Little Thing - AndyR Original (Remastered)

[AndyR]

(Remastered 22/10/2021)

And here's the first reply to In Your Hands (https://songcrafters.org/forum/index.php?topic=29774.0).

I say "first" because I've found another one, When I Try To Be Me, that Mrs R says I have to do too... but that's unlikely to be the next one I post because I'm working on a band thing at the moment... (something even older, from 1979!)

Little Thing was written later the same day as In Your Hands (31st January 1994). In this case, the "you" is me and the "I" and "we" are the twin boys.

It's in the key of 2nd Fret and, to my mind, it shows my main influence at the time even more than In Your Hands did... (Ian Anderson - I was on a BIG Jethro Tull kick). There are a couple more 1994 songs to come that possibly reveal this influence even more.

Little Thing

Words & Music AndyR
Recorded on a BR1600
--------------------------------
If there's one little thing
I never thought you knew
It's how much we cared
And longed to please you
The games that we played
The words you tried to teach
Around the next corner was always out of reach

The things that we wanted but couldn't get across
Left understanding at something of a loss
And that's why
That's why

If there's one little thing
I never thought you knew
It's how much we cared
And longed to please you

And all through the summer
When Daddy never came
Mummy said he's working
He'll be home late again
Then again at breakfast
He'd already gone out
Mummy said the weekend
You'll see him without doubt

If there's one little thing
I never thought you knew
It's how much we cared
And longed to please you
The games that we played
The words you tried to teach
Around the next corner was always out of reach

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

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[Greeny]

Man, this is beautiful. The first line comes over a bit Cat Stevens 'Father and Son', but then it's pure Andy R.

Folky, but not in a predictable or obvious way. The chord changes on the middle 8 / bridge are sublime. A lovely, lovely vocal: fragile in places and powerful in others.

Amazing songwriting and performance quality. Again!

[Ferryman_1957]

Very nice Andy. Incredibly poignant songwriting coupled with gentle guitar work and a very emotional vocal performance. I love the way you've recorded it as well, the guitar is clear and detailed and nicely placed across the stereo image with the vocal front and centre. Makes for a very compelling listen. Fabulous work as always.

[Oldrottenhead]

fabulous, crysrtal clear production and beautiful performance, i get shades of Yusuf at times too, still loving that you roll a lot of your R's, do you have Scottish heritage lol. i was a punk rocker back in the day but "Songs from the Wood" by jethro Tull was never off my turntable around the same time.

[Redler]

Right up on my street and so melodic folk feel on this! I wish I could play that way...guitar work is just amazing and vocals, too! Enjoyable listening!

[chapperz66]

Another stunner, Andy.  I really am getting serious gas for those Rode mics - but I have spent some serious dosh on sample libraries this year so I doubt that management (Mrs Chappers) will be too understanding.  Besides, the mics are one thing, but having the acoustic chops is another.  And I certainly do not have your voice.  Poignant and beautiful song.

I'm a bit of an Ian Anderson fan too and I don't think that there are many gaps in my Tull collection - CD, VHS, DVD, vinyl and probably even some cassettes somewhere.  Rather controversially, "A" is in my top 10 albums of all time.   Then again, "Heavy Horses".....

Paul

[SE]

Great stuff, just a great guitar tone, but the vocal is the stand out.
Big respect to the writer, cool as Fu*k

[chapperz66]

Back for another listen - and played it to my wife at the same time.  Marvelous.  She is very impressed as well.

[kenny mac]

I'm impressed by the guitar sound and recoding,it's so clear.
Was it miked up or di?
Also what is the guitar.?
Excellent track.

[AndyR]

It was mic'd Kenny.

It's a single take live recording. 3 mics were used.

A single Rode NT1000 large condensor for the vocal.

A pair of Rode M5 small condensors for the guitar. One on the sound board behind the bridge, one on the fingerboard. Both are pointing away from the soundhole and my mouth.

On mixing, the two guitar tracks are panned hard left and right.

Oh, and the guitar is a Martin 17 Series in Black Smoke. I forget the model number, but it's a Parlour size, 14 fretter.