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SONG STATS:
Hits: 3285
Comments: 40
Votes: 44
Plays: 982
Last Played: Sep 10, 2008 - 07:47:10 PM
Downloads: 146
Fans: 16
Uploaded: Dec 29, 2004 - 07:43:32 PM
Last Updated: Dec 29, 2004 - 04:12:33 PM
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Description:
I took the lyrics from Leadbelly's original "Goodnight Irene", added some verses of my own, and put it to an entirely new melody. Originally, I'd planned to do a strait cover of the song. My father used to sing it to me as a lullaby and that was the only version I knew for most of my life. Now I know there are like a million different covers of it. So when I got together with my friend to record this at his house I just felt inspired to try something different with it. This was my first time arranging a song with more than just my voice and guitar, and it was a great feeling hearing it come together.

Hardware:
G3, Taylor accoustic, and my friend's nice equipment.

Software:
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Awesome Version of Awesome Song &mdash 12/29/04 - 08:32:08 PM
Excellent performance, soulful singing and beautiful
production.

I've even heard variations of the lyrics that I (mis?)
interpreted to mean that the singer killed Irene.

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Awesome Version of Awesome Song &mdash 12/29/04 - 08:53:54 PM
Leadbelly seemed to change the lyrics each time he sang it. I have some
vague recollection of a version like that.

I'm glad you liked this.

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Beautiful &mdash 12/30/04 - 02:05:39 AM
I'm sorry I don't know the original song but I really like
how you did it. I thought the vocals are too separated
from the backing track... maybe because of the vocal
effect. But still I love the vocals. I love the way you express
your feeling.
Thank you for sharing.


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Beautiful &mdash 12/30/04 - 02:15:16 AM
Thanks, Mars. I'm honored. The original is a classic old blues tune. Just an
old man singing and playing his guitar.

Unfortunately, I only have the mixed down version of this and can't make the
various tweaks that I'd like to make.

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Wooh, what a voice &mdash 12/30/04 - 04:39:05 AM
I don't know the original song (though that probably
doesn't matter since you've given it a new melody
anyway) but I love the vocals here and the expression
which has gone into it. Great stuff. Keep 'em coming.

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great version of a classic &mdash 12/30/04 - 08:20:14 AM
I really like the original and you can't go wrong with source material so strong. The little variation on the melody really grew on me. I might have liked to hear a really ripping guitar solo somewhere in the middle, but it did build nicely as it is, so maybe that would only have been a distracting afterthought.
I might agree with the vocal effect being a little too strong. Maybe if you were to have the same track un-effected, and blend the two together(having some verses un-effected), it would make the effecting seem a little more subtle. But then who am I do criticize effected vocals, I do it all the time myself...lol !

I'm sort of interested in what the great equipment was, as this sounds really nice. It's really hard to do a song in 3 in Garageband as the Apple Loop selection is pretty limited in anything but 4.

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great version of a classic &mdash 12/30/04 - 12:56:24 PM
Thanks. I was thinking a good slide guitar solo would fit in there but I'm just
not that good of a guitarist. As far as what the equipment was, I can't recall.
I'll have to ask my friend in L.A.. All I know is that it was a dream to sing into
that mic.

I've since moved from L.A. to Austin and only have the mixed down version,
so I can't change anything right now. Next time I'm in L.A. I hope to get
together with my friend and finish the track up. There are a number of things
I'd like to change/adjust, including some things that you guys here have
commented on.

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nice! &mdash 12/30/04 - 09:36:13 AM
I like the arrangement of this song. your vocals are great! I wish I could sing like this.

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Astounding sound design! &mdash 12/30/04 - 10:30:02 AM
Wo! Such great textures, such attention to little details,
great mixing. Great Kevin Gilbert vocals. But those
touches you've added throughout... masterful! Man, this
is top notch arrangement and, audio design, performance.
Simply great. (Altho the vocals sound "in a can" and, altho
this worked within the sound of the track, perhaps created
by a vocal doubler? But this is minor. Great track!)

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Astounding sound design! &mdash 12/30/04 - 01:23:47 PM
Thanks Tobin. Those comments mean a lot to me. This was my first time
really arranging music like this. My musical ideas have always been beyond
my actual playing skill and I never played in a band, so this was the first time
hearing the music in my head out loud (other than just solo on my guitar). It
felt natural and I realized that even though I work as an artist I have never
experienced as much pleasure in creating something as I do when I'm
creating music. I still have a lot to learn and I'm still finding my voice, but I
feel like I'm on to something. I'm so glad there is a place like MacJams where
I can intereact with so many talented people with so many styles and
backgrounds. It's great to hear music from people who are developing and
discovering their musical selves.

