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Where there's a will (w/Estellie) by apb [Email]
Genre: Folk-Rock

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SONG STATS:
Hits: 1895
Comments: 70
Votes: 11
Plays: 694
Last Played: Jun 23, 2008 - 08:45:35 AM
Downloads: 93
Fans: 25
Uploaded: Mar 03, 2007 - 05:24:12 PM
Last Updated: Jun 27, 2007 - 11:18:56 AM



Keywords:
jaunty (6)acoustic (438)mandolin (35)folk (351)rock (1030)tongue (7)cheek (4)bouncy (19)jangly (3)organic (2)tiddly (2)pom (2)fluffy (10)fun (144)eppy (1)podcast (8)
Description:
Estellie graciously threw in her time and patience to help rejuvenate the old http://www.macjams.com/song/20434 post. So it's also completely re-mixed with the comments received and with some experience gained in the months I've been here. Everything got refreshed and drums enhanced with DoD too.

Hope you think it's improved, enjoy :o)

Tongue in cheek phonetics experiment with an under-lying theme of contrasts giving opportunities.

Dedicated to the original '93 performers and friends:
APB - vocals, acoustic guitar
Muffy - drums,
Chris - mandolin,
Barney - violin,
Chops - bass,
Anya - backing vocals.

Lyrics:
Hej!
Ra!
Sarah's got an ear infection-
Never hears a word I say,
And Billy says she'll use protection-
But she's the world's worse lying bitch.

And Bob collects his old age pension,
Tina finds it hard to lie,
Bill worries about inflation,
No-one else really cares

Where there's a will, there's a way
(There's an open door) an' I'll go through it
Where there's a will, there's a way
(There's an open door) an' I'll go through

Ra!
Dave has no direction,
Cathy takes the shortest cut,
Jo hates her own reflection,
Gary's God's greatest gift
So I say ...

Fiona follows father's footsteps,
Lisa likes her own ideals,
Morris in perpetual motion,
Charlottes mind is all at home!
So I say ...

Pete paints a pretty picture,
Jo hates her own reflection,
Trudy tries to win affection,
Mike's method's tried and tested
Sidney smokes his Capstan Full Strength,
Sarah's still got an ear infection,
Bob collects his old age pension,
Karin does things I don't dare to mention
Hey !

Na na na na na na-ow

Fiona follows father's footsteps,
Lisa likes her own ideals,
Morris in perpetual motion,
Charlottes mind is all at home!
So I say ...


Hardware:
Yamaha APX-8A Acoustic guitar,
Sigma mandolin,
Shure SM58 mic,
MOTU Traveler firewire audio interface,
Intel Mac Mini, 1.66 GHz, 2GB RAM

Software:
GB v3
Drums on Demand.
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gREAT!!!!! &mdash 03/03/07 - 05:49:30 PM
this is really great up beat ,positive....tight production
really like it a lot!

[ Reply to This ]
Thanks very much ... &mdash 03/03/07 - 06:00:34 PM
glad you enjoyed the re-vamp of a re-vamp. It was 7hrs of
editing and re-mixing work, a labour of love, the fruits of
my labour .. er passion fruits.. etc.

[ Reply to This ]
sweet &mdash 03/03/07 - 07:54:17 PM
good and happy little ditty....very clean guitars....nice pop tune.....good lyrics

[ Reply to This ]
Thanks Mr Squirrel .. &mdash 03/03/07 - 08:21:09 PM
glad you stopped by this slightly different kind of nuttiness.
;o)

[ Reply to This ]
Love this track!! &mdash 03/04/07 - 01:17:14 AM
There's something so familiar in the wonderful beat you've got on this - "Men Without Hats" perhaps - it's just so infectious. Must have sounded brilliant live with the fiddle. Perfect production for the song - I really like this!! Estellie does a nice job on bgv also.
Love the lyrics also. Excellent - one of my favourites for the week!!
Neil

[ Reply to This ]
Thanks Neil .. &mdash 03/04/07 - 06:52:23 AM
.. it did sound pretty good live (if I say so myself, always
went down well- it was a 'stomper') but sadly the original
crew never performed it live, it was the next crew that
I played it live with and by then the fiddle part was
played by the keyboard player and there was no mandolin
either - only the drummer and myself moved on from band 1
to band 2. So I still have ambition to add fiddle to this again to really complete it (as with Spacehopper).

