You Lift Me-Original

[Johnbee]

I have a kind of identity crisis with this one.  I produced it in 2017 but shelved it because I used too many preset patterns in the piano and drums.  I have a set of patterns from Toontrack called "Neo Soul" and I have both the piano and drum patterns for it.  I usually never use the patterns "straight" without doing a certain amount of editing them to my liking.  I usually insist on creating a unique chord progression, then I love the challenge  of going into the pattern and making it suit the style I'm looking for.  This one, however, I was just lazy and wrote lyrics and a melody and arrangement over what Toontrack's programmer(s) wrote in.  The background was completely Toontrack so it's like collaborating but not knowing who with.  Toontrack has no problem with using their patterns straight and they are royalty free, but I feel kind of guilty using them that way so I usually don't. To me it's more like co-writing instead of writing.  I still love how it came out.  But I wish it was more "mine".  I also used a Jazz drum kit with a deep snare (which I'm not sure I like. Do you?)  Anyway, it was fun as hell to work with.

Let me know what YOU think.

John B

EDIT-I just did a remix as of EST 18:44 Saturday 12/9/2023.  Hoping you can revisit it.

There has never been a time
when I have felt such peace of mind
Ever since the day you handed me your heart
I knew you were the one for me
We'll never be apart
You've taken a man so broken and blue
and gave him a life so precious and new
and....

You lift me up

My life has been such a mess
Feeling my integrity is always put to test
And I can't live up to most all the rest
But I can count on you to make me feel like I'm the best
The blues in my life, they come and they go
But I don't care, Darlin
Cos you let me know you're here

You lift me up

I never showed you much of anything new
But you've been patiently waiting me for me to
turn my head around and get my feet on the ground
Give you the love you deserve for so long

You are so sugar sweet
Just want to lay my whole damned world straight down at your feet
The love you show to me is pure and kind
Never ever gonna leave you, girl
I'd have to be so blind out of my mind
Was lost and alone like never before
till you came along and opened the door for me

You lift me up

c 2017 John Bowen Music

[cuthbert]

I like this a lot - it reminds me a bit of mid-70s soft rock, especially with the touch of blues in your vocal(s).

Well done, JB!

[TPB]

Snare sounds good to me but I really like your vocals on this one well done
Tim

[Zoltan]

But I wish it was more "mine"

I totally get what you're saying. I'm struggling with this because in the ideal world i would like to record the drums live, and although i'm programming my own (and re-using the fills etc. in later songs) the more one does for the song(s), the more personal they feel.

But then again i think this type of thinking is missing the point. I mean i also love the sound of drum machines. And for modern music drums and stuff is mostly triggered anyway and heavily edited.

Still "spiritually" there can be a certain disconnect with things that are too "easy", "canned" etc. But they're just tools in the toolboxes. Use everything you have and what works for you.

There is one HUGE benefit from doing songs the way you did here. You might not be conscious of it, but i think it frees up the brain resources and makes you/i/anyone put more focus into other areas of the song.

We're mostly doing it all alone. In the ideal setting there would be more feedback. Other players. Different view on how to do things. When you're doing a song this way you're having some of that, and maybe putting your 100% into the things you're doing for the song.

In this one you're doing one of your very best vocal performances. It's still has that good trademark JohnBee vocal sound, but there's more soul to it. The vocal are more fluid and relaxed. It really depends on the song, but here the style works perfectly.

It's a done deal already imho, but here's some nitpicking if you're interested:

Production wise (and it's a matter of taste) i'd like to hear the piano having more depth(* and sounding "bigger", having more dynamics(** where the playing would come more upfront at times and then going back. Especially in the sections where there's less happening (the intro and outro).

(* maybe playing a bit with ambience (and then dialing it back in the verses + choruses)
(** playing with the midi velocity layer on certain notes. other way to do it could be to double certain piano chords / riffs and stacking them (in a way that's not noticeable as being a stack, but adding more weight to the sound when needed).

[StephenM]

I must say that piano is amazing... and I have not read your write up yet.... so I am just listening to the song...

there is something different here... different even for you... the voice has got a bit more kindness and love in it (not that I think you aren't kind or anything)... that voice is lovely...

really love the choir that comes in..

I don't see how it is possible but you have done it...

for me this is your chart topper... that little organ or synth that comes in with the choir is great as well...
this almost feels like one of those sunday morning praise songs...

I can tell this is you... but there is some extra here...

awesome work John

[StephenM]

I just read your comments...
think about this for a minute.

Most vocalists that are pro don't play any instruments.  Think of the very best bands, they had a lead singer that did not play anything.... so they had almost nothing to do with making the music.

Still I do understand that you as a musician have the desire to make the music yourself... I realize there will come a day when I will not be able to play as much or at all...

John the singer sounds great on here... no matter how the music came about.  There are people who travel around singing with backing tracks... it would not work for me but I can't say what people should do... There are not too many times I would go out to listen to someone do that... but there are lots of people who do show up anyway because for many many people the lyrics and the vocals are what matters...

[Pru]

very nice soulful song with super vocals

[Pete C]

I like this song a lot and especially your vocal on this and the backing vocals..there's definitely a neo-soul vibe going on.

Pete

[BerryPatch]

Stellar singing here, it's very a soul tinged song and you sing it excactly the way that's needed. Beautiful piano and great arrangements.

[Mike_S]

Yeah this is super John. I thought for a few seconds when it started that it was a Ray tune, it just had something about the melody or something. But then your vocal comes in. This is a different style for you but it really works well. Soulful stuff... enjoyed it a lot.

Mike