[James Nighthawk]

http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_11892325

Second song for you all

I am going to refrain from posting too much info on this one (backfired last time  ). All I will say is it was written in one fell swoop in about an hour. I knew it needed to be a duet as I was writing it, which is strange as I didn't plan for it!

We then recorded all the instruments and vocals in one long recording session at the studio. Mixing etc took longer, but I am quite the perfectionist here


Don’t give your love out

I used to think it must be only me
Desire; as a strength here cannot hide
With every shift in our mentality
This willingness to change has a flip-side
Oh, I – I need to guarantee

Yet every chance we take so eagerly
Passion; ride the waves of the rip tide
With every day and every shot of glee
Balance seeks the calm on the inside
Oh, I – I need some mystery

Don’t give your love out
Don’t give your love out
Don’t give your love out to just anyone
Don’t give your love out
Don’t give your love out
Don’t give your love out to just anyone
Oh no, how could it be so wrong?

I used to think it never could me
Desire; we resist when we’re headstrong
Such a lack of sensibility
Can never really last in the long run
Oh, I – I need the company

Yet every step we build a history
Passion; set aflame in the warm sun
With every day and every tendency
To gamble with our dreams,
till they’re all gone
Oh, I – I need to choice to flee

Don’t give your love out
Don’t give your love out
Don’t give your love out to just anyone
Don’t give your love out
Don’t give your love out
Don’t give your love out to just anyone
Oh no, how could it be so wrong?   
 
‘Been giving this all far too much thought,
 I know
‘Been eating away at me tonight 
If I am to blame for this please let me know
If I am to blame, I’ll make it right
But such games are never simple
We shall swim in the debris
Yet every step is history

BREAK

Don’t give your love out
Don’t give your love out
Don’t give your love out to just anyone
Don’t give your love out
Don’t give your love out
Don’t give your love out to just anyone
Don’t give your love out
Don’t give your love out
Don’t give your love out to just anyone
Don’t give your love out
Don’t give your love out
Don’t give your love out….

[jim morrison]

Nice song James, nice vocal delivery and great guitar sound

[James Nighthawk]

Thanks mate. Wouldn't expect less from a fellow James

[Dutchbeat]

James!

these "don't give your love out"" chorusses are smashing!
I love those

minor remark, the verses seem to have almost a sort of too much cautioness, that i think go for it more

how to put it, they sound almost too precise...and herfore almost restrained / like holding back to much..?

...just my first thoughts (Look who is talking, mr. old school synthesizer sloppiness in his midlife crisis himself)

and it makes the "don't give your love out"  parts stick out perfecty



 

[James Nighthawk]

Cheers Dutch!

I think I largely have one of those "polite" singing voices!

I generally use layering for meatier sounds (i.e. the choruses here). I am learning to be grittier when needed. But equally, I kinda like songs where the verses are wordy and thoughtful. The verses here are kinda contemplative, so I (I guess!) went with that.

Equally, I like the fact you consider the verses "restrained". I can hear it and agree, but I wouldn't want that any other way. I can especially see that in the verses Jenny sang for me. She is fragile sounding, which I love. She had to be convinced into letting me keep that take. She still finds it hard to listen to. It's odd how sometimes a vocal can be painful for the singer to hear back, but great to most other people...

[Dutchbeat]

ok, fair,

Jenny is singing absolutely great, she is, she has a perfect voice
but still I think, just my opinion, you both should be going for it more in the verses

well, just my opinion, i think the song needs that, and you are both clearly very capable of doing that

but great songwriting, yes

keep the songs coming!

[Ramshackles]

Lovely guitar sound again, although I thought the whole thing was a little to bright/thin. The level of the bass is a little low...although I am on headphones, so dont read too much into that.

The change into the chorus is nice, and when the female vocals come its great.
I thought the lyrics were the weakest point...there wasnt really a single line or theme that stood out or grabbed my attention, seems to cover a lot of common ground.

The chorus really stands out from the verse, but it leaves me wanting for a bit more instrumentation, a bit more low end percussion and low end in generally to really make it thrust out.

I think the chorus could benefit from a perhaps a different harmony on the 2nd vocal and definitely on the female vocal (in the 2nd chorus). All the vocals have the feeling of 'coming down' into the chorus...the female vocal at least actually does. I'd put the harmony higher and perhaps make it descend. Or start in the same place and make it ascend. Something to offer a bit of....counterpoint (not the right word) to the 1-note chorus...
Im not sure how to express my thoughts here but I think the harmony layering in the chorus could be a bit more..harmonic/melodic?

Your voice sounds totally different on this one compared to the other one?

[James Nighthawk]

Thanks Ramshackles

I think a few points here might be down to the headphones issue... The song certainly shouldn't sound overly bright/thin at all! And vocal wise I feel by the end it is already quite dense as it is. But, then again, today I found out you are a fleet foxes guy, so I can imagine you do love a good range of harmonies on a song 

Harmony wise, on chorus one I added the fifth on the single note melody. Then Jenny brings in the descending harmony (her work not mine, she has an ear for such things. I loved it straight away!). Then on the final chorus we bring in the held high tones to build another layer. I didn't want to overcook it, harmony-wise (stacking chords was considered but ditched as they sounds too "enclosed"). And personally I can't "hear" an ascending line here - with the static and descending parts, I think anything rising would clash, at least the way I write them thus far!

