Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Black and White and Grey All Over
Posted by Johnny in Uncategorized on January 9th, 2010
Why is grey all I see? Why are clouds in the way?
Black and White Why are birds just so few?
Moonpub Music
Song was done inspired by a photo. So next time when you show me a picture you know what may happen: it may end up in a song… But it didn’t come easy must say. I just couldn’t think of anything let’s say “poetic”, and finally I thought o well let’s take the picture itself and describe it. So first lines were done with that idea on my mind. There’s black and white and grey all over, a track (life) leading to a housing block (destination), a red traffic light (stop!!), and luckily some birds. There is hope after all, even when all is grey… Song tries to explain that feeling when it all seems a bit too grey and too many things working against you. O yes, you badly need some sun to bring back a smile on your face. We all have that feeling sometimes, don’t you deny it… Recording was originally planned more acoustic but as usual I got carried away in the arrangement… But it will do just fine with just a man and his guitar Someone else had to point out to me that the traffic light is red. I keep seeing it green, no lie. I aways had some difficulties distinguishing between colors but you can tell me anything, I still see that light as green, or orange perhaps but definetely not entirely red. Hey, I should know, no accidents with car so far – knock on wood. Weird. Song now also has a video (Facebook) Song by Johnny Hoeve STYLE: pop, rock, singer/songwriter, country also perhaps, A/C
Photo: Stephania Beati
Why are lights always red?
Something high above
or Something way down low
Doesn’t like me
Doesn’t want me
To see the sun
and make me smile
Something deep inside
or Something I cannot know
Doesn’t like me
Doesn’t want me
and Grey All Over
Colour me green,
colour me blue
But no black and white
and grey all over
I need the dream
and share it with you
It ain’t the season
for them bein’ gone
Something high above
or Something way down low
Doesn’t like me
Doesn’t want me
The Netherlands
January 2009
- or piano.
The Tascam 4-Track Tapes
Posted by Johnny in Uncategorized on December 15th, 2009
The Tascam426 - did cost you some 1500 Euros that time – how times have changed…
I’ve decided to put up some older recordings. They may not have the hifi audio quality of more recent recordings but some are still acceptable quality to get first idea what song can be. They can always be redone later on. And they may give better impression “where I’m coming from”…
So here are some songtitles that were done during 1990s still working with 4track Tascam recorder. With equipment that had to be unplugged and set up twice or 3 times a week because of band rehearsels/gigs. And without digital audio edits, although I did already work with MIDI (still on DOS-computer!!) and drummachines.
 Musclebound Man – only single of band The Mix late 1980s. Didn’t do much I’m afraid… (I’m the one with hat). We played during the weekends mostly, had some successes, lots of laughs, and were famous locally. All cover material, from sing-along to latest chart hits. Went on for 13 years…when we were all tired of it and stopped. There were some other projects & bands after that but I think I’ve found my place with homestudio now.
STORY with this song: Drummer, nearly done with 6 year of “Conservatorium” (highest music education in the Netherlands), found drummachine track already recorded by engineer when arriving at studio. Most of time recording was spent discussing if real drums had to be used or not. “You use the shitty drummachine, I don’t care”, he said finally. He of course never liked the track – well we all in fact hated it. Those were the days… |
Thanks for listening to these old 4Track Tapes!
Waar Zit Je?
Posted by Johnny in Uncategorized on December 13th, 2009
Here’s another Dutch language song (Hoeve & Vandermoor). It’s an old recording (1990s) when Jan Schindler (Vandermoor) and me were working together on dutch language songs as “Klinkers“. Pre-digital period, all analog 8-track recordings.
NOTE: Dutch language songs can always be redone in english – or any language you want it to be. As said in the About section of this site, I have no plans as an artist myself so all songs on this site can be discussed for covers/remake.
Song by Hoeve & Vandermoor
STYLE: Dutch language, nederlandstalig
Never Can Get Enough Of You
Posted by Johnny in Uncategorized on November 29th, 2009
Lets do something different for a change. I will use this blog entry to put up the works for song Never Can Get Enough Of You (Song by Stenzel & Hoeve)
Please note: so at the moment, this entry is not yet finished. It will be when the final demo recording is done. I still have to start the recording for real though.
So what came first? James JD Stenzel came with lyric. Please take look at the forum entry at songwriter101.com first for lyric and comments.
