James & Thom duo (I hope)

[offthewall]

This is a sketch of a song idea which was started a couple of years ago. I sent it originally to Wyatt who was interested enough to start exploring it ... then some other things got in the way and it was shelved.
I just found it in my files a couple of days ago and thought about reviving it. I have asked Thom if he would look at it with me.

Intro                 C \ G \ ¦ C \ G \ ¦
¦ G \ \ \ ¦Am \ \ \ ¦D \ \ \ ¦C \ G \ ¦
¦ G \ \ \ ¦Am \ \ \ ¦D \ \ \ ¦C \ G \ ¦
¦ Em \ \ \ ¦Am \ \ \ ¦F \ \ \ ¦C \ \ \ ¦
¦ Em \ \ \ ¦Am \ \ \ ¦C \ \ \ ¦D \ D \ ¦D \ \ \ ¦
¦ G \ \ \ ¦Am \ \ \ ¦D \ \ \ ¦C \ G \ ¦ C \ G \ ¦ C \ G \ ¦

Thom,
4/4 : 100bpm :  4 beat count-in.
Initial sketch has two guitars and bass playing a verse/chorus structure through three full cycles with a little repeat outro.  It was all recorded and rendered with no processing or cleaning up applied, simply as a sketch. The structure was made, at that time, to fit into 3 minutes as a proposed KVR entry.
If we go ahead with this I will be re-recording all parts so for now am just sending this OGG for you to listen to. On re-making I will send individual files in whatever format you prefer (Monkeys?)

What I would like to hear, I think, would be a good drum set and possibly strings/brass. Also probably a middle bridge section would benefit the structure.  I would love to get some lyrics put together and make a duet of it 

See what you think Mr Keyboard 

 
James

[elwoodblues1969]

James,

This tune has a very wholesome & vintage ring to it,like that of a old John Lennon tune...I'm definitely on board for this one! It's fairly automatic for me to envision how the drum track will play out-but as for strings & brass,well....I can't determine that until I know the general theme of this tune & of course,what the lyrics will be like.
It's a shame that this tune laid dormant for so long-but I am grateful for the opportunity to hopefully add something worthwhile to this project....certainly will try my damnedest,to do just that.


-Thom

[offthewall]

Thanks Thom ... I appreciate it 

At the time we first worked on this the contest theme was a 'free-for-all'.
Inspired by that idea I thought about taking heed of that within the song itself. I wrote to Wyatt:
I'm not really the random lyrics guy, but was just thinking along these lines ....
as it is a free-for-all .... this could be the theme of the song, as in ... a love song where we are telling the girl
'my love is just for you ... not free for all'

I was thinking that this idea may still work ... do you have any ideas?   

 
James

[elwoodblues1969]

Lyrics don't arrive to me easily,but I'll come up with something...hopefully soon.I'll get cracking on it.


-Thom

[elwoodblues1969]

Here is some ideas that came to mind...hope this works for you....

I woke up amazed today,at how love makes it's escape
It's tendency to go astray,it's failure to permeate

With us this is not the case,though doubt still runs through your veins

You've rummaged through my soul,to grab all you could hold
But my love can't be bought or sold,as everything I am,you own

The world may seem like a free for all
but my heart is locked inside your vault



-Thom

[offthewall]

 
Thom,
Great story and lyrics ... but I can't get them to scan into the song.

Can you make a rough recording of just that section and send it to me privately .... don't matter how good (or bad) it is, mate.  I just need to hear what you are hearing.
offthewallart@gmail.com

 
James

[elwoodblues1969]

At this point,they are only lyrical ideas,nothing more.Meaning...that I have not even made an attempt to see how they would fit into your music.
That being said,I have not worked out a melody for the vocal end of things,whatsoever.I only posted this to see if you would approve of the lyrical content.
Since your song is only in the sketch stage,it never occurred to me to develop anything beyond just the wording.If you don't mind,I would much rather wait until you finish what you had begun and then I will work out the details to fit whatever you come up with.

Perhaps it's a bit unorthodox,to create songs in this way,but I've always written the music first and built the lyrics and vocals around the music.For me,composing music is an effortless task-once I have the inspiration...but working out the lyrics & melodies is the very tedious part and I have worked this way,ever since I got started in music.

So if you could just continue on with whatever you had set out to do composition-wise,that would be great(I hope this does not complicate things for you)!  


-Thom

[Oren]

...a song idea which was started a couple of years ago. I sent it originally to Wyatt ...
I just found it in my files a couple of days ago and thought about reviving it. I have asked Thom if he would look at it with me...

This is going to get interesting, gents, I can feel it

[offthewall]

Thom,
That's fine. I shall spread them out and maybe put in some more.
at first I thought I must be missing something    My bad!!

 
James

[kara]

Well, since my lady has a bad cold at the moment, which put the recording of our CD on a hold, and I like the song, I played a bit of piano on top of it ....

Just an idea of mine, if you want the piano track let me know...
No obligations, it was just for fun for me

k

[offthewall]

Thom,
Here is a first attempt at getting a 'singable' melody.
Shall we see how some of those lyrics can scan in with this?

 
James

[elwoodblues1969]

Hmmm...umm...I never use notes from a keyboard to come up with lyrical melodies & I certainly don't work on vocals without the bass-line in place-as if I did,then the vocals may not match with the bass line later on.

I'll just work with the original sketch....otherwise I don't think this tune will ever get off the ground.Let me just do my thing with the previous sketch & then you can decide if my ideas will fly or not...alrighty?


-Thom

[offthewall]

Point taken, Thom ....
but just as you posted that I was working up this one. 

I swapped the lyrics round a bit and worked it along to (roughly) the piano line, then removed that marker and put bass back in.   You see ... same objective, different methodology 

I woke up amazed today, at how love makes it's escape
The way that it goes astray, it's failure to permeate.
You have rummaged through my soul, to grab all that you could hold
But my love can't be bought or sold, as everything I am, you own.
My love is just for you ... never free for all

 
James

[offthewall]

 
For anyone following this .....
as WinDoze would say .... working in the background ... 

Check back in a week or so 

 
James

[Oren]

Just an idea of mine, if you want the piano track let me know...

I'm liking this piano track in the mix...