[James Nighthawk]

Having posted my most mainstream song for a while ("Jenny") last month, I thought I would address the balance with an oddball song. No chorus, some odd chords (I can already hear Flossie wailing in the background hehehe)

Live and electric this time.

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Ghost Town

In the ghost town
I feel happy
There’s a peace here
That won’t slay me
I know, yes I know, I’m free

In the Ghost town
I will not leave
I’ll dismantle
All that I see
And I hope, that you can prove me wrong

In the ghost town
Where I can sleep
With my eyes closed
Where I can be myself
Without you on my guard

BREAK

In the ghost town
Where my hand creeps
‘Round my own neck
Pray my soul to keep
My trust in me

In the ghost town
I’m the strong man
With the weak heart
And the fake tan
But I, oh yes I, I am still free

BREAK

In the ghost town
I cannot sleep
I can’t feel you
Right beside me…

[S.T.C]

Thought that was quite good...understated is the word.

[Binladeda]

Good stuff James ...Lovely combination of chords , not to sure about the 'break'.....would be tempted to just play the chords for the verse all the way through, and break it up vocally, like you did with the last verse (really like the way you sang that). Love the 'deep', 'moody' atmosphere of your work, and you play and sing with great feeling and emotion....If art is about messages, then I certainly got one here

[montydog]

Another expertly written, performed and produced song. I liked the mysterious edge to it so you never really know what is going on. There's enough room left for the listeners's own imagination. My favourite verse was this:

"In the ghost town
Where my hand creeps
‘Round my own neck
Pray my soul to keep
My trust in me"

I think this is a rather brilliant evocation of either self-doubt or self-destruction. Is this intended to be the final version or are you planning to add more instrumentation?

Great stuff.......again

[flossie]

Slightly menacing by the end but I like it.  And by the way you have written a chorus!!!! 

The lyrics are very interesting too...

This could be in a US tv series/film

[nooms]

simple and sparse, .
good convincing vocal and no tricks, interesting words, casts a shadow..
guitars a little forward i thought, might be my system.
but very nice james
moody filming,  nice quality to it, looks pro..
i would add a string bass and a lone trumpet

it offers numerous possibilities and stands up on its own..

[digger72]

Hi James,

I like this. It's got this sense of forboding and anticipation. I felt like there was more to come, but as a listener I had to write it myself - a bit like a movie where you're left to fill in the blanks or come up with your own ending.

Sounded great too.

Digger

[Kafla]

Hey James - you are on quite a roll

Whats awkward for me is that your stripped back material is sensational - but you are a top producer (i mean that sincerely ) but your fully produced songs dont nearly kick the gut the way your stripped back songs do

I think if you can fathom that you will have the holy grail in your back pocket

Its a very lovely song

[Paul]

Lovely James!

Another fine live performance.  The guitar tone is cool and the vocal very good too Tthe song is just the right length. It leaves the listener wanting a little bit more.  Favourite lyrics: "the strong man with the weak heart and the fake tan".  Nicely written!  Like Kafla, I've really enjoyed  the recent live songs that you have posted.

Well done!

[James Nighthawk]

@songs/flossie/nooms/digger

Muchos Gracias!

@Monty

Glad you liked that stanza. I don't wanna give much away, as this is one of those songs that is perhaps best with a little mystery. I will say it is written in the first person but perhaps I wrote it about someone else...
I have an album cut of it yes. I intend to (hopefully) self publish said album in the next few months, so it'll be out there soon enough

@Kafla

Thanks man. And you bring up an important issue. One that every artist has to face. When the production takes hold, how to maintain the emotional impact. Believe me, I am the kind of producer that likes to honour a song, not neuter it. I can't stand over produced songs. Instrumentation should add to the song, not distract.

I look at it like this:

One of my favourite albums is "Blue" by Joni Mitchell. Most songs on here are her and one instrument. They don't need more! Conversely, the strongest songs on "Court and Spark" work wonders with a full band. But "Blue" is the totally emotional charged zinger, for me and thousands of other fans...

