PG Music Home Forums General Discussion User Showcase Abandoned places, a spicy song

Hi everyone,

I had in mind to post a Dutch song I finished yesterday, but probably because I heard it about a million times, I decided to post this song instead: https://soundcloud.com/user-296497130/abandoned-places
I made this in september.

It is a song about a lost love, the memories are the abandoned places.
I once got a book from my son with this title, but it was about real buildings everywhere in the world that are abandoned for some reason. I liked that title immediately for a song. Well, here it is!

I used melodyne specific on the harmonies. It are all my voices. I'm experimenting to create better and more natural sounding harmonies. Don't hesitate to tell me what you think of it. I like to tearn. But stay kind...

Hope you like it,
Hans

Instruments
Style:_LAKEFOG.STY (Lake Fog 4x4 Newgrass with strings)

RealTracks in song: 1418 :Bas, Elec, Southern Rock Gel16 85
RealTracks in style: 2825:Piano, Acous, Country Pop Mike Gel 85
RealTracks in style: 378 :Guitar, Acousestisch, Double Time Gel 88
RealTracks in style: 2335:Strings Quartet, Gel 85
RealTracks in song: 2338 :Violin, Pop Low Gel 85
RealDrums [in Style :PopAmericanEv^1-a:SdStkHB, b:SNHB

Lyrics
Abandoned places
(c) HWBerkhout juli2017/ 2020

VerseThere was a moment I can't recall
Somebody told me I soon will fall
And in the daylight I saw it more clear
It was worse then I'd feared

VerseStill could not get it in my mind
I never faced things of this kind
Oh listen, please hear
I wish you stayed here

Chorus
Now all I see are abandoned places
I never knew that they still exist
And these were all abandoned places
that I have seen but never missed, oh no

Verse
Where to rely on, where am I ?
Maybe there is no why
And though it's dark now, I can see a light
Some distance away, but still in sight

Verse
And I put my faith in that
It does relieve my head
Oh, give me a call, please come near
I wish you stayed here

Chorus
Now, all I see are abandoned places
I never knew that they were all mine
And they all have familiar faces
I haven't seen them for a long, long time
+
Abandoned places, everywhere
Abandoned places are still there
All I see are abandoned places
I always thought that they were away, but they stay

Verse
In the nighttime, in my bed
I keep on thinking what you once said
You whispered in my ear
I wish you stayed here

Chorus
Now all I see are abandoned places
They stay forever which I did not know
And I remember all their faces
I'd seen them all a long time ago, oh no
+
Oh I see all these abandoned places'
They stayed forever which I did not know
And I fear that they can't be banished
They stay here and they won't go
And once they were all beautiful
But time made them fall apart
like my heart

Man, I saw you had posted a new one yesterday but didn't have time to listen. Went looking for it today and it was halfway down page 2! The forum is a strange place these days.

Good song Hans!

When you said you used melodyne on the harmonies, do you mean you created them using melodyne? If so that's pretty cool, didn't know you could do that. I think they sound good. If it was my song I would probably put the harmonies into the background a little more, reduce the volume a bit or maybe just a bit more reverb, so that the lead vocals stands out more. But! It's not my song, it's your song

Enjoyed the listen.

Hans,

A beautiful, melancholy song.

Good arrangement/production. And a good mix.
The drums and bass have good punch.
The strings are a nice addition.

Your vocals sound good.
The harmonies are impressive. What version of Melodyne are you using?
It is surprising how few artifacts there are in the harmony - that is hard to accomplish for a high harmony like this. Well done!!

I agree with Dave - bringing the harmony level down a little and adding a touch more reverb (and perhaps a bit of delay) would be worth a try.

One of your best.

fj

One of our favs Hans.

Janice's first comment was "John Lennon!"

Your impassioned vocal with all of the dynamics is outstanding.

The harmonies sound good too.

The band is excellent -- the violin, strings and drums are very nice.

Glad you read that book title because it resulted in an excellent write!

Well done indeed.

J&B

Nice song.
I like the arrangement and your vocals.

About harmonies:
I'm with the others who commented.
They sound pretty good.
I also have the same question about what version of Melodyne you are using.

I have not had success trying that with my basic verion.

In any case...........well done!

Hello Hans ...

This is my favorite of your songs I've heard. Everything about this is excellent. Your vocal is really good. As far as the background vocal harmony, I would slightly cut the higher EQ and add a little reverb.

That is a very enjoyable song .. loved the arrangement! best to you. Be safe!

Alan

This is a terrific effort complete with your very personal phrasing and perspective.
There're a few English syntax/grammar bits that could use tweaking but I'd be more than happy to do such a generally grand job in a 2nd language.
Ace.

Hi Dave, whatever criticisms you have, I take them very seriously. That's why the harmony moved more to the background and added more reverb. The idea was to punt the 'woman'vocals next to mine, but in the chorusses that didn't work out so nice. And normally i drown all vocals in a reverb, so a request to add more of it was some kind of a shock ;-).

And yes, I created the harmony-vocals from the leadtrack. You have to do a lot of adjustments, especially the 'woman-vocals'. But if you have Chris at your side you don't need this
I can send you a screenshot by email? I don't see a posibility to add one in this post.

