You Are The Producer

  • Thread starter Thread starter crawdad
  • Start date Start date
crawdad

crawdad

Dammit, Jim, Shut Up!
This is a demo I did this afternoon--another song from the vaults I never did anything with. Forget this performance and treatment. I played this live--a vocal mic and a guitar mic--then added some piano and some light strings.

I thought we might have some fun with this, though. The idea is basically, what would you do production wise with this tune if I hired you for your expertise? Maybe you'd say--throw it out and write a better song! But, besides that, where would you steer this thing? I'm open for anything and all bets are off!

The song is: Over 40 Blues

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/?aid=1522/singles.shtml

Its not a blues song, either. Probably none of you young-uns can even relate, but who knows? I just wrote the thing, so what do I know? :D
 
That's a wrap...or cut...or whatever the producer says when the song is done.

Sounds good....sappy but good.

"you need some driving drums and some scratching samples in there...how about a rapping part?"
Wikka wikka....that's what a real producer would say..hee hee.
 
M.Brane said:
I like it just the way it is.
Click to expand...

I do too. Simple arrangement, but it builds just right...

But, it strikes me as a song that would end up with lots of screamin' steel guitar in the wrong hands...

Not that that would be a bad thing if done with taste, but I feel it has the potential to be "over produced" (whatever the hell that means :rolleyes: ).

I like your voice, man. Fits the song perfectly.
And I can relate to the lyrics...:(
 
Listening to the first 40 seconds . . .

Wow, I'm thinking an orchestra arrangement would really bring this thing to life.

1:54: Where the fuck are the screamin' electric guitars? I'm thinking we could do sort of a "wall of sound" thing on them with like 12 different Big Muff Pies and Foxy Ladies.

And wah pedals. Gotta' have the retro-disco thing so people can dance to it.

First we gotta' do something about these lyrics, though. If I listen any longer, I'm going to have to start drinking heavily. And it definitely needs some sex appeal if you want the kids to listen to it. How about we start with the title. I'm thinking something like: "Dirty 40+ man gonna' sex you up, but goo-ood." And the goo-ood has gotta' have the two syllable thing going on.

Then we have this chorus of "ooh yea, uh-huh, uh-huh," in 6-part harmony sung by hot black and asian chicks.

Are you following me on this one, yet CD?

Dirty ol' man over 40 gonna sex you up

chorus of hot balck/asian chicks: (Uh-huh, uh-huh)

But Gooood . . .

(ooh yea, ooh yea)

I can't figure out whether I want the uh-huhs to come in first or the ooh-yeas. I'll sleep on that one, and get back to you on it tomorrow first thing.

Oh, and I got some ideas for the music video, too. I'll send out some conceptual still shots first thing in the PM. Do you have anything against wearing a G-string on camera?
 
sounds very good as is. maybe just make the strings a little thicker, double the guitar to give it some more meat as well?
 
I'd definitely add strings -- but the song is great as it is!
 
I'd have you retrack the guitar a little smoother, but relaxed just a bit to get out those burs, and keep the tempo right there. Repeat that intro one more time before you start singing. Move you back a touch with some "room" so you sound a little more behind the guitar insted of in front. Brighten the upper piano a touch so the keys tinkle and make the low end a tad bigger. Id bring the violins in on the "stages" bridge around 2:00 in a rapid swell to give you some sky while your singing up there, with a lonely cello winding up to an octave above you for support. Let them fade to the horizon on the bridge resolve. Keep the last verse like it is but don`t let the strings die once they get up till your get to the resolve and stop time.... Then add one more repeat to that last phrase for the cry factor...

beautiful tune... :)
 
Im thinking A Michael Johnson Production all the way.Are you familiar with him?(bluer than blue,almost like being in love)His arrangements are pretty much identical to this with drums(with lots of reverb) maybe coming in about midway.

Sounds great just as it is.You take me back to a time when I liked Country Music Crawdad.....back in the early 80's.Country is begging for something as real as this to take the place of the 300 flash in the pan one hit wanderers in Country music at the moment.....I used to think that Disco was as bad as it could get but Country music in it''s current form(mtv wannabes with cowboy boots)has strayed way beyond the path that Disco took.15 new artist a week whose careers will never go any farther than the ONE single that was written for them as the "hit" song to start their careers.They're churning out single artist faster than Burger King can sell whoppers.

