'Someone To Lay Down Beside Me' - Linda Rondstat cover

[hooper]

Yes, when I was but a lad I used to have a serious crush on Linda...  
Have also loved this song for a long time but never thought about trying to play it until Gurlfest...

Thanks for listening and I hope you enjoy

Someone To Lay Down Beside Me written by Karla Bonof

[Oldrottenhead]

who didn't have a crush on her. 

this is fabulous ken you are in fine voice the production is stellar as we have come to expect

[Geir]

Excellent Hooper !!

Once again you show us how good a production can sound like when you know what you're doing.

I love the arrangement here, lot's of things going on, but it still sounds "open" and dreamy. Could you give us some details? instruments, mics, mix and mastering?

Great performance as well and I love that lead !

who didn't have a crush on her. 

us younger guys

[Hook]

Really great production on this one this one, your layers really come together very clean & open,complimenting each other but not distracting and that lead just soars brilliantly. Well done!
Rock on!

[hooper]

I love the arrangement here, lot's of things going on, but it still sounds "open" and dreamy. Could you give us some details? instruments, mics, mix and mastering?

Thanks guys and you're right Jim, even back in the day... I knew Linda had 'others'..  

Here are some production notes, Geir. Thanks for asking and it means a lot coming from someone who is such a fine producer himself.

Tracked guerilla style to a 12-year old version of Sonar (v.2) and mastered with Micro-BR
• Strings and piano are via free VST soft synths running in Sonar
• Acoustic guitar – Seagul with on-board electronics, recorded direct-in
• For the 'swell guitar' and lead guitar - Eppi Dot 335 to POD to CUBE guitar amp,  then miced the cabinet with a SM57 slightly off-axis and about a foot away from the speaker, thru mixer to soundcard
• Squire P bass to CUBE bass amp ...direct in via record-out from the amp to RNC compresser, thru a  mixer to the soundcard
• Yamaha DTX electronic drum kit played live and recorded in stereo
• Vocal track recorded in using Micro-BR with $5 homemade mic  (Vo Comp) and then imported into Sonar, cloned to another track offset in time and panned out wide plus reverb
• Edited and mixed in Sonar and then mixed down to 1 stereo track, leaving ample headroom and then exported to the Micro-BR
• Mastered on the M-BR in 3 stages:  First using Mix Down and nudged the INput up +1  then take the output from that and use PreMaster and again nudge the INput up +1.    Finally 'master' the last time using one of the presets (used Pop Mix on this one) ... check the meters and boost track volume or Edit INput as needed.

When I'm tracking and working out the arrangement, I try to remember to be kind to the guy who will be doing the mixing.   If there are going to be a lot of instruments... I try to avoid going for a big fat sound on individual instruments, avoid playing big full keyboard chords, avoid playing any more guitar strings at a time then it takes to get the job done.   And try to work out a rhythmic arrangement so that all of the instruments aren't always sounding at the same time.  Stuff like that...    

[SwanSong]

HI really nice rendition great job and very beautiful and
yes i too had a crush on her. and im sure a lot of people
did  great stuff . cheers NEIL.!

[Tony H]

I'd say that was a very well done mix. Everything was spot on! I really enjoyed your work.

[Facemask93]

Didn't comment on this this earlier , but such a nice song , don't know the original , i know i like this though , well done Ken

Robbie

[Lurker]

Love this song.  I remember Linda's version, but am more familiar with Karla Bonoff's version.  She wrote a few of Ronstadt's other standards.  I've seen them both in concert.  I had a high school buddy who had it bad for Karla.  Of course, throngs of others were smitten with Linda.

I like the way this starts out and then ends sparse after the climactic build.  (Kinda calls to mind our adolescent dreams of the artists mentioned above.)  Very nicely done.  Great production.  You've got the art.

[Blooby]

Yes, when I was but a lad I used to have a serious crush on Linda...  

I seem to remember one of her album covers stirring something in me as a tyke.

Wonderful post.  I really liked the echoed guitar that is pretty understated. Your singing, playing, and production are once again fantastic.  Having said that, I do find the strings a tad loud for my taste.  Just one man's opinion.

I must explore more Linda (beyond the album covers).

Blooby