[Viscount Cramer & His Orchestra]

I write my stuff at the piano to start with then haul the acoustic into the kitchen (wood-burner, coffee pot, wine jug etc) to run through it again and again, finish off lyrics, struggle to form those nice jazz chords which are so easy on the piano.....

During this process I was enjoying this one usually played pretty slow sometimes at 0bpm like those real languid ballads. Wasn't sure what to do with it. Anyway at recording time it finally ended up as this. It's taken a bloody long time especially those last 4 or 5 bars. Now I'm thinking...is this what I wanted and what was the point...maybe this is normal?

The vocal is not the best in the world. I did about 15 takes and tried all sorts of reverb - long-tailed, short-tailed, lesser-spotted etc - and other stuff but it still sounds shite! I can't be bothered with it anymore.

Anyway here it is...I don't like the word 'merry' but it alliterates, rhymes with a couple of other words and is kind of ironic..

https://soundcloud.com/cramer1930/merry-masquerade

Merry Masquerade

Forgotten words, forgiven deeds
Forever etched in time
Forbidden places we don't go
Solicitude sublime

Our fortune's weighed
The price is paid
It's nothing new
It's really very ordinary
Welcome to our Merry Masquerade

Untaken tides, unridden waves
Under this tranquil sea
Uncharted waters we'll never sail
Unfulfilled fantasy

But who's without regret for what might have been now and then
A whisper in the wind, a voice in the night
Who's without regret but too tired to start again
Better to forget....sometimes

SOLO

The path is laid
With flags arrayed
It's nothing new
It's really very ordinary
Welcome to our Merry Masquerade

Too many years, too tight the bond
To think we'll ever part
Tomorrow's promise we won't feel
With this slow-beating heart

Yes, colours fade
The cloth gets frayed
And making do
Is really very ordinary
Welcome to this quiet parade
This dance for two sedately passing through
Welcome to our Merry Masquerade

ps if anybody ever wants to do me a decent male vocal on any of my songs I'll be obliged (as long as you're not crap at singing of course)

[nooms]

very robert wyatt
your broken vocal comes across, quite like the fragility of it 
good lyric
i dont know enough about jazz standards but the way you phrase the ‘really ordinary..’ is reminiscent of something i cant put my finger on.. but a perfect fit
nice bass but piano quite far back in the mix and i think a little busy in places
sax adds to the mix ..nice brew your going for here viscount
works for me

[hardtwistmusic]

I really, really, really like the lyrics.  The vocal treatment and accompaniment was too slow for my taste.  This sang really well uptempo and fast, and when I sang it that way, it seemed to still fit the mood. 

I loved everything about the concept.  I've just never been a fan of really slow songs.   

[shadowfax]

Could hear Tony Bennet singing this, needs to be a little faster I think, I feel a sort of cool nightclub atmosphere being generated by this song (probably because this is the type of song used in those environments..DUH!!) nice work on the keys..wish I could do that

good lyrics...

best, Kevin

[ShinyThang]

I love your writing Cramer so, lets declare my bias at the outset. And now you're a Viscount? When and how did that happen?

You write precisely the kind of lyric wrapped up in the kind of music I wish to write.

Fascinating to read about your writing location. I usually write in my dressing gown! It's cosy too but, no coffee pot in there.

It's been a while since I looked on this forum. The last thing I think I heard from you was 'Pretty Blue'?  Well that was great, this is great too. Your song writing has been consistently strong and it seems that your kitchen studio is working for your sound. The blend of instruments on this one is perfect. Lovely bass under it and tinkling piano and the way you've got the brass sounding so natural it just transports me to a smoky jazz club (are they still allowed in France?). You've produced a wonderful feel on this track and I am very jealous but I know it's the result of a lot of hard work.

... P.s. just read above two comments about speeding it up ... You know it's perfect as is! If you speed it up I'd like a copy of the original. It is absolutely spot on.

[Viscount Cramer & His Orchestra]

Thanks for listening fellas.

Just jumping in quickly here now that I've discovered the song you're probably referring to Nooms.

L-O-V-E by Nat King Cole has the line ....V is for very, very extra-ordinary. Listened on YouTube and knew the song but wouldn't have been able to sing it for you without being reminded. Any theft was purely unconscious of course! glad you didn't think the vocal was a total disaster. Am set on re-doing it again now, but at the time of posting I was thoroughly fed up with it!

Verlon and Kevin...this is the FAST version...I'm considering doing a much slower version sometime.
I'm not really that good on the piano...my 'live' playing is mostly bum notes. Glad you like the lyric Verlon.

Shiny...nice to see you again. When are we going to hear some of your sophisticated jazz again? I conferred the title myself....it didn't seem likely that anybody else was going to do it anytime soon.

Thanks for all the generous things you say. Hope I can live up to your expectations in the future....been a bit dry of late though I've got a new song brewing at last. Getting this thing finished was holding me back I think....

Thanks for listening and commenting folks.

[Neil C]

Dear Count,
I think the song works really, really  well for the genre and is at the right speed.
And interesting lyrics too.
The main thing for me is as nooms mentioned the vocals are too high in the mix compared to the rest of the backing for me.
The bass and the sax work is great. and that piano solo sounds fab liked a babbling brook, althoughts there's perhaps too much tinkling elsewhere.
Keep dragging stuff and mind the coffee pot! ( i presume you referring to an double bass in to your kitchen? )
 
Neil

[TheButcher]

Hello;

first; i like that sound, i like the low fi character and the bass. It sounds, like theres a gramophone standing in the corner of my room, and it plays your song.
I also like it, that you don t use too much reverb.

every instrument sounds well picked, well played. love that sax....it s brilliant.

