guy looks like you. Is that you?
 
TripleM said:
Great feel to the mix. Nice energy. Love the vocal. The singer seemed a little tentative in the first minute or so, and then relaxed after that.

Nice playing. Excellent clarity on things.

Shakers, to me, are smidge too loud.

Bass is also about a smidge too loud. Maybe a full two smidges. A very cool bass line tho - excellent playing.

Drums are a little buried, especially the snare.

Clean guitars sound terrific.
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Hey man,
Thank you for the listen and comments. :)

Looking at the shakers now - It crossed my mind, that might be what Robus was hearing as harsh.
Something drew my ear and I solod the vocals expecting to hear a distort or scratch, but it wasn't there.
Either way, I've mellowed the shakers out a bit so TY. :)

The bass...again. lol.
I'm having trouble with it. I think mostly because the bass on the original sits very clear and is very defined.
I think it's a fretless and it's got this particular range where it just sits out without sounding bassy.
I don't think I can get that with what I have so I'm just going to have to settle for turning it down, I think. :(

Drums are buried but intentionally so. Maybe I went to far but they're pretty low and uneventful in the original.

---------- Update ----------

RFR said:
Steen. There's another vid. A guy and a girl doing an acoustic cover. Guy looks like you. Is that you?
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Negative. You got a link, though?
 
No link. Cant do that on my phone. But it's on the same youtube page as yours in the related vids.
The channel is water deep music. I swear the dude looks like you.
 
Listened to both, and the other people's

Yeah, i listened to the right song, I'm not a moron.
:D

You gonna do a video for Graceland as well? I like your vids.
 
about time you posted something :listeningmusic:

great track dude. vox are excellent. i absolutely hear the PS resemblance. "and i said" at 3:05 jumps at you a little bit. like you got a little too close to the mic and then backed right off. what is that gigantic kick that comes in near the end? like it.

nice panning, nice tones. just really good dude.
 
andrushkiwt said:
about time you posted something :listeningmusic:
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:(

andrushkiwt said:
great track dude. vox are excellent. i absolutely hear the PS resemblance. "and i said" at 3:05 jumps at you a little bit. like you got a little too close to the mic and then backed right off. what is that gigantic kick that comes in near the end? like it.

nice panning, nice tones. just really good dude.
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Shit, it really does. Well spotted and ty, man. :)

The gigantic kick is some foot stomps and a bunch of reverb.
Not sure what they used on the original. Mine doesn't really sound the same but I like it OK.
 
andrushkiwt said:
about time you posted something :listeningmusic:

great track dude. vox are excellent. i absolutely hear the PS resemblance. "and i said" at 3:05 jumps at you a little bit. like you got a little too close to the mic and then backed right off. what is that gigantic kick that comes in near the end? like it.

nice panning, nice tones. just really good dude.
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I noticed that immediately too.

Your singing is great though, one thing I have noticed that some of you might not agree with, I think the vocal is too up front - I think it could be made to sit back just a little bit.

Love the giant kick at the end and given PS's production I think you've done an amazing job here. Would be great if you could post up what miking techniques and effects you used to achieve this.
 
Hi, Steen. I didn't hear the first mix of this, but if there were any nits I think you've fixed them. Are these canned drums? Everything sounds nice and bouncy and tight. I like the tambourine/blocks/claps whatever they are - they sit pefectly to my ear. Singing, as mentioned, is great.

Tidy mix. :)
 
JDOD said:
I think the vocal is too up front
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This highlights one of the complexities of the MP3 clinic. I think the vocal is just right. So who is right? Well, no-one really, because it's all about personal taste.

There is a wide range of acceptable relative levels between musical elements before it becomes unmusical.
 
gecko zzed said:
This highlights one of the complexities of the MP3 clinic. I think the vocal is just right. So who is right? Well, no-one really, because it's all about personal taste.

There is a wide range of acceptable relative levels between musical elements before it becomes unmusical.
Click to expand...

And it could also be down to the Senns I listen on in the office - they're not my AKG reference cans I use for mixing!
 
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