I Am A Clown

[Mr Clean]

A bit of background on the song. I wrote this back in 2001, drunk, in a pub, late one night, on a piano that was barely in tune! I recorded a version of it not long after and it was terrible!!!!!

I re-recorded it back in 2007 and I posted it here on HR as my first post when I joined back in 2008 ORIGINAL POST LINK

Over yesterday and today I re-re-recorded it. In 2001 I knew very little about recording. In 2007 I was just learning to record on a computer. Today I'm a lot more confident with my tools at hand and this is the 2013 version. All opinions, good and bad are most welcomed. I'm still not 100% happy with it as yet. This is a rough-ish mix and close to how I want it but I'm not finished yet.

Cheers

New Mix added 27/02/13


LYRICS

I know, that I cannot change
Call me a fool, you can laugh at my face
After all I am a clown

That’s me, happy go unlucky, I’m always around
There’ll be no mistaking and I am not faking
I am a clown

I never frown when I’m down because I am a clown
And I always smile when I’m sad because I am a clown

Make people happy is all I can do
But me, myself, I am lost in my blues
It’s a shame I can’t change my fame
Oh what can I do, it’s true
I am a clown, just a stupid clown

So won’t you be my queen of this circus ground
I’ll be your fool if you want me to, I will be your clown
I am a clown

I never frown when I’m down because I am a clown
And I always smile when I’m sad because I am a clown

Sometimes, it’s so hard to see
But inside this circus I’m a man of many means
From now and here after I’ll fill you with laughter
I will be your clown

We could be so happy together just we two
I’ll be a personal clown just for you

So won’t you be my queen of this circus ground
I’ll be your fool if you want me to, I will be your clown
I am a clown, just a stupid clown, I am a clown

 

[Greg_L]

I like the idea and basic premise of the song, but it's very repetitive. I doesn't really go anywhere. It's 4 minutes of essentially the same thing over and over. I like the lyrics though. I like self-deprecating stuff. I think it just needs something more. A bridge, a change, just something else in there.

The mix is kind of light in the low end to me. I like the bass line but it's not doing much for the low end and the kick is nowhere to be found. I love the organ and guitar lines. The vocal performance is pitchy, but the vocal track has a good presence in the mix. It's clear and sounds good. It just seems like you struggle to hit some of the notes. Maybe do it in a lower key. Not bad overall. Just needs more tweaks IMO.

 

[Mr Clean]

Cheers for the comments Greg. I thought the kick a little loud personally. Drums are something I'm still learning about though and I know you know your shit when it comes to drums! I'll give the mix a bump on the low end

I put a touch of a chorus effect on the vocals to try and make it wobble a bit, maybe that's making it sound funny? I didn't struggle or strain to sing it at all. I'll have a look at it though.

I know it needs something else. It's just hard when you're used to playing a song for so long the same way. I do want to add more guitar to it though.

 

[Mr Clean]

Edited the link above. Gave the low end a raise up a bit, kick, bass and organ and removed all effects from the vocals.

 

[TripleM]

I like the vocal. I caught a couple of small pitch problems. But the vocal sound is cool. Just a personal preference thing I guess. But I liked it.

I didn't listen to the original, but I think you might have boosted the bass too much. Maybe pick a spot in between the two levels. There's also some boomy low frequency.

The little guitar licks could come up a little I think.

 

[Mr Clean]

Cheers Trip. Appreciate the comments. I agree I think I did boost the bass a little too much in retrospect. To be honest I probably should've left it for a while. I think I burnt my ears out listening.

I'll have a look at it later or tomorrow and get another fresh mix up. I agree the guitars need to come up. I've added some more Organ to it also so I'll start afresh when I get to it later.

Cheers

 

[queepy]

I like your vocals, Organ is perfect for this, both in tone and style of playing....guitars sound a little thin and distant imho, but style and playing fit well.Some kind of key change might be cool to switch things up a bit in the middle of the song? Cool tune, enjoyed the listen!

 

[guitarpat]

I like the composition. The guitar is tinny though. I would have to agree with Greg. It needs a bridge. Good job

 

[Mr Clean]

I like your vocals, Organ is perfect for this, both in tone and style of playing....guitars sound a little thin and distant imho, but style and playing fit well.Some kind of key change might be cool to switch things up a bit in the middle of the song? Cool tune, enjoyed the listen!

I like the composition. The guitar is tinny though. I would have to agree with Greg. It needs a bridge. Good job

Cheers for listening queepy/guitarpat. I think I had the guitars too low and with way too much reverb on them. I've (hopefully) corrected that a bit with the new mix. I've toyed around with a key change before and I couldn't quite get it to work/sound right. I'll keep plugging away at the song. I've added some new Organ to it today, which I quite like.

New mix......



I might try recording my wife on Clarinet playing that new Organ melody and blend the two. It's sounds nice played on the keyboard Clarinet synth. Worth a shot

 

[VomitHatSteve]

The latest mix has a much wider stereo spread, which is an improvement. I might bring the far left rhythm guitar a bit more towards center (I like everything to be at least nominally audible from both sides if at all possible.)

