Desert Rain Remix - Recording Challenge 2014

For my second decent recording of the year I went back to one of my favorite songs from the 2010 self imposed Song-A-Week challenge. The second song written for that challenge, Desert Rain. This is the original guitar, bass, and lead tracks but with a new vocal and a new mix. Please let me know if you have any critiques as I'm still hearing things I'd like to tweak.

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It's Raining - The Recording Challenge 2014

My good friend, Helen Robertson,  has started a recording challenge in which she is going to record and E.P. every month for the year of 2014. I've decided to piggy back on her motivation and try to do a recording challenge as well. My goal is to make a decent recording every week for 2014 (with the possible exception of two vacation weeks.)  I will be aiming for new recordings, but I may revisit older recordings and touch them up or re-mix them or junk them and use parts for new recordings or re-recordings. But I'll be sure to give some information about the recording process for each song.


This is the first day of the new year and I've already made my first recording. I actually spent about two hours listening to my back catalog of songs but, honestly, it was overwhelming. With over 600 songs to choose from I had no idea where to start. So I took a break and watched the Levon Helm documentary "Ain't In It For My Health" which I highly recommend and a song melody just kind of blurted out of my mouth. I had the lyric done in about fifteen minutes and the music to go with it in less time than that. I spent the rest of the day recording.

I started with a click track on my Roland BR-900CD and recorded two passes of acoustic guitar. I used two mics, an AT2020 and Superlux 241.  I scrapped the first one, but the second sounded decent. While recording I just kind of fell into the arrangement as far as structure goes. It is a fairly quick tempo at 147 bpm and with only three minutes I put in two instrumental breaks and a repeat of the first verse at the end. That got it over the 2:00 mark (which I wasn't sure about until after the recording was done.)

I then recorded a guitalele part. Two more passes using the same mic set up as with the acoustic, but only keeping one take. I then recorded the bass. I recorded the bass straight into the BR-900. This took six or seven passes and I finally just stuck with the last one. I experimented with different tones and settings and even bass-lines. The basic pattern was easy, but I tried a pick, fingers (which I'm not much good at) and longer notes instead of the faster rhythm. Ultimately I used a pick and a faster rhythm and just chose the last take. The take before it might have been better, but I didn't hear anything glaringly wrong so it is what it is at this point.

Then I used EZDrummer to get a drum track which didn't take as long as I thought it would. After a couple of hours of mixing, a dinner break and a return to some tweaking, I'm satisfied with what I have today. Of course, when I listen back tomorrow I may change my mind. Oh, and I have a slight head cold that's been coming on for a day or two. So my hearing is kind of clear/not clear depending on the amount of congestion I have at the moment.

Here is the first track of the year: It's Raining. Feel free to leave me feedback or comments as I'm sure I need lots of input to improve the recording/mixing process. Thanks for listening.

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FAWMstock III And Some Songs

From August 2nd through the 5th my wonderful wife, Phoebe, and I drove up to Wisconsin and attended FAWMstock III. This is the third year in which FAWMers, or songwriters who participate in the February Album Writing Month, have collected to meet and greet each other while writing songs and performing tunes for each other. 

Friday night several of us contributed to writing the lyric and chord progression for the 'Explore the Core' challenge on the 50 Songs In 90 Days songwriting challenge website.  It was lots of fun and a lot of work (believe it or not) was put into it.

On Saturday I was lucky enough to corner Adam Hill to begin writing on a song. Between the two of us we had a darn fine guitar part (if I do say so myself... and I do) but were struggling with the lyric when Nancy walked by and we begged her for help. (Well, sort of.) I should write a song called, 'Nancy Saves The Day.'  I'm pretty darn happy with the song which was my first three way live collaboration. All in person from start to finish in one sitting. I might want to do that some more. We even got to perform it Saturday night at the Spring Green General Store for our friends and some locals.

As The Light Fades by Adam Hill, Nancy Rost and T.C. Elliott
 

And later Saturday afternoon John Crossman and I participated in a song skirmish collaboration. (A songskirmish is a challenge in which the participants get a title and an hour to write and record a song.)  We sat down and wrote a song. It's not the deepest song we've ever written but it sure was fun.

 Ignite by TC Elliott and John Crossman
 

I sure had a lot of fun and hope to do it again. I knew it would be great seeing fellow songwriters from an on-line songwriting challenge in person, but I had no idea I'd love it as much as I did. Here's to next year.

