Tag: music production behind the scenes

  • Why This New Version of “I Want You to Want Me” Might Surprise You More Than the Original

    Why This New Version of “I Want You to Want Me” Might Surprise You More Than the Original

    If there is something I’ve learned – everyone wants to be heard by someone else; they also want others to want them. Have need for them. To love them.

    There really isn’t a more definitive song about wanting others to want you than the infamous song penned by Rick Nielson of Cheap Trick.

    I Want You To Want Me

    I Want You

    Actually I wish I had written this song. I’ve toyed with it for a long time. When I play it live solo acoustic, I slow it down and I stretch it out.

    I tried recording it once.

    Then I tried recording it again.

    And again.

    I was never quite satisfied with how I was conveying what I heard in my head as I interpreted the song.

    Things Change

    If you didn’t know, I’m working on musical endeavors outside of my artist persona. Thus I brought the concept of how to cover I Want You To Want Me to a co-producing friend of mine. We’ve been toiling over 30 original tracks for the past year and I decided we should heap on 10 more songs, 10 covers of classic hits in the style of our project. This is not something I would have considered even a year ago.

    Last week I began rethinking and retracking all the parts, while I let my partner come up with a viable drum part and a few other odds and ends. The biggest trick was how to approach the vocals so that they became modern but were an ode to the era they came from.

    Praise

    Two days ago I finally finished the mix and got it mastered.

    I want you to be able to hear it.

    Turns out that friends who have already heard it have been saying things like:

    “Dig this version!! Great vocals!”

    “Love, love love how your voice sounds on this!”

    “I just might love this better than the original.”

    I’m not sure how soon it will come to the light of the world via streaming services or via a license for use. But I Want You To Want Me as reimagined by Razor Wire is definitely something you should hear. I hope it will be sooner than later.

    p.s. – subscribe to my email list to stay informed of releases!

  • When Your Studio Monitor Dies: A Mixing Survival Blueprint

    When Your Studio Monitor Dies: A Mixing Survival Blueprint

    A couple of nights ago I was working my way thru the re-recording of a song demo. It started with a guitar part that maybe 2 people in this town could play, me being the other one. There I was going knee deep into the studio zone of percussion. I had finished the drum parts when I started to take on adding additional epic cinematic drum hits. Midway thru the 3 track of said epic drums there was a sudden quick drop in volume and low end.

    Boop.

    Gone.

    missing-monitor

    Where Did It Go

    I tilt my gaze over to the left side of the studio thinking that maybe a Gremlin, or quite possibly a house elf, had taken the monitor speaker to another dimension. Alas my eyes weren’t being deceiving as the monitor speaker was still there. Dammit.

    Nothing like losing half the sound right in the middle of the take.

    Next up was an endless series of troubleshooting steps. First thought was, hey, maybe the power went out. Flip the switch on and off, still no sound. Maybe something went out in the monitor volume device. Nope. After switching the cables between speakers it was still showing as working out of both outputs for the remaining speaker.

    Call A Friend

    Pensive, not quite panicked, phone call to a fellow studio friend. Explain the problem of the monitor speaker. Words come drifting back thru the speakerphone saying “Did you check the fuse in the speaker?”

    Hmmm.

    I take another gander at the speaker’s enclosure. Search high and low. Up. Down. Left. Right. Front. Back. Nada. There is no fuse for the speaker to blow. Dang it.

    Website Visit

    Knowing that the speaker is no longer manufactured, I grudgingly pull up the website to see if there’s information about getting repairs and to peruse the what-replaced-this-model version of their speaker line.

    After drooling over what could replace the model I have in the studio, I make a note to Siri to remind me call the company in the morning to get a repair ticket going.

    monitor-brother

    Here Come The Headphones

    The disappointment of a monitor giving up soon abates. How do I proceed with my next recording session? A recording that needs to be recorded, mixed, and mastered before 11 am the following morning.  Hmmm. In come the headphones. There is no other choice after a certain time of night when all normal humans have gone off to visions of sugarplums and cherries.

    Producing high quality recordings via headphones isn’t the most ideal means. However, when the chips are down and the music must go on, you make do by crossing your fingers and hoping for the best.

    It All Works Out

    I got the session done. Turned it over to the co-writer for the purposes of submission to a distant land for a commercial use. When you get feedback stating “It sounds great.” You thank your stars that you didn’t have to attempt to mix without some form of stereo sound.

    The beauty of it is, the speaker company is able to repair the monitor for a price considerably less than the new alternative. The added icing on the cake is that you now have an in to chat about possible endorsement. That’s priceless.

    In Closing

    I can’t wait for you to hear the fruits of this labor. Unfortunately you will have to wait until sometime early in the new year of 2017. There’s still more recording and production that needs to be done. Ooh, and mixing it. Finally mastering it. Its a process that will be interrupted by a little thing called Christmas and New Years.

    Stay Tuned.

  • Behind the Nomination: How Touch Earned a Shot at the Grammys

    Behind the Nomination: How Touch Earned a Shot at the Grammys

    Waking up via an email in your inbox saying Touch nominated for best pop song is a pretty cool thing!

    Touch Album Cover

    Touch Nominated For UMA

    This morning my inbox contained an email from the Utah Music Awards, kinda like the Grammys for Utah, stating that Touch (feat. Jacarri) would be up for an award come this September for Best Pop Song. That’s enough to help get this week started off on a good foot.

    UMA Header

    Makes a musician/producer feel like all the hard work putting a lush pop song is worth the effort. Next up is submission for the actual Grammys. Yup, Touch will be in the initial voting round for the 2016 Grammys. Fingers crossed it can garner enough votes to break into the nomination round. Anyone willing to hold their breath for me?

    Its gonna be an interesting week as other big changes are about to occur.

    Stay tuned.