Anyway, some 2 days later – as I remember – the idea was done with the morning coffee:
– There’s a record from soundcard utility always on standbye on my PC: see http://adrosoft.com/ – nice one…
I then used software Band-in-a-Box (great songwriting tool!! – go to pgmusic.com to find out) to lay down the structure and hopefully find style for song to get going for a start.
I have to admit that sometimes I leave some tracks from this backing generating software untouched, but also lots of times everything is redone when the BandInaBox file is transferred to DAW (Digital Audio Workstation – in my case Steinberg’s Cubase). But regularly the structure is done with help of BandInABox.
For this lyric and melody I didn’t think a straightaway chorus would have been nice. Also the words didn’t take me to a “now sing along y’all” part. I’m not an expert in these things – working mostly with whatever comes next, as it comes along – but the song’s title is now done as a musical part on it’s own, and the other lines of the lyric’s chorus are building up to this. So perhaps the songtitle itself is the only chorus – cannot really say. Does it matter?
DAY 2
Meanwhile I’m now waiting for the Bandbox Audiophile Edition to be delivered on 1TB harddisk with all their “realtracks” in full WAV format.
Explanation: whenever you hear a pedal steel, fiddle, sax etc. in the music there is a big chance it was done with BandinaBox realtracks. So edited and not played live – with pitch correction, copy/paste, you name it. I do still a lot of live playing with the guitar, synths and drums so I can see no harm in doing that. You should just not overdo it.
Anyway this Audiophile Edition now also has classical realtracks (orchestral) and I may wanna try these on this songs. These realtracks are not samples – they follow the chord sequence and generate melodies. Some of these melodies may work great or inspire new ones to get a nice backing.
So no new developments for song untill this harddisk is delivered. Probably coming days.
DAY 3
I decided to continue without the HD delivery, and did some more work for a version country contemporary ballad. Whenever I can put in a pedal steel I probably will. And yes it was possible, using those bandinaBox realtracks. It means that I probably won’t use strings because the pedal steel is doing that background. In it will probably also mix nice with an electric guitar. But you never can tell. I might get bored with the pedal steel or something better pops up.
Here’s the version so far with the pedal steel already in it’s place. It might be overdone so parts will still be deleted later on. If it will make it to the final recording at all…
I also running into speed problems now. It really felt to slow now and I had to speed it up. Point is you cannot speed up too much – it not only makes me sound like a Madonna’s Virgin, it distorts the music tracks also. So I have to decide what tempo before MIDI is converted to WAV. I also think my vocals should be pitched higher.
For that reason also doing test mixes are usefull. I just tell Cubase to do the mixdown and it produces a nice stereo WAV file which I then load into Soundforge for mastering – tempo changes, loudness, overal reverb/ambience.
Most other tracks on take above were edited and not played myself, so next thing will be to add more parts that are played live – drums, bass and when all is well on its way guitar. Adding the guitar in most cases makes the track far more lively. I also can hear the songparts not being clear enough but adding live tracks will solve that easily.
DAY 4
I did another take with BandInBox in country style. I now think it should be country ballad or perhaps pop ballad direction say Celine Dion (electronic drums, synthesizers). Or – like idea started – classical/pop. But also more folky comes to mind, or something direction Leonard Cohen style soft pop. I got clear orders from lyricwriter not to make it sad…
Nice thing I noticed in above recording: I can hear it needs tempo changes throughout song – slowing down, speeding up. Song pure is probably piano ballad – perhaps I should try it on piano and take it from there. O well, who knows, next test recording…
DAY 4 – EVENING
I may have found the direction I want to continue with. I used some country (pedal steel) but changed backing to synthesizers and more electronic sounding drums. I also transposed from E to F and speeded up the tempo. It is now more towards medium tempo and less slow ballad. The recording is without vocals and not at all finished but could be I continue in this style. Also got suggestion to try it Elton John style which I think should also be possible.
DAY 5
I’ve decided to continue with latest style recording for a Moonpub Music demo. I can fit in my vocals nice and probably there is room enough to do nice guitar part also. I got my roots as a guitar player and don’t wanna lose that. It feels like a nice crossover country/pop. But I may do another version also to make song more acceptable for others who may not think it’s the best version for song.
So no more test recordings for now. The demo recording is well on its way now, only waiting for the guitar parts and all vocals to be added to it. End of blog entry. Check entry for song when it is finished. Thanks.