I'd Rather Be Lonely

It's July fourth and the 50 Songs in 90 Days songwriting challenge has begun. I had the idea for this song a week and a half ago and have kind of been mulling it over in my head without really working on it. My biggest question is the lyric. I like the melody: it fits my range pretty well. I like the guitar riff: it works both electric as well as acoustic. But the lyric is a bit less than radio friendly. Finally it occurred to me. Trying to make it pretty would take the 'm'e out of the song. This is the way I think and shows my sense of humor. So I went with it.

You can listen to this song here: T.C. Elliott 'I'd Rather Be Lonely'

  I'd Rather Be Lonely by TC Elliott

Title: I'd Rather Be Lonely
Method of Creation: Guitar riff and chord progression first.
Inspiration/Idea: After listening to some Buck Owens I got a cool little guitar riff going
Time to Write: Started on the 24th of June. Most of the chorus was written. Worked on it about an hour on July 3rd and finished and recorded on July 4th.
Time to Record: At least three hours.
Instrumentation:
Track 1_2: Acoustic Guitar
Track 3_2: Bass Guitar
Track 4_2: Vox
Track 5_3: Electric Guitar
Track 6_3: Lead Guitar
Track 7/8_1: Drums (via Rhythm Editor, bounced)

Key/Chord Progressions: Simple I IV V progression in A
Lyric: 

I'd rather be dead than have to live with you
And have to put up with all the things that you do
You know you done me wrong
That's all you ever do
I'd rather be lonely
I'd rather be lonely
Than to be with you

I'd rather sell my car than have to give you a ride
I'd rather stub my toe than have to walk by your side
You're always on the run
You never tell the truth
I'd rather be lonely
I'd rather be lonely
Than to be with you

I'd rather lose a hand than wipe away your tears
I'd rather go to hell than to ease your fears
Well, you can keep your lies
Now that we are through
I'd rather be lonely
I'd rather be lonely
Than to be with you

I'd rather be lonely
I'd rather be lonely
Than to be with you

Cloud-Cuckoo-Land

So... the plan was to record a song a week in 2011 and have an album (or two or three) done by the end of the year. Well that didn't happen. But I saw this title on songfight and had no idea what the connotation was at all. But I wrote this song and I think it fits pretty well. Feel free to go over there and vote for me and some other good songs till voting ends.






They say I'm living in a Cloud
I'm just one of many
There is quite a crowd
They say I'm living in a Cloud

They say I'm like a cuckoo bird
I'll tell you stories
The strangest that you've heard
They say I'm like a cuckoo bird
(I'm flying high)
(Up in the sky)

No matter where I go
or what I say
How much I wish
How much you pray
It's not your fault
I ended up this way
They say I'm crazy

They say I live in a faerie land
They just don't want
To try and understand
They say I live in a faerie land
(Brownies and pixies and sprites)
(Magical dust and pots of gold)

No matter where I go
or what I say
How much I wish
How much you pray
It's not your fault
I ended up this way
They say I'm crazy

Don't Tell Me That It's Over - Song A Week 2010 - 52

So.... last song a week for 2010. I've officially succeeded in writing at least one song every week of this year. Some songs were better than others, some demos or work tapes were better than others. But I'm happy I stuck with it.

This one was a veiled attempt at writing about an ending, but the lyric is a bit odd. I guess I channeled the end of the challenge into a new direction.






It's been years since you trusted someone else
Now you only pretend
I wonder when you're gonna realize
You've lost your only friend

Don't tell me that it's over
That it's coming to an end
I don't wanna know about
the shit you're always in
Don't tell me that it's over
Our time will be no more
Don't tell me that you loved the ride
As you lock me out your door
Don't tell me that it's over

You say you just refuse to believe
In noble acts
You say this world is built on greed
You just recite the facts

I know it's not the easiest
Thing you've ever done
But when you think about someone else
The better you become

I know you haven't heard a word I've said
So let me set you straight
You're gonna have a meeting in hell
And you won't be late

I'd Do It Again And Again - SAW 2010 - 51

A last minute one. Second to last of the year. One to go. Bout damn time, too.






You come home late from work
And you've had a really bad day
You look tired, you look worn down
You walk into a dirty house
You snap at me as I say hi
You go off at the slightest sound

You say what you say
And I say what I say
We don't always see eye to ey
Through all the trials
The good times and the bad
We are just trying to live our lives
I'd do it again and again

Both the kids start a fight
Ask you what there is to eat
All you want to do is take a break
Hey Mom sissy's touching me
She hit me when I told her to stop
Somehow you get another headache

You ask me if I'm coming to bed
It's late and you're getting tired
You say it's time to hit the sack
I lie down and hold you close
Tell you it will be okay
If you want I'll even rub your back