[ Reply to This ]
Got it! &mdash 03/05/07 - 12:41:17 AM
The band I was after was Dexy's Midnight Runners, and the song something about a girl - Irene perhaps??
Been trying to work that out for a whole day : )
Neil

---
WELL ENOUGH ALONE

[ Reply to This ]
Come on .. &mdash 03/05/07 - 01:44:22 AM
.. Eileen.

Too ra too ra too ra yay .. that's the one. I need a
fiddle and a banjo player now, doh. ;o)

Well done Neil, glad you remembered - I hate it when that
happens.

[ Reply to This ]
Im still listening &mdash 03/04/07 - 05:47:09 AM
4th time!!!! It keeps getting better and better!
Yes Estella sounds great on it..The guitars sound better
and In this version I hear Estella better.
Great lyrics!! great melody!!! its my kind of music

[ Reply to This ]
Thanks Steve &mdash 03/04/07 - 06:59:18 AM
.. appreciate you stopping in. I didn't want to trouble you
for a bass part for this version, it's fairly trivial.. if
I ever get fiddle in this, I may come looking for your
assistance too and then this could be really completely
de-midied, as I feel this kinda song should be.

[ Reply to This ]
money &mdash 03/04/07 - 09:28:22 AM
FUn TUne &mdash 03/04/07 - 09:33:08 AM
Like the lyrics alot never did listen to the other versions but I like this alot. All thumbs up!!! :)

[ Reply to This ]
from the back up singer... &mdash 03/04/07 - 01:23:29 PM
I'm glad you liked it. I think it's an all thumbs-up too. It was lots of fun to sing, especially under Alan's incessant whip-cracking ; ) Just kidding. I was dancing the whole time. Great, rich song. Thanks for stopping by!

---
*estella

[ Reply to This ]
Wi-tish! &mdash 03/04/07 - 01:28:33 PM
Wi-tish! Stop commenting!!! No time for that, get back to
work!!!! ;o)

[ Reply to This ]
Oh, yeah! &mdash 03/04/07 - 04:01:21 PM
Great energy, perfectly played and arranged. I just love hearing the mandolin. Rel nice one...:-)

[ Reply to This ]
Thanks Roxanne &mdash 03/05/07 - 03:32:06 AM
.. it's amazing the host of sins that timing and tuning
adjust can cover up :o)

[ Reply to This ]
and .. &mdash 03/05/07 - 03:36:20 AM
.. of course I don't have to use that on Estellie, just
on my stuff ;o) .. phew .. good recovery .. lol.

[ Reply to This ]
What a sound!! &mdash 03/04/07 - 09:46:29 PM
This song just jumps out and grabs me. It is so fresh and crystal clear sounding. And it is so infectious in it's chorus and harmonies. And, and... great soundbed. I can't say enough. Just Major Kudos to you and Estellie.

Coming soon on a radio station near...

[ Reply to This ]
Thanks alot Jack .. &mdash 03/05/07 - 03:48:37 AM
.. means alot. I'll send it off Ian (springclock) for some internet streamed radio play if you think it's ready enough
and he'll take it. It always needed a female backing and I was
over the moon with Estella's performance, exactly what I was
looking for and how I envisaged those parts - better in fact.

Now fiddle (and bass) .. hmm. ;o)

[ Reply to This ]
RA !!!!!!!! &mdash 03/05/07 - 03:09:29 AM
HEJ TIGER ! ; ) This is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOD ! LIVE WOW !! I'd be dancing to feet from the ground : )I lost track of how many times I've listened to it now..LOL it keeps reminding me of a bucking pony I saw in the chatroom the other day !! It's a direct song & the lyrics just keep growing! Estellie is *Pricken ver I -t* ! Woops...'The icing on the cake' you say in English & that MANDOLIN !! 7 hours...CONGRATULATIONS ! if MJ had there own Live WorldVisionSongcontest this would definetly be in it: ) Looking forward to the original ! THANKS AGAIN
MUSIS UNITES

[ Reply to This ]
LOL ! &mdash 03/05/07 - 03:22:48 AM
I mean I mean I would've LOVED to hear this LIVE ; ) Thanks again!!!!! : )

---
MUSIC UNITES

[ Reply to This ]
Tack så mycket Lena &mdash 03/05/07 - 04:03:08 AM
"Det är inte farten som dödar, det är smällen...." Vi tar det på engelska: "Its not the fart that kills, its the smell...."
hehehe .. always liked that bad translation :o)

Glad your warming to the lyrics: at first glance they may seem pretty odd and at second and third too .. lol ..anyways,
I try to do this opposites thing and I try to repeat the same sounding tones/syllables like "Fiona follows fathers
footsteps" etc, which may be not so obvious to a non-native English speaker, hence mentioning it. This song started with
the lyrics and most were written on a bus journey between
Kista and Arlanda airport, along time ago.

