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Post Your Work => Original Songs => Topic started by: IanR on June 15, 2013, 11:40:35 PM

Title: My castle is on the hill - Ian Robertson original
Post by: IanR on June 15, 2013, 11:40:35 PM
Hi folks,

I have been promising to write a song for my wife Lynne for ages and now I have done it.

The guitars are my Cole Clark "Fat Lady" recorded via Audio Technica AT2020 condenser mic. 
Bass is Cole Clark through the BR800  "Guitar to Bass" effect.
Keyboards (violin, cello, "strings") are my old crappy Casio through the line in.  The violin sounds more like a Stevie Wonder harmonica.
Vocals are all me through the AT2020 into one or the other vocal effect from the BR800.

My castle is on the hill
Words and music Ian Robertson


Verse
Something close but out of reach
Open hands may never hold
A lesson one would never teach
From babies to the old

Chorus
And yet my song finds heart
Within the ancient soul
Given life to start
And a story to unfold

Verse
It has shape I cannot see
It has poise but it isn't still
A character beyond my dreams
A magnet to my will

Chorus
And yet my song finds heart
Within the ancient soul
Given life to start
And a story to unfold


Verse
All my history has been told
Until the ties of my new demand
Applied a loving stranglehold
Too good to withstand

Chorus
And yet my song finds heart
Within the ancient soul
Given life to start
And a story to unfold

Verse
My Castle is on the Hill
I can't hold it any more
Surrender is a too great a thrill
Come to feel and adore
Title: Re: My castle is on the hill - Ian Robertson original
Post by: andy casson on June 16, 2013, 01:53:47 AM
Nicely done Ian, I only hope your wife appreciates your music more than my wife appreciates mine!

andy
Title: Re: My castle is on the hill - Ian Robertson original
Post by: Hilary on June 16, 2013, 02:44:08 AM
Oh very lovely Ian, I'm sure Lynne will hold the song close each and every day x
Title: Re: My castle is on the hill - Ian Robertson original
Post by: Jarle on June 16, 2013, 02:51:11 AM
Nice song. Your voice sounds really good in this.

JOA
Title: Re: My castle is on the hill - Ian Robertson original
Post by: steelguitar on June 16, 2013, 04:19:40 AM
Very enjoyable listen!!!
Excellent sounds, sounds like a Neil Young classic for me
Jean-Sébastien
Title: Re: My castle is on the hill - Ian Robertson original
Post by: T.C. Elliott on June 16, 2013, 08:44:34 AM
That violin/harmonica patch sounds like a melodica to me... and is something I thought of grabbing as another tool to use after seeing Dolly Varden last week at Twangfest. (The girl singer plays one sometimes.)

I like your voice and the vox sounds good. I use the at2020 for vox (and other things) quite a bit. I've been debating on saving up for another large diaphragm condenser mic... actually I'd like a matched pair in case I decide to record some live shows or drums or something, but I've been happy enough with the 2020 not to invest in anything yet. I did get a small diaphragm condenser recently and I"ve only used it once... with mixed results. I'll need to play more... at any rate, I think you've got a well recorded and good sounding song here. The guitars might be just a hair too low for my taste, I'd like to hear em better. Other than that, you did a fine job on the recording and the song is a good one to boot.
Title: Re: My castle is on the hill - Ian Robertson original
Post by: 64Guitars on June 16, 2013, 12:14:01 PM
Nice song Ian. The violin patch sounds good in this but you're right that it doesn't sound much like a violin. It doesn't matter though because it suits the song quite well. I like the vocals and guitar. There's a subtle background vocal in the chorus that I thought could have been a bit louder - it sounds good but is very difficult to hear properly.

Title: Re: My castle is on the hill - Ian Robertson original
Post by: Redler on June 16, 2013, 12:48:29 PM
Beautiful and relaxing music, Ian! Your voice is just great. Fine job all around!

Kari
Title: Re: My castle is on the hill - Ian Robertson original
Post by: The Gobi Desert Canoe Club on June 17, 2013, 02:20:20 PM
Hi Ian, I'm sure she appreciates this although if your wife is anything like mine she'll say "you should have paid more attention to the mix and changed this or that". I however think it's spot on......Willie
Title: Re: My castle is on the hill - Ian Robertson original
Post by: cuthbert on June 17, 2013, 04:14:04 PM
Nice, airy mix you got and I like how the mic captured sound of your acoustic guitar. Very nice vocal and sentiment, too..I imagine you wife is gonna be quite happy with it! :)
Title: Re: My castle is on the hill - Ian Robertson original
Post by: Greeny (No longer active) on June 18, 2013, 03:08:20 AM
Beautiful melodies and touching sentiments... she's bound to love it! A really well-crafted song. Nice one :-)
Title: Re: My castle is on the hill - Ian Robertson original
Post by: henwrench on June 18, 2013, 04:32:36 AM
Great song and I love all the 'headspace' stuff going on. Sounds like b/v's and that violin works well as it's own weird sound, love that sort of thing...

                                                            henwrench
Title: Re: My castle is on the hill - Ian Robertson original
Post by: Bluesberry on June 18, 2013, 07:07:57 AM
This sounds deadly, that casio sounds great.  I just got an old Casio from a friend, after hearing this I am going to have to use it on my next song.  I love that old-school sound.  Your lyrics are very good, real good poetry here.  It almost has a country waltz feel going on.............Excellent song.
Title: Re: My castle is on the hill - Ian Robertson original
Post by: Hook on June 18, 2013, 02:39:03 PM
Great tune Ian, really enjoyed the listen. That violin sound like a melodica to me & I love my melodica!
Rock On brother!
Title: Re: My castle is on the hill - Ian Robertson original
Post by: IanR on June 21, 2013, 06:55:44 AM
Quote from: 64Guitars on June 16, 2013, 12:14:01 PMNice song Ian. The violin patch sounds good in this but you're right that it doesn't sound much like a violin. It doesn't matter though because it suits the song quite well. I like the vocals and guitar. There's a subtle background vocal in the chorus that I thought could have been a bit louder - it sounds good but is very difficult to hear properly.

A couple of people mentioned the mix.  I'm trying to work out how to have a really strong and decipherable lead vocal without too much double tracking.  I find that if I bring the backing vocals up too much, then it starts to get a bit woolly.  And at the same time have a dynamic musical performance. 

 I think that there might be something I can do with compression but I'm not really sure how that works yet.  I know what it does but I'm not sure how, or when to apply it.  So, I'm trying to get the mix levels right with just the faders. 

Someone else mentioned the guitars were not loud enough.  I kind of agree but I kind of really like the crappy violin patch, so that gets to feature a bit more on this track instead of the guitars.  I did think about a fuzzy guitar but I stopped before I had a chance.  This was one of those songs that took weeks to finish off and I was really sick of it by the time I posted it.


So thanks for the kind comments and yes, I did get some extra attention after I played it for Mrs IanR.

cheers,

Ian
Title: Re: My castle is on the hill - Ian Robertson original
Post by: Geir on June 21, 2013, 07:33:12 AM
Really a lovely song !!

I too love the "strings" doesn't matter what they're called, they fit the song well !