[Boydie]

Hi all

It has been a while since I have posted anything

KAFLA approached me a little while ago with the seed of an idea for a collab

We worked it up over the past few weeks and now have something to share 

We would love to know what you think:

https://soundcloud.com/boydiemusic/i-need-you


I Need You
 
Verse
I hold you closer but it’s feeling like you’re pulling away
(I’m) trying harder but something always gets in the way
My head’s working overtime
My heart is in overdrive

The signs were there I never heard what you were trying to say
I never listened just assumed we’d always be okay
Maybe I was blind
Maybe you’re right this time

Pre-Chorus
You say that I think too much

Chorus
I need you
To show me the way
To show me the light
Take away the rain
I need you
To give me that feeling
Give me meaning
Get me through the pain

Verse
Days without you seem much longer than they did before
(I) only got a taste of life with you but now I want more
I tell you I’m doing fine
If you could only read my mind

I never thought that we would end up here like this
I miss the feel of your touch, your laugh, your kiss
Treasured memories
Are all that’s left with me

Pre-Chorus
You always said I think too much

Chorus
I need you
To show me the way
To show me the light
Take away the rain
I need you
To give me that feeling
Give me meaning
Get me through the pain

Bridge
I never wanted you to say it was over
I wish we had our time again
Never wanted to hear those words
Because I loved you ‘till the end but you…
You Gave me that feeling
Gave me meaning
I wish you could stay

Chorus
I need you
To show me the way
To show me the light
Take away the rain
I need you
To give me that feeling
Give me meaning
Get me through the pain

[nooms]

magnificent
lovely big fat sound great mix
and great to hear that voice again kaf, terrific vocal really knock out
love the way it builds.. exhilerating 

top marks you guys

[Jambrains]

Hm.. I got some mixed feelings really. It's a good song, good performance, good arrangement, mix, production etc but still it falls a bit short for me.  I can't tell why really, maybe it's just not my cup of tea? Or maybe it so well done and polished that it lacks a bit of "personality"?  Or maybe because the arrangement/production is a bit schizo? Starts out as pop, but not quit, and from the cymbal chokes and onward it turns into kind of a power ballad but a bit half-hearted. It feels the song tries to be both without really succeeding.

Bah, I'm probably just a grumpy old rocker so please feel free to ignore me. 

[retrononomusic]

Wow!

Great singing that caught my attention almost immediately.
And that bass sound, I like it! (I have to mention it cause I think it's often neglected but not here)
You dit it, the chorus is in my head, a sing along one! :-)

+1 for the echoes at some sentences ending.
Great mix, great job.

You're one of the best voices of this forum, powerful!

Nono.

[sarepaar]

First of all I loved the vocals and the production seems good(as far as I know anything about that) it just sounded right together. The song is very easy to listen to. I personally like it more when a song gives me something unexpected whether it's in the lyrics or in other parts of the song and I missed that a little in this song.

[Paulski]

Hi Boydie

Nicely mixed and produced power ballad. Vocals and playing are good.
Lyrics are not very adventuresome - but hey it's a love song and delivers what's on the label.
would have liked some soaring guitar doubles behind that bridge too but I know that's old school!

Nice one!
Paul

[Boydie]

Thanks guys

I think it is great to have KAFLA's voice back on the forum

I have to admit that when he sent me the original sketch idea it was his voice that grabbed me - even though he was just singing nonsense placeholder lyrics it still sounded amazing

would have liked some soaring guitar doubles behind that bridge too but I know that's old school!

@ PAULSKI - it took every ounce of self control for me to not put soaring guitar over it!!!

I consciously didn't want to "date it" (as you rightly point out) so I let the piano carry the song

[Kafla]

Hola amigos

Boydie and I have threatened to work on something for a long while - when I began to sketch this out I stopped quite quickly and asked him if he wanted to work on this - I just knew it was something that he could work some magic on.

'Modern boyband' was a phrase he immediately coined and we deliberately steered the song in that direction. Yes it's a straightforward pop song but at the same time that's the majority of its appeal. It won't be to everyone's taste , particularly the arty type songwriters 😝

I have had quite a bit of interaction with publishers last year and I am hopeful something will happen this year but one piece of feedback I have received a lot is that my lyrics / themes can be too dark / mature for the placements I am pitching for so I welcome the straightforward approach here.

I also like the no nonsense arrangement that moves to the chorus pretty quickly - peter frampton has never been ripped off better in my opinion.

And what can you say about Boydies production - the guy is a class act - he has worked incredibly hard the last few years - that bass deserves a Brit award category all of its own.