[ Reply to This ]
oh I forgot .. &mdash 03/05/07 - 04:06:00 AM
.. as to live: I'd have a bit of trouble doing that now,
kinda like a live cartoon, big strain on the artists wrists.
:o)

[ Reply to This ]
. &mdash 03/05/07 - 10:32:02 AM
haha .. aldrig sett den förut!
haha .. never saw that one before!

---
Johannes Curry

[ Reply to This ]
: O &mdash 03/09/07 - 06:54:02 PM
LOL!!!!!!!!!! THANX AGAIN ! WHAT A GREAT SPIRIT YOU GOT IN IT !!!!!!!!!!! : )

---
MUSIC UNITES

[ Reply to This ]
well done .... &mdash 03/05/07 - 08:47:46 AM
nice tight uplift - kinda along the lines of what i am looking for myself!!! lol - thanks for the work and for sharing xoxoxox

[ Reply to This ]
um... &mdash 03/05/07 - 11:03:40 AM
.. you got me. How does one follow that? hmm, one doesn't ..
lol - thanks for stopping in for a listen Caroline and enjoying it, pinkier and fluffier xoxoxoxox

[ Reply to This ]
Hey &mdash 03/05/07 - 10:28:32 AM
Hey! That intro is gorgeous. Usually I avoid making associations to other artists in comments but here comes one of the exceptions: The mood of the intro reminds me of old favourite Danny Kirwan (http://www.fleetwoodmac.net/penguin/danny.htm). I am thinking of the music he made after he left Fleetwood Mac.

So back to your song. A lot of fun feel. Many great apsects to mention, more then I will be able to handle here. Thankfully lots have been mentioned already above. I'll take just a few that speaks special to my ears:

The backup guitar sounds just nicely right and bears a very important role here, in creating this very brisk spirited mood wich is driving the song so nicely forward.

The mandolin backing work is awesome. And that mandolin solo is a MJ highlight!!! Cheers to the player, tell him hello from me!

[ Reply to This ]
Thanks Johannes &mdash 03/05/07 - 10:53:35 AM
.. I'm always confusing people in the lid descriptions, hard to make it all clear ..
the mandolin player on this recording is me, so thanks!..
but that part was completely written and originally performed by my old flat mate Chris, so all credit goes to his composing skills.

The penny-whistle-ish organ part *was* 'a best of' the original violin part, which also was for the most part written also by the original performer (violinist) Barney - I did some steering of his improvs to get a more set part I liked, that was all.

Drums are nearly all largely based by referencing the original drummers performance, so credit to me old mate Mathew (he visits), but the stop starty stuff was my influence :P

[ Reply to This ]
Yes! &mdash 03/05/07 - 05:39:14 PM
Positive and energetic! Great vocal performances. I really like the organ in this. Ahhh....the mando just kicked in...excellent! A great bit of tuneage here. I just love folk-rock!

Be well!


http://www.macjams.com/song/29727

[ Reply to This ]
Thanks Mike &mdash 03/05/07 - 06:38:45 PM
..appreciate it.

[ Reply to This ]
A great slab of infectious poppiness! &mdash 03/05/07 - 08:04:40 PM
Very lively - would have been lots of fun live, I'd have been dancing around like a right ejit.

KK

PS - Olbas oil pastels will sort out that catarrh problem! ;)

[ Reply to This ]
Thanks KK .. &mdash 03/06/07 - 05:27:17 AM
.. of course you know what I'm going to say. Shagmuffin!
No .. that wasn't it .. any window appearing in your
schedule, I would so much love to hear this with fiddle
playing the organ part and more.

[ Reply to This ]
Awesome tune! &mdash 03/05/07 - 10:56:17 PM
Love the snappy writing (1st verse is hilarious, a definite hook) and the mandolin. Great production values, all instruments very solid. Very nice listen.

[ Reply to This ]
Thanks Joe &mdash 03/06/07 - 05:29:39 AM
for listening and the compliments, appreciate it.

[ Reply to This ]
love this!! &mdash 03/06/07 - 12:53:29 AM
What a freakin' delight! What a great chorus. Exceptionaly lyrics and production. I love Estelle's voice. This is soooo easy to love. And what's really great, is it's paced just right. I'm so anxious to get back around to the chorus and then, suddenly we're there again. It's quite lovely. The mandolin is a great touch. It's nice to know the dedication to your old buddies. All that's left to say is thank you so much for giving and sharing this music with us. It's outstanding. I'm going to try like hell to not get that chorus stuck in my head! Where there's a will there's a way...