99.9% of Country music today has no substance.damn,I'll shut up.It just pisses me off.Id rather listen to bluegrass or a donkey praying at midnight than to listen to that candy ass pop shit they call country these days.

Sorry for the vent.GOOD tune.

kramer
 
Kramer said:
Id rather listen to bluegrass or a donkey praying at midnight than to listen to that candy ass pop shit they call country these days
Click to expand...

Our father who art in heaven... EEE HAW!!! EEEEEEE HAW!!!
 
doh.. I didn't see this thread and commented in the other one...
anywho, this song kicks ass as is.

If I were producing it, I would be careful not to add too much embelshment and date it. Know what I mean? I like the barebones approach you've taken so far.
 
participant said:
Our father who art in heaven... EEE HAW!!! EEEEEEE HAW!!!
Click to expand...

Thats music to my ears compared to the candy country on the radio these days.:D
 
I'm gonna keep this real simple as a reply and say thanks to all for the listen and the comments--otherwise I'll be up all night. Since most of you think its working basically like it is, I think I'll keep the simple approach and just use the embellishments that Kramer and Toki987 suggested. Seems right.

However, Chessrocks ideas are so excellent, that I may have to just jump on that bandwagon. Chess--how is it possible that your genius has not been snapped up by a major label? I mean the g-string video is brilliant, and I'm really into those lyric changes--much more what I had in mind when I wrote this sappy thing. :D I suppose it goes without saying that the BBTTE would be employed on every track?

As for country music (whatever that is these days), they've got the writers censored and pared down to one theme now--tell her you love her. OK as far as it goes, but the positive uptempo is getting absurd. And who's who? Everybody sounds the same--no identity. I liked it better when it had a little more grit and when you knew who was singing right off the bat. I'm just gonna leafe off with that thought, or I'll be into a rant that won't stop till Tuesday!

Thanks again, everybody.
 
We just listened to this again.
Reminds me strongly of an old friend, Mr. Van Ronk. Love this- nobody cut it yet? Idiots!
It's good to know there are still people writing like this.
Bravo.


Bob
 
nice one Crawdad

you have those nashville golden vocals going!

Is it because the morning coffee is stronger? :)

Nice tune!

I was playing some Golden Tee golf game with a friend the other day and one of the courses was called Crawdad swamp? and I thought I know somebody who calls himself Crawdad :)
 
Really good song. And really good voice.

Production?? 1:04 Piano, Bass and Drums in. Piano background.....Bass & Kick groove is dotted quarter note followed by 1/8 & 1/2 note. hat on 2 and rim shot on 4.

1:32 Nice subtile fiddle parts. Slow and pretty that compliment vocal.

1:43 Fermada

1:57 Bring in B-3 Drums go to snare on 2 and 4.

2:23 Fermada

2:25 Drums drop to rim on 2 & 4. Bass and kick same as before. Bring in nice strings.

3:04 Fermada ..... all out except guitar, piano, easy strings... and solo fiddle accenting vocal line. Nice soft chord on ending.
 
kjam22--What is Fermada? Its a term I've never heard before! Your production ideas sound great though!

Buffalo Bob, B, Sabbath, JMarcomb--thanks for the listen. This may come back as a finished recording if I can get it together on my end.
 
crawdad said:
kjam22--What is Fermada? Its a term I've never heard before! Your production ideas sound great though!

Buffalo Bob, B, Sabbath, JMarcomb--thanks for the listen. This may come back as a finished recording if I can get it together on my end.
Click to expand...

Actually.... its spelled Fermata. I spelled it wrong earlier. It's a pause in time and sound. Vocal generally is all that sounds during a fermata... or a held chord and the vocal. All stops.. and follows the vocal back in at the end of the fermata.

Music notation for it is an upside down U with a dot under or inside it written above the soprano line of music.

I suggested fermatas where you kinda held time and music to emphasize your vocal line. Like between a verse and chorus or something. When you listen and see the timing where they are... it will make complete sense to you.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top