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The Edge of The World by Jim Bouchard [Email]

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SONG STATS:
Hits: 294
Comments: 13
Votes: 2
Plays: 46
Last Played: Nov 24, 2008 - 01:37:11 AM
Downloads: 11
Fans: 12
Uploaded: Sep 14, 2008 - 09:22:09 PM
Last Updated: Sep 14, 2008 - 09:22:09 PM
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Description:
I recorded this back in 1994 on cassette 8-track with Ken Selcer and all I had was a cassette of it. I recently got Peak Pro 6 with Soundsoap and did a little remastering from the cassette and this is the result. I don't know if my cassette player was playing this at the right speed, as my voice sounds a little off, but maybe that's just because I am 14 years younger in this recording.

When I recorded this,I'd just started writing songs again after a long time, in the middle of an unhappy divorce, and this one was inspired by a Richard Ford short story, but maybe twisted into a shape that fit my life at the time. At the time I was playing a lot of open mics and this was a sort of popular song in my repertoire at the time. I know my friend Molly Bancroft liked it a lot. I mean to do a new recording of this, but I need to re-learn it. This is step one.

In terms of the recording, this was done pretty much live in the studio with Ken engineering. The studio was his living room, but he had some nice mics and a good resume for recording my type of music.

Lyrics:
I'll transcribe them soon
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Nice Tune &mdash 09/14/08 - 09:31:07 PM
I like the melody, and the guitar pickin' is just what I like. Look forward to you giving it your modern treatment. I'll have to listen a few more times to get the whole, but I dig the off the edge of the world imagery.

Joe

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The Edge of The World &mdash 09/14/08 - 10:58:11 PM
perfect folkie tune ...there s a bit of hiss on my
headset but thats much better than any recording I did
was impressed how this so clear even if it came from
a cassette ??!!! ..the sphere of the song just so
passionate amazingly touched by it ...thnx alot for
sharin !!!!

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soundin fine &mdash 09/15/08 - 06:20:03 AM
not a nit with the vocal at my end, it all sounds warm and spot on. I really enjoyed the cadence and progression as well. The stops and slight pauses here and there gave it a very spontaneous feel.

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nice and warm &mdash 09/15/08 - 08:47:20 AM
Would be cool to see and hear you do this live. There's opened a new scene with open mic availabilities in my home town, Stavanger. So if you're in the area...

Pleasant song, great guitar picking and singing and its always nice to peak into what people here at mj did ealier on.

My brother also had a studio already in the eighties, with a Revox A77 as his first tape recorder... brought back some nice memories:)

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Pretty clear... &mdash 09/15/08 - 09:13:32 AM
...coming off a cassette. Nice song, full of emotion in the voice. It occurs to me - you're probably familiar with Irish singer/songwriter David Gray - well there's something in the melody which is very much like his stuff circa White Ladder - you were about 5 years ahead of his time :-))

Anyway, whatever - I like it!

Phil

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good call! &mdash 09/15/08 - 09:45:12 AM
His first album came out around the time this was recorded(White Ladder was like his 4th album, I think), but I don't think I was thinking of him when I wrote the song to begin with, but by the time I made this recording I'd started doing a cover of "Shine" from the first David Gray album in my sets and that influence sneaked in somehow.
Some of the emotion in the vocal is due to the fact that this was tracked live, and so perhaps the performance is less than perfect, but I was going for an authentically emotive performance over perfection. That's probably why I want to re-do this. I just got the idea because I was getting a ride from an old buddy of mine that I don't see very often and he was listening to this old tape of mine that had this song on it. I'd almost forgotten about it, but he said he was really into this song, having just gone through a breakup himself, sort of.

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thanks &mdash 09/15/08 - 10:58:39 AM
I learn things from you. Great folky as well as when you're plugged in. And yes, those mics must have been incredible. Sound is sterling.

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jim &mdash 09/15/08 - 03:05:04 PM
you are really sounding great in this one. everything sounds great. i forgot about the hiss as soon as I started to listen to the song. your voice and guitar both sound really nice and the song itself is a great folk tune. funny how such a "dated" form of music sounds so fresh, especially when performed by someone who has a visibly genuine love of it. great job.

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Amazing sound for a cassette recording &mdash 09/15/08 - 11:29:12 PM
Great tune (and you do sound a lot younger). Reminds me of Van Morrison in the phrasing.

Cheers,
Neil

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Real personal &mdash 09/16/08 - 12:23:41 AM
Great performance
I feel the blue
i can relate
don't touch this
perfect
tm
it must have been so cool to get in a friends car and hear something u kind of forgot about!

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Lots &mdash 09/17/08 - 12:13:51 PM
of feeling in this.I never would have known it was from a cassette.I envy your songwriting and vocal abilities.Very tasty guitar playing.

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Wow... &mdash 09/17/08 - 09:33:32 PM
It's a nice, beautiful, heartfelt tune. It's amazing how quickly we forget how our voices sound after a decade or so, but yours certainly sounds great here. Lovely tune.

And amazing that you got something this crisp and clean off of a cassette after all these years. Well worth the effort.

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don't know if this helps... &mdash 11/20/08 - 03:56:11 AM
but i heard the new version of this first, and one thing I notice hearing this, is that the words sound clearer to me in this version.

not sure why that might be. it could just be because I've heard it twice now. or it might be a mixing issue. just food for thought.

this is a beautiful vocal performance, very emotive. i can see why it resonated with your audiences.

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