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Angel of Bedlam - with Sir Dennis Crowther & macferret by DWL

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SONG STATS:
Hits: 707
Comments: 40
Votes: 7
Plays: 63
Last Played: Jul 03, 2009 - 09:51:06 PM
Downloads: 34
Fans: 20
Uploaded: Dec 24, 2008 - 05:36:59 PM
Last Updated: Dec 24, 2008 - 05:44:16 PM
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Description:
A rather dark Christmas song collab of the MJ board and the Zoom home recording board http://zoomforum.us/

Tim de Ferrars (macferret on MJ) played the guitar solo and wrote the song other credits go to ....

Bass guitar: Tracey Leu (from the Zoom board)
Drums: Kirk Brandham (from the Zoom board)
Guitars, keys and chorus vocals: Charles Evans (Sir Dennis Crowther)
Lead vocals, production: Dick Langford
Spanish lyrics: Tomas de-Camino (Zoom)
Lead guitar, keys, backing vocals and song: Tim de Ferrars
Recorded on Garageband, Roland V-Drums TD-6V/MRS 1608, Cubase. Mixed and mastered in Logic Pro.

No angels were hurt in the making of this recording.


Lyrics:
Angel of Bedlam © Tim de Ferrars 2008

VERSE 1
Smoke is hanging heavy
Among the spires of old London.
The sun sets red as blood in the corrupted sky.
An icy fog is heading
Down the steps of an old dungeon
It's got its fingers in our blood and the fever's running high.

VERSE 2
It's dark as the grave
And deep underground
Weary souls are huddling for a warmth that can't be found.
No-one knows who she is or why it is she came:
She moves without sound
And touches the brow of the mad and the damned.

CHORUS
She's an angel
The angel of Bedlam.
We believe she can save us
The angel of Bedlam.

VERSE 3
Dark hearts are beating now,
Teaching our children to hate.
Feuds and reprisals, death and survival:
All for drab desert real estate.
She's moving among us, making no sound
It's gone too far, she's surely too late.
She'll turn our dark hearts and our hatred around
The angel returns but it's 2008.

CHORUS

VERSE 4
Sunrise in Cuba
The sky paints the sea in quicksilver.
Christmas day, the dying year's at an end.
Fiesta in Cuba
Fiesta en Cuba
Dress well, eat well - and good living.
Trajes finos y comida fina y buena vida
Fiesta in Cuba
Fiesta en Cuba
Wear any colour but orange
Lleva cualquier color menos naranja.



Hardware:
Zoom MRS1608 to record the drums and bass

Software:
GB4 and Logic Pro

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Feter said 192 days ago (December 24th, 2008)
Angel of Bedlam
WOW ...man ...the production just fantastic ..from the
vocals work to the guitars the bass the mixing ..the
directing ..what a brilliant colaboration work and why
not a classic as DWL and Sir Dennis and all the others
working ...just a gem ...thnx alot for sharin !!!!
DWL said 191 days ago (December 25th, 2008)
Thanks Feter
I wish I'd written this but it gave me a chance to go over the top on the vocals :-)

We all really appreciate your comments!

Cheers

Dick
Check out my latest song called Bitter Season (MJRF)
segiperkasa said 192 days ago (December 24th, 2008)
cool...
wow.. that was cool... really cool bluesy touch on the solo.... The bass work and the drum is cool... keep up the good work...
Check out my latest song called Tears of my Guitar
DWL said 191 days ago (December 25th, 2008)
Thanks for dropping by!
And thanks for the comments. Mr Ferrars will be most pleased about the guitar comments.

Having a proper bass player and drummer really helps as well.

Everyone brought their own ideas and somehow it all mashed in together.

Cheers

Dick
Check out my latest song called Bitter Season (MJRF)
Vic Holman said 192 days ago (December 24th, 2008)
excellent team of players
Dick, the whole vibe of this song floors me. sorta p floydish in places

the chorus is what really grabs me. a lot of great instrumentation going on.

excellent work from everyone involved!

Have a Great Christmas!
Check out my latest song called Walk Away
DWL said 191 days ago (December 25th, 2008)
Well Vic
The vibe just grew organically from all the different contributors. I had no idea what I was going to do with it when I started mixing but the drum and bass were really driving it and I just let them drive me :_)

Charles did such a fine job on the chorus. The vocals were just perfect and his guitar work complemented the vocals so well.

And a happy Christmas from us!

Cheers

Dick
Check out my latest song called Bitter Season (MJRF)
sloparts said 192 days ago (December 24th, 2008)
Very cool track Dick.
Excellent arrangement and playing by all, and the lyrics make their point without being over bearing. I like how the mix worked on this, almost like it was casting shadows that you can feel in your soul. I can't explain it any other way my friend.

Magnificent song Dick and very well done.

Ed
Check out my latest song called Schizophrenia
DWL said 191 days ago (December 25th, 2008)
Nice words Ed
Casting shadows sounds great to me.

