Yulefest: 'Thanks For Christmas' (A Three Wise Men cover by cuthbert)

[Gnasty]

Blimey, this is a bit special 'aint it!
 But, dare I say it, there's a dash of henwrench somewhere in here too on the vocal melody and phrasing....

Yes i was totally thinking the same thing. It sounds a bit Hen-mas but over all this is just amazing Cuth. Great vocals and i`ve never heard it before to be honest but i`m sure yours is better. I feel like putting up the tree again now This is a great christmas song you picked. Awesome!!

[64Guitars]

This is wonderful, cuthbert! I love how you used so many unusual instruments to achieve an interesting variety of sounds without making it sound cluttered. And I agree with hooper about that descending four-note phrase after each "snowing down". That's really cool. What instrument is it?

Love the vocals too. Well done!

instruments used:
bulbul tarang

I had to look that one up as I'd never heard of it before.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulbul_tarang

You sure have a great collection of unusual instruments.

[Tangled Wires]

Not a song I have heard before, and agree with Greeny in that I sense a little bit of Master Henwrench's influence coming out in your excellent vocal delivery.

The playing and production is out of this world, you really can hear how meticulously this was put together and recorded.

[cuthbert]

Hey, thanks everybody for all the nice feedback. I really did feel a bit awkward posting this so late, and so your replies are very gratifying! 

Sandy: yup, that's the next one!

Jim, Kari, and Tim: yes, not an easy XTC song to find! I hadn't heard it myself until I picked up the 'Rag & Bone Buffet' import CD back in the early Nineties. Lots of good stuff on it -  more info here.

hooper & 64Guitars: thanks! That tinkly-sounding piece was done with a toy piano, which was then echoed.

The bulbul tarang (literally, 'wave of nightingales') was a cheap eBay purchase that I'd been dying to use in a recording. It has a roughly piano-like keyboard, but it's a set of strings roughly tuned to C (along with a couple of resonating drone strings tuned up a fifth which are not strummed), and you can only strum one 'note' at a time. When you press a key, the bar comes down and frets the note. Mine's not as beaten up as the pic up on wikipedia, but it does have a lovely hand-done, mustard-yellow, sloppy paint-job.  You can hear it in the 'It's nearer...' and 'It's dawning...' parts, panned opposite the baby sitar.

Tim, Gnasty, & Andrew: I wasn't conscious of it at the time, but likely guilty as charged... He's got a better voice than me, though. I need to layer my vocals.

I did use my mountain dulcimer in the song's bridge special in honor of henwrench. And also because it sounded good there. I also referred to henwrench's effects settings tips post here, saved them in the MBR, and got really great signal on my recordings for this. I intend to use them in the future, as well as experimenting more.

Anyway - thanks again, guys. I'm going to try to play a little catch up with the current fests!

[lectric]

Ready For Radio!!!  I am saving this for next Xmas.  Durn good for a mainiac...Ted

[FuzzFace]

You are a one-man orchestra.

[henwrench]

This is absolutely superb. Sounds incredible. Mucho work must of gone into this stunner. So thats where Fleet Foxes get their sound from....XTC?  Or is it just the cuthbert magick? 

                                                            henwrench

[chip withrow]

Nothing wrong at all with some post-holiday cheer! So bright and catchy. So many wonderful sounds, yet retains some simple folkiness. Glad I found this - brightened an already-nice day even more.

[OsCKilO]

Dude....

Dude..............

Dude!!!!!!!

Awesome work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Utterly impressive!!!

[64Guitars]

One of my YuleFest favourites. Well done, cuthbert. Got any planned for this year?