Chic's Good Times 12" Version, (No Vocals Yet)

[Johnny Mac]

Hello everyone,
I've not been in here with a new song for a while. I keep getting laid off work and losing my heart for music. I've been working again solidly for the last 6 months and I've got my mojo working again now.
I recorded this cover, I haven't recorded the vocals yet and when i do, it will be my first serious attempt at them. I've got a friend of mine coming to do them in a few weeks, fingers crossed. She has a decent Mic but I'm not sure what it is yet. I've got a shield to go around it and a pop screen in the post.

As for the instruments, I programmed the drums in Superior drummer, My friend did the bass parts for me on a Fender Jazz coming out of  a Genz Benz amp into a Motu 828mk3 Audio Interface. I played the rhythm guitar parts on a 1979 Fender Strat. I tried loads of different things in the signal chain to get that snappy funky tone Nile Rodgers uses but its still not quite as nice as his. The Piano and synth was all done on my Midi Guitar as i cant play keys. I had to edit a bit as i get too many unwanted triggers.
I recorded it in Logic 9  with an iMac.

https://soundcloud.com/johnnymac1965/chics-good-times-no-vocal-mkii

Any criticism gratefully received  

Thanks

[Hilary]

Hello honey  - heard this one on Soundcloud, great job - can't wait to hear it with the vocals xxx

[Pete C]

Sounds brilliant so far - its a classic bass line and you've covered it well, guitar and keys are spot on too. Looking forward to the finished product!  I love stuff by Edwards and Rodgers and did a version of We are Family for the recent Discofest. Really struggled with the vocals on mine - really needed a female vocal.  Haylie also did a version adding a vocal to my backing track. Bet she'd do this for you if you asked, eh Haylie ??

[Hilary]

Pete - I thought it was more you lent me your fabulous backer to help me out as I wanted to sing it! Of course I'd sing it for Johnny (we are related after all) but it sounds like he's already got it sorted

[Johnny Mac]

Hi Cuz! 1732 posts eh, you've been using this friendly place a lot then!  

I got a message from my friend who was going to do the vocals for me tonight. She has got a gig abroad for a few months and wont be back until May. Not a problem, I'll start a new track soon. Fill your boots Haylie, I've made it downloadable.  

Thanks for the kind words. My mate from school did the Bass for me. He is very good. We were putting together an Ian Dury Trib in 2011 but a few redundancies caused a few problems with me and we ended up scrapping it. That and the bass player and drummer falling out as they were in another band and the drummer went on stage after 8 tinnys of Stella and keith Mooned his drum kit off stage. In a ballad.
Plus the vocalist got sentenced to 6 months too. Rock and Roll eh! It was fun while it lasted though. So I'm going to try and record a few of those tunes if i can. Big challenge though, really hard stuff to play. I love it though.

[Johnny Mac]

Morning :-)
If anyone would like to add vocals to this track then go for it. I think the track was released in 1979 so it could go in the 70's Fest :-)

[AndyR]

Yo Johnny! Good to see you post something

I didn't spot this last night, and can't play stuff at work - I'll give it a good ole listen tonight.

[Greeny]

Wow - so spot on. The bass is incredible!

[AndyR]

Oh yeah, like it - it'll be great when it's got vox on it.

Is that the gold anniversary strat Johnny? What's it got in it? Irish Tours?

I've tried on and off over the years to get that sound - not too recently mind (the riff in Le Freak has haunted me ever since it came out). I think it's a lot of compression is what's needed. But I suspect too much and it gets squashed. After that it's probably in how he plays. Do we know whether he used a pick or fingers? Listening to this I suspect it might be worth trying to use fingers if you can - I think I can hear a lot of unwanted pick attack in this, so the part sounds "thinner" than I imagine you were going for. Actually, setting a compressor with a very fast attack should take a bit of that out anyway and give the sound more body...

And I can hear why you were so keen on this bass-man now.

[Johnny Mac]

I did play it on the anniversary Strat. It's silver but now looks green. Weird eh! Yes it's got Irish Tours in it. I'm thinking about re-tracking it anyway as it goes. I found out a lot more how that sound is obtained after I recorded it. For instance, Prince gets a snappy funky tone similar to Nile Rodgers. It's done by going direct into the mixer or audio interface and then into a Universal Audio limiting amplifier with a compressor built into it. A 1176 I think they're called. The real analogue units cost £1300 odd and the plugin emulation is around $300 or that hardware plugin for £1300. Anyway I'm sure they're is a cheaper way. I've got a compressor pedal which is nice made by Telenordia but it doesn't get that tone. I've tried loads of compressors in my iMac but still no joy. They generally have the mids scooped. From what I've learnt about that tone over the years is they use very high end studio compressors. Nile Rodgers live tone I can do ok but it's nothing like his studio one. Good points on the pick attack, it is far to clicky. The tone needs more warmth. I'll try it on my Tele with the Black Guards. It's very in the fingers too. There is so much damping going on,  on that 16ths stuff. It takes a lot of practise to make it sound all 'floaty'.
It's defiantly with a pick Andy, you would never get the precision with fingers and at that speed they would split open!

Yes the bass player is amazing isn't he. When we did that Ian Dury stuff it used to sound so good. You should see the amp and cabs he uses now. The sound is massive!