[ShinyThang]

I need help! (didn't want to upset Jess by putting that in the title!)

Thanks go out to Michael for telling me how to share a song on Soundcloud without it being visible to the great unwashed  

https://soundcloud.com/geoffjamesevans/chords-in-corridors/s-cNcuj

This could be a bit of fun if you're as daft as me. I WANT SOUND BITES! Please look below the lyric to see how you can help me with this one ...

Chords in Coridors
Copyright © Geoffrey James Evans 2012. All rights reserved

The city's troop of runners are joging  clockwise around the park
Cursing at the the one who runs against the flow
But she sees all their faces while they run alone
And in their I-pod ears she sometimes shouts Hello! .... HELLO!

And soon they'll all disperse and then they'll re-group underground
To pop up miles away where the city roars
Still locked in their worlds they hardly hear the sound
Of the girl who strikes a chord in the coridoors

A million eyes that just no longer see the sky
A million minds that never again will  wonder why
A million ears not one of which  that will  ever hear you cry
Deaf, dumb and blind to life outside they just pass by.

Staring at their screens with eyes obscured by shades
Immersed in social networks around the globe
They comment on the snapshots of friends they've never made
And laugh out loud in silence as they cross the road

Now they climb into the skies and take their usual seat
And numbly punch in numbers, names and nothingness
And she now strums and warbles  for the people on the street
  Dah da da da da dah dah dah de da


A million souls that just no longer feel the cold
A million hands that never again will seek to hold
A million lives that simply won't grow old
Living a lie in their on-line fantasy world

How can you help?
I just want a load of spoken lines to go with this one. I plan to use as many as I get. There are some examples in the demo so that you get the idea. If you would like to help please record on anything you're comfortable with and send me a wav or  mp3 file but try to eliminate as much background sound as possible. I know the finished tapestry will have spoken word over street noise but I need to be able to control who it's used. There is a list of required lines below but I'd also be interested in any other lines you may have on the subject. I'm not looking for co-writers but I will mention everyone who's clip is used when it goes global    If anyone comes up with a suggestion for the 'missing' line that I want to use you'll be a 25% co-writer (just be sure you've done the maths ... 25% of nothing ain't a lot )
You can post the clips to me here ... http://soundcloud.com/geoffjamesevans/dropbox   It says they support We support AIFF, WAVE, FLAC, OGG, MP2, MP3, AAC, AMR and WMA files so, I guess I'll try to use any of those too.

Soundbites

'Hello' – 'Hi'   (bright, cheery, open & friendly – different takes. I want lots of these)

'Hellooo' (as in 'hello is there anybody in there?)

'Hey!' (as in 'you're in my way)

'LOOK OUT!' (urgent yelling)

'red light Red Light RED LIGHT!' (getting louder & more urgent)

Screams! - (not terror induced but shock)

'Sorry' (as we in Britain do all the time for just using the save pavement as someone else )

Coughing & wheezing – (um … yeah! lots of coughs and wheezes ... pleases)

Radio presenter
'And a warning for all you joggers out there, we've just had a call from a er … Tracy, in Sunny Park telling us of a jogger who is running the WRONG way around the jogging track! Can you believe that? What a crazy city this is. Anyway keep an eye out for that fruitloop this morning!'

Girl on the phone – panting a little
'Hi babe ...'

Man on phone
'Hi, yeah, look, they've just said on the radio that there's some clown running the wrong way around the park today. Are you okay?'

Girl on phone – panting a little
'One? There's hundreds of them!'  (yeah , I know … the old ones are the best)

Old Person on the street to reporter in incredulous tone - 'They just walk around staring at these screens with ear plugs in. Why? Eh? Why do they do it? Does it tell them what to do?'

Person on the street to reporter 'They don't know how it works … they don't CARE how it works!'

Monotone speech (verbalisation of computer text)

'Like if you agree'
'Share if you care'
'Lana has checked in at somewhere amazing'

[ShinyThang]

Well, I left it 4 days and I can only assume that you are all busy recording your sound bites for me. right?

Y' know, I thought when I posted this one that I could crash and burn but ... well, you lovely people wouldn't do that to me would you? ... Would you?