[ Reply to This ]
Thanks Kelli &mdash 03/07/07 - 08:06:34 AM
..too kind. Estellie is always a pleasure to work with and
this was no exception. I like the contrast between our voices
myself: her in tune and me out of tune .. lol.

Having those harmonies at the chorus and elsewhere did make a huge difference.

The pacing and structure is crucial to these folk-pop things
and I'm very pleased you liked that and if this ever
achieved any commercial success or revenue I'd make sure
me old mates would get their dues: about 1 pint each if
they're lucky.

Keep on singing, whistling, humming etc that chorus ...
it was I think my first attempt at writing something 'deliberately' catchy, if I recall correctly, got lucky :o)


[ Reply to This ]
Whoooooo... &mdash 03/06/07 - 05:29:12 AM
I still love this song and Estellie's vocals are the icing on the cake. I'm sorry I wasn't up to the job but you've obviously managed very nicely without me! :)

It remains one of the finest feelgood songs I've heard on MacJams or anywhere else, the mandolin is sublime, and I hope you'll release this and all your other stuff on an album soon.

[ Reply to This ]
Thanks Rebsie :o) &mdash 03/07/07 - 07:30:58 AM
.. appreciate you having given it a go all the same, I owe you one. Being an older previously 'finished' song, I was
fairly set in my ways as to the backing parts etc - I'll definitely be keeping you in mind for future things that are new and completely open, more blank page writing.

I love all this cake talk ... hmmmm ... cake :o)

[ Reply to This ]
Excellent &mdash 03/10/07 - 03:43:15 PM
I was a big fan of the initial instrumental track you posted several months back. I really like what you've done with this. Can't think of a thing that would improve it. Kudos.

[ Reply to This ]
Thanks very much JT .. &mdash 03/11/07 - 05:41:46 AM
.. I've still got fiddle ambitions for this song, then it's
done .. er, I think :o). Very cool illustration work you
do btw, http://www.jtmorrow.com/ for those who haven't taken
a look.

[ Reply to This ]
Lava likes &mdash 03/27/07 - 08:46:13 AM
You have a lot of comments on this one. I think you guys are great. Like the little country feel. Original. Like the style.

[ Reply to This ]
... &mdash 03/28/07 - 10:57:04 AM
thanks, appreciate it.

[ Reply to This ]
Lovely &mdash 03/27/07 - 04:56:38 PM
Great song. Very infectious voice, you got there; and interesting, personable lyrics to go with it. And, oh, that Yahama sounds GORGEOUS!

Nice to meet you, Alan! :O)

[ Reply to This ]
.. &mdash 03/28/07 - 11:02:46 AM
thanks Shimky .. I figure if I confuse everyone with the lyrics, they won't notice the averageness of my voice so
much and now, you can even listen to Estella's sweet voice
instead ;o)

Glad you liked the guitar sound - I worked on improving
that, making it less bright and edgy as it was in the
previous version.

[ Reply to This ]
very upbeat &mdash 03/27/07 - 05:10:41 PM
Very happy song sir. I feel like Im a kid again listening to this. Great production.

[ Reply to This ]
.. &mdash 03/28/07 - 11:21:22 AM
thanks very much Mitchell. Ah.. the elixir of youth. Sometimes it takes being childlike again to embrace that we are all quite different and it's nothing to fight about.

Dig your "Step up" post btw

[ Reply to This ]
Great Stuff &mdash 03/29/07 - 04:26:51 PM
Nice mix... great song... not much I can add to what has already been said. Thanks for sharing.

[ Reply to This ]
Cheers John .. &mdash 03/29/07 - 04:41:47 PM
.. glad you stopped by and registered your appreciation all the same.

[ Reply to This ]
nice work apb and estellie &mdash 03/29/07 - 06:34:53 PM
Solid writing and production. I like the way the guitars and vocals are a bit crisp and sparkly. Very nice!

[ Reply to This ]
... &mdash 03/30/07 - 10:09:40 AM
thanks pv .. hopefully an improvement on those parts in this
version (see previous version). Estella did a first rate
job too.

[ Reply to This ]
Fun song! &mdash 03/30/07 - 06:53:48 AM
Quite the troops & circle of 'friends'

c'est la vie, heh? Great song, Alan.

