Chasing Cars Cover

It probably doesn't help that I don't really rate this song but this version certainly doesn't work for me. I like the guitars kicking in at the end but your listeners have made up their minds way before that.

For me it sounds as if all but bass and vocals are midi/keyboards and for this song that doesn't work.

The performance and mix is professional and the production is good but for me, you're not bringing anything new to the song.
 
beatlebum said:
It probably doesn't help that I don't really rate this song but this version certainly doesn't work for me. I like the guitars kicking in at the end but your listeners have made up their minds way before that.

For me it sounds as if all but bass and vocals are midi/keyboards and for this song that doesn't work.

The performance and mix is professional and the production is good but for me, you're not bringing anything new to the song.
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Thanks for taking the time to listen and comment.

For what it's worth the gutiars, bass, & drums are all real and played/tracked live. The piano and most of the strings were played using various synths. There are only a couple things that were played/tracked using MIDI.
 
Simman said:
For what it's worth the gutiars, bass, & drums are all real and played/tracked live. The piano and most of the strings were played using various synths. There are only a couple things that were played/tracked using MIDI.
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In that case you deserve credit for good musicianship and recording quality.

It's a personal view and I'm sure it's the mix, not the version, that you were looking for comments on but I believe that if an act has made a song famous you can't compete with the original version by trying to imitate it.

If you want to add something you've got to approach it from a different point of view. Garry Jules' and Michael Andrews' version of "Mad World" or Marlyn Manson's version of "Sweet Dreams" come to mind as two very different approaches to taking a very different approach.
 
beatlebum said:
In that case you deserve credit for good musicianship and recording quality.

It's a personal view and I'm sure it's the mix, not the version, that you were looking for comments on but I believe that if an act has made a song famous you can't compete with the original version by trying to imitate it.

If you want to add something you've got to approach it from a different point of view. Garry Jules' and Michael Andrews' version of "Mad World" or Marlyn Manson's version of "Sweet Dreams" come to mind as two very different approaches to taking a very different approach.
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Hey, that's your opinion - that's cool. I’m very appreciative that you actually took the time to post a response. Thanks for the kind words on the playing – while not always successful, we do try and get it right.

When it comes to doing cover tunes, I have a slightly different approach. Since I didn't write or arrange the original song, I think (just my opinion) it's a bit pretentious to change what the original artist intended to do. Back in the day, that used to drive me crazy playing in cover bands. If you’re going to cover a song, cover the song if you know what I mean. Granted, if you plan on commercially releasing a rendition or your interpretation, that’s a different story.

Thanks again
 
I actually like this song. Your version is pretty cool too. Your voice wavers a bit too much and the vocals are a little too far forward in the mix.

I would try to slap a little pitch correction on it (that is if you have melodyne). Maybe do some more processing on the vocals.

If you are interested in doing some pitch correction and don't have melodyne, you could send me the files and I would gladly do it for you. I wouldn't do any tpain stuff to it I swear :p.

But all in all, the instruments sound really cool.

-jD
 
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Simman said:
When it comes to doing cover tunes, I have a slightly different approach. Since I didn't write or arrange the original song, I think (just my opinion) it's a bit pretentious to change what the original artist intended to do. Back in the day, that used to drive me crazy playing in cover bands. If you’re going to cover a song, cover the song if you know what I mean. Granted, if you plan on commercially releasing a rendition or your interpretation, that’s a different story.
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I guess it depends on your purposes. I thought it would make an interesting poll though: Faithful cover or new interpretation, so I posted one in the Songwriting, etc. forum.
 
jamesduysen said:
Your voice wavers a bit too much and the vocals are a little too far forward in the mix.
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Your vocals are holding back.

like your singing in your bedroom and you don't want someone to hear you.

Don't hold back. Just fucking let us have it.

It's not convincing. If i was girl and you were singing this to me id have left you for gerg like after the first verse.


jamesduysen said:
the instruments sound really cool.
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all except the synth. Its hard to take a song from full on orchestration and replace that atmosphere with synths.

Noble effort youron the right track, but now you have to pick up the slack from the lack of orchestration.

The guitars at the end were a nice touch. Id work off that premise.
 
jamesduysen said:
I actually like this song. Your version is pretty cool too. Your voice wavers a bit too much and the vocals are a little too far forward in the mix.

I would try to slap a little pitch correction on it (that is if you have melodyne). Maybe do some more processing on the vocals.

If you are interested in doing some pitch correction and don't have melodyne, you could send me the files and I would gladly do it for you. I wouldn't do any tpain stuff to it I swear :p.

But all in all, the instruments sound really cool.

-jD
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Thanks jamesduysen. I actually have melodyne too (really cool plug-in) and have a version that fixes some of what you've described and has additional guitar parts. I didn't post an update because I didn't think there was much interest.
 
beatlebum said:
I guess it depends on your purposes. I thought it would make an interesting poll though: Faithful cover or new interpretation, so I posted one in the Songwriting, etc. forum.
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100% agree it would be very interesting to see what others think.
 
Lol. I'm a home wrecker.


Meh, not bad. I hate this song, but it's not your fault. It sucked before you covered it. The synth stuff kills me. It's kind of hash. I don't know how to describe it. It's very bright and hissy in the highs. The real instrumentation is pretty good. Maybe one more guitar track towards the left would fill it in a little better once everything kicks in. The kick and snare could be a little cleaner. The vocals are pretty terrible. Very timid and sounding. You gotta belt that shit out.

I don't know the original well enough to comment on how accurate this is, but it sounds about right to me. Good job overall.
 
Simman said:
For what it's worth the gutiars, bass, & drums are all real and played/tracked live. The piano and most of the strings were played using various synths. There are only a couple things that were played/tracked using MIDI.
Click to expand...

The guitar at the start could use more presence, like recording it closer to the microphone or something. If it's a plug in guitar, I think the sound of recording through a microphone next to the strings would sound more detailed/intimate.

The vocals sound timid.

Other than that, I think it's a pretty decent mix.
 
Greg_L said:
Lol. I'm a home wrecker.


Meh, not bad. I hate this song, but it's not your fault. It sucked before you covered it. The synth stuff kills me. It's kind of hash. I don't know how to describe it. It's very bright and hissy in the highs. The real instrumentation is pretty good. Maybe one more guitar track towards the left would fill it in a little better once everything kicks in. The kick and snare could be a little cleaner. The vocals are pretty terrible. Very timid and sounding. You gotta belt that shit out.

I don't know the original well enough to comment on how accurate this is, but it sounds about right to me. Good job overall.
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Hey Greg thanks for playing ;) Yeah trying to replace an orchestra with anything less than a orchastra is difficult at best. If we tried to play real chellos and violins, children would run screaming or shit themselves while running screaming. Either way it would not be good so our only option was to use synths.
 
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