Thanks for your comment and compliments,
Hans

Hi Floyd, thanks for your nice words! They made my week ;-)
I use Melodyne 5 studio Version 5.0.2. I had a free version at first, but for making harmonies it wasn't the good version. Then I got an offer for this version. Not too expensive, although my wife thinks otherwise...
Melodyne is not an easy piece of software. I spend a lot of hours learning it and sometimes had to things all over again. That even happend in this song. But the moment you get a grip on how it works, things get better. Even sibilance issues are more easy to handle (and you know my problem on that). But still I don't know all the posibilities. I hardly do voice corrections, like the tuning in the exact key. I takes away my way of singing. It is more for the harmonies and sibilance. A DS-er makes a whole track 'flatter' on the s-es, while in this program only the bad s-es will be handled. But for harmonies (and much more) I advise to buy the version I have.

I hoped I could add an image in this post, but that is not the case. I have to send that by email I think. Let me know.

Have a nice day,
Hans

Wow J&B, that is very nice to read! I told my wife John Lennon is reincarnated now.
She wasn't impressed that much. She wants to know what Janice's second comment was.
Dutch girls are like that...

And I had a good feeling that probably lasts the whole week!
I readjust the song a bit (the bg-vocals) because Dave and Floyd told me to. I am convinced it won't change one of your compliments!

Thanks a lot,
Hans





Hi CaptainMoto, thanks so much for your nice comment!
I did what you, Dave and Floyd said. I readjust the vocalsetting. Mainly in the chorus.

And see what I wrote to Dave and Floyd about Melodyne version 5. It is hard to learn but after that you're going to be satisfied.
But it is no magic, but hard labour...



Hi Alan, it's nice to read such huge compliments from you. I missed that for a while from you.
I did what you asked on the background vocals; a little reverb extra and some adjustments on the eq.
It must be better now. I thought I wanted the 'female' vocal near to the lead vocal, but read your posts on this. Now I left it in the verses but lowered it in the chorusses (a bit of everything ;-)

Stay safe too, Corona is back everywhere!
Hans

quote=rayc]This is a terrific effort complete with your very personal phrasing and perspective.
There're a few English syntax/grammar bits that could use tweaking but I'd be more than happy to do such a generally grand job in a 2nd language.
Ace.[/quote]

Hi Ray, it's so nice to read your compliments on the used language. But please feel free to give me all the suggestions you have on this. You once rewrote a lyric for me. I hope I will reach the level where that won't be necessary anymore. I'm afraid that will be wishfull thinking, but still...

Hans

Hans, you can attach a file to a post by clicking on the File Manager link (see the file I just attached

I'll have a listen to your new mix later on this morning.

Hi Dave, didn't know that!

I tried it with the icons op top if you are writing a post

But here it comes. it is an impression on how to work in Melodyne. I think you have to twist it to the right.
The blobs are the notes from the vocals. The grey notes are from my original leadvocal track, the orange blobs from the bg-vocal (female).

Bye,
Hans

Hello Birchwood,

Very nice melody, with well written lyrics. Your voice matches the music. I read that you used melodyn to rework harmonics and smooth out imperfections. Well done.

Best regards

Dero13
alias JaniJackFlash

Really well done - phenomenal vocal delivery on this, as it's been said already. Loved the lyrics and how you performed them. That aside, I thought your Melodyn work was done well here. Though the mix was solid also.

Thanks for sharing

Hans,
Ruins are a good lead in to your melancholy internal musing; I like the lyrics, especially the verse lines.
The light rock feel of the arrangement does indeed remind me also of Lennon`s solo work... and then, of course, there`s that voice, so strong and expressive!
Very good song!

Robert

Hi JJF/Dero13,

Thanks for these kind words from you!
I used Melodyne to create my backing vocals in this one. I didn't rework them, although I have created them from out of the leadvocal track, so in a way it is reworking them or reshaping them into some other vocal. Nice thing to do, but takes hours.
I'm glad you liked it,

Hans



Hello Deryk, what a nice comment you wrote! That Melodyne is going to be a topic, I think. But actually I prefer real human voices. But I can't get that high anymore, so with a little help...




Hi Robert, when you say you like these lyrics, I'm getting proud.
In these lyrics I didn't skip all the 'in between' words, but I had you on my mind when writing them!
Janice and Bud wrote about the 'Lennon' sound, you -in a way- too. I don't hear any of that myself, but everyone around me here now know I am the new Lennon (although they didn't recognized it either, but I think they're jealous).
Thanks for your comment on the song!

Hans

Love the chord progressions on this song Hans. Super vocal and lyric. Well done

This song gets better throughout. As already commented on, the vocal harmonies work well and sound good. The strings were nicely done and very sweet and natural sounding. You really hit your stride at the 2:20 mark, that chorus is just irresistible.

Well done! Enjoyed my listen.

Hi Hans,

I, too, think that this is at least one of your best, if niot your best.

A very catchy chorus, äike always great backing track, well-sung, the harmonies are a blast (wonder how you do it, if I do this in Melodyne it sounds terrible).

The violin is mighty fine, too.

Really great !

Doeie,

Stefan

Hans,
Good song. I would say one of your best "balanced" songs. Everything in the right places, listens very well. Excellent subject for a tune too! I like abandoned places. Thank you for sharing.

Misha.


P.S. Several years ago I got lucky to visit abandoned resort... One of the coolest thing was a "love suite" with giant red jacuzzi tub in a form of a heart and a mirrored ceiling...which was not used in years and nature was taking over the place