[Boydie]

Thank you all soooooooooo much for your comments

I was a little nervous about posting this one as I did really like it

It was originally titled "All Over Again" but I thought "Edge Of Never" was a little more memorable (and "hit song" sounding!)

It was written with a definite eye on being commercial so I purposely kept the lyrics and melody "simple"

The keys were played using my MIDI guitar and it took some tweaking to get a realistic sounding piano - especially as I completely forget pianists had 2 hands!  so had to add the left hand part separately

This is the song that has "again" pronounced differently in 2 different places but I think it kinda works - I also went for the "mid-atlantic" pronounciation of "chance"

@DB - I definitely did write the song - your comments did make me laugh and were taken as a huge compliment, thank you!

@NOOMS - I tried to resist putting a guitar solo in but I couldn't help it  - although tried to keep it super simple to emphasise the key change

@APOPHENA - good spot on the hiccup, I think it was the Soundcloud upload. I have re-uploaded so I hope it is better now - thanks for pointing it out

I am particularly pleased with the harmony comments - on their own the harmonies sound AWFUL - really out of tune - but together they really fill things out so I was worried about this - I don't think "pitch perfect" harmonies would have had the same effect so that was an interesting lesson learned

@JAMES - you got me again!

I played the mix off of RED before posting and he made EXACTLY the same comments about the kick and snare

I tried to layer up another kick & snare but my PC wouldn't handle another instance of my drum synth so I thought I would try it "as is"

I went for an electric kick during the development of the track in an attempt to force me to be "contemporary" with the vibe

I think I will revisit this


I also hear what you are saying about mastering - keep an eye on your PMs 

[S.T.C]

I agree with most ,if not all the previous comments...it`s basically a very good constructed song..well executed.
But i would like to hear a little something else, going on ,in it....but not sure what? another instrument..just to help define the melody..maybe.

[flossie]

Hi Boydie,

I really like your song. To give a comparison I can hear Elvis Costello in this one, and I think you have written a good commercial song here! Ha Ha! (good for you!)

One small thing:

The drums make the song sound a bit cluttered to my ear, and I don't think they need to be that complicated, it's a pop song so I think focus on the hooks and the melody, the drums can complement this then and drive the song forward but I don't think they need to be a feature necessarily.

Really good though
x

[Paul]

Hi Boydie,

I find myself singing the chorus to this after listening only twice. It's a very catch chorus.

Well done!

[Kafla]

Boydie

You write the most gorgeous contemporary pop songs - Paul Carrick would make a million out of this

Would love to have a go at singing this myself

I just love this mate

[Boydie]

Thanks KAFLA

Much appreciated

Would love to have a go at singing this myself

Fill yer boots!

http://soundcloud.com/boydiemusic/edge-of-never-no-vox

I would love to hear what you come up with

The track is "download enabled" and the lyrics are in the description

[Michael]

This is really brilliant !!
Great singing, very catchy chorus and the guitar solo is just beautiful !
Can't really find anything I'd change in this song.
So... when are we going to hear this on the radio ?

[Boydie]

So... when are we going to hear this on the radio ?

Well, I have actually pitched this song to a publisher and got the following response:

hi paul

thanks for the song, yes holiday was good

I have listened to it, the song isn't bad in my opinion, although i think its more of an album track than a single and therefore not quite strong enough for [this pitch] I have excluded the actual name of the pitch here

for me the production lets it down more so, as the drums seem a little lazy as does some of the playing,

Sorry just being honest, its really tough out there so its really important to getting the demo's sounding like they could be on the radio, this is not so far off, but those little percentages are all important to making the difference

sorry i can't be more positive, as i said for me the song definately has potential, just not believing its outstanding single material or the production does it justice

I thought I would be open and share this feedback to demonstrate how tough it is pitching songs

Although not a successful pitch I am quite encouraged by some of the comments - especially as some of the feedback here had already identified the drum issues, which I completely agree with

This also demonstrates what I have been saying about a pitch needing to sound like a hit and that it is the little details that really count

This has made me even more determined to "crack it" and I hope others looking to pitch songs find this feedback from a "real life" publisher (which has had many, many, many hits cut all over the world) useful

Back to the drawing board...

[Michael]

Wow... I had heard of this before, but hearing (or rather reading) it from the mouth of an actual publisher does surprise me a little.
If they decided to publish it, they would re-record and-produce the whole thing anyway rather than simply remastering your mix, wouldn't they?
So why would a DEMO have to sound like a professional production? After all, they'd want you as a musician and artist, not as a producer...

Well, good luck anyway 

[Boydie]

That is just how it is in the industry right now 

The days of the "demo" (as in a guitar & vocal) are pretty much dead when it comes to pitching songs

The publisher, record company, A&R, manager and artist need to hear the "finished product" to tell if it is going to "work" for them or not

The chances are these people are NOT musicians (including the "artists" nowadays - but that is a another story!) so they will not be able to "imagine" a fully produced sound - so it needs to be presented to them on a plate

Professional writers will have their own studios, producers, session singers - and in most cases you are pitching against these people

I have read this countless times before, which is why I keep harping on about how important production is as part of the songwriting process

It is quite "chilling" to see it in "black & white" from a publisher but has just made me even more determined to "raise my game"

[Paul]

Hi Boydie,

How to you pitch your songs?  Do you pay to pitch or send  unsolicited demoes to artists/publishers/A&R/record companies?

I still think that your song has potential to be a single. The chorus really is very catchy.  

Keep plugging away.  I see no reason why you won't eventually find success!  

[James Nighthawk]

Wow... I had heard of this before, but hearing (or rather reading) it from the mouth of an actual publisher does surprise me a little.
If they decided to publish it, they would re-record and-produce the whole thing anyway rather than simply remastering your mix, wouldn't they?
So why would a DEMO have to sound like a professional production? After all, they'd want you as a musician and artist, not as a producer...

Well, good luck anyway 

I have to concur with Boydie here. I work in the industry and this is exactly what I hear from labels.

At some ends of the market they want to go as far as taking your stem files, redoing the vocal, mix master and market

So yes. Rough Demos are dead.

Labels want release quality material in their lug holes.

My position is as follows. Home recording is ACE for getting ideas down. But rarely will they be good enough for touting. I have artists I work with that record at home. Then bring me the stem files. We tidy what can be tidied. Re-record the rough stuff. Stick an vocal on. And I mix and master it for them.

THIS is what labels want. Sorry to be so blunt to those those don't want to hear it

This is for publishing though. If you are a solo artist/Band with an AWESOME sound, you may grab attention.

On which note...Boydie PM coming your way....

[refusedrevival]

I enjoyd the song.
Really good drum beat and excellent chorus.

[Dutchbeat]

it is super songwriting!


perhaps send it to the agent of Robbie Williams, he (or she) must and will see the gold that is in this

[Paul]

Hi Boydie,

How to you pitch your songs?  Do you pay to pitch or send  unsolicited demoes to artists/publishers/A&R/record companies?

I still think that your song has potential to be a single. The chorus really is very catchy.  

Keep plugging away.  I see no reason why you won't eventually find success!