. - Harold

[ Reply to This ]
:o) &mdash 03/30/07 - 10:07:04 AM
thanks Harold. Wow .. with that description I'll be doing
music for the next Lion King sequel before long .. down
Simba! ;o)

[ Reply to This ]
Nice menagerie &mdash 03/30/07 - 01:33:45 PM
Man, my mind went so many places with this one. The world is so weird. Every day. Nice menagerie of neighbors, relatives and coworkers you've captured. I liked the female backing sounds alot.

[ Reply to This ]
... &mdash 03/30/07 - 05:19:31 PM
thank you, too kind. Glad you picked up on the menagerie of personalities, it was intended as something for everyone to relate to: if there is anything I like most it is to play with people minds with my lyrics. The world is indeed trully weird and thank your maker for that, as otherwise we wouldn't fit in would we? lol
MJer Estellie provides the excellent backing on this. Please check out her stuff here

[ Reply to This ]
Come on, Ella! &mdash 04/01/07 - 08:03:41 AM
As a big fan of Estellas, I can't believe I missed this track being posted. Great work guys - lovely upvbeat number with some really nice, funny lyrics.

I'm off to listen to this again!

Steve

[ Reply to This ]
... &mdash 04/01/07 - 10:27:08 AM
too RA! too RA! too RA!, yay ;o)

[ Reply to This ]
Wow &mdash 04/06/07 - 02:23:33 PM
Gotta join your group of admirers...I like everything about this. Composition and lyrics/playing and singing/production.

Great stuff!

[ Reply to This ]
... &mdash 04/06/07 - 07:49:51 PM
thanks Bob, glad you stopped in for a listen and enjoyed this
old favourite- I'll need to check out your posts too.

[ Reply to This ]
Ready For Prime Time &mdash 04/07/07 - 11:21:22 PM
Fantastic tune. Hear a little bit of irish music in the melody but just a smidgen. Very infectious good time tune. This is what the people want.

[ Reply to This ]
... &mdash 04/10/07 - 06:13:33 PM
thanks very much Tom. Bound to be a little celtic influence
in my stuff from time to time. I had a fair amount of help
on this one, with it being a 'solo' remake of a much earlier
rendition.

[ Reply to This ]
.. &mdash 05/06/07 - 05:34:14 PM
..and by 'solo' I mean of course with Estella's help now
too .. but without any of the old band... oh, you know what
I meant lol.

[ Reply to This ]
This is going on my podcast &mdash 05/20/07 - 02:30:10 PM
Thanks for reminding me about this track and it's nice to hear the new version, finally. The plan is that it will go on the third edition of my podcast music show (I'm working on the second episode at the moment so expect the third edition to pop up sometime around mid-late June time). Lots to like here!

[ Reply to This ]
... &mdash 05/21/07 - 03:59:08 AM
thanks very much Ian. I am flattered... and I hardly needed
to remind you about this one at all ;) Please mention the
characters in this song are fictitious and any resemblance
to any person or persons alive or dead or events are purely coincidental. One doesn't want oneself to get in a pickle
does one? :)

Oh and it is free to download a nice fresh mp3 of this song from this site, or alternatively people can send me huge sums of money -if they want me to remove it from the site
and focus on my day-job :)

Looking forward to podcast #2 in the interim.

[ Reply to This ]
wow &mdash 08/15/07 - 04:15:09 PM
This is a great song. Love the guitar and mandolin,the mix is crisp and clear, never seem to be able to get it like that myself. Envy your voice and production skills... Keep it up!

[ Reply to This ]
Skol Thomas ... &mdash 08/16/07 - 02:26:36 PM
.. thanks alot. I have been known to dabble .. seriously though, I just started with computer recording just before I joined MJs... so I'm learning and learning .. you get lots of friendly advice here.

I will probably have another go at 'mastering' this .. using some new toys I have aquired....er, sometime .. when I get the chance ..

Estellie did a great job too on the backing vocals.

[ Reply to This ]
hey man &mdash 12/18/07 - 10:42:38 PM
I came over after hearing the rebsie live version...
this is more polished and a very cool song...
I see why they covered it
good stuff
HH

[ Reply to This ]
Thank you Timothy &mdash 12/20/07 - 03:23:41 AM
.. glad you followed the crumbs that led from MJ UK
live version to here... always been a fun to perform and
quite popular song this one. I plan at least one more version: hopefully with fiddle and then another go at mastering it with
my fairly recently aquired Ozone 3 AU plug-in.

[ Reply to This ]
This is awesome. &mdash 01/18/08 - 01:13:01 AM
Superb collab!

[ Reply to This ]