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Keywords:
World War One (3), mandolin (37), Revolving Doris (11), harp (55), Ypres (2), Rebsie (46), mandolinquent (20)
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Description:
This song is nearly all Rebsie's work;she wrote it, sang it and mixed it. .
Rebsie: vocals, piano, 11-string guitar, 30-string celtic harp, MIDI stuff.
William: mandos, strings.
Lyrics:
wish I could swim the river
I wish I could breathe it forever
(Singing for a ring of roses
Shrapnel beads are raindrops that fall
Clustering down from a glowering sky
Crater to crater the trespassers crawl)
Behind the green rimmed mirror
Postcards pinned to the wall
Come unstuck at the edges
And the night starts to fall
Changes are gathering quickly
In from the western sky
He watches through the round window
Fast moving clouds going by
I wish I could swim the river
I wish I could breathe it forever
(Singing for a ring of roses
Shrapnel beads are raindrops that fall
Clustering down from a glowering sky
Crater to crater the trespassers crawl)
The house murmurs on its foundations
As a passing train
Rattles the blue and white china
Above the noise of the rain
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Wonderful feel &mdash 04/01/06 - 11:03:11 AM
I had just finished reading you latest blog entry on this song (didn't
realize you'd have it ready so soon. Pleasant surprise.) You've done a
great job of achieving the melancholy you were wanting to achieve. I love
the chorus. It has a haunting, longing sound. Mando's strings add just the
right touches and the harp is wonderful (I've really come to love the harp
over the years.) You've done a really good job with the mix, Rebsie, in
spite of your technical difficulties along the way. Wonderful song, and you
guys have done your usual excellent job. Enjoyed it very much. [ Reply to This ]
Wonderful feel &mdash 04/03/06 - 03:16:16 PM
Aw, thanks Joe. Yep, we tend to post our songs as soon as they're finished ...
too excited to hold on to them. I'm delighted you've been following my blog!
It's collected a few regular MacJammer readers now, which is lovely.
---
<a href="http://thelostrecords.com/revolving-doris-artist.html">Revolving Doris: Imber</a> [ Reply to This ]
Somber &mdash 04/01/06 - 12:05:19 PM
Haunting vocals and rich musical bed. The piano adds the backbone,
and that kick drum is a plesent surprize. Wonderful mandoline and
guitar as usual. Rebsie's voice is always a pleasure to listen to. The
melding of instruments is seemless, with what appears to be strings
ever so elegently placed. The harp sneaks in and touches the soul. I
expected a huge crescendo, but can live without it. great
performances, you two. [ Reply to This ]
Somber &mdash 04/03/06 - 03:37:07 PM
Thanks boss! Nice of you to drop by. I haven't really played the piano for a
few years so I'm pleasantly surprised I can still do it. I suppose it's a bit like
riding a bicycle ... but with less danger of getting your clothes tangled up
round the pedals.
---
<a href="http://thelostrecords.com/revolving-doris-artist.html">Revolving Doris: Imber</a> [ Reply to This ]
Excellent &mdash 04/01/06 - 03:10:29 PM
Love this R&M! Really well produced/recorded - I suspect the CD
release has strengthened your skills in this area. Excellent modern/
traditional feel (glimpses of all my favourite female british folk singers
- Sinead, Enya and Maire - but mostly it's obviously Rebsie).
Well structured and beautifully played and sung.
Neil [ Reply to This ]
Excellent &mdash 04/01/06 - 03:18:52 PM
Love this R&M! Really well produced/recorded - I suspect the CD
release has strengthened your skills in this area. Excellent modern/
traditional feel (glimpses of all my favourite female british folk singers
- Sinead, Enya and Maire - but mostly it's obviously Rebsie).
Well structured and beautifully played and sung.
Neil [ Reply to This ]
Excellent &mdash 04/03/06 - 03:41:50 PM
Thanks Neil! Really glad you like it. Yes, releasing a CD has been a learning
experience and a confidence boost. I highly recommend it. So when's yours
coming out? :-)
---
<a href="http://thelostrecords.com/revolving-doris-artist.html">Revolving Doris: Imber</a> [ Reply to This ]
Excellent &mdash 04/04/06 - 03:28:02 AM
I retire from the "proper" workforce at the end of June - maybe that's when I
can call myself a "professional musician" (always wanted to be one of those!)
and think seriously about the CD thing. Have contacted Alimar.
Neil
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<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/19541"> Ship Of Fools </a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/19298"> Unobtainable Remedy w Nolan</a> [ Reply to This ]
Lovely aura... &mdash 04/01/06 - 04:20:19 PM
This thing has a lovely feel to it--really evokes another era...
I must confess, though, to my ear, the vocals hit a sour note now and
then. Not horribly so, but just enough off-key to be noticeable. I
enjoyed it, but think the notes need to be dead-on to make it truly
wonderful! [ Reply to This ]
Lovely aura... &mdash 04/03/06 - 03:56:04 PM
Well ... I generally aim to make an emotional connection with my vocals rather
than focusing on technical accuracy. This was the take which I felt captured
the soul of the song.