[Michael]

Sometimes songs get lost quickly on the boards (although now with the WIP and Finished sections they don't move ast fast). A quick bump after a couple of days should do the trick (as you just did).

As for the song:

I think the last song I heard of yours was a the Blue Light jazz one, and now you've got an 80s synth pop track for us? And you completely nailed that one as well...
You sure are one versatile songwriter! Is there a genre you can't do? (And can we make requests for what the next genre should be?)

As a big fan of all things synthy, I quite enjoyed this one. Love the synth strings sound.
Cool pumping drums too. Captures the busy city and the crazy people in it perfectly.

I like the lyrics, there's a lot of truth in them. However, the words were quite hard to make out in the mix.

Do you want to use the sound bites all over the song, or only at certain parts?

I'd be glad to help, if you don't mind a German accent in your song
I'll see if I can find some time tomorrow and make a few recordings...

[ShinyThang]

Hey thanks Michael. Kind words indeed. I feel I'm a victim to whatever wants to come out ... perhaps I'm just lazy? I listen to all sorts of music all day long most days (nice to have a job where you can put your ear-buds in though it did result in me missing the 'bun van' this morning).

Please do record some sound bites and send them if you can. I don't mind accents at all. It's geographically neutral! Just thought it would be more fun than collating all the samples myself. I intend to use them over the intro, interspersed in the verses and throughout the section from 4:30 to 4:58

The singing is extremely rough and is incoherent in places because it done in a burning hurry. I fade out at one point because I thought I could hear noises in the house and at another because i simply do not have a line for that place!

I look forward to getting some recording from you. And anyone else? .... I want lots please

[ShinyThang]

Many thanks to Michael for the first crop of samples to use in this song! Great stuff Michael

Any more anyone?

[Neil C]

Bags of energy but I'm not quiet sure what to make of it as a song - there are lots of ingredients. Liking the stereo panting and there are some good sounds. The core verse is catchy and lyrics fine.
Think you work on honing the melody and structure and then let the samples and production catch up with the song. And you might want to have a look at the timing of baseline/drums eg 50 sec and 1.25 etc.

Neil
 

[ShinyThang]

Thanks to Seriousfun I now have a brilliant radio announcer for the 'And a warning for all you joggers out there ...' sound bite. Really good stuff. I wouldn't say you missed your calling Allan but, you make a very convincing radio presenter.

So, it is really starting to come together now but I still need more of the  hello, hi, Hey, watch it, look out, screams, coughs, wheezes + the joke and the vox-pops

It seems the dropbox isn't working (probably me doing something wrong) so, if anyone wants to send files please message me on this forum and I'll pop my email address over to you.

[Dutchbeat]

ha, that is good fun...the song that is....


and if you don't mind accents i can give you some Helloooooooo's

[Dutchbeat]

i just sent a portion of Dutchbeat Hello's etc.

[ShinyThang]

Brilliant stuff Dutchbeat. Thanks! I said this would be fun.

I think I will use more than you think of that little lot

So, lots of 'hello' samples now but I still need more plus all the other stuff. Let's keep the ball rolling eh?

[The Color of Oldfield]

Loving all the comments regarding this song.....

For  me the drums are too acoustic, IMO i would go more electronic / 80's retro....

Pete Oldfield
The Color Of Oldfield

[Sing4me88]

Liking this one. Got a great bouncing tune and melody to it. It's vibrant and intense without being 'in your face' too much. I got a Depeche Mode or Human League feel off it... I dunno if that's due to the vocals or because of the tech/synth sound.

[crystalsuzy]

Oh man...just found this post ...I got to get in on this one...I am definitely as daft, if not more ...this is right up my alley and I think it's awesome...I can do the girl on the phone and any of the other bits you need...how do I send you a track? I'll PM you I guess...love the premiss...I think it will be a fun song when it's finished... CS

[ShinyThang]

Brilliant Suzy! Your spoken parts on 'Angles & Aliens' were great so, I think we're in for a treat ... no pressure

I've had a good response to this but there are still a number of lines I need like the vox-pop lines and a few more 'hello's especially female ones.

Been busy with my UK Songwriting Contest entries but I do come back to this one now and then. Oh! and thanks to Mr Oldfield I've been going through all of the electronic drum kits I have ... I like the idea but can't find a kit I like ... I will though.