In the end we just work with the source material and in thsi case it was very, very good and I was lucky enough to be involved.

Happy Christmas :-)

Cheers

Dick
Check out my latest song called Bitter Season (MJRF)
LunaTrick said 192 days ago (December 24th, 2008)
Does my heart good...
to hear a good cockney vocal. Great song... very well put together and some nice harmonies!
Check out my latest song called Day Into Night (w/ Rebsie & MickD)
DWL said 191 days ago (December 25th, 2008)
Cor, fanks matey!
That Mr Evans and 'is 'armonies, ee's a caution.

Cheers

Dick

Check out my latest song called Bitter Season (MJRF)
jiguma said 192 days ago (December 25th, 2008)
Good one Dick!
Wow that chorus sure picks up things!

Great to see a cross-site collab. I hear Floyd in there too - especially once the guitar kicks in.

Very cool stuff.

Happy Christmas to you all.

Cheers,
Neil
Check out my latest song called Shark Attack
DWL said 191 days ago (December 25th, 2008)
Another vote for the chorus!
The boy did well :-)

Thanks Neil.

And a happy Christmas to you and yours. See you next year I believe?

Cheers

Dick


Check out my latest song called Bitter Season (MJRF)
damiengh said 191 days ago (December 25th, 2008)
nice contrasts
Love how the two sections contrast with each other.

Great guitar playing, and Dick, you always bring the drama.

Nice strong stuff here.
Check out my latest song called Tea and Scones
damiengh said 191 days ago (December 25th, 2008)
Wierd
Wierd
But the angel of internet spyware (probably google or cookies), saw me listening here, and amazon promptly sent me an emal that I might be interested in this book:
The Queen of Bedlam
by Robert McCammon

Now I've read books by him, and they are quite good, but it is eerie how our viewing habits are being monitored.


Check out my latest song called Tea and Scones
DWL said 190 days ago (December 26th, 2008)
Thanks Damien!
I also loved the juxtaposition between the verses and the chorus.

It would be wrong to single out one person but Tim wrote the song and we all did what we could and it worked really well.

Weird and frightening indeed the Amazon bit....

Cheers

Dick

Check out my latest song called Bitter Season (MJRF)
DeathArrow said 190 days ago (December 26th, 2008)
lalal
wow this is great !!!
everything is perfect in this song!!!
i love the whole arrangement!!!
cheers, luke
Check out my latest song called Atlantic Sea
DWL said 190 days ago (December 26th, 2008)
Hi Luke!
Thanks a lot, really appreciate the listen.

It was a lot of fun to do and was an amazing song to work with (wish I'd written it!)

Cheers

Dick
Check out my latest song called Bitter Season (MJRF)
echoroom said 189 days ago (December 28th, 2008)
Fookin hell
Dick, I have so many of your songs to catch up on, so i thought i'd start with the latest one - which is typically feckin' genius. Great collab - a really great feeling on this - raw but calming in places. Only negative comment is your vocal sounds a bit muffled in the verses. Tremendous lyric, really evocative

steve
Check out my latest song called Deeper (with Racerat)
DWL said 188 days ago (December 29th, 2008)
Nice to see you back Steve!
Thanks for the comments. As I said above, I wish I'd written the song!

Petard and hoisted come to mind with my vocals. By delivering them with such amateur drama queen dynamics I was struggling to keep an even volume throughout and you're right that got a little lost now and again.

Thanks for the listen

Cheers

Dick




Check out my latest song called Bitter Season (MJRF)
bud said 188 days ago (December 28th, 2008)
This starts off great
and then just gets better and better as it goes along. Love your vocals and production - and that's one classic Gilmour style lead there - excellent tone and attack. Fantastic collab.
Check out my latest song called Zeppy collab
DWL said 187 days ago (December 29th, 2008)
Gilmour is often mentioned
with Tim's guiatr work.

Thanks for the comments Bud :-)

Cheers

Dick
Check out my latest song called Bitter Season (MJRF)
lengold said 188 days ago (December 28th, 2008)
Dark Christmas song
Indeed. What a great listen this is. Fantastic writing and artistry by all. So good to hear something so different. Really enjoyed.
Cheers
Len
Sorry I'm late to this.


Check out my latest song called Brenda Govenda
DWL said 187 days ago (December 29th, 2008)
No need to apologise
I'm continually late :-)

I seem to have struck lucky recently with collaborators who are good writers. Long may it continue.

Thanks Len.

Cheers

Dick


Check out my latest song called Bitter Season (MJRF)
VicDiesel said 188 days ago (December 28th, 2008)
Good collab
1. Cool song. 2. Great drumming. 3a. Good vocals, but. 3b. Not overly fond of the processing on it. 4. Really really nice guitar solo.

In general I think there's a bit much processing going on here. What's that instrument droning on in the far right channel? All that chorusing and lesley-ing makes it hard for the listener to focus. Too much wobble in the sound. Right from the very first second I had the feeling of "hold on, give me a second to get my bearings". Do you have two Hammonds there? Bit much, if you ask me.