---
<a href="http://thelostrecords.com/revolving-doris-artist.html">Revolving Doris: Imber</a> [ Reply to This ]
Lovely aura... &mdash 04/04/06 - 09:51:02 AM
To my ear there's nothing 'off-key' at all about the singing at all. The vocals
have an earthy modal feel which personally I find absolutely enchanting. [ Reply to This ]
Lovely aura... &mdash 04/07/06 - 08:36:01 AM
Ethereal and Enjoyable &mdash 04/01/06 - 07:06:42 PM
I really liked the song, loved the piano and then the mandos and strings.
? midi drum
Very pretty voice, liked the first verse where the vocals seem to swirl
(to me)
Very Nice Piece!
Peace [ Reply to This ]
Ethereal and Enjoyable &mdash 04/03/06 - 04:01:54 PM
Thank you David. Those are MIDI drums, yes, and a GB piano. The rest are
real instruments. Glad you enjoyed it!
---
<a href="http://thelostrecords.com/revolving-doris-artist.html">Revolving Doris: Imber</a> [ Reply to This ]
Ethereal and Enjoyable &mdash 04/07/06 - 02:42:32 PM
cool that it was a midi/GB piano , very realistic I must say!
drums fine as well!
---
dwwave [ Reply to This ]
Haunting &mdash 04/02/06 - 12:33:13 AM
Rebsie,
IIt seems like you are really stepping out there on this one. A womanly
tour de force! I really like your piano playing on this and of course your
wonderful vocals and harp. Your songwriting is remarkable as you
make the transition from traditional material. You have adopted your
style to kepp the best from that and then add your own touch. Mando's
mandolin and strings added that nice little touch of sugar to put it over
the top. Excellent as always when you two guys get together.
Tom [ Reply to This ]
Haunting &mdash 04/04/06 - 05:21:13 PM
I have learned such a lot from years of singing British folk songs, but
originally I got into traditional music because I couldn't write my own
material. It's been a wonderful revelation to suddenly find I can.
That's a really nice comment Bronco, thank you.
---
<a href="http://thelostrecords.com/revolving-doris-artist.html">Revolving Doris: Imber</a> [ Reply to This ]
Haunting &mdash 04/02/06 - 10:51:45 AM
Great atmosphere, ethereal and earthly at the same time. I love the way you've layered the vocals. The mandolin adds just the right touch.
I do have a couple of quibbles. The piano playing was a little uneven. There were some chords that were rolled when others were played solid. But the main issue I have wtih the piano is that it sounds like it's been looped for most of the song. That's perfectly up to you, of course, but for this song, it needed some variation. As the song builds, some arpeggios, or different patterns with the same chord progressions would have added drama.
And I do agree with an earlier post that the vocals could be more on pitch. For such a haunting song, sung in a head voice, the little imperfections unfortunately stand out.
I'm being really nit-picky here because I quite love this song. It is almost perfect. Gorgeous lyrics. [ Reply to This ]
Haunting &mdash 04/04/06 - 05:56:05 PM
Thanks ... glad you enjoyed the song overall. We'll have to agree to disagree
about the piano though. It does what I intended it to do, and I think making it
more dramatic would've spoiled the serenity of the song. The atmosphere
here is built on simplicity.
---
<a href="http://thelostrecords.com/revolving-doris-artist.html">Revolving Doris: Imber</a> [ Reply to This ]
A beautiful song &mdash 04/02/06 - 03:09:56 PM
This is really great...an excellent narative song...beautifully performed
and produced. Another great addition to the Revolving Doris catalogue.
Steve [ Reply to This ]
A beautiful song &mdash 04/06/06 - 04:29:20 AM
Thank you Steve! We always appreciate your encouragement.
---
<a href="http://thelostrecords.com/revolving-doris-artist.html">Revolving Doris: Imber</a> [ Reply to This ]
Another instant favourite &mdash 04/03/06 - 01:01:30 AM
This is definitely straight to somewhere-near-the-top of my RD
collection, William and Rebsie.
There's some incredible timbres and textures building and it has a
simple-yet-complex arrangement and then... heck.. hear that harp
solo bit... that was just fab. A beautiful, touching vocal performance
too.
In spite of all that musical stuff, I think it's the lyrics on this one that
really grab me. They're just perfect.
Thanks, both of you.
[ Reply to This ]
Another instant favourite &mdash 04/06/06 - 05:31:31 AM
Great compliments coming from you, Eltopo, thank you.
We decided to keep this one simple with plenty of space for the individual
instruments to resonate but without letting any of them dominate. I was quite
pleased with how the harp solo turned out ... glad you like it. I nearly didn't
bother with the harp because it's such a pain to tune and so awkward to mic
up, but I'm now very glad I did.
I appreciate the kind words about my lyrics too, since this is the first time I've
written un-sarky lyrics. Cheers.
---
<a href="http://thelostrecords.com/revolving-doris-artist.html">Revolving Doris: Imber</a> [ Reply to This ]
Agreed... &mdash 04/03/06 - 08:36:13 AM
... with eltopo, stevel, Alimar, bronco... jgurner... etc
I think this is a huge leap forward... Great song by Rebsie. Honoured to
be part of it. [ Reply to This ]
Agreed... &mdash 04/04/06 - 11:57:18 AM
Aww, thanks William. That means a lot to me.