I remember, with your first songs, you kinda over used some of the instruments; now they serve the song perfectly.

mhhh, i m in a really chilled mood right now. thank you very much for writing and sharing this .

B.

[Skub]

*Skub runs off to find his old smoking jacket,then settles down with a Remy Martin and some fine Colombian*

Niiiiice.  

I couldn't begin to assemble a song like this,VC. It comes across as Christmassy and conjurers Jack Nicholson hanging over the bar in 'The Shining'.

[montydog]

Yep, I'm getting Robert Wyatt as well. Clever lyrics, super delivery, wonderful piano playing. It's sophisticated, confident and suave. Arrangement is spot on and you've chosen a perfect instrumental palette. Loved the bass guitar. My only niggle is that the vocal is too high in the mix.

Excellent, classy track.

M

[benjo]

 OH YES THIS TAKES YOU THERE


 the feel of this whole package paints a great picture
 and the sleepy delivery works so well for me
 this is a fine lyric clever write pleasure to read through
 then listen when it first started I must admit I wanted it to move quicker
 but as soon as you started singing it was spot on
 and I was in that club you by the piano smoky room I'm still there
 
       very enjoyable and well put together

[Alan Starkie]

Well done Cramer.

This is very good song writing.

Some of the best I've come across on the forum. Very sophisticated music and lyrics.

I think the stand out line is '...very ordinary...' - it's an inspired bit of vocal delivery.

The problem is the overall volume of the track - too low.

Easily solved - lower the lead vocal and bring everything else up. Then remaster with more umph.

Great piece of work.

Alan.

[Paulski]

Lovely slow jazz song. How many valiums do I have to take to get that relaxed vocally?
Loved the chord progression, the melody line and arrangement. Perfect speed in my book.
Liked the piano frills but thought the piano itself could sound a bit better- like either go Rhodes or grand but this one is somewhere in between.. Vocals are great - don't know why you think they aren't.
No other nits from me - oh yeah - where did you find those nice brushes - been looking for that for a while now..

Super job VC!
Paul

[Viscount Cramer & His Orchestra]

Many thanks for the kind words to Neil, Skub, Benjo, the two Alans, Butch and Paul.

I must say that the song has got a better reception than I thought it was going to. I thought it wasn't bad but somewhere along the line I lost a bit of confidence in it.
It was a bit of a mammoth undertaking especially the last eight or so bars where I wanted to get a bit of interplay with the sax, trumpet and trombone. By the time I'd got it all done i was a bit weary with it and thought....oh well, might as well upload it then.

So I am a bit gobsmacked at the reviews but thoroughly delighted!

I hear now that the vocal is too loud and maybe I went a bit over the top on some of the piano parts.

Neil - no double bass unfortunately...I was only referring to my acoustic guitar. Bit difficult to spread loads of bits of paper out at the piano so I do my refinements to lyrics etc at the kitchen table with the guitar on hand.

Butch - good to hear that my methods are getting better. Yes, a year ago I was a complete beginner!

Skub - I trust that fine Colombian you're referring to is coffee. I assume the Christmassy bit is just a nostalgia thing. Watched that bar clip on YouTube...love Jack Nicholson.

Monty - Glad you liked it...lyric, arrangement and all. Don't know much about Robert Wyatt (apart from the dry facts - I'm pretty hot at pop trivia....well, up to 1980 anyway) but I'll have to look him up now. I do recall hearing 'Shipbuilding' so I guess it's something to do with the voice?

Benjo - pleased you like the lyric as this is your speciality!

Alan -I'm humbled by your kind words. Glad you thought it was good work.

Paul - Don't know where I inherited the sluggishness. A mate of mine says I drive like an old lady on Mogadon. It wasn't always quite this way but as the years go by i seem to prefer things slower and slower....

I'm not delighted with the piano sound but can't seem to find the perfect free vst for that! (Any ideas anybody??)
I've gone off Piano One which a lot of people rave about. One day I'll get something better!
I don't dislike the vocal as much as I did. That was how I was feeling on that day after spending loads of time trying to get the right sound for it. I'm still going to have another crack at it tommorrow though!

the brush drum is here

http://www.pettinhouse.com/html/download.html

It is an sfz file I think. I use shortcircuit which has loads of functions that I don't understand at all but I like it because it is low on graphics and not a CPU hog. I also worked out how to send the different drum elements to separate tracks.( I like things that even I can figure out....sometimes.)  Another thing with shortcircuit is that you can drag and drop any wav samples into it. So here for the last bit i dropped in a stick hit snare which incidentally is supposed to be from a 1920s Ludwig snare drum courtesy of Big Daddy Drums.....

Thanks to all of you for listening and commenting. It makes it all worth it to get feedback from those who are in the same game!

[Doodles]

I love this...

I was drawn in by your introduction even before I'd started up the track.

I love the style, I love the lyrics and I love the music, I love the solo.

The only suggestion I could make is that my personal preference would be to hear a female jazz singer doing the vocals. Don't get me wrong your vocals are very good - I just don't think they hit the stellar heights of the rest of the track.

For me this is a track that deserves some cash splashing on a real silky session singer. That'd be the icing on the cake.