Thanks to anyone that has listened - I know I am not around here very much but I do still listen to the amazing talent that's on here and it's great to see the boards flourishing so much - everyone that submits a song on here is a genius in my opinion - it's not easy baring a little of your soul and if you break down the steps to songwriting it's pretty much a miracle on every level 😳

Peace and love 😄

Andy

[digger72]

Hi guys,

First up - good to see you around Kafla - been way too long. Hope thongs are well in your part of the world. Deila isn't exactly setting the world alight.
As to the song; super polished as one would expect. The vocal as smooth as silk. Clear mix - maybe lacking a little edge for my tastes, but i dare say spot on for the market you are aiming at.
It's interesting that you talk about the feedback you have received - for those looking for placements you've got to go light; that's me failed before i start.

Good luck with it. It's a good tune which i'm sure ticks many of the boxes the publishers crave.

Cheers,

Digger

[DevyE]

Great job on performance and production but to me lyrically it appeared a little inconsistant :-

I got the impression during the verses/chorus that the relationship is on the rocks and the character is trying to save it but in the bridge we then discover the relationship is already done and dusted.

For me the bridge should be tweaked to something like :-

I never want you to say it's over
I hope we can start again
I never want to hear those words
Because I'll love you ‘till the end
You give me that feeling
Give my life meaning
I want you to stay



And the chorus is a little vague about what he wants and as they've broken up why should she show/give him anything? To me the chorus needs to hit the nail on head by saying that he wants her back which is what the song is about.




Also for me the character is inconsistant, he appears to have taken the relationship for granted and says

"The signs were there I never heard what you were trying to say
I never listened just assumed we’d always be okay"

but then in the pr-chorus we hear

"You say that I think too much".

So his personality appears to change from easy go lucky to a deep thinker?



So for me it requires a few minor tweaks but nice one  

[Boydie]

I don't think the lyric is inconsistent so will put my case forward...

The "message" is a simple "you don't know what you got until it's gone" - we purposely wanted to avoid a "dark" and "deep" lyric

The first verse sets up the "danger signs" for the relationship - I felt using the present tense had more "power" and emotion to it (especially for the first lines of the song) and gives room for the song to develop

Perhaps the past tense would have been more technically correct (I held you close...) but we felt it was more important to place the listener "in the scene" - the story moves on as well so I think it still works

The pre-chorus is the killer "break up" line (slightly less cliche than "it's me, not you")

The chorus then hammers home the message (and title) with the realisation that "I need you"

Second verse develops the story after the break up with the "regret" and realisation of what has been lost

The bridge then changes perspective and "looks back" at the relationship - if I had the chance again...


That was the intention anyway 

[retrononomusic]

PS: Sorry Boydie I thought you were the singer! 

Nono.

[Viscount Cramer & His Orchestra]

Nice piano introducing this.
 
Good soulful singer delivers the vocal superbly. Nice resonance to the voice on the lower notes in second part of verses and pre-chorus line. (a strong, important line that one!) That reminded me a bit of Stuart Staples for a moment there.  Cracking voice anyway.

Great full sound builds well and comes down nicely after the bridge.
All the musical elements sound strong although I'm not 100% fond of the choppy guitar bits, but what do I know? Is that the famous Jazz bass there?

It's a powerful song performed and produced very ably indeed!

And that is one nice voice!

[benjo]

 HEY GUYS

 great to see collabs like this

 i enjoyed my couple of listens to this track
 and man KAF what a vocal really right for these lyrics
 but for me it did lack the ability to carry the emotion that this has
 
 for example in the chorus you seem to hit it harder in the first half
 then lower off towards the end of it
 i think for me you should build from the beginning of the chorus
 to really pushing your vocal even if it means shouting it out
 forcing the emotion of those words to drive home
 
 and just a SUGG on the line                 TAKE AWAY THE RAIN
 i wonder if it would impact more with    STOP THE RAIN
 
 these are very clever powerful lyrics I LOVE EM
 i think this has the potential to go through the roof on that chorus
 
 BOYBIE  glad you held back on the guitars great judgement
             
 over all i loved this and think it can really hit the stars

        cracking collab guys

[Alan Starkie]

Listened to this a couple of times.

This is a finished song but I'll put my thought's forward anyway..

Production is good. I'd change the snare though. Dates it a bit.

The lyric and singing are good but could never be a modern boy band ballad because they're too negative to be a single. They're an adult contemporary mid thirties artist track in my experience of genres.

Andrew has a good voice but it puts any song he sings in that category for me. That's not a bad thing in any way but his voice is definitely not boy band.

When was the last time you heard a boyband song referring to lost love in a (distant) past?

A catchy song with good parts but I think you've aimed it at the wrong market.

You're both seriously aiming at some success in pitching so that's my serious/to-the-point appraisal.

Hope you take it as it's professionally intended.

Alan.