When I recorded this track, the drums were recorded last, over the rest of the music years later. I wasn't sure if I was going to finish it. Since the music tracks still sounded together with the drums, it was a keeper.
During most of the song, the main melody vocal is doubled with no effects. It is only in the chorus that I added a harmony vocal. No delay or reverb was added. It is just as it was recorded. The same goes for all the guitar parts and drums. It was all recorded on a simple multi-track cassette tape recorder. There was no computer used or digital editing of any kind. All is recorded direct to analog tape as you hear it. All my recordings are done this way, pure analog.
In the bridge of the song was a great place for a keyboard part that quickly became the harmony part.
"She comes right out and says, 
she's wondering if there will be a tommorow
one more swing for you and me."
However, it wasn't played on a keyboard. It is a drum machine that has individual buttons on it for the notes. This became a single note line that mirrored the main vocal melody and harmonized at the right times. Many things like this can be programmed but, it sounded much better to play it myself.
It was recorded at my house. There, I had the time set up my listening system and get the whole room to sound the way i like. If you listen to the drum fill part that ends the song, you can hear the compressor let up the mix and you can hear the room very clearly. This natural room sound is how i do it. This room ambiance is what gives the listener a sense of the size and space of the instruments that were present at the recording session. The instruments sound great in the medium to large great room of the house.
    Another important thing to mention is that all of the song has the rhythm acoustic guitar track in the mix. All my songs are written this way. If if sounds great just sitting with a friend just playing the song, then it is ready to be recorded. 
    The verse section, 'She can buy me boats of silver' has the electric simply playing the acoustic part. The chorus, 'yes indeed, so relieved, that you'll stay with me'  gets ornate with the basic electric part, a simple variation electric part with a special guitar effect, and the final electric part is a triplet part spread out over the main chords for added depth for the section.

Unknown Album (10/28/2008 1:36:45 PM)

Any Other Way

This was recorded in a tiny condo as i was being thrown out for trying to record my songs...All the sessions on this one felt very rushed. More so than the normal excitement to see how It could turn out. I had written a group of songs were cutting edge for me. For some time, I had been away from home travelling and writing these songs. This was part of a group of about 4 songs that i had in my head. I finally resettled and was able to get the song finished.

I AmYour Light

INeedTheLove

Seeing Someone

Normally, I play all my drum tracks. I had a friend that was a beginning drummer and showed great motivation to play. I had him play the drums while I played the bass together live because I had only one track left on my recorder. So, i could hear the music while recording, I played on the patio of the Las Vegas house i was living. My drums were loud compared to what i could hear, so, this was the only way. I remember I got a slight burn. I had borrowed a bass guitar and did not have a bass amplifier. Therefor, this track had to be be recorded straight into the recorder while my friend played the drum part. He did an great job.  I had one track left so they were recorded together on the same track. This meant the volume of each instrument had to be exactly the right level I would need at mixdown because there would be no changing it at that time. I did this so i could keep the extra vocal harmony i had recorded previously.
The piano track was recorded by me. It was my first time. Playing live, I play this part on my electric like the song was originally written. Its way more awesome. I am not a piano player. I just wanted to try the pianoto be doing something new. It was a success. The guitar chords are present in the chorus part, just lowered in the mix. When you hear the flushed out chords, it will blow you away.

The verse vocals, "All alone just beyond my reach,"  are done with a single vocal. The chorus vocals, are the melody vocal with a 3 part harmony. The most fun was in the final chorus. I put a 4th vocal harmony. It came out nicely. 

(verse)
out of touch just beyond my reach
troubled waters stare at me
your scent leads me to my home
with land in sight dreams of you
carry me through

come to me, across the sea

(chorus)
I want you to know 
how your heart tows the line
leading me to love across the sea

(verse)
All alone just beyond my reach
troubled waters stare at me
your scent leads me to my home
with land in sight dreams of you
carry me through

come to me across the sea

(chorus)
i want you to know
how your heart tows the line
leading me to love across the sea

(bridge)
i wonder why
we cant be on the same
continent
oh 
God please answer me

    words and music by Paul Glaser

iamrockband