REDONE You Raise Me Up (Løvland/Graham cover by des0free)

[des0free]

I have redone this song again, again...

- Includes "rare" 2nd verse (not included in the Josh Grobin or other versions I've heard)

- Improved phrasing (?)

- Used acoustic guitar (Taylor GS mini) recorded with AT2010 condenser mic, vocal with CAD D90 dynamic mic

- Used Waves CLA vocals and CLA guitars plugins in Reaper, API-2500 compressor, and L1+ ultramaximizer

[Redler]

Enjoyable listening and performance - so melodic and beautiful. The recording has good dynamics and vocals/guitar is well in balance.

[danthecoat]

Great version very good  I knew what the song was and was still a bit shocked at the chorus (lol) I liked it. Well done

[Greeny]

Westlife, the Irish boy band, had the most enormous hit with this in the UK.

You've made a lovely job of it: direct and honest... short but sweet. The guitar sounds fab.

The Newton quote is about standing on the shoulders of giants, which Oasis nicked for an album title.

[des0free]

Westlife, the Irish boy band, had the most enormous hit with this in the UK.

You've made a lovely job of it: direct and honest... short but sweet. The guitar sounds fab.

The Newton quote is about standing on the shoulders of giants, which Oasis nicked for an album title.

Thanks for the positive feedback.  In the US the song was also a hit by Josh Grobin, a very powerful singer who also sings opera/traditional in addition to pop.  (just don't go compare his version to mine...).  For me, Newton is the largest giant whose shoulders I'm standing on, though it is probably intended to be one's true love or perhaps god?

[Flash Harry]

doubly naked.

And utterly excellent.

[Ferryman_1957]

Simple but very effective. Nicely played, beautifully sung and well recorded. You couldn't ask for any more.....and I'm not. Lovely work.

[Mike_S]

Great job... very well played and sung. I like the way you played this through a clean acoustic sound, there is no place to hide behind effects etc. Really good performance.

Mike

[des0free]

Thanks for the kind words everyone!  I posted a new version where I fixed some things that were bugging me about the original recording:

- Singing the 2nd "raise" in the chorus a higher note, closer to how I think its supposed to be (but I didn't check the sheet music)
- Eliminated fret buzz in intro (my guitar actually needs the truss rod adjusted...)
- About 10% slower tempo (I'm always inclined to play a little too fast; slower is harder!)
- Use condenser mic (with pop filter) instead of dynamic mic (improved clarity?)
- Use blend of bridge and neck pickups on guitar instead of just bridge (deeper/richer sound?)
- Reduce master track low pass filter from 60 down to 35 Hz.  I always used to think I needed a strong low pass, sometimes I even put 100-150 Hz, but now I'm trying to embrace the amount of bass naturally present in my voice (still uncertain about it)
- Longer fade out on ending, and longer "blank" section at start (too short causes some players to glitch the intro)

At first I didn't think I would be able to manage this song, but its amazing how much practicing for many days in a row will improve a performance.  That's what I do these days, just keep playing the same song day after day to see if I can cross a bar of "not bad and better than I originally thought possible" (and trying to figure the best key to transpose to!) or else decide "it's hopeless" and give up. Certain songs eventually click, others don't.

[Hilary]

Wow this is just lovely - it really suits you.