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Beltane by Mirrie Dancer

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Theatreman

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« on: October 27, 2021, 09:32:56 AM »
Hi. I haven't posted anything on here for quite a while. Two years ago (I think!) I posted a few of my badly recorded guitar demos but, after taking some good advice from fellow contributors, decided to take a break and learn how to use Logic. I now write, perform and produce music as one half of the folk rock duo Mirrie Dancer with the fabulous Josie Black on vocals. This is May's song from the forthcoming album Musicalmanac, featuring one song for every month of the year, and drawing inspiration from nature and the beautiful area of the Scottish Highlands where I live. It's a bit of a long one but it demonstrates the kind of stuff we do as well as showcasing Josie's amazing voice (particularly in the extended coda). I've been really enjoying listening to other contributors' music and I'd be interested to see what people think of this. Cheers.



Your memory winds you down a path of dark desire
To a place where loch and mountain meet the sea,
So many times you try and still can’t quench the fire
But in your tangled mind you can’t find me

How many roads must a man walk down
Just to find him in the place he was before?
How long ago did the sun go down
On a young man standing at fate’s open door?

There was fire in the mountains
There was fire in the sky
There was fire in crimson fountains
And fire in the flash of an eye.

There was fire in the nighttime,
And fire for the coming day,
Fire for the first time
And fire for the Queen of the May.

Dark was the deed that night and dark the road,
So straws were drawn to see who’d be be a man,
Harder to see the light with the debt still owed,
Just to find what destiny had planned.

How many turns did that dark road take
While miles of burning heather lit the way
How will we learn from our past mistakes
When the yearning never goes away.

There was fire in the mountains
There was fire in the sky
There was fire in crimson fountains
And fire in the flash of an eye.

There was fire in the nighttime,
And fire for the coming day,
Fire for the first time
And fire for the Queen of the May.

Fire in your fingers,
Fire in your soul,
Fire whose embers linger,
Burning out of control.

Fire for the righteous fools,
For the pagans who pray
One fire to ignite us all,
Fire for the Queen of the May.

pompeyjazz

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« Reply #1 on: October 27, 2021, 08:24:36 PM »
Welcome back @Theatreman and well done in getting to grips with logic. I love the celtic vibe here. The violins and acoustic guitars work very well and fabulous vocals and arrangement. It's a lovely easy listening number with a great singalong chorus. Great stuff   :)

PeteS

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« Reply #2 on: October 28, 2021, 09:41:20 AM »
Hi @Theatreman There is so much to like about this, you can certainly play and Josie can certainly sing.  I particularly like the build at the end that allows Josie to cut loose.

A couple of critiques though, I think the vocal could be much higher in the mix, it seems to be competing with everything else a little too much.  Which leads on to my second, I feel that there is a little too much going on for a lot of it which detracts from her great voice.

Looking forward to hearing more from you though.
New album out now - Wrong Time, Wrong Place : https://open.spotify.com/album/7AKxi8xiendb9dY22v4QnP?si=AR0VZ1pjSDOwVosifVd_sA
Instagram @echodogsofficial

Theatreman

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« Reply #3 on: October 28, 2021, 11:30:03 AM »
Thanks @pompeyjazz and @PeteS for your feedback. Much appreciated.

ChrisPrice

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« Reply #4 on: October 29, 2021, 01:46:18 AM »
Firstly, a glorious vocal and equally great backing and harmonies. I agree with others that there is perhaps a bit too much happening at times and the rhythm sounds a bit disjointed here and there. I'm not keen on the end section - you seem to go from Celtic to Meatloaf in an instant!! Overall I really like this track, but I think it could be refined into something great :)

adamfarr

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« Reply #5 on: October 29, 2021, 12:18:47 PM »
Hi TM - love the folky sounds here - a good song concept as well - I think in England the May festivals have pretty much died a death but people are always attracted to these stories and characters.

I think I'd definitely like to hear the vocal more up front, at least in the verses. There's an instrumental line (fiddle?) that follows the vocal at times and I think that's either not necessary or could be taken right down in the mix.

The second section really gets going and I particularly like the higher registers in the fiddle. Maybe it's not very folk, but some drums as we get rockier could be a good addition.

Plenty of variety so it didn't seem too long at all. Good catchy melody too. 

moraamarolaloba

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« Reply #6 on: October 29, 2021, 01:11:03 PM »
Hola @Theatreman

It's a lovely pice, nice to meet you!!! I< love violin and celtic sounds and this song has a special feeling, as well s lyrics but I think the violin at the intro could gacve less volume? It's the only rthing I think, at leas on my headphones, that could need a revision.
Very nice listening

Stay well

Mora
I did not know that to live we had to die so many times
My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAaK7mFK7fUpf1E99I1Qtow

rightly

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« Reply #7 on: October 29, 2021, 02:06:19 PM »
diversity of influences here
that Folky part is really endearing

I think the voice could be louder generally and definitely in the verses.

top listen
and nice video

Wait
it's a 6 minute joint. lol!
there's always one

I like your nerve
you could go 8 minutes ? (just kidding)

Well done!
It's either this or that, then again it might be the other. 

I can promise you a future of slow decline.

Don't eat the yellow snow

And there you have it. 

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https://soundcloud.com/rightly

Theatreman

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« Reply #8 on: October 31, 2021, 08:12:02 PM »
Thanks everyone for your excellent and constructive feedback (Hola Mora!). Never been compared to Meatloaf before @ChrisPrice  but there's a first time for everything! I will take on board your comments when mixing the track for the album and may put another track from it on here in due course. In the meantime I'll have a listen to some of your music. Cheers all x

ChrisPrice

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« Reply #9 on: November 01, 2021, 08:35:01 PM »
Thanks everyone for your excellent and constructive feedback (Hola Mora!). Never been compared to Meatloaf before @ChrisPrice  but there's a first time for everything! I will take on board your comments when mixing the track for the album and may put another track from it on here in due course. In the meantime I'll have a listen to some of your music. Cheers all x
I wasn't being too serious about Meatloaf ;D I just thought that the change of style was a bit drastic. Overall I think the track's great.