Rated Blue - "Chances Are"

Hi!

Here’s an original song I wrote recently and it came together in the studio pretty quickly which is usually a hopeful sign… :lol:

With the Covid-19 lockdown I was lucky to have a drummer “quaranteamed” with me but the Bass playing and Keyboard stuff I had to roll up my sleeves and do myself this time, this is my first recorded kick at the can on our studio Hammond organ so be gentle… Recorded with Ardour 5.12.

I guess you could call this a prayer or a plea for unity… For now it’s hosted on my webspace but it will eventually find it’s way onto our next album project. Comments and critiques are appreciated…

http://bandshed.net/music/RATED_BLUE/JOY/ChancesAre-RELEASE-MIX.mp3

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Hi @GMaq!

Think it sounds great as usual. The keyboard and bass sound fine to me. It’s a really wide mix and having the vocal a little off center was a little off-putting at first, but got used to it pretty quick. Like all the spoken stuff doing towards the end. Thought the song really highlighted your voice. In my brain, you’re a mix between Neil Young and Glenn Frey… :slight_smile:

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Almost sounds as good as setBfree :grin: just kidding.

Oddly enough this is the first of your songs that I’m not fan of. The strings are a bit much, especially those near the end, and overall it feels a bit overproduced. I’m looking forward to trio live version, that should fix it.

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I liked the song, especially the verse before chorus is quite original and interesting. The suspense and release in it works very well. The long part with speech feels a little detached but its ok. Good performance and mixing as always. Thanks for sharing :slight_smile:

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Hi @GMaq !

I must say that I overall agree @x42 (esp about SetBFree :sweat_smile: ) : The string part sounded maybe a bit off-topic to my hears, for sure that sounds more produced and less raw as usually :slight_smile:

By the way the string part is a choice of the artist :wink: , did you try replace it during the chorus by your iconic telecaster ?

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@cchoowee Thanks so much, your ears and time are very much appreciated! I’m not really a fan of my singing so any comment about that is encouraging… Oh and BTW the lead vocal being panned was a mistake, I accidentally added the lead vocal track to the harmonies group and panned it like a harmony, I’ll have to fix it in the next mix…

@x42 Haha, It may be that setBfree would sound better especially in the hands of someone that actually plays keyboards! As far as the arrangement I was getting a bit tired of trio mixes and wanted to try some new stuff, your opinion is appreciated!

@mhartzel Thanks very much! Your time is appreciated! :grinning:

@Sahaathyva Thanks for listening and commenting! About the strings… Everybody here putting up music has influences (like you with Jarre) or Cchoowee with metal and hard rock influences so if I know your influences it can help to understand your music… For me my influences are blues, soul, R&B, funk, reggae and of course some rock… In those genres very often when a Bluesy song is in a minor key and is more downtempo and funky there are strings… as an example “The Thrill Is Gone” or “Ghetto Woman” by BB King. For me with the subject matter of the song needed some more “emotional color” rather than just ripping it out Live with my ‘iconic’ telecaster (lol thanks for saying that!).

We have 2 albums of originals out already that are very “Live” trio sounding, we are working on a next album that is a bit more evolved and shows a bit more range… Now that I’m over 50 years old the chances of getting anywhere with my music are slim to none so I might as well have some fun and just make the kind of stuff I want to hear… :smiley:

Very nice. Thanks for sharing this. I enjoy the overall groove, the optimistic lyrics, and I think your vocals are solid. I love the way Geddy Lee whispers “How dare you”, thru his medical mask, at 3:41. :wink:
I am a novice at arrangement and working on something in a blues / rock general style. I greatly appreciate having this to learn from. Stay safe and healthy, and remember there is no “I” in “quaranteamed”.

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Haha! Thanks!

Appreciate the time and comments, looking forward to hearing what you come up with!

Hi @GMaq , for sure you have to make the music you want, YOUR music. Beside explanation on the influences makes it clear now, btw I love soul and old rnb too :wink:

And as I said before, it is the choice of the artist !

Keep on good music

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I would have to take the opposite view of Robin Gareus and say that this is my favourite of your songs that I have heard.

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Thanks Craig! Appreciate it!

Funny you say vocal panning was a mistake, without having read that I just thought you were going for it and it surprised me how balanced it was despite the asymmetry. I liked it.