It is about choosing the right arrangement for a song. And this is something I can only learn by doing as I mature as a writer and producer
 
This Live session set has shown me that I get some truely wonderful feedback from my "stripped down" stuff, and this is extremely heartwarming. As a producer my inclination is to build. I will definitely take this feedback on board going forward.

Conversely, people like Flossie and Boydie are pushing me to go "poppier" still. So there is of course the matter of taste... Hmm... I have thinking to do!!

Perhaps, as many artists do, having studio versions and live versions with different feels and arrangements might be in order. The idea is fascinating, my worry is it is self indulgent...

Thanks again, lots to mull over!!

[tina m]

i didnt like this the first time i listened james i dont realy like bare songs like most  people on the forum do
i liked it more the 2nd time i listened but i would have stuck the guitar at the end of a long dark passage....sorry that sounds very rude of course i mean i would have put a lot of ghostly reverb on the guitar!
dyou know  what i mean the songs good but why dont you work on the atmospere for it & bring it to life ...people like me are stupid you need to give instructions with your songs like loads of reverb equals ghost town ...youve got your cowboy shirt on so your half way there

[James Nighthawk]

@Tinam

I'll use short words so as not to confused stupid lil' you 

You have a great point. On the album version I have reverb on the gtr, an acoustic gtr doubling on the other speaker, and also feedback looping in the background for "eeriness". The bass bounces counter to the main melody too. So the ideas you mention amoung others are all there 

This is a live version and clarity was more important. Reverb on one guitar and vocal would have been washy.

PS I have no interest in any which end of your dark passage, melady 

PPS The cowboy shirt rules 

[Boydie]

I had a sneaky listen at work this afternoon and I had the same initial thoughts as TINA in that it didn't really grab me

Having a listen again at home with headphones and am enjoying it much more

I am surprised you picked the 'lecky guitar up for this one - I am not sure it supports the song as well as your gorgeous acoustic would have done

This was clearly a considered choice so I would be interested to know why you went the electric route for this one

As a general rule I am not a big fan of a vocal singing over a played melody

However, in this track it did emphasis the bits where you do not echo the guitar melody (the "I know" bit) -  I also liked the chords for this part as well as the "indian" feel on the bridge sections

I was hearing a beat kicking in after the first bridge - just a snare with some brushes


I know I harp on about the "pop" stuff - but I also feel the "release" in your music where you have probably been doing the "pop thing" all day in your "day job" and this is almost an antidote to keep you sane

I did really enjoy the song itself - would love to hear it with your acoustic though  

[seriousfun]

Another great number James. I like your stipped down stuff, the feeling and atmosphere you can create with such limited production is inspiring. Shows you have nothing to hide.

Its a good and honest way to sing and play and backed up by your extraordinary mixing and producing skills this is another winner in my books.

Thanks for sharing

Al.

[habiTat]

Firstly James, the quality of the production, both in an audio sense and for the video is excellent, very professional. (at least your sound matches your image unlike mine  )

I'm with the others a bit, it's not mega catchy but I think it would sit well on an album following on from something more 'up tempo' to calm things back down.

This whole debate on which direction to take is a tricky one. I have a similar dilemma, I like listening to stripped back acoustic music and I like to record that type of thing, but a good chunk of the feedback I get (from here and friends etc.) calls for more instrumentation and further production. Sometimes the song just NEEDS to be bigger than that simple approach, but sometimes less is more. Too much of either across an album runs the risk of the songs all sounding too similar. I'm a big Fleet Foxes fan and their albums have a mix of both. The more produced songs still manage to retain emotion and atmosphere. I think that's due to them recording a lot of it with live instruments and not using click tracks. I also heard that Blondie once had loads of trouble in the studio with a producer because the drummer refused to work to a click. If you can make it work on those bigger produced songs and retain that organic, non-mechanical accuracy, therein may lie that holy grail..

Is that very subtle human element (of slightly off timing) when recording 'live', the key?

Good stuff though James, I prefer this type of thing

hab..