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great song &mdash 12/30/04 - 02:33:23 PM
The attention paid to sonic detail here is incredible.
I even like the "in a can" vocals - it adds to the
uniqueness. I'm downloading this one for sure...

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Just sounds great &mdash 12/30/04 - 05:20:36 PM
Stunning voice too. Shame about the abrupt end but so
what when the rest is this good..? I have heard worse
produced/ played and sung tracks on records....(even
played on one...oops...)

Wow.

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Great Twist &mdash 12/30/04 - 06:51:20 PM
Great twist on an ole tune,

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Great Twist &mdash 12/30/04 - 06:56:19 PM
Great twist on an ole tune,

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Fantastic Voice! &mdash 12/31/04 - 03:20:50 AM
This is a great track, I dont know the original either but,
what you have done here is excellent.
You really have a great voice and it really suits this music.

Great melody ..

More!

SlimGirlFat



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Best version &mdash 12/31/04 - 09:08:50 AM
I've heard of this old classic folk tune. You've added a new
perspective to the interpretation. Production quality is
superb. Maybe try a gradual fade-out for the ending next
time.

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lullaby that rocks more than the cradle &mdash 12/31/04 - 11:26:50 AM
fantastic sound. and the 6/8 feel has this great street feel, like walking aimlessly. the voice in a can gives the singer a walled-in sense, caught in an obsession about someone he can't have. the little swooshy sounds and use of wah (or something) filtering other bell-like sounds is so cool. such a great rush into the chorus. great pacing and use of building into those repeats! oh my my my. leadbelly is very proud, yes indeed. and your father. (quit a lullaby to sing to a child. did he sing it with this level of emotion and obsessiveness?). (but, maybe fix the ending so it doesn't just stop?

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lullaby that rocks more than the cradle &mdash 12/31/04 - 01:20:08 PM
Thanks for all the comments.
No, my dad didn't sing it this way. hehehe. I don't think that would make a
very good lullaby. He sang the original melody, which is still my favorite.

As far as the ending goes, as a few people have commented on, it ends that
way because I never got to finish working on it. I'm hoping to be able to
finish this and a number of other song recordings that I started at my friend's
home "studio" in L.A. before I moved to Austin. The day-job and long
stretches out of the country have delayed the process.

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slowwww.. &mdash 12/31/04 - 04:45:15 PM
but good! man, you have a killer voice. i really like the
depth of sound you have created & the 'lyrics in a can'
don't bug me much either-maybe just back off the reverb
a touch. really great tune

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Whoa! &mdash 01/01/05 - 04:40:25 AM
I loved this. Oh man, I mean purely loved this. Sure you
borrowed some lyrics, but this sounds nothing like the
original folk song. Wonderful vocal performance and
treatment.

Fanned and downloaded.

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Can't... &mdash 01/01/05 - 06:56:03 AM
really expand on anything that's already been said about this tune. I'll just say I enjoyed it very much. Fantastic voice and mix. Thanks for sharing it here.

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expressive voice! &mdash 01/01/05 - 09:48:02 AM
You *DO* have a great voice! It's very expressive, and
suits the musical material presented here well.

Many interesting sounds on this track, mixed with
imagination. Very pleasing to the ears. The arrangement is
very full and lush, but not cluttered. It's well-balanced.

Keep exploring your own sound....you're onto something
REALLY fine! Thanks for sharing your songs here.

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amazing &mdash 01/01/05 - 12:28:08 PM
not much to say that hasn't been said - amazing song,
amazing vocals!

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Wow &mdash 01/03/05 - 01:38:09 PM
Once I got through the first minute of it, I was pretty sure I was able to pin the original down. But I'm still not entirely positive.

Great mix, great music, great vocals.

Who says you need a big studio and millions of dollars to make great music?

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Wow &mdash 01/03/05 - 01:52:33 PM
Thanks. This is the only track from those sessions at my friend Todd's house
that I have uploaded to MJ. The others are in a strange state, too polished
overall to get away with some of the parts that are still rough. Someday, I
hope I'll be able to go back there and finish what we started. Todd has a
garage studio (basically a garage with some equipment and a couch in it). I
decided to name the album that all of this music would potentially go on "The
Blanket Sessions" because the 'sound booth' was just a thick blanket we
strung up in the corner of the room, and on one or two nights I pulled it
down to sleep in.