With songs with open melodies, one can always pick out harmonies that aren't on the recording. Hell, I do this often on my favourite albums in the car to improve my pitching and harmony ear. But knowing when to stop is part of it. Especially if songs are collected in an EP/LP... there is something exhausting about having too many layers on track after track...

Please read this as a respectful rebuttal to your ideas, I am not being dismissive    I wanted to make clear that these things were thought about even if not employed.

I do agree that the weakest part of this song is the lyric. It is a little "all encompassing" - a trait I myself generally am not too keen on in songs. It was the first time I had written a duet, so I guess my creative juices went elsewhere! The theme of a "relationship in turmoil, as it was perhaps doomed from the start" still rings through I like to think. The Middle section works best here. But yes, it is one of my least favoured lyrics.

Thanks again for the detailed notes, it's what this site seems to do well! 

[Schavuitje]

Hiya James.

I have to say I thoroughly enojyed it.
I can see what DB is getting at with the vocals but it didn't bother me as much on this 2nd song. In fact it didn't bother me at all
I thought this time the vocal suited the song. At times I thought there was a hint of (The housemartins singer chap... don't know his name lol)
The lyrics didn't capture me at all but that was ok on this song because the melodies and the middle eight and those harmonies were more than enough to
make up for that.
I really enjoyed it 

p.s. I did think that I heard some timing issue's though and if not timing then maybe just a clash of the rythmn guitars. I first hear it, or noticed it at around 1:32/1:33-ish.
Please listen very carefully. It might just be me. The 2nd time seemed to be between 1:54-ish and about 1:58. It's very minor so hard to pick up on but it just doesn't sound quite right.

Again great song, loving those harmonies. Juicy 

[James Nighthawk]

Cheers Schavuitje! Appreciate it 

There are indeed some minor timing slips between the left and right acoustic guitar parts. But I like music when the humanness comes through. Were this dance music, quantise and perfect! But this is folky-singersongwriting. I say keep the tiny slips in, minimise the takes, and focus on the big picture!

Funny.... With my productions some people think them too neat, others point out the slips!

Proof that you can't (and never should try to) please everyone all the time 

[Schavuitje]

No just me  


Just modified  My appologies... I do seem to be in a bit of a mischevoius mood these last days 

[Ramshackles]

Thanks Ramshackles

I think a few points here might be down to the headphones issue... The song certainly shouldn't sound overly bright/thin at all! And vocal wise I feel by the end it is already quite dense as it is. But, then again, today I found out you are a fleet foxes guy, so I can imagine you do love a good range of harmonies on a song 

Harmony wise, on chorus one I added the fifth on the single note melody. Then Jenny brings in the descending harmony (her work not mine, she has an ear for such things. I loved it straight away!). Then on the final chorus we bring in the held high tones to build another layer. I didn't want to overcook it, harmony-wise (stacking chords was considered but ditched as they sounds too "enclosed"). And personally I can't "hear" an ascending line here - with the static and descending parts, I think anything rising would clash, at least the way I write them thus far!

With songs with open melodies, one can always pick out harmonies that aren't on the recording. Hell, I do this often on my favourite albums in the car to improve my pitching and harmony ear. But knowing when to stop is part of it. Especially if songs are collected in an EP/LP... there is something exhausting about having too many layers on track after track...

Please read this as a respectful rebuttal to your ideas, I am not being dismissive    I wanted to make clear that these things were thought about even if not employed.

I do agree that the weakest part of this song is the lyric. It is a little "all encompassing" - a trait I myself generally am not too keen on in songs. It was the first time I had written a duet, so I guess my creative juices went elsewhere! The theme of a "relationship in turmoil, as it was perhaps doomed from the start" still rings through I like to think. The Middle section works best here. But yes, it is one of my least favoured lyrics.

Thanks again for the detailed notes, it's what this site seems to do well! 

Good points; but my idea wasnt adding more vocals...I generally dont do more than 3 or occasionally 4 part harmonies, just altering what was there to create more movement. Perhaps open the harmonies up a little. It sounds a little like there is less going on than there actually is......


shav; housemartins singer is paul heaton. He was pretty much our first 'fan' on facebook 

[James Nighthawk]

Paul Heaton, also of Beautiful South, yes? I can see the comparison. Except I am a soft southerner, and he is a proud Northern Monkey (I am pretty sure they chose their band name as a gentle swipe at the south!) 

[Ramshackles]

Yes the very same. As the beautiful south were from hull, which, by the by, is admirably close to possibly the greatest city in the UK, it probably is a swipe at the south.
The bass player in the housemartins was none other than Norman Cook, aka fatboy slim

[Schavuitje]

I'm all for a good swipe at the south