Vocals are a bit pitchy. It sounds like a performance issue, I'm afraid.

The organ part is cool (and obviously quite fitting thematically), but it is the part that gets a bit repetitive by the end.

Drums could be louder.

Pretty cool song overall though.

 

[Mr Clean]

The latest mix has a much wider stereo spread, which is an improvement. I might bring the far left rhythm guitar a bit more towards center (I like everything to be at least nominally audible from both sides if at all possible.)

Vocals are a bit pitchy. It sounds like a performance issue, I'm afraid.

The organ part is cool (and obviously quite fitting thematically), but it is the part that gets a bit repetitive by the end.

Drums could be louder.

Pretty cool song overall though.

Cheers for listening and commenting Steve. I'll have a look at the guitars and raise the drums up a bit.

I must be getting old earred or something as I don't hear the pitch faults. I usually hate my own voice and can hear every note that is off but I thought this was one of my better vocal performances I'll redo the vocals shortly.

Glad you liked it

 

[TripleM]

I thought this version was definitely better.

I'd still nudge down the bass just a weeee bit. And then nudge up the kick. I'd also bump the snare just a bit.

Personal preference, but the fairly heavy reverb makes the song sound like it's from 1965. If that's what you were going for, you nailed it. The melodic style is from that era. But if you wanted a more modern sound, you'd probably want to back off the reverb.

I like 60's music, so I like the song.

 

[Mr Clean]

I thought this version was definitely better.

I'd still nudge down the bass just a weeee bit. And then nudge up the kick. I'd also bump the snare just a bit.

Personal preference, but the fairly heavy reverb makes the song sound like it's from 1965. If that's what you were going for, you nailed it. The melodic style is from that era. But if you wanted a more modern sound, you'd probably want to back off the reverb.

I like 60's music, so I like the song.

Cheers Trip.

I'm just finishing up another mix, bass down a touch, drums up a touch and a new vocal.

I wasn't really going for any particular sound as such, I just started recording it as it's a song I'm really quite proud of, lyrically anyway, and I've always wanted a good version, for keeps. I listen to a lot of 50's and 60's music in general so I guess my influences come out in my taste for sound. I just play around until I get a sound I like. No routine, no method, loads of madness. I barely no what I'm doing to be honest, I just know what I like to hear. I record in an untreated room, with one ear, (I'm deaf) with one mic, one preamp, into Reaper, acoustic guitars and keyboard. I don't have proper monitors but I have good sounding speakers. (Wharfedales) My acoustic is my electric!

But hey ho, where there's a will there's a way

 

[Witti007]

Hey, I like this one. You have a lot of good things going on here. But you should try to make some section of the song totally different and leave out the background organ. I would try adding a quiet section with just very few instruments. But this is already pretty good the way it is.

All the best
Robert

 

[Mr Clean]

Another day, another mix. New vocals and panning. Removed one Organ for the first half and centred it, for the second half there are two Organs panned left and right. They're played an octave apart. Raised the Drums, lowered the Bass. I think the Vocal is a little loud in places, I might need to tweak that.

I'm getting closer to what I want it to sound like......I still want to tweak the drums a bit, get some better fills in there and try adding the Clarinet.

Hey, I like this one. You have a lot of good things going on here. But you should try to make some section of the song totally different and leave out the background organ. I would try adding a quiet section with just very few instruments. But this is already pretty good the way it is.

All the best
Robert

Cheers for listening Robert. I kind of took your advice, cut up some organ and panned left and right between the bars.

Glad you like it

 

[Greg_L]

Newest mix sounds good to me. Well done.

 

[VomitHatSteve]

It's the slides into notes that are having pitch problems. Once you settle into a note, it's usually pretty spot on.
Vocals seem to be a pretty good volume level in the latest mix, I'd say.

Bringing the second organ in later is a pretty good fix. It's subtle but it helps the song build and gives a lot of dynamic contrast between the beginning and end.

 

[Mr Clean]

Newest mix sounds good to me. Well done.

Cheers Greg. Thanks for listening.

It's the slides into notes that are having pitch problems. Once you settle into a note, it's usually pretty spot on.
Vocals seem to be a pretty good volume level in the latest mix, I'd say.

Bringing the second organ in later is a pretty good fix. It's subtle but it helps the song build and gives a lot of dynamic contrast between the beginning and end.

Thnaks Steve. Appreciate the feedback. I'll have another close look at the Vocals

 

[Greg_L]

It's the slides into notes that are having pitch problems. .

Yes, this. I find many of the notes to slide in flat, and stay there. While listening I had a sort of uneasy feeling like I'm wanting to hear it in pitch, but it didn't quite get there. I know this feeling well from being off pitch all the time with my own stuff.

 

[Mr Clean]

Maybe I should stick to instrumentals!

I'll have another crack at it tomorrow.