Back to the Beach

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The Ghost of FM

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Yet another flavor of one the many styles my buddy Doug and I try to have fun with.

This one a throw-back to the sixties and the surfing craze and all the wonderful music it inspired.

This one is called;
You're Never Alone in Bocaraton

This is a preliminary mix as we are still planing to re-mix this shortly and would appreciate some feedback on the mix and composition.

Thanks for checking it out!

Cheers! :)
 
Keyboard sounds too thin and in the distant, bring it forward a bit in terms of space, a bit less reverb. You've caught the Beach Boys though
 
Actually I dunno, it just sounded a bit to cheap the first time. I guess it fits in more the second
 
Sounds pretty cool. Nice and clean...

I think the guitar is too centered, I'd spread it/them out.. And I think you'll find it easier to work with the vocals if you do.

The is a somewhat backwards mix IMO. Someone else here did something similar not long ago. Basically the instruments are encased by the vocals. What's difficult about that is all the accents, consonants, transients, etc all just sort of jump out from nowhere when certain vocal clips kick in. The stereo vocal (or stereo vocal effects- wasn't sure) becomes more "obvious" because the sharper sounds stand out more as they move away from the center of the stereo field where most of the activity is taking place. Does that make any sense? I think you'll find the tracks play nicer together if you move some stuff (guitars?) away from the center. You could be getting more life out of that vocal track.

The performances sounded good to me. The tracking sounded good too. A few things to try in the next mix. Good tune.
 
I'm still pretty deaf in one ear (But it's getting better!), so I can't really give much of an opinion on the mix and of course I can't mix well enough myself to actually offer any real advice if I could hear it anyway! (LOL) BUT, as far as the writing, arrangement and performance go, I think it's really cool... Now granted, it isn't (IMO) as good as the other stuff of yours I've heard, but the fact that it is so radically different sorta makes that a mute point. (I mean, I suppose I could just as easily say the others songs aren't as good as this one because they are different too, so go figure.) I feel that over all this song once again demonstrates
how well versed you guys are in creating (In all aspects of the process) a wide variety of styles and in this case that talent and diversity prove significant.
Of course (IMO) this song compared to your other work isn't really technical AND it's not likely to be the one that goes platinum, BUT I simply can't overlook the writing, arranging, performing AND producing of a "Fun" song... a song that a lot of people can relate to on the first listen. This is IMO NOT an easy task at all! So by all means, good job there...
(Now please don't take this the wrong way..., but) IMO perhaps the worst thing (If any) about this tune is it sounds alot like an 80's teen movie musical montage.(I kind of had more of a preconcieved retro sound notion when I saw the post...Not your fault, mine.) HOWEVER, at the same time, it very much sounds like a teen movie montage from ANYTIME and to me that's great because it means you've created a song that has captured the classic feeling of summer, the beach and the girls rather well.
It simply turns the trick and does it's job in the imagery and fun deptment without asking much from the listener and IMO that's what that style is all about.
(Hell, it also sounds very maketable to the Boca Raton chamber of commerce or state travel and visitor board and that COULD be a lucrative thing.)

I like it.
:)
 
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As always I listened and wrote this before reading the other posts (I need an official disclaimer :p )...

Lots of good production things going on, some not-so-good.

Vocals are good, drums sound too canned, the guitar is well recorded by may be a little too 'light' (maybe run compression on them once more and raise their volume slightly?). Keys were there, not there, then back again. Where's the bass guitar? It's there (I think), but has no balls/bottom at all (even pop cheese bass lines need a little definition).

The lyrics/concept need some work, but it certainly sounds like a good advertising slogan :p

More importantly, you probably had fun recording it.
 
wow, FM, this is really cool!! I am glad people are doin' some oldies here, a good variety to get to hear everyday:) The mix is real good, nice gated(?) reverb on the snare, the singings are real good, too.

good job!

Al
 
Hey Man!

You guys have set a standard production level that you don't ever fall below. This is another style well emulated.
I think you need some high singing backgrounds as well to make this genre fly.

It was COOL:cool: seeing you're studio setup in the other thread:D

Dan
 
FM - as always I enjoy listening to your material. A great reto sound.

Been to Boca Raton many time - most of the population seemed retired. Was it possibly the little ole "retired lady" from Pasadena you were singing about???

:D
 
Love that Beach Boys style! You have done a great job of catching the Beach vibe on this. Some nice vocals and playing.

The mix sounded a little bit bass heavy on the phones...needs just a bit of "sparkle" on there.

Needs just a few more soaring back-ground vocals, a la Brian Wilson, to really make it fly! :)

Very nice overall!

:)
 
fun stuff ghost! I like those low vocals.. it does sound like an advertising slogan.. I can hear it on an airline commercial.. "Come to Boca!" :D I'm sure the mix has been covered.. I have no major complaints though...
 
