[Viscount Cramer & His Orchestra]

I've never posted in this section before so I apologise in advance for not having given loads of feedback here.

This is two 1 minute clips of the same song. I'm not after advice on the song as such because I'm arrogant enough to think it's going to be OK! The question is how I treat the song...the first clip i envisage as a groovy swinging 60s type of thing and the second as a 60s R&B thing so the first could have some lighter stuff....strings, vibes, whatever...while the second would be raunchier (I've already put in a horn part)

Which do I go for? Which style do you think will suit the song better?

Lyric is pretty well there but not fixed.

AND I need an female singer if there's one knocking about who would like to take a crack at it.

Thanks guys.

https://soundcloud.com/cramer1930/is-this-love/s-Rrh9Q

At the moment it's really just the drums that are different (apart from the horn part)

EDIT You'll find them quite similar I suppose so I've now updated it with an intro to the swinging 60s one with a horn line which might help to place the style idea better. This is a horn part that I may or may not use...it sounds kind of familiar....anyway it's just to help give an idea I hope.

[Paulski]

Hi Viscount

Hmm.. that's not what we call "raunchy" in these parts.
More like dirty guitars, coarse raspy vocals etc so I can't offer much advice.
The vibe in both to me is lounge-lizard - sth we'd hear in a swanky hotel.
Nice laid back groove and should sound great with the right vocalist.
You stole Bob Marley's hook though

Paul

[Viscount Cramer & His Orchestra]

Hi Paul

I understand that they both sound much the same at the moment but was wondering if the song suggested any particular style by the way the melody or chord changes went or something like that.

It's a fairly conventional progression - D, Em, A7, back to D which would suggest perhaps the R&B but something about the melody must remind me a bit of something else so I'm unsure.

Maybe both would work so.....

As for Bob Marley, those 3 little words in themselves won't make this sound like his song of the same title!

Any bright ideas for that raunchy guitar part then?

[adamfarr]

For no particularly scientific reason I preferrred what seemed to be the "looser" arrangement of the second one. The melody doesn't jump around too much so my feeling was that getting busier/raunchier with the backing will suit.

Just my 2p...

[Neil C]

Dear Count,
Musically i prefer the second more upbeat version.Great horns - how do you do that again?
The verse is strong although the chorus of 'is this love' is currently a bit weaker melodically and needs more impact ( horns maybe and organ to lift it 
Hope that helps
 
Neil

[hardtwistmusic]

I liked the second style better.  What stood out to me was that the horns seemed to "come in" to the song in a more dramatic manner.  Can't really tell how, but I just liked that better.

[pompeyjazz]

Hi Count. Think both styles work brilliantly. My personal preference is for second version. Those horns are amazing man  Whatever you decide this song is going to be fantastique Mon Ami 

Bon soir

Pompey le jazz

[Viscount Cramer & His Orchestra]

I was fixed firmly on the 2nd version partly because that's the style I wanted - more cool! Then it wasn't going right so I decided it had to be the 1st version. Now you're all persuading me I was right in the first place.

2nd version would def need some guitar which I've tried though I don't have an electric so I've used acoustic (vst-amped!) I've reposted with a guitar part on the 2nd version. Although I've played for years I'm not very up on the right riffs and licks etc so.......

Horns etc Neil the samples for first bit same source as my last song. the tenor sax and trumpet in second bit are made from some free ska loops from Musicradar - a new experiment. This one has baritone sax instead of trombone which comes from here

http://beatproduction.net/sound-kits/saxophone-sound-kit/

I don't know what you want to know exactly ..... Basically I load the samples into shortcircuit (free sample player) on separate tracks. Add saturation, reverb whatever....don't know what I'm doing really...trial & error...

As for the chorus I've searched for something else but it always comes back to this. Backing vocals would make it I think...and the payoff is partly in the lines afterwards as it resolves back to the home chord. Anyway without a singer this ain't going nowhere for a while.....

Cheers fellas.

[CaliaMoko]

I listened to this a couple days ago and couldn't decide which I liked better at the time. I listened again now and I definitely like the second one better. Part of the reason, though, is probably that I can hear it better. It sounds "cleaner".

I like the song a lot so far. I don't know exactly what you're looking for in a singer, but I would interested in giving it a try. If there's some way we could manage that, given my lack of technical skill and experience.

[pompeyjazz]

Wah ! Count downloaded those samples tonight. Took about 2 hours and my laptop was screaming for me to stop. There is some awesome stuff there. Used some samples from looperman last night for a funky little number. Most impressive.

[mickeytwonames]

I like the first version - however I was told if you have to ask 'Is this love?' it's not - Just sayin

[shadowfax]

A song from a bygone era I think..can't see why you wouldn't produce it in this vein..it is what it is and works..

best, Kevin