Brown Eyed Girl

[MDEW]

Just me and guitar recorded on laptop. No effects.

Comments, Suggestions, Tips, Opinions.... welcome.

https://soundcloud.com/user898702554/brown-eyed-girl-practice

[ronws]

That was great. An unqualified good job. That is, no "good job but" comments. Just a good job. I really liked your arrangement, which has a different meter than the original. But the intent and the effect of the song is the same, a true cover and not just an attempt at duplication. I found myself not even thinking about technique but wandering in the imagery of the song. Which, to me, is the ultimate goal. The audience (me) does not see or hear your technique. We (me) goes on a ride where the song is taking us. Do it like this, always and forever. And you sang it with better pitch accuracy than the original. So, you were technically better but that was not the primary perception, to me.

[MDEW]

Thanks Ronws,

Van Morrison himself did a few different versions of this. I was playing in a band and wanted to sing this. One of the members had never heard it before and downloaded the song from itunes so he could learn it. The version that he downloaded was so aweful that if I had heard that version first I would never have even liked the song. And it was Van Morrison singing it.

[ronws]

You would be surprised how many monster hits were pitchy, out of time, less than stellar recording production values. Things like "Eve of Destruction." There was only two hours of recording time left. Barry heard the song run through one time before being expected to sing it. And he was sight-singing, reading the lyrics from someone's chicken-scratch writing. Some of the anger you hear in the performance is from him missing a word or note because he could not hear or see it. And it was just a scratch track. It was supposed to go to final mix in the next week. But the A&R guy at the studio didn't care about it and took it to the biggest radio station in L.A. and it became an overnight hit. Pitchy, off-time, raw mix, first and only take, straight to radio.

A huge hit, in spite of every rule we know about singing and recording being broken, with reckless abandon.

Just like the song "Come on Feel the Noize" as covered by Quiet Riot, originally recorded by Slade.

Kevin DuBrow, more than any of others in Quiet Riot, could not stand Slade. And did not want to do the song. The other guys did not care one way, or the other. So, they conspired to make a "crappy track." What you hear on the finished album is a total cold shot. Not rehearsed. The guitar player just started hammering a riff and the drummer kicked in with whatever he felt like. The song was recorded live, in one take and only one take, vocals included. Cavuto looped back a few notes in the solo but that was it. They presented to the producer and he loved it, not realizing this was Quiet Riot at their "crappiest." And it made them known the world over. That and "Metal Health" made them the first metal band to debut at #1. From a crappy raw recording of a song no one wanted to do.

[ronws]

And I could go on. By now, everyone knows the story of "Cherry Pie." Warrant's first major album was actually titled Uncle Tom's Cabin, after the song that is on the album. And the album is full of such darker offerings. However, the producer wanted a short pop radio hit and demanded that Janie write something light and fluffy. So, he did. It took all of ten minutes to write, on his coffee table, being as raunchy as he could possibly be, hoping that it would be rejected on subject matter.

The producer loved it. It became the single release and the album was re-named Cherry Pie.

Then the producer wanted a syrupy ballad on a later album. And so, Janie wrote "Heaven," kind of a creepy song if you really pay attention to the lyrics. Once again, hoping that it would be rejected for being to vague and creepy.

Nope, another top 20 hit. You have to listen to "serious" rock stations to hear "Uncle Tom's Cabin," which was indeed, a better song in many regards.

[ronws]

Slash had what he thought was a goofy arpeggio that he would play as "circus music" to underscore the mad dash of roadies putting together stage and equipment pieces. Axl started writing lyrics to his girlfriend. And Izzy found a kerchunking country style rhythm. And Duff, originally a guitar player and singer, came in with a melodic and contrapuntal line and so is born, "Sweet Child of Mine." Which exploded the band even more than "Welcome to the Jungle" because now you had women paying attention to what is essentially an up-tempo love ballad.

[ronws]

Any of these people, given enough time to "perfect,' something to the point where every last imperfection was ironed out. And would they have missed out on timing in the market place? And a chance to be iconic? Music is about memories.

[gno]

Nice job. Good solid performance. You kept up a great rhythm guitar the whole way through. The only thing for me was I kept wanting you to go up to the G4 in the chorus. I think your voice would sound cool on that note.

[MDEW]

I do add that on occasion. The jump to E4 seems to be a more natural interval for my voice. It always sounds to me that I must have overshot the note when I sing the G4.

I will record it again and add that just see how it sounds to others.

I also thought that the lack of grit in my voice takes away from the song. Do any of you feel that way too?

[gno]

I also thought that the lack of grit in my voice takes away from the song. Do any of you feel that way too?

No, not at all. Didn't notice and now that you say it, I don't think it needs it. However, if you want to add grit I'm sure that would also sound good.