Well. A few excellent responses so far and some very good ideas thrown my way!

CanopuS - Thanks for the listen! You could be on to something there about the verb and the cheapness of the keyboard sounds. I will pay extra attention to this on the re-mix.

SLuiCe - Excellent observation about the vocals being too wide again. It was actually my last mix that suffered from this same affliction on my last thread here in the clinic.

BillyFurnett - Thanks for lending an ear! The one that can still hear at least! It's appreciated. My buddy Doug did have thoughts about approaching Boca's chamber of Commerce but decided against doing it as there were references in the words to drinking and then driving and figured they probably wouldn't like it without a re-write of the lyrics and he is touchy about that kinna thing.

Pinky - Thanks for your honest appraisal of the tune. It's appreciated. The drums sound canned because they are canned. I will pay attention to the definition of the bottom end and try to get the bass guitar to stand up a bit better in the mix. Your noting of the keyboards qualities are ones shared here by others so that too is helpful. Thank you!

A1A2 - Thanks for checking out the tune and, glad you liked it!

HevyD - The idea of adding some extra high backing vocals is one that Doug and I had worked on in this session but they didn't make it to this mix. On the re-mix, which is soon to follow, I am going to get those in there. Nice to see we are on the same wavelength! Thanks, Man!

David Artis - Thanks for giving the track a listen. Boca is indeed, a sleepy place, full of older fat cats who probably would only cruise the 1A1 on their way to the early bird special at Denny's. Thanks, Dude!

boydrj - Thanks for your ears. The backing vocals are in the works and will be included in the next mix which is soon to follow.

B.SABBATH - Thanks for checking in. Glad you like the tune. I hope I don't wreck it with the re-mix that I am about to do!?

Thanks again to everyone!

Cheers! :)
 
The Farfisa organ!! It's back!!

Cool tune - I like that 'boca-baritone-raton' hook. You guys nailed the style! I get visuals of bikini-clad nymphs dancing merrily on the golden sand, with their..........sorry - getting caried away here. My only criticism is the distortion on the lead guitar - maybe a little heavy-handed for the tune - but that's a real nitty-picky-thing. Must have been a lot of fun to record!! Enjoyed the trip back to summer (it's cooling off here quite a bit) I'll have to spin this one up again in December!! Nice work!!
~Milan
 
very nicely done. very nice. captured that 60's surf sound real well. This is a kinda new twist on the sound. The drum kit is almost too defined and upfront for the old sound so this fits a bit better nowadays. The bass is really good and not liftin up too much on the guitars. I`d like to hear the vocals just a bit higher. The lil organ was cool, like a Farf or a Vox. A little louder during the song maybe sustaining whole notes off each chord change. I enjoyed this a bunch.
 
Great stuff. Love those vocals - both the lead and the low stuff. I think SluiCe gave you really good advice on panning. The geetar is a little fuzzed out to me, but call that a preference thing. Nice lead as far as the playing, but the tone on that was kind of fuzzed out too. I would have liked to have been able to hear the plucking and twanging a little more.

I didn't look at the title so the whole time I'm trying to figure out what the words are in the breaks. I see now.

Good job.
 
New Mix is up!

Hi again!

Thanks to MC Gitarz Toki987 & fprod south .

Glad you guys enjoyed the track and thanks for the advice offered!

I have been working on a remix this afternoon and now have it available to those that are interested in the progression of the track and mix session.

Hopeful improvements have been made to the drums, bass, keyboards, guitars and additional backing vocals! I have left the weird stereo main vocal in its wide mode and I hope I have not pissed anybody off by not changing that aspect of the mix. I just kinna like that larger then life vocal sound!;)

Let me know if I am getting closer!

The original mix is still up there at NWR for those that want to compare the two.

New Mix

Thanks again! :)
 
Hi Ghost,
Hey man,
I listened to both mixes.........


the new mix KICKS ASS!!!!

great frickin' tune......great tracking....excellent re-mix man....

I guess that is what this forum is all about....ya know?

Good job man,
Joe
 
Ghost,
I guess I am catching the new mix. Mix sounds great to me. Love the low vocals. I would say everything sounds great to me unless you absolutely were tring to hit the 60's beach style. If so I thought the guitars were a little too heavy/distorted and the drums were a little too heavy/classic rock sounding. But those are just nits. The song is fun. Vocals are very good. Performance is good all around per usual.

One last thing, isn't Boca Raton more of an old fart place as opposed a bunch surfers hanging out. :eek: :D

Great work!
 
This is why I love to hang out here - this was a great example to do an A-B comparison. I definitely like the second mix better - much wider and fuller. But I liked te first mix, too so I guess I learned sumpin'. It's really nice to have lots of objective ears.
And it's still a cool tune!!
~Milan
 
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