If You Knew - AndyR Original

[AndyR]

I wrote this in 1994. When I played it to some friends back then they went "yeah, but where's the rest of it?"

I've been struggling with that concept ever since. Then, a while ago, a couple of kindly souls removed that worry from me. It's ok that it's this short... it's all I want/need to say to her/you – all the other bits I've tried to add over the years distract from it.

I finally started trying to capture it a couple of weeks ago. It has been a complete and utter pig to sing/play/record. I'm still not entirely ecstatic about this version - but Mrs R says it's ready...

If You Knew

Words & Music AndyR
Recorded on a BR1600
--------------------------------

If You Knew - A A J Russe

If you knew
If I was sure of you
And of how you'd choose
I would not be afraid
I would not flee

But as it is I'm not sure
Are the jokes that you make
Always at my expense?
How could I ask for more?
Even your wickedest smile's worth waiting for

If you knew
It would be so much easier
To talk to you

Copyright (C) 1994 A A J Russe. All Rights Reserved.

Time:

0:00

Volume:

50

0

 Stop   Play   Pause   Vol   Vol   Mute   Repeat   Download

[Geir]

OH MY

[Geir]

You know I have every song you've posted on my piPhone, and this is a really beautiful addition to the collection !




ps. when's that falsetto fest coming up

[launched]

Yes - I love it! Because my education in poetry is limited, I don't know how to explain what I like about what you've done. You seem to be able to weight your lines at the beginning and let them ease up or trail away.

It's something I've never tried - Another inspiration for me!

[AndyR]

ps. when's that falsetto fest coming up

- that's one of the problems I was having... what sort of voice to use... and I ended up with this as the only possible way that I could record it at the moment.

Because of the changes in tempo, I had to do the lead vocal and main acoustic live together without a click. But both parts are somewhat challenging to get right at the same time... In the end I found that one mic, using the "head-voice", hunched over the guitar, gave the most consistent performance for mixing/etc.

What I really wanted was a full-bodied voice. I think that this would be better, but I would have needed to record the vocal last for that. And there are severe timing issues then - everything has to follow the vocal, and a click is almost out of the question (or beyond me anyway!).

I tried all sorts of approaches. Record a single take then try to replace the guitar and vocal separately - that just didn't sound natural enough. I had extra tracks of me counting to try and keep us in line as the tempo breathed... still didn't work.

In the end, I had to accept that the "whisper in your ear" performance was going to be the most successful. And after weeks of twatting about, it took 20 minutes to do the whole thing, mix and all!! (helped somewhat by the huge amount of rehearsing the other versions had forced )

You seem to be able to weight your lines at the beginning and let them ease up or trail away.

It's something I've never tried - Another inspiration for me!

Try listening to Day At The Races non-stop for a few weeks (I think that was probably what I was doing back then when this got written - especially "You Take My Breath Away" and "Millionaire Waltz").

If my piano skills were up to it, it would have had a piano instead of a guitar. I still might do that one day, still practicing at the moment...

[Oldrottenhead]

oh! yeah!

[SwanSong]

HI Andy a super listen great presence in the song, and modulation
a wonerful guitar work also  a nice all around original cheers NEIL.!

[Facemask93]

Couldn't get this little beauty to play earlier , had to comment on A/T , as i said over there , this must have been a bitch to sing , but I'm glad you did , because its wonderful

Rob

[Nelson]

My Oh  My
This is simply beautiful.

Mrs. R, is absolutely correct.

[henwrench]

Gulp! Er...., it's a bit good, innit? Crikey, a proper song, that's how you do it....Absolutely love the breath intakes, especially at the very top. Do you remember when some freaks would gate that stuff out? Jesus, it breathes...it lives. Top class. Anybody wanna buy my guitar?

                                                             henwrench