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This song started over 2 years ago. It's another track from the still unfinished Celebrity Torture project I'm writing with Graeme Hobbs from my old band.
He gave me some lyrics and a melody with the vague notion of a ska song. Whatever I tried didn't seem to work but I couldn't get the melody out of my head. A few weeks ago the melody had become so insistent that I just started banging it out on the 12 string acoustic, added another verse and this is what happened.
Celebrity Torture is a game show like X Factor or American Idol. The winner gets to be famous and live happily ever after. In this song our hero has finally made it big and thinks he's got it made but that's not how it works.
I don't think I've ever spent quite so long mixing a song. Partly because I mixed it in Logic and wasn't sure what I was doing half the time and partly because I didn't really know what sound I was after. That's why I sent it to Steve Nylander http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_music.cfm?bandID=504263 one of the Zoom Home Recording musicians who has a reputation for "magic ears". Luckily he also plays a mean bass so I asked him to play bass as well as help with the mix on this. I can't thank Steve enough for the help, advice and suggestions he made during the creation of this song.
I then asked Pete Young http://www.bluevale.net/ another Zoom musician to add some backing vocals (nice aaahs Pete!). He also gave some very good feedback on the mixes.
Apart from thanking Steve and Pete I'm also grateful to Tim de Ferrars (Macferret) and Charles Evans (Sir Dennis Crowther) for honest, constructive crits of the mixes I sent them.
I played all the percussion (not the drum loops of course!)and managed to use a few instruments that don't often get a look in here
Mostly tracked in GB and then mixed in Logic.
Dick: vocals, acoustic and electric 12 string, 6 string electric, uke, banjo, tambo, shakers, cajon, wooden stick thing
Steve: bass
Pete: harmony vocals
House of Straw © 2009/2011 Hobbs/Langford
Well we were tempted by forbidden fruit
As they lied they smiled and smiling slyly hid the truth
I know that we were greedy and easily led
But the wolves are always hungry and they're wanting to be fed
We're living in a house of straw, wild winds are blowing
So hold me close don't let me go
We're living in a house of straw, wild winds are blowing
So hold me close don't let me go
They'd leave us ruined as those those went before
And their heavy threats are pushing up against our door
But there's one thing I have left that's guaranteed and true
It's my love, it's my love for you
We're living in a house of straw, wild winds are blowing
So hold me close don't let me go
We're living in a house of straw, wild winds are blowing
So hold me close don't let me go
Now they've come to take what I thought I owned
Never realised, it was only just a loan
This is such a cruel world and I don't know what to do
But I could lose all that I have as long as I kept you
We're living in a house of straw, wild winds are blowing
So hold me close don't let me go
We're living in a house of straw, wild winds are blowing
So hold me close don't let me go
He gave me some lyrics and a melody with the vague notion of a ska song. Whatever I tried didn't seem to work but I couldn't get the melody out of my head. A few weeks ago the melody had become so insistent that I just started banging it out on the 12 string acoustic, added another verse and this is what happened.
Celebrity Torture is a game show like X Factor or American Idol. The winner gets to be famous and live happily ever after. In this song our hero has finally made it big and thinks he's got it made but that's not how it works.
I don't think I've ever spent quite so long mixing a song. Partly because I mixed it in Logic and wasn't sure what I was doing half the time and partly because I didn't really know what sound I was after. That's why I sent it to Steve Nylander http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_music.cfm?bandID=504263 one of the Zoom Home Recording musicians who has a reputation for "magic ears". Luckily he also plays a mean bass so I asked him to play bass as well as help with the mix on this. I can't thank Steve enough for the help, advice and suggestions he made during the creation of this song.
I then asked Pete Young http://www.bluevale.net/ another Zoom musician to add some backing vocals (nice aaahs Pete!). He also gave some very good feedback on the mixes.
Apart from thanking Steve and Pete I'm also grateful to Tim de Ferrars (Macferret) and Charles Evans (Sir Dennis Crowther) for honest, constructive crits of the mixes I sent them.
I played all the percussion (not the drum loops of course!)and managed to use a few instruments that don't often get a look in here
Mostly tracked in GB and then mixed in Logic.
Dick: vocals, acoustic and electric 12 string, 6 string electric, uke, banjo, tambo, shakers, cajon, wooden stick thing
Steve: bass
Pete: harmony vocals
House of Straw © 2009/2011 Hobbs/Langford
Well we were tempted by forbidden fruit
As they lied they smiled and smiling slyly hid the truth
I know that we were greedy and easily led
But the wolves are always hungry and they're wanting to be fed
We're living in a house of straw, wild winds are blowing
So hold me close don't let me go
We're living in a house of straw, wild winds are blowing
So hold me close don't let me go
They'd leave us ruined as those those went before
And their heavy threats are pushing up against our door
But there's one thing I have left that's guaranteed and true
It's my love, it's my love for you
We're living in a house of straw, wild winds are blowing
So hold me close don't let me go
We're living in a house of straw, wild winds are blowing
So hold me close don't let me go
Now they've come to take what I thought I owned
Never realised, it was only just a loan
This is such a cruel world and I don't know what to do
But I could lose all that I have as long as I kept you
We're living in a house of straw, wild winds are blowing
So hold me close don't let me go
We're living in a house of straw, wild winds are blowing
So hold me close don't let me go
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magnatone
Hi Dick - this is just WONDERFUL! what a catchy, addictive tune - so well done. love the cool solo work at about 1:45. vocals are terrific - this is EXCELLENT!!