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Well crafted &mdash 01/03/05 - 01:59:11 PM
I really liked the backing instrumentation for this piece,
but the vocal treatment rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe
somthing with a little less distortion would work. Well
crafted song though. Great production.

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Can do &mdash 01/05/05 - 12:10:33 AM
The vocal doubling places your voice behind the
instruments. TEs, it sounds likes your singing inside
a large can. That's not good unless you want to have
it simulate a live bar performance. If you duped the
lead vocal in GB and accidentally offset just a tad it
could have created that hollow sounding phase shift.
Sometimes that's cool, sometimes not. Or did you
apply a GB phaser filter to a single track? The way I
prefer to handle the lead voice is to have one
instance of the lead vocal that is centered and has
only Male Basic applied to it (minimal or no reverb).
With a carefully duped lead voice track, I will apply a
reverb effect to spread my voice to lightly "fill the
room" (sometimes throwing it to the right or left,
sometimes keeping it centered). I usually shy away
from phaser effects. The wrong MAster Track filter
can also multiply reverb and phaser effects to the
point where the lead "voices" (vocals and
instruments) lose their crispness and immediacy.

Having said all that, I see above that some like this
just the way it is. My ramblings are probably
irrelevant.

Anyway, great song! I am familiar with the original
and you do justice to it! You have a great voice and
have melded the instruments to it in expert fashion.

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Can do &mdash 01/05/05 - 12:45:20 AM
Thanks for the input. As I've mentioned to people above, unfortunately I
don't have the working project for this mix. It was done a couple of years ago
at my friend's home using Digital Performer and I only have the mixdown. I
moved from L.A. to Austin before we had a chance to finish working on this
and a number of other tracks. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to go back there
and finish things up with my friend. Until then, I'll keep the good advise I've
recieved in mind. There are a number of things I'd like to adjust, rework, and
add to the mix. I went a little bit crazy with some of the processing; it was all
such a novelty at the time.

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I love this song! &mdash 01/11/05 - 11:27:17 AM
This song is song with great passion and conviction. Outstanding! Bottom line- THIS ROCKS!

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More than a cover &mdash 01/12/05 - 01:23:40 PM
Much more than a cover. Didn't know the words were that potent. Well conceived and carried out. Very entertaining way of presenting it, vital and fresh.

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uTunes on iTunes &mdash 02/06/05 - 07:22:37 PM
Great sound. I don't think you should really listen to
anyone suggesting changes, except a softer landing on
the end. You have a sound that is goosebumpy cool. Stay
with it. Tour. Post on iTunes... Your voice should touch
everyone.

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uTunes on iTunes &mdash 07/28/05 - 01:14:56 AM
Thanks, EdensEve. Looks like I've gotten behind on replying to comments.
Yeah, the ending is the raw untied ends of a work in progress that never got
finished because I moved away from where my friend and his home studio were.

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Wow.. &mdash 02/18/05 - 02:07:09 PM
This is one of the best songs i ever heard...
by the limitations in English i have to say in Swedish: dra
åt helvete vilken bra låt så jäkla bra mixat..... its means
WoooW!!!!!

Thompa

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Your Sampler Reminded Me &mdash 03/03/05 - 06:08:50 AM
Since I have been putting together a list of favorites, to
add this.

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great &mdash 04/26/05 - 03:54:54 PM
i love this...and i don't like this song at all. way to
bring new life. great stuff man, really great stuff.

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great &mdash 07/28/05 - 01:19:25 AM
Thanks, twonicus. There are a tone of different cover versions of this song and
most of them that I've heard are terrible. Michelle Shocked did a real nice one
though. I learned the song (at least the chorus) as a child from my father
singing it to me. Never heard any other version until I was an adult.

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Youth and Age &mdash 07/27/05 - 08:13:43 PM
As fine a cover, if you can call it that, as I've heard. You have
a very interesting voice. Youthful and old, all at once. Perfect
for the song and they way you've renewed it.

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Youth and Age &mdash 07/28/05 - 01:11:07 AM
Thanks. That means a lot to me coming from an accomplished musician such as
yourself.

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wow &mdash 08/23/05 - 09:44:34 PM
wonderful vocals and guitar...great mix and professional production

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another listen... &mdash 06/03/06 - 05:44:04 PM
just listening to my playlist and heard this again ... amazing song.




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