---
<a href="http://thelostrecords.com/revolving-doris-artist.html">Revolving Doris: Imber</a> [ Reply to This ]
But don't songs need to be upbeat and bouncy for Playschool? &mdash 04/04/06 - 09:47:46 AM
Can't imagine Brian Cant doing this one (probably just as well!) I
thought this was excellent - the thing I enjoy most about Revolving
Doris stuff is your shared musical vision - it just makes so much sense
- and you have an ability to turn out such fine melodies such as this
one it's got such a brilliant waltzy tune. Rebsie you've done a cracking
job on the production, there's real space in the mix and overall a feel
of judicious economy in the choice of instrumentation and the way it
was used. Wonderfully sung (love the high and low voices overlapping)
and played as indeed the world has come to expect from you two!
Thank you
KK
PS - are those synth strings that come in about halfway through?
Initially I thought it might be a combo of tremolando on mando with
fiddle... [ Reply to This ]
But don't songs need to be upbeat and bouncy for Playschool? &mdash 04/04/06 - 11:22:50 AM
Well I could have made it more upbeat and bouncy, but then I'd have had to
make the lyrics more depressing to compensate.
Thank you for your lovely comment. Glad you like the overlapping voices ...
I've noticed that my voice sounds very different at different pitches and I was
trying to make use of that. The mix came together quite spontaneously,
which is unusual for us. And you're right, that shared musical vision is a
wonderful thing and I'm very grateful for it.
Nope, those aren't synth strings - they're several layers of real fiddle provided
by William. I would have loved to put them higher in the mix because they
sounded beautiful, but they're there to add colour to the song so I had to
keep them subdued.
Thanks again ... your comments are always insightful and much appreciated.
---
<a href="http://thelostrecords.com/revolving-doris-artist.html">Revolving Doris: Imber</a> [ Reply to This ]
The Cocteau Twins Waltz &mdash 04/06/06 - 04:12:38 AM
Glad I'm not the only one who thought of PlaySchool from the title.
I guess you have to be British and of a certain age! Proof that
'Leafblower' was not a one-off… not that I ever thought it would
be but Rebsie, you are clearly growing as a songwriter. Makes me
think of the Cocteau Twins waltzing with The Poozies. Beautiful
song, wonderful choice of instruments and the arrangement is just
right. And I love the lyrics too. Is this going on the Revolving Doris
album perchance? [ Reply to This ]
The Cocteau Twins Waltz &mdash 04/06/06 - 08:16:05 AM
On the album? I can't think of one reason why not.
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<a href="http://thelostrecords.com/revolving-doris-artist.html"> <B><i>Imber</i></b> is out now on The Lost Records. </a> [ Reply to This ]
The Cocteau Twins Waltz &mdash 04/06/06 - 12:45:55 PM
Yippee! Sounds good. And I hope the track will also get played when
Revolving Doris do their ARFM Soundscapes special in a couple of weeks
time. It would be great for it to have its international radio debut before
the end of the month.
---
"You never say please. You never say thank you."
"Please don't be an idiot. Thank you."
-- Bayliss and Pembleton [ Reply to This ]
I love it &mdash 04/07/06 - 04:44:25 PM
it's like a modern day "Scarborough Fair" , in the layers - the allegory and the cyclical nature of the beats and chord changes. This one is beautiful - you two did a really wonderful thing here. The imagery it evokes - would make an amazing video! [ Reply to This ]
better late than never!!! &mdash 04/08/06 - 08:28:21 AM
oophs - i heard this beautiful track at the convention and then forgot to come back and comment - good job that you are here with me now rebsie to remind me!!! lovely to hear such a delicious mixture of instruments and also to hear 'both' your voices rebs and... the harp is gorgeous xoxox [ Reply to This ]
thoughts from the bull... &mdash 01/18/07 - 11:23:20 PM
found this piece in the 2006 MacJams Retrospective collection.
jeez louise, talk about a magestic voice. like everything else i've
heard from you, the ability to transport the listener to another
place and period is simply remarkable.
beyond the alluring voice is the music which does the most lovely
dance. the movement never ceases, but never tires or gets tired.
absolutely magnificent music! thank you! [ Reply to This ]
Good &mdash 02/12/07 - 08:32:56 PM
Round Window &mdash 11/11/07 - 02:56:38 PM
Ahh at last I found this song here ...ye its Rebsies
most beautifull song ..gorgious mandolin work ...!
welldone you both ...a gem !!! [ Reply to This ]
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realize you'd have it ready so soon. Pleasant surprise.) You've done a
great job of achieving the melancholy you were wanting to achieve. I love
the chorus. It has a haunting, longing sound. Mando's strings add just the
right touches and the harp is wonderful (I've really come to love the harp
over the years.) You've done a really good job with the mix, Rebsie, in
spite of your technical difficulties along the way. Wonderful song, and you
guys have done your usual excellent job. Enjoyed it very much.
[ Reply to This ]