Anyway, just my opinion.
Check out my latest song called The flute also dances
DWL said 188 days ago (December 28th, 2008)
Thanks Vic
I really appreciate the close listen.

This song disturbed me when I first heard it. The lyrics and melody conjured a dystopian Dickensian world. It may not be about that at all but for me this was heavy with dark alleys, fog and shadowy movements.

I wanted to disorientate and unsettle the listener and give them the same feeling I got from the lyrics. If it did that to you then I am happy although I appreciate and understand your views.

Many thanks for giving this your attention.

Cheers

Dick


Check out my latest song called Bitter Season (MJRF)
guitapick said 187 days ago (December 29th, 2008)
Damn...
...this is serious music, guys...

Pretty cool that you'd move aside on the guitar work, Dick...you're so good at it...but the guys you've got up there are much more than just "up to the task"...in fact: all the instruments sound great.

Great work, guys...incredible song, all in all.
Check out my latest song called We Grew Up Together
DWL said 186 days ago (December 31st, 2008)
Thanks Bob!
Tim's song, Tim's solo and tbh there was no way I'd get anywhere near would he did anyway :-)

Comments much appreciated.

Cheers

Dick



Check out my latest song called Bitter Season (MJRF)
peacepiano said 186 days ago (December 30th, 2008)
Spooky
Hard rock version of Mac the Knife? Eerie chorus sounds great as a contrast to the verse vocals. Enjoyed this one many times!

Thanks
Bill
Check out my latest song called I Should Have Known
DWL said 186 days ago (December 31st, 2008)
Mac the Knife?
Thanks!

Maybe I was unconsciously channeling Kurt Weill and Threepenny Opera for this. I hadn't considered that but after listening to the Lotte Lenya version again I think you might have a point.

I'll have to ask Tim if his dystopian London was informed in some way by Brecht or Gay's Beggar's Opera.

Thanks for the comments.

Cheers

Dick


Check out my latest song called Bitter Season (MJRF)
MacFerret said 184 days ago (January 1st, 2009)
An interesting parallel
I was in fact drawing on Dickens or possibly some of Peter Ackroyd's darker prose about London, but the Brechtian connection probably does exist somewhere within the Swiss cheese that inhabits my polly. It makes sense now that I listen to Dick's fantastic melodramatic vocal with Threepenny Opera in mind rather than Bill Sykes. I doubt we've got it in us to do a swing version, but it would be worth it to hear Dick doing Bobby Darin!
Anyway I'd like to say thanks to you Dick for performing nothing short of alchemy on the multitude of parts, which were recorded on different kit in several different locations. I think you said you ended up juggling 35 tracks. Bravo!
Cheers,
Tim
Check out my latest song called Ordinary Air
thetiler said 186 days ago (December 30th, 2008)
boy do I get
Cream feeking, I'll bet you were influenced by them. Your bringing back time:)

Thanks for sharing
Check out my latest song called The Bluebird Cafe (with two other guest)
DWL said 184 days ago (January 2nd, 2009)
Cream?
I'm sure Tim would be very pleased to hear that!

Thanks

Dick
Check out my latest song called Bitter Season (MJRF)
woofer3 said 185 days ago (December 31st, 2008)
now then, now then.
a good song, well costructed and performed. A proper song indeed. The chorus is most impressive as is the solo. Excellent work.

John.


Check out my latest song called rise - ep
DWL said 184 days ago (January 2nd, 2009)
Thanks John
As I said before, I wish I'd written it but it was good fun just to be part of the process.

Cheers

Dick
Check out my latest song called Bitter Season (MJRF)
dirigent said 181 days ago (January 4th, 2009)
Angel
Great songwriting, excellently performed.
Fantastic mix and vox!!!
Check out my latest song called La Tarara
DWL said 181 days ago (January 4th, 2009)
Thanks Andreas

Your comments are much appreciated

Cheers

Dick
Check out my latest song called Bitter Season (MJRF)
Bob Rodgers said 176 days ago (January 9th, 2009)
A
great song and this reminds me of Floyd.

Love the chorus and a superb guitar solo with a great tone!

Excellent production and great songwriting.

Bob

Check out my latest song called In My Mind
DWL said 163 days ago (January 22nd, 2009)
Thanks Bob!
All down to Tim really :)

Cheers

Dick
Check out my latest song called Bitter Season (MJRF)
sloparts said 164 days ago (January 21st, 2009)
I can't believe I forgot to Fav this one, I just loved it
I came back for another listen and it's still an awesome track my friend.

Kudos to all and Bravo for stretching out and doing it.

Ed
Check out my latest song called Schizophrenia
DWL said 163 days ago (January 22nd, 2009)
Nice to see you Ed
Thanks for the comments!

I'm pleased you enjoyed it.

Cheers

Dick
Check out my latest song called Bitter Season (MJRF)